Raised by Wolves— Chapter VII: In Which Cloud has an Unfortunate Realization [Or In Which You Readers Aaaaall Knew Where this Was Going ;) ]
Disclaimer: I still own nothing but my meager story-line and any hapless OCs I throw into these pages.
"It's times like these," Cloud reflected, ducking beneath Tifa's furious kick, "That make me very glad that Tifa learned how to control her temper by the time I met up with her again," he thought ruefully.
The now eight year old Tifa was fuming, molten brown eyes glinting with repressed frustration. The spar Cloud had tentatively invited her to join (at Zack's insistence) had been welcomed by the young brunette, though Cloud didn't realize at the time how volatile young Tifa's emotions were.
The morning started out well enough. Cloud and Zack woke up feeling refreshed, if a bit sore. A quick shower removed the last vestiges of mako from the both of them and eased Cloud's sore muscles.
When they stepped into the kitchen, Elle was already there, sitting tiredly at the kitchen table and nursing a cup of tea, tendrils of peppermint-scented steam drifting over the rim of the cup. She looked as though she didn't sleep well and Cloud instantly felt guilty, knowing the prospect of their approaching conversation had most likely kept her awake.
Elle made a brief gesture to a small pot of oatmeal on the stove and Cloud carefully spooned some into a bowl and placed it onto the table. He grabbed Zack's designated bowl as well and pulled some already cooked meat from the fridge, dumping a generous helping into the bowl before placing it on the ground for the rapidly growing wolf.
"I'm sorry we don't have anything better," Cloud said silently, running gentle hands over Zack's head and back.
"Cloud, you're giving me fresh, well-cooked meat that you clean, skin, and debone yourself. It's delicious," Zack reassured him, nudging Cloud's hands gently in thanks, "Besides, do you remember what ShinRa canteen food tasted like? That stuff could walk off a plate by itself and I survived on that just fine," Zack laughed, diving into the meat with relish.
Cloud ruffled Zack's fur again before standing and sitting down at the table, digging into his food. The oatmeal was filling, if a little bland, but it was hot and trailed a pleasant warmth all the way down into his stomach.
Elle watched her young, strangely mature son eat, dread pooling in her stomach even as her blue eyes lit with gentle contentment at the quiet, comfortable morning with her strange son and equally strange wolf. She never dreamed that this would be her life, raising her son alone in a moderately hostile town.
But she didn't regret it in the least. The hard work interspersed with genuine happiness and simple comfort. Even the rough days when Cloud was a baby and she was alone, learning to do everything by herself and his cries drove her to tears. Elle wouldn't change it for anything. Her only regret was losing Cloud's father.
That was another story that needed telling. But not until Cloud was older, at least in double-digits, Elle reflected. He was still so young...
Cloud finished eating and began washing the dishes, frowning in irritation when he had to grab the stool in order to use the sink comfortably. Once done, he returned to sit at the table, waiting and watching his mother expectantly with patient eyes.
Elle took a deep breath and straightened.
"I came to Nibelheim seven months pregnant after losing your father. He was a biologist and an inventor, a brilliant and kind man. He worked for the company my father owned," Elle said, voice soft and eyes distant with memory, "That's how I met him. My father and brother didn't approve of our relationship, so we decided to elope. I was already pregnant with you by that time," she said with a grin at Cloud. "We got married quietly and quickly, hiding out in Midgar in a small, comfortable house while your father worked as a mechanic at a local garage."
Cloud smiled slightly, understanding why he'd always enjoyed working on Fenrir, and why engineering appealed to him as he got older. First Tsurugi was of his own design, made to accommodate his rather eclectic fighting style after using so many different swords over the years. The thought made him slightly sad, though. He wouldn't be able to recreate his sword this time, the materials unavailable if everything went the way it should.
"We were happy until we were found. Your father sacrificed himself so that I could get away. I cursed him for a long time," Elle whispered, eyes glistening with unshed tears as she looked down into her cup, "He was supposed to come with me. We'd made the contingency plans together... But I realized later that he must have known we couldn't both get away, especially with me being so heavily pregnant. My father's reach was too long and too powerful, and they'd have taken you away," she continued, finally looking up to see Cloud's reaction.
Cloud had expected any number of a dozen things, but the story his mother just told was both heart-breaking and world-altering. He looked over at his mother with new, unbiased eyes and suddenly knew exactly what Vincent must have noticed. Her pale blonde hair, her eyes, the education and knowledge she insisted on teaching him.
Her extreme reluctance to let him go to Midgar and join Shinra.
"Shinra?" Cloud asked faintly, his own voice sounding distant to his ears.
Elle's eyes widened in shock, "How did you make that connection?" she asked, "Did someone tell you something?"
Cloud shook his head, his stomach churning with nausea. Zack quietly slipped into the room, nudging Cloud's leg. The boy's hand dropped into the wolf's fur, the soft, wiry texture grounding him.
"I've seen some photos in the news around town. And the fact that you and my dad had to go into hiding, as well as the power and reach your family apparently has... It was a leap, but it seems I'm right?" Cloud half-asked, desperately hoping he was wrong as he looked up at his mother.
Elle's lips curved into a rueful smile.
"My full name is Ruelle Shinra, I'm the president's younger sister."
Zack would have whistled in astonishment if possible.
"Cloud, you can't ever let them find out who you are. You'll never be free, or safe. My brother is in control of the company now, and he's ruthless. He won't want there to be another successor," Elle tried to explain desperately, worried about the blank look on her son's face, "It'd be best if you forget about my side of the family. But now that you know, you must be very careful. If men in black suits show up, keep away from them and let me know. They probably work for your uncle."
"Okay," said Cloud quietly, still feeling increasingly nauseous the more he thought about what his mom told him.
He was related to Rufus. They were cousins. And Rufus must have realized at some point, looking back on it. Some of the comments made by Tseng, and Rufus helping him out later on (even though Cloud refused the majority of his help, despite the man going out of his way to offer it). Cloud always assumed it was because he'd defeated Sephiroth and helped save the Planet...
"I'm gonna be sick..." the former hero thought, clutching at Zack's fur like a lifeline, lips pressed in a thin line.
"Cloud? Are you okay?" his mother asked, "I hadn't intended to tell you my family name, I wanted to leave them as nameless villains of the past. But you figured it out and... I panicked a little," Elle said quietly, regret written on her face.
"No, it's okay. It's always better to know, right?" Cloud said, giving his mother a wan smile, "I'm just a bit..."
"Shocked?" finished Elle.
Cloud nodded, blond spikes waving gently. Zack nudged at the boy's hand again and Cloud buried his fingers into the wolf's fur, grounding himself.
"I'm going to go out for a bit, check the traps and see if I can't hunt something fresh for dinner," Cloud said, giving his mother a smile far calmer than he actually felt.
The boy stood and headed out the door, Zack on his heels.
Elle watched them go and sighed, wishing she hadn't needed to tell Cloud so soon, and that she hadn't told him so much. She desperately hoped dredging the past up again wouldn't lead to more trouble.
"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Zack, running around Cloud's feet in circles, "You're a Shinra? What are the odds of that?"
"How do you think I feel?" Cloud replied grimly, automatically heading for the outskirts, intent on vanishing into the forest for a few hours to kill some monsters.
Cloud carefully rounded the last building, Zack trotting just behind him, when the boy abruptly stopped in surprise. Tifa was sitting on the ground, her back against the wall and her head buried in her arms. The girl's shoulders were shaking with muffled sobs.
"Oh, no..." the blond thought, panicking slightly, "What's the date today?" he asked urgently.
"The date? Why does that matter?" replied Zack, approaching Tifa slowly, "Do you know why she's crying?"
"Maybe," the blond replied, stepping forward quietly and carefully sitting down next to Tifa.
"Tifa?" he said hesitantly, reaching a hand out to touch the girl's shoulder.
The girl's head shot up, and upon seeing Cloud, immediately started swiping away at her tears.
"What do you want?" Tifa asked, trying to sound strong even as more tears slid down her face and her lips trembled.
"Nothing, just- Are you alright?" Cloud fumbled, not sure how to proceed exactly, but wanting to help.
"I'm fine," sniffled Tifa, once more rubbing at her eyes.
"You don't seem fine," pressed Cloud softly, Zack plopping down on the little girl's other side.
Tifa turned her large brown eyes to Cloud, seeming even larger in her small face due the pronounced redness from crying. Not thinking, Cloud reacted as he did when Marlene used to cry, holding an arm out in invitation for her to lean into him. Tifa dropped into his side with a sob, burying her face into Cloud's small shoulder with only the barest of hesitation.
Cloud hid a wince; his arm was still tender. Zack scooted closer on Tifa's other side, laying himself down and curving his slightly lanky form around Tifa's bent legs, hoping his body heat and soft fur would give the girl some comfort.
The blond tightened his grip around Tifa's shoulders and let her cry. Eventually Tifa's sobs died down and she pulled back, still sniffling. Cloud watched her carefully, unsure about what to say.
"Thank you. I'm sorry," she said quietly, her hand dropping down into Zack's fur to begin gently running her fingers through Zack's coat.
"No need to be sorry," Cloud said, voice quiet, "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked hesitantly, though he had a bad feeling he knew why Tifa had been crying.
"Dad says Mom is gone, that she won't be coming back. And he won't tell me where she went!" Tifa cried, "Why won't he tell me?" she trailed off, more tears slipping down her cheeks.
"Maybe just give him some time... I think he's probably hurting, too. Maybe he doesn't know how to tell you what's happened," the blond said, feeling an odd sense of empathy for the Mayor.
Cloud was never good at explaining bad news.
"All he has to do is open his mouth and tell me!" exclaimed Tifa angrily, "I'm his daughter..." she added sadly, fingers unintentionally tugging at Zack's thick fur.
Not at all sure about what else he could say, let alone how to tell Tifa that her mother was dead, Cloud fell silent. Tifa lapsed into silence as well, no longer sobbing, but tears still falling from her eyes as she regained her breath. It was a comfortable silence. It reminded Cloud of when he lived with Tifa, Marlene, and Denzel. The sudden longing for Seventh Heaven felt like a physical hit to his diaphragm; the sounds from the bar that Cloud was always able to hear from his room, Marlene leaving flowers on his desk when he wasn't looking, and Denzel trailing behind him with curious eyes and hesitant smiles (his face always lit up when Cloud let him help with repairs to his bike). He missed them, badly. It was a physical ache that stole his breath and constricted his throat.
"Cloud?" Zack said suddenly, head perking up to regard the two children, an idea brimming at the edge of his mind.
"Yeah?" Cloud replied, abruptly snapping out of his melancholy, his attention turning to the young wolf.
"Tifa's a fighter right? Wouldn't she make a good sparring partner?"
Cloud blinked.
"She would, but I don't think she's started learning yet. She won't for a couple more years, I think. She trained under Zangan," the not-child mused.
"So where's this Zangan? Take her to him," the wolf said simply, Cloud somehow getting the impression that Zack shrugged.
Cloud bit his lip in thought, Tifa still sitting quietly and petting Zack as she calmed herself the best she could.
"Tifa?" the boy spoke tentatively.
"Yes, Cloud?" she asked, turning to look at the blond.
He bit his lip again before sighing, "Would you like to learn how to fight?"
"Huh?" Tifa exclaimed, the seemingly random question shocking her.
"Do you want to learn how to fight?" Cloud repeated, fiddling with the edge of his bandage and staring off into the trees, "I need someone to spar with," Cloud explained, finally turning his blue gaze back to Tifa. "You don't have to. I just thought it could be a good distraction. For you, I mean," Cloud continued, cursing himself mentally at his perpetual lack of communication skills.
Tifa let out a small, surprised giggle.
"I would like that," she said with a wan smile, "Though we'll have to keep it a secret. Dad doesn't really approve of me learning those kinds of things."
"Why?" asked Cloud, genuinely surprised. Learning how to fight and defend yourself always seemed a good idea to Cloud, regardless of gender.
"He says it's not ladylike. I'm the mayor's daughter, so I'm supposed to actually be a lady," Tifa explained, lips twisted into a confused frown, "I don't understand why though."
Cloud almost tried to defend the man again, but couldn't quite bring himself to speak up. Truthfully, Cloud didn't remember much about what all happened to him after the accident with Tifa, just a vague memory of Mayor Lockheart shouting at him and hitting him. After that, the way the town treated Cloud and his mother became even worse.
"Well, either way, let's go," Cloud finally spoke, standing up and dusting himself off.
He reached a hand down to help Tifa, who looked at his hand for a moment before taking it with a grin.
"Who's gonna teach us?" asked Tifa curiously, dusting herself off as well.
"I saw him earlier, running through some exercises," replied Cloud, leading the way out of the town, but in the opposite direction from his own home.
Zack and Tifa trailed after him curiously.
"I don't remember seeing anyone," Zack said, bemused as he trotted up to walk next to Cloud.
"Because, technically, we didn't. I haven't actually seen Zangan this time around yet. But I know where he lives. Tifa didn't start training with him until after I left... I think," Cloud frowned, "Either way, starting her with Zangan sooner than later shouldn't hurt. And this way, I'll have someone my own height to spar with," he continued, glancing pointedly at Zack, remembering Vincent and Zack's teasing from the other night.
Zack huffed a laugh.
"Cloud?" Tifa spoke tentatively, stopping in the middle of the path.
"What is it?" asked Cloud, stopping and turning to look at the younger girl.
"I'm sorry," she said straight-forwardly, hands clenched determinedly at her sides as she stared Cloud straight in the eyes.
"What for?" the not-child asked, head tilting in confusion as he regarded the eight year old.
"I'd noticed that a lot of the kids here in the village bully you. But I never spoke out against it, even when I knew you were getting hurt," she admitted, still maintaining her determined eye contact even though Cloud could see her discomfort.
Cloud found himself smiling, a slight upturn of his habitual frown. Tifa was still Tifa, even as a little girl unaware of the world outside Nibelheim. It was comforting, and eased the harsh ache in his chest at having lost his friends to the reversal of time.
"Don't worry about it," he finally said, "Even if you spoke out, nothing would have changed. It's not on you to take responsibility for another person's actions," the blond continued, flashing a small smile at Tifa to reassure her before turning and making his way down the trail leading to Master Zangan's home.
Tifa stared after him for a moment before running to catch up, a bright smile lighting up her small face as Zack yipped happily after his young charges.
It surprisingly didn't take much convincing to persuade Zangan to teach Tifa and Cloud. The martial arts master eyed them both before taking them to the open space behind his home for them to practice the various beginner forms. The two children picked it up surprisingly quickly to Zangan's eyes, especially Cloud. After roughly an hour, he told them to rest and to drink some water.
After their break, Zangan set them to practicing together, Tifa attacking and Cloud defending. Tifa was hesitant to use force, which made the practice of the forms rather useless, so Zangan took the girl aside.
"Tifa, you can't properly learn to fight if you are afraid to use force," he explained gently, "And Cloud won't be able to learn properly if you don't give him a solid attack to block."
"I don't want to hurt him, I don't really want to hurt anyone," Tifa said quietly, gaze drawn to the ground at having apparently disappointed her brand new teacher.
"And you may not have to. Martial arts isn't just for fighting others, though that's its primary purpose. It can be used to train yourself, to learn control, and to protect yourself and the people you care for," the man explained, "While you practice with Cloud, keep that in mind. But for now, think of something that makes you angry and let your body speak for you."
Tifa gave a determined nod and rejoined Cloud. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, recalling various conversations with her father, including the most recent about her mother.
When her brown eyes flashed open, Cloud winced; he knew that look. The resulting spar was more forceful, with Zangan carefully watching and correcting a stance here and there.
"Tifa has one hell of a temper, doesn't she? I always thought she was a bit softer, like Aerith," Zack commented from where he watched from the side, occasionally calling out encouragement or corrections to Cloud's stances as well.
"She learned control," Cloud responded, ducking Tifa's surprisingly vicious kick, "Tifa learned empathy and more gentleness after Sephiroth razed Nibelheim. She calmed down a lot after that... She was always the one that kicked my hesitant personality into gear and cut through my bullshit. Aerith was like that, too, but more subtle. After they met, I had no peace," the boy continued, genuine amusement coloring his tone.
"Aerith is pretty determined when she gets going," Zack laughed, watching Cloud get shoved back by Tifa's next punch, "I miss her," the wolf said quietly, not quite intending Cloud to hear, but the mental tie between the time travelers not lending much to privacy.
"I do, too," Cloud responded, just as quietly while he and Tifa stopped for a break.
Cloud turned his attention back to Tifa, who was currently panting, hands on her knees as she bent over and tried to catch her breath.
"Why aren't you breathing as hard as I am?" Tifa asked incredulously.
"I've been doing a lot of running lately," Cloud replied, running an embarrassed hand through his messy spikes, wincing when his fingers caught in the tangles. "I've got to cut this stupid thing," Cloud thought, grimacing as he redid the low ponytail impatiently.
Zack snickered in the background.
"Shut up, Puppy," Cloud responded automatically, discretely making an obscene gesture at the wolf pup.
Zack just laughed louder. Cloud sighed, deciding to ignore the former Soldier First.
"That was good, I can't believe this is only your first day of training with me. However, just because you are doing well doesn't mean you should slack off. Tifa, try to work on your stamina and practice the forms. Cloud, you need to work on smoothing out your movements and increasing your strength," Zangan lectured sternly, "Practice at home and make sure you return each day to continue training and sparring."
"Yes, Master Zangan!" Tifa replied enthusiastically, brown eyes shining even as she wiped the sweat off her brow and pushed her hair back.
"Yes, Master Zangan," intoned Cloud seriously, already formulating a schedule to fit in Zangan's training.
Tifa looked around, abruptly noticing the setting sun. She let out a panicked shriek and took off running, calling back:
"I'm not supposed to be out this late!"
Cloud and Zangan blinked after her in surprise.
"Her father is strict and protective," Cloud tried to explain, voice hesitant and lacking the previous confidence the boy displayed while training with Tifa.
Zangan eyed the small boy carefully, noting the healing bruises and bandage on Cloud's arm and recalling some of the village gossip he heard on his sporadic trips to the general store.
"Why do you wish to learn martial arts?" the man asked suddenly, turning to face the small blond.
The boy blinked, startled at the sudden question, before frowning in thought.
"I want to get stronger. I want to be able to protect myself and the people I care about," Cloud said carefully, watching Zangan cautiously.
"You don't want revenge on those who've bullied and hurt you? The ones who've insulted you and your mother?" the man asked harshly.
"What would that accomplish?" Cloud replied, blue eyes distant and old, "Revenge does nothing. It doesn't undo what's already been done. It might be nice temporarily, it might even stop the person from doing something bad again. But when the ashes settle, what would be left?"
Having said his piece, Cloud turned and began to leave, Zack padding after him.
Zangan didn't know how to respond, so he watched the mature blond walk away, wolf puppy trotting at his heels.
"Strange," mused Zangan, arms lifting to fold over his chest.
"Are you alright, Cloud?" asked Zack, tone unusually serious as he lightly hopped over a muddy puddle from the recently melted snow.
"I'm fine. Why?" Cloud asked, glancing down curiously at his friend.
The two were heading home, their pace oddly slow and meandering as the last light of day faded.
"What you said, when Zangan asked if you wanted revenge on the people who have been bullying you and your mom. About ashes being all that's left," Zack stated, stopping in the middle of the path and forcing Cloud to stop walking as well.
"What about it?" sighed Cloud, absent-mindedly reaching up to rub at his shoulder, not particularly in the mood to dissect his current emotions.
"Now I know you're not okay," Zack said, wishing his face could frown but settling instead for baring his teeth slightly, a low growl emanating from his chest.
"How do you figure that? I'm fine, Zack," insisted Cloud, feeling the stirring of faint irritation at Zack's stubbornness.
"You only rub at that shoulder when you're feeling depressed, or are bothered about something."
Cloud's movement halted. The blond pulled his hand away and stared at it in vague surprise and disgust. Dropping his hand down, Cloud heaved a tired, rueful sigh.
"You must have been watching over me quite a lot while you were in the Lifestream to notice a habit I didn't realize I had," Cloud said, smiling sadly down at Zack.
"Not at first. My consciousness didn't really separate from the Lifestream until after Aerith died. We both watched over you after that, though I may have been a little more obsessive about it, having left you with a heavy burden like I did," Zack said, looking away, "You're not the only one with regrets, you know?" he continued, voice quiet in Cloud's mind.
"I know," Cloud replied, just as quiet.
"So, talk," Zack said gently, "What's got you all cloudy?" he teased.
Cloud huffed a laugh, shaking his head and conceding to his friend's stubbornness.
"It's been so many years. I thought I had settled my feelings, the anger, the guilt, everything... But being back, spending more time here and remembering all the people and making new memories, as well... If I can't stop it, losing Nibelheim and losing my mother, I don't think I'll recover from that again," Cloud mused, gaze distant, "I think the only reason I did the first time was because I forgot it all and never fully regained it. I was so young the first time, and I'm sure I had a lot of unresolved feelings for the people here due to their treatment of my mother and I," the blond continued, finally glancing down at Zack, who had maneuvered himself closer to lean against the boy's leg, "Honestly, I don't know how I'm going to react to seeing Sephiroth again, even if he is sane. Part of me just wants to kill him."
The dull, tired tone of Cloud's voice had Zack aching for his friend, the emotion all the more poignant knowing how much Cloud used to look up to Sephiroth (and not just in the physical sense, Zack couldn't help but think with wry amusement). Somehow, it felt more painful than usual to the wolf, perhaps due to the way the heavy thoughts and emotions weighed on the younger form of Cloud, and how readily apparent it was in Cloud's large eyes.
"But having already killed and defeated Sephiroth, I know that revenge is useless. It doesn't make anything better in the long run. All it does is leave me with more unpleasant memories and pointless regret," Cloud continued, voice hesitant before speaking again, "And the part of me that's you, always feels pained. It remembers Sephiroth the friend."
Zack flinched visibly and Cloud dropped into an abrupt crouch to hug the wolf to him, burying his face into Zack's fur, faint and desperate apologies echoing into Zack's mind; Zack wasn't sure if Cloud was intending for his apologies to reach him or not, the psychic link between them wasn't choosey about which thoughts were transmitted.
After a few minutes, Cloud pulled away, though not before getting his cheek licked by Zack. Cloud made a face and quickly wiped the wolf-saliva away, giving Zack a small smile.
Zack stood and shook himself before turning his attention back to Cloud, who also stood quickly and was busy dusting off his pants.
"We have a very fucked up history, don't we?" Zack finally said, laughing slightly as the two resumed their walk home.
"That about sums it up," Cloud replied simply, grinning.
"We should hurry. Tifa isn't the only one with a paranoid parent," Zack said pointedly.
Grimacing, Cloud broke into a run, Zack following easily with his now longer legs. It didn't take them long to reach the house, where Elle sat waiting and trying not to look worried as the two clattered up the steps and opened the door.
"The mako seems to be treating us well," commented Zack, "I'm growing fast and your body's constitution certainly seems to have improved."
"Yeah, I've been noticing a difference. I feel lighter, and breathing is easier. Granted, I don't think a quick dunk into mako will give me the strength and abilities that we got from Hojo," replied Cloud grimly, yanking off his boots and setting them by the door.
"Hopefully, it won't be needed. I don't want to know how I'd react to seeing my younger self and you go through all of that," the wolf growled darkly.
Cloud shook his head and scratched Zack behind the ears. He didn't stop until Zack's tail was flicking happily back and forth, the momentary dark mood forgotten as they sat on the floor of the entryway.
"Cheater. Where's your honor, Soldier?" complained Zack, still leaning into Cloud's touch, enjoying the scratching despite himself.
"Never made SOLDIER, remember?" the boy pointed out, smirking slightly as he shifted his scratching fingers underneath Zack's jaw.
"I don't think that'll be an issue this time around," grinned Zack lifting his head automatically to expose more of his chin before coming back to himself and finally pulling himself away from Cloud's hands with a glare.
"I'm not sure if I'm even going to-" Cloud trailed off as Elle suddenly appeared, looking expectantly at the two from where she stood in the kitchen doorway.
"Did you catch anything?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
The blistering curse that only Zack could hear made the wolf puppy yelp.
"I'm sorry, mom, I ran into Tifa after we left and I completely forgot to check," the boy apologized, cursing himself and immediately feeling guilty.
"It's alright, we can just eat leftovers. I'm sure Tifa needed the comfort. It hasn't even been two days since her mother passed," Elle said softly, "I'm glad you were able to be there for her."
Cloud nodded. He understood Tifa's pain all too well.
"Do you know how she died?" asked Cloud, padding into the kitchen to help Elle prepare their meal.
"It seems she slipped and struck her her head. It might not have been too bad, but she wasn't found until hours later. By then it was too late," Elle explained gently, not wanting to go into too much detail, instead focusing on preparing the leftovers and keeping Cloud busy with the plates and utensils.
The table set, Cloud prepared Zack's meal as well before he sat down to eat. Elle changed the subject as they ate, prodding her quiet son into telling her about his day.
As Cloud spoke, Elle felt her tenseness ease away, along with her worry about having told Cloud too much about their circumstances. He'd seemed so shocked earlier, she couldn't help but worry.
"He's all grown up, I guess," she thought ruefully, smiling as Cloud described how Tifa had knocked him down with a recently learned kick.
"Hey, mom?" Cloud asked, pulling Elle's attention back to the present as the boy collected the used dishes and put them into the sink.
"What is it?" she asked, standing and starting to put the food away.
"Will you cut my hair?" the blond asked, tugging slightly at his ponytail in clear irritation.
"You fought me so hard to grow it out!" she exclaimed, eyes wide with shock.
"I didn't realize how much of a hassle it is," Cloud grumbled, looking away in embarrassment.
Elle burst into laughter, eyes shut and holding her stomach. Cloud waited, a small self-conscious frown furrowing his brow. Finally, when Elle's laughter faded into small chuckles, she gestured for Cloud to sit down.
Still smiling, Elle pulled a pair of old scissors from one of the kitchen drawers before going to grab a comb and a glass of water. Cloud pulled out the hair tie and used his fingers to sort out the worst of the tangles.
She returned in less than a minute and with quick, experienced hands, Elle dipped the comb into the water and wetted down Cloud's hair, combing it out gently.
The quiet sound of the scissors filled the kitchen and Elle began to hum while she worked. It didn't take long, but between his mother's gentle humming and the soft sound of the scissors, Cloud found his eyes drifting shut. Zack nudged his knee and Cloud's eyes snapped open, glancing down at Zack in confusion.
"You were falling asleep," explained Zack, amusement clear in his tone as he looked up at Cloud's tired face.
"Oh. Thanks, Zack," the boy said, shifting carefully so as not to move his head.
"Almost done," Elle said, snipping away another lock of pale blond hair.
"Okay," Cloud replied, a sudden yawn almost cracking his jaw.
A few minutes later and Elle was finished. She brushed away the cut hair from Cloud's shoulders and ordered him and his wolf to bed. Cloud almost protested, wanting to help clean up the hair, but when another yawn interrupted him mid-sentence, he bowed to inevitability and followed Zack back to their bedroom.
"Feel better?" asked Zack, jumping up onto the bed and getting comfortable while Cloud changed into his pajamas.
"Much," Cloud said, reaching back ruffling the shorter hair on the back of his head, pleased that the ponytail was gone.
"You look more like yourself," the wolf commented, moving his larger form over to make more room for the small blond as Cloud tucked himself under the covers.
Zack burrowed himself next to Cloud, the scent of his fur and their shared body heat oddly comforting, and a consistent reminder that Cloud wasn't alone.
Not anymore.
End Chapter
AN: I hope you enjoyed the read, and thanks for your patience.