Title: Lightning Storms
Rating: G
Summary: Denzel runs to Cloud for protection from the feared lightning storms.
Author Note: Newly addicted fan of Final Fantasy. I may be totally off base with this story but I'm going to be daring and post it anyway. I was checking out the search and there isn't a whole lot of Cloud and Denzel interaction on this site, so I thought I'd start to change it, a bit. Don't like, don't read and please don't flame, it's rude. Anyway please review and maybe I'll post the next one I'm working on.
Disclaimer: Pretty much the only thing I am ever going to bother claiming in this story is…. Well… nothing I guess. I don't own the characters and am not making any money from writing this.
The night is stormy, distant rumblings hailing the approaching thunder as the rain pours down on the growing metropolis of Midgar. Tifa had closed her bar early, having pushed the few brave patrons back out into the storm's fury before locking the doors and cutting the light. Once the children were settled she herself headed for an early night. All around me the sounds of peaceful slumber echoes, the children are all wrapped up safe and warm in their thick blankets and blissful dreams. Barefoot I wander down the narrow hallway, peering into every bedroom just to be sure all the youngsters are present and asleep. Some of Tifa's orphans have a tendency to be night owls and I often catch them wondering the halls or down in the bar, getting into some sort of mischief. Tonight though the children must have been lulled into sleep by the soothing beat of rain against the windows and roof, for everyone is in their bed and sleeping peacefully. Silently I pad back to my own bedroom and close the door, outside my window I can see the skyline of the rapidly expanding city being illuminated by the harsh electric storm. As a boy I was terrified of storms such as this one and would go running into my mother's protective embrace. She would cover my ears and sit with me in her arms until the storm passed, never once breaking the soothing song she would hum. Sitting on the soft bed I watch the sky for a few more moments through the rain splattered window. Another bolt of yellow-silver lightning breaks apart the sky and I slowly count until the sharp report of thunder announces itself. The storm is still several miles off, frowning slightly I lean back onto the mattress and place my hands behind my head, listening to the rhythm of rain on the roof. My mind becomes fuzzy almost and I'm about to give myself to the soothing darkness of sleep when a loud bang resounds through the silent house. Instantly I'm up and reaching for the sword against the wall as my door opens and a figure goes streaking past to land on my bed, huddled around the pillows. It takes me a few moments to realize this huddled form isn't an enemy but one of the children and lean the weapon back on its place on the wall. Stepping to the doorway I peer around in the hallway, looking for the reason of the child's fright when another flash of lighting illuminates the hallway, every shadow exposed. Satisfied no one is out there I turn back to the bundle of shaking limbs on my bed. Closing the door behind me I seat myself back on the bed and peer at the child, finding the bright greenish eyes staring back at me, wide and wild with fear as another crash resounds from the sky around the house.
"Denzel." I say the child's name, knowing full well what the boy is afraid of. He had only been at the small orphanage for a few weeks now but has seemingly grown attached to me and whenever I'm around and he has a problem he comes to me. He turns his scared eyes on me and I try to give him a reassuring look as another flash of lightning splits the shadows.
"I..I'm sorry Mr. Cloud…" he sobs slightly, tightening into himself almost in fear as I lean closer. Reaching an ungloved hand toward the child I give him support through the small gesture. It only takes that single outreach of emotional support that sends the usually strong impish boy sobbing and crashing into my chest, arms wrapped tight around my waist. Unsure of how to proceed I begin to rock the young boy, back and forth muttering soft words of encouragement as he sobs into my sleep shirt. Not since the last time my mother held me have I given another person any kind of physical contact, in SOLDIER that kind of gesture is frowned upon and forcefully removed from your bodies' natural reaction.
"Don't be sorry." I tell him as his sobbing subsides slightly but the trembling seems to be renewed as another flash and report break across the atmosphere.
"I t-tried to be s-strong… b-but they are just so… s-scary." He sniffles and removes himself from my lax embrace, pushing himself to the headboard and pulling his knees up. It must have been the most pathetic posture I had ever seen and Denzel sobs into the nook the position creates.
"I understand." The child's head shoots up, eyes filled with so much disbelief I inwardly cringe. I'm still slightly alarmed by how much the youngster seems to hero-worship me.
"Y-You do?" he sniffles and peers closely at me and I nod.
"Yes, when I was your age I was scared of these storms as well." I tell him slowly, watching Denzel's expression change to shock.
"Really Mr. Cloud?" he asks, voice filled with awe, almost like I told him that the planet was made out of edible candy or something.
"Yes." Another lighting strike flashes across the sky and earns a scared whimper from the child. Feeling sorry for the youngster I crawl up to the headboard and lean back, cautiously putting one arm around the trembling body. Denzel complies and stretches out lengthwise beside me, head pillowed on my abdomen. Thunder snarls its way through the air and the smell of hot electricity accompanies the sound, leaving Denzel sobbing into my nightshirt and huddled as close to my frame as physically possible. Running my hand lazily through the frightened child's sleep tossed hair in a manner I hope is soothing
"Relax, the lightning is nothing but electricity racing toward the sky to power the sun." I tell him, repeating the very words my mother used to describe the reasoning behind the lightning. Even though the memory of her face, smell and skin are gone I can still hear her musical words in the back of my head. Denzel seems to relax, the weight of his head going up and down with each breath I take. He listens silently as I continue
"The thunder, is the laughter of the gods as they dodge the fleeing lightning, playing a game of chance with their immortal lives. Just listen to the rain and let is lull you to sleep." My eyes are growing heavy and from the way Denzel is inhaling and exhaling I can tell he is asleep, hand wrapped around my waist and head nuzzled down into my stomach. Smiling slightly I reach to the side where my covers had been flipped when this all began and pull them around Denzel and I, tucking the quilt under the sleeping child's back. Listening to the rain I slowly allow myself to be lulled asleep, into a dreamless sleep, the first in many nights.
I've always been an early riser but this morning I lay in bed for a few minutes enjoying the peaceful silence that greets my ears. The children must still be asleep since there having been no loud crashes from the kitchen or whispered shouts from the hallway. Stretching I pull myself from the bed and throw on a bathrobe and open my bedroom door, to be greeted by the closed doors of the children's bedrooms. Frowning as my eyes fall on the last bedroom door, slightly ajar I peer inside, finding three of the four beds occupied. Denzel's covers had been thrown back in a rush, alarmed now I make my way to Cloud's bedroom, silently opening the door to stop dead, eyes drawn to the scene before me. Lying on the bed is the usually stoic Cloud Strife, ex SOLDIER and deadly accurate swordsman with his strong arms wrapped protectively around the small and wiry frame of little Denzel. The mousy haired boy has his head resting comfortably on Cloud's stomach and an arm slung around the man's narrow waist. Leaning against the doorway I smile at the peaceful look gracing the usually stony face, the way he is now I can almost pretend the weight he bears has been lifted, at least for a little while.
"Cloud." I whisper, knowing the weary man to be a light sleeper and being proven right as the blurry eyes open slowly, their glowing blue depths hazed over with sleep. The spiky blond blinks owlishly for a moment before flicking the almost paranoid eyes around the bedroom before closing again, satisfied there is no danger. I watch as he settles back into the embrace of sleep, arm tightening reflexively around the precious bundle beside him. Shaking my head I back from the room and close the door, storing the image in my mind and head down stairs. Finally, the ex SOLDIER has found a person to care about after all these years. Maybe now, the man can move on.