We'll Find You
Summary: Rufus and Lazard have what's called a Cloud–complex, you hurt their brother and they'll hurt you. A-G-Z-S may have made the biggest mistake of their lives.
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Rufus awoke to a pitch-dark room and the creak of a door being carefully opened. A pale stream of light crept into the room and along with it a young man, who was trying very hard to be stealthy. The young man tiptoed over to bed, unaware that the occupant of that bed was awake, and gripped the covers. He was startled out of pulling them back and hopping into the bed by the occupant's voice.
"Cloud, what are you doing? It's–," The occupant paused to glance at his bedside clock, "– One in the morning."
"Did I wake you?" Cloud whispered, sounding apologetic.
"Yes, but I'm more concerned about why you're here than my sleep at the moment, answer my question, Cloud."
Cloud's mako filled eyes glowed in the darkness, the only things in the room that could actually be seen.
"It's cold in my room."
Rufus sighed and moved over, his younger brother sild in beside him and snuggled up close.
Rufus' sleep remained undisturbed for the rest of the night.
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Lazard, despite his status as a bastard, was very involved with his family. He didn't care much for his father; most of his family didn't, but he cared about his brothers very much.
Rufus was at least capable and could take care of himself, but Cloud would always be the youngest, the weakest and the most innocent in Lazard's mind. Not that he was blind to the fact that Cloud was growing up, he saw the evidence of it everyday when he saw Cloud in the company of his lovers. He just wasn't ready to admit that Cloud didn't need his protection anymore. His youngest brother may be a Soldier Second and dating all three of ShinRa's Generals and their Lieutenant, but that didn't mean he didn't need his elder brothers looking out for him.
So it wasn't so surprising when Rufus invited him to lunch in his office 'to talk' about 'Cloud's progress.'
The meetings of the eldest ShinRa's were a regular happening and it was a tradition that they observed religiously. Together, they would discuss any family issues that had presented themselves due to Cloud's unstable relationship with their father and monitor his progress in the company. At first all they talked about in these meetings were their worries over Cloud becoming a Soldier, but they soon realised that Cloud would do as pleased anyway, so they let their protests die.
Nowadays, they didn't talk about Cloud much at all. His multiple-manned relationship with Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis and Zack was something like a blessing for the brothers' Cloud-complex. As long as Cloud was with them, he was safe.
Today was very different though.
Lazard easily noticed the differences in Rufus' behaviour when he arrived. Rufus who always so eloquent was pushing food around his plate with a fork; his always-pristine suit had exactly two wrinkles in it, and his drink of choice was Blue Chocobo– a popular energy drink. Rufus was undoubtedly anxious about Cloud, and that made Lazard anxious about Cloud and Rufus.
Lazard seated himself across the table from his brother, but made no move to touch his meal. Rufus paused; his broccoli left to bathe in the wine jus that exuded from his steak that appeared to be undercooked enough to be still mooing, and dropped his cutlery to take a refined sip of his Blue Chocobo.
Rufus sighed heavily and began to talk.
Lazard listened as Rufus explained of Cloud's adventure to his room at one am, keeping any theories he developed to himself until Rufus had finished speaking.
"It occurred to me this morning that should they be away on a mission, then Cloud's behaviour is understandable. It only worries me because Cloud hasn't shared a bed with one us since he was fourteen."
Lazard made a humming sound in agreement. "No, they aren't due for a mission for another two months, mainly because they haven't turned in the paperwork for the last few missions they went on."
Rufus' eyes narrowed at the news.
"Well then, perhaps this is a one time thing, though I doubt it."
Lazard nodded his agreement and they ate their meal in mediocre spirits.
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That night neither brothers were awoken by their little brother creeping into their beds, although they half-expected it, and they assumed from that point life would continue as normal.
Therefore, it came as an unwelcome shock to find out that Cloud had been wounded in a training session with Lieutenant Zackary Fair.
Rufus stormed down to the infirmary, murder in his eyes, and swept through the double doors with the intent to destroy any and all living things that hurt his baby brother, especially his brother's boyfriend.
Many years onwards Zack would still never speak of the horror that he faced at Rufus' hands, but confirmed the fact that Rufus did indeed hide a shotgun in his well-ironed suit and eluded to the fact that it was not the only lethal weapon he kept on his person, or the only one he could wield.
Rufus relinquished the puppy to his owners and graciously allowed Cloud to join them too, now having reigned in his protective side after viciously threatening the puppy about letting Cloud get hurt and why he should never repeat his mistake.
That night, Rufus slept uneasily. He could picture all the reasons that could lead up to Cloud getting hurt but it still didn't quell his anxiety. Whatever had gone wrong, Rufus knew that what happened should never had happened if the puppy had even been paying the slightest bit of attention to his brother.
He sat upright as his door once again creaked open and Cloud let himself into the room. Rufus didn't say anything this time, just peeled back the covers and pulled his brother close.
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This situation replayed itself over and over again. Sometimes Cloud would stop for a few nights and not show up, sometimes he'd go to Lazard, but he kept coming back to them rather than staying with his lovers and each time his excuse was the same.
"It's cold in my room," he'd say, with a miserable loom on his face.
Rufus and Lazard had had enough of seeing the tears glistening in Cloud's eyes. They left a message for Sephiroth, Angeal, Genesis and Zack.
Cloud didn't return for three weeks.
But he did return.
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Sephiroth was used to people coming and going from his office periodically and disturbing his work. The fact that Zack was one of his four boyfriends and his Lieutenant meant he was always prepared with a 'Go Away, Zack' and a deadly glare whenever the door banged open hard enough to almost fall off its hinges. On the rare occasion when people knocked first, in which people meant Cloud,– despite Cloud having express permission to take the door off its hinges if he wanted– Sephiroth allowed them entry with much more grace.
So, when the door was opened that day with enough force that it hit the wall it was hinged to and was then embedded into it, Sephiroth answered with his automatic response without even looking up from his paper work.
"I am not your puppy," a familiar voice ground out.
Glancing up, Sephiroth was met with the sight of a furious Rufus ShinRa.
"Vice President, what can I do for you?"
Rufus swept into the room. Despite the fury rolling of the man dressed in white, he bore the anger with a regal disposition. Rufus seated himself in front of Sephiroth's desk and levelled his gaze at the General, his face a cool mask behind which the fires of hell burned brightly.
"You're next mission will be delivered to you tonight and you will leave tonight at midnight. Lazard will brief you in five minutes in his office, you will be punished for being late regardless of the reason and your lovers will meet you there. I expect that you will return cold, hungry, bloody and repentant. If you do not realise what mistakes you have made by then, I will treat you to same horrors that your pet Zack Fair experienced not too long ago. I hope you enjoy your trip, it is no less than you deserve."
Sephiroth stared at the Vice President, knowing that he couldn't hurt the man and not knowing why the man seemed determined to make him want to. It took a brave man to talk like that to General Sephiroth; the only people who dared were his lovers. Sephiroth supposed it ran in the ShinRa family to be capable of talking in such a defiant and cutting tone to anyone whom they deemed deserving, especially superiors or stronger men.
"Vice President–"
"Please, call me Rufus. We are family now, well almost."
"–Vice President–"
"Oh, look at that you're late, you better get going now if you want to be even slightly on time."
Sephiroth glared at the trueborn son of his employer and left.
Rufus just smiled at the silver-haired man and whistled his way back to his office.
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Zack groaned in frustration as the rain that they had been caught in grew heavier and the mud sucking at their boots more slippery and slick. Lazard had sent them on a mission with little details of what they were doing and even less supplies.
He'd mentioned that they were searching for a new kind of materia, though what kind of materia could be found in an open field with little cover, no signs of mako and lots of monsters Zack didn't know.
He and his lovers were covered head to toe in gore, slime and mud. Even the rain couldn't sluice enough off them to be considered clean. Seph's long silver hair had leaves and twigs tangled into it and it was tinged with the red brown of monster blood. Genesis' prized red coat had scorch marks, rips and one arm completely torn off. Angeal's Buster Sword had two chips in it and Zack could practically the rust made by the rain creeping onto it. Zack, himself, wasn't any better.
He kicked the ground, mud sprayed away from them and then splattered on his face thanks to the wind blowing in their direction. A bright orb flew away from them along with a big chuck of mud. Hope welled within Zack and he whooped in delight.
"Guys, I think I just found it! Cloud, come check this out!"
They all paused; and they turned to the Second Class Soldier behind them. Only he wasn't there.
"What's going on? Cloud was there, where is he? Cloud! CLOUD!" Zack called in panic.
Angeal, Sephiroth and Zack fanned out in search of their youngest lover, while Genesis pulled the blue coloured orb out of the ground, freeing it from the mud it was buried in.
"Sometimes the snow in my home town looked blue, when the light hit it right."
"Cloud?" Genesis asked, turning and expecting to the see the blonde. His voice seemed to be right next to him. There was nothing but grass, mud and rain there.
"I'm from Nibelhiem, sir. It's cold but it's beautiful."
"I don't understand," Genesis breathed. Zack, Angeal and Sephiroth's calls barely floated back to him above the rain and wind.
Flashback
"We want you to search for a new materia we believe exists," Lazard said, hiding a smirk behind his hands.
"What materia is this?" Zack asked, bouncing in his seat.
"Memory Materia."
Flashback End
"Oh," Genesis breathed, turning the materia over in his hands. He could feel the memories filling the materia, sense an idea of whom they belonged to. They seemed familiar. He closed his eyes.
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"Night, Angeal."
"Goodnight, Zack."
"Night, Gen."
"Go to sleep, puppy."
"Night, Seph."
"Hn."
"Night, Cloud."
"Night, Zack."
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"Night, Angeal."
"Goodnight, Zack."
"Night, Gen."
"Go to sleep, puppy."
"Night, Seph."
"Hn."
"Night, Cloud."
Silence.
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"Cloud, what are you doing? It's one in the morning."
"Did I wake you?"
"Yes, but I'm more concerned about why you're here than my sleep at the moment, answer my question, Cloud."
"It's cold in my room.
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Genesis' eyes shot open. He numbly pocketed the materia and pulled out his PHS. His fingers froze the second he pulled them out of his glove, but he dialled the number all the same, his fingers stiff and his heart heavy. The rain was still pelting down, and the ground still as muddy but that hardly mattered anymore. They had fucked up badly.
He pressed the phone to his ear and prayed.
"Hi, you've reached Cloud Lily ShinRa Strife. I'm not able to answer your call right now, but leave a message and I'll get back to you."
Genesis snapped the phone closed and slipped it back into his coat.
"CLOUD!" Three voices continued to yell to the empty field.
"Guys."
"Guys!"
His companions ignored Genesis, and his frustration rose to dangerous levels. His anger at himself topped it all off to create the Genesis rage monster.
"GUYS, SHUT UP! CLOUD'S NOT HERE, HE'S NEVER BEEN HERE!"
All three men stopped and gaped. Realisation hit them, one by one. Zack took off running, tears streaming down his face.
"Zack, where are you going?" Angeal called out, his own sadness shadowing his eyes.
"Back to Spiky, Gaia knows we've left him alone enough."
Zack was out of sight faster than they could blink.
"We didn't even realise he wasn't there," Seph whispered.
"How long?" Angeal asked.
Genesis stared after the puppy, his gaze faraway.
"Two months, all up."
"Oh dear Gaia."
The ringing of a phone interrupted the three men. Genesis fished it out and answered it. The other two listened in.
"We have your puppy here and we see you have understood and competed your mission. Any and all attempts to fix what you've broken are left to you. There will be no mercy shown next time."
There was a pause and then Rufus was on the phone.
"Remember that there is nowhere on Gaia we cannot find you. Have a good day."
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I love the idea of Cloud and Rufus being related, add Lazard into the mix and that becomes one dangerous family. I had lots of fun writing this and I would like tot think you had fun reading this. Also let me know of any mistakes, I'm posting this right away.
Hope you like this enough to review.