#that they try and use to bury any and all mentions of ACTUAL zack fair under

[a-vctlan]

shin-ra has a media division and it definitely has a brooklyn 99 adjacent tv-show centered around fictional SOLDIER members and their quirky escapades, with the occasional 'real life' SOLDIERs making an appearance / playing a cameo part. it helped in the recruitment proceedures by a noticeable margin.

[s-ephiroth]

Sephiroth Week || Day 7: Reunion

Read the other week prompts on [AO3]

(A reunion before a departure and the meeting of an old friend)

Cloud buries his face against his feathers for warmth and comfort, and breathes against the softness of them in sheer relief.

Sephiroth thinks back on the time the shorter man realized (properly, after waking up) that he had a wing; the confused expression on a tired, still sleepy face and the touching, the wondering, his attempts at comforting him once the former general made it clear its presence bothered him in certain ways.

Before he even realized he could manifest and withdraw the wing at will, the first night he spent near Cloud and away from Shinra involved using it as a large blanket of sorts to keep them both warm. (After all, if it wasn’t going anywhere, he’d rather find an use for it than let himself fall into despair and try to cut it out. Even if it was difficult not to feel repulsed by it.) They had scared Aerith a little with it at first, along with their return, — or rather, he had, while Cloud slept like a log — even if it looked like she had been expecting them to come back to the church to at least rest a little before continuing on.

She’d run curious yet cautious fingers through his feathers in a way that was oddly soothing, while he used her phone — as his was left behind to avoid being tracked down — to let Zack know they were leaving, and why. He figured that if anyone else needed to know about the incident in the labs, that one was Zack Fair.

Once Cloud was fully awake again and properly informed of their whereabouts, he started telling him a little alarmed that, somehow, Hojo knew about most of what they were up to. And that, for whatever reason, Aerith was constantly watched by Turks. That they could’ve been followed as they spoke and Gaia, is that really a wing?

Yes, it is. And you sort of flirted with me back in the labs.

Sephiroth recalled Cloud not speaking much after that, falling asleep again once they found a means of transport to get out of Midgar at once — which could be good, considering he suffered from motion sickness and needed a way to at least attempt to avoid it — and only waking up again when they arrived at their (non-permanent) destination.

As it turned out, the blond was torn at the thoughts of almost dying at the hands of a madman and sort of flirting with Sephiroth — right after almost dying.

Sephiroth did his best to reassure him that he didn’t mind it, as the most important thing was that Cloud was alive and well; that they had space to get to know each other better then, which turned out to be a good idea in the end.

As they traveled across towns and continents, they eventually became each other's anchor.

Cloud kisses his wing once, then turns to look up at him, somewhat apprehensive and seeking any manifestations of love to feel comforted at such a dire time. The weather outside is colder than it was on the day before it, when they arrived.

Oh, Nibelheim.

There were more reasons than one for anyone to keep their distance from that town, as Cloud had told him. For one, the entire town — with the exception of the younger man’s mother — seemed to despise the blond, being one of the reasons why Cloud had left it in the first place. And in another hand, the cultural values of the place made it so that if they were ever caught holding hands where someone could see, they’d probably be chased out of town by angry locals with their torches and pitchforks.

(“Truly backwater, I see,” he said after the blond mentioned that. Cloud chuckled at that, somewhat sad, before agreeing. Sephiroth tried to avoid the thought that such town would be better burning to the ground.)

Sephiroth touches the other man’s face gently before kissing his forehead in a similar manner. It’ll be alright, he wants to say, but isn’t quite sure of it himself. His uncertainty is part of the reason — the other part being him not wanting to worry Cloud further — that, in the end, he keeps to himself the fact that he can feel a little pressure on the back of his mind; one that doesn’t belong to him and insists in trying to make room for itself.

It calls him to the mountains and on his refusal, it gives him headaches.

He blames it on the weather, the stress from what they’re about to deal with, and Cloud doesn’t question him on that. It makes him hate that the blond doesn’t and hate that he doesn’t just open his mouth to say it already.

But any feelings of hate make that strange presence insist further, so he tries not to think much about it.

“Are you sure about ditching the guide?” Sephiroth asks, only to see a hint of bitterness cross Cloud’s face.

“I don’t want to involve anyone from this town in this. I just want to do this and leave.”

“Alright.”

Their way up their mountain is marked by wildlife getting in the way and Sephiroth feeling more than just glad that he’s been training Cloud since he’d recovered after the incident with Hojo; glad that they stopped at a weapons shop one day and bought the blond a sword. It’s also marked by the increasing agony of getting closer and closer to the reactor, by the thoughts of what he learned since they left Shinra that circulate in his mind.

As it turns out, his mother was never named Jenova neither was (in a technical sense, at least) alive, after all. She was just a scientist in an eternal crystal prison; forever atoning for her sins.

He tries to keep her in his thoughts the closer they get to their destination; tries to think of her as someone who was working on the wrong side yet convinced she was doing the right thing for the world. He’s able to think of her in a positive light, despite her crimes.

Unlike her, that which calls him to the reactor doesn’t seem apologetic at all.

When they’re finally in the area, Sephiroth hands over any means he has of attacking, rather apprehensive about it. He’s afraid of what he might do if let alone with such things in his current state. Cloud stands on his tiptoes to kiss him briefly and whisper what they’ve been avoiding saying to one another.

“It’ll be alright.”

And with that, the blond leaves to enter the reactor.

It’s not alright.

The presence is finally able to seize him, speaking of becoming one and traveling through the stars; through the beyond. It screams desperately inside his head and shares its feelings. It’s on fire and it makes him feel like burning too, even if there’s no fire near him.

It drives him to the need of doing something about whoever is causing that to happen and so, he bursts into the reactor without thinking, pure instinct guiding him.

Cloud was reckless enough to leave Masamune by the entrance of the chamber.

All of it happens too fast. One moment there’s peace and in the next, Cloud’s turning to block his blade with his own; trying not to fall victim to his own surprise as he catches the sight of glowing green eyes staring into his own with vicious intent clear as day. Behind him, something is burning inside a broken tube. The nasty smell of it fills the chamber but goes mostly ignored as Cloud tries his best to fight back and avoid his possible fate.

The lack of enhancements means that soon enough the blond’s on the floor; Masamune hovering ominously over his chest. Too close to his heart.

A moment after, however, and Sephiroth’s left hand starts shaking, until he's unable to hold on the weapon and it falls to the floor near them, missing Cloud’s arm by mere inch. He clutches his head and sinks to the floor, trembling all over now.

“...Seph?” Cloud approaches with caution.

There's screaming and there's a wing coming out of hiding along with it. It all makes him a difficult man to drag out of the chamber, let alone the reactor itself, but Cloud tries it; barely making it out before the entire thing blows up on the inside — the outside being too sturdy to follow, as it was built with wildlife in mind.

Sephiroth trembles for a while longer after they make it to safety, the echo of the monster’s pain still there making his head hurt. As he slowly comes back from the uncomfortable high it provided, the realization hits him.

“I almost… I c-could have…”

“Shh, it’s alright now,” Cloud runs a hand through his hair, trying to soothe him, “I’m here, it’s okay.” However, he sounds as shocked as Sephiroth is about that entire situation, himself.

And as they have a moment of relief to recover from it all, Sephiroth notices how, despite his headache, he feels lighter than he did before coming to the reactor.

In Midgar, a train runs its way to Sector 1; the two unnoticed “passengers” on top of it sharing a brief moment of calm before the storm.

“When this work is done, I think we should have dinner at that place in Sector 7,” Sephiroth suggests.

Cloud looks at him in disbelief.

“Bomb a reactor, then eat some sushi?”

“Actually, I was thinking about their adamantaimai soup.”

“Is that what you do when I’m not around? You get yourself Wutaian food full of the stuff we fought on our way back here?” The blond feigns disgust.

Sephiroth chuckles at that, but doesn’t deny it.

“It tastes better than what you expect, if that’s your concern.” He approaches until his lips are a breath away from Cloud’s. “And they serve the best dessert in town.”

“Alright, you have me at dessert.”

When their train finally stops, they jump out of it, surprising the few random Shinra soldiers on duty there — who aren’t killed, but certainly get knocked out for being in the way.

They find the person who hired them and follow him to the location of their mission, being left to their own devices for quite a while; enough to place the bomb (meant to damage only the interior of the reactor) and leave. Thankfully, it’ll be fast and they won’t have to deal with being inside a reactor for long, potentially remembering things they would rather forget.

An easy work.

On their way out, they come across a familiar face: a man in a SOLDIER 1st uniform, looking rather desperate. Cloud’s the one who catches the face before the outfit and keeps Sephiroth from simply advancing. It’s just Zack. Except Zack is on the side of the enemy now, and Sephiroth observes him with caution; stays wary even as the man dashes to hug both of them.

But yes, we missed you too.

“Shinra took Aerith,” he explains his despair “I need help breaking her out.”

Both Sephiroth and Cloud exchange looks, silently coming to a decision.

“We’ll help you. But you’ll need to leave Shinra and join us.” Sephiroth offers. Why did you keep working for them, anyway?

As Zack eagerly agrees to that, the three of them leave to come up with a plan for that unexpected new mission. A discussion they have over adamantaimai soup, in a little restaurant on Sector 7.

Unexpectedly, that would lead them into yet another journey.