four lumps of honey and sugar to go
Dear Cloud,
King Mickey told us you would be there to help watch over Sora. Please make sure that he stays out of trouble and let him know that we keep him forever in our hearts.
Sincerely,
Aerith
P.S. Squall was the one who said those words but was too shy to sign his name and asked that we send the letter at once. Isn’t that cute? Everyone else sends their greetings, too. Have lots of fun!
And bring back treasure! - Yuffie the Awesome
Ask them about the moon! - Cid the Greater
Please tell me about Kirby when you get back. Thank you! - Tifa
Remind Sora to smile! - Donald & Goofy
Cloud read over the letter once more.
Please make sure that he stays out of trouble.
He raised his head and looked at the scene.
Sora was currently in the middle of a tea party with some of the fighters, chattering away happily with Sephiroth about what treats Pichu and Kirby enjoyed the best.
“Really?” Sora said as he set another plate in front of Kirby, who was currently wiggling about in Sora’s lap, reaching for the food the princesses and Link had prepared. “You even keep track of the force used to gather the fruits?”
Sephiroth adjusted the headband on Pichu’s head, the bunny ears moving about as the small Pokémon nibbled excitedly on some macaroons. “Of course,” Sephiroth said in a matter of fact voice, “How else do you expect their coats to shine with such luster? Eating ill handled fruit would sour their complexions,” he stroked Pichu’s ear, the fur vibrant, “A sin in its own right.”
“Wow,” Sora’s eyes were wide, awestruck—Cloud could already feel the beginnings of a headache just thinking about what that stare entitled—as he moved the empty plates out of Kirby’s way, “And here I thought little chef was just exaggerating about those things… You think you could help me make the dream eaters treats when we get back home?”
“Hm,” Sephiroth scratched the back of Pichu’s ear, the Pokémon sounding pleased as he paused in his eating to lean into the touch.
Sora poured some honey onto a spoon, “Some of them are like Pichu’s size—”
“Then it shall be done,” Sephiroth poured himself a new cup of tea. “For only the strongest shall exist beneath my guidance.”
“Awesome!”
Cloud felt his eye twitch.
Please make sure that he stays out of trouble.
Seeing as how Sora just scheduled a play date with Sephiroth, it seemed a bit too late for that.
“Oh! Hey, Cloud!” Sora beamed at him brightly—Cloud now realizing that everyone was, in fact, wearing a set of bunny ears—and patted the seat next to him, Kirby pausing momentarily to mimic the action. “Wanna join us for tea?”
“Poyo!”
“Yes, Cloud,” Sephiroth said far too pleasantly for his taste, “Do be a delight and join us for tea.”
If it weren’t for everyone present, Cloud would have kicked the man. Hell, he probably should have still kicked him, but after his last tea party accident and the guilt that followed after destroying the sweets the children had been looking forward to, he grit his teeth instead and tried to keep his focus on Sora.
“I’m okay,” he began carefully. “I—”
“Sora,” Sephiroth cut in, “Were you aware that Cloud is socially inept?”
He snapped his head toward Sephiroth.
“Oh, I guess I never thought about it,” Sora hummed, lifting his elbow so Dog could sniff at the table, moving the plate of sandwiches closer for him and Duck to take, “But that makes sense.”
Cloud turned back to Sora, betrayed.
“To think the princesses were ever so kind to invite him, and yet the poor fool,” Sephiroth set his tea down and shook his head, adding to the act by wiping a nonexistent tear from his eye. “Even with a soul as cynical as mine, my heart still aches at the thought of his isolation.”
You bitch. You absolute bitch, Cloud clenched his fist. I knew Paula shouldn’t have shown him that drama series.
“Oh,” Sora turned to Cloud, his eyebrows knitted together in concern, “Are you still lonely here, Cloud?”
“Sora, no, I,” Cloud fumbled with his words, “Don’t believe him, he’s—”
“My kinship with him has allowed our hearts to connect in the most intimate of ways,” Sephiroth lifted a muffin to his lips, “I know his heart better than he does.”
“You bast—!”
“Oh, Cloud!” Peach exclaimed as she ran over to him excitedly. Cloud quickly shut his mouth, loathing that he could hear Sephiroth cough to hide his laughter. “I thought you were never going to show!” She clapped her hands together. “Sora’s been telling us so many wonderful stories about you. We’re all excited to know you more with him here!”
Cloud felt his face grow hot and glanced at Sora, who was occupied with stopping a fight between Duck and Kirby, a sole sandwich on the plate.
Did Sora really think that highly of him?
He sighed, happier at the thought than he wanted to admit, and turned back to Peach. “...Sorry, I’m late.” A small tea break couldn’t hurt after all.
Peach smiled. “That’s wonderful!” She stepped aside and motioned at the seat next to Sephiroth. “I’ll bring you a cup in just a minute, dear!”
Cloud made a face and tried to protest. “It’s okay, ma’am, I can sit next to Sora—”
“Nonsense, dear!” Peach turned and giggled, “Plus, Pichu already made himself at home there. Now, now,” Gently, she sat Cloud next to Sephiroth, patting his shoulders. “Be back in just a minute!”
Cloud couldn’t help but glare at the small Pokémon for taking his spot, but Sora seemed to enjoy it when Pichu opened his mouth for more food and rubbed up against his hand, so he bit back any further complaints.
“Oh, come now, Cloud,” Sephiroth slid another plate of food toward Kirby, keeping the pink creature occupied and distracted from gobbling Pichu’s share. “It’s not the first time we’ve shared a moment like this.”
Cloud made another face.
“Yeah!” Sora chimed in as he broke a piece of his sandwich off, handing it to Dog and Duck, who trotted away happily. “Sephiroth said you guys hang out a lot like this in private and just get shy around the princesses. That you guys have a, uh,” Sora tried to find the right word. “Mental bond unlike any other?”
“Sora,” Cloud said slowly, “Sephiroth breaking into my mind isn’t the same as hanging out.”
“Really?”
“Sora.”
“No need to be shy of our companionship, Cloud—”
“Shut up.”
“Master Xehanort’s always hanging out in my mind for tea, though,” Sora said thoughtfully, a spoon pressed to his lips. “Along with everyone else... hmm, is hanging out in your heart the same as hanging out in your mind?”
“I would be most pleased to help you learn the—” Sephiroth lifted his hand, a fork stabbing the table where it had been moments before. “Rather on edge today, aren’t we, Cloud?” He laughed. “Need I remind you of Miss Paula’s face at the last event?”
Cloud clicked his tongue and removed the fork. Just you wait, asshole.
With pleasure.
Cloud curled his lip at Sephiroth. Get out of my head.
No.
Bitch.
How crass, surely they couldn’t afford to give you SOLDIERs a better education? Oh wait, Sephiroth lifted his cup to his lips, You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?
You motherfuc—
Good afternoon, Mr. Strife! Mr. Sephiroth!
G-Good evening.
The two men blinked and turned to see Ness standing at the end of the table, teacup and saucer in hand. Lucas was at his side, holding flowers that Cloud recognized from Olimar’s garden.
Ness…
The boy smiled.
Lucas…
The boy ducked his head, no doubt feeling bad for interrupting their conversation.
How, Cloud felt his face heat up in shame, How long have you two been there?
Ness and Lucas shared a look.
Ten minutes?
I… I think it’s been fifteen.
Ness nodded his head. Fifteen then! Miss Peach asked if we could hand you your cup when you were done. But, he placed the porcelain on the table and pushed it gently toward Cloud, We realized it might be a while.
Cloud’s face grew hotter. S-Sorry.
That was rather rude of you, wasn’t it, Cloud?
He stopped himself from cursing Sephiroth out again, opting to just not-so-gently kick the man’s shin. Which, to his great dismay, had no visible effect on him.
“So you guys can all talk in each other’s minds like that?” Sora asked, stars practically dancing in his eyes. Pichu had climbed up his shoulder, Kirby sipping from Sora’s teacup. “That’s amazing!”
“Maybe we can show you, Sora!” Ness said as he and Lucas took a seat next to him. Cloud was almost shocked to see Lucas place himself in the middle, considering how shy the boy could get. “Like Jeff! Jeff doesn’t have PSI, but sometimes he can talk with us, too! Oh, Sora,” Ness smiled widely, “Mr. Olimar asked if you wanted to help with the garden. Right, Lucas?”
Lucas handed the flowers to Sora and Kirby, face red as the two shared expressions of wonder. “We… You’d probably like playing with the Pikmin, Sora.”
Sora handed a flower to Pichu, who took it into his mouth and jumped across the table and onto Sephiroth. Cloud hated how serene the man looked while petting the Pokémon and thanking it for the flower.
“Poyo!
Sora nodded with Kirby. “Count me in!” He handed Lucas and Ness a pair of bunny ears from beneath the table and then turned to Cloud, another set in hand. “Cloud,” he asked as he handed over the accessory, Cloud not having the heart to reject it, “Wanna join?”
Ness and Lucas looked at him expectantly, no doubt already knowing the thoughts running through his head.
Cloud sighed, “I guess it wouldn’t hurt.” He placed the ears on his head and poured himself a cup of tea. The three boys and Kirby all cheered, and Cloud was almost certain flowers were flying off them. He couldn’t help but smile back. Maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about Sora all that much if he kept hanging around the boys.
“Great!” Sora looked at Sephiroth expectantly. “You coming?”
“Mr. Sephiroth! Paula asked if you were coming to today’s club meeting!”
“Mr. Sephiroth, um, Snake asked if you could lend us your garden shears again if you don’t mind.”
Sephiroth hummed as he gathered Pichu in his arms, the Pokémon already dozing off.
Gently, Cloud set down his cup of tea.
“Poyo!” Kirby chirped as Sephiroth handed him another plate of food, chattering away with the boys as if they were the greatest friends in the world—which they probably were, considering how they were.
How they all were.
Unbeatable, unstoppable forces of nature.
A fact that Cloud had completely overlooked.
He placed his face in his hands and cursed.
God. Fucking. Dammit.
“Oh!” Aerith held the small envelope up, “It’s a letter from S—” She blinked, Squall at her side in an instant.
“What’s it say?”
She laughed. “Eager much?”
Squall frowned and said nothing, his face pink. Aerith made her way over to the bench and took a seat, Squall right behind her. With ease, she opened up the flap and turned it upside down, smiling when a letter fell out with a few packets of candy.
“Is it a sign?”
“That he enjoys sweets and wants to share them with us? Probably. Here,” she handed the small bags to Squall, who raised a brow. Aerith lifted the letter and unfolded it, “Hide them from Yuffie, or we won’t get a chance to enjoy Sora’s gift.”
“...hm.” He moved closer, trying to read over her shoulder. “How’s he doing?”
Aerith leafed through the pages. “Says here that he really likes it. Oh, he mentioned that Kirby’s taken a liking to him and that something named Chain Chomp reminds him of you.”
“...really?”
“Nope,” Aerith laughed at the face Squall made. “I’m just teasing. He did draw the Chain Chomp here for us, though, and said that if he sees any lion Pokémon, he’ll let you know—hm?” Aerith watched as a photo drifted onto her lap face down. “A picture?” She lifted it and turned it over; Squall pressed to her side.
In the photo, two boys and a pink creature were peering at the camera from up close.
Ness, Lucas, Kirby were written in Sora’s handwriting on their respective characters. Further back in the picture—Aerith would have laughed at the sound Squall made if she wasn’t shocked herself—was Sora dancing with Sephiroth, the man captured mid-spin with the boy in his arms.
And on the ground was Cloud, holding his stomach with an expression of pain on his face.
“Well,” Aerith began, “At least we know he’s having a good time—” The wind rushed by her suddenly, and Aerith held the letter tightly, afraid it’d get blown away. When she realized Squall was no longer on the bench, she looked around until she saw him standing at the end of the street, his body trembling.
“Squall?”
Through clenched teeth, he spoke firmly, "I’m going to Smash,” and took off in an instant, the wind carrying the echoing cry of “SORA!” through the streets.
Aerith sighed as she stood up and dusted off her dress.
There was no stopping Squall when it came to Sora.
“Now,” she said as she looked over the photo again, fondly tracing the familiar faces of her companions, “How should I tell everyone that Squall kept all the candy?”