Title: Sunflowers
Chapter: 3/11
Author:
xpaperplanexRating: G
Word Count: ~900
Characters: Sephiroth, Cloud
Genre: slice of life
Warnings: none
Summary: Is it exile? Is it a vacation? It's up to Sephiroth to find out.
***
Sephiroth concentrated on the sword as an extension of his arm as he moved fluidly through the drills he had set for himself, imagining that the sunflowers that were now chest high on him were a massive dual horn instead. It would charge directly at him, he would step to the right and-hope he never had a small child clinging to his leg in a battle with anything but flowers.
Cloud sat on his foot with his arms and legs wrapped around him, apparently perfectly happy to remain there for the rest of the day. He thought his new game was brilliant.
"You know, two can play this game. I think I'll go for a run."
"A run?" Cloud sounded dismayed.
"I run really fast." He jogged down the path to the road, and Cloud bounced with every step. "I'm going to need you to switch legs when I'm half done so they both get the same amount of exercise. You don't mind, do you?"
"How far are you gonna go?"
"Oh, I don't know. Maybe to the top of the mountain and back." He barely got ten more paces before Cloud fell off with a loud oof. "Can't you hold on? I thought you said you were going to spend your whole day as a barnacle."
"I don't wanna be a barnacle if you're gonna run up the mountain. Why'd you want to do that anyway? I can't keep up."
"For exercise." Sephiroth crouched down and ruffled Cloud's hair. Sometimes he felt a bit badly for Cloud. He had met the other children in the village, and while they weren't exactly mean to Cloud, he was always on the outer edge of the group, and they never made an effort to include him. He had a suspicion that that was why Cloud had chosen him as his new friend. "How about I give you a piggy back? You can still be a barnacle on my back."
Cloud's face lit up, and he scrambled to his feet. Sephiroth hoisted him up.
"Hold on tight."
The grip around his neck tightened, and Sephiroth took off at a moderate pace that wouldn't overtax him even with the added weight. Cloud was squirmier than a rucksack, but he liked the challenge of not being able to use his arms while he ran.
He decided that going up and down the mountain was a bit ambitious for a spur of the moment run when he didn't even know the way, but he followed the road for a few kilometres, then looped back through the woods. He was slower going than usual on the way back. Since Cloud was with him, he had to be concerned about getting too close to branches, but it was still a good run. He carried on past his house and down into the town so he could pick up his lunch.
"Having fun there, Sephiroth?" Bob called out from where he was picking weeds in his garden. "Or is there some sort of emergency?"
"Just a run." Sephiroth let Cloud down and ruffled his hair again. "He makes a good rucksack."
"Better you than me, in that case. Say, speaking of rucksacks, I promised Tifa and Ricky and a few others that I'd take them camping next Friday, but I need to drive Arabella up to Rocket Town for a doctor's appointment. I know you've got experience with camping, and you get along fine with the children, would you mind chaperoning them? It's just a few hours walk for them from here to the campground. I'll supply you with everything you need."
Sephiroth's mind had stalled on the part where Bob claimed he got along with the children. He tolerated them because he had to, and yes, he would admit that Cloud wasn't that bad and even occasionally made good company, but that didn't mean he liked them.
"Can I go too?" Cloud asked softly, tugging on the leg of his pants.
"Is Cloud invited?"
Bob frowned. "I told Tifa to ask him along; she forgets half the time. Of course you're invited, Cloud. If Sephiroth is willing to go, that is."
"Please can we go? I've only been once."
"How long is the exercise?" Sephiroth asked, feeling like that would be a good thing to know before committing. Spending a week in the bush with a bunch of children to look after was definitely more than he could handle.
"No military exercises here," Bob said with a laugh. "Just overnight, then they're so sick from marshmallows and tired of bug bites that they want to come home. Ricky and one of his friends will be able to help you with the younger ones."
"We can make s'mores," Cloud said, his eyes brimming with excitement.
Sephiroth sighed and looked down at Cloud. "I suppose you'll teach me what a s'more is?"
"Yep!"
"All right, then. If I could get any information-where the campsite is, who's going, that sort of thing, as soon as possible, it would be appreciated. I'd prefer to at least have a plan. I don't have any training in childcare."
Bob laughed and would have slapped him on the shoulder if he hadn't finally learned to dodge. "You'll do all right, Sephiroth. Just keep them from doing too much that's truly stupid and it'll work out. I really appreciate you helping out like this."
***
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