Chapter Text
"There's a truck broken down about a kilometer out," Cloud heard Tifa call as she dropped off his lunch on the counter. "Bet you can make a few gil off them. It's Shinra, so charge 'em for every gear you poke."
Cloud chuckled as stood and stretched - his Hardy Daytona motorcycle was in perfect condition, but he tinkered anyway on slow summer afternoons when no one else needed any work done. He was the only mechanic in Nibelheim, after all. If there was work, it'd arrive at his door-- or he'd tow it in.
"Want to ride along?" he asked as he circled around his bike, strolled through the shop and grabbed the keys for the tow-truck off the counter. He couldn't afford an assistant but sometimes Tifa hung out in the garage when she wasn't at her own job.
"Nope. Gotta start prep for dinner," Tifa replied. "Want me to toss this in fridge?"
"I'll eat it on the way," Cloud said. He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek and let her do the same before he headed out to the yard. They'd long ago discovered they weren't romantically compatible, but they were good friends, even after everything. When she got hurt. When he got hurt just before he planned to leave for Midgar. When...
It didn't matter, he supposed, as he climbed into the orange tow-truck he'd inherited from the last owner of the garage when he'd sold the business to Cloud and retired to Mideel. Cloud had most everything he wanted. His mother understood that he wasn't ever going to bring a nice older girl home to take care of him.
Tifa dated someone different every few months and still trained constantly.
Every now and then, the village council threatened to raze the old Shinra place. Maybe that's why Shinra folks had come out to Nibelheim. There had been some fuss at the mako reactor at one point, but it had quieted down. Then were were all sorts of bombings in Midgar and Cloud supposed he was better off in sleepy Nibelheim fixing trucks and whatever else people brought him.
Either Tifa had been incorrect about the distance or the Shinra folks had gotten themselves fixed, Cloud thought as he shoved a second sandwich into his mouth. Tifa had packed well - all things he could eat one-handed and while driving, though he could drive the truck with his knees if he really needed to.
He'd popped a final deviled egg into his mouth and was still chewing when he finally saw the truck. More like five kilos, really, and they were definitely still broken down. Apparently, one of the group thought himself mechanically inclined and had the hood of the truck open. While there wasn't smoke in the air, there was a lingering stench that something had gone wrong with a hose and burned. Cloud never had the windows up on the truck if he could help it - the immediate scent of a broken vehicle was always a good diagnostic tool.
Slowing as he approached, Cloud finally stopped just as one of the Shinra men - a SOLDIER by the looks of his uniform - with unruly black hair came bounding over towards him.
"You've got good timing," the man said with a wide grin. "Unless you're on your way to pick up some other unlucky bunch."
"Got a report my services were needed," Cloud replied. He liked this guy already.
"Blew, like, every hose on the damned thing," the black-haired man added. "Probably more than any of us knew it had."
"Zack--"
Cloud hadn't even really paid attention to the man who'd been leaning over the engine, apparently seeing if there was any way to magic the truck back into running. Despite taking a few correspondence courses on potentially using materia in machinery, Cloud knew it wouldn't work in this particular situation.
He also knew the voice he'd just heard. He'd seen it on television time and time again. Radio broadcasts. He... was fairly glad he hadn't slid out of his seat yet or he'd likely have stumbled.
With his silver hair tied back and wearing something other than his familiar black leather, Shinra's General Sephiroth didn't look quite like the hero Cloud had grown up idolizing. But this was definitely him. His voice hit Cloud deep in his core and Cloud had to shake it off to get his door all the way open and jump down.
"What? Seph, it's not going anywhere without a tow," Zack countered. "And look, this is a guy with a tow truck who is here to tow our truck."
Cloud couldn't help chuckling. "It doesn't smell like you're going anywhere," he added.
"I suppose." Sephiroth looked at him coolly, obviously appraising. While Sephiroth still looked commanding in dark pants and a button-down dress shirt, Cloud knew he looked... like a tow-truck driver. A mechanic. Studs in his ears. Tattoos on his arms, which were visible under the rolled sleeves of his stained t-shirt.
"I'll get hooked up -- there's just two of you?" Cloud asked as he looked at the Shinra truck and decided how he wanted to pull it. He knew the model well - how the drive system and engine worked and likely what had gone wrong.
"Just two," Sephiroth affirmed.
"You'll fit in my cab then," Cloud noted. "Safer that way."
"Need a hand?" Zack questioned. Cloud really liked this guy. But he kept looking at Sephiroth.
"I'm fine. Done this a hundred times," Cloud replied as he gestured for them to move away while he climbed back into the truck. Maybe not a hundred, but close.
"I'm Zack," Zack called. "Zack Fair. This is Sephiroth--"
"Cloud Strife," Cloud replied. He hadn't turned the tow-truck off and quickly maneuvered to hook up. Both Zack and Sephiroth seemed to approve of his speed, at least. He slid back to put their truck in neutral and then gestured that they'd better all climb into his cab.
"I'll sit in the middle," Zack volunteered with a shrug as he opened the passenger door.
Cloud just nodded and quickly hopped in to stash the remains of his lunch packaging under his seat. A minute later, with Zack pressed tight to his side and Sephiroth looking disdainfully out the open window, they were on their way back to Nibelheim.
"We'll have to report on this," Sephiroth commented halfway between where they'd broken down and Cloud's garage. "How long will it take to fix the truck?"
"Don't know til I see exactly what you did," Cloud replied. "Depends if I have parts or have to order them. I might be able to get them off a junk truck in town. It's a common model."
"I just want to do our job and leave," Sephiroth added. "I did not volunteer for this... ridiculous assignment."
"Is something the matter out here?" Cloud questioned. He wasn't sure he'd get a reply. He still couldn't quite believe he was talking to Sephiroth. Because he had Sephiroth in his tow-truck. Oh, Tifa would never believe it, except she was probably going to see it.
"Nah," Zack answered. "Seph's just grumpy because this really is a crappy assignment. Apparently there's some unpaid taxes or something on something Shinra owns and it's become a big deal and some idiot thought it'd be a good idea to send the biggest gun possible to squabble with the village council."
"I was supposed to come out here years ago," Sephiroth added. "Both of us. But..."
"Yeah, whatever happened with that?" Zack questioned. "That was like five or six years ago, something with the reactor?"
"I don't know," Sephiroth admitted. "Might be when the terrorists got Professor Hojo. That was around the same time. But the assignment changed. Assignments change."
Zack nodded.
They pulled into town slowly.
"Do you want to come to the garage or get dropped at the inn?" Cloud asked. "Or there's a great little pub my friend works at..."
"Garage," Zack said quickly.
"Inn," Sephiroth countered.
"How far between?" Zack asked as Cloud turned towards the inn.
"Few blocks," Cloud answered.
"I'll ride in and then bring our stuff," Zack offered. Sephiroth simply nodded.
Only then did Cloud wonder about what he thought should have been obvious - they seemed almost like a couple. Maybe they'd just worked together for a long time. He didn't know...
Cloud dropped Sephiroth off at the inn with little fanfare. It was a little discouraging, really. That was Sephiroth - the idol of his teenage years. He'd probably see him again to pay the repair bill and then Sephiroth would promptly forget him.
"He doesn't usually have that big of a stick up his ass," Zack commented as Cloud started towards his garage. Without Sephiroth wedged in the cab, Zack slid over and stretched his arms up and settled them behind his head.
"It's okay," Cloud replied. "Sounds like you two got the short sticks, actually."
"Eh, not so bad. It's nice to have an easy job now and then." Zack glanced out the window. "You grew up here?"
"Yeah."
"I'm from a small town, too," Zack said. "Seph doesn't get that, sometimes. He doesn't know how to slow down."
"He's General Sephiroth. He..." Cloud wasn't sure quite how he wanted to defend Sephiroth, but he was fairly sure if his hero wanted to be frustrated about being stuck in Nibelheim, that was okay.
Zack chuckled. "You grew up with an eye on him, huh? Wanted to be a hero, too?"
"Maybe," Cloud muttered.
"Well, you just saved our dumb asses with your neon orange tow truck, Cloud Strife. And I bet we're not the first dumbasses you've rescued, so guess what... we're all on pretty even ground."
Cloud didn't know what to say. Instead he just pulled into the garage's yard.
"I'll get started on the truck right away," he finally said. Zack didn't waste time getting duffels out of the back once Cloud had it unchained and flat on the ground.
"I'll be back later for our weapons and whatnot," Zack added. "Don't need to be dragging all that through town in the middle of the day."
Cloud nodded, half-listening. He'd need to see what he had in fluids, hoses, and if anything else had been damaged...
It would be a long day. A good day, but a long one.
~*~
The only reason Cloud looked in the back of the truck was because he needed to jack up the front end and wanted to make sure nothing was going to shift too much and get damaged. Everything looked fairly secure - strapped down with black bungee cords to hooks on the floor. Smart, Cloud thought. He wasn't sure what all Zack and General Sephiroth would have brought with them, but they seemed well prepared.
And then he remembered what Zack had said - weapons. Sure enough, two cases fit the relative sizes for a SOLDIER's Buster-type sword and Sephiroth's famed Masamune blade. He almost reached but restrained himself. Not his business. He just had to fix the truck.
"What are you doing?"
Somehow, Sephiroth had the worst timing ever. Of course.
"Making sure nothing is going to shift if I jack up the front end," Cloud replied as he hopped down. "I don't remember anything moving when I was towing it, but then Zack got your bags and might have unhooked things."
He stood his ground against Sephiroth's cool gaze, stunning aqua-green with pupils unlike anything Cloud had ever seen - articles had commented that it was heritage from a people who'd inhabited the world long ago. Now, held in Sephiroth's gaze, it didn't really matter why.
"How's the truck?"
"It'll live," Cloud deadpanned. "That's the good news. I've got one last hose to put on it tonight--"
Somehow, it was already evening and twilight was started to threaten at the foot of the mountains.
"Bad news?" Sephiroth questioned.
"It's not the last hose in general. You had a pulley bolt break that shattered the pulley which took out the hoses and a couple of belts. Even getting used parts off a couple of junk trucks sitting out back, I still had to order a belt and hose," Cloud explained. "I tried calling over to the inn, but they said you were out."
Sephiroth nodded. "Taking care of business. How long on the parts?"
Cloud shrugged. "Couple of days. If you need something around town, I have a couple of cars that'll work as loaners."
A series of expressions crossed Sephiroth's face. "Okay," he finally said. "I may need one. Business has not yet been taken care of and apparently nothing in this town gets done quickly."
Chuckling, Cloud nodded. "Sounds about right. There's usually not much hurry for things. Though I did want to get your truck done."
"Your efforts are commendable. I shouldn't be keeping you from working..."
"It's fine," Cloud said without really thinking. He'd spent plenty of evenings working while Tifa sat and chatted. This would be no different, aside from it being Sephiroth. "Find something you can sit on and make yourself at home."
Honestly, he didn't expect Sephiroth to accept but after circling Cloud and the truck, he grabbed a stool and settled, long hair trailing behind him almost artfully. Cloud had let himself get pretty shaggy, but a single hairband kept his blond mess back in a ponytail that his mother trimmed up now and again.
In silence, Cloud slid his floor-jack under the truck and got to work. What he needed was a hoist large enough for these sorts of trucks, but that was a ways away, financially. Usually he just kept himself stocked with parts and tools and lunches from Tifa. The last hose just needed to be connected and he hadn't been able to reach it from above.
The whole job would take less than five minutes.
"I apologize for my tone earlier," Sephiroth said after Cloud had wheeled himself underneath the truck on his creeper. Cloud nearly dropped the hose clamp he'd been about to put in place.
"Don't worry about it," he said quickly.
"I was frustrated - I still am, mind you - and certainly, I didn't need to take it out on you."
Had Sephiroth come to apologize all along? He was terrible at it. Of course, he probably didn't need to do it often. The one time Sephiroth showed a bit of an imperfect side and it was to him. Cloud wasn't sure how to feel about that.
He slid the hose clamp on and tightened it.
"Really, don't worry about it. I think I see the worst of people when they need my services," Cloud said as he rolled back into the bare-bulb glow of the garage. He pushed himself to his feet and nudged the creeper away before reaching to let the truck back down.
This time, Sephiroth chuckled. "You probably do. Doesn't excuse it, though. And was that it? I could have done that. I do have some basic automotive repair skills..."
"I did all the hard stuff before you got here. Used some amazing combinations of words my mother wishes I didn't know, too," Cloud explained. Sephiroth would look good with a few grease smudges, Cloud thought, but that was a dream that would never be realized.
"So now we wait?" Sephiroth questioned.
"Nah. Now we turn off the lights, lock the doors, and get dinner. If you're hungry..."
"Mm?"
Cloud froze. He'd nearly invited Sephiroth home. To have dinner with his mother.
"I mean, I'm just going home. My mother will have dinner ready and she normally makes extra anyway..."
Now he just needed to make it sound like a terrible idea on the off chance that Sephiroth would accept.
"I need to learn a bit more about the town and how to best achieve my objectives," Sephiroth stated as he stood. "Has your mother lived here her whole life? I wouldn't mind talking to her."
Dumbly, Cloud nodded. Sephiroth trailed behind him as he turned off the lights, locked the doors, and started towards home. No need to run the Daytona the few blocks. Not when it was a nice night and he had Sephiroth walking close enough they could almost bump shoulders.
"Where's Zack?" Cloud questioned.
"Gathering intelligence at the pub. Hopefully. He may just be gathering a tab for me to cover," Sephiroth replied. Cloud smiled.
"What's your problem with the council?"
"They want to demolish that big house at the end of town. It's owned by Shinra and Shinra wants to keep it as-is. Which means no repairs. But the council won't accept that and are threatening to give Shinra a time-frame for repairs or it goes whether the back-taxes are paid or not," Sephiroth explained.
Cloud swallowed hard as Sephiroth's sleeve brushed his arm. Hopefully he hadn't gotten it dirty. He'd not done more than wipe his hands on a rag on the way out, which he knew his mother would have words for. Every time he came home dirty, she commented on it. And he always came home dirty.
"I have no idea what's so important about a dilapidated old house," Sephiroth continued. "Do you know anything?"
"It's haunted." Cloud shrugged. "Or the floors are just rotten and while everyone dares one another to go in there, no one ever does."
"Have you ever been in there?"
As they passed under a streetlamp, Cloud pulled up the hem of his shirt. White scars streaked across his abdomen and chest. He'd been goaded into proving he was brave enough to go join SOLDIER by a group of boys and he'd proved it. A month in the hospital had put him out of the running forever, but in a way, he became a legend.
Sephiroth swore low under his breath and nearly reached to touch those streaks of white but his fingertips stopped millimeters away.
"Floors are rotten," Cloud said with a little sigh tucked onto the end. "There have been relatively few attempts after I had to go get patched up."
He pulled his shirt down and kept walking. Sephrioth didn't even have to double-step to keep up.
"Why am I trying so hard to save it?" Sephiroth questioned. Cloud didn't know. He just kept walking. They'd be at his home soon enough and he had to figure out how to explain to his mother that he'd brought one of the most famous people in the world home with him. Sort of by accident.
"Here," Cloud said as he stopped in front of the house. He pulled open the door and stepped in.
"Mom, I'm home. I've brought company--"
"Is it Tifa? She's not company..." Cloud's mother began, looking from the kitchen to where Sephiroth was wiping his boots just inside the door.
Cloud shook his head and sort pantomimed that it was a long story to tell once he'd changed.
"Go change and I'll get dinner on the table," his mother said quickly, obviously reading his mind. He didn't really want his mother reading his mind, but it happened.
"Ah, General Sephiroth, sir, this is my mother--" Cloud added before running for his room. He had to get his grubby, greasy clothes off and into something relatively nice and clean before his mother said anything entirely stupid. It was not going to be easy. Not when most of what he owned had stains or holes. Finally he settled on his only pair of decent jeans and a red t-shirt with a faded slogan for a brand of soda he rarely drank.
By the time he got to the table, Sephiroth was already seated and his mother was making up plates.
"Sephiroth was explaining that he was sent to see to the old Shinra Mansion," his mother said as he sat. "And that his truck broke down and you're fixing it."
Cloud nodded. "Had to order parts, gonna be a couple of days. You don't have to cook for him the whole time, though."
His mother laughed. "That's the least of my concerns. I just worry if anyone's going to be wandering around in that old house. Right before Cloud was going to leave for Midgar, he went adventuring and..."
"Mom--"
"Midgar?" Sephiroth questioned.
"To try to join SOLDIER," Cloud half-mumbled. He looked at the plate his mother put in front of him. At least it was one of her better recipes. Thankfully Sephiroth had not arrived on any night that ended with '-casserole'.
"I'm sure you would have made a fine SOLDIER." Sephiroth gave him a strange little smile that made Cloud sort of want to melt under the table. It was an empty compliment and he knew it.
"When I was young, sometimes someone would come and go," Cloud's mother said after a long moment. "Don't know who he was, but he never stayed around long. Place was in better shape then. But it's been decades since anyone actually lived there. About time it was finally torn down. I'd half-hoped lightning would strike it and save everyone the trouble."
"Actually, Mrs. Strife, I'm supposed to be saving it," Sephiroth corrected with a wince. Cloud hoped it was the conversation and not the potatoes.
"Whatever for?" Cloud's mother questioned. "There can't be anything in there that's important! The Shinra would have gotten it by now."
Sephiroth nodded. "Honestly, that's how I feel. I had understood the situation to be merely tax-related and didn't understand why I was being sent to pay off a cranky village council. Being sent to convince them to save a building that should be torn down is frustrating, to say the least."
"It certainly is," Cloud's mother agreed. "What are you going to do?"
"Investigate," Sephiroth answered between bites. "Carefully, of course. Cloud showed me his scars. I don't want to see anything like that happen again, but I can't imagine the house could be repaired without considerable cost. So I'll just have to figure out what's making it so valuable in the condition it's in."
Cloud's mother was quiet for a moment, looking thoughtfully at Sephiroth.
"Cloud could go with you. He's one of the last people who's been in there... Go in the daytime..."
Sephiroth shook his head. "I have a companion with me who's gathering information elsewhere," he explained. "I have no desire to put your son at risk."
"I could go if you need me to," Cloud added softly. Not that he really wanted to go in there. But he liked Zack. And he liked Sephiroth. He did not want to see either of them get hurt.
Sephiroth continued asking questions until they'd finished eating, at which point he excused himself back to the inn.
Cloud was off to his room before his mother could really say anything. After an hour of looking through repair manuals, he walked back through the house and past his mother, who had settled to watch the news.
"Going to see Tifa," he told her as he passed. "Won't be out too late."
"Bring Sephiroth home whenever you'd like," his mother replied. She smiled.
Once Cloud was out the door, he realized that of course she knew. Of course she knew... He'd never really kept his hero worship a secret and combined with...
Neither Zack nor Sephiroth were in the pub when he arrived. The place had mostly cleared out and Cloud slid up onto a stool at the bar without a second glance from any of the regulars lingering in the corners.
"If I have a usual, I want that," Cloud said when Tifa leaned in his direction.
She laughed and got him a mug of beer.
"On the house if you tell me what's going on."
"I don't really know," Cloud admitted before recounting everything from the broken truck on through dinner.
Tifa just listened, nodding when Cloud mentioned Zack.
"He was in here, trying to pump me for information," she said when Cloud had finished. "Cute, but hard to tell if he's serious."
"What did you tell him?"
Tifa shrugged. "That the house needs to be torn down, of course. Same thing anyone would tell him. But now I'm curious. If I was younger and dumber, I'd say we should go check it out once I lock up."
"But we're both going home and to bed," Cloud noted. "At least I am and I hope you are."
"We're older and smarter?" Tifa questioned.
They circled the house once, with a flashlight Tifa borrowed from the bar. The windows were too dirty to really see in, but Cloud felt like he'd done his duty.