[FF7][SC] Star Flower

Farewell comes on Christmas morning.

They removed her life support and left her slumped peacefully in a soft bed, too thin to support the comforter.The chest rose and fell weakly, rising and falling, rising and falling again.The slow but steady rhythm brings an ethereal illusion, as if she just took a short nap, and when she wakes up, she will knit a sweater and hum as usual. Suffering will not knock her down, and she will still smile after pain.

This process will not last too long, and there will not be too much pain, just like a dream after exhaustion, peaceful and satisfying.

Angel sat beside her and read a letter intermittently, looking here from time to time through the window.

Claude shook his head.

His forehead was pressed against the warmed glass again, and his breath left a layer of white mist again.He seemed to be dazed for a while, not thinking about anything, his body was gazing at Hu Nisi without missing a second, but his soul was floating on the ceiling and watching everything indifferently.

He is sad.The heart was tightened, the blood flowed hard, and he couldn't breathe, but breathing seemed unnecessary.

But it doesn't seem so sad.He is not a child, he can understand and accept death, although it is a bit difficult, it is not the first time, he has already learned to bear it.And it was so much better this time, she was no longer alone, and someone was with her, which made her less afraid in the last period.

He just... just couldn't help wanting time to go slower, slower.Even if the long wait leaves only pain, the pain is also happiness. Every minute and every second before the complete loss is happiness. As long as it is not the last moment, he can humbly draw strength from it.He sketched the outline of the woman presumptuously and greedily, wanting to engrave her deeply in his heart, as if he could live with his memories even after many years.

All people are children in front of their mothers, aren't they?Even if she didn't do well enough to protect him - from Mr. Lockhart's fists, from the gossip of the villagers, from the shadow of no father.She should be the only one who will protect him, and everything he can rely on.

In my memory, Hunisi is always apologizing, and there is no way to live without apologizing.Sometimes it was Claude who caused trouble, and sometimes it was Claude who got into trouble, and then she followed him from door to door to bend over to the group of bastards.Claude always felt wronged when he was young, because it was unfair, and because his mother never stood by him; he didn't understand, but he had already learned not to argue, and fantasized about beating them all to their knees when he grew up lick shoes.

Then one day, he suddenly understood everything.

"Sir..." Hu Nisi uttered a weak breath, she turned her head slightly towards the source of the sound, "Is...is it snowing outside..." The surveillance was on, the room was quiet, and her voice was clear and piercing. On the tip of the boy's heart.

"A little bit, but not much." After hesitating for a while, Angel, who didn't know why, still told the truth.

"Is that so..." Hu Nisi was silent again.

"You should go." Rufas suddenly said.He bounced off the wall he had been leaning against, let go of his hands clasped across his chest, and his reflection appeared behind the boy, "I know you want to go over."

"To shut up."

"My mother also asked if it was raining outside before she died." Rufas ignored him and said to himself, he was in a very bad mood, "She just wanted to go out and see. She wanted to know that the man came back No. I didn't know what to say, and finally I told her that it was raining heavily and the road was blocked, maybe that would make her forget that she was abandoned." He suddenly grabbed the boy's cold hand and wanted to send him to the room Li Tuo, but met with unexpectedly stubborn resistance, "She wants to see you! So what if she doesn't recognize you, go in and have a look, will you die? What if she recognizes you?"

"Let go!" Cloud almost screamed.Trembling with panic, he forgot all the fighting techniques, like wrapping Ruphas's arm and wringing it, or kicking his cock to make him fall to his knees.He just lowered his body and concentrated on his feet rubbing against the ground, and he would almost lay down like a child if he could-but it would only be dragged away faster. "Leave me alone! Fuck your nurse!" He couldn't choose what to say without realizing what he said.

The unexpectedly rude words made Rufas narrow his eyes, he pressed the corners of his mouth, and finally said nothing, dragging Claude to the door.Boots screeched across the slick floor.Then Rufas let go of his hand under severe pain, and glared at the stinky brat who bit him and ran away.

The terrified eyes made Rufas tremble.

Claude, who hadn't been scared when he pulled the trigger, was trembling now, and his eyes were wide, looking at him like he was looking at a man-eating monster.This reminded Rufas of himself as a child.

"Listen to me." He took a step and Claude took a step back, so he stopped, "I understand your feelings, I really understand, I also lost my mother. But if you don't go in now, you will regret it for the rest of your life , don’t let yourself leave regrets, okay? Not for anyone, at least for yourself.”

"No need." Claude said coldly, he didn't look directly at Rufas, but immediately moved his eyes to the other side after touching Hunis, "I don't need it." He was as indifferent as usual, but Rufas easily I noticed the fragility under this, not because he was sensitive, but because he used to be.

Repressed anger swelled in Rufas's chest. He should have been more sympathetic, gentle and a good brother, but he couldn't, he just couldn't help being angry.Anger comes from the present as well as from the powerless past.He cursed the stubborn boy, and even more cursed him for becoming such a reality.Why can't Cloud act a little more like a kid?Why... can't you be a little nicer to yourself?Rufas was very irritable, "You need it! You look at her and want to rush in and hug her, crying and begging her not to die!"

"Oh, so?" Claude asked nonchalantly.

"So?" Rufas looked at the boy in disbelief, "You want to see her, she wants to see you, what's the problem?" He knew that Claude was in pain, as long as he was not blind, he could tell.He just didn't understand why Claude resisted so much, he seemed to be screaming for help, but he pushed away the chance of redemption.

"No." Rufas' words were not denied, but nothing changed. The boy suppressed all emotions very well, "You can go."

Rufas was choked up, paused, and roared: "Damn it, get out if you don't want to go in, don't pretend to be pitiful here!"

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, he froze.

He swore he didn't mean to say that, or mean it.It's all Claude's fault, the boy's expression disturbed him, he... he might have a little problem himself.In fact, he just never gave in to anyone. As early as when he begged that man but there was no result, this option would never exist; the life of a playboy does not require him to compromise. Everyone is trying to please him. Those who cannot please will naturally disappear.He hasn't been really gentle to anyone for a long time. If it can be redeemed, he will definitely apologize, and he will kick out all those cronies, but don't get a word of what you want now.

He did not get an answer from Claude, because Sephiroth walked in the elevator like a divine soldier.

Holding a large bouquet of lilies, Sephiroth's eyes first fell on Claude, and then he noticed Rufas. The confrontation between the two made him raise his eyebrows, and finally approached this embarrassing scene calmly.

Rufas breathed a sigh of relief, he could no longer face Cloud, "Sephiroth, throw him to the ward."

"Order?"

"Task." Rufas did not forget the difference between the two.

Sephiroth nodded, and the shadow shrouded the little chocobo that was blown up, and asked familiarly: "Are you going in by yourself, or shall I help you in?" Without getting an answer, Sephiroth understood, "Rufas, Open the door." He handed the bouquet to his right hand, grabbed the back of Claude's vest and lifted the little guy up, and then threw the flowers away in one go.When Rufas came back to his senses, Claude was already holding the bouquet and Angel looked at each other, while Sephiroth closed the door shyly, hiding his merit and fame.

that's all?No resistance at all?

——They have such a good relationship?

"You're bleeding," Sephiroth reminded, as Rufas kept staring at him.

"Ah...? Oh, oh." Rufas glanced at the circle of teeth marks on his hand. It wasn't the first time he was bitten, but it was unprecedented for him to be bitten so hard.He wiped it casually and threw himself into the bench. "Why did you come?" Suddenly thinking of this question, Rufas asked casually, the general didn't seem like someone who would appear here.

"The president is below. He said he would come up after smoking his cigars." Sephiroth shrugged and walked two or three steps away from Rufas, leaning against the wall with his chest in his arms.Occasional bodyguard jobs are of no practical significance, mostly to show off Shinra's property or the like.

"He won't come up." Rufas sneered, "He didn't even think about coming up."

Sephiroth was noncommittal, he wasn't interested in the subject.

There is nothing to talk about between them. Although there is no harm in having a good relationship with Sephiroth, Rufas is really not good at communicating with this kind of person.He doesn't know what Sephiroth is thinking, and he can't figure it out at all; the most important thing is, in front of Sephiroth, no one is not in a weak position, regardless of status, strength, will, this kind of weakness makes people feel very uncomfortable. Comfortable.

Rufus looked away.Of course, they can also chat about parties, red wine, and fashionable women. They are also considered to be the same age. When there is no topic, these things are the best to pass the time.But he doesn't want to do that now, he wants to talk about Claude, that's all.

"You found him in the slum, didn't you?"

"I thought you had reached an agreement." Sephiroth meant something, "in view of some of your... untimely actions."

some.Poor cliché skills.If Rufas was still considering how much Sephiroth knew about this matter and how far his relationship with Claude was, now he can rest assured that the topic can continue.He said nonchalantly: "I don't plan to touch him anymore. So, brother, is there any problem with my brother?"

"Brother?" Sephiroth opened his eyes wide and was stunned for a rare moment.

He hadn't seen Sephiroth surprised yet, and this new discovery made Rufas secretly surprised, but honestly, even thinking about the direction of the illegitimate child, is there any surprise at all? "There is some blood relationship, but it's not the romantic debt of the old guy outside." Rufas didn't intend to hide this, there is always a reason for his change of attitude, "You can rest assured that Angel will not be ripped off When it comes to Shinra, no one will notice him. Besides, he doesn't look like Shinra at all."

"Have you done the appraisal?" Sephiroth asked again, "Is there no problem?"

"If you remember that I was asking you," Rufas reminded, "it must have been done, so his medical records are top secret."

"Oh." Sephiroth nodded thoughtfully, not continuing.

oh?It's not salty or bland like this, huh?It seems that Rufas is an ordinary soldier who is useless after reporting all the information. He just hates Sephiroth. "Answer me, Sephiroth, did you find him in the slums?"

"Hmm. Church." After thinking for a while, Sephiroth replied casually, "Fatally wounded, bleeding all over the place. I had stopped breathing when I arrived, and the body was still warm, so I tried it." Resurrection." He said very flatly, as if discussing how bad the food in Shinra Cafeteria was.

The sharp silver-gray suit was scratched and wrinkled.It's okay, Claude is living well now, and it will only get better in the future.Rufas relaxed a little, tapping his fingers alternately on his knees, trying not to think about the scene—the heat that burned his skin, and the pinning down of the boy who couldn't move.He would dream sometimes, two or three times, that Claude was burned alive, and they were very recent. "Tell me, how did he escape from the car?" Maybe this nightmare will have a better ending.

"How do I know?" Sephiroth asked strangely, maybe he didn't mean that, but it sounded like a mockery, "You were the only one present."

"You are a special soldier, and you are the first person to contact him, can't you see something? And your report—"

"I'm glad you still remember that I'm a special soldier, not a detective, and I can't guess the process you want from the results." Sephiroth showed a fake smile, and it's inevitable that there will be mistakes if this topic continues, "Why don't you How about asking him directly?"

"You—" Rufas gasped, staring at his hands uneasily, studying every hair on them, "Forget it." He just couldn't ask, did Sephiroth do it on purpose?He had no choice but to start the next topic hastily, "Who else is there? I mean the church. He was injured. It is impossible to walk that far alone. Who took him there?"

Sephiroth watched him cautiously for a moment.The most dangerous part was over, but he didn't understand why it was exposed so easily, and he became more curious about Claude.Right now the question was so innocuous that he could answer it without even thinking about it.

"You can rest assured that I have dealt with all witnesses."

Rufas' demented expression is really inexplicable, Sephiroth thought.

Angel and Claude looked at each other.

Part of him wants to compliment Sephiroth who threw the boy in, and partly wants to scold him at the same time.He couldn't do this, he couldn't do it so abruptly and without warning that Angel didn't know what to do for a while.But Angel also understands that it is impossible to expect more from his colleagues. In any case, now that Claude is here and he is here, it may be the best situation.

He waved to Claude, not sure if it was appropriate.But at least, Angel thought it was right to do so, and he never hesitated in the right thing.

Claude trembled, buried his face in the bouquet, and squatted down against the door soundlessly.Make yourself smaller, smaller, so you won't be seen.

"Can sin be forgiven? 』

"I don't know, I haven't tried. 』

Yes, Vincent, yes, yes... Time and memory were messed up, and he breathed nervously, not knowing what he was doing.Maybe he has gone mad, maybe he has never been sober, hovering behind the barrier of words is a confused heart.Angel is still there, so he can't be crazy now.is allowed.Alice said she never blamed.Zacks said to be a witness of his life.He trusts them, so it's okay.

It's just that he can't.

Forgiveness and peace are only short-lived and fragile. Even if he can take a nap in it for a while, the shadow of the past always bites tightly behind him, looking for any gap to take advantage of it.Only crime and punishment remain constant.He once slept peacefully among the blooming flowers, once smiled amidst the noise of children, was once happy because of the first rays of sunshine through the window, and was once happy because of the warm support in the palm of his hand.Then they wither and wither like a dream.The future will not lose to memories, but the future will always become memories, and then there is nothing but memories.

Happiness cannot make people live, they only make reality more lonely and unbearable, but he has no place to escape, the tender cradle of death does not belong to him.But pain can.In the last period of time, he has been recalling, reproducing every regret, examining every detail over and over again, and blaming himself for his incompetence and cowardice.He felt pain, but when he thought that this was his sin and he would spend the rest of his life to redeem it, the matter of living could go on again.

So he can't forgive himself.

Taking a deep breath, Claude stabilized his trembling legs and stood up again under Angel's worried gaze.

The planet does not give life.If it would, Alice wouldn't have died, and they wouldn't have had to sacrifice as much.A twisted birth must be paid for by a twisted death, and its rules are unbreakable.He arrogantly put his mother on the balance, one side is the ending of everyone's death, and the other side is the small sacrifice of one person.

Then he made his choice.

Just another charge, another sentence, no big deal.

"I'll read." Putting down the bouquet, he stretched out his hand to Angel without looking at Hunis's face, "This is what I should do."

Angel found he couldn't say no.He carefully placed the yellowed and brittle letter paper in Claude's hands, he didn't ask Claude how many words he knew, but just hugged him on his lap and sat down, hoping that this would give him even a little bit of support .He caught Hunis' eyes on the boy, tired, soft... confused.

Angel hugged Claude tightly.

"Honice personally..."

From Hunis:

There are still two days before the agreed date, but I can't wait to write the third letter, it's like a love affair

silly boy.But I can't help it, because I've been thinking about you, and the thought of seeing you soon,

The waiting time has also become very happy.The irises at the florist remind me of you, for the dark blue flowers and your golden hair

Phase contrast; the children playing on the street remind me of you, because I want to see you smiling happily; everywhere in life

With your traces, every ordinary thing becomes incomparably brilliant, and life itself becomes extraordinary.

I miss you so much and I want to see you soon.

Like a daredevil.Just like Zacks, when he was tired of Alice, he wanted to say some high-level love words, but he stuttered after being teased, and finally said all his thoughts in one go, clumsy, warm, sincere, and happy However, what is full of hope makes people wonder what to do.

Claude stumbled a little, it was too strange.In my memory, my mother sometimes read some letters, but he never cared. He didn't need a father who was absent from the beginning in his life.And then they were all gone, in a fire, the last vestige of Strife, who didn't look like him at all, and sometimes Mom felt sorry for that.

Now he doesn't care about these, except for being a barrier between him and Hunis, the thin paper has no meaning.This was their story, not a single letter, not a single note about Claude, maybe Hunis was not pregnant then, maybe she hadn't had time to tell Strife.

He finished reading it quickly. There were many letters, but they were all short. My mother just liked to read them over and over again, and she read them for many years.

Maybe he should read it from the beginning again, Claude looked at the letter paper moved back to the first page.

"That's enough." Hunis suddenly said, her voice was thick with sleepiness, so thick that it made people drowsy, "Where is Claude?"

The heartbeat was wrong, and Claude didn't dare to meet the expectation in those eyes.

"Where's Claude?"

She once scolded him for fighting, and then gave him medicine in tears; she also treated him indifferently, but quickly chased him out of the house.Claude, Claude, there are voices calling him home all over the mountains and plains.

"Where's Claude?"

I am here.

He opened his mouth, but no sound came out.He is not afraid of the strangeness in his mother's eyes, but he can't bear to see disappointment.The world was unfair to her. When he was a child, Claude thought he could protect her when he grew up, but now he couldn't even stop hurting her.

"Where's Claude?"

"It's snowing heavily, and he's on his way." The boy finally said softly, leaning forward slightly to smooth Hunis's disheveled temples, "If you're tired, you can sleep for a while, and I'll wake him up when he arrives You." The movement was very slow and gentle, fingers reluctantly lingering on her pale cheeks, "Sleep, and then I can see him when I wake up."

The frequency of blinking became slow, and she looked at Claude stubbornly like a child who refused to go to bed early, and Claude's eyes were slightly moist.It wasn't his mother that was dying, but his heart, and the last vestiges of his past.He took Hu Nisi's hand, rested it on his forehead devoutly, and closed his eyes to feel the quietly passing temperature.

"Are you... Claude...?"

Claude looked up suddenly.

Hu Nisi exhaled the last breath gently, and closed her eyes forever.

"Sometimes people are afraid because they care too much and don't dare to get close to important things." Rufas took out a cigarette from the cigarette case, thought about stuffing it back, and took it out nervously, "It's pretty silly."

"Are you talking about the president?" Sephiroth said casually.

Rufa felt as disgusted as he ate a fly. It happened that Angel was going to sign. When Claude came out, he didn't know how to deal with it. He hid in a panic at the end of the corridor and watched the scenery.

Sephiroth sneered, and turned to watch Claude casually find a seat and sit down.

He didn't know what kind of existence his mother was, but she shouldn't be so ordinary, so fragile, and shouldn't fade easily in the face of time.Dr. Geist had mentioned it, not saying much, but leaving enough room for the young him to dream.A mother is supposed to be strong, beautiful, and satisfying, capable of banishing disaster and filling any void.

Now he has already thrown away his unrealistic delusions, he doesn't like this kind of life, but he won't resist it either.His life is built in layers of confusion, and there is nothing he can really believe in. The only thing he has to do is to continue this falsehood.If he had survived this way, he could live on.

But the effects of that time live on.

Claude sat quietly with his head down, unable to see his expression.But after a while, tears wet his pants drop by drop, and he cried silently.

Sephiroth was a little surprised.He once thought that Claude would not cry, at least not in front of himself, his weakness could not be exposed to the enemy, right?Boy won't even rest in front of him.Soon he gave up this boring question, and his eyes fell on the corpse covered in white cloth in the ward again.

Hunis was not a good mother, Sephiroth could say with certainty, even by the usual standards.He didn't understand why Claude cared so much about her, and was even willing to put himself in danger. Without her, the boy would undoubtedly be better off.

Can there be "love" in this way?Is this also "love"?So humble, so weak, so helpless, so hesitant.It will make people unhappy, but even if they are unfortunate, they cannot let go.

Sephiroth couldn't understand it, and couldn't accept it.

He refused.

It was just that when Hunis uttered the last sentence, Sephiroth felt a little - just a little - an unprecedented tremor.

"Okay." The older special soldier finished signing, squatted in front of Claude, and frantically wiped away his tears with his sleeve, "It's okay, I'm here, I've been here..." The boy didn't make a sound , just shedding tears quietly, Angel's heart hurts seeing it.He forcefully pulled away Claude's arm that was trying to block his face, gently wrapped his arm around him and picked him up, then changed his position and sat down.Now they are close enough not to let the grief weigh on one person, "You don't need to be strong, you can cry as long as you want, I will always be with you..."

Claude didn't move at first, but soon grabbed Angel's clothes and trembled violently.He gritted his teeth, and pressed his forehead tightly against the man's chest, like a hungry and cold traveler finally found a safe haven, and could no longer move his feet. "Don't leave me..." I squeezed out a few words intermittently, and was soon choked by sobs, "Don't...leave me...I..." The sobs were finally replaced by suppressed sobs, under the gentle soothing, in the Under the solid support, Claude finally wept uncontrollably, "I only have you..."

"No, I will always be by your side." With his chin resting on his small head, and patting the boy's back, Angel repeated clumsily, "As long as you need me, I will always be...always..."

They share the warmth of an embrace, or Angel builds a safe haven, trying to keep all damage out of his strong arms.He has always been like this, calm and reliable, acting as a mediator between Sephiroth and Genesis, trusting others and being trusted by others.But something was different, too, and Sephiroth could easily point out that, without his knowledge, some inseparable bond had been formed between them.

Sephiroth watched in silence for a moment, then looked away.

It's easy for Sephiroth to ignore the eyes of others, but that doesn't include when it gets in his way.

The chunky proprietress stared suspiciously at Sephiroth, and the authenticity leaning on the back of the chair could not deter her, as if she was silently resisting his request, which made Sephiroth even more concerned about what Tourt was.He looked at Claude who didn't say a word and didn't plan to order, and knocked on the table, "You can tell what you want to eat. I won't indulge you like Angel."

No answer, Sephiroth was not surprised, he dropped the menu, "He is the same as me, as long as Tourt, add a glass of water."

This time Sephiroth was able to comfortably stretch his legs under the opposite chair, but it was an empty seat, and Cloud sat next to the empty seat, making the empty table of four seem even more strange.There were four of them the last time we came, but this time there were only two of them.Originally, the Christmas shop was closed, but Ma Kexin's house was upstairs, and when she saw Claude and Sephiroth, she waved and opened the door without saying a word.The lights that had been turned off came back on, and the tabletop was still a bit greasy; although there was no heating, the fire in the kitchen made the shop less deserted after a while.

To be honest, Sephiroth thought she would pretend to be invisible. Isn't she afraid of special forces?

Without looking into it, he dismissed the question from his mind.

Anyway, now is their time.

Christmas with Claude.Sephiroth didn't even think about it.He doesn't care about festivals, sometimes the company will hold activities, and when his friends show up, he will spend more time with them, but Angel and Genesis also want to go home, and the rest of the day will be the same as usual.

Perhaps it was Angel who should have appeared here, but he was called away by Balino, there was no room for negotiation, and there might be something between the two of them to talk about, about the secret that Sephiroth just learned.Although Rufas doesn't think so, he thinks it's time to say it, and it will never be delayed until now.

"He's scared. Rufas smiled maliciously, without saying clearly, "It turns out that he would be afraid too." 』

Probably because he didn't think that Rufas could treat his younger brother well, before leaving, Balino threw this task to Sephiroth, which made Angel hesitate to speak—even though the remaining one was not a good choice.

Plates came quickly.

Ma Kexin, who was on the sidelines, was obviously embarrassed, and he had cast strange gazes several times, because the silence between them lasted too long—it was not the silence of watching PHS or other tricks to pass the time, but the boring, staring at each other. Watching the silence of another person.But to be honest, Sephiroth kind of enjoys the quiet.Partly because he doesn’t like noise—a considerable number of special forces don’t like it, and it’s very unfriendly to specialized senses—at the same time, no one is willing to endure meaningless noise, which is fully reflected in Shinra’s conference; the other half It is because the person who is quiet with him here is Claude, a good companion, but a little different from the two colleagues.

Angel and Genesis are people he agrees with, and they have won the qualification to stand by his side with their strength and actions.Claude's situation is somewhat similar. Given time, he might be able to reach the height of a battle with the general.It's just that this is not the main reason. There are many talented people, and Sephiroth will not waste time on possibilities.

He is not afraid of you.Angel said.

Sephiroth is more aware of this than Angel.He understands fear, and perhaps he was born to be feared.From the eyes of those who are about to die, it can be seen that a small part is covered by hatred and anger, but deep fear is still engraved in the depths.Sephiroth is fear, and he imprints the iron law well on the hearts of every rebel, teaching them to tremble from the depths of their souls.

But Claude is not afraid.From his annoying words and deeds, meticulous resistance, and calm confrontation, one can find his incredible tough will.Maybe sometimes he shows fear, maybe it's about his little secret, maybe someone he cares about, but never Sephiroth himself.Even after being killed, seeing the true cruelty that Sephiroth doesn't often reveal, this hasn't changed.

Although it has thorny edges and brings some troubles and risks, Sephiroth can't find much reason to hate it, and the current relaxed mood has already made a decision for him.

Sephiroth lifted the paper bag next to the seat and placed it in front of Claude.

Claude, who kept his head down and didn't know what he was thinking, looked up at him, "...what is this?"

"Hunice's legacy."

Sephiroth must not know how bad he is.Claude loosened his clenched fists, and finally said restrainedly, "Why did you bring them here?" He had already decided to let them stay in the tomb and be buried with their weakness.He would do this even if Angel disapproved. These things did not belong to him, and he should not keep them.

"I think it's for you." Seeing that Claude didn't move, Sephiroth reached out and was about to pick it up. Claude immediately snatched the paper bag into his arms and stared at him warily. "Aren't you going to open it and take a look?" The young man leaned back indifferently, and the chair with only two fulcrums remained stable to maintain its balance.

Claude hesitated for a moment, not sure what Sephiroth meant, but finally couldn't hold back and stretched his hand in.His fingertips felt rough and fell into Ann, and he knew right away that it was a little sweater knitted by his mother for her little Claude.He pulled out the black sweater.

"She asked about your height and weight, so it should be for you." Although the young master insisted that it was for Stryfe, whom he had never met, after all, he already had another sweater for the baby.But Sephiroth doesn't think so, although he also thinks it's strange that there is such a big difference in size, and there is also a style, "Maybe it's left for you to wear when you grow up. Looking at the style, I hope you become... a special soldier?"

The last word was hesitant, he wasn't sure if the boy was crying, there was no Angel here, he didn't know what to do.

"Why did you bring it here?" Claude asked again, this time his tone became very light, perhaps showing a little weakness.

"Since it's for you, what's the problem with bringing it to you?" Sephiroth asked back, "If you must have a reason...take it as a Christmas present."

Use relics as gifts.He must not have understood what he had done.

Ah... so warm.Cloud buried his face in the soft sweater.Unlike military uniforms, handmade sweaters are a bit harsh, but thicker and looser.He thought he could bear the pain of loss, but now he knew he couldn't, having shattered the last piece of his armor.It's so beautiful, so warm... Just a little bit can completely destroy him...

"I'm Cloud." He said softly, and now he can say that because the person who gave him the name allowed it, and accepted this life that should not have appeared, "Cloud Strife .” He stroked the rough sweater, looked up again, “Thank you.”

"Hmm." Sephiroth nodded hesitantly, not understanding what this sudden self-introduction meant, and for some reason he didn't ask further.But he wasn't so bored that he had to ask every detail thoroughly.Then he pulled back and stared at the plate, "I don't think the food was served so slowly last time."

Claude shook his head and put the sweater back into the paper bag. "It's already been served." Then, against Sephiroth's shocked gaze, he picked up the plate and started to chew