Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Denzel stirs awake, opening his eyes. Blinking and squinting, raising a hand up to shield his eyes from the morning sun. At least, for once, he didn’t wake up with a pounding headache like he used to. It had been a few months since everything went down. Close to death, Denzel was ill with Geostigma. He was in pain practically every day, as his body fought the disease, leaving him lethargic and bedridden at times. 

Now that it was gone, he didn’t have to dread waking up every morning. He felt completely normal again. Sitting up, he stretches and gets out of bed, making his way downstairs. Smelling breakfast being cooked. He watched Tifa flip over a pancake and scramble some eggs, before she took notice of him. 

“Oh! Good morning, Denz! Scrambled eggs and pancakes okay?” She asks, gesturing to the pan. 

Denzel gives a quick nod. “Mm. It’s fine.” He opens the fridge, taking a juice packet. He puts the straw in, taking a few sips. “Is Cloud out again?” 

“Sure is, sweetie. Business has gone up since he’s a hero, you know,” Tifa chuckles softly. “He’ll be home later.” She gently slides two fluffy pancakes onto his plate. Followed by the scrambled eggs. “Here you go--” she’s about to give him the plate, but the phone rings. “Oh, another customer, I’ll be right back.” She headed upstairs in a hurry. 

Denzel takes it himself and sits at the table in the bar. After breakfast, he headed outside into the backyard. He smiles, kneeling down to gaze at all the flowers. 

“Wow, they’re growing so quickly…” He mumbles to himself. Watching the flowers gently sway in the breeze. He and Cloud planted them, shortly after the end of the Geostigma crisis. 

According to Cloud, these were yellow lilies. Meant to signify reunion, and that they were the flower given to him by a flower lady. The same one who unfortunately passed away during the adventure. Denzel didn’t like to ask about her, or anything regarding her much. Cloud always had a glimmer of sadness in his eyes whenever she came up. So, he refrained from bringing her up in any conversation. 

After lunch, Denzel slumped on the sofa, watching a cartoon. In the show, mechanical Chocobos and Moogles fought a wild battle, with tons of explosions. It was incredibly corny, as he found himself growing bored of it. He rested his chin on his hand, staring at the screen. 

“Maybe I’m getting too old for this baby stuff…” He mumbles, yawning. After a few minutes, he leans back against the sofa, eyes closing shut. Soon, Denzel falls asleep, taking a nap. 

White.

Blinding light. 

That is the first thing Denzel sees. And a ringing noise in his ears. He squints and grunts softly, adjusting his eyesight. 

It soon stabilizes out, he starts seeing things. White walls, what looks like a TV monitor, beige curtains.

Now, he can hear. The constant beeping of a monitor. Someone chuckling softly, a faint patter of rain hitting the windows. 

Here comes the smells. How can you even describe this one? The air reeks of sterile, hand sanitizer, sanitary wipes. But, there was also a hint…of perfume? A faint, yet noticeable flowery scent. 

Denzel feels so small, so helpless. He can’t really move his limbs. This feeling must be what a bug feels when it’s wrapped in a spider web. 

“Oh, hello…look at you,” a woman’s voice coos. 

Mom? 

Denzel feels compelled to look up. He does. 

He stares into the emerald green eyes of a lady. Then, more of her face. Her soft brown locks of hair fall over her shoulders, and they’re quite wavy. There’s remnants of sweat on her forehead, and she appears exhausted. A soft smile remains on her lips, however. 

Mom..? No…wait, who are you? 

“Hey, baby…wide awake, are we?” She gently strokes a finger on his cheek. It’s so inviting, warm… 

Wait…I know this voice. You sound so familiar. Like that one who told me to go to the church before Cloud came back… 

“Mama loves you so much…” 

Wait.

Huh? 

Then, Denzel hears the sound of a door creaking open. Before it shuts behind him. 

“I’m back,” an all-too familiar voice says. The body of the voice walks over, standing beside the lady. “There’s my little guy.” 

It’s Cloud. 

CLOUD?! 

A nudge to his shoulder jolts him out of his sleep. Denzel scrambles a bit, before sitting up. Blinking, eyes wide. 

There was Cloud again, he jumped lightly. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you. Did you have a nightmare?” He asks. 

Slowly, he shakes his head. “No, just a weird dream…” 

Unbeknownst to the boy, this was only a prelude.

Chapter Text

Denzel sat at the kitchen table with Cloud and Tifa, eating his dinner. He didn’t say much, more-so focusing on his food. Even with Cloud home more often, dinnertime was awkward. 

Cloud had been attending therapy now, which had long been overdue for what he’s been through. Because of it, he and Tifa mutually agreed that a relationship would still be too much for him right now. He needed to focus on himself and healing, before something like that. It wasn’t a bad thing, of course, it was helping. But…

Denzel didn’t really feel like he had a family, most of the time. Sure, Tifa and Cloud took care of him, gave him shelter, and saved his life. Yet, it was unbearably awkward. It felt like living with two parents who recently divorced, yet still lived together. The only thing that eased the tension was when Marlene was around. During that time, Marlene was a sister to him. After he healed, they would play together, joke, sneak around to get snacks. But when Barret returned for good, he picked her up and brought her back home with him. Leaving the boy lonely again. 

“I’m done eating, Tifa.” Denzel lightly shoves his empty plate aside. “Can I be excused?” 

Tifa looks up from her plate, nodding her head. Leaning over and taking the plate. “Of course, you may.” 

“Thanks,” he gives a little smile, standing up. 

Cloud looks over at him. “You alright though, Denzel? I noticed you kinda zoning out there.” 

“I’m fine, Cloud. Don’t worry.” He shrugs it off. 

“Are you sure? You can talk to me, y’know.” He pats the young boy’s shoulder, mustering up a soft grin. 

“I’m sure, I’m just a little bored, that’s all. I’ll probably play a video game.” He turns around and starts heading towards the staircase. 

“Don’t be on too long, bud. You have school tomorrow.” 

He nodded, heading upstairs. Wow…for a moment there, it really felt like Cloud was his dad. But, wouldn’t anyone remind a kid to not stay up so late on a school night? Nonetheless, he couldn’t help but smile.

I’d love to have Cloud as my dad… 

Denzel’s fingers quickly maneuvered around the controller, tapping the buttons as he struggled against a boss. His face scrunched up into a determined look, quickly tapping the X button. Sadly, the boss was still too powerful. His character gave a pained yell, as he slumped over and died. 

“GAME OVER.” the narrator said, as the words appeared on screen. 

“Aw, dammit!” He grumbles, punching his controller lightly. 

“Woah, hey. Watch your mouth, and don’t break your controller kid. Just a game.” Cloud leans in the doorway, checking on him. 

“Believe me, if you played this boss fight for a few minutes, you’d understand!” Denzel crossed his arms. 

“Yeah, yeah. Anyways, wrap it up soon, alright? Almost 9 o’clock.” 

“Okay.” Denzel stood, closing out of the game and turned the console off. He was tired of fighting that boss for the millionth time in a row. “Night, Cloud.” 

“Goodnight. See you in the morning.” He rubs his head, before walking off to the master bedroom, shutting the door behind him. 

As Denzel preps himself for bed, his mind wanders. He thinks of Abel and Chloe. His real parents, the ones who’ve long been dead under rubble. He slides into bed, pulling the covers over himself. Staring at the wall, he recalls that day all too well. He wants to forget, but he can’t. 

“Avalanche did this, kid. Don’t you ever forget that.” 

That infantryman lied to him. It was Shinra. Shinra were the ones responsible, and the reason he was left an orphan. 

I miss you, mom…dad… I’m starting to forget what you sounded like. But, I remember the times we shared. When we’d watch movies, trying out new food vendors, when you promised me you’d come back…. 

Denzel didn’t realize he was crying, until a gentle hand on his shoulder startled him. He sees that it’s Tifa. 

“Honey, are you alright? What’s wrong?” She gently rubbed his back, sitting beside him on the bed. 

Denzel’s afraid to tell her. To say that he wants a real family, that he wishes he could have that back. But, he can’t. He would hate to hurt Tifa’s feelings. Even if she and Cloud weren’t together, even if he didn’t see them as his parents. 

“I just…miss them.” 

“Miss wh--oh, I understand sweetie.” She gives a sad smile, still rubbing his back softly. “But, they’re with you always. I’m sure they watch over you from the Lifestream. You’ll see them again someday, alright?” 

“Okay…thanks, Tifa.” 

“You’re welcome. Get some good rest, alright? If you need anything, just holler.” She stands up off the bed, and tucks him in. She gives a quick kiss on his forehead, and leaves. 

Afterwards, he rubs his eyes clear of tears, and stares at the ceiling. And stares, and stares, until his eyelids go heavy. Finally, he falls into a slumber. 

Denzel finds himself opening his eyes, in a dimly lit room. A nightlight prevents the room from being completely dark. There’s a soft twinkle of a music box, playing…lullabies? 

What the…? 

He moved his head to look at his body, jumping a little in shock. He was a baby?! Why was he a baby?! He couldn’t move his eyes off his chubby arms and hands, or the yellow onesie he was wearing. 

Taking more time to look at his surroundings, he’s lying in a crib. The walls in the nursery appear to be a light shade of blue, with a changing station in one corner, and a rocking chair in the other. 

What the hell’s going on?! What’s happening?!

He opens his mouth to yell, but lets out a wail instead. He blinks, then frowns. Now, he really starts to cry. 

Suddenly, the door opens. It’s the lady from the other dream. Dressed in comfy pajamas. She makes her way over to the crib, reaching in and lifting him up. 

“Oh, Denzel…shhh, shhh, it’s alright. Mama’s here.” She shushes him, gently rocking him back and forth. “What’s the matter, hmm?” 

A second later, another voice from the doorway. 

“Aerith? Is he okay?” It was…Cloud, again. 

Aerith…? Her name’s Aerith? Wait…is that the flower lady’s name? 

“I think he’s alright, he’s just being fussy.” Aerith takes a seat in the rocking chair, and begins to rock. “Could you maybe prepare a bottle for him?” 

“Of course,” Cloud turns and heads off. 

Aerith smiles down, gently taking Denzel’s small palm. She rubs a finger against the back of it, to soothe him. It’s very effective, as he finds himself at ease, more relaxed. 

“It’s gonna be okay, sweetheart. No need to be grumpy, alright? Dada will have your bottle soon.” She plants a kiss on his forehead. 

He feels so attached to Aerith, despite not recalling ever meeting her. She had such a motherly vibe to her. The way she held him, talked to him, even looked at him…. 

Genuine, motherly love. Denzel felt like he had a mother again. 

I don’t want this to end… 

The sound of an alarm clock wakes Denzel up. His eyes snap open, and he gives a sleepy groan. He glared at his alarm, checking the time. 6:30 A.M. Same time he woke up every day for school. Pushing the snooze button, he slowly sat up, rubbing his face. 

“Man, what’s with the sudden, weird dreams?” He asks himself. Sighing, he pushes himself up. “...I’ll think about it later.” With that, he prepares for school. 

He swears he can hear Aerith speaking again, but shoves it aside.

Chapter Text

Denzel spaces out a lot of the time during class, dwelling on his dream. Tifa did say once that having recurring dreams meant something, but was that really true? After all, most of them were fictional. Sure memories can inspire them, yet most of the time are too nonsensical. 

At least the more he spaced out, deep in thought, the faster time went by. As the class got ready to dismiss, one of the students approached him. 

“Denzel?” they ask. 

He looks up. It was Mary, or Moogle Girl, as the students called her. Known for her passion of collecting anything with Moogles on it. Her passion however stemmed from a traumatic experience. She too was a victim of Geostigma, her and her brother. Although she was cured, her brother sadly passed away. Now, she collected all types of Moogle merch in honor of her brother. She and Denzel had become close friends. 

“Oh, hey Mary.” Denzel gives a quick wave, slinging his backpack over his shoulder. “What’s up?” 

“You ignored me earlier when I was asking you a question. What gives?” She says in an annoyed tone, crossing her arms. “You’re not mad at me, are you?” 

He shakes his head. “I’m sorry, it’s not that. It’s…okay, can we talk about it on the way home?” 

She gives a quick sigh. “Alright.” 

The dismissal bell rings, and the kids all pile out. Exiting the school, he meets up with Mary by the sidewalk, and they start walking. 

“So, what is it that you wanna talk about?” She asks, before teasingly smirking. “Do you like a girrrrlll?~” She asks in a sing-songy voice. 

He scowls. “NO! No, ewww! Course not, this is serious.”

She giggles. “Okay, okay!” 

“I…keep having these weird dreams.” He says. “Like…I dunno how to describe it. They’re…real feeling?” 

“Having odd dreams is normal, Denz. Are they like nightmares?” She glances at him. 

“No? They don’t feel like nightmares… Maybe it’s a side effect from having Geostigma?” 

“Ah…maybe? I wouldn’t know, I haven’t felt different.” 

“This is gonna sound weird, but…it almost feels like I’m in a whole other universe.” 

“I mean…dreaming can do that.” She shrugs. “But hey, it’s probably nothing. Don’t stress too much about it.” 

“Yeah…you’re right-...Oh! One more thing! Something else I’ve been dreaming about is the flower girl. Her name’s Aerith.” 

“Aerith?”

“Yeah! She…was a part of Cloud’s friend group. She passed away, so I never got to meet her. Yet…I did, in the dream. She called herself my mom..?” 

Mary stared at Denzel like he had bugs crawling out his ears. He sighed. 

“Forget it,” he turns his head to the side. Until Mary approached her house, the rest of the walk was awkward. They both said their goodbyes, and Denzel continued his trek home. 

As he strolled down the path, he passed by the local park. The community salvaged what was left of the old Sector 5 playground after Meteorfall, and expanded on it. It was a nice park, especially at nighttime. Denzel heard that couples would often go there to stargaze. 

He couldn’t help but peek through the fence. Watching a few small kids run around, and their parents lazing on the benches. He smiled. Maybe Cloud or Tifa could take him there sometime. 

Then, he felt a sudden, sharp pain. His head throbbed, it felt like when he had the infection. A pounding migraine, coursing through his bloodstream. He gave a short cry of pain, grabbing onto his head. He breathed heavily, trying to bear the pain. 

Ow…hurts! What the…? 

“Hey, kid, you okay?” a voice says, albeit muffled. Denzel moved his head to see who it was. That’s when he saw it. 

Aerith claps her hands together, cheering as Denzel slid down the slide. “Hooray! You did it, buddy!” She lifts him up. “Good job!” 

Denzel, who appeared to be a toddler now, squealed and laughed. Clapping his baby hands. “I did it!” He yells, raising his arms. 

Cloud pats his back, grinning. “You did, kiddo! Such a big boy, going down the slide!” 

“Again! Again!” He waddles back to the slide, climbing up the ladder. 

“KID!” 

Denzel violently stumbles backwards, landing on his bottom. He removes his hands from his head, when the agonizing headache fades as soon as it arrives. He stares at who screamed at him. 

It was a man, a parent perhaps. “Are you alright? You looked like you were gonna pass out. Should I call an ambulance?” 

“No! No, I..I’m okay…,” he gets back on his feet, and runs. He ignores the man shouting for him. 

He rushes into the Seventh Heaven bar, his backpack flying off his shoulders onto the floor. He ignores his surroundings. Tifa’s surprise, Cloud beckoning him over, everything tuned out. He gets to the safety of his room, and slams the door shut. Locking it tight. 

“Denzel? Hey! What’s wrong?! Denz?!” 

“Did something happen at school? You can talk to us.” 

“Go away! I want to be alone! Please, just leave me alone!” Denzel sobs, bringing his knees to his chest. He sits against his bed, sobbing quietly. He drowns out Tifa and Cloud’s words once more, staring off into the wall. 

What the hell is happening to me…?

Chapter Text

Over the next few weeks, the visions were sporadic. Some days they didn’t happen, and other times they did. Denzel had distanced himself from Cloud and Tifa. He stopped talking to them as much, keeping himself cooped up in his room. 

And they noticed. Oh, how they noticed. Both tried to communicate with the boy, but were instead met with lies or Denzel pushing them away further. They were stuck on what to do. They were very worried about him. Did something happen at his school? Was he depressed? Answers were needed. 

One night, Tifa decided to try again. After Denzel got ready for bed, she walked through the door. 

“Hey…Denzel? Can we talk for a moment?”

He glanced over, and sighed. “Sure. What..?” 

“Have a seat.” She sat down on his bed, and he sat down beside her. She gathered her thoughts before speaking. “Sweetie…we’re worried about you.” 

He didn’t respond. Just placed his hands in his lap. 

“I want you to tell me what’s going on. Is someone giving you trouble at school?” 

“No..”

“Are you feeling depressed? You could join therap-”

“We’re not a family…are we?” Denzel says quietly.

Tifa goes quiet. 

“I…I don’t see us as a family.” He doesn’t look at her. 

“Why is that, sweetie?” 

“We don’t even act like a family. I don’t even call you mom.”

She sighs gently. “Do you want us to be one, then?” 

“I..I don’t know. You and Cloud aren’t dating and…wouldn’t it be awkward for Cloud if I started calling him dad?” 

“I wouldn’t think so. I don’t mind you calling me mom. Why don’t you think about it?” Tifa gently rubs his shoulder. “I’m sorry…we should’ve considered your feelings too.”

“It’s alright,” Denzel shrugged. 

“Before I go to bed…is there anything else bothering you? Something you want to give off your chest?” Tifa wonders. 

“There…is one thing. Just promise not to laugh.”

“I won’t laugh. I’m all ears.” 

“I’ve been having strange dreams lately. They feel real, but at the same time, they don’t…”

Tifa makes a face. “Can you…describe it? What do you remember about them the most?”

“I saw Cloud and…Aerith?” 

Her face falls a bit. “Oh…I see. They’re just dreams, alright? They don’t mean anything.” 

He didn’t believe that. Yet, he didn’t feel like talking any further. He just nodded and went to bed. 

Aerith giggles, laying down on the carpeted floor, looking at Denzel. She waves at him. “Hi, sweetheart! Hey! Come see me!” She beckons him over. 

Denzel laughs, waddling his stubby legs over to her. “Mama!” He lays on top of her, across her belly. 

“That’s me! Hi, sweetie!” She pats his back gently. “You’re getting so big! You won’t get into trouble, yeah?” 

“Uh huh! Trubble!” Denzel claps his hands, proudly gazing at his mom. 

The front door opens, and Cloud steps inside. Tired after working, but happy. “There’s my two favorite people!” He chuckles softly. He kneels down, opening his arms out. 

“Dada!” He runs to him, squealing with excitement at seeing his father finally home. 

“Hey, lil guy!” Cloud lifts the toddler up and bounces him lightly in the air, before giving him a gentle squeeze. Aerith gets up off the floor, watching them both. 

“How was work?” 

“The usual.” Cloud cradles Denzel in his arms, lightly patting his back gently. “Did our little man give you any trouble?” 

Aerith shakes her head. “Not at all! He’s always a good boy! Right, Denny?” 

“Yeah!” He nods in reply. “Wuv you!” 

“I love you too!” She kisses his chubby cheek. 

Denzel wakes, lifting his head up. It was still dark outside. He frowns, sighing softly.

The family he so longed for was nothing except fiction. 

He cries himself back to sleep.

Chapter Text

“Cloud, I want to visit the church,” Denzel says out of the blue during breakfast. It was just him and Cloud today, Tifa had to run some errands for the bar. 

The man looked up from his toast. “You do? Why?” 

He shrugged, messing with his spoon. “I dunno…guess to visit?” 

“I find that a bit strange coming from you.” He chuckles softly. “Are you sure there’s no real reason?”

“Can I actually tell you when we get there?”

He sighed, but nodded and rubbed his head. “Sure, kid.” 

Denzel simply grinned, and finished his cereal. 

“See all the pretty flowers? Mama grew these herself.” 

“Pretty!” 

“That’s right! They are, huh? And the sunlight hits it just right, so they can grow. This church is very special to mama.” 

“Really?” 

“This was where I met your father.” 

Cloud pushed the doors open to the church, walking in with Denzel trailing behind him. The spot where he hid at, waiting to die from the Geostigma some months ago. It still hurt to come here. 

The flowers were there, looking the same as always. Strong, resilient, just like her. 

Denzel knelt down, gazing over the patch. “Wow…I’m really glad we’re still caring for the flowers for her, Cloud.” 

“Yeah..” he takes a seat in one of the pews. Well, one still left mostly intact after the battles that took place here. 

“Hey, Cloud?” He slowly stood, and approached the man. “Is it…okay?”

“Hmm?” 

“I…want to know more about Aerith.” He says quietly. “Is it okay?” He asks again. 

The blond turned his gaze away from the boy. “So, you wanted to come here for that, huh? Why?” 

“I…have dreams about her,” he admits. “At least, I think I do. She has brown hair, and green eyes.”

“Yeah, that’s…that’s her. Aerith…” he lets that name linger on his tongue. Even now, the pain in his chest, the lump in his throat. He still feels it, even when he moved on. 

“They’re strange dreams…she calls herself my mom…I’m not sure what it means.” 

“It’s a dream, Denzel.” Cloud says, dismissively. 

“I know. Sorry…” 

He sighs again. “It’s fine, bud. I…I can tell you about her. If you want.” He pats the space beside him. Denzel takes a seat beside him, and sits up straight. Cloud takes a deep breath.

“I met her after we bombed our first reactor. She offered me a flower. I thought I would never see her again, but I was wrong. During our failed attempt at bombing reactor five, I fell into this very church. Her flowers broke my fall, somehow.” 

“A miracle, indeed.” Denzel chuckles. Cloud nodded. 

“Heh, yeah…anyways, we spoke for a bit, I helped her escape the Turks, and took her back to her home. She insisted I stay the night, but her mom didn’t seem to like me much. She wanted me to never speak to her again. So I snuck out, lo and behold, there she was.”

“She knew you were leaving?! Wow…” 

“Yep. Knew her mother too well.” 

“She must’ve really liked being around you, Cloud.” 

A sad smile appeared on his face. “Yeah…she told me later on that she didn’t have many friends growing up in Midgar. Guess she finally had someone to spend time with. She was bubbly, kind, stubborn too.”

“What happened next?” 

“We talked at a park, and then we saw Tifa being transported to a…highly unsafe area. So, we followed. And saved her.” Cloud would never hear the end of it if he told Denzel what they had to do to save her. So, he left it at that. 

“Did she and Tifa get along?” 

“Of course, instant gal-pals.” He chuckles. “So, after that…umm…we unfortunately had to deal with the sector seven collapse. Aerith saved Marlene, but Shinra took her back into their custody.” 

Denzel winced at the mention of that night, but curiously stared at Cloud. “Why?” 

“She was an Ancient. Or, Cetra. A race of people that lived long ago, who could speak to and commune with the Planet. She was the last living.” 

“Ohh…I see. Were they gonna hurt her?” 

“Probably. We saved her, and made our escape. And that’s when our adventure truly started…” 

Denzel could tell this next part would be hard for him. He gave him a little hug, to comfort him. Cloud wrapped his arm around him. 

“Thanks, bud.” 

“Mhm…so….what happened to Aerith?” 

He closed his eyes. “She felt that only she could stop Sephiroth, as the last Cetra. So…she went to pray using her materia and…he killed her.” 

“I’m sorry…” 

“We couldn’t mourn for long, we had to keep going. I guess that’s why…even now…it still stings like it was yesterday.” 

“Do you miss her?”

Cloud’s chest tightens. “Every day.” 

“Did you…like Aerith? As in…love her?” 

His chest tightens more. A tear rolls down his cheek. “I did. I regret not saying anything sooner.” 

They both hugged each other a little tighter after that. Sitting in silence. 

Denzel missed Aerith, too. He wishes he could’ve met her, and not just through the dreams or the visions, but in real life. 

If only there was a way.

Chapter Text

Migraines. The worst kind of headache.

And Denzel woke up with one. He groaned softly. It had been awhile since his last migraine attack. He wasn’t looking forward to this one. He pulled the covers over his face, shielding the light. It always hurt worse when his eyes were exposed to light. 

Tifa opened the door, checking in on him. “Denzel? You up? It’s time for school.” 

Why was everything so loud? His head throbbed. “N..No. Can’t…” He mutters, feeling the nausea creep up on him. Tifa heads over to the boy, concerned. She rests a hand on his head. 

“What’s wrong?” She asks, lowering her voice. “Feeling sick?”

“Yes…” 

“What hurts?” 

“Migraine…” is all he says. He doesn’t want to speak anymore, it’s too much effort. Luckily, she seems to understand this. 

“Aw, I see…alright. I’ll call you in and you can stay home. Go back to sleep, alright?” She gives his shoulder a slight rub, and leaves. 

Denzel shoves his face into his pillow. He tries to sleep, but the nausea worsens. Eventually, he has to make a beeline for the bathroom. 

Cloud frowns when he hears the gagging from the bathroom, heading upstairs. He sees Denzel getting sick and brushes some hair out of his face. Rubbing his back gently, he sighs. “Oh, I’m sorry kiddo…you alright?” 

He shakes his head, eyes filled with tears. Once he finished, Cloud cleans his mouth off and helps him back into bed. Being the savior he was, he shuts the curtains for him, which Denzel is extremely thankful for. 

“Thanks…Cloud…” he mutters. 

“Of course. Get some rest.” He pats his head and shuts the door behind him as he leaves. Finally, after a half hour, Denzel slips into sleep.

Denzel stands in a flower field, surrounded by yellow lilies. There’s not a single cloud in the sky, there’s a gentle breeze, and he can hear birds chirping. He looks around, and finds Aerith nearby. Kneeling down, tending to the flowers. 

“Huh? Uh…” He slowly walked over. 

She looked over, grinning. “Well, hey you! Wanted to see the flowers with me?” she pats the spot beside her. “Come sit with me.” 

He sits beside her. “Okay…” he looks around, at all of them. “Did you grow all of these yourself?” 

She chuckles. “I wish, but no. This is just a flower field.” 

“Ah, right…” he traces a petal with his finger. 

Aerith then stared over at Denzel. “Denzel?” 

“What?” 

“It’s happening soon.” She says, in a cryptic tone. 

“What is…?” 

That’s when the world fades to black. 

Denzel snaps awake, before closing his eyes again. He shouldn’t have done that. His head still feels like it wants to detach from his body. Sweat caked onto him, his clothes clinging onto his body. He gets up for another vomit session. 

When he returns, he collapses into his bed, whimpering softly. Everything hurt. It was a chore to move around, and even to breathe. He settles back into bed, falling asleep to the sound of his thumping heart. 

“I’m confused, I don’t understand what’s going on…” 

Denzel is all alone this time. In an empty room. He looks around, waiting for someone to show up.

“Cloud..? Aerith…? Uh….mom? Dad?” 

Silence. 

“Please…somebody.” He calls out. 

Soon, child. Soon. Just you wait. It won’t be long now…. 

Denzel wakes up again. It’s darker in his room now. How long was he out for? He checks the time. 

6:24 P.M. 

There sits a couple of ibuprofen tablets, and a cup of something fizzy. Or, was. The drink had gone flat now. 

Seriously, how long was I out for? 

Denzel reaches and takes the pills. The drink tastes as flat as ever, with a hint of lemon. His door opens, and it’s Tifa once again. 

“How are you feeling?” 

“The same…how long did I sleep?” 

“Quite a while, sweetie. But, you really needed that rest.” 

“Guess so..” he shrugged. “That’s all I can really do. Rest..” 

“You’ll feel better by tomorrow.” She smiles reassuringly. “If not, we’ll take you to the doctor.” 

“Okay…goodnight, Tifa.” 

“Night. Feel better. If you need anything, come get us.” 

Denzel stares at the ceiling for an hour or so. The non-stop throbbing, how his eyes burn, his churning stomach. It felt like it’d never end. He hadn’t felt this bad since when he still had Geostigma. 

Then, it hits. A sharp, sudden, stinging pain in his head. He yelps softly, grabbing his head. The boy breathes heavily, trembling. He clenches his eyes, praying, begging for it all to stop. He feels he’s gonna pass out. 

“C..Cloud…Tifa..!” he whispers out, writhing in pain. 

The world swirls and wraps into a black void. 

Denzel floats in this black void. Or, falls? He couldn’t quite tell. His pain was gone, the aching vanished. He feels 100% again. 

Did I die…? Is this it..?! No! But…my friends! Cloud! Tifa! Marlene! 

He frantically moves about, trying to run. 

NO! I’m too young! I’m not ready to die! Can anyone hear me?! Send me back! 

The ground seemed to give out beneath him, and now he is falling. He yells and covers his eyes. 

Please let this end soon. 

“Denzel…? Denzel…?” 

Huh?

“Wake up, sleepyhead. Come on. Rise and shine!” 

He sees a bright light, and gravitates towards it. 

Denzel gasps, eyes popping open. He doesn’t feel overwhelmingly sick anymore. It’s morning outside, and he’s still in his bed. He’s alive? Thank Gaia. 

“I was wondering when you’d wake up,” a voice giggles. 

He turns to look at who is speaking to him. 

It was Aerith.

Chapter Text

Denzel could only stare at the woman who stood before him. In awe and shock. It was her, but how? She was gone…right? He had no words.

Aerith tilted her head, and knelt down. “Sweetie? Are you alright?” She gently rests a hand on his arm, making you jump. “What’s wrong?” 

“I…” Denzel squeaks out, clearing his throat. “Nothing…” 

“A bad dream?” 

Yeah, let’s go with that. 

“Mhm, bad dream.” He nods his head. She gave him a slight rub on his arm and stood up. 

“We don’t have to talk about it if it makes you uncomfortable. Would you like some breakfast? Dad should be home with the donuts soon.”

Dad? 

“Huh…?” Denzel blinks. 

“Mhm! Your favorite. From Stampy’s Donut Parlor! Isn’t that exciting?” 

He decides to play along for the time being. “Of course!” He gets himself out of bed. “I think I’ll get dressed now.” 

“Okay, sweetheart. See ya downstairs!” She waves and heads out, shutting the door. 

I gotta still be dreaming. 

Denzel pinches himself as hard as he could on the arm. He grunts as he feels it. “...I’m not dreaming…” 

With a sigh, he headed over to his dresser. Surprisingly, it still looked the same. With the addition of a vase filled with yellow flowers, a photo, and some toy race cars. 

Wait, those flowers. He knows these flowers. The one’s from Aerith’s church. He gently traces his finger on a petal briefly. With a shake of his head, he quickly gets dressed. 

He recognizes immediately that he’s not in the Seventh Heaven bar anymore. Rather, he’s at Aerith’s house. He can tell by staring out the window, and seeing a garden. It makes him think of the time Cloud took him and Marlene there. Meeting Aerith’s mother, Elmyra. A sweet lady, who he could tell still felt heartbroken by Aerith’s fate. Her eyes said it all. 

Eyes are windows to the soul. That’s what mom told me once. 

Aerith smiled over at him. “There’s my lazy little man! You ready to eat?” 

“Eating does sound good right about now.” Denzel says, resting a hand on his stomach as it grumbled. Guess he couldn’t argue that. 

The familiar roar of a motorcycle engine caught his ears. He gasped softly. It was Cloud! He rushed over to the window, peeking through. He can see the man getting off the motorcycle, carrying a box. 

Cloud enters the house, taking off his sunglasses. He smiled. “Hey, buddy! Hey, Aerith, I’m back.” he says. 

Denzel approaches Cloud. “Welcome home, Cloud!” 

He raises an eyebrow, then chuckles. “What’s that all about? I’m your dad.” 

Denzel can feel his face turning a sheet white. Oh… I forgot. That’s awkward…. 

“Oh..yeah, right. Dad.” It still doesn’t feel real being able to call him that. 

“Are you feeling okay?” Cloud asks. Denzel’s about to interject, but Aerith speaks for him. 

“He just had a bad dream earlier. I think it shook him up.” She rests his hands on his shoulders. “I heard him yell in his sleep, so I went to get him.” 

Cloud’s brows furrow in worry. “Aw, bud, I’m sorry. Are you at least feeling better now?” 

“Y…Yeah. Of course. Can we just eat now, please C--...dad?” 

Believe me. I want this to be a nightmare. It doesn’t even make sense on how I got here. 

At least the donuts are good. His favorite, the chocolate frosted ones with the colorful sprinkles on top. 

“Can you believe how big our son is getting?” Aerith giggles. “Pretty soon, he’ll find it uncool to hang out with his lame, old parents.” She playfully pouts. 

Denzel frowns. “That’s not true. I don’t see you guys as uncool.” He wipes his mouth with a napkin. “I think any kid would be lucky to have parents like…mine…”

Cloud ruffles his hair. “Aww, thanks buddy. Very sweet of you.” 

“Oh, so it wouldn’t be uncool for your mom to take you shopping?” Aerith teases. 

Denzel shakes his head. “Gotta appreciate the time we have. Every moment matters.” 

They both look at him weirdly. 

Uh oh…what did I say wrong? Am I not acting like my other self here? What would he have said? 

“What? Did I say something off…?” 

Aerith chuckles, shaking her head. “You didn’t. Want to help me with my garden after breakfast?” 

He nodded. 

As Denzel passed through the living room to grab his shoes, he looked at the photos on the walls. And just stared for a moment. 

Photos. Of him, Aerith, and Cloud, as a family. Not a fake one, not a “found family,” not even adopted. A real family. They all depicted different stages of his childhood. Some from when he was just a little baby. (Which he had to admit, were cute. Except the one of him crying his head off. That was embarrassing.) Others of him as a toddler, and photoshoots of them altogether. 

He felt a heavy feeling in his chest. In this universe, he actually got what he desired. A family. Two parents, who raised him. Ones that didn’t die in a horrific intentional attack. He swallowed the lump he felt in his throat. His eyes became watery. Denzel still felt so confused by what’s happening, yet…comforted. 

“Denzel?” A voice calls. He snapped his head over, seeing Aerith once more, two flower baskets on either side of her arms. “Are you okay?” 

He blinks away the tears fast, and nods. “Yeah, mom. Let’s go pick some flowers.”

Chapter Text

Denzel shut the door behind him and stepped outside, taking in the fresh air. He glanced up at the sky, only to see…

No plate? 

What… 

Perhaps Meteor also fell here in this world. Midgar was practically destroyed and uninhabitable. Right? There was something else that was missing too. 

The scent of death. It was gone. 

Sectors close to 7 had that unmistakable odor in the air. Corpses, buried, decaying under everyone’s noses. Shinra refused to do anything about it, too focused on their other plans. The stench hung heavy, and with the deaths of over 100,000 people, it’d be hard to immediately rid it. It made Denzel want to vomit. 

Here, though, it was gone. Replaced with the smell of a summer breeze, a blue sky, and the sound of birds chirping. 

Aerith was in her garden already, pulling up some weeds. Denzel approached, sitting beside her. 

“You don’t use pesticide to kill the weeds?” 

She scoffs. “Gosh, no! Those can kill the bees, and the other plants too! They’re not good at all.” She shakes her head. “I do it all by hand. It’s a bit difficult, but…I got it!” She beams with a smile. 

“Oh, I see.” He says. “How long have you been gardening for?” 

“For as long as I can remember. It started when I was a little girl. My mom loved flowers, and whenever she tended her garden, I'd help.” 

He smiles. “That sounds nice.” 

“Mhm. Before I knew it, I was hooked. It helps me relieve stress. You get to connect with nature.” 

“Yeah.” He tugs at a weed in the ground. He grunts, slightly struggling. Aerith giggles, reaching over.

“Having trouble, sweetie? Here, lemme help!” With a swift motion, she yanked the entire weed out. Effortlessly. 

“Woah. Dang, mom, you got some strength.” 

“Years of experience,” she teases, booping him on the nose. She takes out a little packet. “We're gonna be planting these today. My favorite flowers ever. Yellow lilies.” 

Denzel’s eyebrows raise. The same flowers from his room. The same flowers from the church. They must mean something if he's seeing them that often. “Ohhh…the flowers from my room.” 

“Uh huh!” She nods. 

Aerith grabs her trowel, digging a few holes. “You know, Denzel, I've told you about the language of flowers, right?” 

“Uhh, maybe? I think…?” He scratches his head. Did she? He only just got here, after all. Somehow switching bodies with this alternate version of himself. He was nervous, hoping he didn't mess this up. 

“Ah, that's okay. You probably don't remember. I did tell you when you were a toddler, you were very little then.” 

Whew, that's convenient…. 

“Heh, then I probably don't remember. I'm sorry.” 

“It's alright!” She sprinkles the seeds into the holes she made. “You see…these yellow lilies are meant to symbolize reunion. Those reuniting with one another. At least, that's what I read in a book once.” 

“Reunion? Hmm….” 

Is that why I've been seeing them, then? Was I meant to be reunited with them here? 

“What is it, dear?” 

“Nothing, nothing.” He shakes his head, kneeling down. “Can I…plant a few?” 

“Of course!” She beams, and places a few seeds into his hands. “Here you go, kiddo. Once we plant them all, I'll water them.” 

He stares down at the seeds, before sprinkling them into the dirt. “They seem like pretty magical flowers, mom. I even see them in my dreams sometimes.” He wants to see where this leads. 

“Oh? You do? Me too! Well, that's not a shock, given I'm a florist.” She chuckles, ruffling his hair. 

“Yeah…” he grabs the watering can, and waters them. If flowers really were meaningful as she said, then he'd make sure to take care of these. 

“Hey, sweetie?” 

Denzel looks at her. “Yeah?” 

Aerith gives a warm look, resting a hand on his head again. “Remember that I’m always here for you if you need anything, okay? 

Denzel’s chest tightened. He wanted to cry out of pure happiness. This is what it finally felt like to have a family again. Even if he knew deep down Cloud and Aerith weren’t really his parents. He gives a quick nod. 

“Yeah, I know. I love you, mom.” 

Aerith rubs his head, kissing his forehead. “I love you too, son. Always will. Now, how about I get some lunch started and make lemonade too?” 

He stood up, stretching. “Yeah! Let’s go!” 

Chapter Text

Denzel sat in his room after lunch, fingers moving and tapping away at his controller. He was playing one of his favorite fighting games, Death Match: Moogles and Chocobos Edition. A silly little game, taking “cutesy” characters and making them fight to the death. Okay, well, not literally, there was no blood in it. That didn’t stop Denzel from enjoying it, at least. 

He took a quick break to drink some of his juice, when there came a knock at the door. He glanced over, setting his cup aside. 

“Come in!” 

Cloud opened the door, peeking in. He smiled softly. “Hey, kiddo!”

“Dad! You’re home!” Denzel ran over and gave him a hug. Cloud chuckles, hugging him back. 

“I am! I missed you, bud.” He patted his back, before ruffling his hair. “How was it with your mom?” 

“Good, we went out into the garden, and I planted some new flowers!” 

“Oh? That’s neat. Which ones?” 

“The yellow lillies! And I’m gonna take good care of them, dad!” He puffs out his chest, giving a proud look. Which made Cloud look on in amusement. 

“Heh, good, good. You know how your mother gets whenever a flower wilts in her garden.” He eyes the tv, noticing the menu screen. “Playing this again?” 

“Hmm? Oh! Uh-huh! It’s fun!” Denzel then gets an idea. He’s never really played this game with Cloud. Well, the other Cloud. He was usually too busy with his delivery service, or just wasn’t interested. He understood, but it did make him feel a little bad. “Umm…dad?” 

“What’s up?” 

He scratches the back of his neck. “I understand if you don’t want to, but…would you like to play a few rounds with me?” He asks, a bit shyly. 

Cloud thought for a moment, before softly smiling. “Sure, buddy. I’d love to! I’m not good at this game though…” He sat down on Denzel’s bed, grabbing a second controller and powering it on. 

Denzel blinked his eyes, shocked. He actually said yes! He went back to his spot and sat, pressing play. He chooses his character, and patiently waits for Cloud. 

Cloud moves the joystick, trying to decide a character. “Hmm…which one do you think I should choose?” 

“Maybe Goldie? He’s a golden chocobo who’s got some pretty high stats, though his recovery is kinda weak.” 

“I see. Alright, well, I’ll still choose him. Let’s see if you can beat me.” He teases, lightly nudging Denzel. Denzel rolled his eyes in response, yet grinned. 

“You’re on.” 

The first round begins, immediately Denzel flung his character at Cloud’s, with a claw kick. Doing just a small amount of damage. 

“Hey! We just barely started!” Cloud comments, pressing a button to make Goldie do a dive kick. “That’s cheating!”

“Gotta be faster than that, old man!” Denzel laughs, fingers tapping quickly. Cloud is unable to comprehend what happens next, as now his character lost the first round. 

Cloud shakes his head. “Told you I wasn’t good at this.” He laughs. “You’re a pro gamer….as they say. I think.” 

Denzel guffaws, looking at him. “Are you trying to learn modern slang?” 

He pouts. “I’m not that old, Denz. I’m still with the times.” 

“Sure you are.” 

Round two was met with lots of yelling and laughter. Cloud seemed so surprised his son could be this skilled at such a game. He admitted defeat once his character lost the fight. He leaned back, as Denzel triumphantly accepted the in-game trophy. 

“Man, how do you get so good at these games? Even when I was younger I was never good at them.” 

“Lots of practice, time, and effort! Do you…wanna play a different game?” Denzel glanced over, as he exited into the main menu screen of his console. 

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Cloud smiles. “I’m having fun.” 

Denzel went to his shelf and started looking for what to play next. He decided on a simple sports game. Should be easy enough. 

The game starts up, and Denzel presses the start button. “Which sport do you want to play?” 

“Uhh, how about bowling?” 

Turns out, Cloud is crazy good at bowling. Especially in video game form. 

“Jeez, dad!” He gawks at the screen, he’s not gonna win this round. 

“Just like when we actually go bowling, huh?” He smirks, crossing his arms. Denzel can only groan in reply. 

Aerith opens the door, poking her head in. “What are you two doing, hmmm?” 

“Playing some games, dad beat me at bowling! But, I bet I’ll win at everything else.” He boasts, hands on his hips.

She giggles. “Well, be sure to take a break soon. Dinner’s almost ready.” 

“Really?!” He gasps. Wow, time sure did fly while they had fun. 

“Alright, one more round and then we’ll be downstairs.” Cloud says. She nods, closing the door. 

Denzel smiles softly, glancing at his controller. He was having so much fun with his dad, that he didn’t realize how much time went by. Bonding with Cloud was definitely the highlight of the day. Next to being with Aerith. 

“Kiddo?” Cloud pokes his shoulder. “You okay?” 

“Hmmm? Oh! Yeah, it’s just…thank you.”

“Huh? For..?”

“Playing these games with me…I had a lot of fun. You’re not that bad at them, just need a bit more practice.” 

“...heh.” Cloud pats his head. “Thanks, buddy. I had a lot of fun too! You wanna get ready to eat and then play afterwards?” 

Denzel nods. He would surely remember this.

Chapter Text

A ringing noise is one of the first things Denzel hears when he stirs awake. He slowly opened his eyes, hearing sniffling. Realizing he’s in a hospital, he sat up fast. 

“What happened?!” He shouts, getting attention from the sniveling adults in the corner. He recognizes his father, and Tifa. His aunt. But where’s his mom? Maybe she was busy, or at home. Cloud and Tifa rushed to his side. 

“Denzel! Oh thank the gods!” Cloud wraps his arms around him. “We were worried!” 

“You’re awake, and okay! You’ve been out for almost two weeks!” Tifa exclaims. “We didn’t know if you’d be alright, the doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong!” 

Denzel wraps his arms around Cloud. “Wow, that…is scary. But I’m glad to be okay, aunt Tifa! Hey, dad, where’s mom?” He asked. His eyes were full of curiosity. The little smile on his face formed into a frown when he noticed the two stiffen up. “What…?” 

They both stared at him, like he spoke in a language they didn’t understand. Denzel fiddled with his thumbs. 

“You alright, kid?” Cloud asks. “Did you hit your head hard when you fell down?” 

“What? No! I…I don’t think so? C’mon, dad!” He tugs on his sleeve. 

“That’s…the first time you’ve ever called me dad.” Cloud rubs the back of his neck. “Never called me that before until just now.” 

What? Never called him dad before? What’s happening? 

“And calling Tifa ‘aunt’? That’s new too. You should get some more rest, Denzel.” 

Denzel pouts. He just woke up from presumably a coma, and they want him back asleep?? 

“No! I wanna wait till mom gets here!” He speaks in a stubborn tone. 

“Mom..?” Tifa’s interest is piqued. She tilts her head. 

He nods. “You know my mom! It’s Aerith, I’m waiting for her to get here! I want to see her, and then I’ll sleep.” 

He doesn’t like it when the air stills again. An uneasy feeling. Tifa and Cloud both stare at each other, loads of emotions coursing through their minds at once. Not a word was spoken for a minute. 

“...dad?”

“Tifa, step out with me.” Cloud says, putting a hand on her back. He leads her out of the room, closing the door behind him. Ignoring Denzel’s yells. 

Tifa turns to Cloud once they are out of the room. “What possibly could be going on?!” She sighs, running her fingers through her hair. “First he gets sick and falls into a coma, then the next he’s…he’s acting so different. Calling me aunt, calling you dad?” she messed with her bracelet. “He must’ve hit his head super hard on something.” 

“...and he said Aerith was his mom…” Cloud mumbles, face lowering. He gazes to the side. 

“Yeah…” 

Denzel gets out of the bed, holding onto the guard railing for support. He takes a few easy steps, then once he’s able to maintain his balance, moves his way to the door. He can see their silhouettes as they stand outside. What’s with the secrecy? He had a gut feeling something’s off. He opens the door just a bit. 

“...But how can Aerith be his mom? She’s dead…” 

Dead. Dead. 

Dead…? 

He could only stand there in shock. That couldn’t be true. His mom possibly couldn’t have returned to the Planet. He never got to say goodbye. 

“What…?” His little voice cracks out. Both adults snap their heads to stare in shock. They were too deep in the conversation at first to realize he was standing right there.

“D..Denzel!” Cloud stammers. “What are you doing out of bed, kiddo?” 

“Mom’s dead..?” 

Tifa doesn’t speak, lowering her head. Denzel’s eyes narrow, filling with tears.

“I don’t understand! Stop talking like that! Mommy’s not dead! She’s fine! I saw her a few days ago! I helped her pick some flowers…” A tear ran down his face. “She’s fine, I know she is…”

“Denzel…” 

“No! Bring her here! I want to see her! Please, daddy…” More tears leaked out. “...let me see mommy…” Denzel burst into a fit of sobs, covering his face. 

Cloud and Tifa could only stand there, as the little boy in front of them cried. 

Mommy…can you hear me? I’m calling out to the planet…can you say something back? 

No response.

Denzel blinks in confusion, as he wipes a tear off of his cheek. He glances at his fingers, his brows furrowing. 

“Denz, you okay buddy?” Aerith smooths his hair back. They were both sitting, watching tv while waiting for Cloud to get home with dinner. 

“Yeah…? Guess I’ve been staring at the tv for too long, sorry.” He chuckles. He could ignore the tear, sure. 

But he couldn’t ignore the lump in his throat feeling, the heavy weight of sadness.