An AU where trooper Cloud found a homeless Denzel and took him in. Zack doesn’t know about the kid, nobody does quite frankly, and Cloud passes off his need to live outside of the company as a mental thing.
Zack only finds out about any of it cause he comes across Denzel, out after dark and utterly lost, on one of his patrols. He takes the kid home, knocking on the door and halfway through a lecture before the door’s opening abruptly.
Cloud’s standing there, phone held up to his ear with a jacket half on, ridiculous hair pinned back with some hair clips and an absolutely frantic look in his eyes. He barely spares Zack a glance before his gaze is locking onto a guilty Denzel, relief becoming palpably obvious as he hangs up the phone and swoops in to pull the kid into a hug.
Denzel stiffens for a moment before he’s sagging, shoulders hitching as he quietly begins to cry and grips onto Cloud like the blond could disappear at any moment.
Cloud is much the same, arms tight around the kid as he whispers quiet reassurances, taking a deep breath every now and then like he’s trying to hold back his own tears.
Zack feels like he’s intruding, gaze averting as he scratches at the back of his neck. He considers just leaving the two but he accidentally catches Cloud gaze, the younger giving him a grateful look as he stands, picking Denzel up near effortlessly.
