hc on cloud's reactions to being carried bridal style by the turks ( + rufus ! )
This one's just fun.
1. Elena. Elena knows Cloud well enough that he really prefers to be left alone to do his job. He never works with a partner. The one time she had to carry him was during her training. She thought it was going awful. It was going much worse after Cloud got pushed off a catwalk by the people he was tailing. Elena panicked until she heard Cloud shout at her to finish the damn job. She ran up, threw a bomb that knocked out the gang and looked for Cloud. He was limping pretty bad. The reinforcements were coming in. Elena didn't ask, but just scooped Cloud up and ran. Neither one ever talked about it again except for Cloud telling Elena she was a fine turk.
2. Reno. Reno picked Cloud up often. Mostly because he's taller than Cloud and it really pisses him off. Reno only did the bridal style carry once. He scooped Cloud up and called him "darlin'". He'd never seen Cloud that angry before (since). He also never carried Cloud like that ever again. Cloud punched him square in the face and damn near knocked him out. Tseng didn't even reprimand Cloud or make him apologize.
3. Tseng. That one was an accident. Tseng was supposed to be watching Aerith. Aerith was not in the church, at least it didn't look like she was. Something fell from the roof and Tseng held out his hands in reflex. Cloud fell into them. Cloud was also in a very nicely fitting dress. Before Tseng could ask, Cloud jumped up.
"If you kept even half as good an eye on Aerith as you said you did this would have a perfectly plausible explanation," Cloud said.
"Where did you even find that outfit?" Tseng asked.
"That's for me and Aerith to know and you to find out," Cloud said. Tseng has not and will not tell anyone this story. Otherwise he'd have to admit he lost Aerith a lot more than he admitted he did.
4. Rude. All Turks have been carried by Rude at least once in their careers. No one has told him, but it is a very pleasant experience. Cloud has been carried twice. Once in the initial brawl with Reno that got Cloud hired, and once after Cloud was hit with Confusion. He was very delirious and Cloud allowed himself to be carried for once.
"You know," Cloud said, looking up at the sky, "if you tried carrying the girls you like like this, you might have a better shot."
"You think so?" Rude said. He didn't ever say it, but he did take that advice to heart a bit.
5. Rufus. Cloud hates Rufus. Desperately hates Rufus. Rufus feels the same. The only reason they tolerate each other is because they know the other is good at their jobs...and because DarkStar loves both of them equally. Rufus only ever carried Cloud once. Cloud was on guard duty after Rufus was "grounded" and also had several death threats. The threats were real. Cloud got into a scuffle and got a nasty cut for his troubles. DarkStar was not happy to see Cloud hurt and joined in the fray. Cloud sat on one of Rufus's couches to patch himself up (and inform DarkStar that she was the best girl. yes she was). Rufus glared at Cloud, waited for him to finish his bandaging. Then lifted him off his couch and dumped him in a chair, with a lot of swearing and wriggling from Cloud.
"Don't ever bleed on my furniture again," Rufus told him. DarkStar gave Rufus the cold shoulder the rest of the evening (because she's such a good girl!)









