#zackcloud

[goddessofroyalty]

Cloud being a couple weeks pregnant with Sephiroths baby(ies) at the time he tells Zack that he won't be able to have any kids with him makes that scene hit even harder. Two bombshells dropped on Zack in a single moment.

That slimy bastard (and Shinra) fucked Cloud up, got rid of any sense of choice regarding his sex life and who hed want to have kids with, AND slipped right under Zacks nose and got his way with his fucking boyfriend, who's now carrying HIS child.

This is the longest and most serious relationship Zacks ever had in his life, and Cloud is one of, if not THE most important person to him right now. And Sephiroth is breaking him into little tiny pieces right before his eyes.

Zacks going to have a fucking conniption. He hasn't been this mad in a long time.

He's learned to read Cloud pretty damn good over the years, and as he looks over at him, he sees the fellow anger towards Sephiroth and Shinra in his eyes. But he also sees embarrassment. Zack just wants to hug and kiss it all away, but he knows it won't work. All he can do is be the best godamn boyfriend ever.

He knows damn well Seph isn't gonna come down and take care of the omega he got pregnant so HES gonna fucking do it.

He's gonna raise the kid right, too. That's HIS baby now. Whatever Sephiroth has to say about it can go in one ear and out the other. Like he ever gonna let Seph get that's close again, anyway.

(This was originally going to be much shorter, and written more like an ask but I cooked too hard, and now I don't know what to do with this, so I'll just send it anyway to see what you have to say 😅😂)

Nah, make it that he's a couple months. Just far enough along that he's just starting to show if you look closely. So there's already that visible reminder of exactly what Sephiroth (and Shinra) have done to him.

That's honestly the biggest thing driving Zack's rage about it. The fact that the choice has been taken away from Cloud. Like, yes, he'd love to have kids now that he has a happy relationship with someone he loves but one of those things you risk when you sign up for questionable science done to your body with the exclusive goal of being made stronger is that there's a risk it'll make you sterile (and also probably die young). He agreed to those terms so while it might suck he chose it.

Cloud however didn't chose to give Sephiroth exclusive breeding rights over him. And like seriously Hojo - what the fucking hell!?

There's also definitively guilt there because Zack's the reason Sephiroth (and Hojo's) attention was drawn onto Cloud in the first place. And in this set-up probably because of Zack and Cloud starting to date.

Which at least he channels the guilt in being the best damn dad to this kid. Because, yeah, he sure knows that Sephiroth isn't going to do it (nor would they exactly want Sephiroth to do it considering his ideas of parenting are likely with the goal of just creating a mini-version of himself). And at least this way he can still have a kid with Cloud (and also like he's not exactly going to just leave Cloud so he's going to be around the kid anyway.

[citadelofswords]

in which zack is the sword boyfriend and midgar just can’t seem to catch a break

i wrote this in two days literally just for myself and maddie please be nice to me

inspired by an incredible gifset by @sovahunter which was in turn inspired by @zacksoldiers, with some liberties. your eyes emojis are heard and answered. hope y’all like this one.

WARNINGS for bodily harm, using your boyfriend as a weapon, suicide and other character death, and end of transistor spoilers. (none of the character death sticks ‘cept for the baddies. it’s my fic i get to handwave resurrection if i want to.)

[tombraideradjacent]

[goddessofroyalty]

What if AC Sephiroth and his cells have such a solid claim over AC Cloud that his body won't respond to other Alphas the same way it'll respond to Sephiroth?

Whenever Cloud's heat cycles come around, it's always Sephiroth that his body is actively seeking. Another Alpha can assist him, but it won't be the same. It's the "wrong" Alpha.

To add onto this, he also can't have kids with anyone else. Tragic, really.

I imagined this scene between Zack and Cloud-

Zack probably gently hints at the idea of kids one day, leading to Cloud unfortunately having to shut it down with the reveal of this information.

The way Zacks face went from hopeful to dejected would stay in Cloud's head for a long time.

This can fit in the AU where Zack helps Cloud care for the triplets, Prompto, Chadley, Hope, and Mai.

But I did originally imagine it in an AU where Cloud doesn't have any kids with anyone yet here, and he and Zack had been together since SOLDIER days.

This feels very right for their relationship as much as it sucks for Cloud. Just another way he can never escape Sephiroth's influence and effect on him no matter how much he tries.

Cloud probably has complicated feelings about not being able to have kids with anyone else. Because I think he's actually pretty neutral on having kids - he doesn't exactly have a strong want to have them or strong dislike for them. But he doesn't like how the choice has been taken off him by Sephiroth and I think he feels a bit bad for his partners.

Honestly if it's a verse where Cloud already has had a gaggle of Sephiroth children I don't think Zack would mind all that much. He's happily adopting the children that already exists and really is pretty set that there's no need for more to be made just so he could be blood-related to one of them. He's not like Sephiroth in that way.

But if it's a universe where Cloud didn't have any children from Sephiroth than it's a bit more complicated. Because I do think Zack would eventually want kids. And of course it's another thing Shinra and Sephiroth have taken from Cloud and him against their wills. There's a lot more anger in his part about it even if he doesn't blame Cloud for it.

[goddessofroyalty]

Okay but Noct and Prom being Clack twins seperated at birth is such a cute and cool idea. Like both kids naturally look like one but take after the others personality without any influence from the other is such a concept love it. Also I can just imagine Zack bawling and hugging them with all his strength when reunited with his babies and Noct just having a questioning face like Cloud and slowly hugs him while going "there there" and Zack cries harder and being like "you're just like Spike!"

It really is an interesting case of nature over nurture. They might not have been raised by their parents but they sure STRONGLY inherited one of their personalities (also it’s fun to think of them getting the opposite personality to the one they take after looks wise).

Zack and Prompto are both bawling over the family reunion. Because THEY’RE BACK TOGETHER (even if Prompto doesn’t really remember what he’s missing the idea of having parents that clearly love him completely breaks him). And Noctis is just so awkward and unsure and so is Cloud on the side.

Of course Zack isn’t letting one of his kids just go without a hug so he’s pulling Noctis in as well and crying on his shoulder and Noctis is almost shooting Cloud a ‘help me’ look because he seems to also be looking awkward about this as well? But Cloud is not help and instead just joins the hug as well (albiet a lot more gingerly).

Honestly Zack probably gets almost comprehensiveness in his babbling because he’s so happy to have them back and so amazed to see them all grown up. So he’s babbling about how Noctis is just like Spike, but looks just like him, and how Prompto is just like him but looks just like Spike, and he loves his two babies all grown up - they are good grown-up babies.

[goddessofroyalty]

Alright so is Prompto's 'uncle Zack' really just code for 'Cloud's new boyfriend'?

So I’m torn.

Because ON ONE HAND I think it’d be really funny if they weren’t and everyone (including Prompto once he gets old enough) just assumes they are. Like they share a bed whenever they’re both home at the same time - but that’s just because they didn’t want to pay for a bigger apartment with another bedroom and really they’re both out of the house so much doing jobs they don’t see the point of purchasing another bed? They’re often randomly go out together late at night - but that’s because they’ve heard rumors that might be some sort of threat (or Sephiroth) and want to check it out with each other as back up just in case. Zack is constantly hanging off Cloud - Zack is just like that. 

Everyone just thinks they want to keep it a secret, not that anyone understands why because clearly nobody cares? Even Prompto has long gotten over his step-parent anxiety because... well... Zack’s been around since before he was born - Zack is as much of a parent to him as Cloud is at this point.

But they’re not. They are just friends and are not together and don’t understand why people keep saying weird things about them because they honestly haven’t realised that everyone thinks they are together?

But ON THE OTHER HAND there’s a part of me that just wants nice things for Cloud and Prompto. And Zack is such a good dad to Prompto and he’s the one person that actually knows what Cloud went through before he escaped. The one person that understands those Cloud is mourning for. And Cloud feels like he can drop his guard around him - doesn’t have to keep up the front of the Resilient Single Parent. And it’s just sweet to think of them getting together. 

Thus: my conflict.

[goddessofroyalty]

Zack as Cloud's Manic Pixie Dream Friend is... the greatest thing. Prompto would totally ship them and so would the rest of the Squad.

Yep and like a bit of it is that’s just how Zack deals with his own trauma - trying to be overthetop in friendly and helpful. But everyone just takes him as this super nice but a bit ditsy person who is trying to make Cloud’s life more fun. 

When Prompto was really young he probably just assumed Zack was his dad. Hell even as he gets older he views Zack as other-dad even if he realises other-dad is apparently “”not in a relationship”” with Cloud. He has his doubts about that and honestly would actually like if Zack and Cloud got together if they weren’t (or stopped hiding it if they were). 

The others all probably have the same “think Cloud & Zack are in a relationship” -> “be informed their not” -> “think Cloud & Zack should be in a relationship” thoughts about it. And even then they’re sometimes like “are we entirely sure they’re not in a relationship and have just forgotten to tell everyone else about it?” because... well... they basically live in sync now. 

[goddessofroyalty]

Okay but think of Angeal being seen as the grandpa to Zack and Cloud kid especially if it's Noctis wind people sometimes mistake Angeal as Zack's father and Noctis looks like Zack so Angeal gets mistaken as his grandpa and think of everyones reactions when they hear that

Honestly Angeal kind of likes being thought of as the grandpa of Zack and Cloud’s kid. Like he’s honored to have such an important role in Noctis’ life to be seen to hold that position.

Zack is the one that more makes jokes about how Angeal acts like such an old man people mistake him for Zack’s father. Because like... Angeal is nowhere NEAR old enough for that. But it’s only in jest and honestly Angeal doesn’t seem to care that much about it.

Noctis probably starts making jokes about it as well once he’s old enough to understand. Honestly though I wouldn’t be surprised if Zack hadn’t trained him up from young to call Angeal Grandpa because of enough people mistaking him for it.

Although on slightly more somber tone - the fact Angeal looks that old being the result of the degradation. They stopped it, sure, but it took it’s tole on him before they did and stole a number of years off his life.