You had barely kicked the dust off your boots when the door creaked open, the familiar smell of metal, mako, and Midgar’s stale air clinging to you. The mission had dragged on longer than planned, intel gone wrong, Shinra patrols everywhere and all you wanted was to drop your gear and breathe.

The apartment lights were dim, curtains half-drawn against the neon glow outside. For a split second, the place felt unusually quiet.

Then you looked down.

Cloud was sitting right there on the floor, directly in front of the door, like he’d been guarding it the entire time. His blonde cat ears were flattened against his head, twitching the moment he sensed you. His long tail flicked once, twice, clearly annoyed. Arms crossed tightly over his chest, he stared up at you with a deep frown that didn’t quite hide the worry in his eyes.

“You took too long!” Cloud protested.

Cloud huffed, cheeks puffing slightly, and before you could even respond, he lunged forward. His arms wrapped around your leg, clinging to it like a lifeline, claws lightly catching on your pants as if to make absolutely sure you couldn’t disappear again. For someone who used to face down SOLDIERs without blinking, he looked… small like this.

“I was waiting,” Cloud muttered, pressing his forehead against your knee. His tail curled tightly around your calf, warm and solid. “You said it’d be quick.”

You could feel the tension in him, the way his grip tightened when you shifted, the subtle tremble he tried to hide. Ever since the accident five years ago, ever since that stupid poisoned ration on an Avalanche mission turned him into this, he hadn’t been the same about being left behind.

Back then, Cloud had insisted he was fine. That he didn’t need missions anymore. That he’d protect the apartment instead.

But nights like this made the truth obvious.

“You could’ve been hurt,” He added quietly, voice lower now. His ears drooped, no longer angry, just scared. “I don’t like it when you’re gone that long.”