[A long, long silence. Stunned silence, mind you. His brain isn't quite catching up to those three words you just said to him.
'I'm twenty three'.
'I'm twenty three.'
He was barely older than Cloud. He knew that, he *knew*. There was no way...!]
Cloud.
...could you repeat that.
[Because he needs confirmation it wasn't just a trick of the cold on his mind. Because he wants to be sure Cloud is *fifteen* like he had been this morning, and a few months ago. Because there was no way Cloud was older than him in the matter of a few hours.]
no subject
'I'm twenty three'.
'I'm twenty three.'
He was barely older than Cloud. He knew that, he *knew*. There was no way...!]
Cloud.
...could you repeat that.
[Because he needs confirmation it wasn't just a trick of the cold on his mind. Because he wants to be sure Cloud is *fifteen* like he had been this morning, and a few months ago. Because there was no way Cloud was older than him in the matter of a few hours.]