Chapter One

Aeris Gainsborough smiled lovingly at her soon to be husband, Cloud Strife. "And I thought that maybe we could have me in pink and white and you in pink. Maybe some pink highlights, and pink eye shadow, and pink lip-gloss!"

Cloud, who was focused on a man sitting past Aeris, nodded absentmindedly. "That sounds nice."

Aeris giggled. "It was a joke, silly!"

Cloud glanced at her for a split second and then resumed his gaze on the stranger. "Oh…"

Aeris waved a hand in front of her fiancé's face. "Are you even listening?"

Cloud stared at her. "Wha..? Of course! No, I don't want balloons at our wedding!"

Aeris looked at him strangely, and then her cell phone rang loudly. She snatched it up and flipped it open. "Hello?"

She paused and squealed. "Oh my god! I'll be right over, Tifa!" The brunette snapped the phone shut and stood up. She grabbed her purse and kissed Cloud on the cheek. "I've got to go, sweetie, but I'll see you later!"

She left the small coffee shop, leaving Cloud with an unobstructed view of the man he had been admiring. The stranger had shoulder length brown hair and pale skin and was dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved white shirt. After Cloud managed to retain the handsome man's image, he stood to leave. He was almost to the door when a strong, warm hand clamped down on his shoulder.

Cloud glanced back and almost immediately blushed. It was the handsome stranger. The man smiled. "Um… Hi. I seem to have bought one too many coffee's, and I was wondering if you would like the extra one."

Clouds blush deepened and he stammered, "I… I couldn't possibly intrude…"

"Nonsense. Intrude all you want. I really don't mind."

"But… Are you sure?"

"Quite. Why?"

"Just… Cute guys never talk to me." Cloud instantly clapped a hand over his mouth, eyes wide in embarrassment.

The man laughed, a sound that almost made Cloud faint. "I see. Well, if I'm 'cute', that's all the more reason to come sit with me, huh?"

Cloud nodded, eliciting another laugh from the slightly taller man. "You can drop your hand."

The two men sat down at a nearby table, and the man pushed a cup of coffee over to Cloud. "I'm Squall, by the way."

"Cloud." Cloud promptly buried his face in the cup of coffee, inhaling deeply in a rather futile attempt to conceal his embarrassment. He hadn't fallen so hard for another man since before he had met Aeris', who probably wouldn't want to here about her boyfriend's past. This encounter was severely testing his loyalty.

Squall smiled. "So, Cloud, what line of work are you in?"

Cloud put the coffee mug down and shrugged. "I work at a school."

Squall snorted. "Teacher?"

"No. Nurse."

Squall burst out laughing, causing Cloud to blush again. He stared at the man indignantly. "Why is that funny?"

Squall covered his mouth with one hand. "It's n-not… It's damn sexy."

"And might I inquire as to your line of work?"

Squall nodded and took a sip of his coffee. "Food services."

""What 'food services', exactly?"

"Oh… I'm not telling," the brunette remarked in a rather sing-song voice.

Cloud glanced at his watch. He moaned. "Shit… Squall, I'm going to have to cut this short."

He stood to leave, only to have Squall grab his hand. "Wait."

The brunette produced a black marker and wrote a phone number on Cloud's arm. "Call me later."

Cloud blushed, nodded, and ran off, a warm pit nestled just below his stomach. He realized he was aroused, and he knew why, too. Squall's voice, mixed with the touch of Squall's soft, strong hands on his bare skin, had flooded Cloud's mind with images of being pinned beneath the taller man, Squall's hot breath on his ear, being totally, wonderfully ravished by the older, probably more experienced man.