Author's Note: Hello everyone! I know many of you are probably thinking- holy crap, it's SS- she's back and THIS is the first thing she writes/updates! I know, I know, but please forgive me! This is a smutty oneshot for a close friend, and it's practice as well to get me back into the swing of things. I enjoy writing oneshots but I can't say that writing this was easy by any means- I am HIGHLY disabled when it comes to writing yaoi/slash/male&male pairings, so I simply did my best. Also, I will warn everyone that this is quite explicit and may be disturbing to some viewers due to its content. My friend wanted smut so I delivered what I could. I am aware that this may be taken down, but so be it! I'm not particularly attached to this piece, especially since I have never played the Final Fantasy games AT ALL, and so I was extremely weary about writing this, but once again, I tried! Reviews and criticism, all of that is welcome! No flames if it can be helped, please! Thank you!

It was complicated, to say the least. Not something that could be explained away- not without some effort, but neither of them had the energy to do anything of the sort. No, not when there was a crisis to be averted. This was something familiar to them, and familiar was good. One was a hero, having saved many. One was once a hero's accessory. Both were close friends with catastrophe, disaster- the inevitable. Not unlike the ticking away of their own lives, the inching forward of time. If there was something to be said of this moment, it was that time was of the essence, and any help that could be offered would gladly be taken, no questions asked.

That didn't stop the questions from flooding his mind, however.

Hope shifted uncomfortably on his cot, discreetly eyeing the strange newcomer that had stumbled upon the doorsteps of the Academy. His broad knowledge of their world intrigued the man, yet the stranger surely was not from Cocoon. Could he have come from an alternate dimension, or have passed through time to this day and age? Hope was interested in the possibilities that this man brought with him, almost as much as he was interested in the man himself.
The others had readily accepted him- so he must be alright. A bit shady, somewhat antisocial, but so what?
Hope's thoughts ran wild.

"I can feel you staring at me…"
The blonde's velvety voice shook Hope from his minute of contemplation.

Immediately, Hope cleared his throat and tried to smile.

"I apologize. I know you're a guest and we are sharing a room, but I'm just a bit curious. We never really got to introduce ourselves…"
The silver-haired male scratched his chin shyly, unsure of how to continue.

"…"

Only somewhat deterred, Hope pressed on.

"I'm Hope Estheim. As you probably know, I'm the Director of Research here at the Academy, Team Alpha. I was surprised when you stopped by- your information is very valuable and we can use as much help as we can get."

The man clad in black paced around the room, glancing behind his shoulder.

"Cloud."

The director's eye twitched a bit. He wasn't much for conversation, was he? Cloud…what was that, a name?

At Hope's silence, Cloud grunted before continuing

"My name is Cloud Strife. I'm a fighter, not a scientist or researcher- but I'll help in whatever way I can. My fate…my destiny is somehow intertwined with the existence of this place. These people…"

This revelation was startling- Clouds words had Hope's probing mind in overdrive.

"W-What do you mean?"

Calmly, the solemn male, dressed darkly, turned to face Hope head-on. His blue eyes were brilliant- icy yet alive, they pierced into the orbs that dared to challenge them.

"I mean I'm here for a reason."

Somehow, that was enough for Hope, lest he incur the wrath of the mysterious stranger. Stretching, the Academy worker undid his tie and removed his gloves and boots, preparing for bed.

Cloud sprawled out on the nearby couch, his tired body sinking into the cushions.

Somehow still, Hope still found his eyes on Cloud. Something about him ignited a fire within him, and for a moment Hope feared he was jealous. They were so different. Why couldn't he be like him? Strong? Stoic? Was that why he was so bothered by this stranger? Why part of him didn't trust him? Why he couldn't stop staring at him? Where Cloud had piercings in his ears, Hope's were bare. Cloud's hair was spiked while his own was flat and shaped to his face. Even the colors he wore were bright. Did it make him weak? Less of a man?

Cloud was indeed a fighter. He looked strong- solid, with lean, well defined muscles that were meant for wielding heavy weapons. Even his skin, although clear and healthy, had the glow of a champion. He was sure that underneath his clothes his skin was littered with scars…the thought made Hope shudder.

Cloud was a fighter, and Hope was not. Not today. Perhaps he wasn't jealous of Cloud. Just- just curious. Just…fascinated.

Quietly, Hope dimmed the lights to the room and stepped over to where Cloud was resting. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he was sure that it was so loud everyone in the building could hear it.

Cloud's back was turned, and Hope reached out to touch his shoulder. Gently, carefully, his fingertips brushed his warm skin, and the sudden contact surprised the blonde- he sat up in a flash. His face just inches from Hope's, his eyes were questioning, and flared with annoyance. He was about to open his mouth, angry at the prospect of lost sleep and being disturbed when his lips were captured by the soft mouth in front of him. It was a chaste, experimental kiss…so innocent it almost made Cloud smile.

But not before the shock set in. Cloud pushed Hope off of him and onto the ground before he stood up, a boot on the male's stomach in an intimidating gesture.

"What the hell was that?"

Hope spluttered, searching for an answer, but he could find none. He blushed furiously and slapped a tired hand over his face.

"I…I don't know."

Cloud was indifferent, but he finally removed his foot, allowing Hope to go free. But the silver-haired male did not move.

"I can't stop looking at you, thinking about you…I don't know why."
The director offered, at last.

Cloud looked down at Hope, his eyes shining- once again questioning, but not angry. Half of him was curious as well, but he was torn.
He had travelled long and far, and for what? He knew he had a purpose but it was as of yet unclear. He was cold, inside and out, and he had shut down this man's advance's to what benefit of his own? Maybe he needed this. Him. The warmth and love of another body, the innocence of a pure soul that would motivate and inspire him.

"Maybe this is why I'm here…"
The blonde whispered just loud enough for Hope to hear, his eyes still downcast but now somewhere else entirely.

Somewhere far away.
He too felt drawn to this place, to these people, but most of all, as much as he hated to admit…to this man. To Hope.

Slowly, Cloud shed his shirt and crawled toward Hope on the ground. Hope gasped as he felt his body near his, heat emanating from his body. When he reached his target, Cloud tilted his head, inching closer to Hope's face before claiming his mouth in a searing kiss.

Hope was at a loss for words, and would soon need to breathe. That fire he had felt earlier was raging inside of him, it was almost unbearable.

When the two finally separated, they were both gasping for air, but it wasn't long before they went in again.

Teeth and tongues clashed in a passionate fight for dominance, but Hope certainly wasn't complaining. He didn't mind being submissive to Cloud- the blonde was skillful with his mouth. Parting once again, he showed just how skillful he was, licking hot trails of saliva up Hope's neck and nipping at his ear. Suddenly they were voracious- Cloud began to undress Hope in an attempt to feel more of him. His skin was soft, unblemished and moist in the heat of the moment, perspiring from the contact. His coat and shirt gone, Hope's chest was bare and Cloud took his time exploring- planting gentle kisses from his collarbone to his navel, he made a few love bites on his way down.

Reaching his destination, he undid Hope's trousers and released his half-hard erection from his boxers, running a gloved hand up and down its length.

Hope failed to stifle an escaping moan at the friction, his own hands clenching into fists as Cloud teasingly flicked his tongue at Hope's hard, warm flesh. He was at full attention now, his face as red as a tomato, but his grey eyes smoldered with desire.
Fingers found themselves clutching Cloud's locks as the ex-SOLDIER ran his tongue along the underside of Hope's cock, gathering the precum that leaked tantalizingly from its tip.

His other hand over his own mouth, Hope tried to preoccupy himself by biting down on his knuckles, but it wasn't doing much. Cloud continued to tease the silver-haired director with his tongue until he finally took Hope into the warm cavern of his mouth. Hollowing his cheeks, he sucked hard, earning a low moan from the man underneath him, and Cloud chuckled- a deep, throaty sound which reverberated around Hope, causing him to shudder and shake in pleasure.

Releasing Hope's length from his mouth with an audible 'pop', Cloud helped him out of the rest of his clothes. He was eager now, and it wasn't long until his own garments were discarded, having shrugged out of his darkened attire to escape the heat and at the same time feel more of it. His own erection was painful, his throbbing length hard and wanting.

Unimaginably aroused, Hope managed to get on his knees, his eyes widening at Cloud's girth. His face burned with embarrassment and anxiety, but his stomach was filled with butterflies. He came closer to Cloud's proud manhood. It too was dripping slightly with precum, and Cloud removed his gloves as Hope gulped. Using the precum to lubricate himself, Cloud's eyes closed and a look of deep concentration graced his handsome features. He was ready, and with as much patience as he could muster, he waited until Hope was, too.

With a little maneuvering, Cloud positioned himself at Hope's puckering entrance, stopping just before pushing inside.
His hands on slender hips to steady his partner, Cloud took this moment to reflect on how Hope must be feeling.

"Are you…sure this is what you want? I can't promise I'll be able to stop if-"

Hope shook his head calmly, and gave a weary smile.
"It's what I want, so don't worry about me."

The blonde didn't need much more than that, and pushed inside of Hope, inch by inch, almost losing himself in the tight heat right there. Cloud could feel Hope stiffen beneath him, and was still as he finally sheathed himself fully- he once again had to rely on his own dwindling patience until Hope was ready for him to move, refusing to so much as flinch even as his member stretched Hope's insides and twitched in the orgasmic warmth. To Cloud's surprise, it was Hope who thrust backwards suddenly, eyes which were previously screwed shut in pain opening as the stinging soreness made way to something else.

The ex-SOLDIER took this sign as a go-ahead, and began at a steady pace, delving deeper and deeper with each jerk of his narrow hips.
With every gasp and moan Hope could feel himself getting closer- Cloud relentlessly hammered into him from behind, only seeming to gain momentum- he could feel it as well, and reached around to grip Hope's neglected cock, pumping it in his hand.
At this angle, Hope became even louder, his face wanton, mouth open and panting. Cloud was thrusting deep, hitting his prostate every so often, making him cry out. Cloud's name tore from his lips over and over like a mantra, and even Cloud couldn't resist hearing it more.
He would slow down only to speed up again, one hand firmly on his hip, pushing and pulling, pushing and pulling, back and forth, like a maddening dance. He was in charge of the speed, depth and position and Cloud made full use of it to bring Hope to his peak. Still pumping Hope in his hand, Cloud could feel the silver-haired male begin to clench down on his manhood, and picked up the pace. It wasn't long before Hope was seeing stars and white-flashed behind his eyelids as he found orgasm, spilling his essence over Cloud's hands and his own chest. He collapsed onto his elbows but managed to hold himself up as Cloud thrust recklessly a few more times before releasing, hot and urgent, inside of Hope.

Collapsing from exhaustion on top of Hope, Cloud pulled out, and the two men sighed in contented bliss. Cloud couldn't help but smile now as they basked in the pleasant afterglow before letting sleep silently envelop them.

Maybe this was what he was here for, after all. And he wasn't leaving until he'd done all he could, experienced all he could experience, and help the hearts that needed him.

And perhaps, that heart was Hope's.