A/N: Wheeee new story! I actually wasn't gonna post this here, but some people tend to be very insistent. XD So yeah, this was a request fic. The requester wanted to see some cracktastic Zack/Kadaj action, and since I'm a better writer than I am an artist, I decided to fic-ify the request. Now, while most of you would think "ZOMG Zack/Kadaj it must be AU or crack!" It's nooooot. XD Yep, I managed to make it almost canon! Hey, the person who requested it never said they had to be alive. XD
So yeah, a little about the story. It's very lemony, which is why I wasn't going to post it here. But, I've seen worse than this, so I'm just going to give you a very loud warning. THIS IS YAOI. THAT MEANS BOY ON BOY LOVIN'! NO LIKE, NO READ. THANK YOU.
Feels Like Heaven
It was cold here. Maybe it was hot. He wasn't sure. He felt… blank. Yet he felt whole, complete, as if this was where he was meant to be. But he didn't even know where 'here' was. With a start, he realized his eyes were closed.
He tried to open them, but they felt heavy, weighed down by something. Groggily, he moved to rub them, and his arms felt equally as heavy. With a groan, he hefted his hands to his face, rubbing his eyes fiercely, the slightly scratchy feeling of the action making him smile just a little bit from the miniscule pleasure.
With a sigh, he halted his movements, his itchy eyes temporarily relieved. He opened them slowly, prepared to look around and observe his surroundings. But… wait… this couldn't be right. He blinked once, twice. Still, nothing changed. Or didn't change, to be more accurate. When he closed his eyes, he saw nothing, but when he opened them… he saw nothing too.
An icy dread filled his gut. He tossed his head from side to side, but still all he could see was a vast whiteness that seemed endless. No forms, no figures, he wasn't even sure he was lying on anything but white. A sharp turn of his head to look under him confirmed that thought.
Where the hell was he?
And, more importantly, how the hell did he get there?
He was lying on his back, or at least, that's what he thought. He couldn't be sure, because there seemed to be nothing holding him in any direction, so he didn't know which way to consider up and which way to consider down. He may have even been standing.
This whole situation was far too confusing. He gripped his head and clenched his eyes shut, gloved fingers twining into silver hair as if it were the sheet that, once removed, would unveil everything and he could think normally again.
However, all that he succeeded in was pulling his hair until it hurt and he instinctively let go. He felt vulnerable, and that was not a feeling he liked. He didn't know where he was, didn't know how he got there, and didn't know where Loz and Yazoo—
He froze. Yazoo, Loz…
"Ya—" he tried, but his voice cracked and gave out, almost as if he hadn't used it in years. The air around him felt thick in his throat, and that didn't help the matter.
He decided to try again, after a few shaky breaths. "Yazoo—"
"He's fine."
He jumped, trying to locate the voice, though it seemed to be coming from the inside of his own head.
"Loz is fine too."
He didn't recognize the voice, but he felt he already knew it. "…Mother?"
The voice laughed… a little too hard for his liking. "Mother? That's a good one, kid. Nice to know I sound like a girl. Thanks ever so much for the ego boost."
He scowled. He was about to make a comment in return, but his response was halted by another voice, one sweet and patient sounding, one that washed over him and made him feel momentarily completely at peace.
"Oh stop it, Zack," the voice said humorously. "Kadaj, your brothers are safe. Don't worry about them."
Kadaj felt an odd mix of relief and despair. "I—I want to see them," he said, quietly making his request to the unknown voice.
The sweet voice turned remorseful. "I'm afraid you can't. They are in a different place. You are in a different place."
Well, I sort of guessed that, he thought bitterly.
"Now, now, Moonbeam. Think nice thoughts to the nice lady."
Kadaj's scowl deepened as he glared at… nothing. "Moonbeam? And since when can you read my thoughts?"
The first voice laughed again, grating on the silver-haired teen's nerves, but didn't answer. Kadaj decided to try a different question.
"Where am I?"
The sweet voice was the one that answered. "You are in the Lifestream, Kadaj."
The teen knew that confusion crossed his face. He could feel his own features change. "Life… stream? But… that means…"
The sweet voice once again held remorse. "Yes, Kadaj. You have returned to the Planet."
Well that was something he didn't hear every day, nor did he expect to hear it so soon. "So… what, did I like… die?"
"Yep… You're hangin' with the spirit people now, Moonbeam."
Kadaj tried to turn toward the rather annoying voice, but only found himself facing more white. "What the hell… okay, this is insane. I want to go home now. I want to see my brothers."
"I'm so sorry, Kadaj, but that's just not possible."
Kadaj tried desperately to find the source of that pretty voice, feeling tears stinging the backs of his eyes. He couldn't see his brothers? Ever? This made him more than a little upset.
There was suddenly a warm, soft hand covering his eyes. "What—" he tried, but he was cut off by a sudden downward pull, almost as if someone had switched on the gravity. He landed hard on his back on some sort of solid ground, and he wasn't sure whether to be thankful, or angry.
The hand removed itself, and Kadaj blinked a couple of times. He slowly sat up, and realized that his head was spinning. His eyes were used to the bright white, and they remained unfocused for a few seconds while they adjusted to the seemingly normal surroundings.
Wait… normal? He blinked again, trying to take in the area. He was sitting on pale green grass, and some ethereal-looking trees were scattered sporadically around him. The sky—if it really was a sky—seemed cloudy and grey, but still bright. The air even smelled sweet, like nature at its purest.
"Pretty realistic, huh?"
Kadaj whipped around and… blinked. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. What—or rather whom he saw was a man, seemingly close to his age, leaning against a tree. His demeanor was casual, one booted foot propped behind him, his arms crossed lazily over his chest—a broad chest, Kadaj observed—and a handsome face that was set in a rather annoying smirk. The man's spiky, dark hair reminded him of Big Brother's blond spikes, sticking straight out of his head, but still somehow remaining natural and soft-looking.
Big Brother… that only made him think of his other brothers again. "Why can't I see my brothers?" he asked, completely ignoring the man's previous comment.
"Well, I'm sorry to have to put this bluntly, but… you're dead. They aren't."
Who the hell did this man think he was? Kadaj hurried to his feet, fists clenched and glowing green eyes blazing. "Don't talk like that!"
The man didn't move, aside from the features of his annoyingly gorgeous face turning sad. "It's the truth."
Kadaj just glared at him, trying to pour as much malice as he could into his expression.
The man sighed, uncrossing his arms and standing straight. "Listen," he began, running a hand through his sable spikes. "I know it's a lot to get used to, but… you will. All you need to know is that your brothers are safe back on the Planet. And… really, it's not so bad here. I know you feel, at least a little bit, that this is where you belong."
Kadaj still glared, but what this man was saying was true. He did feel good for the most part. And somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew his brothers were okay too. But that didn't mean that he had to show it.
He sent one final sneer in the man's direction before folding his arms over his chest and facing away from him, turning his nose up stubbornly. He wasn't going to allow this man to think he'd won already.
The man sighed, genuinely feeling bad for the remnant. He knew what it was like to wake up somewhere different, to realize he couldn't see the people he loved. But he also knew that, with time, it was possible to overcome that sadness, and just be happy that loved ones were healthy and happy on the Planet. And even if they weren't, then all that meant was that it would only be a matter of time until he could see them again in the Lifestream.
Kadaj sneaked a glance at the other man who had suddenly become very somber. Maybe he did know. After all, he had to end up here somehow too.
"So," the teen began, not bothering to face the man he was addressing. So he was very stubborn. So what? "Who are you?"
The other man suddenly perked up, and Kadaj found himself slightly fearful of this man's ability to change his attitude so quickly. It was downright freaky.
"Name's Zack!" the man said cheerfully, flashing a brilliantly white smile. It sort of made Kadaj want to melt… he shook that thought away. He was supposed to be trying to be stubborn, here.
"Hn. You're awfully cheery."
Zack chuckled. "It's nice to meet you too."
Kadaj turned his head to regard Zack over his shoulder, still maintaining his stand-offish stance. Zack merely lifted an eyebrow at him in a manner that Kadaj wanted to call suggestive, but wouldn't let himself admit to it. "So what's so great about this place?"
"Can't you feel it?"
That caught Kadaj off guard, and his arms fell to his sides as he turned slightly to face the dark-haired man. "What?"
Zack smiled softly. "This place… this is where we really belong. This place is the reason we live… it is our reward for making it through the Planet's hardships." As he spoke, his eyes traveled over Kadaj's face, staring at him with an ironic sort of soft intensity, and for the first time, Kadaj noticed that the man's eyes glowed with mako.
"Were you in SOLDIER?" Kadaj asked softly. He wasn't sure why he was so awed by this realization. Perhaps it just proved further that this man had indeed been through a life on the Planet.
Zack grinned broadly again. "Yep! First Class."
Kadaj's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Then…" Tentatively, he took a few steps toward the other man, eyeing him almost suspiciously. Zack just watched him curiously as he approached.
Kadaj stopped just a few feet short of Zack. They observed each other for a moment, exploring each other's faces, each looking for something that might have remained there from a previous existence, and unknowingly looking for the same thing.
"You knew Sephiroth," they said in unison.
Zack's features softened, while Kadaj's grew angry. For a moment, neither of them knew what to say to the other, neither knew who should share first. After a moment, Kadaj decided he didn't care what kinds of feelings Zack held for the famous man, and he let his untainted loathing show through.
"I hate him."
Zack stared at him, no emotions showing in his violet eyes.
"He… he took everything. He was greedy. Mother promised me I would do great things, but she only said that because he was her favorite… she used me to get him back, and in the end, I paid the price for a failed plan with my own life… I… I hate him…"
Zack watched as the teen's walls seemed to crumble around him. His small body was shaking with unbidden hatred and sadness, and the Soldier couldn't help but reach out for him. The boy came to him without hesitance, burying his face into the taller man's chest and letting everything inside his mind wash away in a flood of tears that had long been forgotten.
Kadaj didn't know what he was doing. He didn't know why he felt he could trust this man. He didn't know why he was sobbing into the shirt of a stranger. But he did know that, though painful, this experience felt right too… like this was a place to let go of his feelings… let go of his humanity… and just be.
Zack truly felt for the teen. Through Cloud's most recent journey, he was able to witness the events that this boy had lived through, and not lived through, as it were. But, however sympathetic he felt, he was a man who knew a different side of the famous General. The Sephiroth Kadaj was referring to wasn't the real Sephiroth. The Soldier frowned sadly. The real Sephiroth had been lost years ago.
Kadaj was starting to calm down, but he wasn't letting go of the taller man, and Zack was inclined to let him do whatever he needed to. He felt a connection to this young man, and he knew it was there through many different traits they held in common. Gently, he raised a gloved hand and patted the silver head, running it down the silky hair until it was stopped by the leather collar of his suit.
"Kadaj…"
The teen didn't want to look up. He was embarrassed by his outburst, and he was unexplainably comfortable clinging to the Soldier's strong chest like his life (or lack thereof, now) depended on it.
However, it seemed his time to hide was over, because a gentle hand came between them and lifted his chin so he was forced to look into glowing purple eyes. They softened, and a small smile appeared on that handsome face. "Feel better?"
Kadaj sniffled, trying to make it dignified, and pulled away, rubbing his nose and avoiding eye contact. "Yes," he stated curtly. They were silent for a few moments, Kadaj obviously uncomfortable, and Zack the exact opposite.
"So…" Kadaj started. "You were first class?"
Zack smiled, and Kadaj found he rather liked the comfort this man radiated. But again, he'd never admit it.
"Absolutely! Me and Seph… we were unbeatable! We made such an awesome team! Until…" Abruptly, Zack's features saddened, and his eyes fell, making Kadaj's heart ache for an unknown reason.
Kadaj wasn't sure what to say. Zack had fallen silent, and had taken to staring at the grass under their feet. The teen wasn't sure whether he should try to console him or leave him alone. He never was good with these kinds of things.
But… Zack had comforted him when he needed it, so… perhaps he should return the favor. "Uh… were… you close?"
Zack spoke very softly, almost silently, and Kadaj had to strain a little to hear him. "We were best friends… at first. Then… then we were lovers. He was so beautiful…" The Soldier suddenly looked up and caught Kadaj's eyes. "You… look a lot like him. You have his eyes…" He slowly reached out and brushed his fingertips over Kadaj's slightly damp cheek, stepping closer to him as he did so. Kadaj held his gaze for a minute before his eyes closed, liking the feeling of being touched so gently. But… no, this was wrong.
The remnant stepped back, away from Zack's touch, his anger flaring up again. "No. I refuse to be compared to him."
Zack watched Kadaj sadly, but didn't say anything further. He did understand that Kadaj didn't know Sephiroth the way Zack knew him. No one knew Sephiroth the way Zack knew him, and he didn't expect other people to understand. Feeling resigned, Zack decided to just drop the subject, instead focusing on who was in front of him… and how entirely delicious he was to look at.
Kadaj eyed the Soldier, an odd feeling overcoming him as Zack's gaze wandered over him again. For some reason, it made Kadaj feel good, knowing that he was being appreciated, rather than scorned because of who he looked like and what he'd done. And he wasn't sure if it was instinct telling him to do so, or if it was intentional, but he decided to flaunt it.
"Like what you see?"
Zack chuckled, his eyes moving to make contact with Kadaj's. "I think we've established that I do."
Kadaj scoffed, but internally he was flattered, which was a strange feeling in itself. The only person who'd ever admired him physically the way Zack was now, was Yazoo. The remnant couldn't decide if he liked this feeling, or if he was unnerved by it. He decided to go the safe route.
"Must you stare?"
Zack shrugged. "I'll leave if you want me to," he started as he turned to walk away, somehow knowing that he wouldn't get very far.
Kadaj was caught off guard. He didn't expect Zack to react like that. "Wait."
Zack stopped and looked over his shoulder, raising a curious eyebrow.
The silver-haired teen fidgeted, not knowing why he wanted Zack to stay. "Uh… I…" Then an idea struck him. "I don't know my way around here. I don't want to get lost."
Zack smirked, but played along. "All right. Come with me then."
Kadaj hesitated, but ultimately decided that Zack might just be worth following.
"…and really this place can be home to anyone because it caters to a person's image of the perfect place. You can go anywhere."
Kadaj listened quietly as Zack explained about residence in the Lifestream. The Soldier really didn't need to be doing all this explaining—the Lifestream was a simple place. If he wanted to go somewhere, the Lifestream would recreate the place down to every last detail. Really, all Zack was accomplishing by talking so much was making the remnant increasingly fascinated by him.
"Unfortunately," Zack continued, his voice taking on a note of sadness. "The only thing the Lifestream can't recreate… is people. It can give us everything else, but as for the company, you just have to make due with who's here." As he spoke, he snuck small, hopeful glances at the silver-haired teen, wanting to see if Kadaj was indeed making due with his company.
Kadaj's eyebrows arched, making him resemble something regal. "I think the company's just fine." The teen may have been dumped into completely new surroundings, but there was no doubt that he still harbored the same confidence he'd always had. They were both glad of that.
Zack smiled that amazing smile of his; the one that made Kadaj want to melt into his boots. "I'm glad you think so."
The more time Kadaj spent with Zack, the more he found himself liking him. For the first time in his existence, he felt that there was nothing wrong, nothing that he had to do. He could let everything fly out the proverbial window and just let the easy happiness swallow him. And, also for the first time, he didn't think he would mind doing just that.
Happiness had always been such a foreign concept for him. Happiness was supposed to be what Mother was telling him. Happiness was supposed to come from fulfilling the Reunion. But that wasn't real happiness. That was just a ploy so Mother could get back her beloved. It was all a farce.
"Zack?"
The man in question turned to face the teen. Kadaj had wanted to ask him what he thought happiness was, but seeing the look in the Soldier's eyes told Kadaj that where he was standing was Zack's happiness. Where he was standing was what happiness really was. Since he had his answer, he simply asked the first question that came to him.
"How old are you?"
Zack thought for a moment, moving to sit on a large rock that had suddenly appeared. Kadaj watched in fascination as their surroundings changed from the spacious forest to a small pond filled with clear water, surrounded by trees and various rocks and patches of moss. The silver-haired teen chose one of the deep green moss-patches to sit on, right next to Zack's rock, staring into the crystalline water.
"Well, let's see…" Zack started thoughtfully, turning the young man's attention to him. "I was twenty-two when I was killed, so this year… I'd be twenty-five. But age doesn't matter here. Whatever age you were when you were at your prime, that's the age you become when you get here. Since my appearance didn't change, I assume I'm still twenty-two."
"That's kind of weird," Kadaj said quietly, looking back to the water. He absently noted that it was devoid of any animals, probably because of what Zack had said earlier. The Lifestream couldn't recreate life, just places.
"What is?" Zack asked, leaning his elbows on his knees.
Kadaj shrugged, picking up a pebble that was amazingly real and tossing it into the water, watching the ripples expand. "That you don't know how old you are."
Zack shrugged too. "I never really thought about it."
Kadaj looked at him. Zack looked back. "So, if a person died at, say… age seventy-two, would they appear here at age… thirty-five?"
Zack chuckled at the question. He rather liked how Kadaj thought he knew everything. "It's possible. If that person was at his or her best at age thirty-five, then yes, he or she would arrive here at that age."
Kadaj grew quiet for a moment, looking pensively into the water. Zack just looked at him, admiring the teen's other-worldly beauty. "Does…" the younger started quietly. "Does that mean I was at my best right when I died? Eighteen was my best age?"
The Soldier smiled a little. "I guess it does."
Kadaj pursed his lips—very full lips, Zack noted—as he took in the information, eyes never wavering from the water. The older man again let his eyes wander over the remnant. He really was gorgeous. His leather suit clung tightly to him, accenting his slightly feminine curves, and also enhancing the muscles in his limbs—the muscles of a swordsman. Zack knew the type well.
What really had the Soldier captivated though, were those hips. They swayed slightly when the boy walked, almost as if he were trying to tease anyone who happened to be looking. And Zack had to admit, it was working. Images appeared in his mind involving just how those hips would look moving in certain ways, rocking to a rhythm created by two people. He saw images of how they might look close up… close enough to bite. Judging by the milky skin he could see on the younger man's face, he imagined those hips must taste good.
"Zack," Kadaj said quietly, almost inaudibly, still staring at the water.
"Hmm?" The Soldier asked, coming back from his musings.
Kadaj lowered his head, a veil of silver falling over his face. "What was my brother like? What was he like when you knew him?"
Zack lowered himself from the rock to sit next to the remnant. "Sephiroth?" Kadaj shot him a weak glare that told him he didn't want to hear the man's name. Zack ignored it.
"He was very different. He was… almost sweet, but only to me. He was very calm—too calm in some respects—it usually scared people shitless. Everything about him was proper, everything was protocol… until we were alone together."
Kadaj glanced up and watched Zack's face as it was now the Soldier's turn to stare wistfully into the water.
Zack laughed, a hint of sadness laced in the sound. "He loved his hair. He loved to take care of his hair, he loved it when I played with his hair. Hell, I loved his hair. He was gentle with me, unless I didn't want him to be gentle, then he would be as hard on me as I wanted him to be—no pun intended." Zack giggled at his own innuendo and Kadaj thought him rather silly, until he found himself wanting to giggle a little too. Zack sat back and leaned on his hands, looking at nothing in particular. "But he was never too hard on me… he never would have hurt me."
Kadaj's curiosity was tweaked, as much as he didn't want to admit it. "So… what changed him?"
Zack looked at him inquiringly.
Kadaj flipped his head a little to get his hair out of his face. "The man you describe is so different from the man he became. Why did he change if he had it so good?"
Zack frowned and stared at a pebble. "I guess… I guess his mind wasn't as strong as everyone thought it was. He let Jenova take him over… and from that point on… the man I loved was gone to the world… and I couldn't save him."
The silver-haired teen knew that what Zack was saying must have been true, but it was hard for him to grasp because he had only experienced one side of Sephiroth. It seemed like Zack was talking about a completely different man.
"But," Zack started again, drawing back Kadaj's attention. "I try not to think about things like that. It dampens my trademark happy-go-lucky charm." Zack laughed as Kadaj rolled his eyes indifferently. "Come on, Moonbeam. Let's go somewhere else."
The teen shot Zack a look at the nickname, but stood with him and followed as he started to walk. Kadaj wondered when he had become so friendly, but brushed it aside, telling himself that it was just Zack starting to rub off on him. Then he had to think about when he'd become so impressionable, and with an aggravated sigh he decided he should just stop thinking all together.
"Where do you want to go?" Zack asked, stopping abruptly and causing Kadaj to walk right into him. The remnant let out a yelp as he lost his balance slightly from the impact, but before he could fall, a pair of strong arms reached for him and kept him standing. Zack laughed merrily and looked Kadaj in the face. "Easy there, killer. There's this really useful thing people usually do when they're walking. It's called paying attention."
Kadaj scowled at Zack for a moment, until he realized that Zack's arms had not moved from their gentle hold on his shoulders. They were very close, and Kadaj wasn't sure he was comfortable with how comfortable he really was with the distance. Great. Now he had managed to confuse himself.
Zack's smile fell slightly as he was once again presented with the teen's ironically angelic face. Pale green eyes looked back at him, smirking slightly. "You're staring again."
Zack's eyes wandered down to where the sound was coming from. "I'd like to do more," he whispered, his breath ghosting over the pale lips in front of him.
Kadaj's breath hitched, but he kept his cool, and did what he always did when he felt slightly uncomfortable: he resorted to sarcasm.
"Well, I don't know about you, but just standing here doing nothing isn't going to get me all hot and bothered."
Zack's eyes snapped back up to meet Kadaj's, wide with disbelief. Kadaj just smirked at him, feeling more comfortable with his confidence in check.
He slowly stepped away from Zack, keeping the eye contact, a sultry look taking over his face. "If you find a nice soft spot, you can be as hard on me as you want," he said almost tauntingly, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking his hip to the side. Zack raised an eyebrow, his gaze attracted to those hips again. Kadaj noticed this, and shifted his weight to the other foot, just to watch the Soldier's eyes boggle… which they did.
Out of the corner of his eye, Kadaj noticed their surroundings changing. Zack was slowly approaching him as the area morphed from the small pond into another outdoor area—a clearing of grass, surrounded thickly by trees, and in the middle, a Sakura tree in full blossom.
Kadaj had his back to the Sakura, and as Zack came nearer, the teen backed close to the tree until he was leaning on it, looking up seductively into the Soldier's eyes. He arched a silver eyebrow in Zack's direction, the older man bringing his hand up to brace himself against the trunk of the tree, right next to Kadaj's head. With his other hand he gestured to their surroundings, but didn't move his eyes away from Kadaj's.
"Too girly?"
Kadaj snickered. "Well, a little, but I guess it's okay. You sound like a girl anyway. Remember?"
Zack chuckled and leaned closer so their noses were almost touching. "Ah, yes, I've been meaning to make you pay for that little comment."
Kadaj did not back down. "Oh?" he asked, his eyes falling half shut.
"Mhmm…" the Soldier replied as his tongue slipped out to taste the corner of the remnant's mouth teasingly. Kadaj's lips parted slightly as a little grin spread over them. Surprisingly gentle hands made their way to the waistline of Zack's pants, long fingers hooking behind the fabric to pull the older man closer, meshing their mouths together in the process.
Tongues met between them, neither one venturing into the other's mouth. The slick muscles rubbed together, combining the motion with hungry lips and teeth. Suddenly Kadaj sucked in a little, effectively taking Zack's tongue into his own mouth and proceeding to do things to it that Zack hadn't even dreamed he'd ever experience. The Soldier moaned lowly into the teen's mouth as Kadaj all but worshipped his tongue, lapping at it and rolling it around his own in a way that made Zack's knees weak.
They parted for air, but didn't move away from each other. Zack's lips continued to brush against Kadaj's as he spoke, allowing the teen to nip at them gently as they moved. "Where did you learn to do that…?"
Kadaj chuckled, slightly out of breath. "Does it matter?"
The Soldier kissed him quickly. "Not in the slightest."
The younger man's fingers had remained gently tucked just behind the waistline of Zack's pants, and were now shifting to pull him closer to their owner so that their bodies were completely flush with one another. Zack took the silence as another opportunity to capture those lips as one of his legs snuck between those of the teen in front of him. He noted with happiness that his earlier thoughts had been right… Kadaj tasted wonderful, and in the back of his mind, he made it his mission to taste every inch of him.
He plundered the teen's mouth once more, exploring every part of it. Kadaj made a muffled sound of appreciation, using his grip on the Soldier's pants to attempt to pull him even closer, as if he were trying to push them together into one person. The remnant's fingers slowly crept closer to the front of Zack's pants, to the little button that would be the start of everything once undone. Zack barely even noticed the movement until the task had been accomplished.
He broke the kiss as those pale fingers slid the zipper down, brushing over what was hidden beneath his boxers as they went and causing a small gasp to fall from the Soldier's mouth. Kadaj smirked, watching Zack's face twist slightly as he slowly trailed his fingertips over the beginning swell of flesh covered in soft cotton.
"So," Kadaj said casually as he let his fingers wander. "This whole idea of going anywhere I want… can I do that any time?"
Zack, his eyes half lidded, had trouble getting his answer out, but somehow managed a quick, "Yeah…" and a nod.
"Well, I do like this place… but it needs something…" As he spoke he idly drew soft patterns with his fingers, almost tickling the Soldier's length through the cloth as if it were a small child. He concentrated on what he wanted to add to the place instead of what his fingers were touching, and after a few moments, a large, black blanket appeared beneath their feet, fluffy and thick. Kadaj grinned in triumph. "There, now we'll be more comfortable…"
Zack almost couldn't take the teasing. Almost. He leaned over to brush his lips over the teen's jaw line, kissing a path down from just under his ear to the small lump of his Adam's apple, and to the meeting place of his collar bones from there. Kadaj tilted his head back in compliance, enjoying the feeling of Zack's teeth lightly grazing over his skin. When the Soldier was prevented from going further due to the leather fabric covering the entirety of the younger man's body, he brought his hand up to pull the zipper down. However, Kadaj stopped him, grabbing him by the wrist and causing him to look up into playful emerald eyes.
"I don't want any barriers," Kadaj whispered.
Zack was confused. "Barriers?"
Without explaining, Kadaj brought the hand he had a hold on to his mouth, biting the tip of the gloved middle finger and pulling with his teeth, ridding the Soldier of the leather and exposing long fingers, eternally calloused by the continued use of a sword. After letting the glove fall to the ground, Kadaj once again pulled Zack's fingers to his lips, licking the tip of the longest finger before taking it entirely into his mouth.
Zack found himself having to let out a shaky breath at the display, understanding what Kadaj meant when he referred to their clothing as barriers. The Soldier also found himself agreeing with the remnant. He was almost aching to feel all of Kadaj against all of him, with nothing in the way.
With that thought in mind he removed his other glove using his own teeth, more for practical reasons than anything else since Kadaj was still occupying himself with sucking on Zack's fingers one by one, and slowly pulled the teen's zipper down. He made a point not to touch the porcelain skin beneath until he was ready, until the zipper had passed Kadaj's navel and come undone, the top part of the suit hanging limply off the remnant's shoulders.
With his free hand he lightly trailed his fingertips over pronounced collarbones, gently pushing the leather coat over a strong shoulder to reveal the creamy skin underneath, and his mouth nearly watered at the sight of it. A rumbling sound emitted from the boy's throat when soft lips pressed to his right collarbone, beginning there and trailing a line of open-mouthed kisses over his shoulder, sharp teeth coming out to nip the tender flesh occasionally.
Deciding that the feeling was damn near to being heavenly, Kadaj let Zack have his other hand back, which, as the remnant expected it would, went straight for the other side of his coat, pushing it over his other shoulder. The coat fell down his arms and stopped at his bent elbows, pooling there like a black leather rope constricting his arms to very specific movements. Kadaj was inclined to leave it there until Zack was ready to move it, so for now, it served as a light form of bondage that aroused both men almost to the point of madness. But it was oh-so-sweet, and both wanted to capture the feeling and suspend it as long as possible.
Zack wasn't sure what he liked better: the smoothness and suppleness of Kadaj's skin, or the taste of him—beautifully clean and fresh, sweet and a little salty. The Soldier let his hands slide down the teen's sides as his mouth traveled all over his upper body; teeth scraping down collarbones, lips caressing a flat but strong chest, tongue flicking over taut nipples. When the older man licked a wet trail down Kadaj's abdomen to his navel, the silver-haired man became unsure as to how long it would be before his knees gave out and he melted in pleasure.
Zack was getting closer to his awaited destination. Those hips were begging for attention, swaying slightly in the boy's lustful stupor as he used the tree to support himself. Kadaj's midriff was gorgeously toned, muscles faintly outlined and hard, but not buff. Zack's eyes wandered the plane of flesh before him, following each curve and dip, each line of muscle, each bump of bone. His fingers soon pursued the same path, reverently tracing the line where muscle met the boy's hipbone in a V shape, almost like an arrow pointing straight to home. Kadaj almost giggled at the slightly ticklish sensation.
Zack wanted to see all of those hips, however. The teen's low-slung pants gave a maddeningly teasing view of what was quickly becoming Zack's favorite part of the body before him, so he made a point to carefully remove them, slowly revealing centimeters at a time, like a child unwrapping a present on his birthday. Kadaj simply stood there, amazed that Zack could make even removing his clothing feel like gentle caresses on his body.
As Zack had suspected, the teen's hips were as gorgeous as he had imagined them, soft and creamy in color. But what became the Soldier's undoing was the significant lack of undergarments.
Kadaj managed a smirk as he watched the older man's eyes widen, flashing in undeniable lust when the smooth leather of the teen's pants fell away from his body. He kicked them to the side, tiring of their presence, and waited to see just what Zack would do next. To his surprise, and ultimate enjoyment, the Soldier went straight for the kill.
Feeling Zack's lips and tongue and the heat so suddenly made Kadaj toss his head back, a fairly loud cry exploding from his throat. Zack employed his tongue perfectly, running it around the tip of the teen's length before licking up the side, effectively making Kadaj let a quiet moan escape. Zack smirked, and without any warning, swallowed the entirety of the remnant's arousal, humming lowly around it and wrenching a gasped cry from the younger man. Kadaj wanted desperately to bury his fingers in soft, spiky hair, but the damp perspiration beginning to form on his body caused the coat around his elbows to stick to him like glue, as leather tends to do when it comes in contact with moisture.
Instead, Kadaj's back arched slightly, inadvertently pushing himself further into Zack's mouth. The Soldier didn't mind. He welcomed it, making swallowing motions with his throat to massage the organ, having long since given up his gag reflex. Still, he wanted Kadaj to get the most out of this, so he let up a little, again teasing the tip with his tongue.
Kadaj was breathing hard, trying desperately to not let his eyes roll back in pleasure. He wanted to watch as Zack's slightly rosy lips surrounded him, as a pink tongue darted out to flick over the end of his length. But he also didn't know what Zack had planned, or what he wanted. Now his task was to make his voice work again.
"Zack… you're gonna make me… I don't want to…" he faltered.
Zack let go of his length briefly to speak. "I want you to."
Hearing that, and then immediately feeling Zack's tongue pressing against him was too much for Kadaj. His whole body tensed, a cry wrenching from his throat that wasn't entirely intentional as he released himself, watching through barely open eyes as Zack took everything he had to offer.
When he calmed, he had to fight not to slump over. Zack had risen so that he was face to face with him, standing close and holding his arms by the elbows, not really supporting him, just touching him. It still helped to ground him though.
Their mouths met again, and Kadaj found it strange, knowing he was tasting himself on Zack's tongue, but he didn't really mind. He just supposed it came with the act. His strength was returning, and along with it was the desire to at least return the favor if he couldn't get more out of this for himself. Somehow though, Kadaj didn't think that Zack was anywhere near being done with him.
And if Zack could read minds, he would have told Kadaj that he was damn right he wasn't done with him as his hands slid around those hips again, settling themselves on a nicely rounded bum. The remnant made a sort of humming sound into Zack's mouth as warm hands covered slightly chilled flesh. Those hands squeezed gently, making both of them chuckle, before sliding upwards to finally remove the coat that was restricting the younger's arms. As soon as he was freed, Kadaj immediately went for Zack's shirt, fingers that had been de-gloved sliding the zipper down almost hastily. The Soldier shrugged the shirt off, never letting Kadaj's mouth get too far away from his own. The teen's hands felt good on his skin, and he realized that it had been far too long since he'd last been touched so intimately.
Long fingers slid down his chest, tickling almost, but sweetly, as if to prove the innocence of their owner. Zack wasn't sure exactly how accurate the remnant's ploys of innocence were, but at that moment, he really couldn't have cared less.
He felt himself being guided backwards, and he followed Kadaj's lead. A pressure on his shoulders came as a silent request for him to kneel on the blanket, and he complied, slowly easing himself downwards. He was happily surprised when Kadaj followed him, still not breaking their kiss. The younger man had made a good decision in his choice of blankets. Apparently he'd had something in mind when he'd chosen as he had, because Zack suddenly felt himself being gently pushed backwards. Not that he minded.
The contact of their mouths finally broke as Kadaj crawled on top of the Soldier, straddling his thighs and starting a path of kisses down his torso. Zack closed his eyes and just let the sensations overcome him. Kadaj was certainly putting his tongue to good use. That thought was confirmed tenfold when that talented tongue dipped into his navel, making Zack's breath hitch and his muscles tense. All too soon, it was gone, but the Soldier wasn't too disappointed. It was moving on to better things anyway.
The remnant stopped at the waistline of Zack's boxers, which were being displayed rather nicely because the Soldier's pants were still undone. He moved all the way down the older man's legs, gently pulling off his boots when he got to them, trying to move slow because he knew he was driving Zack crazy, and he liked it. He liked it so much, it was driving him a little crazy too.
Once the boots had been removed, he reached up, stretching his arms and arching his back, appearing feline as he hooked his hands into the waistband of Zack's boxers. He started to pull them away, but hesitated when Zack suddenly chuckled quietly.
"What?"
"Nothing."
Kadaj raised an eyebrow, stopping his movements all together and moving to lay between Zack's legs, resting his chin on the Soldier's hip and turning his head slightly so he could still stare into soft purple eyes, but also tease the swollen appendage next to him by breathing on it. Zack visibly tensed at the sensation, but still laughed quietly.
"Come on…" Kadaj breathed. Another chuckle caught in Zack's throat.
"Seph… used to do that…"
Kadaj's eyebrows creased. "Do what?"
"St—stretch like that when… when he pulled my pants down…"
Kadaj wasn't particularly fond of the conversation, but he found himself infinitely amused by Zack's reaction to his warm breath on his half-clothed erection. Just to see what kinds of faces he could get Zack to make, he kept talking.
"Oh did he?"
Zack's face scrunched slightly, almost as if in pain if it weren't for the little smile playing on his lips. "Mhmm…"
The remnant lightly traced a finger down Zack's length through his boxers, the hardened flesh being restrained by the cloth in a rather painful looking manner. Slowly, he moved his face closer to lightly brush his lips over the area, speaking very breathily to put more heat between them. Zack gripped the blanket underneath him tightly.
"What else did he do that made you writhe?"
The Soldier's back arched in an attempt to keep his hips from moving, and he felt like he had to force his words to come out. "You're… doing a pretty damn good job… already…"
Kadaj smirked and pulled himself up to Zack's face in an almost slithering motion, pressing his lips to the older man's ear when he got there. "I want you…"
Zack turned his head to look at him, the mako in his eyes glowing brightly in his lust. "You got me, Moonbeam."
Kadaj leaned over and kissed him briefly, using the Soldier's own trick of speaking against his lips. "I get to be on top…"
Zack pressed their lips together once more. "Fine with me."
Upon hearing that, Kadaj's smirk resurfaced as he returned to his earlier task of removing the Soldier's pants. They came off in one fluid motion, freeing Zack's arousal from its confinement and making him gasp slightly. Zack couldn't ever remember being so turned on, and as warm lips surrounded him, he had to bite back a loud moan.
That tongue was doing wonders once again, lapping at him wetly and creating a friction that wasn't enough, but too much at the same time. Zack's arms raised of their own accord over his head, fisting the blanket as shivers of ecstasy jolted through him. His eyes were closed, and he just wanted to enjoy the feeling he was experiencing, but all too soon, it was gone.
His wet skin felt cold in the air, and the Soldier slowly started to open his eyes to see where Kadaj had gone. Just as he opened them all the way however, he immediately wanted to roll them back into his head as a lean body settled itself on top of him before impaling itself on his length with no warning whatsoever. Zack let out a deep groan as he was forced to enter the remnant's tight heat, his hands clenching the blanket tighter.
"I thought… you wanted to be… on top…"
Kadaj was almost panting from the self-imposed invasion, but managed a weak chuckle. "I am on top."
Zack stared at him for a second before letting out a laugh of his own. "Yeah, I guess you are." Taking a moment to examine the situation, the Soldier let his eyes wander down over Kadaj's body, over his slightly parted lips, over his gently panting chest, his flat stomach… and there were those hips again. With a hurried breath, Zack realized that this was exactly what he had wanted to see. Kadaj was resting on his knees, straddling Zack's abdomen—beautifully naked and wanting—with the Soldier buried deep inside him. If ever there were a time that he would have called the Lifestream Heaven, this was it.
The younger man lightly ghosted the fingers of both his hands over Zack's stomach, an almost innocent look taking over his face. "Ready, Zack?" he asked with a flick of his hips. Zack just groaned in response.
Kadaj reached forward, taking Zack's hands and guiding them to his hips. He was well aware of Zack's fascination with his hips, and he found it incredibly appealing. The area around his hips was extremely sensitive, and he wanted all the stimulation he could get, so when Zack's fingers gripped him tightly, but not painfully, he couldn't help but toss his head back just a little.
"Move me, Zack…" he panted. "I want to know how you want me."
The Soldier forced a gulp of air out, finding he had to remind himself to do that breathing thing. Without words, he complied with Kadaj's request, guiding those incredible hips to move the way he wanted to see and feel them.
They set a slow rhythm, just enjoying the feeling of moving against each other. Kadaj's hands moved to rest on top of Zack's as he rolled his hips, lifting and lowering himself in time with Zack's thrusts. Deep breaths and sharp groans filled the area around them as they moved with each other, slowly gaining momentum and speed. Zack couldn't rip his eyes away from Kadaj's hips, moving smoothly and fluidly over him as though he were some kind of exotic dancer. The remnant's head was leaned back wantonly, low moans purring from the depths of his throat as his head lulled to the side slightly, his brows creased in what Zack knew to be a pleasure so intense it almost hurt.
Zack himself knew that they couldn't stay like this forever though, so he shifted his hips slightly, changing the angle of his thrusts so that he was not only forcing himself deeper, but also a little more forward, searching for that one spot that he knew would make Kadaj scream.
Kadaj felt the movement, and his eyes suddenly clenched tightly, his mouth falling open to let out a strained yell as Zack hit exactly what he was aiming for dead on. The younger man's head fell forward, his chin tucking closer to his chest as the Soldier rammed his prostate repeatedly. He panted Zack's name, the sound falling from his lips in a whisper strangled by moans as he rolled his head back once more, leaning his upper body back with it and bracing himself with his hands on either side of Zack's knees. He moved his hips furiously, trying to keep up with the speed that Zack had long since lost control of.
One of the Soldier's hands loosened its grip on Kadaj's hip to slide over to his hardened length, finding it weeping for attention, which he gladly gave. The remnant cried out at the sudden touch, his whole body tensing around Zack and pulling a similar sound from the older man's lips. They were both close and they both knew it. Zack was determined to be gentlemanly however. And he wanted to watch Kadaj come.
He thrust as hard as he could, knowing that he had aimed correctly by the sharp scream that flew from Kadaj's throat as his body tensed incredibly one final time. The remnant's body wracked with his second release as he continued to ride Zack's length, driving him to near madness as he took in the sight of the younger man getting all he could out of him. Muscles tightened even more around him, and he could take no more as the teen's name rolled off his tongue in a constant mantra of lust, his fingers tightening around Kadaj's length and digging into his hip as he spent himself deep inside the agile body on top of him.
Kadaj let himself fall backwards, resting on his back between Zack's legs. He could still feel the Soldier inside of him, and every movement from either one of them felt like a kick in the gut… and he loved it.
Zack leaned up on one elbow, slightly breathless as he gently slid his free hand up Kadaj's thigh, trailing his fingers over the marks he'd left on the remnant's hip. With slowed movements, he softly rubbed his hand over the silky flesh before he felt another hand slide over his own almost timidly. Zack used it to pull Kadaj up to a sitting position, observing as the teen's body sort of rolled upwards. They both hissed as over-sensitized nerves were stimulated again by the movement, but it wasn't exactly unbearable. Kadaj folded his fingers through Zack's, leaning over to brush his lips over the older man's briefly before starting a path downwards, slowly moving himself off of Zack's length as he slid further down. Zack watched in fascination as Kadaj cleaned up the mess they'd made, licking away his own seed from the Soldier's chest. Zack had to swallow so he wouldn't drool.
"Sweet Shiva, Moonbeam. You're gonna make me hard again if you keep that up."
Kadaj only let out a low chuckle and moved back to kiss him again. He tasted of mixed flavors that Zack knew to be from both of them. After a few moments, Kadaj broke the kiss to lay next to Zack, resting a silver-framed head on the Soldier's shoulder.
It was interesting that everything seemed so real. Even they seemed real. Kadaj knew his body was technically dead, so this feeling he was having… these sensations… were they all being imitated too? It was something he'd have to remind himself to ask later. For now, he just wanted to catch his breath (another thing that perplexed him, the fact that he needed air) and feel another hard body against his own as they relaxed together.
And for a long time, that's exactly what they did. Some of the soft pink petals fell from the Sakura, landing on and around the two men. Neither of them took notice, focusing on each other rather than how well the Lifestream was reenacting the scenery's movements. Kadaj was the first to break the silence, speaking quietly into Zack's ear.
"Do you welcome everyone like that?" he asked, humor lacing his words.
Zack chuckled tiredly. "No, but if everyone who comes here looks like you, I might decide to make it a ritual."
Kadaj raised himself, leaning on his arm and sending a look of feigned anger in Zack's direction. "You will not."
Zack raised an eyebrow at him, a slight smirk covering his features. "Won't I?"
Kadaj scowled at him. Zack just laughed, sitting up to cup his face in his hand and brush his lips over the younger man's. "Why Moonbeam, are you getting jealous?"
The remnant huffed indignantly, the most angelic grimace that Zack had ever seen settling on his face. Zack laughed and kissed him again. "Fine, I'll let someone else do the welcoming…"
Kadaj crossed his arms over his chest. "Good."
"C'mon," Zack said, patting Kadaj's ass before getting up and gathering his clothes. "You still have to meet Aerith."
Kadaj arched a silver eyebrow as his clothes were tossed to him. He dressed quickly, and rather sloppily, not really caring that he looked like he had just had a good roll around with a particularly gorgeous Soldier. He zipped his coat half way and smoothed his hair a bit, but other than that, he was going to leave his appearance up to others' imaginations.
Zack started walking, and Kadaj followed, watching with that same fascination that he still had yet to get over as their surroundings changed again. This time, they were in a small garden, and flowers of all kinds surrounded them. It was so realistic he could even smell the soft fragrance from the colorful plants floating all around him.
They made their way over to a young looking girl who was crouched down, tending to some of the flowers. Her dress, made up of different shades of pink, pooled around her feet because of her crouching position, but she didn't stay crouched for long, having heard the two men approaching her. Gracefully she stood and gave a soft smile, noticing just how closely Kadaj followed behind Zack.
"Welcome, Kadaj. I see you've already made a friend."
Zack grinned at her and snaked an arm around the teen's shoulders. "I like this one, Aerith. Let's keep him forever."
Kadaj sent him a glare. "I'm not some lost puppy you found on the street."
Zack turned his grin on his young friend. "No, but you're just as adorable… 'specially this cute little tail of yours," he added, giving said 'tail' a light squeeze. Kadaj only continued to glare at him, but it was obvious he enjoyed the attention.
Aerith laughed gently at them. "Well I'm glad you like it here." Suddenly she paused. "You do like it here, don't you?"
Kadaj thought for a second, looking first to Aerith's kind eyes and warm smile, then to Zack's playfully kind grin, and a realization hit him.
"Yes, I do like it here." With a smile of his own, he affectionately wrapped an arm around Zack's waist, tucking his hand into the Soldier's back pocket. "Feels just like Heaven."
A/N: Silly boys. I think Zack's little obsession with Kadaj's hips came from the fact that I have an obsession with Kadaj's hips. XD They're yummy. That shot you get of them in AC when Kadaj is paying a little visit to Rufus? Yeah I definitely had that in my head the whole time I was writing this. XD
So... reviews? Be nice, please. My insanity is delicate.