Title: Homecoming
Author: Garnet Eyes
Archived: fanfiction. net
Summary: Missions can be overwhelming at times, even for the SOLDIER designed to be perfection.
Rating: T
Pairings: Sephiroth x Cloud
Author Notes: I have not had the time to watch/play anything in the Final Fantasy VII universe beyond the original game and Advent Children. Therefore, I am certain there are inconsistencies between my writing and newer games or movies.
Disclaimers: Final Fantasy VII is owned by Squaresoft and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.
...
The elite could feel his limbs protesting each and every movement yet he was not about to drop to the floor in the middle of the hallway and go to sleep. His exhaustion was bone deep and his duffle bag was like lead weighing down his steps after the seventh straight mission he had endured due to the shortage of SOLDIERs of his caliber. He was expected at work again bright and early to deal with a backlog of paperwork and, even as he mentally cursed every individual who demanded that he sign off on superfluous nonsense, there was no doubt in his mind that he would be reading through documents from the moment he returned to his desk until after the sun came up the following day.
The nondescript metal door to the suite that the General claimed as his own loomed blessedly before him as the silver warrior stifled a sudden yawn. Although there was no one in the hallway, even in his exhaustion he would never reveal such vulnerability to the cameras if nothing else. The silver warrior was designed to be perfection and any frailty would mean that he would be required to undergo more drug therapy and lab work, which was the last thing any sentient being would ever desire. The elite was still too filthy to get into bed but he was not positive that he was coherent enough to clean up properly, stepping past the threshold to his apartment as the door glided open silently. With his preternatural grace, the General flicked the door shut and closed himself off from the Company and all of the cameras and people who watched his every move for any imperfection.
A sharp clunk resounded on the floor as the duffle slid to the ground in a useless heap, but the SOLDIER paid the object no heed as he discarded Masamune onto the couch as he passed it and wandered to the bathroom solely from memorized muscle motion, feline eyes unfocused and stinging behind the cover of pale eyelids. Lights were useless and would bother his eyes even more and so, standing close to the wall in case he should list to one side, the elite worked to undress himself in the pitch black of the room. Uncharacteristically, his fingers felt thick and clumsy as he attempted unsuccessfully to unbuckle his leathers and a pathetic noise of frustration lodged in his throat as he contemplated cutting his uniform away and writing it off as a casualty of his prior missions. It might have been plausible but his fingers were shaking and the General was not interesting in gouging chunks out of himself.
"…Sephiroth?"
Feline eyes turned toward the bathroom door and a smile wobbled onto regal features at the sight presented to him. The little cadet who Zackary had inadvertently introduced into the silver warrior's life was leaned up against the doorframe in a set of the elite's silk pajamas rubbing his eye with a fist and blinking owlishly in the darkness. The fluorescent lights flicked on and illuminated the SOLDIER in all of his unwashed, dusty glory as jade eyes flinched closed under the sudden brightness. Sephiroth lowered his hands to his sides as feline eyes blinked open with a mild stinging sensation, eyeing the newly awakened cadet curiously.
"How did you get in?"
His voice was a little rough but, for once, Sephiroth did not bother to hide his exhaustion as his sunshine moved to stand before him and threaded thin fingers into the straps to unbuckle his coat.
"Zack, but he thought you'd be back earlier."
With a weak chuckle, feline eyes closed and the elite allowed the little soldier to divest him of his uniform.
"Zackary is still far too optimistic, I see."
He could imagine that his blonde's lips twitched in acknowledgement of the statement, azure eyes alight in shared amusement, but the teen did not pause in unfastening the SOLDIER's pauldrons and sliding the heavy metal armor off of the older man. Feeling mildly useless but not enough to be concerned by the possibility that his sunshine realized that he simply couldn't assist, Sephiroth dropped his shoulders to let his leather coat fall to the floor in a heap before taking two steps to the toilet and unsteadily taking a seat on the lid. The little cadet bypassed the coat, presented now with ample evidence that the General was not nearly as perfect as the persona he projected, and quickly dropped to take care of the buckles and bars keeping thigh-high boots secured. The elite hissed in mild pleasure-pain as his feet were exposed and his socks removed, sore from days on end where he was walking and nights too dangerous to remove any of his clothing. The harness and wide, plated belt that proclaimed him both a SOLDIER and an employee of the Shin-Ra company were the next items sleepy but nimble fingers shed from the General's slowly slumping frame.
Sephiroth watched through hooded feline eyes as the teen glanced indecisively from the shower stall to the deep set Jacuzzi tub before coming to some kind of snap decision. The elite picked himself up, barely acknowledging the small hands that relieved him of his gloves and then his pants before gently directing the elite to sit on the edge of the tub and drop his feet into the dry basin. With a mixing bowl quickly procured from the kitchen and a sponge from the shower, the little cadet proceeded to rinse off the worst of the grime and soap up silver tresses into a frothing mess. The shower stall was close enough, and the hose blessedly long enough, that the teen simply pulled one of the many showerheads around, rinsed the exhausted SOLDIER down, and allowed the drain in the center of the tiled bathing room floor to deal with the runoff.
Aching and ready to sleep, the elite was perhaps unappreciative of the steaming bath that was next prepared, jets set to massage for the silver warrior's stiff muscles. The heat was tempting, however, as was his suddenly naked sunshine sliding into the wide basin. Sephiroth did not like that he had been completely oblivious to the boy undressing, of all things, but the gentle smile begged for obedience and the elite forgot what had bothered him as he slid into the water. Small hands touched a knee, circling the pale sinew behind the bone and drawing the whole appendage up. The SOLDIER grunted in irritation for only a moment before nimble fingers glided down to his foot and then it was all Sephiroth could do to moan in intense pain laced with pleasure as knuckles dug into his tender sole. The agony was wonderful and the General twitched with every pinprick of tension being driven from his frame.
The little soldier said nothing, focused on his current task, and the elite locked his elbows and shoulders to keep himself upright in the water. After Sephiroth stopped hissing at every individual kneading of his abused appendage, his sunshine lowered his leg and retrieved the other for the same treatment. The SOLDIER did not bother to stifle any of the noises that would have been lodged in his throat had this happened elsewhere – in his office, for instance – and shut feline eyes without worrying about what might happen.
He was only vaguely aware when his head hit the side of the tub, as it was not a particularly painful experience, but the cadet stopped immediately and hurried to the elite's side, carefully feeling the back of his skull despite grunted protest. The massage was cut short and the tub drained as concerned azure eyes kept focused on him cautiously. The SOLDIER might have pointed out that he was not that easy to break, but his sunshine was so very easy to bruise emotionally and the teen was the only individual to pamper the General without a second thought. Had any other person offered any of what the little soldier was doing, Sephiroth would have snubbed him or her completely, aware of the desire to acquire his favor as a career-path springboard. The little cadet got so adorably offended whenever the elite offered to do anything for him that Sephiroth could not find it in himself to doubt the boy's sincerity.
With the water fully drained, the blonde exited the tub and grabbed a towel, hastily drying himself as lidded jade kept track of every movement. With only minor hesitation, the teen picked up the black pajama bottoms and slid them over his hips, tying them tight against his small frame. The shirt was picked up out of its crumpled heap on the floor and placed on the sink before the blonde tossed the towel he had used on himself to the edge of the tub and picked up a new one, dropping it onto the silver warrior's head once he was near enough. Sephiroth grunted in semi-annoyance but said nothing as he knew soon his sunshine would be massaging his head and drying his hair. Thin fingers worked slowly against his scalp through terrycloth and feline eyes shut in silent bliss, the SOLDIER being more than happy to remain an uncoordinated mess of exhausted limbs as long as the little cadet did not cease his preoccupation with the elite's comfort. After all, he could only savor a scattering of times that the two of them were available and alone like this.
"Up."
Feline eyes blinked up at the blonde standing at the edge of the tub with a towel held spread open the width of thin arms. Smiling, the General stood and climbed up out of the basin, allowing the teen to dry him before sliding the pajama shirt up broad shoulders. The silver warrior did not move as the comfortable garment was buttoned closed, fondly gazing at the little soldier standing before him. Azure turned up to meet jade before the blonde smiled softly and grasped a pale hand, guiding the General into his bedroom and onto his rumpled bed.
Bone-weary and finally relaxed, Sephiroth sunk prostrate into the mattress and barely even remained coherent enough to feel the slight press against his back as his sunshine lied down against him.
"Sleep well, Sephiroth."
Tiny fingers, still laced with his own digits from dragging him into the room, squeezed and the elite flexed his fingers in a shallow-return, mumbling against the pillow half of his face was pressed against.
"You as well, Cloud."
Back to back missions were always terrible, without exception, but occasionally upon his return the SOLDIER fell asleep more carefree than he had ever been able to. His body might protest the abuse of his enhancements but that meant nothing while he remained in Shin-Ra's employ and, if he was being honest with himself, he had never been bothered by overextending himself as long as he could hide away to recover. Gifted with the little cadet to make his return more welcoming, Sephiroth thought that maybe he could take a day or so to bask in this mindless affection before he returned to his duties. A frown pulled at the corners of his mouth as an errant thought about his sunshine flit into his weary mind. The soldier would not be around to attend to the elite should he become a SOLDIER, instead going on back to back missions himself. Unaccountably annoyed by the thought, Sephiroth fell asleep contemplating possible ways to keep his Cloud to himself.