He was a good husband.
That's what her mother told her, and it was true. Cloud knew that.
He was important, rich, handsome, intelligent and kind.
Thank god he was kind.
That had been her greatest fear. The one thing she had dreaded ever since her mother had come to her all those weeks ago insisting she had found her daughter the perfect match. A man that would make them all proud. Cloud knew she herself wouldn't have a say in the matter, not if she wanted to keep a roof over her head. Goodness knows her loving mother wasn't above throwing her little blonde ass out on the curb if she dared defy the ambitious woman's carefully constructed plans.
So Cloud had met him. Her husband to be.
He had been courteous and polite and friendly and charming and everything else a good husband should be. Most importantly, during every encounter since that first meeting and their wedding this morning, he had been kind.
Sephiroth was a good husband.
She was lucky.
That's what her mother told her, and it was true. Cloud knew that.
So why did she feel like crying?
Maybe she would be more at ease if she felt she had anything to say to this man? But what could a girl like her have to say to a man like him?
A war-hero-cum-politician who was now in the running to become president.
He was one of the finest men in the world, at least as far as the tabloids were concerned.
Hero of the Wutai war who had returned home determined to lead his country to a better future.
He had been a good soldier Cloud was told. A General.
Highly commended but relatively unknown outside of the military until he had first decided to run for office a few years ago. Now of course he was a household name. The way his campaign team sold it you would think he was some sort of super soldier who had won the whole war single handed.
He had a fan club for goodness sake!
Just the thought of it was enough to make her head spin. A million girls would kill to be where she was. She should be ecstatic. Out of all the girls in the world he had chosen her.
Silly, shy, little Cloud Strife. What could he possibly see in her?
A nobody with little more to her name than an English literature degree that she had had to beg her mother to let her pursue. He was a man of the world. What could they possibly talk about together? Did he even want her to say anything?
He hadn't married her for conversation after all.
She was just a trophy.
A pretty face to stand beside him and make him look even better than he already did.
Family man. That was the image he was after.
It was good for votes apparently.
They had arrived at their new home this evening, right after the wedding.
It was the first time she had ever seen it.
This place where she would be living for the foreseeable future. At least until his political ambitions bore fruit.
It was nice. The nicest place she had ever seen in fact. Expensive and clean but still warm enough to be liveable. Beautifully decorated although he insisted she was free to change anything she wished. Free to make her mark.
She daren't.
He took her coat as they stepped through the door. Her mind summoned up long forgotten childhood fantasies about being carried over the threshold of a new home by an imagined love of her life. She quashed those thoughts down as quickly as they came.
This was not a child's daydream. It was a woman's reality. Her reality.
He was kind, that's all that mattered.
Kind as he led her through her new home. As he showed her where everything was. Asked if it was all to her liking. If she was comfortable.
He even threw in a remark about the weather just to fill the silence.
Things you might say to a guest. Not a wife.
She felt him shift closer under the covers.
Felt a hand she had only held a half dozen times slide up her thigh.
He was kind. She knew if she asked him to stop he would and it was only that knowledge that stopped her from asking.
He was a good man.
A good husband.
She could do this.
She could be a good wife.
The fingers moved higher, slipping inside of her.
Cloud shifted, allowing the breach as she felt heavy breath on the back of her neck. Felt strong arms draw her closer. Felt the fingers leave as she was turned to face her new spouse. She calmed her breathing as eager lips met her own and her legs were lifted to wrap around her husband's waist, his long silver hair pooling around them.
She gasped into his mouth as he thrust down into her, the noise merging with his own pleased grunt.
A hand met hers above their heads, fingers linking together. Grasping tightly.
Then he was moving. A steady rhythm of in and out gradually building in intensity; harder, faster.
He was kind. Whispering sweet nothings as they moved together. Checking she was comfortable. Always being sure to kiss and tease and stroke in the all the right places until they both found release together and collapsed panting into those soft luxurious sheets. Crisp, white and clean like the rest of the house; comfortable and warm.
All in all she couldn't find fault with her new husband.
So as the light was turned off and sleep beckoned the two newlyweds Cloud made sure to bite her cheek and until the tears passed. Never making a sound.
Letting her new husband sleep undisturbed.
He was a good husband.
She would just have to learn to love him.
She could do that.
Couldn't she?
Special thanks to Shiranai Atsune who requested this story. Hope you like it :)