*fanfare* Distraction writes her first yaoi! It may be fluff, but I guarantee it's cute as fuuu-
This is set somewhere around the beginning of Crisis Core. I own neither the game or the Final Fantasy series. Kthx. And thanks go to GrimGrave for beta'ing this.
-Hero of Mine-
How does one define the word "hero"?
Is it a person that saves a life? A person who lives with honor? A person you could lean on when times were tough? A person who didn't ask for much, yet gave so much?
Cloud supposed there wasn't any single, concrete definition.
This man was all of the above; his strongest and most trustworthy ally amongst all of the elite warriors in SOLDIER—his best friend. This man was tall and well-built with silky black locks that feathered out around a kind, open face. This man had eyes that were the bluest of blues—pure as gemstones.
This man took his breath away with that crooked, teasing smile of his and made his heart skip a curious beat.
"Hey, kid." A hand rested on his head—warm, affectionate—and that warmth spread from the point of contact right down to the tips of his toes. "Are you ready to train today?"
He nodded curtly, though he couldn't help the eager smile that quirked the corners of his lips. "I won't take it easy on you."
"Good."
"Catch."
The boy looked up and gasped, dashing forward to catch the hilt of the huge broad sword that whirled through the air towards him; the weight of it nearly made him fall forward and his eyes glowed an unearthly green for a split second as he righted himself and hefted the weapon onto his shoulder in an easy, practiced motion.
"This is…"
The Buster Sword—the blade that had been passed down to the brunette by his mentor before him.
"Think you can handle it?" The confident way his opponent slid into a combat stance, the standard long sword provided with the uniform pointed directly at his heart, made the muscle race anticipatorily.
In response, the blonde slid his feet apart and pointed the sloped edge of the broadsword at his opponent, gesturing challengingly with his free hand.
There was no warning other than the tensing of muscles: suddenly, both young men were a flurry of movement.
Swing.
He easily side-stepped the first strike, though the force of the strike rent the air in two, creating a shockwave that made the loose bits of blonde that fell into his face dance. Cloud took a few quick steps backwards, swinging the Buster Sword around and the brunette ducked, swinging his sword upwards and meeting the blonde's.
Their eyes met and an electric jolt travelled between them.
Thrust.
The brunette broke the connection with a war cry, driving his sword home and gritting his teeth a moment later when the other young man deflected the strike with the flat of his blade.
Aquamarine orbs flared green, his blade and the hand holding it blurring as he launched a flurry of thrusts, a grin on his face, and Cloud whirled out of the way, flipping backwards and rolling clear of the blade's razor sharp edge.
Parry.
Their blades met and Cloud grunted with effort, sliding backwards a few feet, his muscles straining as he tried his best to deflect the assault.
'So strong…!'
He lunged and their skulls cracked together with enough force to make his vision swim and his temples throb painfully. Still, he didn't let the momentary discomfort faze him as he twisted the Buster Sword, disarming the brunette; he smashed the flat of the blade into his opponent, sending him smashing into the ground and creating a long, narrow rut in the soft earth.
For a moment, neither moved: the blonde panting and leaning heavily on his weapon, the brunette splayed out on his back, his limbs akimbo.
Finally, Cloud straightened, wiping his arm across his brow. "You okay?"
No response.
His stomach flipped worriedly as his weapon clattered to the floor and he hurried over to the fallen warrior's side. As he crouched down, reaching out to touch the brunette's shoulder, one incredibly blue eye opened. "Hey, watch how you treat that thing. It means a lot to me."
If only Cloud could find a way to express that the man meant even more.
"Don't give me that look, kid. You did good." The compliment made him grin, though the smile dropped an instant later as he leaped backwards to avoid long legs as they swung outwards in a windmill motion. "Let's continue."
…
Members of SOLDIER were allowed certain privileges that Shinra's other military forces were not and that included the use of the showers and sauna located at the center of the extensive training facility.
Cloud sighed, the air hot and heavy around him as he leaned back against the wooden wall, a towel draped loosely around his hips. He closed his eyes, relaxing fully for a rare moment, only to tense as the door slid open.
"You've improved a lot, Cloud."
For a moment, the blonde didn't respond, his mind too busy tracing along the lean lines of the other male's body, down to a muscled abdomen at the bottom of which a trail of black hair lead the gaze even further south to—
He thanked the Planet that it was hazy because he could feel his cheeks burn as he tore his gaze away. The imagination was a dangerous thing.
"Th-thanks."
The brunette plopped down on the bench across from him, grinning, and Cloud cleared his throat, studiously keeping his eyes anywhere but on toned, tanned perfection.
"I've been meaning to tell you, I'll be heading out to the field soon."
Ba-bump. "Oh…"
As SOLDIER second class, he didn't get nearly as many missions as the older man, who had just recently been promoted to first class. That meant they didn't see much of each other, unless there was a rare moment of down time.
He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice that the brunette had come closer until he said, "Don't look so down, kid. I'll be back soon," somewhere near his ear.
His heart skipped a beat. "What a-are you doing?"
Long, slim fingers wrapped loosely around what was instantly erect, throbbing flesh, sliding along its length, and the blonde hissed, his back arching.
"I'm saying goodbye properly."
The press of lips against his own made him whimper, the blood rushing elsewhere with an urgency that made his head spin. At least he wasn't blushing anymore—there just wasn't enough crimson left to stain his cheeks.
"Don't miss me too much, okay?"
"A-ah…"
However you defined it, this man…
"Zack…!"
Their eyes locked and that crooked grin became something a bit more… Hungry. As their lips met a second time—gently; a promise of more to come—the blonde wrapped one arm around the taller man, his free hand slipping between their sweat-slicked bodies as they moved in unison.
This man was and would always be his hero.
-Fin-
I'll work my way up from here, I swear o_e This isn't my forte, so feedback is greatly appreciated.