Includes lyrics excerpt from Poe, "Haunted"; I do not own the song nor do I make money from it. It was used purely to set the mood.

He was dreaming. Cloud was dreaming, his head was spinning. Was this a dream? He couldn't really tell, but it just had to be a dream.

He had awoken to find himself with a leg hiked up and dangling lazily over Reno's chest, one of his hands curled possessively around a lock of Reno's red hair. The light was still on over the bed, and it was still dark outside. He shifted slightly and leaned up using the arm he had been laying on, not wanting to let go of one inch of that soft hair. A clock on the wall near a window read 4:38 AM. He fell back onto the pillow and shifted again so that he was pressed against his lover. The calming still of the night lulled him into memories, and he lay there, thinking of his past.

He had once been happy and it seemed like so long ago, training at Shinra alongside his mentor and best friend, Zack Fair. Things went wrong, so very wrong. He remembered the smell and pain of forced excessive mako seeping in through his skin, coursing through his veins, being pumped into his body at an accelerated speed. He remembered being in Hojo's lab, poked and prodded like a piece of meat. Laying on the cold, steel table, he could see Zack nearby on another table, undergoing the same foul treatment by Hojo's own hand. A flash, and he could remember Zack dying on that hillside, remembered stumbling back to Midgar, haunted by memories. Sephiroth.... Cloud shuddered, suddenly very cold. He trembled as he remembered the death of Aerith, defeating Sephiroth... then coming back to work for Shinra after the fact. Hell, he had helped rebuild Shinra. Not only had he come back to catch more secret glimpses of Reno, but he had also been desperate for work of any kind, especially after his and Tifa's delivery service bottomed out. Tifa was now holed up in the slums with her friend Johnny, soon to be married. Cloud was... he was....

He glanced over at Reno and was surprised to see him awake, staring back at him with the same blue eyes as his.

"Hi."

Cloud startled at the sound of Reno's smooth voice. "Hi back," he said, trying to give him a smile. Reno reached over and stroked Cloud's cheek softly. "You didn't leave."

Cloud felt a puzzled look wash over his face. "No. Why would I?" he asked Reno, his eyes trying to search his lover's eyes for an explanation. Had Reno wanted him to leave? Surely not. Reno smiled back at Cloud and snuggled in closer to him. "This is so unlike me. A hardened Turk like me shouldn't be snuggling and relaxed. We Turks are trained to be hard and always alert. Somehow... Somehow it's not reality, though. We're still human beings," he told the blond. Cloud nodded.

"Reno, there's something I've got to tell you." He could feel Reno stiffen by the tone of his voice, almost pulling away, afraid that Cloud was going to tell him that this had all been a mistake. Cloud averted his eyes and spoke. "When Zack and I were in Hojo's lab, we had a lot of experiments done on us. A lot. I wanted to tell you... that if something ever seems wrong with me, please just let it pass. It always passes." Reno nodded and pulled Cloud as close as he could, laying a soft kiss to his temple. "You'll be alright with me, Cloud. I won't let anything harm you - not memories, not the present - nothing. Besides, I know about what he did to you and Zack. It's classified information that we Turks had to know about."

"I just can't believe this. You and me. I feel like i'm dreaming and i'm going to wake up. Why can't I feel this way forever?" Cloud said aloud, almost breaking into a sob, but he held it back.

"Yo, we've worked together for a long, long time. We go way back, you and me. It's not like we're complete strangers," Reno said. Cloud shook his head. "Yeah, but we are. We've barely spoken to each other twice over the past ten years," he said. Reno chuckled. "Yeah, but that doesn't matter to me. And Cloud? You can feel this way forever."

Cloud inhaled quickly and felt his pulse quicken. With trembling lips, he said, "Do you know how long I've waited for you?"

Reno's muscles stiffened when he heard what Cloud had just said.

"Reno…"

Cloud was sitting up now, looking Reno directly into his eyes. "Reno," he repeated. Reno finally came down from the sky and answered, "I just realized something." "Huh?" Cloud asked, startled; it seemed Reno was avoiding what he had said, but he had no reason to worry. "I not only love you, but I'm in love with you. I'm completely in love with you. There's a difference there," Reno replied. He heard Cloud let out a deep breath, as if he had been holding it for some time. He laughed. "Calm down, Cloud. I'm not going anywhere. It's just... damn, you're something else." He gave Cloud a lop-sided grin and Cloud grinned back.

"What's that?" Cloud startled and sat up, as he finally noticed a loud pulsating sound vibrating through the hotel room's walls. They both cocked their heads to listen, recognizing the sound as music coming from the hotel's bar. Someone was getting rowdy. Reno laughed loudly. "Karaoke." Cloud grabbed the pillow underneath his head and shoved it over his face, stifling laughter that threatened to overtake him. "Oh gods, she sounds just awful!" They lay in bed laughing until tears came, then Reno realized that he recognized the voice. "Elena?? What in hell is she doing here?" Cloud removed the pillow from his face, revealing a red face and tear-streaked cheeks. "Right. So this proves that... she knows the words to 'Funkytown'??" Cloud said, laughing even harder. "I didn't know Elena was into disco. What's she doing here, and where the fuck is Rude? Why has he let this happen?!" Reno shouted, still laughing and crying at the same time. They collapsed onto each other, the bed shaking and creaking with their movements.

"Get dressed. We're going in," Reno said with a wicked grin. Cloud returned the grin and jumped up to grab his clothes. They got dressed as quickly as they could and took off down the hallway after Reno grabbed his cigarettes. When they got into the bar, Reno ordered a bottle of hot sake' and directed Cloud to the table closest to the Karaoke stage. Rude was already at the table, his trademark sunglasses hanging halfway off of his bald head, passed out with his head resting on a pile of broken corn chips. Reno slapped him on the back and kicked him in the ass through the back of the chair. "Yo! Partner!"

Rude jumped up, fists out in front of him, ready to fight. When he looked around and realized where he was, he sat back down and put his head into his hands, groaning. "Damn it, Reno. Why'd you have to do that?" he asked, giving the redhead the evil eye. Reno slapped him on the back again and said, "The night's still young, partner. Your girl's making a fool out of herself and I've got some sake' on the way." Rude let out a soft moan. "No. No more sake'," he said, holding his stomach. "When have you ever turned down sake', Rude?" Reno asked him. "Now," Rude moaned. "I'm going back to my room," he added. "Elena!" he shouted up at the stage, waving to get her attention. Elena had just finished her horrible rendition of the disco hit and stumbled down to him, a cigarette dangling from between her fingers that had seemed to have burned down hours ago. "Hi, lover," she giggled. Rude gave her a look. "Elena, get a hold of yourself. Let's go back to the room." Elena flushed with excitement. "Oh? Are you going to give me your special something-something?" she said huskily. Rude coughed and nudged her toward the door. Looking back at Reno and Cloud, he said, "See you guys later. Gonna go sleep it off." He picked Elena up and put her over his shoulder, and they left, Elena still giggling wildly.

Reno rolled his eyes. "Still don't know why they're here," he said to Cloud, then poured himself and Cloud some of the sake'. He toasted Cloud with his cup. "To you. To my Cloud. To new beginnings," he said. Cloud blushed and raised his cup slightly. They drank in silence. After finishing off the bottle, they helped each other back to their room. They undressed and flopped down onto the bed together, not even bothering to say goodnight to one another, and promptly passed out.

Whether it was just old memories that his mind had conjured up, or whether it was the alcohol and weed he and Reno and smoked earlier, Cloud had a terrifying dream about being back in Hojo's lab. This felt so real to him. He could feel himself struggling against the needles going into his body, could see Zack silently pleading with him to try to calm down, that everything would be over soon: panicking would only make things worse, he remembered Zack telling him during training - long before the Nibelheim incident.

He woke up with a shout and fell from bed with a crash and lay in the dark, panting and trying to separate the thin line of "just a dream" and a memory. Reno was leaning over the bed, staring at Cloud. "Hey, yo! You alright?" he said, extending a hand to Cloud. Cloud hesitated for a moment, then grasped Reno's hand and let him pull him back onto the bed. Cloud sat down and felt Reno's arms wrap protectively around him, felt himself sinking back into Reno, relaxing. "Had a bad dream," Cloud muttered. "I'm here, am I not?" Reno asked, kissing the back of Cloud's neck. "Mmm... Yes you are," Cloud replied, turning around to kiss Reno full on the mouth. He couldn't believe how quickly his emotions had changed from being scared to wanting Reno, but he let this emotion carry him like he was floating on a gentle stream. He lazily sucked at Reno's lower lip then seized him by the hair and plundered his mouth like there would be no tomorrow. Who knows if there will be a tomorrow?,Cloud thought. Here and now, had to have him again.

"You are like a drug," he hissed into Reno's ear. Reno grabbed Cloud by the shoulders and shoved him firmly but gently onto the pillow. "And you want a hit, don't you?" Reno chided seductively and nipped at Cloud's neck, drawing blood. Cloud hissed at him but did nothing to stop him. He let Reno take him once again, nothing held back. Gentle hands cupped his ass and lifted him. He felt Reno penetrate him, could feel him thrusting smoothly into still-wet territory. They flipped and Cloud was impaled on Reno's cock; a new position, a new sensation - and he loved it all the same. He could feel Reno's hands gliding gently up and down his spine as he rode Reno into oblivion, up to the sky, past the Lifestream. Here, nothing else mattered except for the look in his lover's eyes as they came together and collapsed onto the bed drenched in sweat.

This. This is not a dream.

He lay there with Reno's eyes searching his deeply. Reno hummed a song from so long ago, which was soon lulling Cloud into a deep sleep.

"Haunted. I'm haunted. I'll always want you. I'll always need you. I'll always love you."

He didn't dream it when Reno vocalized "love you". And his heart smiled.

"Mornin'," Reno said to Cloud whenever he woke up, surprised to see that he was already awake. Cloud shifted and snuggled closer to Reno. "A good morning it is," he replied, and felt Reno's arm wrap smoothly around his shoulders. He held Cloud close like that for some time, not wanting the peaceful morning-after bliss to end. He knew it would have to eventually, though, when he realized that he needed to pee badly. He pulled away from Cloud, which left the blond groaning in protest. "I'll only be gone a minute," Reno laughed. "I know," Cloud said, and added, "But I was enjoying your warmth. It's cold in here." He was only telling half the truth; the other part he didn't voice was, 'I need you'. He didn't want to seem too clingy so fast, even though Reno seemed to be okay with the situation: wasn't calling him "my Cloud" clingy enough? Cloud didn't know how to answer his own question, but knew he didn't mind Reno calling him that. He wanted, needed to belong to someone. Things had happened quickly. Cloud wasn't even sure where all of this was headed. All he knew was that they both had confessed their love to each other, and, hell -- that they were great in bed together.

He leaned back on the pillow and arched his neck a little, stealing a peek at Reno in the bathroom. Cloud gasped when he saw how beautiful Reno looked -- still completely nude, his back arched and his hips tilted slightly forward to pee, head slowly rolling from left to right to awaken his muscles, his long red hair hanging down in a loose ponytail. The morning sunlight seemed to make his pale skin glow with a heavenly light. An angel. Reno heard Cloud gasp and turned to look in his direction. Cloud averted his eyes and blushed, not wanting Reno to think that he was getting off on watching him take a piss. But, oh…. the thought was there. He found his toes slightly curling at the knowledge that he had just spied on Reno during what should have been a private moment. However, he had left the door open.... and Reno was standing there with a cocky grin on his face. "Ah, you can come watch if you want, but I'm pretty much done here." Cloud shook his head furiously and buried his face into his pillow. Gods, how embarrassing.

Reno stumbled back to the bed and lay down, arms behind his head, sighing contentedly. "Much better," he said. "You hungry?" Cloud turned his head on the pillow and nodded. "A bit," he told the Turk. "Good. I'm going to take your gorgeous ass to breakfast," Reno said, giving Cloud another lopsided grin.

"You keep talking like that, and you'll be my breakfast."

Reno snickered. "Pretty bold, aren't you?" he asked Cloud and moved his arms to wrap them around him.

"No. Just.... infatuated."

"Pffft. You love me," Reno nudged him with his shoulder. "Well, yeah, but I can be infatuated at the same time," Cloud said thoughtfully, nestling himself into the warmth he felt in Reno's arms. "Hmm. Tell me again," Reno said, his eyes closed, a contented smile on his face. "I love you." The words rolled off of Cloud's tongue like heaven, his hot breath tickling Reno's neck. He let out a soft sigh and kissed him where his breath had landed, making Reno murmur words he almost hadn't heard.

"...make you mine forever."

Cloud closed his eyes. Forever? Impossible. A brazen Turk like Reno, a soft-spoken man like Cloud. Forever seemed impossible. But right now, he wanted to believe it. He felt it.

"Reno..." Cloud let his words drift off into the unknown, just wanted to say his name aloud, though his words were cut off with a kiss from Reno. Hot, moist lips covered his own and all words were stolen for the moment. Breaking the kiss, Reno pressed his forehead against Cloud's. "I'm going to make you mine. Forever. Don't you forget that," Reno whispered. Cloud felt as if he would cry, but he held it back. "Don't hide from me, lover," he heard Reno whisper. "Let it out."

"No."

"It's okay. One day you will. And when it happens, I'll be here," Reno said, brushing Cloud's cheek with his thumb and leaning forward for another kiss. Cloud let himself relax into the kiss, felt fingers drifting to his spine, a hand on his ass. "Ngh, Reno... Food."

"Alright. We eat. Then i'm bringing you back to the room and taking a shower. After that, we can play some cards and knit sweaters," Reno chuckled deviously. "Ah, yeah right," Cloud laughed. He knew very well what Reno had in mind, and wished that his stomach growling had not come between making the morning much better than it already was.

They got dressed quietly and they walked to a small cafe not far from the hotel. Reno chose a corner booth and they sat across from one another, browsing through the menus their waitress had given them. They ordered enough food to feed a small army, but that was just in their nature. Shinra employees enhanced with mako like themselves had to eat more to get their fill, had to drink more to get drunk. They healed faster and their senses were incredibly heightened, and sex? Cloud had just realized that recovery time between trysts was awe-inspiring. He let out a small laugh. "Reno, Shinra made us sex gods." He explained to Reno what he was thinking about, and Reno laughed loudly. "Makes me wonder if it's the same with Elena and Rude," he said off-handedly.

"Gods, no wonder they're always sneaking off to hide away together," Cloud laughed. Reno lifted his chin and gave Cloud a quick nod. "Hey, c'mere." Cloud got up and slid into the booth on Reno's side, happy to have Reno's arm around him. "How'd this all happen so fast?" Reno asked, reaching for his fork with one hand when their food arrived, delving into a fluffy mound of scrambled eggs. Cloud bit into a piece of buttered toast and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just going with it," he replied. Reno nodded. "Yeah, I'm not going to argue." They ate in silence, wolfing everything down and finishing it off with glasses of chocolate milk. Reno leaned back in the booth, patting his stuffed belly. "That was gooooood," he groaned. "What's for dessert?" Cloud smirked. "Silly. No one normally has dessert after breakfast," he told Reno. His heart fluttered when he felt Reno's fingertips lightly crawling up his leg underneath the table, to stroke Cloud through his pants.

"Ahh, hey..."

"What?" Reno asked, mischievously grinning. "I can't have my lover for dessert?" He gave a gentle squeeze to Cloud's groin, sending a flush to Cloud's pale cheeks. Cloud cleared his throat and finished his last sip of milk.

"Check... Please?"