Square owns the characters, their likenesses and the locations. Not me, I just write this for fun, not for money. Not even for cookies. Or peanuts. I'm hungry, dang it.

I'll warn you again, this is shounen-ai, ok?

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Chapter One

Relaxing

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The parade and most of the victorious speeches were finally over, but the festivities were still going on in the houses and on the streets. Cloud watched it all through a window and stretched his healed arm in the spacious sleeve of his kimono, groaning quietly as bone and muscle protested being moved. It would still take a few weeks before he could use his sword as well as before, but he didn't really mind. The invaders had been pushed back, and even if ShinRa wanted to attack again, it would be months, maybe years before they'd be able to gather enough of an army to be a serious threat. The Wutaians could enjoy the peace for a while now.

He loved the place, especially now when it was peaceful, but he'd fallen in love with Wutai during the war. Cloud wasn't a native, but he had started to wish he was. After everything he'd done in the war, he guessed that no one would mind if he started to call himself one.

The war between Wutai and ShinRa had been going on for generations. No one probably knew anymore what had started it off in the first place, but the latest reason was that ShinRa wanted the land. This particular war had been going on for a few years already when he'd been called into it. The Wutaians knew their land and could keep it, but nothing could change the fact that there were more than ten ShinRa troopers to one Wutaian. The invaders had started to make slow but sure progress, ending up threatening the main city of the small continent.

The door to the room opened quietly and Cloud tilted his head a little, listening to the footsteps, recognizing Sephiroth immediately. He had been expecting a maid, coming in to ask if he was alright and if he needed anything. Why did they have to ask that every five minutes? Just because he'd been too tired to sit with Lord Godo and politicians for yet a sixth hour they assumed that he was just about to die. He had felt kind of guilty, though, leaving Sephiroth to the mercy of the boring old men. Lord Godo had himself lead the troops to war for the first year or so, until he had been injured severely, but the politicians were your usual group of pedants and penny pinchers.

Sephiroth stopped just behind him, looking out of the window over his head, lifting one hand to his shoulder. "Love, are you-"

"If you ask if I'm alright, I swear I'll do what every ShinRa dog dreamed of for the last few years and finally cut your head off, Sephiroth." Cloud quickly said, making the older man chuckle. Hand left the shoulder to ruffle the stubborn blond spikes of his hair.

"I was going to ask if you're up for a wrestle match in the bedroom, but since you're like that, I'll take it back..." the general whispered to his ear, making the short hairs in the back of Cloud's neck stand up.

"Tease."

Sephiroth had been fighting in the war after the first year. He was a native Wutaian, his mother's family line going back centuries, even though his father had been a foreigner. He had long, silvery hair that cascaded freely down to his hips, and jade eyes that almost glowed. He'd realized at a very young age that he was a natural fighter and strategist, and had gone to his father's homeland in the north, to find his family and to learn how to best use his skills. There he had been approached by a group that called itself the Peacemakers, even though they were all elite soldiers and spellcasters. But they had sworn to only raise their weapons to accomplish peace, not to sow more war. Sephiroth had accepted, feeling that their ideals were similar to his. He had studied and fought with the group for over five years, after which he'd trained others and fought in a few battles, until the war in his home had brought him back. About a year of futile fighting later, when he'd realized how grave the situation was turning to, he'd contacted the Peacemakers and asked for them to send some help. They had sent him Cloud.

When he'd first seen the short, skinny blond boy with a sword as heavy as he was and almost as tall, Sephiroth had wondered if this was some sort of a joke. But Cloud had given him a letter from the leaders of the small group, stating that he was an excellent spellcaster and a good swordsman to boot. And, at the moment, the only one the group could afford to send, most of them on other assignments.

Cloud was mainly a spellcaster, and even though they sometimes trained with the fighters, the members of the two clans, as they were called, rarely knew a lot of each other. Sephiroth couldn't remember ever seeing the boy before, but had soon noticed that he was indeed worth the trust the group had in him. A few more Peacemakers had been sent during the next months. Slowly the tide of war had started to turn again and they had almost crushed their enemy a few weeks earlier, until a suicide attacker from ShinRa's side had gotten inside their lines and exploded in the middle of their shabby barracks, killing a third of the small number they'd had left. Cloud had been unfortunately close to the explosion, his right arm had been broken in two places, leaving him unable to use his sword or cast most of his more powerful spells. But the attack had angered the Wutaians to their limit. With their innate stubbornness and sheer rage, they'd gone over the lines in a wild rush, and destroyed the invaders to the last man. It had been a massacre, but a necessary one. Sephiroth had led the attack while Cloud had used his powers to hide them from the enemy's eyes until they were close. And they had won.

How the two of them had become lovers was another story.

They stood still for a while, just watching the happy people around the town. The apartment they'd been given for as long as they wanted to stay in Wutai was on the second floor of a large, midtown building. Actually, the apartment WAS the second floor, and the house was larger than most because it had more than three floors. Only the pagoda just outside town was higher.

Cloud let out a happy sigh. The war was over, they'd had a week of nothing but rest after it, and now all they had to do was sit back and enjoy the festivities and watch life turn back to normal, only with the exception that there weren't many men left in the country, only children and old men and those who had been sent home after being injured too badly to fight anymore. But everyone knew that ShinRa wouldn't be able to attack again anytime soon, and that was enough for now.

"Do you wish he was here?" The small blond finally broke the silence, actually startling the general.

"Hmm? Who?"

"Zack."

"Oh." Sephiroth smiled a little, thinking of his most promising student yet. "Well I wouldn't mind seeing him, but the company had some other job for him to take care of, more suitable for his skills than this war. And I wouldn't have wanted him witnessing all that."

Just before leaving the Peacemakers for a mission Sephiroth had taken a student, a young man from a small nowheresville called Gongaga. The boy was called Zack and he had shown great promise and a good spirit for fighting and, more importantly, diplomacy, getting along with all kinds of people. He and Sephiroth had taken a liking to each other immediately, and the boy had left with him, deciding to rather learn all he could from him in real life battles than staying in the barracks. Zack had been given an assignment of a more diplomatic nature a few months before Sephiroth had left to the war, but they had been in touch constantly with letters and telegrams. And the general had talked so much of him that Cloud felt he already knew Zack even though he'd never met the man.

"But you don't mind that I had to see all of it?" Cloud asked, smiling slightly although he knew that the general couldn't see him. Two strong arms wrapped around him and a kiss was planted on his bare neck, sending shivers up and down his spine. He had to close his eyes and fight back a happy purr.

"Love, you know that if I could protect you from all that is wrong in this world, I would." Sephiroth whispered quietly and earnestly into his ear.

"I know." Cloud whispered back and turned around, moving as little as possible, not wanting to lose the feeling of the strong arms around him. He leaned his head against the taller man's chest and listened to the strong heartbeats. The war was really over, and they could just stand like this without fearing that a surprise attack or an incoming missile would interrupt them.

"Too bad that you're just too stubborn to stay out of harm's way..."

"Meanie."

"You know, I do believe that it was your incredible wit and your way with words that attracted me so much in the beginning..." Sephiroth was now fighting back laughter while Cloud punched him in the gut lightly. The general pretended that he'd taken nothing less than a killing hit to the stomach and stumbled backwards, moaning and gasping for air. The spellcaster pouted and crossed his arms over his chest, but soon a smile fought and won the pout.

Sephiroth finally collapsed into a pile of pillows on the floor, rubbing his stomach. "Love, I think your arm is fine." He sat up and smiled like a Cheshire cat. "Now how about you use it to get rid of that over-sized kimono and scoot on over here..."

Some time later, the maid guessed that they didn't need anything and rushed away, the noises of pleasure audible through the closed door.

Days moved on in Wutai, slow and peaceful as the flow of life turned back to building and sowing in stead of burying and fighting. Sephiroth went to visit his mother's family and introduced Cloud to them, also showing him where his father was buried. Lady Meriko hadn't taken part in the war herself, but had donated most of her money, jewels and all the food the household could spare to the fighters. She had been thrilled to meet the man who had captured her son's heart, even though she had regretted the fact that she wouldn't have any grandchildren to play with. But eventually, her son's happiness meant more, and in days when the Wutaians once again were just thrilled to be alive, she had given their love her blessing and welcomed the blond to her family.

"I'm still sure your great aunt cursed me somehow..." Cloud muttered as they lounged in a chocobo-carriage, on their way back to the town of Wutai. "She kept giving me odd looks. The evil eye." He made an evil face, trying to imitate the old woman. Sephiroth shook his head, amused, and kissed the blond spikes.

"Don't mind her, love, she's a bit too conservative for her own good. Mother thought you were a doll."

"A what?" The spellcaster frowned and sat up, leaving his lover slouching on the pillows, holding the reins casually.

The general shrugged and leaned on the pillows the younger man had vacated. "A sweetheart. Cute. A doll. Auntie just can't understand that you're not a girl. But it's her problem, not ours. Now come back here, my body is missing you already!"

The blond smiled and laid back down on the soft floor of the small carriage, curling up to a little ball inside the languid 'c' his lover was forming. The chocobo knew the way back to town, they didn't need to give it directions as it jogged over the uneven terrain. The carriage was well suspended and just swayed a little, like a cradle.

"Seph?"

"Yes?"

"Are you really planning on leaving back to north next week? Already?"

The silver-haired man got up to lean on his elbow, looking down at the blue eyes. "Well, yes. I've been away for about four years now, and I'm sure they'd all like to see what's become of you. We should report in, before they send someone after us."

Cloud nodded slowly and stretched. "All right. It's just a shame that we have to leave here so soon. So soon after the war ended, I mean. I would have liked to see more of Wutai."

"Don't worry, love..." Sephiroth muttered, smiling, and lay back down after glancing to see if they were still far from town. Still a few more hours to go. "... as soon as we're done there, we can return here, or go wherever we want. No more fighting for us for the next few months, we'll be absolutely free. Maybe you'll even take me to see your home."

The blond laughed quietly and shook his head, imagining what their appearance in his home would cause. His family had always lived in a small town called Nibelheim, around the middle of what was called the Great Western Continent. The name was given by ShinRa, of course, to whom the continent of Wutai, the real western continent, was just more land to be conquered. "I don't know if they'd be as thrilled to meet you as your family was to meet me. But it would be good to see home again."

"You've never told me much about your home and family." Sephiroth muttered and buried his head into the golden-blond spikes, twirling the long braid around his fingers.

"There isn't much to tell. My father and brother died in a far-off war when I was just a child. We've always been warriors, generation after generation gone off to war and rarely returned. Mom never liked it much, and wasn't too thrilled when I said I want to learn how to fight as well. She was a bit more pleased when I became a spellcaster, she thought I'd stay in the back row like all good little throwers. But nope."

"You had to go and learn the way of the sword?"

"Yep. But you know all this, and there really isn't anything more. I'm sure that Nibelheim is even smaller than the area around the pagoda. There are mountains around it, so the area is fairly large, but there were only a few families living there when I last visited. Might be that there are even fewer now."

"I'd still like to see it. Especially if they are all as cute as you are." Sephiroth said and closed his eyes as Cloud punched him playfully.

"Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you? Your very own little harem, in the middle of nowhere..."

"Ohh yes... until that, I just have to make do with you..." The general started to open Cloud's kimono, and unbutton the shirt the blond wore beneath it. Blue eyes went wide as Sephiroth's lips met his chest.

"Seph, we're in a carriage!"

"So?"

"Well, the... the chocobo might see!"

"Again, so?"

"... It might want to join us?" Cloud offered, completely flustered by now. Sephiroth pushed himself up a bit and looked at the blond with a strange expression.

"... Well, with your hair like that, it just might think you're a chocobo as well."

"Seph!"

"The chocobo won't mind, I'm sure it's heard worse. Now stop squirming, getting this thing open is hard enough as it is..."

Cloud was still sleeping soundly on the morning of their departure from Wutai, when Sephiroth, already washed, clothed and ready to leave, burst into their bedroom and pulled the curtains open, letting the warm spring sun stream into the room. The blond moaned on the bed, too comfortable and ready to sleep until midday.

"Wake up, love. We have to get ready."

Cloud just pulled the blanket over his head. Sephiroth shook his head, smirked, grabbed the sheets and yanked them off from underneath the young man, just about throwing him into the air. Cloud yelped and grabbed the blanket, wide awake as he fell back to the bed. The general leaned over him and planted a kiss just above the wide blue eyes.

"Hurry now, you don't want to miss the ceremonies. Lord Godo intends to send us off with a bang."

"Actually, that sounds scary. Is he going to shoot us out of a cannon or something?" Cloud muttered, yawned and reluctantly got up. Sephiroth was already throwing him some clothes and finishing packing the rest.

"I have some good news, I just got a message from Zack, he'll also be returning from his mission. You'll finally get to meet him."

"Oh?" Cloud pulled a shirt over his head and stood up, trying to get his hair to resemble something like a normal human being's. Back with the Peacemakers his hair had all been long enough to be tied down neatly into the long braid that hung to the middle of his back, but when he'd entered the war, he'd cut it short in the front so that the helmet would be easier and less hot to wear. But by now the short hairs had grown enough that they stood up in stubborn spikes. Well, up, and to every other direction. "I should never have cut this..." he muttered, making Sephiroth turn around. The general smiled when he saw the reason of his lover's worries.

"But do you remember how hot it was? With the helmet, and all that hair? It's common that soldiers cut their hair like that. It'll grow."

Cloud shrugged and dropped the hopeless task. He should be happy that the biggest worry in his life at the moment was that his hair wouldn't co-operate. He braided the rest of it and got dressed. By then Sephiroth had finished packing, and they had to leave for the farewell-ceremony.

Lord Godo gave a long speech about all of the things they had done for Wutai, and how they would always be welcome back. Sephiroth responded that they had only done little, that the people of Wutai had fought the hardest. Both speeches were applauded and cheered by the gathering of townspeople. Godo's young daughter, Yuffie, presented them with small parting gifts and two chocobos to give them speed on their journey.

After many thank-you's and promises to return, they mounted the large birds and started their journey. Both had only light back bags for food and clothes, and their weapons. The colourful kimonos they'd been presented with were neatly packed in, they were both wearing more casual travel wear. The sun was shining and the world was turning green, rushing towards a peaceful summer. They were riding south, across the battlefields, towards the point where Wutai's continent was closest to the other one, where a ferry would take them over the stretch of water. From there they'd travel north, past the Nibel Mountains and a mining town called North Corel, across the deserts and mountains, all the way to the northern continent where the Peacemakers worked from, a secluded little place beyond Bone Village and the Sleeping Forest. Some said that ancient spirits, keepers of the Planet had once lived in the valley that was now the base of their operations, and only those who made it past the forest, wanting to join the group, were accepted.

It took them almost two blessedly peaceful and warm days to reach the peninsula, and another half a day for the ferry to arrive on their side. The first tourists were already aboard it, and greeted them happily, not knowing who they were. The few Wutaian merchants who crossed the water with them knew better, and even though they were very respectful towards them, the young women chatted with them for most of the journey. To be more precise, they chatted with Sephiroth while Cloud was hanging over the railing, trying not to throw up everything he'd eaten in the last two days.

"You all right, love?" Sephiroth asked quietly when the approaching shore was only a few hundred feet away from them. "We're almost there."

"... Great..." Cloud squeaked and lifted a hand. "I'm fine. Just... don't rock the boat, ok?"

"I couldn't even if I tried. I'll take care of our things and the chocobos, you concentrate on walking off this thing on your own two feet, love." Sephiroth said, fighting down a smile, knowing that even if Cloud couldn't see it, he could hear it in his voice.

"... Bite me..."

The general laughed and went to get the chocobos ready.

More tourists were waiting to board the ferry on the Western continent as the men rode off it, and straight towards east. The next day they passed one of ShinRa's bases, where they had been building a rocket of sorts, but the project had been abandoned when the latest war had become too costly. Some people, technicians and workers, still lived around it, and called their home Rocket Town. But the two men rode past it, towards the Nibel Mountains which they passed from the north. After that, it would be mostly a desert and a few mountains as they traveled almost straight to the north.

"Few more days and we'll be there." Sephiroth said as they camped for the night, having passed the Nibel Mountains around noon that day. They had agreed to visit Nibelheim after they'd leave the Peacemakers, and decide then where they wanted to go next. Cloud had been a bit disappointed when Sephiroth had suggested that they might take Zack along as well, but the general had soon taken the thought back, saying that he'd rather have THEIR holiday alone. No matter how much he liked Zack, he was looking forward to months of just the two of them.

"Well give our report, see what's going on, and head out. Sky will be the limit then, love." The silver-haired man promised, smiling at his lover. He had tied his long hair to a high warrior's ponytail again, to keep it out of his eyes. It didn't help much, but at least it kept the stubborn bangs in check.

Cloud nodded, too relaxed to say anything, too happy to just be alive. And in love. Sephiroth moved closer and wrapped an arm around the younger man's shoulders. He wasn't much older than the blond, five or six years, maybe, but the height difference made Cloud seem so young when compared to him. The spellcaster was barely five and a half feet tall, although he claimed that he was still growing. Sephiroth himself was over six feet tall, with a frame to match. He wasn't overly muscular, but very strong and fast.

And he had no problems pressing Cloud down to the large blanket they sat on. The blond didn't fight back, only smiled as the general started to kiss his neck while a hand wandered underneath his shirt.

Cloud ran his hand through the silvery hair, eyes half closed as they both started to get aroused. It brought up the weirdest thought, and the blond had to say it out loud. "You know, I bet we'd make such pretty children..."

Sephiroth's eyes flew open and he almost inhaled Cloud's long braid, so badly the thought threw him off his tracks. "What!"

"Just thinking. Wouldn't you like to have a kid with me? You know, a tiny version of the both of us..." He looked at a very baffled Sephiroth, smirked and touched the tip of the general's nose with his finger. "Gotcha."

Sephiroth roared and started to tickle the spellcaster mercilessly, rolling on top of the younger man to keep his legs from kicking. Cloud screamed with laughter and tried to squirm away, but the general managed to pin his arms above his head while one hand continued to tickle until his lover was gasping for air. Then he lowered his head to kiss the smaller man, and released the hands, bringing both of his to caress the blond's sides instead of torturing them.

Their lips parted long enough that Sephiroth could pull Cloud's shirt over his head, and then he lowered himself to the bare chest before the blond started to shiver with the evening's chill. They continued exploring each others mouths while Cloud struggled to open Sephiroth's belts and release the general from his clothes.

They made love underneath the stars and afterwards cuddled together for the night, wrapped up in their blankets, and soon fell asleep.

Morning came almost too early; the first rays of the sun woke them. They had a brief breakfast and mounted their chocobos, chatting and throwing suggestions where they might go from Nibelheim.

"I'd like to see the Gold Saucer, even though it's ShinRa's..." Cloud said, shading his eyes with an arm while Sephiroth played with his camera. They weren't going fast, there was no hurry, they let the chocobos jog along, side by side.

The silver-haired man shrugged and took a photo of his lover without Cloud noticing. "I've seen it, it's not as great as it's made out to be."

"Meanie. I've wanted to see it since I was a kid. Dad promised to take us, but then he went off to war and..." the blond trailed off and tried the puppy eyes on the general.

"All right, all right! I'll take you to the damned Gold Saucer! Happy?" Sephiroth gave in, laughing. Cloud smirked and nodded.

"Thank you, master!"

"But only because I'm too tired to fight you now... first, once isn't enough, and when you finally let me get some sleep, you keep me up all night, talking again." The general mock complained, smiling as he saw the blush creeping on Cloud's face. The blond had a habit of talking in his sleep, and Sephiroth enjoyed teasing him about it. But Cloud had learned to tease right back.

"Oh sorry, did I call someone else's name again? I was having such a... hot dream..." he looked at Sephiroth from underneath his eyelashes, almost driving the older man mad.

The general reached over and tugged at the braid, hanging on Cloud's back. "And you call me tease?"

Cloud stuck his tongue out and smirked. "Pull the other one, dear, it has bells on..."

"I think you're confusing bells with balls, love."

"Oh that is the worst joke ever!"

"I know." Sephiroth smirked but froze when there was a sudden metallic sound. He lifted his hand and the chocobos stopped before they could take another step.

"What was that..." the general muttered, cocking his head to the sight to hear better. Cloud reached for his materia and looked around. He could feel his mount shiver and let out a curious warble.

"What is it, boy? You hear something?" the spellcaster whispered and patted the bird's neck.

"Cloud. Don't move one inch. Keep him still." Sephiroth said suddenly, his voice almost unnaturally calm.

"Why?"

"He just stepped onto a landmine. Why the hell is there a landmine in the middle of the desert?" Sephiroth growled and slowly guided his mount towards the other one. Cloud froze but forced himself calm lest he'd worry the animal and make it move.

"Love..." Sephiroth was now so close they could touch hands, "very carefully, reach out to me. I'll pull you to my arms, and take off."

"But... what about him?" Cloud whispered, stroking the chocobo's neck.

"It's either it or you and it. I'd rather keep you in one piece, love." The general grinned desperately, reaching out to him, inching his mount closer whilst keeping it ready to run at any moment. Cloud slowly lifted his legs underneath him. When Sephiroth whispered a quiet "Now," he leaped into the waiting arms. The chocobo gave a startled noise but he had ordered it to stay still, and it did. Sephiroth dug his heels into his mount's sides, trying to cover Cloud with his body in case the mine went off.

Cloud looked over the general's shoulder at the puzzled animal who clearly wanted to follow its owner but also tried to obey his order. He felt tears rising to his eyes at the sight. When the animal moved, it would die. Even though he knew this was their only chance to survive themselves, he felt like he'd abandoned the gentle and loyal animal.

"Seph!" He screamed and hugged him tight when the chocobo finally moved to run after them. They were maybe thirty, forty feet from it and moving fast, but when the mine went off it threw them into the air like leaves from a tree. Sephiroth's chocobo let out a pitiful wark when it was lifted from the ground. The warrior almost crushed Cloud against his chest. Sephiroth hit the ground first, after a moment that seemed to last for a small eternity. Cloud felt like every bone in his body had been jolted out of their places just before darkness descended over both of them.

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A.N: Well, that went quickly from bloody to fluffy to wtf? So, what do ya think? I'll probably post a chapter per week, depending on work and stuff.

Please review!