Chapter four of 'Can't resist the Moonlight'. For disclaimer see chapter one.
Bound by Moonlight
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Not long of this, when they had cooled down from their heated love making, their thoughts turned back to more mundane things, like returning to Edge. This place was very nice and if they had been truly wolves, they certainly would've stayed here, but neither of them wanted to live like this, alone in the woods.
"How do we return?" Cloud couldn't help but a ask, because he realized that their clothes were still back in the church. He really wanted to avoid being seen by people like this, naked as he was born.
"Easy." Sephiroth said calmly, with little knowing smile.
"How? I really don't want to walk all the way back … like this, all naked." Right now this wasn't an issue, since they were alone here and neither of them felt cold because of all the Mako that flowed through their veins, but people certainly would think it strange at least if not worse to see two naked men like this.
"We simply walk," the one-winged-angel explained, "just like we came, on four paws."
Cloud nodded, then frowned because he realized that he didn't know how to do that, how to change back.
"How?" He looked up, meeting Sephiroth's eyes with a frown. "I knew I did last night, but I don't know how to do this on will alone..." The blonde didn't like how lost his voice sounded.
"Don't worry." The one-winged-angel just smiled warmly at him and pulled him into his arms once again. "Here, let me show you," he whispered than reached out through their bond, praying that his mate wouldn't shy away from his mind-touch.
Well, at first he did, shivering in response, but then relaxed after realizing that Sephiroth just wanted to help him – and that he wasn't taking him over like the one-winged-angel had done during the Crisis.
Through their link he showed him how to find the wolf part in his mind – and how to reach out to it to shift. It took several tries for him to find it and hold it long enough to make it work, but soon after this it was easy for Cloud to follow Sephiroth's example and shifted back to his wolf form.
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Unknownst to them a certain ex-turk found their clothes this morning while he visited the church because of concern – and because of a certain suspicion what was wrong with his friend. Vincent gave the second set of clothes a frown, wondering about them, but then decided to not touch the clothes and leave them like they were.
He knew that Cloud wouldn't leave neither First Tsurugi nor Fenrir behind like this and certainly would return sooner or later. The ex-turk vanished at that, leaving for the Seventh Heaven to find the others, knowing that they need to be ready … if his suspicions about the second pair of clothes were right. He couldn't help, but remember what Reno had said about Sephiroth being seen lurking around the old Shinra tower ruins.
He couldn't be sure, especially since there no signs of a fight here, but Vincent was too much turk to not expect the worst. Well, it was in his nature to be prepared for the worst and fight it if necessary.
When he was back at the bar, he told the others about his suspicions about Cloud's strange behaviour – and while they at first doubted they gave in and did what he asked them: wait for Cloud not far from Aerith's church, hidden in the empty building on the other side of the road.
"How long, do you think we need to wait?" Yuffie asked with a deep frown on her youthful face.
"I don't know," Vincent admitted then shrugged, "but I don't think it will be long."
Another bout of rather loud silence followed, filled with frowns and friends meeting each other gazes with thoughtful looks. It was very clearly that they were suspecting that there was more about Vincent's words than the ex-turk let on, but it was also clear that they trusted his judgement – even if that sometimes seemed a little too turkish to them.
"You know, he'll never love you like you want." She suddenly muttered, giving Tifa a hard stare, who in turn frowned back than glared at the ninja, who dared to speak like this to her.
"Yuffie!" She nearly shouted, but managed to keep her voice low enough, because she remembered that they needed to be quiet for whatever reason. "Don't, Yuffie."
"Why not?" The girl asked back, giving the bar-tender a sweet smile then went on to stretch herself up until she stood on her her toe-tips and gave Tifa a kiss on the cheek. "It's not like he's the only one out there..."
This caused an uncomfortable silence which went on and on, because nobody wanted to talk after this. Cid and Vincent gave each other looks of amusements, both trying not laugh out loud, while Tifa stared off through one of the half covered windows. Her face sported still a bright flush, of embarrassment so she hoped.
Even Yuffie was still, wondering if she had done something wrong, but couldn't come up with anything.
Thankfully the waiting was finally over, because Vincent suddenly nodded and then vanished out of the room, which could only mean that Cloud had to have come back to the church.
xxx
Cloud and Sephiroth were very careful not to be seen when they were returning to the church, slipping into the church through the back-door, but they still failed to spot the ex-turk that lurked behind one of the corners on the other side.
They dressed quickly and in silence, almost like they feared that words would draw attention to them here, but the truth was that they were still thinking about what to do with this new development, the relationship between them – and what it meant for both of them. Cloud really wasn't keen on meeting his friends, knowing how they must feel about Sephiroth.
There was hope, though, thinking about the truce they had made with Rufus and the Turks, but still, they hadn't threatened to destroy the planet like the one-winged-angel had done. Cloud frowned at these thoughts, thinking that it might be better if he left then but couldn't quite make up his thoughts about them.
They were still his friends after all and part of him wished they would be able to accept his choice … somehow, no matter how impossible it sounded right now.
Sephiroth seemed to have sensed his blonde lover's thoughts somehow and grabbed his shoulder, stopping him from leaving the church. He met him with a serious look then looked down, feeling uneasy about this.
"Maybe … I should go." He said slowly, almost inaudible, thinking that it would be much easier for Cloud without him there.
The blonde ex-soldier shook his head, almost violently in refusal to accept this option. "No … I can't, Seph." The nickname for the older man tasted strange on his tongue, yet fitting after what they had shared not so long ago.
"I just found you." He continued in the same serious voice the ex-general had used before. How could he make it clear to him that he couldn't bear the thought to lose this, what they had? That it hurt, just to think about it?
"I love you." He said finally, coming out as just a husky whisper, hoping his lover would understand.
"So do I, so do I." Sephiroth whispered and sealed it with what turned out quite a soul-searing kiss.
They broke the kiss a little while later then left the church through the back-door, almost like they had come, but not quite, because Cloud went to get Fenrir, which was still standing in one of the little side streets. He didn't start the motor right away but took it back to the backside, back to where Sephiroth was waiting for him.
Cloud just had gone through to mounting his sword on his back where it belonged, when he heard a sound from the far end of the street. He raised his head to meet none other but Vincent Valentine's unwavering gaze. Looking around, he found the rest of his friends waiting for them on the other side.
They looked stressed to say the least, almost hostile with their weapons drawn, he thought then realized that he had drawn First Tsurugi as well. He hadn't noticed it because it had happened automatically when he realized that they were no longer alone here. Cloud automatically had moved into a protective stance, placing him between Sephiroth and his friends, meaning that their back was facing the church right now.
Whatever, this wasn't how Cloud had hoped to have this confrontation, but it seemed like there was no other way right now. For a long while they just stared at him and Sephiroth, almost like they were thinking that if they just stare long enough the latter would vanish or it would turn out to be just a Halloween costume someone was wearing to shock everybody and not the real thing.
Nothing that sort happened, of course, which had them tightening the grip on their weapons. They didn't attack, though, because Sephiroth did nothing of that sort – he didn't even seem to have Masamune with him.
"Why?" Tifa asked finally, breaking the brooding silence, no make that queried with the force behind her voice and the accusing look in her dark eyes. "Why you've chosen him of all people?"
"Why?" Cloud repeated then looked into Sephiroth's eyes, unable not to smile a little and nod. "Because … I love him." He said and pulled down his lover's head to kiss him straight on the lips.
"You … what?"
"I love him." Cloud said slowly, thus repeating his previous words. "It's very simple, really."
"But what about your mother, Nibelheim, my father … and the others, he killed?" Tifa screamed, now close to tears. "Do they no longer matter to you?" She accused him, looking at him like he was a traitor, which he was probably in her eyes.
The ex-soldier fixed her with a serious expression, then finally nodded. "They do, Tifa, they do, but it's complicated." How could he explain this to her while he couldn't quite comprehend it himself, the fact that while the past hurt, still hurt, it didn't change how he felt about Sephiroth? The fact that it hadn't been wholly the ex-general's fault on what had happened back then? He swallowed deeply.
"Tifa, all I know is that I do love Sephiroth, no matter what had happened in the past." He looked down, knowing that there was no way they could accept this, no matter how much he wished they did.
After this a long rather uneasy silence followed, with both sides staying where they were, continuing to stare at each other, although no longer quite as hostile as in the beginning. There were thoughtful looks now, looks that did ask questions they didn't bothered to ask aloud yet.
"Well, if he's not fucking insane, we should give 'm a chance, don't ya think?" No-one but Cid broke the silence, asking something they all, maybe minus, Tifa had been thinking about.
"Cid has a point." Vincent nodded slowly. He lowered his gun at these words, but kept his hand closed tightly around Death Penalty's handle, not shedding it back into its holster. Insane or sane, Sephiroth was still catalogued as dangerous in his turkish mind – and so was Cloud, since it was obvious that the blonde ex-soldier was not on their side right now.
"Hell, we made a truce with Shinra, so … why not?" Yuffie agreed a moment later, giving Tifa a hard look then gave the bar-tender a not so soft nudge. "I think we should discuss this inside, don't you think?" She said, gesturing towards the church, they were standing in front of.
.
xxx
They did what the ninja suggested … and what followed was a rather long discussion about many things, but mostly about what had happened to Cloud – and his relationship to Sephiroth, of course. Long time it seemed like they weren't getting anywhere close to a solution of any kind, but then one of them asked Sephiroth about Jenova – and he said that she wasn't his mother, but Lucrecia was. After this things seemed to get better, but Cloud's friends were still carefully about this, which was quite understandable, but it was a step forward.
"Um, you're really sure … he is okay?" Tifa asked after a long time, she had refused to talk with Cloud, but now had given in. She had finally realized that there could be nothing between them, but friendship – and she wasn't about to let that go so easily, even if that meant that she had to accept the blonde's choice for a lover.
"Hmm, yes, I am." Cloud said with a happy smile, then frowned at his friends, knowing that it wouldn't be enough for them.
Suddenly there was a weird green light in the church and everybody stopped in what they were about to say because of this. Everybody was staring towards the centre of the church, right there were Aerith's flowers were, regrown after the healing water was gone.
"Aerith...?" Cloud muttered, completely taken off guard by this appearance. "How?"
"Easy enough," Aerith said. "Remember, that what you call Halloween isn't far gone, right? It means that it's easier for me to visit the world of the living like this." She explained then gave Cloud and Sephiroth a long good look to finally return her gaze to Cloud.
"Well, Cloud, I propose a solution for this problem of yours." The Cetra girl said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Something you and your friends can live with."
"And what would that be?" Cloud asked, still too shocked about her sudden appearance to react normally.
"You got to make sure you've got him under your watch … always." She smiled broadly, quite like a Cheshire Cat. It was a smile that Cloud reminded of Zack, painfully so, because it made him wish he could see his friend again.
"Um … what exactly do you mean by this?"
"Very simple, Cloud," Aerith answered and her smile got even brighter at that. "You simply have to marry him." She said, shocking them all. Everybody stared at the flower girl like she had gone bonkers after all this time. They blinked, thinking that maybe they had just imagined those words, but no, they hadn't.
"I ...we … what?" He muttered and blushed furiously, not wanting to believe what he had heard, even if he felt happiness bubble up inside about this. "You're serious, aren't you?"
"I am," she said. "You do love him, do you not? And he loves you as well?"
At these words both of them actually blushing then nodded in response.
"See, so where's the problem then?" The flower girl asked, still smiling brightly.
"What about this shape-shifting issue?" Sephiroth asked, voice calm like always but to the Cetra it was clear enough that he was more than a little curious about its origin. True he had his suspicions about it, linking it back to him being alive once again, but he didn't know for sure.
"I'm afraid, that won't change." Aerith said, this time completely serious voice, then nodded. "Yes, as you might have suspected it's part of the price for your return." Her gaze meeting the ex-general's at that.
"It's acceptable." Sephiroth nodded, smiling at his mate, who smiled back. His eyes saying that he would be happily accepting this if it meant that they could be together … in peace.
Yes, they would be okay, he thought, even if it wouldn't be easy.
"Good," said another voice from behind, "then we can have a wedding!" It was a voice most of them half of them didn't remember, but Cloud and Sephiroth did, only too well.
"Zack!" Cloud couldn't help to call out, wishing he could hug his friend, while knowing it was impossible. Sephiroth just nodded in recognition, because it wasn't in his character to do things like that. It was more his upbringing, of course, but old habits didn't die overnight.
"Good to see you, Zackary." He said a moment later. The ex-general's voice was as firm as ever, but he couldn't hide the guilt he felt about his old friend's death, even if it wasn't him who caused it in the end.
"Aww! Stop that, Seph," Zack said in response. "I know it wasn't really you back then and all, so please stop this attitude, yes?" He gave Sephiroth a long hard stare and when that didn't seem to work he used his most effective weapon on the ex-general: puppy dog eyes.
Zack waited a while until he finally received a nod from his old friend, which was more enough for him to interpret that Sephiroth gave in.
"So, you agreed, about the wedding, I mean?" He continued, his voice getting a teasing undertone again. "You did, right?" He rose a brow at that, like daring them to say no to this.
Both of them nodded at that, which even had Sephiroth blush a little, because of the happiness he felt right now.
"But, but …" A youthful voice interrupted then, unable not to point out the faults in what she just heard. "Who's going to wed them?" Yuffie asked, stumbling a little over her words. "Well, it's not like I don't want to give him a chance, but people are bound to be afraid, right?"
"Well, I would." A rough voice interrupted, surprising everybody with this – in more ways than one, actually.
"What?" He all but shouted in response to the shocked and surprised looks from the people around him. "Ya don't fucking think I would? Don't ya 'member that I'm still t' captn' on my Sierra?"
"Of course, we remember." Vincent said in one of a most serious tone, but it there was something off in the was his gaze lingered on the blonde pilot, something approving, like he had just gotten more interesting in the ex-turk's eyes.
The others quickly followed Vincent's example and things seemed to be settled, which they indeed were. The wedding wouldn't be right now or tomorrow, because they needed to do some preparation, at least a little, even if the girls had a different opinion about this.
In a way it was almost hilarious how it ended, the whole discussion, but it was something Cloud could accept, happily, because it meant his friends were at least trying to get along with Sephiroth, which was more than he could hope for.
xxx
As I said in the beginning, there's some mayor fluff here, but I think one can't have enough of fluff...
I might write an epilogue or a sequel to this, but I got to get a good idea for that first so it might take a while.
Hope you enjoyed this little Halloween story.
Mia
