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Disclaimer: I don't own final fantasy or any Square enix characters.
"So you're sure you never delivered a package to my house? Can't you check again?" Cloud stood on the tips of his toes, his elbows had gone red from supporting most of his body weight against the cold counter.
"Young man, I've checked it twice already. This service never delivered anything to your home. Perhaps it was a different postal service." The old woman behind the counter wrinkled her brow in exasperation, shaking her head. This boy had come in here twenty minutes ago, insisting that a package had to have been delivered to his home by them. The service she worked for kept a very organised file of their deliveries and if it said nothing was given to this boy, then nothing was. The teen must have gotten something unpleasant, she gathered from his frantic and grouchy demeanour, and while she was sympathetic she still couldn't help him find the culprit.
Cloud sighed harshly and let his whole torso fall onto the hard surface of the counter, not even caring that he was acting like a spoilt child who didn't get the toy he wanted. "But you're the only one left," he mumbled, more to himself than the post-mistress. He raised himself up from the counter slowly, as if something was weighing him down, and brought his weary eyes up to meet the woman's. "Thanks for your time." He said half-heartedly. Cloud turned towards the door but just before he exited he turned back towards her and added "just…if anything comes up could you call me…please?" The woman nodded softly, sympathy shining from her grey eyes through the thick rimmed glasses she wore.
Cloud closed his eyes as the harsh glare of the sunlight assaulted his irises the moment he stepped out of the post office. He was exhausted. Since receiving that 'present' two nights ago he hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. He couldn't stop thinking about it; it was just so unreal. His father had been absent his whole life, since before he was even born. His conception was the product of a one night fling and his mom never even knew the man's name so… how was this possible. Cloud would have concluded that it couldn't be his father and that it had to be someone else, but in a way that seemed just as unreal. Who on the planet would send him all of this stuff, worth thousands of Gil, just as a joke? Cloud let out an 'ahhh' sound and rubbed his eyes harshly, turning them red. This was all just so confusing!
He had spent the last two days going from post office to post office, shop to shop, trying to find some clue as to who bought the items or at least who delivered them. It was no use though, every place he went he got negative answers to all of his questions and it was frustrating him. Someone had to have delivered the box, hadn't they?
He had inspected his window that night but found that it was closed tightly and hadn't been tampered with which meant no one could have broken in, something which had relieved Cloud instantly. Still, if no one had delivered it then how did it get into his room. He hadn't asked his mom about the package specifically but he did ask if anything had come in the mail for him to which she said that it hadn't. He didn't want to worry her with the real situation because the stress wouldn't be good for her.
The whole thing was making Cloud angry and nervous but… there was something else there too. Something Cloud didn't want to admit, even to himself, but in the bottom of his stomach he knew it was there. This little tendril of excitement coiling within him. What if this was his father? How would he react then? All his life he had wanted a dad; someone who would do all those boyish things that fathers did with their sons, like play sports or roughhouse or eat a bunch of junk food until they felt sick. Someone who would call him 'sport' and ruffle his hair when he won a race or passed a test. When he was younger he used to sit on the swings in the park and glare at the little boys playing with their dads. 'It's not fair' he remembered thinking 'I'm a good boy. I want one too' and he had sat there, truly believing that one day his dad would finally find him there, walk over to him and pick him up in his strong arms. He would say 'Im here now Cloud, I'm sorry I'm so late' and of course Cloud would forgive him because he was his father.
That was a long time ago though, and Cloud had grown up since then. He had accepted that his father didn't know he even existed and probably wouldn't care if he did. He had given up on his childish fantasy and moved on. That's why this was just so…upsetting. How could he deal with this? He couldn't be happy because he knew it wasn't real but he couldn't forget it because really he hoped it was real. He knew he was being stupid but until he found the truth he knew that these contradictions would tear at his mind; tormenting him.
The flustered youth ran a hand through his hair, pulling it slightly. This was the last delivery service in the city, and they didn't know anything about the package. What would he do now? The blond felt his eyes become watery and sniffled softly. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He thumbed in the number and placed the phone to his ear when it began to ring. He really needed someone to talk to.
"Yo." The voice on the other end of the line spoke up, Cloud would have normally rolled his eyes at the others manner. What was wrong with 'hello'?
"Zack." Cloud said softly, unsure of what to say now that he thought about it.
"Cloud? Hey dosser! Why aren't you in today?" Cloud sighed, he had missed school today in favour of solving his little mystery.
"Im hardly a dosser Zack, you miss at least one day a week!" He shot back, not really being able to bring any enthusiasm into his voice.
"Touché. Okay so what's up? Is everything okay with your mom?" The other said, a little more serious now.
"Mom's fine," the blond answered, "is you busy after school?"
"No, I've got nothing on today. You wanna meet up?" The other inquired, Cloud could hear the noises in the background and knew that Zack's class was about to begin.
"Yeah, um…could you come over to mine later? I could really use someone to talk to right now." Cloud said, realising that he sounded like a whiny girl. He felt a lump rise in his throat and knew he had to get off the phone soon or he would make a complete fool of himself.
"Of course Cloud. I'll get there straight after school okay."
"Yeah, okay. See you then." And Cloud pressed the hang up button quickly before letting out a small sob. He rubbed at his eyes with his sleeve while swallowing harshly. He took a few minutes to compose himself before he picked up his bag pack and headed for the bus stop.
Knock, Knock.
"I'll get it!" Cloud informed as he made his way to the front door. It was four fifteen so he knew it was bound to be Zack and he felt a little flutter of nervousness because of this. Should he really be bothering the other with his problems? When he thought about it, he couldn't help but feel a little stupid; why would Zack need to know about any of this?
Then again, Zack had always been the one he'd call when he was in trouble or just needed a friend. The ravenette had been there when his mom first got sick and had been a constant brick-wall for him ever since. He couldn't imagine where he would now be if it weren't for the other.
Cloud shook his head, took a deep breath and opened the door.
"Hey," came Zack's cheerful greeting as he was let in. He trailed his eyes over the other and frowned, "damn Cloud, you look like crap!" He commented with a raised eyebrow.
"Uh…" Cloud pursed his lips, looking down, "Thanks?" This caused Zack to chuckle sheepishly.
"Sorry, I just mean you look really…tired." He explained, eyes narrowing in worry. Cloud did look bad; his usually bright eyes were dull and had dark bags underneath. His hair was drooping and unwashed and his face looked sickly pale and blotchy-like he had been rubbing it. The baggy and dark cloths didn't help his image much either.
"Yeah well…" Cloud sighed, scuffing a hand through his hair. Did he really look that bad? He didn't know why, but he never wanted to look too gross in front of Zack. The ravenette's statement bothered him more than he wanted to admit. "Why don't we go into my room?" He said softly as he closed the front door and led the way to the stated destination. Zack shrugged and followed the blond silently.
"So what's going on spiky?" Zack said softly once they were inside the room. He reached out a hand out to ruffle the others hair affectionately.
"Uh, something's happened. Nothing too bad really. Just something…strange." Cloud stumbled over his words, automatically pushing Zack's hand out of his hair. The older boy looked at the other seriously, not a bit of his carefree persona shining through. Zack took in a quick breath, preparing himself for something bad.
"What." He pressed, looking the other straight in the eye. The gaze was intense and it made the hairs on the back of Clouds neck stand up.
"Uh, well…" the blond looked away, "I got something. A present."
"A present?" Zack said slowly, widening his eyes at Cloud like he had lost his mind. He was completely confused about where this conversation was going now.
"Yeah." The smaller boy answered. He turned towards his closet and walked towards it without another word. Zack made a 'hu' sound and looked up towards the ceiling. Was the blond going to clarify or did he have to guess what the problem was? He turned his eyes back towards Cloud and watched as the blond turned around and approached him, carrying a big black case which looked too heavy for his svelte frame.
"Is this the present?" He asked as Cloud placed it on the bed. The blond nodded, fiddling with the silver buckles on the outside of the case. The case was opened and Zack's eyes widened at the contents. "Shit!" He exclaimed excitedly, kneeling down by the bed. "Are you serious? This is awesome!"
"Yeah." Cloud said with not nearly as much enthusiasm. He didn't blame Zack for being excited, he had been too. Very excited. Since he read that letter, however, he had not been able to use any of the stuff, it was just too weird.
Zack rummaged through the contents, letting out appreciative noised every so often. He almost forgot about the reason he was here but remembered when he looked towards the blond and saw the frown on his face.
"What's wrong?" He said again, bringing a hand out to nudge the others pant leg. Cloud sighed and pointed back towards the case. Zack followed his finger and saw a small piece of paper sticking out of a pocket on the interior of the lid. He didn't ask as he reached out and grabbed the paper, scanning his eyes over the writing.
A tense silence followed as Cloud watched on apprehensively while Zack's eyes became narrower with every word he read. When the ravenette had finished he looked back towards the boy.
"Oh, Cloud…" He didn't really know what to say, but this definitely explained the blonds state at the moment.
"Yeah." Was all Cloud said in return. The blond let out a breath through partly closed lips and sank down to his knees beside the other.
Zack scanned his eyes over the letter again. He didn't like this. It just didn't feel right to him; as far as he knew Clouds father didn't even know he existed so why this all of a sudden? Wouldn't Clouds father try to make some other form of communication with the boy before performing such a severe gesture? Surly a normal person knew it would upset Cloud. This was weird.
What was the alternative explanation though? That was a potentially worse situation. These gifts came from somewhere and if it wasn't really Clouds father then that meant that there was someone out there who knew enough about Cloud to do this.
"This is weird. Have you ever gotten anything like this before?" Zack inquired, not really putting much effort into his question. He didn't really take in the situation yet.
"No." Cloud sighed. "Nothing. Ever. This is completely out of the blue. It's weird right?" Cloud brought his eyes over to the other and Zack could see that he was desperately hoping for him to agree with him.
"Yeah, it's pretty weird." The ravenette nodded, flicking the paper with his thumb. "Do you have any way of tracking the person who sent this?"
"No." Cloud shook his head, his blond locks falling into his eyes as he did so. "I've spent the last two days trying to find the delivery service who brought this here but they've all denied that they did. I've looked everywhere. And I'm pretty sure mom didn't sign for it It's like it just appeared in my room or something." The last statement caused Zack to straighten up swiftly.
"Did you check your window?" This was just getting worse.
"Yeah, it looks fine. I don't think that's how it got here." Cloud confirmed. The older boy let out a tense breath which was noticed by the blond. "Someone must of delivered it. Just don't know who," he mumbled.
"I dunno, spiky." Zack scratched his temple with his little finger, a thinking habit of his. "Uh…well. If your mom didn't sign for it and no one delivered it then there has to be some other explanation for how it got there. I mean…I have heard about transportation by magic's but that kind of materia is only accessible to very powerful people. Like Shinra personnel. Then again, I guess whoever got you this had to be pretty rich."
"Well, my mom doesn't remember much about my father but I think she did say he left with the army the next day. He could work for Shinra, right?" Cloud rubbed his thumb over the leather of the case, biting his lip. He had never thought of material transportation. That made sense. The fact that his father could be in a position which allowed him to use such magic just connected the dots further. He felt little jitters of excitement in his stomach and tried to ignore them. He couldn't set himself up for too high of a fall.
"Yeah I guess but…this is weird Cloud. I just wouldn't get too hopeful yet. This could be dangerous." Cloud looked up sharply at the other when he said this.
"Dangerous? Why? I mean…if it is a joke then that's what it will be. I don't think its too serious of a problem." He really didn't, he had been worried about the situation only because of the emotional turbulence. He never thought the perpetrator was a potential threat to him. Why would someone want to hurt him. He didn't do anything. Did he?
"Cloud, this is way too extreme to be a joke. If it isn't really your father then there is someone out there who knows you and wants to fuck with your head. Didn't you think about this properly?" Zack held the note out towards the blond, trying to emphasize his seriousness.
"That's a little extreme Zack." Cloud replied testily, grabbing the note from the other.
The two sat in silence for a while; Zack searching the case for more clues and Cloud avoiding eye contact with him.
"What if it is?" The blond's soft voice broke the silence eventually. Zack looked over at him questioningly. "My dad. What if it really is him? What then?" he elaborated.
"Well, I guess that's up to you. What do you think? Would you be happy, sad, mad…" he let his voice trail off as he put an elbow on the bed and regarded the other. Clouds face changed in a swirl of different emotions. Zack could practically see the thoughts floating around his head.
"I dunno really. It would be kinda…cool." Pink lips tilted upwards slightly but it only lasted a second. "Then again, if he knew about me then where was he for the last fifteen years? Am I supposed to just accept that he wasn't ready? That doesn't seem fair." Cloud stated more to himself than the other. Zack nodded his head, letting the smaller boy perceive it as he liked.
"It's bad to be thinking of this though, right? I'm just getting my hopes up." The blond continued. He groaned unhappily and buried his head in his arms, which were folded on the bed. "See, this is worth missing a day of school." He grumbled without lifting his head. Zack blew some hair out of his eyes and patted the other on the back softly.
"Okay, just this once you didn't ditch." He chuckled softly. Cloud made a 'hmph' noise and lifted his head.
"So what do you think I should do then?" He asked.
"I'm not sure. Maybe you should just stop thinking about it for a while and wait to see if anything happens. You should probably be a little careful for a while though, just in case." Zack answered, nodding his head at his own suggestion.
"Careful how?" Cloud scrunched his nose in question. He didn't like the way Zack was making this seem more serious than it was.
"Just…try to avoid walking home too late or going out in the dark. If this isn't your dad then it could be some weirdo who's taken some kind of interest in you." Zack replied bluntly, not even trying to sugar-coat the truth. Cloud could feel a shiver go down his spine at the others words. He didn't really think Zack's idea was correct but he still didn't like hearing it. It was way too creepy to imagine.
"Okay." He agreed with his friend even though he desperately wanted to protest against being treated like a girl. Zack had that look in his eyes which he always had when he was in no mood to argue. "I'm not going to use the stuff though." He added as an afterthought.
"Yeah, I can understand that, but man this shit is seriously awesome. If this does turn out to be your old man he's got a stylish way of apologising!" Zack held up the black Ipod like it was a prize. Cloud rolled his eyes and grabbed it from him. He stood up and began to place some of the fallen items back into the case before closing it and putting it back into the closet.
Zack turned around and sat on his rump against the bed. He was still circulating the whole situation in his head. Something just felt very wrong about all this. He hoped for Clouds sake that it really was his dad. He hoped this for two reasons; the first was that he could see how Cloud was secretly excited about all of this. He knew not having a father all his life had affected the blond and had made him feel unwanted. Zack could understand that, he wasn't too close with his father but Angeal had really played that role in his life and he didn't know how he would have grown up without him. It was good to have a male to talk to about stuff like puberty and sex; he couldn't imagine talking to his mother about that kind of stuff. He had tried to be there for Cloud when he had questions and worries but the blond was mostly too shy to reciprocate the conversation. He still tried though and was happy to see that the blond did come to him for some stuff, like this for example. He felt really flattered that the boy chose him to confide in.
The other reason he hoped it was in fact the boys father was that if it wasn't then a whole new can of worms would be opened and he didn't want a situation like that to worm its way into Clouds already stressful life. It wouldn't be fair on him.
He shook his head and threw on a lopsided grin as Cloud walked back towards him and fell onto the bed with a loud sigh.
"So much sighs Cloudy." Zack tutted, using his left arm to pull himself up onto the bed. He shoved the blond, rather rudely, to make more room for himself. Cloud scowled slightly as he lay back down beside the others larger frame. He brought his fingers up to walk the wall.
"How many are you allowed a day cause I think I've exceeded it." Cloud replied and Zack laughed lightly.
"It's a special occasion so I think your okay." He assured the other who nodded tiredly.
"So anything new with you?" Cloud asked after a few minutes of them both staring at the ceiling.
"Uh, yeah but it's not important right now." Zack said airily but Cloud could feel his body tense beside him.
"C'mon tell me. I need something new to take my mind off the other thing." The blond urged. Zack pursed his lips, wondering just why he didn't feel comfortable telling the other his news.
"Well," he said after a minute, "I've started seeing someone." He didn't understand why that was so awkward, friends talked about this the whole time, right?
Cloud shifted beside him, remaining silent. He didn't know what to say. It was odd but he felt a little twinge in his stomach upon hearing the others words. "Oh." He said lamely.
"Yeah."
"Who?" Cloud said, a little faster than he had meant to.
"Its uh, Tifa actually." Zack answered, turning to look at the other. "We hooked up a few times before but last night I guess we decided to give it a try." He smiled at the other, trying to get rid of the awkwardness.
"Tifa? Cool. She's really nice." Cloud didn't know why the words tasted like acid on his tongue. He could feel the others gaze on him but kept his eyes towards the ceiling.
"Yeah, she's a great girl. Fucking hot too." Zack mumbled and Cloud nodded his head, smirking.
"I think she has the biggest boobs in school." He received a punch from Zack in response to that.
"Hey buddy, that's my girlfriend you're talking about." They both tensed at the fifth word but Cloud ignored it and rubbed his arm while stating.
"I guess that suits because you have the biggest-"
"Cloudy, that's dirty." Zack mock gasped.
"Ego. Zack, I was going to say ego." Cloud stated dead tone.
"Oh that too." The ravenette countered cheekily. Cloud made an exasperated noise before closing his eyes. Zack stayed silent when the blond didn't open them again. Cloud let the exhaustion catch up on him and drifted into a deep sleep.
Zack must have stayed there for around thirty minutes as the blond never opened his eyes and his breathing became even and deep. Even when he was sure the boy was asleep he stayed there and just looked at him, not exactly sure why he was doing it, until his own vision became dark and he joined the boy in the second reality.
Green eyes narrowed as they surveyed the scene through the pollution-stained glass. The sight of the two boys; so close, so obliviously unaware of their slumbering bodies making contact everywhere they could, made his stomach churn. Disgusting.
He felt his hand twitch by his side as he took in the sight of his boy. Cloud looked so innocent and small as he curled his body on the soft mattress. His mouth was open slightly as he breathed heavily while his petit hand was curled close to his face, making Sephiroth wonder why such a small detail seemed to heighten the blonds appeal ten-fold. He was just so…ethereal. The fact that he didn't look or act like other humans was attractive to Sephiroth. He was far from an average human himself.
They would be a perfect match. A God and his angel.
He smirked at the thought while trailing his eyes over the other less desirable form. Zackary Fair. How dare that young whelp lay beside his boy like that? Why did he have the privilege to speak to him, to make him laugh…to touch him. What had he ever done that was so special it deserved such a reward. It made Sephiroth angry to see Clouds skin bemired by the others touch. He bared his teeth and narrowed his eyes as Cloud shuffled closer to the other boy. Friends nephew or not, he wanted to kill that Zackary Fair.
Sephiroth placed a hand across his forehead, turning swiftly and walking to the edge of the balcony. He took in a breath through his nose and let the cool breeze sooth his unusually flushed skin. Gaia, what was happening to him? He loved this new life and these new emotions that came with it. He had never felt so alive and so… in love.
Yes, he loved Cloud.
He really loved that boy, but it was becoming difficult. His mind was in constant turmoil now. Every time he closed his eyes he was haunted by images of bright blue and creamy pale. His body felt hypersensitive all day long, vulnerable to any sudden change of emotion. His thoughts constantly switched from hopeful visions of the future to more arduous ones of the present.
Jealousy.
Sephiroth had remembered being envious of many things during his life.; happiness, friendship, love… freedom. Overtime he had learned to channel those feelings into something he could use: Anger.
Anger had helped him through life. It helped him to become the killing machine he was today. He learned how to control his frustration, unleash it on the enemy and then contain it until it was needed again. Learning to encapsulate his emotions like this had eventually helped him to form the bitter shell of a man he was today.
It was different now though; he was different. He had never felt envy like he felt it now. Every day this possessive feeling in his gut became stronger and his thoughts more corrupted. The idea of Cloud been taken away from him had entered his mind a few weeks ago, when he was sitting in his home just letting his mind drift. He realised that the blond was a gift from the planet and that he was fragile. The night of the party was a perfect example of the dangers someone like Cloud faced in his life. Sephiroth had protected him then and would do it again if needed.
Unfortunately, the threats weren't as much to Clouds life as they were to his body.
A body which now belonged to Sephiroth.
Cloud Strife was a virgin, completely untouched by man. Sephiroth didn't know why exactly he hadn't given in to temptation yet. Perhaps he was waiting for someone special? Cloud really was unique; not many teenage boys in Midgar were as innocent (not by choice anyway).
He was aware of how lucky he had gotten when he discovered the boy to be pure. There and then he had made a promise to himself that he would be the one to rid the boy of his virtue when the time was right, and if anyone else tried? They would die.
Sephiroth ran a long finger over the rusted metal of the balcony ledge. He closed his eyes and imagined that it was Clouds skin he was touching. It wouldn't be solid and rough like metal though, no, it would be warm and supple.
Cloud was warm.
And Sephiroth was cold.
Sephiroth needed to be warm too. He had been in the cold world for far too long now. Longer than anyone deserved to be.
He dragged a hand down, towards the outside of his left thigh and under his coat. His callous hands brushed across something soft, a contrast to his leather attire. He gripped the material and pulled it out of its hiding place, bringing it up towards his face. This woollen scarf may not seem special to the normal homo-sapien but to Sephiroth it was one of the most important things in the world.
Two nights ago he had broken into the blond's room. He had expertly manipulated the window until it opened without damage. He used a pseudo-shape materia to allow his body to slip through the small opening silently and untraceably and then he had tasted his euphoria.
Every crevice of the space belonged to Cloud and he could feel him in it. Clouds scent was in the air and he had breathed it in like a smoker inhales nicotine. He had felt no fear as he shuffled through the golden room. It was a very unique room; Sephiroth guessed that Cloud had styled it as a shelter from the reality of his world. The walls were a creamy golden with a white border. His bedspreads and curtains were black and little knick-knacks hung from the ceiling and shelves. The red carpet was old and well worn making Sephiroth guess it had been there when the blond and his mother first moved in. He took the time to read some of the random things written on Clouds walls; signatures, brightest of all those by Zackary Fair, but also from his other friends. There were also quotes from famous books written out and many posters of random things littering the solid surface.
The whole room was personalised and creative and Sephiroth couldn't help but contrast it to his own living space. There were no sea shell 'dream-catchers' or sky-pirate figurines in his room, only white washed walls and glass décor. He didn't have the ability to be creative like his boy; it just wasn't in his nature. In fact, his home was reminiscing of the sterile environment he grew up in.
He had spent some time lingering around the room quietly, never wanting to leave the scented heaven. Taking note of the poor quality of the walls and lack of a television or any electronic equipment, Sephiroth had gotten an idea. He was becoming sick of always watching Cloud and never being acknowledged, he wanted to do something that affected the boys life.
Before he left to perform his new task, he had opened the closet door and viewed its content, bringing a hand out to run along the fabric of one of the boys T-shirts. He had looked down and noticed a green scarf thrown to the bottom corner of the press.
Cloud wouldn't miss it.
Sephiroth had smirked to himself as he made his way languidly down the street, green wool wrapped around his hand. He brought his eyes up to see the ominous Shinra building shadowing the city. He would find what he needed there.
So he had gathered an assortment of items from the technology department in Shinra. He had put them in a briefcase and wrapped it so it would look like a child's Christmas present, and of course he had left a note.
Yes, the note was the centre piece of his plan. He had discovered that the boy had no father a while back and had instantly realised that that tid-bit of information could be used to his advantage when the time was right.
It was the right time.
Cloud barley had a mother now and as someone who never had parents to speak of, he knew it would be vulnerability in the boy. So he signed the card in a guise of the boy's father, broke back into the boy's house and left it on his bed. He had exited the room swiftly, taking care to ensure the window looked as it always did and then he had waited interminable hours for the blond's return, disturbed that he had spent the night elsewhere. He decided that he would have to scan the boy's condition when he returned to insure he was behaving correctly.
Cloud returned early the next day and Sephiroth's foul mood was lifted when he saw the teen enter his room. His cloths and hair looked clean and un-wrinkled which indicated he hadn't been doing anything sexual, Sephiroth could always tell if someone had had sex; there was just this aura around them.
Cloud hadn't noticed the box for a few minutes but when he did Sephiroth had to hold in a chuckle at the utter look of confusion on his face. The blond approached it slowly, like a grunt would approach a sleeping monster. He could almost hear Clouds inner debate as he contemplated the box until finally he gave into his youthfulness and ripped it open. Cloud took no notice of the discarded silver paper on his floor as he squinted his eyes at the case in front of him. He bent down apprehensively and opened the buckles on the side. Sephiroth did laugh at the blond's next statement.
"Please don't be a bomb." Oh, it may be more complicated than a bomb. The look on Clouds face when he finally opened the case made everything Sephiroth had done worthwhile. His big blue eyes widened comically as he browsed through the contents. Sephiroth watched as his pink lips opened in wonder and he felt a twinge in his chest. Cloud was touching something he had touched, Cloud was reacting to something he had done, and Cloud was acknowledging his existence, even if he didn't know it.
The blonds whole aura seemed to do a complete hundred degree turn once he found and read the note though. His eyes dulled and watered insistently and a frown came on his face. A sad frown, like someone had done the meanest thing in the world. He watched as the note floated to the ground while Cloud stood up and looked around aimlessly. Poor Cloud, so confused.
Sephiroth couldn't help but admire the blond in his sadness; it was just an attractive image, mostly because he had caused that sadness. He didn't care that the blond was hurt because eventually it would be for his own good. He would use this to get close to the boy and get to know him more.
The blond had bounded over to the window to examine it. He could hear his own hair blowing in the wind as he stood right beside the window, arms stretched to the wall. He could hear Clouds heavy breathing as he stood by the window and then went back to the bed. He turned back around and smirked at the sight within.
He had made Cloud cry.
"Sorry." Cloud said as he bumped into yet another person on his way to the cafeteria. He was balancing two books, an apple, a lunchbox and his schoolbag which made walking in a straight line quite difficult. He sighed as he approached the door and prepared to shuffle his stuff in order to open it. Before he could, however, a strong hand reached out from behind him and pushed the door open, holding it there. Cloud rose a brow as he turned to look at the culprit.
"Vossler!" He exclaimed and then cringed when he realised he said it out loud.
"Thought you could use a hand. Or two." The other smirked, he inclined his head towards the door and asked "are you gonna go in or what?"
"Oh, sure. Thank you." Cloud said sincerely as he readjusted his bag. "I think I need to organise myself better."
"Or join the circus." The other commented while Cloud gave him a questioning stare. "Juggling…" He offered and the blond made an 'o' shape with his mouth.
"Maybe. I'd better head in then, you wanna come?" Cloud said as he turned his body to face the door. Vossler shook his head and pointed a thumb towards the corridor.
"Kendo." He answered and Cloud nodded his head, smiling.
"Guess you're just a Good Samaritan then." He mumbled.
"I don't know about that. Anyway my hands getting a little stiff…"
"Oh sorry. I'll get going. See you later?" Cloud said a little awkwardly and gave the other a wave with his apple before entering the cafeteria. Vossler watched him go before moving his hand and letting the door fall closed.
As Cloud approached the table he felt his spirit dampen slightly. Zack was sitting there with the usual group but the one difference was that he had his arm draped around a rather busty brunette. Tifa.
"Hey." He said softly when he reached them. They mumbled hi and he sat down beside Reno.
"You look tired." Aerith commented as he took out a chocobo and mayonnaise sandwich.
"I don't know why. We slept for like fourteen hours last night." Zack commented and Reno raised a brow.
"You stayed at his place?" He asked and Zack nodded, thinking about the night before. They had stayed in bed right until that morning, Cloud had two days sleep to catch up on and Zack had secretly woken up on different intervals but didn't feel like moving so he just watched the blond in his slumber. He didn't admit that though. "Damn Tif, you should get him to do that with you, huh?" Reno waggled his eyebrows.
"Reno!" Tifa exclaimed, giving him a pointed look. "Anyway, dad would kill you, I think." She smirked towards Zack who sat up straight.
"For you. I'll brave it." He said in a deep voice while Tifa laughed. Cloud rolled his eyes and bit into his food. He didn't know why he felt so annoyed but he just did.
The rest of the lunch continued with a light hearted conversation until the bell rang, signalling the end of recess.
A few days later Cloud was just arriving home from school.
"Hey mom, I'm home." He muttered as he knelt down to pick up the male which had -fallen through the letter-box. He walked towards the kitchen counter, half heartedly browsing through the envelopes until he found one addressed to him. He put the rest down and studied it. It was an informal envelope with the word 'Cloud' written on the front using blue pen.
He felt his heart skip a beat when he realised he recognised the writing. Throwing his bag down to the floor he rushed to his room and sat down on his bed, contemplating the letter. He tried to relax his breathing and slipped his finger under the seal to open it. This could be the one thing that would answer the questions tormenting him. Or it could make the situation more intractable. Either way, he needed to know.
His hands were shaking as the pulled the paper out from its cocoon. He brought his eyes down slowly to read but narrowed them when he saw that there was just a single thing written on the paper.
An email address?
!!!!!!!IMPORTANT!!!!!!!
Hey! The next chapter of this story will be posted under the Cloud section instead of Cloud and Zack. I just feel that Sephiroth and Zack have equally large parts in this story and it doesn't feel right to leave him out!
