ooooooooookay, sorry it took sooooo long but I am running out of ideas, writters block, and I have been busy (sort of). so this is a mild-stone chapter. reveiw please!
Chapter 10: Wreath of Flowers
He opened the door; inhaling the apartment.
"He is here." He mused and smiled.
Like a playful stalker, he tracked lightly to where he was. He smiled wider when he did. He was lying naked on their bed, sleeping. He was in peaceful tranquility. He quietly placed his weight beside him and coupled their limbs. He inhaled deeply of what was Sephiroth. Remembering the flowers, he placed them between their bodies. He then, used one to lightly trace along Sephiroth's skin. A smile crept along his mate's lips.
"Where did you get those?"
"In Midgar. You like?"
"Lovely."
Cloud then, tapered the stem of the flower he held and placed it behind his lover's ear. Cloud admired the picture of Sephiroth and the flower above his ear.
"It doesn't compare to you my love."
Sephiroth smiled gently, "Thank-you."
Cloud began to chuckle.
"What's funny?"
"I remembered something back at Nibelheim. When a woman becomes pregnant she wears a wreath of flowers on her head during the pregnancy. The man makes it for her as a token of his love to help her during the pregnancy. The funny thing is, is that after the pregnancy, the man wears the wreath of flowers for the same length of time as a reminder of what she endured."
"I'm not wearing a wreath of flowers for six months Cloud."
"What about in private?"
Sephiroth considered it, "Only if I like it and if I want to."
Cloud smiled and began making the wreath—his other life-time coming into place. A soft, feminine voice began speaking into his head that had taught him how to do it.
"That's right Cloud, over and under. Twist—yes—yes—now the other flower—"
Over and over he obeyed the memory of the wreath making. Now the last flower; twist the stem into place—done.
He surveyed his work. It was just as wonderful as the attempts from his other life-time.
"I like it," Sephiroth groaned as he sat himself up.
Cloud gingerly placed the wreath atop of his lover's head, careful about his lover's bangs. The yellow flowers made it seem like Sephiroth had a halo; like they even glowed.
"You look like an angel."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow, "Let me look." He was struggling to pull himself up. Cloud tried to help, "No dammit let me get up myself!" Cloud pulled away. When it was obvious, in Sephiroth's mind that he could no longer pull himself up, he sighed in defeat of his own body, "Help please."
Cloud quietly obliged. Sephiroth groaned when his feet hit the floor. "My feet hurt."
"I think that is normal during the pregnancy."
"The weight."
"The weight. They are growing."
"What?"
He corrected himself, "It is growing."
"You said 'they' Cloud."
He couldn't back away from his poor use of words. He had to make an excuse quickly, "I was referring to you and the baby."
Sephiroth gave him a quizzical look, "You are not telling me the truth. What is bothering you?"
Cloud smiled, slightly amused, "You are the one person with whom I am most vulnerable; with whom I make mistakes."
"Cloud, please," he began, "don't lie to me. I will think that you do not care for me enough to tell me the truth."
"I just do not know how to tell you, love."
Sephiroth slightly grasped his arm, "Tell me the best that you can."
Cloud looked at him in the eyes; lying caused him too much pain. "I've… discovered a little about myself today. I do not know if it is for good or for ill. I've been fighting it—not listening to what it tells me to do. I've become less of an innocent than when you first found me. Each day that comes, I become less of what I was—of what you found. Does it displease you that I am not innocent?"
"We all loose are innocence at some point Cloud. It doesn't do us any good to think about lost innocence."
"What I found out about myself is that… I haven't had innocence since I was a child. What this girl told me was the truth… slowly it's all coming back to me. She awaked something inside me."
Sephiroth knitted his brows together but kept silent. "What girl?"
"What it is telling me is too horrible for me to do. It goes against my animalistic instincts to hurt my mate. Yet it was the animal implanted inside me who what meant to hurt! To cause pain! To end someone's existence!" Cloud panted furiously, his heart beat quickened to the point of exploding in his chest. Gently he cupped his hands around Sephiroth's face, his voice growing quiet, "Don't ever let me forget how much I love you. Don't ever let me forget how beautiful you are. Don't ever let me forget how much of an angel you look right now. Don't ever let me forget how lovely my name sounds when you say it. Don't ever let me forget how sweet your kisses are. Promise me." Cloud pulled Sephiroth down for a light kiss.
"I promise," he said after the sweet kiss.
"Now, I know you are filled with questions and—"
"No. Don't answer them. There is only one question that I need to know about: Who is the girl that told you these things?"
"It isn't the girl you should be so worried about—it should be the one who told her to say those things. She was only a messenger, my love. She works for a higher power."
Sephiroth's eyes casted an 'all-knowing' look; one that had deep calculation and understanding of what Cloud meant by those words. He took a deep sigh. His brain analyzing precisely of those words; a precision much like his masasume.
"She does not work for ShinRa. There is one other option, but I am not pleased at all by that result. Zack… you should have been more careful of whom you've fallen in love with…"
"Please my love, don't put on that face. Don't think at all about it. She is of no consequence, nor the higher power. I listen to them no more. Come into the bathroom; I want you to see how much of an angel you look like."
Very obediently, Sephiroth obeyed. Too much pain had been ignited the past few moments for them both. He was going to let him know just how much he loved him; to forget the moment of pain. He gently and lovingly held Cloud's hand and gave him a light kiss on the cheek. Cloud lightly smiled and returned a small kiss to Sephiroth.
It was Cloud who turned on the light in the bathroom and who cooed him to look in the mirror. What Sephiroth saw, made him smile.
"I look like one of those frescoed boys in a festival paying tribute to an old god."
Cloud smiled at that, "No, you look like an angel. Can't you tell the flowers are glowing?"
"Maybe it is only the light."
"No, my love, they are glowing because of you; you are an angel."
"It is not what I am though."
"No, you are a mother."
"I'm not even feminine."
"You are so beautiful though!"
"Not on the inside."
"Yes, you are! No one knows you better than me! They do not know your pain, your suffering, your past, but most of all your potential! You are so much more than all of those negative images that come to mind when your name sounds! Your image has now been redefined as: Sephiroth: a mother, a lover, a fighter, one who protects, and one who feels!"
Sephiroth turned to look into the mirror again, his thoughts changed when he looked into it again.
"It's like I have two halves that make up me. The one you see now—a pregnant man with a wreath of flowers on his head that can create life; and the other—a man that has no remorse killing with masasume in his hand that can take life." He gently cupped his swollen tummy—feeling the firmness of his growing children. "Cloud, how many children am I having?"
"Four."
He chuckled, "No wonder I'm growing so fast. It's going to be a tight squeeze in my womb. You four best get along for the next few months." He said to the children inside him. Almost in response, a light "kicking" came from inside him. "Too fast… too fast," he breathed.
Moments past with just Sephiroth with the growing quads. He looked at his love with a hungry look, "Cloud."
"Yes, love?"
"Help me to the kitchen. I'm starving."
"Anything for you love."
That night, they lay together in each other's arms--two warm souls flushed together. Cloud began to purr. Sephiroth heard Cloud's rhythmic heart-beat. They didn't need words to convey how much they enjoyed being together in each other's arms--to feel the other's presence--to smell the other's scent--to feel the other's warmth.
On the nightstand was the yellow wreath of flowers.
Cloud lightly cupped Sephiroth's swollen womb. In a parental message, he told the children how much he loved them, and how proud he was of their growth. Sephiroth felt his womb radiate a heat wave, nothing unpleasurable but very soothing. Then, his chest tightened and his nipples felt itchy and perky.
"Cloud, can you please pinch my nipples? Rub my breast a little?"
Cloud smiled, "Of course."
Sephiroth rolled over to lay on his back to give Cloud access to his bare chest. Cloud used his finger tips to give the breast a slight massage, making sure the experience wasn't unpleasant for Sephiroth.
"You must be lactating."
"Huh? Lactating?" Sephiroth groaned out.
"Your breast is producing milk for the babies," he explained.
"Oh. Can't believe I'm growing boobs."
Cloud laughed out loud, "I don't think they will become large enough to notice; maybe a little swollen to feed them." He gave him a seductive look, "Maybe it is a good thing that they are sensitive right now."
Cloud then, licked the tip of the left nipple causing Sephiroth to loudly shudder. Then, completely sucked on the nipple. Sephiroth gasped at the contact. It was just what he wanted.
"A little more love."
Cloud sucked harder and bit a little.
"Yes, oh yes, that's it."
Just then, liquid erupted into Cloud's mouth and it was fairly unpleasant. Sephiroth felt the liquid seep out too. Cloud disgustingly spitted it out.
"Never knew breast milk could taste so foul."
"I'm so sorry Cloud. I--"
"Don't apologize. You couldn't help with what happened. Does your breast feel better?"
"The one you sucked on does."
"I'll do the other one."
"Not if it displeases you--"
"It's alright love… you cant' help with what your maternal instincts want. I'd gladly suck in your breasts until it's no longer sore, no matter how foul the milk is." With that said, Cloud sucked on the other nipple until it was no longer sore for the moment. Sephiroth gasped at the ministrations and groaned when Cloud let go of the nipple. "Better?"
"Yes, but now I have a different need."
"I have to do it softly."
"As long as I am filled."
"I will gladly do that."
Cloud gave him a sweet kiss on the lips. Their tongues exploring and tasting the other's mouth.
--End Chapter 10