Beyond

Beyond

Flora Winters

I do not own Final Fantasy VII.

Summary: Sometimes the dead simply do not stay dead. This story will contain boy love, strong language, and scenes of explicit violence.

Chapter Ten

You live in a church

Where you sleep with voodoo dolls

And you won't give up the search

For the ghosts in the halls

--Sarah McLachlan

Cloud had been right. Fat Ass had called Sephiroth with orders to scale Mount Nibel due to the reactor being "mysteriously" offline. The goddamn whores just didn't know how offline the bitch was. Oh, it caused him to giggle on the inside with wicked glee. He so needed a drink.

"What do you mean I can't go drinking?" Zack demanded with his hands on his hips. He looked mega pissed off. "I've worked my ass off, Seph!"

"And beat mine," Rik whimpered, dodging the punch to his face, and winked at Cloud.

"We have a job to do, you dumb ass." Sephiroth repeated for the fourth time. "I don't want one of you stumbling off the mountain because you have a hangover."

Cloud raised his hand, piping in with his two gil. "He does have a point."

"Traitor!" Zack roared, pointing at him with an angry finger and blazing blue eyes. "Now you choose to play nice with Sephy!"

Cloud just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want Zack to have a hangover. There would be lots of nasty monsters on the mountain. He had heard the sluts growling and howling even before he had blown the reactor to Hell with Vincent's help.

Steff raised his hand. "How about we limit our alcohol consumption to like three drinks…or something, Sir?"

Zack's eyes lit up and he started bouncing like a puppy. If he had a tail, Cloud knew he'd be wagging it off. He was so damn cute. It made him blush.

He suddenly took notice of Sephiroth looking right at him with those stupid green eyes. Damn, he hissed like a venomous cobra, he saw me blush. The stupid cow!

"As if this idiot knows how to limit anything he does," Sephiroth muttered, sticking his nose up in the air. He looked like he was pissed about something. It made Cloud wonder against his will. He was also getting tired of Sephiroth calling his boyfriend names. The claws really were starting to come out.

"I do so know how to limit myself!" Zack growled, advancing on him. "You're such an asshole, Seph."

"Stop calling me that!" Sephiroth snapped, glaring at him with poisonous green apples.

"Cloud will to it," he said, spinning around to look right at him. "Won't you, Cloud?"

"All right," he said, walking right up to him, standing on his toes, and whispered in his ear. "If you promise just to have three drinks, I'll paint your balls with chocolate sauce, and lick them until I get a pearly surprise."

Zack made a small sound in the back of his throat and bit his bottom lip. All he could do was nod his head.

"He promises to limit himself," Cloud happily announced, patting him on his spiky head.

Sephiroth rolled his eyes, putting his hands on his hips. "I'll have to see this in order to believe it."

Rik and Steff gave each other a high-five and strolled off at a leisurely pace together. The two of them looked as if they were getting very close. They were always with each other now that Cloud thought about it.

That little revelation caused him to suddenly gasp in silence. Steff was going to die tomorrow. He couldn't let that happen. Rik would slowly decline if that happened. They looked so happy with each other.

"What's wrong?" Zack asked, nudging him with his elbow.

"Cramp in my foot," he said, stomping his left foot for dramatic emphasis. "I hate it when this happens."

Sephiroth chuckled. "I've not had one of those in a long time."

Lucky you, bitch! Wait! Now he was pissed because Sephiroth didn't get fake foot cramps? Oh, the jerk was such an ass! He hoped the dick's prick got a fucking cramp and shriveled up inside him.

"Come on," Zack said, leading him off by the hand. "I'll massage it."

Cloud pretended to limp and whimpered once or twice. It was hard work being such an awesome actor. He was going to buy himself a nice trophy when Shin-Ra was burning down to ashes at his feet, and then bitch-slap the president's teeth out of his head with it, before ramming it up his fat ass for the Lord.

He looked over his shoulder to see that Sephiroth was no longer there. That guy was like a damn shadow. He was there with you one minute and gone with the wind the next.

Cloud suddenly grinned like a naughty kitten. He would love to nail the general's feet to the floor and unleash a thousand legions of acid spitting ants all in the room with him. Oh, the anguished screams of agony would lull him off to sleep.

"You have that spooky look on your face again," Zack deadpanned, looking down at him. "What are you plotting in that gorgeous blonde head of yours?"

"I was thinking about dressing up like Hojo, only I'm way sexier, of course," he cooed, licking his upper lip with a serpent red tongue. "And perform some devious experiments on you…"

"That look on your face was playing a different game," Zack told him, turning around to head up the steps. "Are you sure you weren't playing Morgue?"

"Oh," Cloud said, smiling evilly as he squeezed that sexy ass. "That's a fun idea, too."

Zack snorted, shaking his head.

"Would you like to be the Coroner?" He asked, hopping up two steps at a time after him.

"You can," Zack grinned, opening the door to their room, "Because I'm going to be dead drunk."

Cloud pouted, following him in, shutting the door behind him with a firm click. "No, there is to be no drunkenness up in here, Mr. Fair."

"I'm kidding," Zack said, walking over to the messy bed. "Take off your boots and lay down for me."

Cloud did so.

"Plus," Zack smiled, gently massaging Cloud's shapely foot. "I'm holding you to what you promised me earlier."

"Oh, that," Cloud grinned. "You know I will. I love sucking you off. You make these little whiny sounds followed by this deep grunt when you shoot."

"I do not whine," Zack snarled, pinching his toe.

Cloud yelped and then snickered. "Oh, yes you do."

"I'll show you whine!" Zack yelled, pouncing him, and promptly began to tick him.

"NO!" Cloud yelled, fighting with him. "THAT'S CHEATING!"

"Nope," Zack chuckled wickedly, tickling him even harder. "I'm winning."

Cloud finally had to give in and whined for him to stop. He had almost pissed himself.

"Yay!" Zack laughed in triumph, collapsing on Cloud's chest, resting his head over his thumping heart. "I'm the man!"

Cloud rolled his eyes. "You're something…"

"What?" Zack asked. "Something what, Cloud?"

"Precious," Cloud said, playing with those spiky black strands.

Zack made a face. "Am I like a ring or something?"

"No," Cloud snorted, shaking his head. "A ring is much prettier."

Zack rolled his eyes. "Am I going to have to tickle you again?"

A scary voice suddenly filled Cloud's mind and it was his own. It was deep, frightening, and twisted with insanity.

I shall drown this world with my tears should something ever take you away from me again.

He shivered under Zack's weight. He could hear the deadly roar echoing all round him. The ground was shaking and groaning in terror. He could see a massive tidal wave and he was riding the magnificent beast which controlled it.

"I love you," he whispered, fighting to kick the scary Storm-Cloud away.

"Cloud," Zack said, lifting his head up to look down at him. "What's wrong?"

"I just want you to know how much you mean to me," he said, tracing his soft lips. "I don't want you to ever have to guess my feelings for you."

"Cloud," Zack said, suddenly straddling his narrow waist, pinning his hands above his blonde head, gently squeezing his wrists. "You're really starting to scare me."

"I want you to always trust me," he suddenly said, looking into the depths of Zack's magical eyes. "Even if you're lost, confused, and frustrated with me…I want you to never doubt me, Zack."

Zack laughed nervously. "Have you already been in the booze?"

"Am I going to have to tie you up and lock you away in a treasure chest?" Cloud asked with a cocked brow, suddenly on top of a bewildered Zack, pinning him down with delightful ease.

"No," Zack said, looking like he was fighting to recapture his stunned breath.

Cloud pouted. "You don't want to be my treasure?"

"Have you been smoking that crazy shit again?" Zack asked, squirming under him. "You know I don't like it when you do that."

Cloud planted a kiss on the tip of his nose. "Promise me."

Zack finally nodded. "I promise, Cloud."

Cloud felt so very happy. He kissed him on the lips and rolled off to lie beside him.

"How about you get naked for me?" Cloud asked, gently massaging the taller SOLDIER'S goods.

Zack turned his head over to look at him with heated eyes. "Why?"

"Because," Cloud giggled, squeezing that delightful bulge, making him buck. "I want to tease you until you fill my mouth with your yummy goodness."

"Let's see who can take off all their clothes the fastest," Zack said, jumping to his feet.

Clark nodded. "I'll win."

"Why's that?" Zack asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Because silly, my boots are already off."

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Cloud managed to cause Rik and Steff to "mysteriously" contract food poisoning. He really was a diabolical genius when he put his mind to something. It was amazing what uncooked chicken can do to the human body. Well, at least now the two of them would be hovering over a toilet and not a two hundred foot drop. He was so the Dark Cupid of Love. Oh, he would have cackled evilly if Sephiroth hadn't been looming a mere foot from him.

"Cloud goes crazy," the general muttered under his breath, rubbing his temples. "And now my men are shitting and puking themselves to an early grave."

Zack slammed his mug down, letting out a ground shaking belch. Oh, he was so damn manly!

"I give it a four," Cloud said, shaking his head in disappointment, downing his own beer. "Can't you do better than that, Mr. First Class?"

"That's it," Sephiroth said, snapping his fingers for the bartender to bring the check. "There is to be no more drinking, you two."

Zack balled his fists in outrage. Cloud completely sympathized. They each still had their third mug to finish off.

"Cloud," Sephiroth said, getting to his feet. "Pay the man and put that idiot to bed."

Cloud kept his face blank. He wasn't a goddamn slave! And Zack wasn't an idiot, either! Pretty soon all of Shin-Ra would be bowing down to die at his feet. He was thinking about giving them all a choice. They could either slit their own throats or be shoved into Ifrit's lava drooling jaws.

Plans were forming one after the other in his mind and they were all gloriously morbid. When he finally possessed all the Summoning Materia in the world, nobody would be able to stand against him. Everything Shin-Ra simply had to go. He was going to blast and burn it all to the ground.

"And you get some sleep as well," Sephiroth told him, snatching the mug full of beer away from Zack's creeping fingers. The poor guy whimpered like a distraught puppy. "You're going to have to look after Rik and Steff while we're gone. And stop it, Zack! Those goddamn puppy eyes won't work on me!"

"Well, shit," Zack hissed in what Cloud knew to be his really thick country boy accent. He started to pull out his Buster Sword. "I reck'n I'll just have ta kick yer ass."

"Don't be absurd," Sephiroth snorted, downing the mug himself and then tossing it over his shoulder. It hit the floor with a loud shatter. "Go to bed, moron."

Cloud quickly stopped Zack from pulling out his weapon. He knew he was tough, but he wasn't Sephiroth tough.

"I'll see to it, Sir," he said, fighting the scary voice that was commanding him to take Zack's sword, ram it up the prick's ass, and give it a real good twirl.

Sephiroth nodded. "Good."

"Have you ever thought about cutting your hair?" Cloud suddenly caught himself asking out of the blue.

Zack blinked and Sephiroth just looked at him. "Huh?"

"Don't you find it annoying?" He asked, smiling sweetly. "It's so long. What if an enemy grabs it…or it gets tangled up in something nasty?"

Sephiroth's left eye twitched. "That's never happened."

Cloud grinned. He so had him. "How about we play a little game?"

Sephiroth folded his arms across his broad chest. "I'm listening."

"If I can pull your hair," he said, getting up to stand before him. "You let me go with you tomorrow…and you cut your hair."

Okay, Cloud thought to himself for a second, why do I want him to cut his hair?

"Are you out of your mind?" Zack hissed. The country boy was gone and the SOLDIER was back.

"And if you can't?" Sephiroth asked, smiling. "What do I get?"

Cloud grinned. "Whatever you want, Sir, but it doesn't matter. I won't lose."

"Fine," Sephiroth said and then blinked in real shock, cringing on instinct. Cloud had instantly snatched him by the hair right as he had said "fine" and actually jerked out a few strands. He loved how the green eyed demon winced in pain.

Zack gawked, dropping his mug. It shattered, too.

"I win," Cloud said, backing away from the shocked general, and pulled Zack to his feet. "See you in the morning, Sir."

"You cheated!" Sephiroth snarled angrily, pointing at him. His eyes were burning like acid green stars.

"I didn't make any rules," Cloud said, waving the silver stands at him. "Plus, enemies don't play by rules. They do whatever it takes to win because victory is all that matters, Sir. I thought you knew that."

"What the fuck happened to the quiet, I'm going to puke my guts out because I'm flying, Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, looking like he was seriously fighting not to either punch his lights out or nurse his poor mistreated hair.

"That's what I'd like to know," Zack muttered.

"SOLDIER," Cloud hissed under his breath. "Shin-Ra…"

"Huh?" They both asked.

"I think you would look very nice with short hair, Sir," Cloud said, nodding his head. "But even if you don't cut it, I'm still going."

Sephiroth looked at Zack.

"What?" He asked, holding up his hands. "You agreed, Seph."

"If either of you so much as whisper this to anyone," Sephiroth hissed like a nest full of poisonous vipers, looking at each of them with Medusa green eyes. "I will personally see to it that you only receive the shittiest of missions for as long as you are in SOLDIER, you hear me?"

Zack quickly nodded.

"So," Cloud said, holding out the silver strands he had swiped with sneaky ease. "Does this mean you'll cut your hair?"

Sephiroth snatched them from his hand and stormed off, cursing like a sailor. The bartender poorly hid behind his own menu.

Zack turned to look at him with wide eyes. "Have you lost your mind?"

Cloud nodded. "Will you help me find it? The damn thing snapped its collar again."

"I will strangle you," Zack said, taking him by the hand, pulling him after him, "If you ever do something like that again. He could have seriously punched his fist through your face."

Cloud dropped more than enough gil to pay for the beer and the two broken mugs on the bar and let Zack continue to manhandle him out into the warm night air. He looked at the silver strand of hair he had wrapped around his middle finger. Oh, just think of all the wicked things he could now. He really hoped Sephiroth looked stupid with short hair if he did decide to cut it.

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Sephiroth just looked at himself in the oval shaped mirror. He couldn't believe that little twit had done what he had done. It had been low, sneaky, underhanded, and downright genius. He honestly hadn't seen it coming. He had been completely unable to read those startling aqua blue eyes or his body language for that matter. It was seriously pissing him off. Why couldn't he read the beautiful guy?

"Just do it," he ordered, dropping his eyes away from his haunting reflection. He couldn't watch his sliver crown and glory be cut away like grass.

Well, perhaps it was time for a change. After all, he did feel different on the inside. Plus, he wouldn't have to take so long washing it now. Just think of how much shampoo and conditioner he'd be saving.

"I can't do it," the barber said. He was still in his nightgown. Yep, that's right. It was hot pink, too. "I can't bring myself to destroy something so gorgeous. Just look how silky and flawless these silver stands are. There isn't even a split end in sight!"

"Fine," Sephiroth roared, snatching the scissors from him with lighting fast speed. "I'll do it myself, goddamn it!"

"NO!" The eccentric man wailed like a siren.

"Oh…fuck," Sephiroth hissed. Why the hell had he done this? He had no fucking clue. Oh, wait, yes he did. It was Cloud Strife. The gorgeous twit was driving him mad.

The barber fell to his knees in horror. He had tears streaming down his face as he gathered up the perfect silver strands in his hands. He was sobbing like a hysterical maniac. "How could you commit such an atrocity?"

Sephiroth threw the scissors down, got to his feet, and stormed out of the shop like a dark twister. He was going to fucking slaughter the first person, whether they be a man, woman, or child, if they so much as twitched their lips.

TBC…

Please review and tell me what you think.

Thank you all so much for your wonderful reviews.

Flora.