Yay! This one's a bit more fun, even if there are some serious undertones. We're getting into the thick of things, my darlings!
Cloud managed to spend most of the day in hiding, keeping to the far corners of the gym, the library, and his room whenever possible. He only saw Sephiroth and Reno once, busily undressing each other behind a bookshelf in the library.
Tseng did not appear after dinner. He wasn't in the baths, and he wasn't anywhere in the wing when Cloud went to look for him.
"Looking for someone?" Zack yawned, passing Cloud on his second circuit of the wing.
"Tseng. I'm supposed to sleep with him tonight."
"He's not coming."
"He's not?"
"Nope. Didn't you hear? Rufus has him out in the barracks, doing surveillance. There have been reports of SOLDIERs sneaking off the compound at night, and Rufus is kinda pissed at Tseng over the whole Vincent thing, so he's stuck out there until further notice."
"Oh."
"I'd offer a spot in my bed, but I'm a kicker. You'd be one big bruise in the morning if you slept with me. Evyn, maybe?"
"Sleeping at his desk in the tech department," Cloud said dully. It was shaping up to be a long, sleepless night.
"Um…that's about it for bedmates, isn't it?"
"Yeah."
"Can't sleep without someone, can you?"
"No."
"Reno? He's not the greatest, but he's warm."
"I'll manage on my own," Cloud sighed, not wanting to even consider willingly getting into bed with Reno. "Thanks, though."
"No problem."
The room seemed bigger without Vincent in it. Maybe it was his size that made it look smaller and cozier, or maybe Cloud was just being silly. He liked small spaces, though. They felt safe. Back in Nibleheim, a small, close cage was his favorite kind, because it was nearly impossible for anyone to get into it with him, and close-quarters fighting was his forte. Small, dark places were the best to sleep in; that way, he couldn't see where he was or what was in there with him. Small, dark places like under the blankets at Tseng or Vincent's side.
"No point in not even trying," he muttered to himself, and climbed into bed. The sheets felt colder than usual, so he curled up, yanked the blankets over his head, and tried to fall asleep.
It must have worked, because the next thing he knew, he was warm, and there was someone in bed with him who had definitely not been there before. He reached out and felt around, his hand finally settling on a shoulder. He followed it up to the neck, and a lot of soft, straight hair. Reno, Tseng, or Vincent. Probably Reno, unless Vincent had been released early or Tseng had suddenly been taken off duty. He felt up to the jaw line, and the face. It didn't feel like Reno, or at least not like what he thought Reno's face might feel like. The lips were too full, for one thing.
"Is this really necessary?"
Cloud froze. It wasn't Reno. It wasn't Vincent. It wasn't Tseng. That was Sephiroth's voice.
"Well?"
"Sephiroth?"
"Yes?"
"Y-you're…you're…in my bed."
"And?"
"What are you doing here?"
Sephiroth shifted in the dark, one of his legs brushing against Cloud's.
"Trying to sleep," he murmured.
"In my bed?"
"Reno is too boney. Why did you pick now to get touchy about my presence? I've been here for at least two hours."
"You have?"
"Mmhm. Go back to sleep, would you? I'm tired."
"You're tired? I've been avoiding you all day!"
"I had wondered why I didn't see you outside meals. Is there a new reason that you were hiding, or just the usual 'you are evil' reason?"
"You and Reno were attached at the mouth all day!"
"I beg to differ. We spent plenty of time carrying out our own duties."
"Get out of my bed!"
Sephiroth's response was to curl closer, corralling Cloud in with his arms. It was too dark to see him, but Cloud knew his face was uncomfortably close.
"Now, why would I want to do that?"
"Go back and sleep with Reno." Cloud jammed his elbow into what he thought was Sephiroth's stomach. He misjudged and connected with Sephiroth's chest. It earned him a soft grunt and a sore elbow, but not freedom.
"In bed, Reno is only good for sex and bed-play. Other than that, he is utterly hopeless. He steals blankets, sleeps in positions that ensure elbows and knees in tender places, thrashes, talks, and pays no mind to whoever he is with."
"Did you have to crawl in with me?"
"Who else?"
"Anybody!"
"Evyn is away. Vincent isn't my type. Zack kicks. You are well on your way to being a nice little mini-Zack- physically, at least- and happen to be quite cuddly, provided you don't know I'm here. That makes you the best choice for a bedmate."
Cloud kicked hopefully at Sephiroth, more to vent frustration then to actually get loose. Sephiroth laughed.
"Am I that repulsive, Cloud?"
"I never said you were repulsive," Cloud muttered.
"Then you admit that you're attracted to me."
"I did not!"
"Just sleep. I'm sure I can serve as a decent imitation of Tseng or Vincent for a single night. Or what remains of a single night, anyway."
"But I don't want-"
"Go to sleep, Cloud."
The following morning, Cloud woke up to find that he was being used as a teddy bear. Sephiroth was clinging to him, still quite asleep and virtually immoveable. Cloud was stuck and utterly mortified.
No amount of thrashing or determined wriggling helped. He did manage to roll over and try to bite, but he couldn't reach anything sensitive enough to make it worth it.
"Get off me," he commanded.
Sephiroth mumbled and rolled over, dragging Cloud half under him.
"Sephiroth! You're crushing me!"
No response.
Cloud doubled his efforts, kicking and struggling like a madman, until he was, if not free, able to breathe. This didn't last long. Sephiroth's hair was in the way. Choking and sputtering, he fought to get back under the shelter of Sephiroth's arm. There was air there, no matter how hard it was to get a decent breath of it.
It was the wriggling that finally woke Sephiroth. Yawning, he rolled onto his back, patting sleepily at the rather limp blonde who he'd been using as a body pillow.
"M-morning."
Free at last, Cloud was out of bed and out of the room before Sephiroth had a chance to say more.
Breakfast was awkward, to say the least. Reno fully intended to be all over Sephiroth again, but Sephiroth was still sleepy and wanted his cuddle-toy back. Reno wasn't willing to get too close to Cloud, and complained loudly when Sephiroth sat next to Cloud and leaned on him.
"Since when do you two get along?"
"We don't," Cloud muttered. "Take him if you want him."
Reno grabbed Sephiroth's arm and pulled. Sephiroth leaned towards him for a minute, then tugged his arm free and settled against Cloud again, closing his eyes.
"Don't you dare go back to sleep," Cloud hissed.
Sephiroth didn't respond. Not wanting a repeat of this morning, Cloud got up quickly. Sephiroth had no time to compensate and hit the seat with a dull thud and an indignant yelp. Satisfied, Cloud left. Behind him, Reno yanked Sephiroth upright and bit his ear. This seemed to settle things, and they got into a position similar to the one from the morning before.
Cloud
Training: 0900-1130
Tour Guide: 1300-1730
Tour guide? Oh, no…they can't be serious. I can't lead a bunch of women around! They'll eat me alive! I'll be molested within an inch of my life! I'm not big enough to scare them away!
Cloud panicked quietly all the way back to his room for his practice clothes, and then all the way to the gym. He was still fussing when Zack smacked his backside with the flat of his sword.
"Head in the clouds means your head'll be on the floor in a real fight," he said.
"Sorry," Cloud mumbled, falling back into his stance and raising his sword again.
"Something on your mind?"
"I have to guide the tours this afternoon."
"Scared?"
"Nervous, I guess," Cloud sighed, ducking under Zack's swing and mincing in for his own strike. "I'm no good with girls."
"Relax," Zack chuckled, blocking the attack and responding with a low, sweeping move that Cloud had to hop to avoid. "They're not supposed to touch you, so all you have to do is look pretty and speak up."
"I don't do pretty."
"Where'd you get an idea like that? I only know two guys prettier 'n you. Three guesses who."
"Um…Rufus and Tseng?" Cloud offered, backing up to the edge of the ring.
"Not even close. Tseng is handsome as hell, but he doesn't have the looks for pretty. And Rufus? Are you kidding? Eww."
"Who then? Hey! Watch it!" That last swing had come dangerously close to his stomach. While Cloud knew that Zack wouldn't hurt him on purpose, years of violence in the kennels had taught him to be wary of anyone fighting opposite him, no matter how friendly you were with them.
"Seph and Vincent. Who else?"
"They're not pretty," Cloud muttered, wincing when his block didn't go quite as well as he'd planned and the swords slid against each other with a screech that sent chills down his spine.
"What?"
"They're both beautiful. Pretty isn't enough to describe them."
"Cloud, whatever they are, you're right up there with them."
"Liar."
"Why would I lie?"
"I'm plain. There are dozens of blue-eyed blondes out there. Lots of them are better looking than I am. You're just biased."
"When was the last time you looked in a mirror?"
"This morning."
"And you saw someone plain?"
"Just like always."
"Listen, Cloud," Zack sighed. "Take it from a guy who is so physically different from everyone around him that he actually pays attention to this stuff. You're gorgeous. You have eyes like I've never seen. Sure, lots of people have blue eyes, but they don't have your blue. Lots of people have blonde hair, but theirs doesn't have the personality that yours has. You may be small, but you can move faster than ought to be allowed. I've never met anyone who can pick up something as complicated as formal sword work
as fast as you, either. You've got a great build, and you're willing to be friendly. Put it all together and you're one of the most attractive guys around."
"You're still biased," Cloud retorted. He didn't want to hear this. He didn't want to think that he was anything more than ordinary.
"Biased? I've known Sephiroth for years, and Vincent for awhile too. If I say you're pretty, I mean it." A quick reverse swing brought the tip of Zack's blade level with Cloud's throat. "Give?"
"Give," Cloud sighed.
"Does it bother you that I think you're pretty?"
"Yes. No. Not you, exactly."
"I'm not a shrink or a psychic, Cloud. Spell it out for me."
"I don't want to be pretty, or cute, or even vaguely interesting. I want to be boring and plain and the kind of person people just walk by. The kind of person who just blends in when he stands against a wall, and doesn't stand out in a crowd, and doesn't have another problem to deal with whenever he turns around!"
"So you're in denial," Zack said easily, dropping onto the nearest bench and pulling his shirt off.
"I am not."
"Sure you are. Too much attention, and you don't want it, so you deny the obvious reasons and grab at the ones that you want it to be."
"What happened to not being a shrink?" Cloud grumbled, sitting down beside Zack and setting his sword down next to his feet.
"A soldier has to understand people if he wants to be a good leader, Cloud. I used to dream about being way up in the army hierarchy, even before I joined SOLDIER. I did everything I could to realize that dream. Once I know what the problem is, I can usually help."
Cloud sighed and stared between his knees at the gleaming metal on the floor. He'd never even dreamed of being able to use a sword when he'd gotten here, and now he trained with Zack as though they were equals. Not slaves, not captives, not sex-toys, but men.
"I hit the nail on the head, didn't I?" Zack chuckled.
"Yeah."
"Nice to know I still have it."
"Don't let it go to your head."
"I'll keep that in mind." Zack stood, hefting his sword over his shoulder like something far less deadly than it really was. "And as far as the guide thing goes, you just have to grin and bear it. They come because we're something they can't have. Like I used to stand in front of the windows of the big weapons dealers and drool over the new swords. They want it, and they're this close. They'll always be that little bit out of reach, but it's nice to look, y'know? They can't do anything to you. Relax. It'll be fine."
Cloud smiled and nodded. Zack grinned.
"I'll see you at dinner then. Later."