Donum Deae – Panther and a chocobo

2010 – Edge

It was strange being in a time of peace right now, with everything that had happened in his short adult life to simply sit and not do anything just felt strange. Granted there had been the two years between meteor and the remnants of peace but at that point he had simply been trying to regain his sense of self.

Now though he didn't have that to occupy his time; yes he did still have his delivery businesses but even that was slowing down slightly as with the decrease in mako energy people weren't really traveling great distances. Oil they had discovered while not as harmful to the planet it cost about twice as much as mako energy had. On the small amount of deliveries he got he couldn't afford to go really outside the continent, not on Fenrir at least that thing was a gas hog.

For the most part he worked alongside Tifa at the Seventh Heaven helping her to run the bar and playing bouncer for those that had emptied their wallets a little too much.

Hearing the door open Cloud looked up, it was really early in the afternoon; normally they didn't start getting patrons for another few hours. "Hey spike!" a small frown pulled at Cloud's lips hearing the lazy slum drawl of the red haired Turk. Oh it was really way too early to be dealing with the Turks right now, especially Reno.

Rufus Shinra was in the processes of rebuilding Shinra, only instead of mako energy they were creating oil refineries to work along since Barrett's oil rigs. Because of his previous fortune Rufus was once more in a position of power though while he had once more taken over control of Edge just as he had Midgar he didn't rule it with fear.

Because of his growing power once more he had reinstated his Turks to their previous positions, and actually had recruited several more. He had tried to recruit him into the fold, but he wanted as little to do with Shinra as he could.

The only reason he tolerated Reno and his like in the bar was because Tifa enjoyed Rude's company and they were some of their biggest spenders. When they came into the bar they were always dropping hundreds of Gil at a time, because Turks were enhanced to a degree it took more alcohol to get them drunk and Reno loved to get drunk.

"Reno." Cloud said shortly returning to cleaning the glasses he had been when the Turk walked in. "Oh come on Spike, I'm not here to recruit you, boss man told us to knock it off." Raising a single blond brow Cloud looked back to where Reno had sat himself at the bar. "We talking about Boss man or just boss man?" Reno called both Rufus and Tseng boss man, just one was a little more important than the other.

"Tseng boss man, nah Rufus still wants you to join. Tseng says that when a man says no we should respect his answer, not everyone is cut out to be a Turk." Setting the glass down Cloud moved over to the shelf grabbing Reno's normal beer and set it down in front of the red head.

"Since when does Tseng stick up for anyone other than Shinra."

"You don't really know boss man do you." Reno shook his head taking a long drag of his beer. "Boss man is probably the most loyal friend you could ever have, he rates up there with Fair." Frowning Cloud looked down at the Turk, "don't compare Zack to Tseng..they are two completely different people."

Seeing the chocobo was getting his feathers all ruffled Reno leaned across the bar so he was staring right into those glowing mako blue eyes. "Boss man and Fair were friends. Even though one was SOLDIER the other was Turk they had a fairly good relationship. Boss man considered him enough of a friend that when you two escaped and the military was closing in he defied Shinra and sent us out to rescue you two."

Blinking Cloud sat back slightly, those blue eyes wary as he regarded the Turk before him. "He sent you out to rescue us?"

"Yeah yo, he cared for Fair; he was tearing himself up for months after the Nibelheim incident he knew what Hojo was going to do but he couldn't do a damn thing since he would have landed beside you two. Veld would have had no problem shipping a traitor off to Hojo."

Frowning Cloud moved back to cleaning the glasses, he had a hard time believing the man that had struck Aerith and dropped the plate would willing defy Shinra to save a single SOLDIER. Zack granted was an amazing man but still, this was the Director of the Turks they were talking about.

Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Hearing the door open again he looked up seeing Rude and Tseng entering the bar, while Rude was normally here Tseng almost never came in.

"Afternoon Cloud." Rude said sitting down next to his partner, Tseng surprisingly sat down at one of the benches away from everyone with his back to them all. Reno sat up seeing this and looked to his partner, his aquamarine eyes surprisingly dull in color. "She didn't?" he whispered lowly, Cloud was only able to catch it because of his enhanced hearing. Turning back to them he saw Rude shake his head and Reno's eyes dim even more if it's possible.

"Damn it.. How's Tseng taking it?" he was still keeping his voice extremely low, so low Rude had to lean in just to hear him. Rude shook his head once more glancing back to where Tseng was sitting silently not moving or doing anything. "He's not..He hasn't said a single thing since we left Wutai. I asked if he wanted to come here and he just nodded."

Normally Cloud didn't like to pry especially in the affairs of the Turks but this seemed like it was big. "What happened?"

Reno and Rude shared a look not knowing if it was a good idea to let Cloud in on such personal matters. Sighing softly Rude figured it wouldn't hurt too much he motioned for Cloud to come closer so he could keep his voice down; Tseng had amazing hearing.

"Tseng's mother passed away last night, she was poisoned by one of the warring families during a dispute. Nothing could be done to save her, but it wasn't a quick death.. It's tearing Tseng apart, he and his mother were very close."

Reno nodded slightly his eyes looking back to the still silent boss. "Why would his mother be poisoned, I thought the war in Wutai was over." Cloud was confused; he could have sworn that Wutai was in a state of peace since the Shinra took over.

"The war between Wutai and Shinra is, but Wutai isn't really run by the Lord, he's just a figure head. Wutai is run by families, boss man said there were six families constantly struggling for power. All six families were considered assassin families as all the men were highly trained assassins. I guess the rules were no women and children were to be pulled into the war…"

Aka Tseng's mother never should have died, he knew how that felt only difference was he found his mother dead.. he didn't have to sit there and watch her slowly die knowing there was nothing he could do. Stepping back from the bar Cloud grabbed the brandy Tseng tended to favor when he was here and moved over to where the Turk was sitting silently.

Setting the glass down on the table he watched as Tseng jumped slightly, he had been completely zoned out. Slowly those dull steel colored eyes looked to the glass before looking up to who had brought it over.

"You look like you need it." He set the full bottle down next to the glass, "on the house Director." He watched the man blink slowly as if his gears in his brain were starting to turn once more. A little bit of life appeared in those eyes once more as he looked up to Cloud. "Thank you.." his voice was soft and Cloud even with his enhanced hearing almost couldn't make it out. "You're welcome, call if you want something different." He knew from personal experience that when women grieved they wanted to be held and loved; when men grieved they wanted to be left alone.

2012 – Icicle Inn

That day had been the beginning of a friendship neither believed would ever take root. Tseng had started to come back to the Seventh Heaven even without his men and would sit at the same booth drinking the same high end brandy.

After a few months of this Cloud had begun to engage him in conversation; when the man wasn't trying to kill you or recruit you he was actually very pleasant to be around. On his off time Turk Tseng turned off and Tseng the man appeared; the change was startling, while it wasn't a huge massive change like going from Rude to Reno it was still noticeable.

He smiled more for one, and Cloud would never admit it to anyone but the man had a beautiful smile. When it was a true happy smile and not a sadistic I'm about to kill you smile, it lit up his whole face, those steel colored eyes would turn to a brilliant silver and almost dance.

His personality was polar opposite as well; Tseng outside the Turks was a kid in a man's body. Not overly so like the recently discovered Genesis Rhapsodos but Tseng was not above a good childish prank or sitting up watching cartoons on a Sunday morning. He had a very large sense of humor, a little on the dry sarcastic side but it was there.

Reno was right in Tseng considering Zack a friend, while they may not have been BFF they were close; Tseng seemed to like to pick on Zack as the puppy was just far too easy and embarrassed easily too. Tseng had actually been there when they had gone on the Modeoheim when both Genesis and Angeal had attacked; it was actually him that crashed the helicopter that stranded them there.

Tseng swore up and down that it was a mechanical failure but they all knew he crashed it. Cloud loved to bring that up as it would get him either the dreaded Turk death glare or the cutest pout on the planet.

The past two years the two had become extremely close much to Cloud's friends shock. While Cloud had not joined the Turks he had agreed to work alongside them on missions where they might require the extra muscle. He tended to work side by side with the overly arrogant and overly dramatic Genesis who he discovered much to his horror had been Sephiroth's best friend and lover for many years; and it had been him that had been the final spike driven into Sephiroth's coffin.

He was an interesting character to work with that was for sure, a child most the time but he was a very deadly swordsman and materia master. Cloud though had to hide his materia from him as he discovered Genesis loved materia and would steal the rare ones he didn't already have. He and Yuffie had become very very fast friends..and enemies as they were stealing materia off each other all the time.

Right now the Turks were on a mission to the Icicle Inn area, a group of rebels had been using the area as a hide out and they were sent to infiltrate and destroy. Cloud had come along as it was rumored they had created enhanced creatures that the Turks would not be able to handle one on one.

Rushing into the arctic tent he was sharing with Tseng Cloud quickly shut the flap zipping it up once more and danced around trying to warm up. This was the coldest he had ever felt the area, a blizzard was starting so they were forced to hunker down for the night.

The group was spread out across the area all in pairs and was hunkered down so they didn't give themselves away.

"Did you have to open the tent?" Tseng was already in his sleeping bag completely cocooned up so all you could see were those steel eyes. Setting his gear down on the edge of the tent Cloud moved over but blinked seeing that his sleeping bag was connected to Tseng's. "Uh.. why are our bags connected?" Tseng rolled so he could look up at the bond above him, "because you're a walking mako heater.. I'm not now hurry up and get in and put that mako to good use." Snorting Cloud started to laugh, oh he loved this man. Shaking his head Cloud stripped down to his thermals as fast as humanly possible and slipped into his own sleeping bag. The sleeping bags were tight normally, but sticking them together with another body inside made for a very snug fit.

He tried to shift to the far side and curled up into his pillow, though every time he moved his leg would end up brushing up against Tseng's. After ten minutes of Cloud trying to get comfortable and Tseng trying to sleep through it the Turk grabbed the blond and pulled him up against him. "Sleep already."

Cloud looked up his face a brilliant shade of crimson as he was pulled up flush against a hard chest. Yes Cloud was gay, he had discovered that some years back when he had been unable to even get it up with Tifa but it seemed to work just fine around men.

Even though he had at one point hated Tseng he had always admired the man's graceful beauty; he was up there with Sephiroth and Genesis in a simplistic elegant beauty. Lowering his head Cloud shifted his hips away hoping the man wouldn't feel the change in Cloud's body. He couldn't help it the man was hot and feeling the corded muscles and seeing the pale skin peeking out from under the thermals he wore was driving him crazy.

Willing the hardness away he tried to ignore the arm thrown carelessly over his waist and the soft warm puffs of air ghosting across his face with every exhale of the Turk next to him.

Seeing the Turk was already fast sleep Cloud allowed his eyes to rove up and down the body next to him, he wasn't going to get any sleep so he might as well actually look at the man. Not much could be seen because of how their bodies were situated and the heavy thermals they both still wore, what he did see made him aww silently.

Tseng was stretched out in just a way that it caused his shirt to ride up revealing an expanse of chiseled abs that every man would die for and a sharp cut leading tauntingly down bellow his pant line. Seeing something as the man shifted he blinked and allowed his eyes to focus in a little more; there right on the dividing line of his hip and pelvis right at the pant line was a dark patch of skin in the shape of a lopsided crescent moon. 'Tseng has a birthmark!' he knew the dot was a religious thing that certain men did, he didn't know though that Tseng had a birthmark.

Shifting his hand up he took a quick look at the Turk to judge how asleep he was. Seeing he was out like a light Cloud gently reached out and trailed his finger along the birthmark to see if it really was or if it was a scar.

The simple touch caused a reaction he would never dream of but was so damn grateful for that he found. The minute he put pressure on that spot Tseng's hips jerked forward causing his finger to dig in and a very loud very sensual moan ripped from the man's throat.

Swallowing Cloud jerked his hand away his eyes jerking up to find dark steel eyes looking back at him. "Sorry.. i.." his words were replaced with a deep moan as hot lips claimed his in a fiery passionate kiss. moaning around a warm skillful invading tongue Cloud's hands began to roam grabbing the hard body and pressing it against his own. Tseng responded in kind his body pressing almost needingly up against the blonds, his arousal quickly becoming hard between them.

The two broke apart long enough to get a few small gasps of much needed air before diving back in. hands began to move franticly pulling layers of clothes away to allow skin to skin contact.

Pulling Tseng's shirt away the young blond instantly latched onto a pale rose colored bud, relishing in the soft noises the Turk beside him was producing; the hands that threaded up into his hair holding him in place. The man was so responsive, was amazing that after so many years of torture and torment this body had gone through that it was this hyper sensitive to touches of pleasure.

Strong hands drug him away from his play toy and back up to a hot needy mouth. Those same fingers moved down his body leaving hot trailed of electricity in their wake. Skillful fingers moved down along his ass before moving to probe at the heart of him.

Groaning Cloud rocked his hips forward grinding their heated flesh together, deepening the kiss even more as the prospect of what was to come. Seeing that was the only permission the man next to him needed he moaned deeply feeling a finger push up inside him.

His body was burning with want and desire; he had no idea where this drive was coming from but it was a frantic one that Tseng seemed to be feeding off of if his own frantic movements were anything to go by.

Breaking the kiss Cloud started to attack his neck, his one hand sneaking down along the hot body beside him. he wanted to see if he could get that first reaction out of the man again.

Feeling a finger brush against the sensitive nerves deep inside completely derailed, a scream ripping from his throat.

"There it is.."

Panting hard Cloud looked up seeing the smug little smile on Tseng's lips. 'Oh he wants to play that game huh..' Reaching down between them Cloud found the birthmark and pressed in hard. A deep almost feral sounding growl left Tseng's throat as his hips dug in almost painfully against his own.

Before he could even relish in that small victory Cloud was shoved onto his back a heavy hot body pinning him to the ground. "You..are going to regret that.." smirking knowing he was playing with fire Cloud reached between them grasping the long hard length of the Turk Director. "All bark.. no bite director.."

Oh god did Cloud ever pay for those words. The next day he could not walk! Tseng had made good on his threat but he was not regretting it..oh no he planned on paying the man back tenfold tonight.

Just outside New York – USA -1995

'And to think.. I married the man…'

Sitting up on an elbow Cloud could only watch as his reincarnated husband slept soundly next to him; he had just returned from the Malfoy's and had fallen asleep almost instantly. His dark black hair was spread out on the pillow behind him like a silken blanket, his bangs framing his soft still slightly child like face. Even though Tseng no longer looked completely like the man he had fallen in love with and pledged his life to, he knew this was him under that skin.

His mind though slightly darker because of Blaise and slightly more arrogant was still completely his life's partner.

Leaning down he gently kissed those soft lips and smiled seeing those steel grey eyes blinking open and looking up at him full of warmth.. he would not lose this man again.

AN: felt like doing a little something different tonight..so we got a small glimpse of how Cloud and Tseng came to be. And a little lemony goodness for you all.

So review! I hope to post again tomorrow but we get the moving truck tomorrow so I'm going to be doing that well into the night.