Chapter Thirty-Six: Cause and Effect
"'Ey! Get your damn lazy ass off my couch!"
Graves slowly opened his eyes, making out a rather bulky form above him. He could smell his aunt's cooking in the air, and if it hadn't been for that, he would have ignored the person standing over him and fell back asleep.
"Good-for-nothin' free loader."
"Nice to see ya too, Old Man."
"The hell ya doin' 'ere in my house? Thought ya were too good for us."
There was a slight pain in his leg as he sat up, and when his hand went to touch the wound, he felt something wrapped around it. He glanced down, seeing that there were fresh bandages and splints around his bare thigh. He frowned down at the dressings, then looked up to his uncle who had an intimidating scowl on his face. "I never said that."
"You're welcome."
"I never said thanks!"
"Lazy, a free loader an' ungrateful! I see Shin-Ra's taught you well. Now get your ass up. Your aunt's makin' ya food!"
That quick exchange of banter was over as fast as it started, and his large uncle walked out of the house with a slam of the door.
That … was it.
After the years he had been gone with hardly any contact, having left without a warning … that was all his uncle had said. It was all rather anti-climatic and left him feeling as if he needed to chase after the man to question him. Instead, he found his aunt peeking around the wall from the kitchen and giving him a bright smile. And all she said was that breakfast was going to be ready.
It was very surreal, but he didn't dwell on it for too long. He greeted his aunt properly and respectfully. Perhaps it was even sheepishly, as when he entered the kitchen, she just started laughing at him in an amused way, instead of asking him a million questions like he thought she would.
The rest of the day, he dreaded his uncle coming back home, and at one point thought to leave. His aunt tossed the argument in his face that he should just stay since his uncle already spent half that morning ranting about Graves actually being there. She told him that his uncle got most of his anger out of his system as Graves slept on the couch, then calmed down as he tended to his leg.
She admitted that it was quite a surprise to wake up to find him lying out on their couch, but after getting over that initial shock, they were both happy to have him back.
Graves didn't have the heart to tell his aunt that he didn't plan on staying, or why he was even there. And it was strange that she never did ask him about his business as they sat together for the day. He faded in and out of sleep for most of it, but whenever he did wake, his aunt was there quietly keeping him company.
A little while later he awoke to the sound of the front door slamming and his uncle bursting into a series of curses about needing to buy their neighbors Dyne and Eleanor a gift for their newborn baby. It soon turned into a flourish of rants about the potential of babysitting and how that would mean just another mouth to feed, especially since the 'ungrateful freeloader' was back.
Graves peeled himself off the couch as he listened to his uncle yelling, and his aunt telling him to quiet down. Their voices were muffled as she pulled him further into the kitchen, but Graves could clearly understand that the conversation was fully about him now. When he was younger, arguments about him like this would cause Graves to either leave the house in a fit of rage, or to argue back, which never ended in his favor.
But now, he actually found himself smiling. In a way, he sort of missed hearing his uncle's booming voice shake through the wooden floorboards as he yelled, or the sound of the dinner plates rattling in the cabinets when things were slammed around. Even though he didn't have much of a childhood, it still reminded him of it.
Graves stood in the doorway of the kitchen, and they continued to argue about him, even when they both looked over at him and acknowledged that he was there. It lasted for a few minutes, and ended the way that Graves suspected it would. His uncle was eventually calmed down by his aunt, but still very much excitable. Any little thing could and would set him off.
Graves decided to behave himself for the time being, and refrained from provoking his uncle any further, despite it being amusing to watch him storm around the place. Graves even tried to help his aunt cook dinner, but the pain in his leg was worsening the more he stood on his feet.
His uncle had said that it was a deep wound, at least two or three inches, and it had to be packed with gauze to keep it clean. It was a grueling task, and any less of a man might have fallen ill to the sight. There was swelling in the area, and it hurt to put any pressure on the leg; his femur was most likely had a hairline fracture from the blunt force when he was punctured. His family tried to force him to the local doctor, but he ignored their suggestions and chose to crash on the couch for a few days.
And the few days went by slow. He felt malnourished from lack of money to buy food with any substance in Costa Del Sol, he had been dehydrated in the desert, and the strain of traveling with little sleep had worn him down. He was exhausted. Never had he slept so much and did so little of anything else. He tried to get himself to roll off the couch to begin traveling once more, but his body wouldn't allow it. It wasn't until the third day when his uncle began to yell and complain did he manage to start moving again.
His uncle had lost patience with him, and it was mostly from his silence. They had asked him about why he was there a few times, but he evaded the question with questions of his own about them. It had worked for a while, but by the fourth day, both his uncle and aunt were more than just curious. Simple inquiries turned into pestering, pestering turned into nagging, nagging quickly became demanding to know his business.
He tired of it almost instantly, and his respectful demeanor towards them soured. His evasion turned into denying and arguing until they were all bickering over dinner, and soon things began to heat up. His aunt became so upset that she left the dinner table and locked herself in the bedroom, leaving the men blaming each other for having upset her. A few insults were thrown back and forth, and Graves stood and left before things became worse.
Walking around town was a bit more difficult than he thought it would be with his leg. He wondered if removing the splints would help his mobility, but it only seemed to make the pain worse. He was now certain that it was fractured, and the more he made his way around the town, the more that he found himself limping and stopping to rest.
He searched a few shops for a decent Restore materia, but was unable to find one that was matured enough to use for a fracture. Underdeveloped materia was only able to heal superficial wounds, and the ones that could heal serious injuries were the price of a new car. Graves barely had enough money to buy himself a meal. Stealing things he needed crossed his mind, but if he were to get caught, he'd have one hell of a time outrunning anyone who followed.
He decided to spend the last of his gil on a few beers in the Mine Pub located in the heart of the town. He saw familiar faces as he passed through, and some people greeted him, while others went about their business as if he had never left town. He spotted the neighbor, Dyne, sitting off in the corner of the pub with a few beers of his own. The man spotted him and waved him over.
Graves hesitated at first, but decided to join him. He was a decent man and had always been welcoming towards him. There had been a few times, when Graves was young, that he would stay with Dyne and his wife. His uncle would spend a few nights in the coal mines, and his aunt wasn't feeling well enough to watch over him, so he would spend nights with them. He didn't mind it, as during the day he would keep himself entertained by poking about town and getting into some sort of trouble, and at night Dyne and his wife would entertain Graves with stories of his uncle from before Graves was born.
They had even known Graves' real parents before his father was killed in a mining accident, and his mother took her own life from depression shortly after. Graves was only two at the time. Dyne had said that his uncle was so distraught over his sister committing suicide, that he couldn't even look at Graves for months afterwards, as Graves sadly reminded him of her. It was Dyne and his wife that managed to convince his uncle to accept her death and to accept Graves into their family.
Graves was comfortable enough with Dyne to speak with him casually. He wasn't sure how confidential the conversation would be, but it would really stick it to his uncle to hear his business from someone else, if Dyne were to pass the information along.
"Barret said you were back in town, but I figured he had been huffing too many mako fumes to be right."
Graves smirked as he sat slowly, trying to mask the pain he felt as he moved. "Heard ya didn't approve of that mako reactor."
"Heard you deserted Shin-Ra."
"Might've. Did Uncle tell you that?"
Dyne took a sip of his beer, nodding. "He mentioned that you were back, and that you were being more secretive than usual, among other things."
"Other things? Like lazy? Ungrateful?"
"He actually said tired and less confrontational."
"Oh," Graves said thoughtfully.
"And then he called you lazy and ungrateful."
"Ah," Graves said flatly.
"Why'd you desert?"
He gave a nod to a waitress as she came and served his beer he ordered and then took one of Dyne's empty glasses. "Never said that I did."
"Then what're you doing here?"
"Revenge."
Dyne smirked and leaned back in his chair. "You sure get right to the point."
"A man's gotta have a point," Graves said.
"And I take it that you have a very good point for doing what you're doing."
There was a long and savored sip taken from his beer before he spoke. "Ain't revenge good enough?"
Dyne paused, letting a few moments to pass by. "I suppose if done for a good cause, it can be honorable," he said slowly. "If done for a bad cause, it's just stupid."
"Revenge is revenge no matter what the cause or effect."
"They teach you that in Shin-Ra?" Dyne said, and he smirked into his mug before taking another long sip.
"Life taught me that, man," Graves said confidently, almost arrogantly.
"Revenge will lead you to an unsatisfying stalemate. After it's over, you'll have no point. You'll just find that you'll be searching for another point with more meaning. And it'll be hard to find."
Graves frowned and chugged the rest of his drink. "You jus' ain't found a cause for revenge. You'll see it my way when ya have a good 'nough reason. Motive, you know."
"I'll take your word for it. So, who're you getting revenge on?"
"Just some fuck from Shin-Ra." Graved shrugged, feeling no point in elaborating on such a worthless man.
"He steal your girl or something?"
Graves laughed and signaled to the bartender for one more drink. It would be his last one, as he was now broke. He would have to see if there were any odd jobs around town that could earn him some extra gil – and fast. "Naw, he killed my friend."
"Best friend?"
"Yeah."
"Where's he headed?"
"No clue. I followed 'im in this direction, but lost his trail when I entered the desert," Graves said, shrugging again.
"You know, Corel doesn't get many visitors. The only strange faces we've been getting is Shin-Ra bringing in engineers and construction workers to build that reactor. But even now, we've seen them so much that they're no longer strange faces to us."
"Meaning?"
"Meaning even stranger faces are much more memorable," Dyne said.
Graves scoffed and folded his arms over his chest. "You need to take a lesson from me and get to the damn point."
"A day before you got here, I saw a tough-looking fellow wandering the streets. Looked like he got into one hell of a fight recently."
Graves waited for Dyne to continue. The waitress brought over his beer, but he decided to let it sit until after Dyne was done speaking.
"The only reason why I found him strange was his eyes. They had the mark of SOLDIER. That your guy?"
"Guy with tan skin an' brown hair?"
"Yep."
"Shit, I think so. Do ya know if he's still around?"
Dyne frowned in thought, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "No, he was buying medical supplies in the shops when I went there to get diapers for our baby girl."
"Congrats."
"Thanks." Dyne finished off the rest of his beer and pushed the mug away. He was looking as if he drank enough and was having a nice buzz – something Graves wished he had enough money to have for himself. "I overheard him asking directions to Nibelheim."
Nibelheim …? Why the hell is that fool goin' there?
"So, if that's your guy, you have a bit of traveling ahead of you. That'll at least take three days by vehicle. You have to go all away around the mountains."
"I know, I know."
"Where're you gonna get a vehicle? You look like you can barely afford those beers."
Graves frowned and shoved his hands into his jeans, fishing out a wad of gil. He stared down at it for a few moments, adding it all up. "Yeah, 'bout that …"
"I got you covered, no worries."
"Thanks." He smiled sheepishly as the gil was returned to his pocket. "I dunno yet. I haven't really thought it through."
"Have you ever?"
"Can't say that I have."
"Look, I can't help you with a vehicle, and I certainly can't help you get your revenge. But if Barret starts in on you, you're welcome to crash at my place for a few nights until your leg is better. So long as you don't mind a baby crying at three in the morning."
"Thanks, but I think I'll be leavin' tonight."
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?" Dyne watched as Graves lifted his eyebrows as if agreeing while he took an extra long sip of his drink. "At least let your aunt know that you're leaving again. She seemed happy to have you back. Her health isn't so good anymore, you know. This will just worry her even more."
"Yeah," Graves said slowly. "I'll do that."
A good few hours rolled by, and they both walked back to their houses together. Graves could hear the baby crying inside the man's house, and quickly refused the invitation to come in and babysit, even if it was a joke. It was late now, and he could see that all the lights but the bedroom light was turned off in his uncle's house, so he slipped in as quietly as he could. He could hear his uncle talking with his aunt about him. She seemed partial on Graves staying, but his uncle was more than voicing his opinion about him being there.
But he was not only in too much pain to leave, he was also horribly unprepared.
It had been a few days since Zack saw Cloud, and he was beginning to think that Cloud was avoiding him. After their conversation about nicknames, the blond seemed to be ashamed of having admitted to disliking the name. It was hard for Zack to pretend as if it was no big deal, and he knew that Cloud could pick up on this. He tried to convince Cloud and himself that it wasn't upsetting or disheartening, but by the way Cloud avoided eye contact with him as he left that night, he could tell that Cloud was feeling guilty for ever having brought it up.
He tried to find him in the barracks or the chow hall, but Cloud was nowhere to be found with the rest of his unit, so Zack could only assume that the boy was still on light-duty. When he stopped by the psychologist's office to turn in his weekly report on Cloud's behavior, he saw him sitting at the front desk in the office working. He was shocked to see him there, and even more shocked seeing that Cloud had a good routine going on behind the desk. He must have been working in the office for quite some time now, and he could only imagine how uncomfortable Cloud was being there at first.
Zack was then faced with the dilemma of turning in his report. He paced about the halls for a little while, cursing to himself and trying to think of ways to go about doing it casually. Anything he thought of ended up with Cloud demanding to know why he was filling out reports on his behavior to the psychologist. It wouldn't end well, and would certainly sever any sort of trust that Cloud had with him.
He must have been pacing the halls for longer than he thought, as the lights shut off and the door opened, releasing the employees into the halls for the end of the day. He hid around a corner and watched as Cloud walked off ahead of everyone else with body language that was screaming that he had a bad day. He was now torn between turning in the damn report or following him to be able to spend time with him.
The elevator dinged and Cloud entered. Zack swung around the corner as fast as he could and practically stumbled into the door to the office. He cursed a few more times when he realized that it was locked and if he were to just shove the report beneath the door, there would be a chance that Cloud would see it in the morning. He tried the doorknob, and shook his head when it was locked. He glanced over his shoulder to the numbers on the elevator and watched them light up at each floor it stopped on. Zack was determined to see Cloud today.
The report was haphazardly stuffed beneath the door, be damned the consequences if Cloud were to see the next day. Hopefully he would be able to talk Cloud out of being livid with him with a smile and a few sweet words.
Zack scrambled over to the elevator and watched the numbers for a few moments. He really had no idea where Cloud was headed, but it was most likely only one of two places.
The door to the staircase was opened roughly, hitting the wall with a loud slam. The sound drowned out Zack's footsteps as he began to run up nine flights of stairs in a frantic attempt to get to the chow hall before Cloud possibly did. He hoped that was where he was headed, at least.
He burst through the door nine floors later, scaring several people with his violent entrance as they waited for the elevator to arrive. He was panting – not from physical exertion from running up the stairs, but from his own anxiety and excitement over seeing Cloud. He wanted nothing more than to see him, even if it was only for a few hours out of this entire week. He hadn't been called for any duty for the past two days, and he was getting rather bored by himself. And even though he still had the Turks monitoring him, he wanted – needed – to get out of the building, and especially with the blond.
There was a familiar ding of the bell and Zack straightened out his uniform in wait for the door to open, ignoring the strange looks he was getting from the other people waiting. He blew the long strand of hair out of his eyes and shifted about on his feet. He tried to play it cool and he tried to come up with some sort of casual greeting he could say to Cloud to make it not seem as if he had been acting like a lovesick puppy for the past few days. Constantly thinking and worrying, emotions fleeting from admiration to pride, to elation and even lust … it all flooded and overwhelmed him. It was a great feeling.
And it was now rushing over him once more as he was staring right into Cloud's expressive face. He had taken not two steps out of the elevator and stopped when he spotted Zack standing in wait for him. Those soft eyebrows on his face raised in a subtle yet definite show of curiosity, and those even softer lips parted into a smile, but was unable to utter anything but a surprised chuckle.
"Hey, look who it is! I was just on my way out of the chow hall to go get some real food. Care to join me?"
Cloud stepped aside to let the other passengers exit, and Zack stepped with him. "Why not just get something in there?"
"Well, I was in there for a while," he said, trying to hide a smirk, "and the lines were so long so I thought I'd go out instead. Besides, I think they burnt the beef stew."
Cloud's eyes darted to the side as the double doors opened to the chow hall, and he frowned when he saw the lines. "Looks like the usual amount of crowd to me."
"Maybe I just wanted an excuse to take you out on another date," Zack said, moving in front of him to block his view. "But seriously, you don't smell the burnt food?"
"I never said I didn't," Cloud said with a small grin. "Although, it always smells like that."
"Then, shall we?" Zack walked to the empty elevator and held the door as Cloud entered, looking just as pleased and overwhelmed as Zack was.
Zack took Cloud to a small restaurant that was known for specializing in authentic Gongagan food. It was one of the best that Zack knew of that was remotely anything like what he grew up with. It had taken him quite a while to find the place, and he had started the moment that he made it to Midgar. He was homesick at the time, and felt that there was nothing better that could cure him of it but tasting that food again. It was a long and grueling search to find a place that was close enough to how home tasted, but he eventually came across this small place tucked away in Sector 2.
Gongagans were known for living off the local fruits and vegetables, and had a reputation for their vast amounts of techniques used to prepare their food. Barbequing, charbroiling, braising, deep frying, stewing – any way the food could be cooked, it was. And the food was flavorful, rich with special seasonings. It was spicy and earthy, enhanced with the aromatic vegetables that they used in almost every dish. Mixed with the meats and seafood, it made for a very unique taste, and Cloud seemed to enjoy it.
What he seemed to enjoy most was the conversation between them and the time they shared together. Cloud seemed to talk more and he seemed to smile more. Things that would normally embarrass him as they talked only slightly embarrassed him this time. And jokes that he would chuckle at, finally made him laugh.
There was a brightness in his eyes that Zack had forgotten about, and he found that he couldn't stop staring right into them. He tried to avoid doing so at first, as Cloud shifted around as if uncomfortable and was unable to hold eye contact. But after they ate and sat in the restaurant for a while, their gaze eventually became locked. With each smile and each laugh, those light blue eyes grew brighter. Zack enjoyed each moment.
They were eventually forced to leave as they had not realized that they were talking for as long as they really were. The other patrons filed out one by one, and the lights soon were shut off in the same fashion.
Zack called a cab to come pick them up, as it was quite a walk back to the building from Sector 2. After about ten minutes in the cab, they had to bail out before Cloud became sick. They made it close enough, and they enjoyed the rest of their walk home together. It was late, and the streets were lacking of pedestrians, so they held hands on the way. Zack was surprised to feel that Cloud didn't try to tug his hand away, and even curled his fingers through Zack's tightly with a shy smile.
The mood back in his apartment was relaxed, and he learned that Cloud had liberty the next day. Zack could only hope that he wouldn't be called up for duty, and then maybe he could take him out again.
Zack was already getting into his freezer for dessert. He pulled out a tub of chocolate ice cream with brownie bits and swirled with even more chocolate. It turned Cloud's stomach simply looking at it, but Zack scooped an impressive-sized mound into a bowl and ate it happily. Cloud opted for coffee instead.
"You're not used to spicy foods, are you?" Zack broke up a large chunk of brownie in his ice cream and ate it. He smiled as he twisted back and forth on one of his barstools; he almost looked like a child.
Cloud returned the smile with a shrug. "Not really. My mom never really cooked spicy stuff when I was growing up. And the spiciest thing we serve here is the pepperoni on the pizza."
Zack chuckled, slurping at some of the melted ice cream on his spoon. "You looked like you were working up a sweat while eating that chicken."
"It was hot!" Cloud said, frowning at him. He looked offended, or maybe even embarrassed. While Zack was eating his meal without even taking a sip of his drink, Cloud had been taking a bite, then sipping his water in sequence. He even had dabbed at his brow a few times during.
"It wasn't that bad, was it?"
"A little bit, but it was good."
Zack smiled and stood to dump his bowl into the sink. He started to walk to Cloud, but saw his eyes glance over to the sink. "Okay, okay. I'll wash them first."
"I didn't say anything!"
He began to wash the dishes, unable to hide the large grin at Cloud's defensiveness. "I couldn't leave them there for five minutes while I hugged you?"
"You were planning a five-minute hug?" Cloud lifted an eyebrow at him.
"Or longer," Zack said casually.
Cloud thought about this for a moment, analyzing the phrase literally, most likely for sake of conversation. "Could you really hug a person for that long? Wouldn't your arms and legs start to fall asleep or something?"
"I could hug you forever."
Cloud rolled his eyes. "I shouldn't have asked."
Zack shut the water off and patted his hands dry with his trousers instead of the dish towel hanging on the refrigerator not two steps away. "Then why did you?" He approached him, smiling a bit wolfishly. "You just wanted to provoke me, didn't you?"
Cloud stammered quietly at first, shrugging. "Maybe," he finally said.
"Challenging me to see if I could do it?" Zack slid his hands onto Cloud's hips, giving him a light tug closer.
Cloud went willingly, despite averting Zack's gaze. He closed his eyes as Zack wrapped his arms around him and pulled him against his chest. He felt Zack's hand sift through his hair before urging his head down into the crook of his neck.
They stood silently for a few minutes, rocking together to the sound of their breathing and soft sighs of content. When their arms became tired, they simply moved them to another position instead of pulling away from the embrace entirely. Five minutes went faster and easier than they thought.
And during those five minutes, Cloud was coaxed to finally look up to meet Zack's eyes. Quiet murmurs were exchanged before they leaned into each other and finally kissed. They continued through smiles at first, mixed with a few words about how they enjoyed their dinner together. It was brief, and their lips only parted enough to allow themselves to speak, until they resumed kissing again.
A melded flavor erupted against their taste buds when their tongues met. It was rich with the flavors of coffee and chocolate. It enticed them to want to taste more; it enticed them to kiss more.
Their fingers skimmed through hair and down their warm necks to cup each other's face. Their legs moved in unison towards the bedroom when their kissing increased in speed and their minds cleared. They both sat together on the bed when they sensed it was near, and their shirts were eagerly tossed aside.
Zack broke the kiss with a surprised whimper as he was forced to lie back when Cloud crawled on top of him. "You sure you want to do this?"
Cloud looked down at him, breathing heavy. "Why not?"
"Well, you know … because of what happened," Zack said, fidgeting beneath him as he could feel their erections pressed together. It was an attempt to separate them, but ended up being more of a rub and just caused them to both moan in pleasure.
"That was two months ago." Cloud dipped his head back down and continued to kiss him.
Zack tried not to frown between the heated kisses. Cloud was referring to the first incident, and he began to wonder if he was at all acknowledging the second incident in his mind or not. "That's not a long time to get over that sort of thing, Cloud."
"Everyone gets over things differently," Cloud murmured, trailing kisses down Zack's neck and to his bare chest. He seemed to pause at his nipples and tentatively flicked his tongue against one, as if unsure that it would feel good for him.
"Yeah, but–" Zack groaned, his head leaning back as Cloud lightly sucked on the nub and released it with a soft hum. "D-doing stuff like this … it's not gonna–"
Cloud moved down his chest to his stomach as his hands fiddled with the button and zipper on Zack's pants. They were opened with a determined ease and tugged down in the same fashion.
Zack lifted his hips, groaning once more as his pants were discarded and Cloud's body heat flowed over him. "Stop ignoring me."
"Stop talking."
Zack tried to glare at him but his eyebrows refused to furrow. Instead, they arched as Cloud's warm hand wrapped around his member and the boy's mouth quickly followed. "W-wait, let me do that for you."
Cloud only hushed him in a surprisingly sultry way and it did nothing to aid Zack in his losing fight. A kiss was placed against the head of Zack's member as a symbol of his defeat.
"You don't have to do this for me, please. I can just take care of you for tonight."
His pleas went ignored again as Cloud's mouth slowly descended on him. It had been a few weeks since the last time they were like this, and all the familiar guilt came back with all the familiar pleasure. But the moment Cloud's soft moan hit his ears, the guilt was much easier to forget this time around.
He watched as Cloud moved along with his eyes closed. He looked as if he had a slight blush on his face from what Zack could see in the moonlight and between his own eyes that he was trying to keep open. He smoothed his hand across Cloud's face, brushing the hair from his eyes so he could get a better look. He seemed surprisingly relaxed, even like he was enjoying what he was doing. The more that Zack touched him and responded with groans, the more Cloud seemed like he was getting into it.
His eyes finally closed, unable to keep them open any longer, despite the sight between his legs. His head slumped to the side as he continued to stroke Cloud's head, his fingertips scratching lazily across his scalp. He was lost in the feeling of the moist heat and he was lost in the small vibrations coursing through him as Cloud moaned.
Zack wanted to whisper Cloud's name but stopped himself, not wanting to disrupt the noises he was making. Instead, he gasped loudly as Cloud released him from his mouth and began to run his tongue below his member and then up it. And again, Cloud did this, being fueled by Zack's reactions to the sensation. It was all becoming too much, much too fast.
"C'mere, baby," Zack choked out, cupping Cloud's face in his hands. He motioned for Cloud to shift his body alongside his. "Lie this way."
Cloud stopped licking him, his eyes wide out of curiosity. "But … I'm doing this for you."
"Just do it," he whispered between thick breaths. "We can do it together."
Cloud nodded silently and started to lie beside him on his back. "Like this?"
"No." Zack chuckled, shaking his head. "Turn the other way."
"I … I'm not f-following."
"Here." Zack sat up and tugged Cloud's trousers down. He tossed them beside his own on the floor and then pulled Cloud onto his side. Cloud looked a bit frightened suddenly. "We face the opposite way so we can do it for each other at the same time. Like this …" He faced the other way on the bed and grabbed Cloud's hips, pulling them towards him.
"This is kinda weird …" Cloud whispered, his warm breath inches from Zack's erection.
"It is at first, but I like it like this," Zack said, then placed several kisses against Cloud's tip. It caused the boy to hiss in pleasure. "If you get uncomfortable, just say so."
Cloud went to speak again, but when Zack took him into his mouth, nothing but a small squeak escaped his lips. His body was tense at first, but as Zack continued sucking him, he soon relaxed against him, perhaps even leaning into him.
"Good, baby?" Zack kissed him a few times as his palm rolled about his hip, urging him to relax more. Cloud just stammered words that he couldn't quite understand, but then quieted as he took him back into his mouth. Zack stammered incoherently himself.
They were quiet at first, with only the sound of their hands brushing over skin and the sound of their breathing between them. Occasionally, one would let out a soft moan that would cause the other to respond in the same way. One would give the other a squeeze on the hip or thigh, and the other would do the same.
Zack slid his hand from Cloud's hip around to his bottom, circling his hand on the cheek firmly. He heard himself growl as his fingers curled between the warm skin, bringing Cloud even further into his mouth.
Cloud suddenly whimpered and stopped his movement along Zack's member. "Z-Zack, not there. Not that far."
Zack pulled away, speaking softly. "I know, baby, I know. My hand won't go any further, I promise. Just trust me, okay?"
Cloud only hummed a response as he sank his mouth back down onto him. He began to buck his hips against him lightly, as if restraining himself from moving at all. After a few minutes, he no longer seemed to mind Zack's hands where they were, and he even moaned louder when his fingers skimmed a little bit deeper between his cheeks.
Zack heard his name being uttered between increasing sounds of pleasure. It was repeated again – stronger, frantic. Cloud's grip on Zack's body increased as well, and any restraint slipped into the moment.
"Z-Zack … I–"
A rolling growl came from Zack's throat as Cloud suddenly lost his words and he cried out. Muscles tensed and limbs locked … the flavor of coffee and chocolate now overshadowed by the taste of passion. He tried to savor it, but the more that he tasted, the more he could no longer hang on. He pulled away after Cloud was done, and he sucked in a thick breath. "Cloud, careful!" he said, his voice wavering. "I'm gonna …"
Cloud's moaning was muffled as he slipped Zack back into his mouth with that warning. A few quick bobs of his head and his own sated sounds quickly pushed Zack over. His stomach muscles constricted; his eyes squeezed shut. A stifled yell flowed from him as he finally released himself with a shudder. He clutched at Cloud's body tightly, trying to find some sort of balance through the pleasure.
They rested against each other for a few moments, both still gripping the other and both still panting. Their body heat began to lower and was soon cooled between them. Damp skin became dry, yet hair remained matted against their faces.
Zack finally opened his eyes, one hand loosening from around Cloud's softening member, the other pulling away from his bottom slowly. Cloud began to fidget, but Zack stopped him. "H-hang on, baby," he murmured. "You're a little messy. Don't move." He dipped his head back down to lick Cloud clean, purring as he did so. He held him in place, even when the boy flinched and began laughing at the sensation in the aftermath.
"Shit … Zack. S-stop," he said between his laughing. "That tickles."
Zack grinned and ignored him, continuing his teasing until he was practically bucking and begging for him to stop. He finally released him and helped him roll onto his back. "It's tempting to tickle you more."
Cloud smiled at him a bit lazily, but said nothing. He was flushed, and Zack couldn't tell if that was from his orgasm or out of embarrassment. But when he slung an arm over his eyes and turned away, Zack figured it was the latter.
He watched Cloud for a few minutes, his hand stroking the boy's heaving stomach, reveling in the continued moans he was making after everything. They were small and barely audible, but Zack managed to hear them and enjoy them. But they soon tapered off when his arm began to slip from his face, and Zack realized Cloud was falling asleep. "You gonna sleep here tonight?"
Cloud nuzzled into the pillow, his eyes already closed and his breathing drifting slowly. "Liberty tomorrow …"
"That's right, I'm excited. We can do something nice together." Zack gave his stomach a pat, smiling down at him. He continued to watch him, chuckling quietly when he realized that Cloud wasn't about to move to dress himself. "You gonna sleep here naked tonight?"
Cloud only grunted a response, shivering slightly as Zack draped the comforter over his nude body.
"Don't blame me when you're embarrassed about it in the morning," Zack said quietly as he crawled beneath the blanket next to him. He pulled Cloud into his arms and fought the sleep that tugged at his senses. He wanted to hug Cloud for longer this time.
There had been an annoying noise, which at first Zack couldn't figure out what it was. His hand pawed at his alarm a few times, but he realized slowly that he hadn't set it the night before. It took him a while to figure out that it was his cell phone.
He didn't want to leave the comfort of the bed. It wasn't the blankets or even the air in the room that warmed his body. It was the milky skin lying against his, it was the legs intertwined with his that slowly caressed and soothed. Soft sighing, his tousled hair … even the way that Cloud whimpered in disapproval as Zack moved, it all enveloped him in warmth.
But he pulled away and watched as Cloud compensated with the loss by balling up the comforter and tossing his legs and arms over it. He seemed angry at first, but once Zack placed a soft kiss to his forehead and murmured into his ear a few little nothingnesses, he relaxed.
Zack didn't recognize the number on his phone, and for a moment he frowned and contemplated actually answering it. But it began to ring again, and worry quickly took over.
It was the psychologist.
Her voice was calm, yet worried as she asked Zack if he knew where Cloud was. She explained that he was an hour late to his duties in her office.
I thought he had liberty today …
He apologized to her and explained that he was asleep on his couch – even though she probably knew better – and that he would wake him immediately. He frowned down at the boy for a bit, but slipped back onto the bed. The blanket was pulled from his body, and he began to wake him.
Cloud wanted nothing to do with him at that moment and he begrudgingly flopped over, waving Zack away. So Zack tried again, placing kisses onto his shoulder and down his upper arm.
He wasn't sure how to bring this up to him. Cloud was surely going to be embarrassed and upset if he found out that Zack knew he was working in the psychologist's office. "Cloud, wake up. You're running late."
There was no actual response, just light breathing and a tiny mumble.
"You're an hour late to your appointment," Zack said gently, giving him a slight shake on his shoulder. Cloud only just curled into himself. "I'm not joking, babe!" He leaned into him, watching as Cloud's eyes squeezed tight in annoyance. "You're late." He shook him again.
Cloud eventually opened his eyes and looked about, disorientated. "What? Late?" He sat up, kicking his legs as if the blanket was on him, but that was piled up on the side.
"Yeah, Dr. Arolin called for you on my phone right now. She said you were supposed to be in her office an hour ago."
"But … today's Sunday. It's closed."
"It's Saturday."
Cloud just looked dubious, blinking slowly. His hair was wild and going every which way, as were his eyes still. "Saturday …?"
"Yes."
"Saturday? Shit!" He scrambled up, wincing a little. "I'm late!"
"That's what I'm trying to tell you!" Zack couldn't help but laugh.
Cloud shouted a very long and frantic string of curses as he haphazardly threw on his uniform. Zack didn't want to stop him and tell him that he put his boxers on backwards. "A whole hour late! I'm gonna be killed!"
"It's probably not that bad, slow down!"
He hopped into his pants and nearly zipped himself up in the fly, which Zack had to look away for in fear. "No, you don't understand! It is that bad! I can't be late there!"
"Cloud, c'mon."
"I'm sorry, I gotta go!" He stumbled out the room as he pulled his muffler over his head and settled it down around his neck. His fingers combed through his hair as best as he could, for not having a brush or mirror, and his boots were shoved onto his feet without even bothering to tie them.
"Cloud, wait!"
The door was slammed behind him faster than Zack could even comprehend, and the noise rattled the walls and windows in his kitchen.
He sighed to himself and locked the door behind him. The realization that they really didn't have the day off together hit him, and he had a sinking feeling in his chest. He was really hoping to spend the day with him, or at least, a few good hours.
His eyes went down to where he kept his shoes, noticing a pair of brown straps on the ground. In Cloud's haste, he forgot to put on his blousing straps, and would surely get him yelled at if a SOLDIER operative was to notice they were missing.
Zack picked them up and went to head back to his room to dress so he could bring the straps to Cloud, but stopped when the doorknob was turned a few times. He heard Cloud cursing again from behind the door. Zack chuckled to himself and unlocked it. He smiled at the blond, who was more than flustered, and he simply held the blousing straps out to him.
"Forget something?"
Cloud rushed into his arms and lifted on his feet just enough to graze his lips against Zack's in a clumsy, but sweet kiss. "I'll come back later tonight," he muttered with a smile, and then left.
Zack stood in a pleased shock, staring at the closed door with the blousing straps still in his hand.
… To be continued in Chapter Thirty-Seven: Hospitality.
Author's Note (it's gonna be long … and with more fan-art at the end!): 69in' FTW! Nothing hotter than Clack curled up against each other suckin' each other off, amirite? 8D
If you don't know who Dyne is, he is Barret's friend in the original Final Fantasy VII game. He is his neighbor and Marlene's biological father. He has a wife named Eleanor, as stated in the original game. Dyne was against the building of the mako reactor in Corel, but was eventually persuaded by the town's people – mostly Barret – to approve of it. In the original game, he plays a minor role in the main story line, and you learn that he is after Barret for revenge for everything that happened in Corel (Scarlet orders the annihilation of the whole town, thus killing Barret's wife and Dyne's wife). Long story short, the conversation between Graves and Dyne about revenge was meant to be ironic, given that Dyne eventually snaps and tries to kill Barret in a fit of rage. Hilarious to kill him though. If you steal a certain item off a Bomb, it can instantly kill him if thrown at him if you're feeling lazy during the boss fight. ;D
Blousing straps are the straps that military uniforms have down at the bottom of their trousers that wrap around their shins and ankles. It gives the appearance of having their trousers tucked into their boots and has other various purposes. Cloud wears them on his Crisis Core uniform as well as his Kingdom Hearts outfit too. But for some reason SOLDIER do not wear them. :D
And I've mentioned it a few times, but I think I forgot to explain. Mufflers are the green scarves that the infantrymen wear around their necks on their uniforms. :3
Guess what? You guessed it! More fan-art for Malady! And more reasons to call me spoiled, I suppose. XD Seems to be what people are calling me lately. Lol Anyway! Here we go!:
Dante Tomochan drew a hilarious and adorable collage of Malady things, including his take on Angels Mejia and his take on how he would KILL Angels Mejia if he had the chance! Hehehe! He also drew another little gift for me that has Clack smooching! So sweet! Here!:
http: / yami-dante. deviantart. com/ art/ For-Ziggy-Pasta-170956726
http: / yami-dante. deviantart. com/ art/ Sweet-Smooch-171111420
Thank you so much, Dante! *glomp!* We'll punish bad Kitty Cloud together! Bwahahaha!
And, and, aaannnddd! Djali has drawn some very adorable sketches for future fan-art works of Malady, one of which is done already, and done in BEAUTIFUL watercolor! Here are the sketches first...and look! Ratcliff! Cloud hugging Ratcliff! AND KUNSEL TOO!:
http: / kitsuchi-chan. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Sketches-170553146
And here is the watercolor! Does the scene look familiar? Still should be very fresh in your minds! Does 'sap' ring a bell?
http: / kitsuchi-chan. deviantart. com/ art/ Malady-Labels-171047041
Thank you, Djali! W Your take on the sap scene fits so perfectly, and you know how much I love Zack's expression in these! *smooch!*
AND I LOVE SOYNA SO MUCH GUYS. JUST THOUGHT YOU SHOULD KNOW. She was so incredibly sweet and thoughtful and commissioned artist VictoriaValentine on deviantART to paint a beautiful watercolor of Angeal, Zack and Cloud for me! Just today I received a mysterious package in the mail, and she had sent the original print as a gift! How she got my address, I'll never know...*gives sideways glance to a certain someone* Check out the painting! It's so beautiful! (I LOVE ANGEAL, KTHNXBAI)
http: / victoriavalentine. deviantart. com/ art/ Angeal-Cloud-Zack-168161101
Soyna is the author of the juicy, yet oh-so-fun-and-frustrating FFVII fan-fic "Tease"! I know you've heard of that story. It's a Clack fic, but also has other yummy pairings in it as well! She also has other amazing one-shots and is the author of the hilarious and popular "FF7 Texts from Last Night" drabbles, which are based off the website "Texts from Last Night". She takes amusing texts that people send in and twists them to the FFVII world! Something for everyone in those drabbles, and each and every one is unique, enjoyable and extremely funny. Thank you so much, Soy-Soy! ; w ; Imma find a place and hang it on my bare, bare walls!
I'm shutting up now. Thank you all for reading and reviewing! OH! And a VERY INCREDIBLE SPECIAL THANKS TO TERRENCEG9. YOU KNOW WHY. :3 Come back on Tuesday, July 27th! Byeeeee! *happy flail*