Dust and Bones | Chapter 1
A FFVII Fanfiction by Majokai Yukiko
This is an amateur effort and does not intend to infringe on the rights of Squaresoft.
This story is set a week after Sephiroth was defeated, though some events in the past are altered due to the fact that Sephiroth had survived the Omnislash and Zack is still alive.
Pairing: Cloud X Sephiroth, Zack + Sephiroth
Warnings: Shounen-ai, angst, more sap, Bitch!Tifa. Lime scene, Uke!Sephiroth
Author's note: There is a sex scene in this chapter. It's okay to skip it if you are not comfortable. But as the scene is not considered explicit by my standards, I'll only render it an R rating. Others might rate it as NC-17, I don't know. *Shrugs* Thanks to those who had reviewed this fic. I was so tempted to threaten posing a new chapter with every ten reviews but well…I did not, in case I can't find the time or the inspiration to write.
Sephiroth pulled his sleeping robe tighter around himself, providing him with more protection against the cold morning air. The logical part of his min was already chiding him, telling him to get back inside the house before he catch a flu and had to stay in bed for the rest of the week.
Autumn was nearing its end. Unknowingly, Sephiroth had been living with Cloud in the mansion for the past few months. He still could not remember anything about his past, and all Cloud had mentioned was that he had been a General in the army caught in a terrible war. But had the war bee so traumatizing and painful that an unconscious part of his mind simply wanted to keep those memories buried forever?
True, the future holds a better prospect than the past, but…Sephiroth debated. He could not even find a photo of himself from during the war. If he were indeed someone great…
The white haired man smiled sardonically. How could someone like him be of any importance to the rest of the world?
A shrill scream dragged him out of his musings and back to reality. Before he could even register what had happened, he felt a blow connected straight to his jaws.
"Murderer! I thought we killed you for good! Get out of our lives! And give me back my father! Murderer! Lunatic!" Sephiroth could barely hear the rest of her words in the midst of his confusion. A word had struck a chord in him, causing a dull ache in his chest, something he had never felt before.
Lunatic!
***
The flames flickered in the dark night, reaching their burning arms out to the rest of the town. Screams could be heard everywhere, children crying in fear and women sobbing as they cradled their babes close to their chest; those cries seemed so distant, so far away. They were the traitors! They were the ones who took the Planet away from him and his mother. They had to be punished!
"Lunatic!" The mayor shouted from behind him, charging towards him with a small knife. The white haired man turned around and smirked, raising his sword slightly and bringing it down again, slicing the man into two.
"Lunatic!!"
***
"Sephiroth!" Cloud yelled. He had heard a familiar female voice outside, screaming hysterically, before a painful cry from Sephiroth had brought him running out of the house and into the cold air without a shirt on. Tifa was standing a few feet away from the white haired man, fists clenched in barely controlled anger. Tears were streaking down her face as she faced the man who had destroyed all that she had ever owned. Her hometown, her father…
"Murderer!" She shouted again, wanting more than anything to deliver another punch onto the handsome face.
"SHUT UP!" Blue Mako eyes flashed with anxiety. Sephiroth coughed slightly as he tried to control the tears from flowing, long white hair plastered to his face with cold sweat as he knelt there on the ground, helpless and shaking, hugging himself as he sobbed.
Cloud ran towards the other man, pulling him into an embrace, whispering comforting words into his ears. Tifa stood there silently, staring at the two men before her in disbelief and horror. She fought down the temptation to exclaim more hateful words as she watched.
In the near-silence, only Sephiroth's sobs could be heard.
***
A loud 'crash' from the kitchen followed by a murmured curse hinted that Cloud would have to deal with an upset and relatively shaken Sephiroth once the unwelcome guest in his living room decides to leave him alone.
It was taking Cloud more than just patience and understanding not to kill Tifa. Unfortunately for her, strangling a certain childhood friend always seems like a lovely prospect for stress relief.
"So, Tifa, what's up?" Casual, yes, that would be safe enough. Find out her problem, solve it, drop kick her back to Kalms and think about what pretty lie to tell Sephiroth.
Ever since the ex-General woke up without his memories, Cloud had, to the best of his abilities, kept him from finding out more than he should. It was knowledge that had caused Sephiroth's insanity, this time; Cloud would do all that he could to prevent that knowledge from reaching Sephiroth again.
He would not make the same mistake that Zack did.
"Cloud, what's that monster doing—"
"His name is Sephiroth, Tifa." He hissed, keeping his voice low so that the white-haired man could not hear them form the other room. It would not be wise to suggest they go to the upstairs rooms right now. Tifa would be even more convinced that Cloud was hiding something from her. And Sephiroth…
God, he would not want to know what dark thought the man was entertaining right now.
"But still…" Tifa tried to make a protest, but was quickly silenced by a look from Cloud.
"Tifa, what business do you have in Nibelheim?" The brunette widened her eyes. Never before had her friend spoke to her in this manner, this detached, business-like way…it was not like Cloud to act like this.
"God, Cloud, what did he do to you?"
"He didn't do anything!" Patience was running out, Cloud noticed, reining in the impulse to grab the Ultimate Weapon off its rack and chased Tifa out of the house, regardless if she ended up dead or alive in the process.
"If there is a manipulator here, it would be me, Tifa." Cloud sighed, not willing to reveal so much to the young woman. "Sephiroth remembers nothing about his past, and I'm planning to keep it this way. History was far too painful for either of us, and I don't want to have anything to do with it anymore." Even if I had to play puppeteer this time around, he added silently.
A look of horror and realization crossed Tifa's face, as she quickly threw a glance at the kitchen door. How much had Cloud change in the past few months since they parted ways? She wondered. Enough for her not to see a trace of the friend she remembered. The Cloud she knew, and loved, was a leader. A man that the rest had entrusted their lives to during the battle against Sephiroth and Jenova, not the man she was having coffee with now.
This man, she realized. The man was a lover, somebody crippled by love, chained by passion, one who willingly held the strings and refusing to let go, no matter how much the strings was cutting into his heart and his humanity.
Cloud buried his head into his hands, a feeling of impending doom coming down on him as he spoke. "Tifa, I beg you. Don't tell Sephiroth what you know. If you do," He paused, wondering if there was any threat he could possibly carry out towards the girl. "I'll never forgive you."
Tifa placed a hand over her mouth, feeling a familiar sting behind her eyes as she nodded. It had hurt; definitely, to see the determination in those bright blue eyes. The determination to protect the one he loved at all costs.
She could not stay here any longer, she decided, as she dashed towards the door while the warm liquid streaked down her cheeks.
Goodbye, Tifa. Cloud whispered silently, as he made his way to the kitchen.
***
The stairway fell silent as he walked. The young boy looked at the card in his hands. It was the keycard to level 72 of the Shinra headquarters in Midgar, where the president office was. He had no idea why President Shinra wanted to see a child as young as he was. But Hojo's warnings to him were 'don't screw things up', so it had to be something important, hadn't it?
Hushed whispers came from the other well-dressed officers in the building, private comments made about Hojo and Lucretia's son. The boy is a weirdo; he could almost hear them say. Of course, what else would you say about a child with none of his parents' genes seen in his appearance? Who could possibly have eyes that bright even without Mako enhancement?
He knocked on the oak door, waiting for a muffled 'come in' on the other side. He entered.
President Shinra was a middle-aged man with blue eyes. Streaks of gray could be seen in his dark brown hair, but other than that, he was a very handsome man; one that looked like he could take on the world and win; someone that the young boy should learn to be afraid of.
"Good morning, Mister President."
"Good morning, Sephiroth."
***
"Sephiroth?" The man snapped out of his memories with a start, crestfallen as he felt the details slowly slipping through his fingers like sand. He had been having flashes of the past for a few weeks already, especially in his dreams, but he could not remember anything about them once he regained consciousness.
Sephiroth forced a smile at the young man standing behind him. Blue eyes looked at him concernedly. "What happened?" Cloud asked, putting his arms around Sephiroth's waist and hugging him from behind.
"Nothing. Just those…visions again."
"Can you remember what you saw?" Sephiroth shook his head. "Where is your friend?"
"Home. She was just dropping by the town and decided to come visit us." Cloud lied. Tifa had obviously come with a purpose in mind. He would be damned if he had not realized that. There was an awkward silence as the ex-General pondered on those words. Cloud sighed inwardly. He would not be surprised if the next question was…
"She called me…something just now. Did I…what did I do to her during the war? Was…was I a horrible man?"
Cloud remembered the many things Zack had told him when Hojo was holding them captive, the many faces of Sephiroth he had seen in the long years they had known each other. Sephiroth always had this problem about guilt, Zack had mentioned, and about his worth. The white haired man was never the proud arrogant General the rest of the Shinra army had seen him as. As he had never known his mother's true identity when he was young, Hojo had always made him believe that he was created with the genes of Jenova. That was not far off from the truth, but Jenova was only a supplement, nothing more.
The child had never heard about Lucretia, and, Hojo had hoped, never would.
"He had seemed so godly and mighty to the rest of you, hadn't he?" Cloud heard Zack's voice in his mind; a memory that refused to fade away.
"But I bet you anything none of you was there when he cried. He cries in his sleep sometimes, when we first became SOLDIER, he used to call out the names of those he killed, or had caused the deaths of indirectly. Then when he wakes up, he would be back to the cold heartless Sephiroth all of you had known."
"Those nightmares were killing him. Sometimes after a mission, we had to go about it like rabbits on Viagra so that he would be too exhausted to even dream. A rush of adrenaline, I used to tell him. But I don't think he really believed me."
"Cloud?" Sephiroth asked softly. The blond man smiled and gave him a peck on the cheeks. Sephiroth had never been too comfortable about being physically intimate with him after he lost his memories. The most they had done so far was to cuddle as they sleep, but even so, the white haired man always wakes up in the middle of the night and moved away from him to the other side of the bed.
Cloud wondered if there was a small part in Sephiroth that had refused to forget his relationship with his best friend. What are you doing, Cloud Strife? Fancy being jealous of a dead man?!
"No, Sephiroth. You weren't a monster. You did things that were wrong, but we all did. That was a war, and people die. Tifa…her Dad died when the town was burned down. Nothing for you to worry about, Seph, nothing at all."
A frown appeared on the beautiful face as Sephiroth untangled himself from the embrace. Somebody said something like that before.
"So what?! We are fighting a bleedin' war over here with Hojo's precious Mako reactors! Accidents happen; people die. But I'm alive and you're alive, and that's all that bloody matters to me!"
His body moved almost to its own accord, as he slumped down onto the floor, pulling his knees close to his chest and rocking himself to and fro as if it was the most typical thing for him to do.
"Seph?" Cloud asked, making a tentative step towards the huddled figure.
"You don't understand." Sephiroth muttered, almost hearing the automated answer at the back of his mind.
"Of course I don't understand! I don't understand you and your fuckin' obsession for perfection and Godhood!"
Cloud threw his arms around the other man.
"I do, I understand. I like you…" He tried, he tried to say 'love' but…how could he make that promise when he was not even sure himself?
That was enough for now…it had to be enough.
***
Tifa fell back against the soft mattress of the bed. She threw an arm over her eyes tiredly. Cloud's words were still ringing sharply in her ears.
"If there is a manipulator here, it would be me, Tifa."
"Tifa, I beg you. Don't tell Sephiroth what you know. If you do,"
"I'll never forgive you."
Forgiveness, she mused. Why would she need that? Cloud never really forgave her of the way she had treated him when he was young. He used to be an insect in her mind, the one to blame for anything that went wrong. When had he managed to find such a high pedestal for himself in her heart?
"I'll never forgive you."
Her heart clenched painfully as she recalled their conversation. How could Cloud love someone like Sephiroth? It was not natural! Sephiroth was not even human to begin with in the first place! He was a monster, Jenova's spawn! And even if Cloud had insisted on putting in along human lines, Sephiroth was a man! A man should never fall in love with another one. God would not forgive this relationship.
And Sephiroth had almost destroyed Cloud! He took away from him the things that he had treasured most: his hometown, his mother…everything! How could Cloud possibly still love him after all that he had done?
She pursed her lips together in determination.
"Sephiroth remembers nothing about his past…"***
Cloud winced slightly when he walked out of the shower. Sephiroth was sitting on their bed, one hand running through the fine strands of his hair as he stared distractedly into mid air, lost in his own thoughts. It had been a long time since the haunted look had returned to those lovely green eyes. The blond man once again fought down the urge to murder Tifa as he walked to place a comforting hand on Sephiroth's shoulder. The white haired man tensed up with a start, only to relax when he realized who it was behind him.
"Are you okay?" Sephiroth chewed softly on his lower lip as he nodded, gasping slightly as Cloud placed another hand on the other shoulder.
"Cloud—" He was silenced abruptly by the warm assault on his lips. He sat there, frozen, not knowing what to do while Cloud tried to coax a response out of him. He gave up after a while, releasing his hold on Sephiroth and sitting next to him on the bed with a sigh.
"I'm…" Cloud placed a finger firmly to his own lips, silently telling Sephiroth that apologies were certainly not allowed. He pressed his body against the older man seductively, lowering his head to suck slightly at the crook of the graceful neck. A moan of pleasure escaped Sephiroth's lips, with the man himself not noticing that he was slowly being pushed down onto the bed until he felt the soft pillow behind his head.
Sephiroth's first instinct was to throw Cloud off him and bolt out of the room. But that thought was baseless. They were lovers after all, before he lost his memories. It was not fair that Cloud had to suffer all these months of abstinence simply because of him.
Calloused hands slid down his chest, unbuttoning the white cotton shirt and pushing it off his broad shoulders in a casual manner. Cloud adjusted himself on the bed, bending down to brush his lips over the cloth covering Sephiroth's arousal.
"Tell me what you want, Seph. Tell me." Cloud panted. God, this was the moment he had waited so long for. The man of his dreams, the man that he had a crush on ever since he was a teenager, now on his bed, spread-eagled for him to taste, to devour. This was a feast that he would never grow sick of. Never ever.
"I…" Sephiroth tried to get the words out of his mouth. He was not comfortable with this and he wanted Cloud to stop, but did he really? It was so difficult to think when Cloud was trying to pull his zipper down with his teeth. "Just…just do whatever you want with me…Cloud."
There was a slight hesitation before he spoke Cloud's name. Who else's name would he want to call out?
Cloud did not give him more time to figure that thought out. Crawling up the lean body like a predator, Cloud licked his lips hungrily before closing the space between their bodies to lick a sensitive spot behind Sephiroth's ear. Sephiroth shut down his brain momentarily, wanting more than anything just to indulge in the pleasure.
It had been so long…although it was only few months; it had seemed longer than that. They had not touched each other since…ever since that last check-up with Hojo…Hojo…the name seemed familiar, somehow…
Cloud pulled back to gaze into those beautiful pools of green. "You tensed up again, what's wrong?"
Sephiroth shook his head and smiled. He saw love and concern in those blue eyes, underneath the need and desire. "I know you need it as much as I do, Cloud. Take me."
What had I done to deserve this? Sephiroth closed his eyes, moving his head to provide Cloud with the soft skin of his neck. Cloud leant back to rest his weight on his knees, lightly stroking Sephiroth's chest as he contemplated the next thing to do. He finally decided on the only piece of clothing Sephiroth still had on him: his pants. He grinned wolfishly.
"Undress yourself." Green eyes widened before the naughty twinkle was returned to those eyes. Cloud was glad. It had been a long day for the both of them.
Long fingers slowly moved down to work on the button. With a soft 'pop', the button was undone. Sephiroth pushed himself up to a kneeling position similar to Cloud's and leant forward, whispering into the other man's ear, his voice taking on a ragged edge.
"You want me to get rid of this," his hands lingered to the piece of article holding the bathing robe together suggestively. "For you?" Sephiroth moved to back against the headboard of the bed, pushing his trousers off, his hips swaying as more skin was revealed.
"You need to be punished," Cloud undid the knot of his bathrobe himself, teasing his own nipples as he did so. Moving downwards, slender fingers worked on coaxing his member into hardness, eyes never once leaving Sephiroth.
Two could play the game, Sephiroth thought, as he took two fingers in his mouth, sucking and licking them as he watched Cloud's performance. Adjusting his position, he got down on his hands and knees in front of the blond man. Slowly, almost painfully, the lubricated fingers moved down to the cleft of his buttocks, searching for his opening and stretching them open, getting himself ready for Cloud later.
Cloud stopped in whatever he was doing and placed both his hands on each side of Sephiroth's hand, once again losing himself in those eyes before he bent down to explore Sephiroth's mouth, biting gently on the long tongue.
"You taste sweet." Cloud murmured when their lips parted. Sephiroth smirked and lowered his head to nose Cloud's erection. A surprised gasp escaped Cloud's mouth when he felt heat engulfing him.
"God, Seph…God…" That was all he could manage. Fingers entwined in Sephiroth's long white hair as Cloud immersed himself in this sea of pleasure, once again marveling at how the thin strands slipped through his fingers.
Like I can never hold on to him for long. A thought came unbidden into his mind.
***
Tifa paced along the concrete path in front of the mansion. Cloud would kill her if she burse into the mansion now and yell out the truth for all to hear. There must be a way, there must be a way she could talk to Sephiroth without Cloud knowing.
***
Sephiroth grabbed the forgotten bathrobe off the floor and got dressed quickly, not wanting to go up against the chilling autumn air naked. His entire body was sore; he blushed slightly as he recalled the reasons of feeling so.
The sex was wonderful; even he had to admit that. But for some strange reason he felt that there was something lacking there when they climaxed. There was a sense of incompletion even when Cloud pulled out of him and pulled him into his arms with a smile on his face. No, it was not the mechanics of the act; it was the drowning emotions he felt behind it. It was as if…as if…
As if he was betraying someone else…
He struggled to keep his footsteps light as he made his way to the bathroom downstairs, picking his clothes up as he walked. He would not want to wake Cloud up.
The wind blew the curtains apart as he passed the balcony, revealing a glimpse of a small figure outside the mansion. Tifa?
Getting dressed quickly, he rushed out of the mansion.
***
The brunette turned around in surprise when she heard the rustle of grass behind her. It took her a moment or two to remind herself that she need not be so ready to fight the man who was her nemesis.
"Are you looking for Cloud? Do you want to come into the mansion? The night air is cold." Sephiroth asked. Tifa narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
He really could not remember anything from the past. She thought.
"No, actually I'm here to look for you. Do you want to know what you don't remember?"
***
The pair found themselves in a twenty-four hour pub, sitting next to each other at the bar counter but not saying a single thing.
It was Sephiroth who broke the silence first.
"What did you say you want to tell me about?"
"I was there with Cloud," Tifa started, taking another sip of the beer she had ordered and offered it to the man next to her. Sephiroth politely declined. "I was with Cloud when we fought against…you and the Meteor."
***
A silent scream came from his throat as he felt another painful memory invade his mind. Too long, Zack thought. I can't stay here any longer…I'll go crazy…Seph…where are you…
***
A lazy hand reached out to search for the warm body that was supposed to be next to him. Sapphire eyes snapped open when he found an empty space where Sephiroth was supposed to be.
"Sephiroth?"
***
End of Chapter 1
To Be Continued