Part Fourteen
-He promised I would find a little
Solace and some piece of mind
Whatever, just as long as I don't feel so
Desperate and ravenous
So weak and powerless
-"Weak and Powerless", A Perfect Circle-
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"…'you owe me'?" Sephiroth quoted, eyebrows raised, smirking down at the small blonde in his arms. Both were reluctant to leave the safety of the office, though for separate reasons. Sephiroth wanted to stay simply for the close contact the privacy of the room allowed, where he could hold Cloud as close and as long as he wanted without judgment.
Not that the opinion of the others were of any real importance - only Cloud mattered to him, now.
The blonde shrugged half-heartedly. "He… he just told me where to find you is all…"
"I see. I'll be sure to thank him for what he's done."
Cloud simply mumbled something incomprehensible and squeezed the taller man tightly.
To tell the truth, he was scared. Reluctant as he was to admit, Cloud knew they had to leave at some point to confront what would surely be a torch-carrying mob of his friends after Sephiroth's head. Leon, of course, was the exception, since he didn't know what the silver-haired one had truly done, having heard only the partial story from Cloud's old teammates… but he was still a rather large factor in Cloud's mental distress.
Of course, Cloud was going to tell Sephiroth what had happened between he and Leon - how it had happened, and why - and could only pray that Sephiroth trusted him when promised it would never happen again. He was well aware it wasn't just an itty-bitty issue that could be swept under the mat and be dealt with later, after all was said and done… he needed to let Sephiroth know, and soon. Preferably before the 'meeting'.
At the thought - even though it was a stupid conflict in his mind - Cloud wasn't sure which party he feared seeing the most: pissed off ex-AVALANCHErs, or a possessive, extremely jealous, infuriated former General with that gigantic sword capable of taking down even the largest of enemies in a single slash.
The blonde swallowed hard, clenching both fists in Sephiroth's hair. He was ashamed of himself, every pore of his body practically oozing with guilt. The confession could completely jeopardize everything Cloud had longed for, all his suffering on the Planet done for nothing… not to mention it could very well leave him in ruins - mentally, and a good possibility physically, as well.
Cloud could only hope that Sephiroth wouldn't fly off the handle, at least not before he had the chance to explain. And Leon… gods, Leon was an innocent party in this, wasn't he? Cloud came on to him… initially, anyway… and Leon wasn't even attracted to him. Sephiroth couldn't blame Leon as well…
But, loathe as Cloud was to say, his silver-haired lover wasn't exactly the easygoing, understanding type.
He knew he needed to tell Sephiroth, though, and soon - that sort of secret had the potential to break him. And Cloud didn't want to be broken, and he didn't want to hide it, to lead Sephiroth to believe that he had been completely faithful - even during Meteor - to him and only him.
Cloud was Sephiroth's, simple as that… and he had gone after Leon…?
Though, his faithfulness had been - for the most part - secure up until that day. Cloud didn't want to believe that life was so cruel, especially after all he went through. How could Fate bring Sephiroth back to him on that day? The same exact day both he and Leon let their self-control slip…
[I can't really blame… Leon, though… I did… technically… make the first move… then made it more…]
The blonde cringed inwardly. He didn't have the right to be there with Sephiroth, especially not in the man's arms; he didn't even deserve to have him back. He killed Sephiroth… twice. He caused the older man pain, deformed them both because of his own foolishness, and - in his mind - he hadn't apologized enough for it at all.
And now, now he let his own stupid urges take over for a fleeting moment with another man? A man who had taken him in, truly done nothing more than act friendly toward him?
A straight man, no less.
Without realizing it, the blonde tightened his arms around the other man, mushing his face against Sephiroth's chest.
[How could I DO that to him?! Why am I so fucking STUPID?!]
"…Cloud, stop thinking so hard. You look as if you're about to combust."
A small kiss to blonde spikes broke Cloud out of his lament, blue eyes gazing upward into a fiery aquamarine. The look on Sephiroth's face was that of concern, obviously having sensed his various signs of distress - the way Cloud was gripping his hair, gripping him, unaware of his own sighs and half-whimpered sounds of pain as his body shook like a leaf in the wind.
Placing his palm to Cloud's cheek, Sephiroth tilted his head and gave the blonde an imploring gaze."There's something troubling you… so tell me."
"…that's the last thing I wanna do," Cloud murmured, pulling himself out of the angel's embrace, wrapping his arms around his own body. Sephiroth frowned but said nothing, allowing the blonde to continue.
"I need to tell you something you're not going to like," he mumbled, turning his back to the other man.
Sephiroth winced mentally at the blonde's foreboding statement. His mind groaned, unwilling to face what his lover was going to say, but… surely, it would be nothing he couldn't easily dismiss. After all, Cloud had forgiven him for everything he had done to him in the past without question; he even went so far as to take the blame upon himself. And though Sephiroth didn't agree with Cloud's doing so, he had an inkling the blonde would be damn near impossible to convince otherwise.
/--…uh… whatever it is, Seph, please don't kill him…,--/ Zack ventured eventually, dead serious.
/Don't worry…/
When it was apparent Cloud wouldn't go on without verbal confirmation, Sephiroth asked quietly, "and that is…?"
"I fooled around with Leon."
Bluntly, without fanfare, no mindless suspense, Cloud just said it. He didn't want to make Sephiroth wait for what must have been so painful to hear, therefore laid it right out on the table. The blonde mentally kicked himself at the suddenness of the statement, despite it all. He decided not to say anything else until the other man heeded the information, and did what he pleased with it.
Needless to say, Cloud was completely frantic at the thought of what any and all possible consequences may be.
"Oh."
…that response… hadn't been expected.
/--Seph…?--/
"…'oh'?" Cloud implored quietly. As much as he wanted to look up at the other man, he found he couldn't, at least not until Sephiroth continued.
"…I see." The leather-clad one crossed his arms, tapping his foot on the floor. "Of course… of course."
Cloud frowned as he watched Sephiroth murmur to himself, the other man staring at the ground. He was disturbed, to say the least, at Sephiroth's soft tone of voice, devoid of any anger he had been anticipating.
/--Sephiroth, talk to me…--/
"…hadn't expected… after all, I mean…"
Pacing, Sephiroth drew his silver eyebrows together, lips pursed as he processed the information. The only sounds in the room were his footfalls and the occasional nonsensical murmur, all of it unsettling.
Try as he did, Zack couldn't get through to him. Sephiroth had let his walls slam up, blocking out any inquiry as to what he was thinking, any plea for him to talk. Zack was sympathetic towards his blonde friend, regardless of what he had done; Sephiroth's silence must have been killing him. Cloud always had a fragile ego, always berated himself for doing even the slightest thing wrong, and for his silence now when Cloud actually… screwed up pretty bad, to say the least… the black-haired entity cringed.
Seconds stretched on for what seemed like hours, Cloud growing more and more uncomfortable by the minute. Sephiroth still hadn't stopped pacing, was still talking to himself, and the blonde was going out of his head. He only heard a few mumbled words, and none of them really made much sense to him. Sephiroth seemed to be agreeing with whatever he was musing on, shown by his nods or murmured affirmations, but wasn't actually saying anything of importance that Cloud could decipher…
The blonde shifted back and forth uneasily before clearing his throat. Way too much time had passed, and warily watching Sephiroth talking to himself grew much too unnerving.
…and, even though Jenova didn't exist anymore - especially not in Traverse Town -, Cloud didn't exactly want to see Sephiroth conversing with phantom voices in his head for much longer.
"Seph, I—"
"Strife, we're waiting."
Both men turned to stare at Leon, standing in the doorway, glaring at them.
Cloud groaned. […oh, this is just great.]
"Leon." Sephiroth tipped his head back, looking down his nose at the man, "we were just talking about you."
The brunette's eyes widened almost imperceptibly in realization. He then narrowed them as he crossed his arms and shrugged, once again absolutely nonchalant.
"Seph, don't…" The blonde stepped forward, placing his hand on the taller man's arm. "Don't, just let me explain…"
Sephiroth coolly regarded Cloud for a moment and turned back to the man in the doorway. "Would you like to join us in our conversation, Leon?" He tilted his head to the side, one eyebrow raised. "The matter does concern you, after all."
"Sephiroth, will you please—"
"Cloud," the silver-haired man interrupted, raising a hand to shush him, "I asked Leon a question."
The gunblade wielder snorted, shaking his head. "We don't have the time for this…"
"Oh, believe me, we've all the time in the world."
"Sephiroth," the blonde growled, "listen to me!"
Hardened jade eyes shot in the youngest man's direction. "I haven't received an answer." Once more he settled his sights on Leon, the ex-SeeD watching him evenly. "You're being very impolite, Cloud."
"Treating him like a child, how honorable of you," the brunette muttered. Sephiroth held back a sneer.
"Can you just let me explain?!" Cloud stood in front of Sephiroth, grabbing his face and forcing the man to focus on him instead of Leon. "You didn't even let me tell you what happened, you don't need to get pissed at him!"
"Who says I'm 'pissed' at anyone?" Sephiroth said, voice completely calm, eyes still set on Leon.
The blonde gave an incredulous snort despite himself. "Because I know you, Seph; this isn't the sort of thing that people like hearing, so it's—"
"To tell the truth," Sephiroth started in a tone which made Cloud bristle, "I hadn't expected you to devote yourself so…" The man gestured, searching for a decent description. "…blindly… to me in the first place."
Cloud was stunned, gaping wide-eyed at the silver-haired man. He hadn't expected Sephiroth to say anything like that…
While he spoke evenly to start, emotion slipped in towards the end, no matter how Sephiroth had tried to withhold it. The way his jaw was held showed a blatant sign of distress as well, muscles taut underneath his pale skin, something else to betray his feigned indifference. He couldn't show that weakness in front of Leon.
Sephiroth turned his head and shrugged lightly, clenching his fists, and added, "it's no matter."
The blonde bit his lip, not sure if it Sephiroth was simply acting that way or if he truly didn't care.
Even more disconcerting, Sephiroth didn't sound mad yet… at least not truly. His tone was more disappointed and contemplative. It was confusing, and seemed to imply that Cloud's feelings towards the man were misdirected - maybe even so far as unwarranted, possibly unwanted…
He knew the latter was just a stupid fear - of course it was wanted. Sephiroth had been searching for him, hadn't he? And he found him, told Cloud he loved him… granted, the proclamation came prior to the mercenary's confession, but…
Cloud swallowed thickly. "Seph…" The blonde stepped forward, voice quiet, "let me explain…? Before you decide to do anything about… this…" He paused, clearing his throat. "Please? …I love you…"
Sephiroth flicked two fingers in his direction distractedly, caught up in inner musing.
The mercenary sighed, taking the gesture as a response to start. His blue eyes looked over to the doorway to regard Leon, only to find the man had left, and most likely long ago.
Cloud took a deep breath, crossing his arms. "…okay… I don't really know where to start…," the blonde swallowed and licked his lip. "…I guess from the beginning…? I guess…," he mumbled.
"You asked for permission to explain," Sephiroth reminded, obviously annoyed, "so stop sputtering and do it."
Cloud made a pained face, catching the new tone of barely repressed anger in the other man's voice.
Zack sighed, defeated. He wanted to help settle Sephiroth down, but his friend just wasn't listening to him behind his walls, and he didn't want Sephiroth to hurt Cloud… but there was nothing he could do. So, mentally, Zack sat back, helpless, and prayed for both of his friends to settle things… preferably with a positive outcome.
Little did either spiky-heads know, the fury Sephiroth had wasn't directed at the blonde - at least not entirely. Yes, the fact that Cloud admitted he was with someone else hurt, but that was it… Sephiroth was more frustrated that he was unable convince himself it didn't, unaware Leon had already left.
And while the ex-General was mad at Cloud for betraying him, it pissed him off even more to realize that he was so selfish.
He knew it was foolish to expect - or to even consider the mere possibility - that Cloud would forsake anyone else for him. The older man hadn't even been alive, not really; and with the way he treated Cloud during Meteor, he was still surprised the blonde loved him like he did.
Sephiroth was disappointed in himself more than Cloud, especially since he really was just as guilty as infidelity. When he kissed Riku, Sephiroth knew Cloud was alive and well. And, as he interpreted what Hades said about the blonde, missed him terribly, to the point of distraction… and that job, the contract. Sephiroth absently noted to ask Cloud about that.
"When I first got here, I didn't have a place to stay," Cloud started, pacing. "And Leon's a friend of my old teammates, so… he took me in. Now, I'm not gonna lie…," he paused, looking up into his lover's aqua eyes, "I did find him attractive… very… and I still do, just…" He frowned and reached out to touch the older man's arm, "…just not like you… you're beautiful, Seph… and I love you…"
Sephiroth shrugged indifferently. The blonde man mistook the gesture and sighed quietly, pulling his hand back to his side.
"…I kissed him once before, a while ago… but… I didn't…," he mumbled, staring at the floor. "…today, I…" Cloud rolled his hand on his wrist, silently telling himself to go on, wincing. It was growing harder and harder for him to formulate sentences, choosing his words as lightly as he could.
"…did you say 'today'?"
Cloud felt his chest tighten. His mind fumbled for something - anything to answer with. "I didn't sleep with him, if that's what you're thinking, but… I…"
Cloud's tone silently pleaded for Sephiroth to figure it out on his own, too embarrassed and too ashamed to say it himself. Not knowing how much is too much was a problem as well, but his love deserved the absolute truth, no matter how hard it was on him to say it.
"…it was me… I fucking… it… I… he didn't…"
"…that's enough…"
"I'm so sorry, Seph… I… couldn't… stop myself…" The blonde winced, chafing his bare arms. The room was too cold all of a sudden, his gloved digits rubbing over the goosebumps prickling his flesh. "I know that's lame…," Cloud trailed off, deeply ashamed and furious with himself.
"…fuck, I can't do anything but hurt you all the time…" The blonde snarled abruptly. "I'm just so fucking stupid! I fucking hate me!! I—"
Sephiroth cut him off, taking Cloud's face in his leather-bound hands. "Stop it, Strife," he growled sharply, words punctuated with a slight jarring. "I don't want to hear this anymore!"
The blonde bit his lip, attempting to quell the tears threatening to spill from his eyes. […so that's it, then… it's over… he… he hates me…]
Hard as he tried to stop them, Cloud felt trails of wetness fall down his cheeks into his cloak. Tearing himself from the other man's hands, Cloud stepped back and fell to his knees, pressing his hands to his eyes.
Nothing hurt as much as that realization. Nothing. He decided that he would rather be forced to kill the insane, Jenova-influenced Sephiroth during Meteor one thousand times again than to lose the man now. Now Sephiroth was truly alive again, and in his right mind, Cloud didn't want to let him go. But if that was what Sephiroth wanted, what else could he do? Just accept it…
But he didn't want to accept it. Of all the things he would rather give up, Sephiroth was the one thing he couldn't. He would rather die. Death would be a welcome release from the dredge that was his current state of life…
Perhaps he should've just accepted the fact that Sephiroth was dead and gone. He should have wished for Aerith instead… maybe then, if he could have just accepted her love for him, he may have been happy… even if he would never love her in the same way. As long as he was loved by someone…
Cloud pulled his knees to his chest and started to sob. Why was it that he was practically made to suffer? Why was he practically chosen to be humanity's whipping boy? Everything he ever tried to do, every dream he had… everything turned to shit. His entire life was painful. Happy memories? He had those precious few; one of Tifa, several with Zack… and the rest? The rest were from his time before the razing of Nibelheim, and only with Sephiroth.
And now, there were no more good memories to look forward to. He went and ruined it all for the pleasure of that brief moment, born from lust, attraction and utter irrationality. Leon wouldn't want him, ever, and Sephiroth didn't want him anymore…
The blonde raked one hand harshly over his scalp. The action stung, but he barely felt it as his heart pounded loudly in his ears.
[…so… fucking… stupid…]
So loudly, in fact, that he didn't hear the older man shift and sit close to his side.
"Stop that," Sephiroth scolded lightly, taking Cloud into his arms. "…knock it off…"
Zack's mental ears perked up. Though he had given up pleading to Sephiroth long ago, it seemed his influence worked a little, considering the ex-General's less-than-characteristic words. /--Seph…? Are you…?--/
/…you know I love him, Zack./ He tightened his grip around the blonde, resting his chin on top of Cloud's soft, golden spikes. /This… this is…/ Sephiroth shook his head and sighed as Cloud gave in, letting himself be held, nearly molded to the older man's body. /…it's nothing…/
/--Do you seriously mean that?--/ Zack's tone was absolutely incredulous. /--You're not, like…--/ He paused for a long while. /--…mad at him…?--/
It wasn't that Zack wanted his friend to be mad at Cloud, far from it; the blonde had an ego as fragile as glass, and all three of them realized that. But it still shocked him, because Sephiroth honestly wasn't the type to dismiss something so easily.
/Oh, I am, don't get me wrong…/
/--…oh.--/
And it was the truth. He was angry, but not completely towards Cloud.
The one Sephiroth was truly angry at was Leon.
Sephiroth's nature was to be self-concerned, the characteristic practically expected of him, due to his old job, and his own so-called 'importance'. Since the time he was in ShinRa, he had always gotten what he wanted, and without question. Such was the power of influence.
But with selfishness came possessiveness, and Cloud - begrudgingly as Sephiroth was to admit - quite frankly, was his. He couldn't help but think that Leon had desecrated his property, loathe as he was to associate Cloud with something to own… but fairly, he had claimed the man, and long ago. He never relinquished his right to him, not even in death.
A part of the back of his mind spoke up, reminding him that he had murdered Aeris, as she called herself then, in cold blood. The reason on the surface was, that, as a Cetra, she was the only true threat to his and Jenova's mission. Upon further reflection… Sephiroth remembered the girl had loved Cloud.
As the Masamune was slowly retracted from her body, Sephiroth was smiling, directly at Cloud…
Back then, the Jenova cells in his body made sure to let the younger one know that Cloud was Sephiroth's. On top of killing Aeris, before the rebel group had acquired the Black Materia, Sephiroth had distinctly told the blonde that he was always by his side - and he was. Sephiroth would always be by Cloud's side… because he had marked his territory. And when said 'territory' was threatened…
Cloud was a part of him, but even more deeply than the blonde understood. They were connected through Jenova… Sephiroth wondered if his possessiveness could be due to that. He couldn't recall being so clingy in the ShinRa military…
The more he thought about it, Jenova's current influence non-withstanding, he wondered if he still was so sick and twisted as he was during Meteor. It was frightening to realize that he had retained, at least in a sense, that primal feeling of ownership from the time. As it were, he absolutely hated Leon, and the only thing he knew about the brunette was that he and Cloud had a fling…
Sephiroth was rather unsure of how to deal with that side of the problem at the moment.
But the subject of Leon could wait, for now. Sephiroth would arrive at that road eventually.
The older man pried Cloud away from him and held him away at arm's length. Cloud's face was flushed and tear-stained, completely haggard. Sephiroth wondered if the blonde had even had a decent rest or anything at all since he arrived at Traverse Town - he knew he himself hadn't in a very long while. Too bad they weren't able to go to wherever it was Cloud was staying and rest, due to that pleasant little get-together.
Sephiroth groaned. He didn't feel up to facing the inquisition just yet.
"Cloud… listen to me." Sephiroth shifted, locking Cloud's eyes with his own. "There are many things I must do, and all of them pertain to improving me…"
"But you're perfect already…"
"I am far from perfect…" The older man shook his head mournfully. "And I want you know this: whatever you've done, or feel you've done…" He leaned forward, stopping just short of Cloud's lips, his mouth brushing the other's as he spoke. "…always," Sephiroth murmured, "…I will always be with you… no matter what."
The mercenary asked, voice a sodden whisper, "you don't hate me?"
"Don't be a fool…" Sephiroth tilted his head and kissed him softly. "…of course not…," he sighed, wiping away the wetness from underneath Cloud's eyes. "You're a saint compared to me, after all I've done to you."
"…but it wasn't—"
"Stop," he ordered, cutting him off. "No more of that, alright?" The older man leaned forward, giving Cloud a sweet peck on the lips. "If you take the blame for my actions anymore, I will be coerced into using force to quiet you. And truthfully," Sephiroth said dryly, brushing a lock of hair from Cloud's face, "I've grown quite bored of torturing you."
"No more mental anguish? Oh no, whatever shall I do…," the blonde deadpanned. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and sniffled. "…I'm really sorry, though. for…," he paused, frowning. "…everything…"
Sephiroth hugged Cloud tight against his body. "When I said no more, I meant it. Please." The older man sighed. "I did have something to do with Jenova. And don't argue with me on it," he added as Cloud nearly began to protest. "As for the Leon situation… that can be handled later, with him."
The blonde nodded, letting out a ragged breath. "I love you…"
"I love you as well."
They kissed again, slow and deep, savoring their time alone. Sephiroth felt a bit guilty, allowing himself to explore the depths of Cloud's mouth so intimately when he hadn't told Cloud about Riku, but he wasn't planning on keeping it to himself. After the breakdown Cloud just had, Sephiroth didn't believe it was right to mention it, taking into consideration the blonde's affinity for taking blame for Sephiroth's actions upon himself.
Cloud, on the other hand, felt he didn't deserve the kiss, especially since Sephiroth's tongue wasn't the only one - let alone the only thing, he wanted to scream at himself - in his mouth that day…
"Now," Sephiroth started as he pulled away, smiling thinly, "shall we go to this meeting?"
"…I don't want to." Cloud planted his face in the crook of the older one's neck. "There's a room full of pissed off people, and I'm not up to being chastised right this second…"
"Would you prefer they come to us?"
Cloud snorted then inhaled deeply, Sephiroth's scent beautiful. It was strange how someone could have a natural aroma as he did, no matter what state he was in. He always smelled clean. Hell, even his hair looked clean, barely ever knotted or tangled. Cloud reached up to the back of Sephiroth's head, splaying his fingers on his scalp, and proceeded to comb through the first few inches of the man's hair.
"I'd prefer we just stay here…"
"The sooner we finish, the sooner I get to bathe." Sephiroth made a disgusted face. "I'm filthy."
Cloud blinked. "…yeah, me too." He lifted an eyebrow. "For safety's sake, we'd better do it together."
"Poor attempt to try and get me naked, Strife. Besides," Sephiroth added, "you were going to join me anyway." Cloud grinned wickedly. "I don't believe I'm able to wash this on my own."
"…I know you're a big guy, Seph, but I don't think that's really a two-man job…" He paused. "…unless you want it to be."
Sephiroth gave the mercenary a blank look. "I meant my wing." The silver-haired man then grinned wickedly. "Rather, I was referring to it… you've managed to skew the entire concept of actually bathing, now."
"Good."
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The short walk from the Gummi Garage to Yuffie's wrought more stares than either man could count. It was as if all eyes were focused solely on the two of them, doing nothing more than walking side by side through the streets. Cloud fidgeted uncomfortably as several people, children, mainly, pointed at them - rather, or so he thought, at him.
Somehow, Sephiroth managed to convince the blonde mercenary to let his wing out in the open.
He felt naked, honestly, without the mantle hiding the offending appendage; these strangers were being allowed to see more of himself than he was willing to share, and he hated every second of it. The wing was disgusting, it made him feel like a monster, less than human.
Cloud hung his head, heaving a sigh. [This is how Vincent felt… no wonder he almost chose to stay asleep…]
He folded the demon wing close to his body, reaching back to readjust the crimson mantle.
"I was curious as to how long you could go before doing that," Sephiroth spoke up, leaning so only Cloud would hear.
"Sorry… it's just… this thing is so hideous…"
Sephiroth made a small noise of disapproval. "I think it's rather intriguing."
The blonde made a face. "Intriguing as in disgusting…"
Sephiroth stopped, grabbing the shorter man's forearm. "No, intriguing as in intriguing. As appalling as you may consider it, I, on the other hand, do not. It is a part of you, after all." To prove his point, he pushed the cape aside and ran his fingers over the leathery wing, tracing the paths of the thin veins throughout it. "Actually, it's oddly beautiful; definitely not in the conventional sense, but there is something about it…"
The blonde closed his eyes and shivered visibly at the intriguing patterns Sephiroth followed. He was unable to form a coherent response, only managing to release a small moan from the back of his throat. How such a light touch to the flimsy skin could be so torturously stimulating, Cloud didn't know.
"Sensitive too, is it?" Sephiroth asked with a smirk. He chuckled as Cloud nodded, eyes half-lidded, and moved behind the blonde. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around the smaller man, hands slung low on his belly, pinning the base of Cloud's now-fully extended wing between the two of their bodies. "I'll have to remember that for later," he murmured, close to Cloud's ear.
Cloud's eyes closed completely as he felt a very familiar sensation attack a spot on his neck. The combination of the eternally nippy Traverse night air and the hot, laving tongue producing a rather delectable feeling. He sighed, practically melting into Sephiroth, and let his head fall back.
Even with his eyes closed, Cloud was well aware the town's residents were watching them, disapproving their actions. They were two fully-grown men, after all, acting more like horny teenagers than anything else. And even though Traverse Town was an accepting community, for the most part… that kind of behavior was not the most appreciated. Most public displays of affection weren't.
"…you should stop… people are watching us…," Cloud mumbled, finding his right hand buried in silver hair. The older man only made a noise Cloud interpreted as 'shut up, I'm enjoying myself', and promptly began to suck on the tender flesh - definitely intent on placing a nice hickey on the blonde.
Cloud shuddered, the other man's hands gently massaging his lower abdomen. Everything Sephiroth did all but dissolve Cloud into a puddle of hormonal goo. "If you don't stop, I'll have to change my pants before we get to Yuffie's…"
But, as was his nature, Sephiroth was still relentless in his ministrations.
"…I say we skip that stupid meeting…," Cloud started, voice husky, followed by a suggestive and very deliberate swivel of his hips, "and we go have our own fun, how about you…?"
He almost died of excitement when Sephiroth nodded. The blonde groaned, shuddering. "…can we?"
To his own surprise, Cloud growled as Sephiroth shook his head 'no'. "You are the worst tease I've ever met."
Sephiroth moved away from the delicacy that was Cloud's neck long enough to murmur, "good things come to those who wait."
"…I don't want to wait to come."
Both Sephiroth and his mind-partner started to laugh at the unlikely statement, its tone childish and whiny. "I see you've retained a bit of Zackary's immature behavior…"
/--Oh, shut up.--/
"But, I do suppose we should leave this spot, eventually," Sephiroth finished with a sigh.
The blonde grumbled. "If you'd keep your hands off me for two seconds we would've been there already, you know."
Sephiroth had to admit, Cloud had a point. But he couldn't help it.
Cloud was so beautiful, and despite his new menacing appearance, he managed to retain that aura of innocence about him which drove the silver-haired man absolutely wild. It had been so long since the two were together - alone, at least, no thanks to Zack, and Nibelheim inn's single bedroom… - and Sephiroth couldn't help but find himself touching Cloud every chance he had.
He did know, however, that there were many Traverse Town residents around them. Sephiroth silently cursed them all. They were one of two things keeping him from simply taking Cloud into an alleyway and, as Zack so often said, 'fucking him senseless'.
He winced at the direction his thoughts were taking him. Cloud wasn't a sex toy… "I love you, Cloud."
"I know, Seph…"
Aqua eyes happened to glance upwards, catching a certain brown-haired boy staring at him with the widest blue eyes Sephiroth had ever seen. /Zackary, it's that boy…/
He felt Zack nod. /--Yeah, the Keybearer. Hey… is that…?--/
Cloud snapped back to awareness when he heard Goofy's very distinct voice exclaim, "gawrsh, Sora! That big feller's got C-Cloud!"
"Forget about him, he can take care of 'imself!" Donald squawked, jumping up wildly. His feathers were puffed up, shaking his arms in back of him. Quite frankly, the duck looked pissed… as usual.
"But, uh, w' can't jus' stand here…"
"Of course we can't! We gotta see Leon!!"
"But Cloud's—"
"I DON'T CARE!!!"
"Stop it, you guys!" Sora ordered, frowning at his animal companions. "Cloud's fine… you guys go find Leon, okay? I'll see you in a bit." The boy turned, smiling slightly at a red-headed girl. "Can you go with them…? I kinda wanna talk to Cloud…"
/Kairi, wasn't it…? That girl without the heart…?/
/--She's got it now, obviously…--/
The girl tilted her head, glancing over at the two strangers, but Sephiroth in particular. She opened her mouth to speak then stopped, thinking the better of it. "No problem! Be quick about it, though, 'kay?"
Grinning broadly, the brown-haired boy nodded. "Of course!" Sora shook his head at Donald as the duck huffed, somehow dragging both the dog and Kairi behind him.
Sora trotted over to the two winged men, large shoes slapping against the cobblestone, and waved. "Hey, Cloud!"
The blonde man smiled, nodding a greeting as he squirmed a bit in attempt to break Sephiroth's embrace. "Hi, Sora. Long time no see."
Sora grinned broadly. It was dead apparent that Cloud was in no trouble at all. The boy couldn't help but watch Sephiroth warily, trying to keep himself from getting caught; it was just that the physical similarities he and Riku shared were mind-blowing.
"Yeah, we've been way too busy… a lot of stuff's happened," he added with a frown. "Stronger Heartless… Kairi…," his frown deepened as he mumbled, "…Riku…" The boy let out a sigh then perked up, smiling slightly. "But it'll all be okay soon, I know it."
"I hope so…" Cloud caught the boy's gaze flitting over to the silver-haired man as he spoke, and smacked his forehead. "Oh! Sora, this is Sephiroth—"
"Your Light," Sora finished. "I can tell." He tilted his head to the side, pressing his finger to his chin. "Weird, it's like your wings give you away."
The blonde blinked. "What do you mean?"
Sora smiled. "They're total opposites! That's gotta mean something." He paused, frowning. "Well, except they're the same color. But still! Yours is big, yours is small; yours is an angel's, yours is a devil's; yours is on the right, yours is on the left… it's a sign!" The boy winked slyly and chuckled. "You're the darker half, too, huh Cloud?"
Sora cleared his throat as both men gave each other an unreadable stare. "Heh…" The boy looked up at the much taller man and offered a gloved hand. "Well, nice to meet you! I'm Sora."
Sephiroth nodded as he shook the boy's hand, dwarfing it in comparison. "Hello. I've heard many things about you," he replied politely.
His last sentence, however, earned him a questioning stare from his lover. "I never mentioned him before…"
"…not from you."
Cloud blinked. "But who else could you have found out about Sora… from…" Blue eyes went wide with realization as a possibility dawned on him. "…ohh… what?! You mean—?"
The silver-haired man kneed him in the back of the leg discreetly as he could, and Cloud shut up.
"…what is it?" Sora frowned, watching the exchange. "C'mon, no fair…"
Withholding information was something that Cloud always hated to do, as he himself loathed being left in the dark, and his suspicion about Sora being the same proved correct when the tiny brunette searched their faces, fidgeting. The boy then started to pout at the prolonged stretch of silence, arms crossed petulantly, looking back and forth from Cloud to Sephiroth. He didn't look angry, per se, only more upset that Cloud was hiding from him.
Before Cloud could open his mouth and cave, telling Sora what he knew, Sephiroth nudged him with his knee, speaking instead. "Perhaps we should all get to Kisaragi's, Cloud. We've wasted enough time already, I think."
"Y… yeah. Let's go." He looked over to a still-pouty Sora. "We'll walk with you there, alright, kid?"
"Ya gonna tell me why you're being all weird?"
Sephiroth nodded. "I'll tell you everything, Sora, that coincides with what you already know."
With that, the three of them - finally - got to Yuffie's small house, pit-stops for groping effectively prevented by Sora's presence.
--------
Leon was practically tearing his hair out, hoping that the pain would dull the throbbing in his ears from Cid's constant screaming about 'stupid fucking goddamn slow-ass pretty-boys'.
All of them were still waiting for Cloud and Sephiroth's arrival after what seemed like an eternity. When he came back from the last trip to Cid's office, Leon was the unfortunate on the receiving end of the pilot's frustration after he reported the men missing - the only way he could be sure Cid would stop sending him back there - and barely refrained from punching the older blonde in the mouth.
…not that hitting Cid would've done any good for Leon's health. For his age, Cid was exceptionally quick as well as strong, not to mention his incredible skill with the Venus Gospel.
To the ex-SeeD's relief, Aerith had stopped crying long ago. But she had slipped into a depressive state, sitting on the bed in the front room, hands folded in her lap. She hadn't spoken much, either, which dismayed Yuffie. She tried desperately to cheer Aerith up, but nothing had worked thus far, unfortunate for her. The ninja sat by her side, elbowing her occasionally in attempts to get a response.
Leon was glad to see Donald and Goofy stroll into the base at such a convenient time, with everyone together already, but was a little startled when an unknown girl - who seemed to be around Sora's age - in tow instead of the Keybearer himself.
Kairi seemed like a nice enough girl; she was polite, even introducing herself kindly to everyone before asking for a seat on the couch.
Everyone was accounted for, with the exception of the 'pretty-boys' and Sora. Leon grumbled, assuming his usual position against the wall. With Cloud and his Light reunited… the gunblade wielder groaned.
He was going to be in for a very long night.
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The ex-General stopped, placing a hand on Cloud's shoulder before they closed the final distance between the house and themselves, leaving Sora to clomp towards the domicile obliviously.
"Sephiro-mmph?!"
Cloud was silenced by a pair of lips as Sephiroth kissed him, hot and needy, hands on his lower and middle back. The blonde's breath was stolen when the other man's tongue dove into his mouth, much more forceful - but pleasantly so - than before.
Cloud was stunned, to say the least, by the sudden attack, the need to return the fervent exploring barely registering until Sephiroth pulled away, leaving him panting.
"I love you."
Sparing no time, Sephiroth grabbed his hand and pulled the now-severely dazed mercenary behind him, wishing the meeting with Leon and the others was already over. It had been a long, long time… and he needed to get his eager hands back on Cloud.
--------
The brown-haired teen flopped onto the couch, sprawling bonelessly. "Everything, Leon…?" Sora groaned loudly and made a face at Leon's nod. "No way, a lot of stuff's happened…"
"Uhh… how 'bout Sora gives ya th' short version?" Goofy supplied, head bobbing imperatively, hoping that would work. Sora truly looked to be in no mood for retelling the recent events in Hollow Bastion.
Leon's resolve crumbled when Sora shot him his best pair of puppy-dog eyes. "…alright. But only as long as you give me as many details on the more important things as you can," he added quickly.
The red-headed girl raised her hand shyly. "I can help, too." She looked at Sora and smiled lightly. "Like what we did when you turned into a Heartless," she finished, jerking a thumb at Donald and Goofy.
"When you turned into a what?!" Yuffie squawked, very nearly leaping out of her seat. "How did that happen?!"
Sora ignored the ninja, turning around to stare out the window. It had been a good two minutes since he entered the small house, but the boy couldn't see past the perpetual midnight haze. A disheartened groan left him - waiting for information really sucked.
"Hey… Sora?" Kairi poked her friend in the arm.
"Huh?" The spiky-haired teen whirled around, startled. "Oh. Hm?"
"…you didn't hear a word she said, didja?" She giggled. "Same ol' Sora…" Sora grinned sheepishly, crossing his arms behind his head.
"Sorry."
Cid looked at his watch and swore under his breath. Because of Sephiroth's appearance in town, he only had an hour left to finish repairs on a customer's Gummi. The things that had to be fixed would only take him a little while - with his 'superior' restoration skills, the job would require about twenty minutes of his time, thirty at most… but he also needed to be there when the owner came to pick it up.
He decided he really needed another person around the garage. Shera would've been nice to have just then…
"Shit… sorry, guys, I gotta go," the pilot grunted, stomping towards the door. "Y'all be sure to give that fucker hell… and make sure Cloud don't do nothin' stupid," he warned, harshly pointing at each of the room's inhabitants.
Leon regarded him questioningly. "Are you sure you can't stay?"
"I wanna, but…," Cid shrugged, snuffing his cigarette, "can't. Still got shit to do at the garage." Casting everyone a final glance, he yanked open the door… only to be greeted by a rather strange shriek.
"Gods, Cid!"
Cloud clutched his chest, directly over his heart. He was about to knock when the other blonde man opened the door and caught him completely off guard.
…and Cloud could have sworn he heard Sephiroth choke back a snicker when he yelped. "Warn me next time!"
Cid raised an eyebrow, taking a swipe at his nose. "The fuck should I do that for? Nobody else goes around sayin' they're about to open the fuckin' door for yer jumpy ass…" He made a face. "Who the fuck gets scared by a door, anyway?!"
"Cloudy has problems, Cid," Yuffie reminded, innocently. The pilot looked back at her, then to Cloud, then craned his neck to eye Sephiroth cautiously over Cloud's shoulder.
"…oh yeah."
The younger blonde frowned. "…hey…"
"I'll see y' guys later." Cid pushed past Cloud and left the house, sparing a look at the silver-haired man with narrowed eyes. "You better fuckin' behave, or I'll…"
/--…how come no one really finishes threatening you?--/ Zack asked, watching Cid make his way towards First. It was an absent thought, but he really couldn't remember the last time someone actually completed stating a consequential threat to the ex-General.
/Perhaps they find suitable consequences for my actions too hard to come up with. Or handle./
/--Good point.--/
In a brave move, Cloud took hold of Sephiroth's hand and stepped through the door, pulling the other man in behind him. Sephiroth's aqua eyes widened slightly at Cloud's brass - the idea that the blonde would display such boldness in front of his friends, even if the gesture was rather slight, never occurred to him.
—He also disregarded Zack's comment about their friend finally 'having some balls'. The need to defend Cloud's honor would have been useless, anyway, considering the dead SOLDIER's playfully musing tone.
Besides, Sephiroth echoed the sentiment. It was encouraging to see him show such courage out of love.
"…sorry we're late…," Cloud mumbled, carefully stepping around the occupants of the place to find somewhere to perch, "we got sidetracked…"
Two sets of Mako-enhanced eyes snapped towards a certain snickering ninja. Yuffie coughed and cleared her throat, taking a cursory glance at Aerith, the girl's face pained at Yuffie's suggestive laugh. "…erp…" She leaned over, whispering, "…I didn't mean anything by it… 'm really sorry…"
Aerith forced a smile, half-heartedly waving it off. "Don't worry about it…" She looked up at Cloud, who was now standing in front of-slash-leaning on Sephiroth, the older man mimicking Leon's bored stance. "It's just… something I need to get used to, I guess…"
The ninja apologized again, draping her arm around her friend's shoulders reassuringly.
The room was quiet for a moment in an awkward silence, everyone trying to avoid eye contact with certain people. Despite the need for Sora to tell his story and the actual point of the meeting, it seemed the floor was the only thing present that was getting any real attention. Everybody - even Donald - was quiet, all caught up in their own inner thoughts for some reason or another.
Sora was practically tearing his hair out. It weirded him out how much Sephiroth looked like Riku, and that fact compounded with Cloud's resemblance to himself didn't help his longing. He needed to know what information Sephiroth had about Riku, but it didn't look like he was going to get it any time soon, thanks to Leon.
Kairi was also surprised at the silver-haired man's appearance. If Riku aged about thirteen years, grew his hair out to no limit, and used a ton of hair gel on his bangs, she decided it would be just like he was there with them.
The redhead pouted slightly, her purple orbs settling on Sora. He looked so sad underneath his exuberant exterior, and it broke her heart… she regretted her suggestion back on Destiny Island. Every day she wished she could go and take it back… it was stupid and petty of her to even think of something like that about their mutual friend. Regret was a hard thing to deal with, especially since she got what she had wanted back then - it was just her and Sora on another world, now…
Sora looked up at her, head tilted in question, and Kairi tore her gaze away guiltily. Apologizing would have to wait for later, preferably when they were alone.
Eight pairs of eyes shot towards Leon as he cleared his throat, purposely breaking the prolonged silence.
"Now that everyone's here…" he started, directing his attention towards Sora, "tell me what happened."
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A/N: Itty-bitty revision on 7/12/04. It was barely a revision… but still.
OH MY GOD. Writing that Cloud/Seph scene thingy MADE ME CRY, even though I KNEW how I was going to have it turn out from the start. Overemotional me, whee.