WARNING: This chapter contains SEPHIROTH x CLOUD CITRUS. Don't wanna read it? Then skip over, like, the whole last half of the chapter. …seriously. .;;
Part Sixteen
//-All I ever wanted was you
My love,
You're all I ever wanted,
You, my love.-
-"Bury Me Deep Inside Your Heart", HIM-//
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Cloud nearly jumped Sephiroth as soon as the older man appeared in the doorway of the formerly vacant-looking house, holding the Buster Sword in one hand, but he refrained, even though his entire body was keyed up in curiosity; although it had been sorely tempting, he had respected the boundaries of privacy and resisted the urge to spy… mainly, by pacing back and forth the entire time right outside the gates to Second.
He didn't want to get out of earshot in case someone started screaming, after all… maybe leaving Aerith and Sephiroth alone was a bad thing to do…
…not that he expected them to fight or anything. And Cloud assumed that Aerith wouldn't do anything too drastic, if it came down to it… or so he hoped.
"So… that was quick," the blonde commented, trying his best to keep his voice light and unconcerned as he walked over to Sephiroth.
Of course, the other man caught onto his feigned nonchalance, as evidenced by the look on Sephiroth's face. The older man hadn't called him on it, though, only relinquished control of the sword to its rightful owner. "That it was. And no, you've nothing to worry about," he added, answering the question he saw forming on Cloud's lips.
"Still… what happened? Did she say anything?" The blonde frowned, pressing a knuckle to his lips. "…she can get sort of… angry, sometimes… if she hears something she doesn't like… so…"
"As I've said, there's nothing wrong." Sephiroth smirked down at the younger man and toyed with one long, wayward spike on the side of Cloud's face. "I just have to be on my best behavior is all."
"…she didn't do anything, then?"
The silver-haired one stiffened slightly. Surely Cloud hadn't seen the girl kiss him… well, not him, exactly, but Zack… even if he did, Sephiroth didn't know how he could have possibly explained it, nor how he could explain why Zack was with him in the first place… it would be nearly impossible. Hell, even Zack couldn't explain his presence - or wouldn't explain it, being the stubborn ass he was - clearer than 'because you need me'.
How Sephiroth still supposedly 'needed' Zack was a mystery as well… he guessed that in time Zack would step up to fill him in and stop being a tease about it all, but for now, all Sephiroth was able to do was wait and deal with his former friend.
He shook his head, smiling lightly. The look on the blonde's face was one of genuine curiosity, not accusation, and Sephiroth took it as a sign that Cloud hadn't seen anything at all.
"No, she didn't 'do' anything, either. On the contrary, really. She's a rather… genial woman… surprisingly so," he added, regretfully.
"Yeah, I know… if it hadn't been for you, I think…"
Cloud looked away and crossed his arms, frowning as he trailed off. He hadn't meant to say the sentiment out loud, or at least not in the way it came out, so accusingly… this wasn't the same Sephiroth as back then. Cloud was surprised the other man even remembered what he'd done, let alone regretted it… but he didn't mean it that way, at least not totally… only that maybe, if he was never with Sephiroth in the first place, then he and Aerith… maybe…
"…nevermind," the blonde murmured, waving his hand, "it's nothing."
"That didn't sound like 'nothing'…"
"…even if it's not, would you want me to tell you?" Cloud bit his lip and shook his head, bitterly. "Look… it's in the past, anyway… you're alive, she's alive, it doesn't matter anymore so just… forget about it, alright?"
"Cloud…"
The blonde stepped forward and pulled Sephiroth into a tight embrace, tucking his head under the taller man's chin. "Gods, just shut up already…"
Cloud sighed as Sephiroth hesitantly put an arm around him, the ex-General uncertain if it was the right thing to do. He wasn't quite sure how to take what Cloud was telling him; on one hand the mercenary was absolving him of blame, allowing him forgiveness that Sephiroth knew he didn't deserve. He should have been grateful for that, but it felt very wrong for Cloud to excuse him so quickly…
…not to mention Aerith… that girl really must love Cloud, if she was willing to even consider granting Sephiroth some sort of forgiveness…
But it all felt wrong to him. Sephiroth knew he deserved at least some sort of punishment for the crimes he committed, under Jenova's influence or no - and yet the people he hurt the most during that time were just letting it go…?
"Why… would you do this…?" the older man asked, quietly. "Any of you…"
Cloud looked up and frowned. "What're you talking about?"
"Why do you…" Sephiroth paused, searching for the right words, "…trust me? How can you accept me back into your life so quickly…?"
"…didn't I tell you to shut up about this?" The blonde took Sephiroth's face in his hands, forcing him to look the smaller one in the eyes. "Because I love you, Seph… and that's all there is to it."
Sephiroth sighed heavily, shaking his head as he ran one hand up the blonde's arm, placing it upon Cloud's clawed hand.
He knew it was silly to dwell on it, seeing as Cloud already dismissed him of the blame… Zack forgave him as well, and Aerith was working on it, it seemed, so why couldn't he forgive himself? Or even simply be content with the fact that they had the capacity to forgive, and to hell with what his own conscience felt…
Did he want to be blamed, or punished, or…?
"…you're thinking about it again," Cloud stated, pulling Sephiroth from his depressive inner musing, "stop."
The silver-haired man shrugged. "It can't be helped." Sephiroth chuckled lightly, "I believe I'll feel this remorse for the rest of my life, so perhaps you'd better get used to it."
"So from now on you'll be wallowing in self-pity?" Cloud raised an eyebrow. "You know, I think I'd rather have you insane again than seeing you more depressed than Vincent…"
"…that is not funny."
The blonde sighed heavily, fingering the straps across Sephiroth's chest, and frowned. "I know… I know, but… Seph, come on… what more do you want me to tell you? That I'm angry with you? That I hate you, that… what? What do you want me to say…?"
To be honest, Sephiroth had no idea at all how to answer the other man's question; but then again, how could he answer when he didn't even know what he wanted? He thought it would be forgiveness, first and foremost… but he was getting that, and it just wasn't enough, at least not enough to quell that pull at his conscience, ever-present and grating. Sephiroth was violently angry at himself for failing so many, but those very people wiping his slate clean, giving him a fresh start without even asking him to redeem himself…
…it just wasn't right.
Of course, the ex-General mused with a mirthless grin, nothing was ever quite right when it came to himself, was it? Maybe he was just doomed to be screwed forever, a victim by his own design. Only now, he had Cloud again to suffer along with him.
"Cloud… I don't deserve your affection," Sephiroth stated quietly, "at all, you realize." /Because I will do nothing but drag you down with me…/
"…yeah, I've heard… but I don't deserve yours either, do I?" The blonde stopped to chuckle darkly. "Face it… we're both hopeless fuck-ups, Seph, but there's no way to keep us apart…" Cloud paused, gesturing to their respective wings, "we're always gonna be linked, regardless of what has and what will happen… so why does it matter what we think we may or may not deserve?"
Sephiroth tilted his head back, looking down his nose at the younger man in mock disgust. "Meaning, I'm stuck with you."
"Whether you like it or not? Basically, yeah." Cloud smirked as he grabbed Sephiroth's gravity-defying bangs in either hand and pulled his head down for a quick kiss. "Don't sound too broken up over it."
"I'm trying to keep myself together, truly." The blonde rolled his eyes.
"You're an ass, Seph…"
Sephiroth gave a thin smile and let his arms fall around the shorter man's waist, moving his face close enough to Cloud's so their noses were touching. "Yet you still love me."
"Of course," the mercenary stated rather proudly, "why else do you think you're alive right now?"
Immediately, Cloud felt Sephiroth stiffen and cursed lightly to himself. He wasn't sure exactly how much Sephiroth knew of his deal with Hades, or under the circumstances the contract went under, but figured none of it bore any weight anymore, really.
Yes, Hades had helped him find the silver-haired one, offhand as it was… and even though Cloud's contract folded, the god of the Underworld hadn't come to take Sephiroth's life away, though - legally, Cloud supposed, however strongly legal bindings held in a contract with the undead - he had the right to do so…
…then there was the 'Hades Cup' to think about… the shrouded god would be participating in the tournament, as Cloud was supposed to with Leon, if the brunette still wanted to do so, all things considered… and Cloud was uneasy - to say the very least - about meeting up with Hades again, especially with Sephiroth at his side, the payment for a job left unfinished.
The blonde had no doubt in his mind that Hades would try and pull something else for Cloud's failure, too. Maybe not Cerberus again - well, damn well likely not Cerberus again… - but… something.
"…I don't want to talk about that yet, okay?" the blonde murmured upon sensing Sephiroth's obvious disapproval, frowning. "Later. We'll talk about Hades… and the contract… all of that, I promise. But… later."
But Sephiroth was reluctant to let the matter drop.
"You seem so frightened over this," Sephiroth stated quietly, perceptive as ever, and Cloud wanted to scream at the other man for that ability to… know. "…why?"
The blonde shook his head, unsure of how to answer. After all, he didn't even know if Hades would even care anymore about what happened, or if he would want revenge, or even bother to look twice at him, so how could he tell Sephiroth exactly what was troubling him…?
But what Cloud knew for certain was he did not want to lose Sephiroth again, not ever, either physically or mentally; and if Hades threatened Sephiroth's life or anything else… if a consequence to keeping Sephiroth safe meant Cloud would have to go so far as reinstating his contract with the god of the Underworld, becoming a puppet again for the Darkness… he would, in a heartbeat, for Sephiroth's sake.
He didn't think that would truly be the case, though, as Cloud was sure the god found him severely incompetent by that point, therefore wouldn't want his assistance anymore anyway, but… if it ever did come down to that… if Cloud could use himself as a bargaining chip to keep Sephiroth by his side and away from Hades, then… so be it.
…but what if it came down to that, but Hades didn't want Cloud back even if he offered? What if the god just decided to take Sephiroth regardless of what Cloud did? No matter the amount of begging, bargaining, anything… what would he do then? Hades was strong and merciless, despite his seemingly friendly nature, and would no doubt have zero qualms about punishing Cloud for his own inability to follow a simple order…
"It's…" The mercenary stopped and shook his head, pulling himself away from Sephiroth's embrace. "Not now, Seph… I just got you back, I don't… want to think about that right now…"
The older man frowned and touched the fretting blonde lightly on the arm; Sephiroth had a feeling the younger man wasn't quite talking about just the contract anymore, judging by the way he was acting…
"Cloud, what's wrong…?"
"Promise me you won't leave me again," Cloud said suddenly, turning his blue eyes up to meet Sephiroth's, "ever… no matter what, just… promise me."
Sephiroth simply stared at him.
"Give me your word, Seph…"
The mercenary's request was desperate, and Cloud knew it, but he couldn't help himself. There was a fear inside and he couldn't shake it, it growing impossibly stronger, the sickening pull intense, even though there was nothing to prove those fears, nothing but 'what-ifs' and paranoid speculation…
"…and your heart."
He didn't mean for it to be anything romantic, and he was sure Sephiroth could tell that from the tone in his voice… it was just that Cloud knew. He knew that if Hades was to take Sephiroth, the silver-haired man's heart would never survive the Darkness as Cloud's own had…
The mercenary suspected his heart was only able to survive in the Darkness due to the hardships he went through 'back then', when he somehow managed to keep a sense of himself even when Jenova's pull was at its strongest. But Sephiroth himself hadn't been able to resist, and that fact was what worried the blonde the most… the silver-haired man, loathe as Cloud was to admit, was… easily persuaded… and the blonde didn't want Sephiroth to lose his heart. He didn't want Sephiroth to lose his mind.
Cloud didn't want to lose Sephiroth.
Plus, if Sora could possess Kairi's heart… who's to say Cloud couldn't keep Sephiroth's safe as the Keybearer had…?
"Cloud," Sephiroth murmured, loosening the blonde's white-knuckled grip on his jacket, "you're frantic… what is it?"
"Please."
The silver-haired man's jaw slackened slightly as Cloud stared at him with those large, penetrating blue eyes, completely unable to read anything in them beyond that fear…
"…of course…," he said quietly, as if his normal tone was somehow too harsh for such a response, "of course, Cloud, I promise… what—?"
Cloud didn't let the other man finish, simply rushed in to pull Sephiroth down for a kiss.
The emotion - no, the insistence - behind the caress was startling, to say the least, its intensity nearly knocking Sephiroth to his knees. The kiss itself was needy and absolutely powerful beyond reasoning, and the silver-haired man knew that this time Cloud was the one in control, the one kissing him, and Sephiroth wasn't exactly sure how comfortable he was with the suddenness of it all…
Cloud made a disappointed groan in the back of his throat as Sephiroth broke away to stare straight into his eyes. "Why'd you stop…?"
Sephiroth opened his mouth to speak but quickly found he had no good reason to speak of as for why he stopped, other than the fact that he was - admittedly - a dominance-hog, of course, and he knew without a shadow of a doubt that Cloud wasn't going to let that excuse slide…
So instead of answering, Sephiroth lowered his head, placing one hand on Cloud's cheek and the other at the small of his back before pressing his mouth against the younger man's. The blonde leaned into the kiss, burying his unclawed hand in Sephiroth's hair as he eagerly opened his mouth to deepen the exchange.
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Yuffie groaned when she saw Sephiroth lean down to kiss Cloud again. She finished with her shopping trip with Kairi a while ago and dropped the girl off at the Hotel where the ninja had managed to hustle up a room for the redhead to stay, but the spunky Wutaian just-so-happened to stumble upon the two men loitering outside her home, talking about… something or another, she wasn't really paying attention.
And, being the - ahem! - considerate girl she was, Yuffie decided not to impose upon their private discussion, so she took a hiding spot behind a crate beside one of her neighbor's houses, opting to wait for them to leave before venturing back to her humble abode.
…but, lo and behold, she was still waiting - and had been for several long, long minutes - for the two men - her former leader and their ex-enemy! What the hell, it was still weird!! - to stop making out long enough to step away from the building. All Yuffie wanted to do was just step out of her hiding place, go home, shower, and take a long, long rest.
But noooo, Cloud and Sephiroth had to go and decide to keep on sucking face instead of moving their horny asses.
The teenage ninja slumped down against the crate and sighed heavily, toying with the edge of her shuriken as she damned herself for being so freakin' nice and thoughtful all the time. If she hadn't been, at least she'd be all cozy and comfy and clean and asleep by now…
…life really sucked sometimes.
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As their tongues entwined, Sephiroth slid his gloved hands down the smaller man's back and unhooked the hip armor from Cloud's right side, dropping it solidly to the ground with a 'thunk'. With the offending metal plate gone, Sephiroth cupped Cloud's backside and pulled the blonde mercenary up to mold their bodies together, his long, silver hair spilling over both of their shoulders, Cloud throwing his arms around Sephiroth's neck.
"Are you better now…?"
Cloud nodded, resting his head on the taller man's shoulder armor. "I guess… I'm just tired of all this bullshit, Seph… you know? Just… everything… don't want to think about it anymore right now… deal with it later…"
"I'm so sorry for what I've done, Cloud," Sephiroth whispered, lips against the other man's, and the blonde shook his head.
"Don't…," Cloud scolded, voice soft, "I told you, no more of that… I'm not blaming you, so just stop." He kissed Sephiroth again, hungrily.
Finally Sephiroth pulled away, letting his mouth and light flicks of his tongue trail a delicate line from the other man's lips all the way to his ear. "I do love you," he murmured, lips brushing slightly against the shell of Cloud's ear, warm breath rustled loose pieces of golden hair, "very much."
"Yeah…"
"I want to make love to you, Cloud," Sephiroth stated, voice hushed, "but if you need time, or if you prefer we get better reacquainted first, I'll understand."
"No, I don't need any time; I want to… we need to, I think." The younger man turned his head, kissing Sephiroth again before bending to retrieve his fallen armor and taking his partner by the hand. "Come with me."
The silver-haired one raised his eyebrow in question but followed obediently. "And just where do you think you're leading me?"
"To the Hotel, obviously…" Cloud turned around and smirked. "Or would you rather we go at it right in front of Yuffie's house while the girl herself is staring at us?"
At Sephiroth's confused expression, Cloud spun him around and waved his clawed hand at a very embarrassed, red-faced, wide-eyed little ex-Materia thief. "What's up, Yuffie."
"…………I DIDN'T SEE YOU GUYS GROPING EACH OTHER OR MAKING OUT OR ANYTHING, I SWEAR!!"
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A short walk and several Heartless battles later, the two winged men arrived at the grand, luxurious Second District Hotel…
…where they were harshly admonished by an uptight, sleepy concierge after repeatedly dinging the bell at the front desk, consequently interrupting his precious slumber in a curtained-off room just behind the reception desk. Apparently, they had been in too much of a hormonally-driven hurry to miss the large, blazing neon sign just outside the building which stated - quite boldly - 'NO VACANCY', as well as the neat little sign hung in the window of reception.
Cloud grumbled loudly as they left the Hotel premises, clawed hand raking through his hair in hopelessness. He didn't know any place in Traverse Town where they could stay except for one… and the blonde was damn sure Leon wasn't going to allow any acts like what they were planning in his house.
…hell, Cloud couldn't even remember Leon bringing anyone home - well, except for himself, and it definitely hadn't been for that sort of thing… at least, not on purpose…
"Is there anywhere else to go?" the older man asked after a while, 'the mood' fading fast in their rising dawn of 'desperation'.
"…I'm working on it," Cloud muttered sullenly, taking a seat on a nearby bench.
"Where was it you've been staying, again?"
The blonde covered his face with his hand and sighed. "I said… I've been with Leon…"
"…oh." Sephiroth honestly couldn't remember when that information had been divulged, but then again, admittedly, he was rather distracted at the time he assumed Cloud had probably told him. "I see." He shook his head and flicked a lock of silver over his shoulder, gracefully setting himself down next to the shorter man. "We can't go there, then."
"But see… Aerith and Yuffie don't have enough room for us to stay with them," the blonde pointed out, "…not that I want to have sex in their house anyway…" Cloud massaged his temples and sighed. "And Cid's place… that's definitely out… plus, I don't think he'd even let you in there again, at least not for a while…"
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "And the Garage?" The blonde gave him a sarcastic look.
"I am not fucking on oily newspaper."
"Prospective activities aside," the older man began, dead serious, "I will not resort to sleeping in alleyways." Sephiroth playfully ticked the tip of blonde's nose. "So, you'd better come up with something else, Strife, because I've nowhere for us to go."
After a long while of mental debate, Cloud shrugged in defeat. "I can't…"
Noticing the blonde was withholding something - though he had a good idea what the answer would be - Sephiroth urged, "…except…?"
Glowing blue met bright aqua as Cloud looked Sephiroth square in the eyes, beseechingly. "Well… Leon's."
The taller man shook his head, to which the blonde huffed. "I know you don't want to, Seph, but you said yourself, 'I will not resort to sleeping in alleyways'," Cloud quoted, taking on his best 'Sephiroth' voice.
"Don't you mock me," Sephiroth warned, crossing his arms.
The blonde rolled his eyes. "Whatever, I'm not the one who said it." He paused, gesturing futilely before he went on. "Look… I don't know anyone else here, Seph, and since the Hotel's not an option… unless you can somehow fly a Gummi to another world, we have to go to Leon's… or at least try, anyway," came the afterthought.
Sephiroth was glaring, but he realized it was completely useless to try and debate any longer. As much as he hated it, the final choices came down to either Leon's or the Garage… or an alleyway. And he agreed with Cloud - he didn't want to lay on oily newspapers, either, if Highwind would allow him even that luxury.
…and, for whatever reason, he always had a great aversion to alleyways…
Reluctantly, Sephiroth conceded. After all, he didn't even know what a 'Gummi' was, let alone how to drive one, and he wasn't too sure he wanted to chance using a portal anymore, unstable as the Darkness had obviously become.
Still glaring, he muttered, "very well… Leon's it is."
Cloud gave the other man a grateful smile and a short peck on the lips. "Thanks, Seph…"
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Leon looked up from his spot at the kitchen table, stopping the bored drum of his fingers as he heard the turn of the doorknob at the entrance to his house. He had been waiting for the better half of the night - or what was equivalent to night in Traverse Town - for Cloud to come back with… him.
There was just something about Sephiroth that he didn't like, something that just felt wrong somehow, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It was frustrating to have that sensation when Leon had nothing to really base it on, since he was still quite unaware of the true extent of Sephiroth's crimes.
And even if he was unaware of what really happened, he doubted that would truly affect what he felt about the man now… he felt empathy for his friends, no doubt, but that wouldn't corrupt his own judgment…
So what was it about Sephiroth, then, that got his back up? The eyes? The coldness? The wing?
Then again… Cloud had a wing and didn't give off that disturbing aura. And Leon even knew that the blonde did have something wrong with him in the past, having sided with the Darkness and all for a good chunk of time… not to mention Cloud's heart still belonged to himself, untouched by the Darkness even though he was so close to it…
But even despite Cloud's former association, Leon felt a sort of immediate comradery, or at least kinship between the two of them - both of them nothing but reluctant, wannabe loners without their respective Lights. Or at least, were… Cloud's Light came back to him.
Against his will, Leon suspected he could possibly chalk his dislike for Sephiroth up to jealousy… but that was stupid…
He didn't have anything to be jealous of… what happened between he and Cloud was nothing, absolutely nothing, just a stupid, one-time thing, a mix of loneliness and need for something like companionship - only for that moment, something as more than friends.
That. Was. All.
Nothing else.
Nothing.
What Leon knew for certain was that thinking of both Cloud and Sephiroth made his head ache. Sephiroth, on the one hand, was like confusion incarnate, a walking pile of questions just waiting to be answered, and Leon didn't think he was up to taking on the task of even attempting to figure the man out just yet. As for Cloud…
…well… the ex-SeeD didn't want to think about Cloud anymore that night.
And besides… Cloud was happy to have Sephiroth back - regardless of whatever went on with that group in the past in their own world - and the brunette wondered if he should just let things be as they were and follow Cloud's example of blindly trusting the silver-haired man.
Though when he looked up to see a familiar set of blonde spikes poke through the doorway followed closely by that long, glittering mane of silver, Leon knew he couldn't do that.
Something was… off about Sephiroth, and he didn't like it at all.
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Cloud started, quickly dropping Sephiroth's hand as he spotted Leon sitting at the kitchen table, arms crossed, simply watching the two of them as they passed through the doorway. The gunblade wielder didn't look angry at all, merely contemplative in his silence, and Cloud didn't know if he should heave a sigh of relief for that or be very, very worried.
"Hey, Leon… were you waiting up for us, or…?"
The brunette gave a small shrug. "I figured you two would end up back here, so yeah, I suppose I was."
"Oh…"
"Anyway… I'm going to keep this brief. I want you both to know," Leon started, uncrossing his arms before folding them again, "that I…" He paused, swallowing thickly, and frowned, carefully measuring his words before he went on.
"…that I personally don't have a problem with… this. Situation, I mean." The ex-SeeD gestured back and forth between the other men, referring to their relationship, before looking over at Sephiroth, brown hair falling into his eyes, and immediately his expression switched over to a cold, semi-glare.
"I don't know what you've done in the past or why, but, I'd like to think Strife and I are… friends." The brunette shook his head, carefully measuring his words as he spoke. "And I already know… that you're…," he waved a hand in lazy circles on his wrist, face turning away.
"…that you're the one… he says is his Light, so I'm going to trust his judgment - for now." Leon brought his head up, eyebrows drawn together. The tanned fighter looked more than slightly angered, but for whatever the reason…
Sephiroth cast his blonde a sidelong glance, the smaller man simply looking up at Leon and listening intently, and the oldest man suppressed the urge to growl.
"And while I don't know you," Leon said slowly, his words careful and directed only to Sephiroth, "I can't judge you by what you've done before, as I've only heard what the others have told me, but I will be judging you on what I see from this point forward."
His greyish blue eyes darted back and forth between them as he went on. "At any rate, you two can stay here for the time being - but don't cause any trouble around here or I'll be personally escorting you both out of Traverse Town, riding my gunblade.
"…I just thought I'd tell you." And with that, Leon quickly pushed himself up from his seat and gave the other men a short nod before retreating to his bedroom.
"…thanks, Leon," Cloud said to the brunette's back in a voice caught somewhere between absolute relief and total confusion. When their host was out of sight, the blonde turned towards Sephiroth's direction and looked at him with both eyebrows drawn together, frowning. "…really, he's not usually… that cold…"
The silver-haired man shrugged. "Of course not. He likes you."
"What do you mean he 'likes me'?" Sephiroth stared at him.
"…you can't tell me you don't see it…?"
Cloud's frown went on to deepen to the point where Sephiroth could drown in it. "See what…?"
"Cloud…" Sephiroth's voice was a warning.
"…you… oh come on, you can't mean…" The blonde's jaw went slack for a moment before Cloud gave an incredulous laugh. What Sephiroth was suggesting… "You… gods, I don't believe you could even think that…"
Sephiroth simply shrugged.
"I… he's… Seph, he's straight…"
And again, Sephiroth shrugged.
Cloud stared at him. "What?"
"It's nothing… though how you can't see something so painfully obvious as that is beyond me…," the silver-haired man murmured with a yet another jerk of his shoulders. "Though he may try all he likes, that will never change the fact that you're mine."
"Seph, he doesn't want me, so will you just stop? You're being so fucking paranoid…"
Sephiroth raised his eyebrow, placing a hand on the blonde's face, and wondered how Cloud could be so dense… the way the brunette looked at him, and the glares he shot Sephiroth, not to mention what Cloud confessed had gone on between them, well…
But he shook his head, deciding to simply let the matter drop. It wasn't something he wanted to concern himself with, but with that jealousy and over-protectiveness he had when it came to Cloud, Sephiroth couldn't help but find his already low opinion of their host dropping even more, under those new circumstances…
"…let's not dwell on this," Sephiroth advised quietly with a short intake of breath, talking more to himself than the younger man. "We've better things to think of right now, don't we?"
When Cloud leaned in to kiss him again, the older man stopped him bare millimeters away from his lips by planting a hand in the middle of his chest as he murmured determinedly, "however; first, we shower."
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The blonde waited and waited for something to happen as the two stepped into the too-small bathroom and began undressing, armor clacking heavily on the linoleum floor and belts clinking, clothes rustling as they were removed, but Sephiroth went about the task unceremoniously and without fanfare as the water warmed up to his liking.
Needless to say, Cloud was a little disappointed at the inaction… not to mention the lack of even a little striptease…
…and that disappointment grew even more as Sephiroth actually began bathing, turning under the warm spray to drench his impossibly long hair; not even seductively, merely enough to wash it, and careful not to knock his folded wing into Leon's few toiletries.
"…are you simply going to stand there and gape, or are you going to join me?"
He rolled his blue eyes at the partially amused question, stepping slowly into the shower as Sephiroth poured nearly a half a bottle of shampoo onto his head, smirking at Cloud with one eyebrow raised, and began the arduous task of lathering his painfully long hair.
Sephiroth still had the smirk on his face as he shifted to allow the blonde access to the pounding water, and Cloud quickly soaped up and rinsed his perpetually unmanageable spikes, finishing in time to notice the older man was only about one-third of the way through with his own.
"Turn around, let me help with that or we're never gonna get out of here…"
Sephiroth complied, allowing the shorter one to work the shampoo into his glittering hair as he grabbed a bar of soap, washing what felt like years worth of sweat and gore and general unpleasantness from his body.
…actually, what really was years worth of grime… he was dead, after all…
Cloud rinsed Sephiroth's long hair thoroughly before letting his hands fall away, the dredged locks slapping against the back of Sephiroth's thighs. Briefly, Cloud wondered what it could possibly be like to have so much hair, heavy in his own hands and undoubtedly hell on the older man's neck - especially when wet. But it flowed when Sephiroth walked, and it looked lighter than air…
And the wing… Cloud decided, as he took up a bottle of shampoo again and started to clean the midnight-black appendage, that Sephiroth's wing was huge. He was surprised that they could both fit in the shower together when the feathered wing - even when folded neatly against Sephiroth's back - had a span almost as tall as Cloud himself.
Yet, Sephiroth carried both with ease just as he did everything else. Apparently, his wing didn't make him feel less human… Cloud didn't doubt that the older man was most likely proud of it, if anything, since Sephiroth made no move to hide it at all since he came back.
…not that he could hide it…
Maybe, if their appendages - curses - were switched, Cloud would be happy with the angel's wing as well… after all, it was absolutely beautiful, stunning beyond words, just as Sephiroth was, and fit his image perfectly, complementing everything about the man, from the clothes he wore all the way to his strong, regal stature.
Tentatively, Cloud again reached out and touched the slick midnight feathers again, watching as he ran his fingertips over the length of the wing. The dark plumes twitched as he passed over them and he noticed - with no small humor - that he had Sephiroth shuddering involuntarily under the treatment.
Cloud smiled lightly and ran his hand from the very top of the wing to the very bottom, harder this time, drops of water wringing out from the plumage underneath his palm. Sephiroth made a small noise in the back of his throat but didn't turn around, to the blonde's dismay, only continued washing himself - even though, Cloud noticed, he was just about as clean as he was going to get.
//You're playing with me, aren't you, Seph?//
Cloud didn't know how right he was.
The ex-General really was ready to ravage the blonde as soon as they stepped into Leon's house, but kept his need in check. Even though he wasn't fond of Leon at all and growing even less than that the more he thought of the situation, that didn't change the fact that the scarred man was still Cloud's… friend… and Sephiroth was well aware that Cloud didn't want to take advantage of the kindness - rather, extreme generosity - Leon already bestowed.
So Sephiroth hadn't moved on Cloud, even though he desperately wanted to, instead choosing to wait for Cloud to start anything - if he was comfortable with it, anyway…
Sephiroth smirked satisfactorily to himself as he felt Cloud press himself against the length of his wing and nuzzle it experimentally. He closed his blazing aqua eyes, absently wondering why both of their respective wings were so damn sensitive to even the slightest touch. He supposed it would have been irritating if it didn't feel so… good…
"…Seph…," Cloud murmured quietly, resting both hands on the silver-haired man's hips, rubbing his cheek on the bluish-black feathers, "you're ignoring me."
"Am I?"
The tone of the taller man's voice was mildly curious and tinged with a bit of humor, but purposeful in meaning. It was obvious that Sephiroth knew what Cloud wanted, yet the blonde had the distinct feeling that Sephiroth wasn't going to reciprocate until he himself did something.
//…well… don't want to disappoint him…//
"Yeah… and it's starting to piss me off." He let his hand slide over the other man's smooth, wet skin and rested it on Sephiroth's stomach, flat and sculpted and perfect, just like the rest of him. Sometimes, Cloud didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the fact that Sephiroth was so, his looks absolutely breathtaking, and why - of all people - he would still want to be with Cloud, who didn't deserve him in the least…
"Oh, I hadn't noticed."
Cloud bit back a laugh at the heady response as he pressed himself closer to palm the older man's groin, pinning the angel wing between the two of them. "…I missed you," the blonde kissed a strong shoulder softly, "Sephiroth…"
Cloud said Sephiroth's name as if it was an incantation, murmured so quietly he almost had to strain to hear it. "I'm aware."
He let his head drop back as the blonde started to pull at his hardening flesh just slightly; while normally the too-gentle touches wouldn't have done much at all - besides annoy him more than anything for not being enough, that is - Sephiroth felt them ten-times over. It had been a long time since he had been with anyone this way, his entire body hypersensitive and yearning - and it seemed as if Cloud was the same way, Sephiroth noted at the hardness against his thigh.
The blonde breathed his name again and let Sephiroth go, turning him around before pulling him into a warm embrace. Sephiroth pushed away the spikes plastered to Cloud's face and kissed him once on the forehead before placing another on his lips, open-mouthed.
Not too long after, the older one pulled back and smirked, gazing at Cloud with half-lidded eyes as he asked, "what's this, are you trying to seduce me?"
The blonde frowned at him. "Well, yeah. Is it working?"
Sephiroth rubbed against him and took a pierced ear in his lips, working at the lobe with his teeth. He could practically feel Cloud's eyes rolling into the back of his head as he began to stroke the base of the wing completely opposite to his own, up to the spade at its juncture and then all the way down to Cloud's shoulder blade, and back up again. "Perhaps…"
"So why don't you do something about it?"
"Whatever happened to respecting Leon's home?"
Cloud flinched at the question. It wasn't meant to be spiteful or accusatory, he knew from the tone in Sephiroth's voice - more curious than anything, really - but it was a definite slap back to reality nonetheless. And basically, Cloud realized he had a somewhat - but not really - tough decision to make: take advantage of Leon's kindness… or, well, take advantage of Sephiroth.
After a short break for consideration the blonde murmured, "…we'll be quiet, then… right?"
Sephiroth arched a delicate eyebrow and smirked. As far as he could remember, Cloud never was the quiet type… then again, the other man was much younger back in ShinRa, so who knew? Maybe Cloud would be less vocal, considering the years that passed, and turned him into a hardened warrior…
"…of course."
--------
Releasing the other man's heated kiss, Cloud pinned Sephiroth the best he could to the shower wall, nothing but lips and tongue as he made his way down the strong line of Sephiroth's chest and stomach, stopping for bare moments to tease the older man's nipples before dropping again. Sephiroth grabbed onto a towel bar behind him and watched intently as the blonde slowly descended - too slow, in Sephiroth's opinion, but who was he to rush things? - down his torso, well aware of where Cloud was going with this, and not at all eager to stop him.
The silver-haired man jerked forward and hissed when Cloud's mouth enveloped his arousal, unable to stop himself when that warm, wet heat was so welcoming, tightening his grip on the bar.
Cloud took hold of Sephiroth's hips and pushed them back against the cold tile, closing his eyes as he savored the heat, taste of the other man. He never imagined he would ever be able to do something like this with Sephiroth again, ever, casting the final blow, killing him… it was devastating, but now…
He felt one of Sephiroth's hands thread into his hair as he coaxed, the pull of his lips and feel of his tongue causing the older man to alternate between gasps and low groans as he tasted, teasing…
"Cloud, stop…"
Pulling away just slightly, Cloud looked up to catch the gaze of lust-filled aqua eyes for bare moments before giving a small shake of his head and returning to his task, sucking with renewed vigor.
"…that's enough…" Sephiroth's voice lacked even the barest shred of conviction.
Cloud couldn't have stopped even if he wanted to, the other man's hand clamped upon his crown, leaving him with nowhere to go… but that was alright, he didn't plan on moving away anyway.
"…stop…"
Moments later, Sephiroth let out a long, throaty moan, clutching Cloud's hair tight as he let go in the younger one's mouth, ending that blissful torment, legs trembling beneath him. Easily the blonde plucked Sephiroth's fingers from his scalp and sat back to pass the back of his hand over his lips, and smirked up at him.
Sephiroth stood half-sagged against the wall with his mouth slightly slack, staring vacantly down at the younger man as his strong chest rose and fell with each slightly labored intake of breath.
"So… did you like that?"
The silver-haired man stared at him.
Cloud raised his eyebrow. "Well?"
"……the water's getting cold," Sephiroth absently murmured after allowing himself a short recovery, blindly reaching out for the knob to kill the spray as he kept that partial eye contact with the blonde.
"That's all you have to say?" Cloud shook his head and quickly pushed himself to his feet, leaning in to give Sephiroth a slow, lingering kiss.
"…I told you to stop…"
"Not very convincingly." Cloud pushed open the curtain. "And what, I don't get any thanks?"
"…be patient," the older man admonished in a hushed voice, stepping shakily out of the shower after the blonde and taking the proffered bath towel. He wrapped it twice around his waist before meanly stealing Cloud's as well, tossing it over his head to begin drying his own drenched hair.
"…you stole my towel…"
Sephiroth snorted at the childish tone in the blonde's voice. "Then get another one. I believe I require this more than you."
With a mutter, the shorter man turned to grab a spare towel and throw it around himself, glaring at Sephiroth the best he could in his aroused state.
"Well then," the taller man started, curling his arms around Cloud's waist, "even though you didn't respect my wishes, I suppose you'd like your 'thanks' anyway…"
"It's the least you can do after snatching my towel," muttered a grumpy, still-sodden blonde. "Ungrateful bastard… I give you head and you take my towel… yeah, that's real fair…"
"You have one now, don't you?"
"Oh, shut up…"
Sephiroth pressed his lips into Cloud's shoulder, following it up by giving the blonde another kiss to his ear, then his temple, and finally the top of his head. Cloud rolled his eyes.
"Trying to suck up, huh?" Sephiroth nodded. "Then let's do this on the couch, linoleum is too hard on the knees."
The older man didn't even have a chance to reply to the unexpected remark as Cloud took his hand and literally dragged him from the bathroom, through the hallway of Leon's house and into the room where Cloud had taken up temporary residence, abandoning their respective pairs of clothes in a haphazard pile on the floor behind them.
"This is where you've been sleeping?" the ex-General asked, pulling the damp towel from his head and dropping it onto the wooden floor, eyeing the rather dull little room with no lack of curiosity.
Cloud shrugged, closing the door behind him. "Where did you think I was sleeping, Leon's bed?"
//…not that I haven't…// came the rueful afterthought.
"Strange, is all…" /Speaking of strange… Zackary hasn't said a word in a long while…/ Sephiroth pushed the notion out of his head quickly and set his sights on Cloud, holding out a hand. "Come."
The blonde obeyed, stepping over to Sephiroth as he stood next to the couch and took the towel from around his waist, arms outstretched and beckoning Cloud into his welcome embrace.
Sephiroth unfolded his wing and sat back into the cushions, pulling the blonde into his lap. He cupped the back of Cloud's head to draw the smaller man down for a kiss, only to have it answered twice as eagerly when the he flicked open Cloud's towel and rocked the willing man in his lap.
"Do you have anything we can use?" the silver-haired man inquired quietly, one hand rubbing up and down Cloud's naked thigh, the other wound around his arousal, "I don't want to hurt you…"
"Yeah, I think… yeah, hold on." Cloud stood and made a short search through a sack filled with his supplies before pulling out a small blue vial, handing it over as he went back to the couch and straddled Sephiroth's legs once more. "Will that work?"
The silver-haired man quickly examined the vial and nodded. The liquid wasn't quite as good as real lubricant, but it was pretty close to the next best thing. Better than saliva or any other impromptu lubrication, at least…
Sephiroth sat forward and kissed him, popping the cap of the Elixir to pour some of the bottle's contents into his palm. Cloud gasped and bit his lip as Sephiroth's hand returned to fist his length while the other snaked underneath him, prodding gently before one finger eased its way inside his body, the cold wetness of the Elixir tingling his sensitive flesh.
"Seph…"
"…do you want me to stop?" Sephiroth asked quietly upon catching the slight flinch on the younger man's face, "don't feel obligated to do this, Cloud…"
Cloud quickly shook his head. "No, it's alright… I want to… just forgot what that felt like…" The blonde shook his head again. "Keep going."
Sephiroth smiled lightly at him before he bent his head down, trailing his tongue along Cloud's collarbone and retracing the line with his lips. He buried his face into the blonde's neck, kissing and lapping at the indent of his throat as Cloud squirmed above him, lips pressed tightly together, doing his best to stay as quiet as possible.
The blonde winced as another digit snaked its way into him. "…okay… that one stings a little…"
"I'm sorry… how long has it been for you again…?"
"…Nibelheim… but I wanted to… with Leon, I mean. I wanted to… but we didn't—"
"I'll have to be more careful with you, then," Sephiroth cut him off, voice short and tainted with a blatant twinge of jealousy.
Instead of brooding, Sephiroth let his tongue prod at Cloud's lips as he teased and prepared the smaller man before pulling him into a deep, satisfying kiss. Cloud sighed, the older man's skillful tongue playing with his own, and moved back to pull in air through his teeth as the other man continued the task of stretching him, leaning in to nuzzle the curves of the blonde's neck and shoulder, sucking gently, marking him with a bruise that would only stay a few hours despite his best efforts.
"…that's enough, Seph…" Cloud announced a short while later, looking down at the man beneath him through hooded eyes as he pushed the silver silk away from Sephiroth's face. "Let's get this started already, okay? Please…"
With a short nod, Sephiroth eased the blonde onto the couch, turning him onto his stomach. "Propriety reasons," he murmured at Cloud's questioning gaze, "I would love to watch you, but I'm afraid it would be rather uncomfortable, considering…" The silver-haired man ran one hand along the length of the leathery wing for clarification as he trailed off.
"Yeah… alright."
Cloud sank his elbows into the couch and rested a cheek on his forearm, waiting with anticipation as Sephiroth coated his length with the remainder of the Elixir. The blonde felt his hips hiked up, repeatedly telling himself to relax as he felt Sephiroth kneel behind him, his long, damp hair dragging against his back.
"…I'm going to start, Cloud," the older man murmured with a low, husky voice, "…if I'm hurting you—"
"Yeah, I promise I'll say something…"
He clamped his eyes shut and nearly whimpered, shuddering as Sephiroth pressed against his entrance and began easing himself into Cloud's body, gently as he could, doing his best to be careful with the smaller man. Cloud gritted his teeth, clawing at the couch cushions as Sephiroth slowly inched his way into him.
Cloud felt amazing around him, a warmth pulsing with life and vitality, and Sephiroth couldn't suppress the groan which worked its way into his throat. But he wished he better prepared beforehand upon hearing the sharp intakes of breath from the man beneath him… "I'm not hurting you, am I…?"
"…just… go faster, okay?" Cloud followed the request up with a push against him, and the ex-General could do nothing but comply.
And then Sephiroth was deep inside, his steady hands burning hot on either side of Cloud's hips, thumbs gently kneading in attempt to sooth away the dully throbbing pain. Cloud couldn't deny that it did hurt - then again, it had always hurt him no matter how ready he was - but for just to be with Sephiroth again after six long years, he was more than willing to take that initial discomfort…besides, he was a fighter, he'd been through a hell of a lot worse…
Cloud realized that physically, he sort of felt like a virgin again… except it didn't hurt as much as it did that first time, and now he knew that the ache would be gone with time. And while this surrender wasn't the ultimate sacrifice as that had been, he still felt as if he was giving himself to Sephiroth all over again… though, he supposed in a way he was, letting the man claim him in this new place, both with new lives…
He couple only hope that Hades wouldn't do anything to interfere… but then again, it wasn't too late for him to pull out of the tournament, was it…? He didn't have to face Hades…
…but he promised Leon he would participate… but now Sephiroth was with him, things were different…
"You're so quiet…," the silver-haired man began thickly, breaking Cloud away from his thoughts, "are you alright…?"
He nodded mutely and moved against Sephiroth, the older man's fingers digging into his sides. He could only imagine what it was like for Sephiroth if Cloud himself felt this way…
Sephiroth hissed Cloud's name involuntarily, unable to hold it in, following it up by a shallow thrust. "…I suppose that means you're ready…?"
The blonde arched his back and belatedly countered Sephiroth's movement before hesitantly breathing out an affirmative. He still ached, but that desire to fulfill years-long need was overwhelmingly powerful, drowning out everything else.
Closing his aqua eyes, the silver-haired man pulled out slowly, his mind buzzing from the sheer sensation of it all. "…Cloud… you're… still so…," Sephiroth trailed off and swallowed the lump in his throat, pushing his way back into the blonde. "…are you sure you're ready…?"
"Gods… yes, just do it…"
But there was still that almost too tight resistance… Sephiroth took a breath and lowered his head, his long, silver hair falling past his shoulders and pooling onto the blonde's back. He knew he should just trust Cloud's judgment, but he didn't want to hurt him…
"…honestly?"
"Sephiroth, please, just shut the fuck up and do it!!"
Both sets of eyes widened at the blonde's urgent plea. Cloud hadn't meant to be so vehement… or pissy, for that matter…
…but dammit, Sephiroth was being too considerate for his own good, the reassurances were getting annoying, and the pain would fade away if he just started already.
"Alright," Sephiroth murmured humorlessly, tightly gripping Cloud's hips as he drove forward, "I can't deny something when asked so kindly…"
-------
"…I am not getting turned on by this…"
'Oh, f-fuck…!'
"…am not getting turned on by this…"
'Seph—!!'
"…not getting turned on by this…"
'…a-ahh!'
"………"
'S… s-Sephiroth!'
He wasn't being loud, really, but the walls in the house were grotesquely thin, and sounds - no matter what they happened to be - passed through them far too easily for his liking. The brunette growled quietly to himself and futilely punched the pillow he was attempting to bury himself into.
…maybe he'd just have to soundproof the living room…
The thing that bothered him most, though, was that Leon wasn't angry that Cloud was getting fucked by that guy in his house… no…
…maybe not angry, but… something.
Yeah, he told Cloud that he and Sephiroth could stay there, and truthfully he had expected they'd consummate their whole reunion, but… whiny as it sounded, it wasn't fair that they were so tactless as to do it when he was trying to sleep… he had hoped that they would at least wait until he was in a peaceful, half-dead slumber where he couldn't hear them before they… started anything.
Leon buried his head further into his pillow in a vain attempt to ignore that voyeuristic jolt of excitement in the pit of his stomach. But how couldn't he…? They were right there…
Cloud and Sephiroth. Sephiroth and Cloud.
Sephiroth inside of Cloud.
…in his goddamn living room…!
They were… doing things… on his couch…!!
…but despite that…
The former SeeD grunted, miserably observing, "…getting turned on by this…"
If Cloud hadn't sounded so…
He cut that thought short and gritted his teeth as another one of the blonde's moans arose from the other room, throwing a second pillow over his head, covering his ears as hard as he could.
"…Cloud…," Leon started in a thickly muffled voice, "…the fuck did you do to me…?!"
-------
"W… wait… Seph, stop…" Cloud looked over his shoulder when Sephiroth reluctantly did what he asked, fingers clenching in impatience. "I want to see you…"
It took a few seconds before the silver-haired man's lust-clouded mind processed what his partner had said but he managed, moving away to give Cloud space to shift. "What about your wing…?"
"I don't care… it'll be fine anyway…" the blonde murmured, wiping away droplets of sweat from his forehead as he flipped over. He knew he should've been used to finding a comfortable position on his back after all the time he had the wing but he was impatient, not to mention damn eager for Sephiroth to take him again and finish what they started.
Fed up with waiting and completely forgoing any comfort at all, Cloud fell back onto the folded black appendage with his legs spread wide, wincing a bit at the impact.
Sephiroth filled that space immediately without holding on for Cloud's consent, poised and ready to enter the smaller man. One of Cloud's legs rested in the crook of his arm, and Sephiroth threw the other over his shoulder before steadying Cloud's slender hips. At the barest nod he thrust forward and quickly filled the blonde, both hissing in appreciation.
They locked their bodies in rhythm, going faster and harder as tension rose and the need for release built within both of them. Both bodies joined, blazing, pulsing, and every cell burned with pleasure as utterances fell from their lips without shame, mindless of everything but each other.
"Oh, gods, I love you," the blonde panted, face contorted in rapture as he slipped legs from Sephiroth's arms, wrapping them firmly around the other man's waist.
The inevitable would happen soon, and they were welcoming it.
Cloud moaned as his back arched, feeling the end rapidly approaching. He cracked his eyes open, just a bit, to see Sephiroth with his head bent low, most of his face obscured by long, damp tendrils of silver. The older man's jaw was clenched and his forehead wrinkled in concentration, and Cloud could tell that he was close, too.
Doing his best to keep his eyes open, the blonde took himself in hand and stroked, throwing his left arm above his head and watched as Sephiroth let his head fall back, showing off the strong cords of muscle on his neck.
Gorgeous… the man was too perfect for words…
All Cloud could do was say Sephiroth's name in warning before his entire body stiffened, arching as he climaxed. The arm above his head slipped over his eyes as he clenched his teeth and rode out the intense waves of pleasure, wishing the ecstasy would never end.
Sephiroth bent and laid his forehead against the blonde's arm, his warm breath washing over Cloud's face. He reached under Cloud to grasp his shoulders with both hands, mindful of the leathery wing, and held on tight as he could as he careened towards the edge.
Biting his lip to keep quiet, Sephiroth came inside the younger man, wing expanding to its full length and shaking with his release. He was dimly aware of his nails digging into Cloud's skin and the legs clenched tightly around his waist, mind focusing on nothing but riding the heat of spent passion.
"…love you…"
Neither one of them knew exactly who had said those words, but it didn't really matter. The case was the same either way.
Sephiroth lifted his head from Cloud's arm a minute later, gently nudging the limb away before dipping down to kiss the blonde softly, the two of them still catching their breath. He chuckled against Cloud's lips and brushed his own over them again before murmuring, "well… have I changed over the years?"
"Mm… still good…"
"Only good?" Sephiroth asked quietly, nuzzling into the mercenary's neck. Cloud's legs had fallen from around him and were sprawled limply on the couch, but Sephiroth himself didn't feel like vacating the area just yet, content in simply blanketing the smaller body with his own, and himself with his wing until he was damn well ready to pull out and fall asleep.
…or maybe not until he was ready to go again, but of course, that was up to his partner more than himself.
Cloud snorted drowsily and blew a fallen spike from his eyes, body still trembling in the aftershock of—
//…incredible…//
—sex. "Gods, always digging for compliments, aren't you…"
"No, just an honest opinion."
"As if you really need me to tell you," the mercenary muttered, reaching up to once again toy with those intriguing feathers of Sephiroth's wing. The older man shuddered into him, nearly purring from the action.
"Mine… you're still all mine, Cloud…"
"Yeah…" The blonde took a deep breath and kissed Sephiroth again, "all yours."
----------------------
A/N: I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOO SORRY!!!!! GAH!!! Five MONTHS!? ARG!!! That… gah. I can't believe this took so long, and I hope I didn't scare anyone into thinking this story was dead. ;.;
I hit a wicked snag in this chapter… and it was royally pissing me off so I ended up revising the first couple chapters because they sucked and Sephiroth was too OOC for my liking anyway, so… yes. I hope it was worth the excruciatingly long wait for this… ugh. But… at least there was sex… and the chapter was pretty long in comparison to the others, very nearly 10k words… 20 pages… long-ish citrus… so you won't kill me for making you wait, right? O.x;;
God… I'm all porned-out now. OMFG THE SMUT ::dies of exhaustion:: That wasn't even the sex I had written originally… which, upon re-reading, sucked… I think I managed to salvage probably three lines of the entire thing. ::coughs:: So… um? Sucky? Not sucky? Too OOC? I hope it wasn't too OOC. I hope it didn't suck… did it suck? Crappy sour lemon? Tell me ;.;
::giggles as she pictures Sephiroth's wing…:: Yeah… you know how birds do that little shake thing and puff up all stiffly sometimes? Yeah, that's how I pictured Seph when he… yes. Ahem. Is that strange? XD
Leon… Squall, Squall, Squall, you poor bastard. ::pets him::
But yay! I FINALLY beat Sephiroth on Expert mode (after 5-some-odd tries… -.-). Ahh… it feels really good to kick his ass. And his profile makes me smile.