For those wondering about 'Third Times A Charm' I was thinking more along the lines of him crossdressing for the third time- that's why I picked 'TTaC' for the chapter title!
I'm thinking of lengthening the chapters ahead- they're actually rather short by this fics standards- should I? Since this is chapter 7, we still have 8, 9, 10, and 11. (To the person who asked- I got the Roman numerals right, the number wrong. It is supposed to be 11!)
Hopefully we all enjoy this, and hopefully they're not too terribly OOC. Sorry for the OOC -if any- ahead!
And sorry for the slight overlap in POVs here in the beginning- it's to increase suspense as well as show Sephiroth's reaction better... sorry sorry! There's only a few seconds of overlap though, so it shouldn't be too bad.
Part 7 of 11 (VII of XI, or possibly 10 if I decide to combine the last two chapters.)
Sephiroth could only watch as Clementine backed away.
'What? Did I miss something?' he thought, as Clementine spoke.
"I promised you the truth- I'll show you. I'm surprised you didn't find out a minute ago, when we were kissing, but I guess... I guess you weren't thinking about your hands."
'No, I wasn't but what's that got to do with-?' The thought cut off as he recognized the deeper tone that Clementine had used.
It had sounded... exactly like...
'Cloud.' Sephiroth thought in shock, watching as Clementine pulled off 'her' wig to reveal blonde spikes, flattened by the wig they had been confined under for hours.
"Cloud..." he said, much too stunned to do anything as Cloud smiled thinly at him, eyes glittering strangely in the light.
"I wasn't going to tell you, but I couldn't have you pining for someone who never existed. You deserve... much better than that." Cloud said, remembering that he owed Sephiroth an explanation and tossing the wig lightly at the man. It landed on the floor between them. "That's your Clementine. That's... why it could have never worked out. It was so hard to lie to you about who I was, to dodge your questions about me when I was 'her'." Cloud nodded at the wig. "I... I was just selfish and couldn't tell you that first time you met me dressed like this at the dance. I wanted just one good memory." Cloud smiled.
"I really had fun. Let's... can we go back to how things were three weeks ago? Just please, still talk to me at school, even if it's only to yell. I couldn't handle it if you didn't." Sephiroth watched dumbly as Cloud turned and walked back to the elevator.
"Goodbye, Sephiroth." Cloud said, waving as the doors opened to admit him. Sephiroth couldn't be sure, but he thought he saw a tear run down Cloud's face just before the elevator doors closed.
Cloud's POV
Cloud bit his hand to keep from crying, wanting to scream, wanting to sob, wanting to break down, but not allowing himself to until he got back to his apartment- his home. His sanctuary.
He ignored the odd looks he got as he ran to his car and started it up, blinded by tears for the second time that day, within five minutes of his last cry.
He drove over the speed limit all the way home and had barely parked when he left the car and ran to his apartment. There, he collapsed onto the bed and ignored the running makeup, ignored how loud he was being, ignored everything but the all-consuming pain inside his heart.
He had silently begged Sephiroth to come for him, to reach out and tell him not to go, that it didn't matter, but it was not to be. Sephiroth had just watched him go.
Sephiroth had let him go.
Cloud's last, impossible dream had been crushed, his heart ripped out of his chest. There was no repairing the damage done, but hopefully Sephiroth would let things return to how they had been three weeks ago, before this whole mess had started.
'Who am I kidding? A guy I hate turns out to be the woman I liked because he disguised himself and lead me on for two weeks, and I just forgive and forget? No way. He'll never look at me again.' Cloud cried himself to sleep, welcoming the oblivion with open arms.
Next Day
When he first awoke the next morning, he didn't feel like doing much of anything. He stared at the blank walls, ignoring the phone when it rang and letting the machine pick up.
This is Cloud Strife- I'm not home, so leave a message after the beep. BEEP
"Cloud, this is Aeris. I just wanted to know how it went, but I guess you're either not in or not awake. Please call me later, my number is XXX-XXXX." Click. Aeris hung up as the machine recorded the time and date in a monotone.
Cloud was sorely tempted to throw the machine out the window, but instead simply dragged himself out of bed and headed to the bathroom.
'I'm a mess.' he thought, noticing that Aeris had apparently not used waterproof mascara. He looked like a racoon. Sighing, he grabbed a washcloth from one of the handlebars of the shower and wetted it, wringing it out a bit. He set to work on his face, managing to get most of the makeup gunk off in ten minutes. He felt grungy and didn't want to wear the skirt-and-shirt ensamble anymore, so he quickly stripped, vowing to never wear woman's clothes again- it only brought too much heartbreak. As he shed the clothes, he also shed all aspects of 'Clementine'. Never again would he pretend to be someone he was not- another silent promise.
Cloud quickly turned on the shower, putting the water to near-boiling. He stepped in, enjoying the hot spray as it scalded his flesh and turned his entire body red.
He didn't care, because very little mattered, and very little would matter to him anytime in the near future.
It was only when the water turned cold- a half-hour later- that he stepped out and realized he had nothing to change into. He grabbed a towel and dried himself off, wrapping it around his waist as he headed for his room.
A loud knock at the door sounded- Cloud almost turned to get it before remembering he was only dressed in a towel.
"Hold on a minute." he yelled tonelessly, continuing to his room and sliding into a pair of pajama pants and an old white wifebeater. He carelessly threw the towel onto the bed and walked over to the door, not looking up as he casually opened the door.
"Hello?" he said, glancing up to see his visitor.
When he recognized the person before him, his blood froze.
"Se-Sephiroth." he gasped, face going pale with shock. Cloud looked away, unable to look into Sephiroth's eyes.
"What do you want?" he asked quietly.
"I wanted to talk to you. May I come in?" Sephiroth asked just as quietly, tone revealing nothing of what he felt. Cloud nodded silently, stepping aside and turning his back to the silver-haired man. Cloud allowed himself to notice Sephiroth's outfit, how perfectly the old, faded jeans clung to his legs and ass, and how well the long-sleeved shirt seemed to accent the man's torso. It just wasn't fair.
"Go sit down- there's a couch in the living room. I'll... I'll go make tea." Cloud said, still not looking at Sephiroth's face as he made his way into the kitchen. He busied himself with the kettle, trying to ignore the sorrow threatening to choke him, when all of a sudden a pair of strong arms wrapped around him. He jumped, yelping, and dropped the kettle onto the stove, causing it to clang loudly and rattle, slowing down and stopping a minute later.
Cloud, meantime, had not moved.
"Sephiroth?" he asked, voice cracking slightly.
"My offer still stands." Sephiroth finally said, tone not cold or indifferent, but as warm- if not warmer- than Cloud had heard last night.
"O-Offer?" Cloud stammered, not allowing himself to relax into those strong arms wrapped so enticingly around him, lightly pinning his arms to his sides.
"You could have stayed, or come back this morning, or if you wanted to wait for another decade, I'd wait for you." Sephiroth said softly, gently turning Cloud around to face him. Cloud could only stare in shock at the soft, loving eyes that met his own.
"But... but you told that to Clementine, not to m-"
"What makes you think it would be any different for Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, then seemed to rethink his words. "Well, I suppose it is a bit different..."
"Clementine- you thought that she existed. You thought that she was a real girl." Cloud said, trying to understand what appeared to be a sudden change of heart in Sephiroth. "You could tell a girl those things, but... why would you tell me? You said that she was as close to perfect as you could find..." Cloud knew that his confusion showed clearly in his face, and his confusion only intensified when he saw Sephiroth smile.
"Because, my dear Cloud..." Sephiroth said, leaning closer to the blonde. Cloud's breath hitched at his words, a shiver of pleasure going down his spine. "... while 'she' was the closest I thought I could get to absolute perfection, I was proven wrong."
"H-How's that?" Cloud asked, barely breathing for fear it would wake him up from what had to be a wonderful dream.
"I'm proving it right now, by holding you..." Sephiroth pulled back slightly and pressed his lips chastely to Cloud's, but slowly enough to allow the blonde to savor the feel of his silk-soft lips. "...by kissing you..." He pressed his body even closer to Cloud's, forcing the blonde to back up into the cabinets. "... by touching you." Sephiroth said, voice husky. Cloud shivered again, from anything but cold.
"'She' was close, because 'she' was so much like you." Sephiroth whispered, mouth drawing closer to Cloud's, the blonde breathing heavy in the sheer sensation and the feel of Sephiroth's chest vibrating when he spoke, the sound of that seductive voice causing shivers of desire to travel down the blonde's spine. Green eyes caught blue orbs, slightly darker from the desire in the blonde's veins. "You are my absolute perfection, Cloud Strife, the absolute perfection I was certain I was never going to have." Cloud's eyes filled up with happy tears as he closed the gap, kissing Sephiroth fiercely, with all the love and longing and happiness he could muster. This kiss was so sweet, not bittersweet like the kisses of old, both parties knowing exactly what they were doing and all the happier for it.
They weren't sure who started it, but somehow they ended up involving tongues, memorizing the other's mouth and kissing like there was no tomorrow. Desperate to touch, to feel the other beside them, their hands moved across the other's chest and back, feeling the play of muscles beneath cloth and skin. When they broke apart, it was only for a few quick, deep breaths before they were at it again, both crying in sheer joy and kissing, whispering words of love in between frantic kisses, reassuring themselves that it wasn't just a dream; this was real, it was tangible and wouldn't be gone in the morning.
They had somehow made it back to the couch, Cloud laying on top of Sephiroth, both too comfortable to do much and too exhausted to kiss, lips slightly swollen from all the attetion.
"All this time, and all I had to do was tell you." Cloud murmured, trailing a hand down Sephiroth's still-clothed chest. Sephiroth made a noise of agreement, arms comfortably wrapped around Cloud.
"I'm sorry I didn't react quicker last night." Sephiroth said, tone laced with sadness. Cloud just smiled, nuzzling closer to Sephiroth's chest.
"You're here now, though. You came for me- that's all I ever really wanted. Thank you so much, Seph." Cloud closed his eyes and moaned contentedly as Sephiroth ran a hand through the blonde's hair.
"You are a truly wonderful person, Cloud. I'm so glad this happened the way it did- we must have several lucky stars for everything to have turned out this way." Sephiroth said.
"Yeah." Cloud agreed sleepily, almost wanting to fall asleep on top of Sephiroth.
"Still think it won't work out?" Sephiroth asked cheekily, laughter in his tone.
"No- now I have no doubts it will work." Cloud said.
"One matter we haven't addressed- the Valentine's Day dance. Would you..." Sephiroth swallowed, slightly nervous even though he had no doubt his invitation would be accepted. "... like to go to the dance with me?" Cloud turned his sleepy blue eyes to look at the silver-haired man.
"Of course I'll go with you. Just- no more dresses." Cloud said, smiling. Sephiroth mock-frowned.
"But you looked so cute in a dress..." Cloud swatted him playfully.
"You don't have anywhere to go today, right?" Sephiroth asked, suddenly serious. Cloud nodded, tilting his head to the side in a curious manner.
"Why?"
"Because I was thinking that we might be able to do a repeat of our first date, except this time with no secrets and no worrying."
Cloud smiled.
"I think it's a great idea."
How was it? Horrible? Sorry about all the pointless fluff, but I figure that most people here want to see Cloud and Seph get together in a kind of sweet way. Hopefully this was worth the few day wait and all those reviews! I absolutely loved getting all of those- it made my day!
I have a few other ideas for SephCloudSeph fics, but I haven't started writing them yet. I might not get around to it, but just FYI I have more ideas if you guys think they aren't too OOC!
Cloud: She's going to write more?
Sephiroth: She must be joking.
Bookkbaby: ...I'm not.
Cloud : (shrugs) Could be worse. She could have gotten the idea that Tifa and I belong together, or Aeris.
Sephiroth: Very true, my dear Cloud. (hugs possessively)
(Sorry about the little dialouge at the end of the A/N! I couldn't resist- so many of my favorite authors do it, I wanted to try... sorry sorry!)