Cloud slowly made his way down the hallway, not-so-subtly giving his suit-dressed companion glances from the side of his eye. As he walked, he contemplated whether this might be one of his worst ideas to date. He followed the stranger down the unfamiliar hallway.

"You cut your hair, huh? At least you don't look as ambiguous anymore."

Cloud gave him another glance, unsure how to answer the backhanded compliment.

"Are you still crazy and shit?" the redhead frowned at the silence "I Thought you got better." He stated as he continued walking with quick steps in front of the blond.

Cloud's eyebrows twitched in irritation before he managed to calm himself. He had never considered himself to be crazy. Crazy was those people standing on street corners shouting nonsense at the people passing by. But he supposed he did fit the criteria in a sense.

The redhead seemed to finally have given up on small talk and focused on showing Cloud the direction to the 'very important person that wanted to speak to him'.

When they finally arrived at a large door, the redhead knocked twice and got a soft confirmation from the other side of the door before he opened it and gestured for Cloud to step inside. Cloud did and the door closed softly behind him. The blond felt a slight nervous tinge run down his back.

He was greeted to an office twice the size of Sephiroth's apartment. Huge windows framed the walls on two sides, showing the city below them in clear daylight. The space was obviously an office on account of the big oak desk on the other side of the room, behind the desk sat a man hands folded, head propped up on them.

Cloud let his eyes roam freely around the room, as he stepped closer to the only other occupant, before landing on the man before him, giving him a once over. He came to a standstill in front of the desk. The other's eyes were looking him up and down in return. Cloud felt chills run down his spine as he inexplicably was reminded of the days he had to stand in front of Hojo's desk, reporting the day's events. He subconsciously nightend his hold on the gun in the inside of his jacket, and greedily took a large gulp of hair to calm himself.

"Nice to finally meet you, Cloud." The man said in a dull manner as if he already were tired by the day's event.

"You know me?" Cloud studied the man harder. Maybe he'd met him as Dr. Strife. He definitely looked familiar.

"I do." He smirked, as if he was better than Cloud because of the fact. "I suppose I'll return the courtesy."

The man stood up and rounded the desk in smooth, easy steps. His fingers brushing the wood as he passed. Cloud got a better look at him as he closed the distance between them. His eyes traveled from the blond hair to the blue eyes and down to his well kempt white suit. Another start of recognition passed through Cloud, this time turning on a lightswitch in his head.

He furrowed his eyebrows at the taller man, his eyes never leaving the others.

The man cocked his head in acknowledgment, smirk still in place as he studied Cloud right back.

"Are you…?" Cloud hesitated to voice his hypothesis.

The other blond tilted his head again, his smirk growing.

"I-I didn't know he…" Cloud cleared his throat. "He didn't- nobody told me."

"You're definitely smarter than you look. No wonder you were so easily put in employment in such a high position." The taller blond leaned his weight back on the desk, his fingers tapping a small tune on the wood.

Cloud swallowed. "How old… are you?"

His eyebrow twitched at Cloud's question.

"24 this year."

A startled huff of a laugh escaped from Cloud's throat before he could keep it down. "I suppose I could still be considered a big brother then…"

That seemed to startle a reaction other than hesitant arrogance from the other man. A heavy silence hung in the air before the taller man burst out laughing.

"I suppose so." He replied with a smirk bordering on a smile.

"What's your name...?"

"Rufus. Rufus Shinra. You can call me Rufus, I suppose you've earned that much through the blood relations alone."

Cloud felt the elation rize in his chest. He'd always wanted for a big family, even when he was a kid. He quickly swallowed down his excitement and tried to school his expression. By the amused look Rufus was giving him he must have fallen off by a length.

"...Do I- we have any other siblings?"

"Hard to say. It's up for debate to be totally honest. You know how he is."

"Unfortunately, I do." He mumbled, with a furrow of his brow.

Cloud hesitated for a moment more before walking up to the desk next to Rufus and gently placing the borrowed gun down. Rufus, still leaning his weight on the table, side eyed him as he did.

"Reno is hardly the most approachable. But I figured you'd rather have him escort you since you're already familiar with him."

"You told him to give me the gun."

"I knew you weren't going to agree to a meeting without assurance of your own safety."

"I'm pretty sure your Reno could take me on regardless of the gun, but I appreciate the gesture." Cloud slid the gun towards Rufus. The other man glanced at it for a few seconds before sliding it back to Cloud.

"Friends come few and far between in this building, Cloud. The fact that you already have four of the strongest men on this planet at your beck and call is a small miracle in and of itself." Rufus' eyes searched out Cloud's and held his gaze. "But they can't be everywhere at once, one slipup and you'll disappear into the seedy underbelly of the Science Department. This time somewhere even I can't reach you, not to mention Sephiroth." With one hand on the gun, the other found its place on Cloud's shoulder in a tight grip. "I suggest you treat it-" He cocked his head towards the gun. "As your closest friend."

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows. "I don't want to kill anybody…"

"Sometimes, the choice stands between your death and theirs. If you keep this on you, at least you'll be the one making the decision."

Cloud searched his half brother's eyes and found only sincerity. If there came a moment where Cloud had to decide between going back to the mako tank and death, he'd choose death without a second thought.

He tensely nodded before grabbing the gun and placing it in his pocket inside his borrowed jacket.

"Thank you." His voice was hoarse even to his own ears.

Rufus studied him for a moment longer before stepping away. "Make no mistake, when I found out about you I wanted nothing from you. In fact had you stayed put in the Science Department my plans would have undoubtedly run smoother."

"Then why did you want to talk to me?" Cloud asked, confused. Rufus had given him no indication of being impartial to his situation.

Rufus started pacing about, crossing his arms as he rounded him like a predator "Call it curiosity. Maybe I wanted to meet the man that managed to win all First class Soldiers to his side with barely a word spoken. Maybe I wanted to meet the man that might have stood in my position had he not angered the wrong people." He said with an amused huff bordering on cold anger. "Maybe I know what it feels like to be broken down and abandoned by that man. Someone you trusted."

Cloud snorted in return. "I might not remember much of my time in Nibelheim, but I know I never trusted him. Everything me and my mother got from that asshole always came with a price."

The silence that followed his contempt filled words was deafening. Cloud might have a strained relationship with the man he shared genes with, but for all he knew Rufus might have had a very fulfilling childhood with both parents present throughout it. He gulped down his anxiety at the thought of offending his only brother.

Rufus easily brushed past his words, as if Cloud was talking about a complete stranger rather than the other's father. "Matters not. What matters is that; for the second time of your life you've stepped into the wolf's den utterly unprepared. Though this time I'm here to grant you a lifeline of sorts."

Cloud subconsciously brushed his fingers over the outline of the gun in his jacket.

"Something other than the gun. Something sturdier. Something that, if you play your cards right, might grant you most, if not all of your wishes."

"I don't want anything."

Rufus tilted his head in question. As if not believing Cloud's words.

"Once… I might have wanted something. I might have been working towards something, but now, I can barely even remember the face of my own mother." Cloud ran a hand through his hair, and almost startled at the unfamiliar length. "Now I just want peace."

"What about revenge?"

"...I don't want to kill anyone." Cloud repeated.

"Both you and I know the system isn't just, you especially must know that at this point. You can't just call Shinra's public security on people like Hojo. Sometimes the only way for wicked men to get punished is by your own hands."

Cloud stood still, his breathing almost coming to a halt. He knew Rufus was searching out his eyes again, but something that felt like shame crawling up his throat stopped him from meeting the other's gaze. Even after everything he couldn't imagine himself pulling the trigger on another human without regretting it for the rest of his life.

"You do know that daddy dearest was the one that greenlit project-C right? He's the one that did this to you. He's the reason you're like this now. One word from him and this never would have happened. It's not like he gained anything from your 20 years of suffering. By leaving your mother alone to wonder where her son went and what happened to hi-"

"Stop!" His voice cracked as the word left his throat in an almost instinctively bark. A wetness slid down his cheek and he quickly wiped it away hoping the other man was looking anywhere but him. "Please. I- I know what happened to me wasn't… I already know so please stop." He wiped his eyes again for good measure. The silence in the room grew thicker and thicker, til Cloud realised Rufus wouldn't continue the conversation.

"If you want something from me, you just need to ask, Rufus." He straightened his back and finally met the other man's gaze. "But I refuse to be manipulated into something. I've had enough of that for one lifetime."

"...You're right. That was uncalled for. I apologize." Rufus said as he averted his gaze.

Cloud blinked at the admission. He'd almost expected the other man to act entitled, with zero-to-no insight, just like their father.

"I wasn't lying when I said I didn't need nor want anything from you. Whether you decide to join up with me or not, I'll still help you get out of here, maybe set you and your mother up in a nice house, somewhere Shinra won't find you. If you want nothing to do with Shinra or anyone affiliated, I'll understand."

Cloud shook his head. "That's not what I want. I know Shinra is a bad place filled with bad people. I think I've always known, even back then, I just chose to ignore and look past it. Because even though there was bad, there was also good. Sephiroth, Zack, Angeal and Genesis, and now you." He said with a crooked smile.

Rufus' eyebrows rose to his hairline "You think I'm good? You barely know me." He huffed.

"You've already proved it with your words alone."

"Just like that? With a few pretty words?"

"Sometimes that's all it takes." Cloud replied with a shrug of a shoulder.

"After all you've been through one would think you'd play your cards closer to your chest." Rufus tilted his head, now openly studying his half brother.

"You're my brother. I think some of it might be wistful thinking, but I want to believe in you because I want to be a part of your life." Cloud cleared his throat at his own forwardness. "If you'll allow me that is."

Rufus coughed into his fist. "You're certainly not what I expected."

"What did you expect?" Cloud asked, amused at the other man's apparent embarrassment.

"Someone small. Someone afraid. Of everything."

"I was… I still am to some extent. But I think I can learn not to be."

There was a lull in the conversation before Cloud sighed. "What do you need Rufus? I'll do my best to help you out however I can."

"There's no delicate way to put this, so I'm just gonna straight out say it. I need you to go public with your story. Everything that's happened to you, I need it on record."

"What? How could you possibly benefit from that?" Cloud had to stop himself from stepping back, towards the exit.

"The results won't be instantaneous, but eventually our father's dethroning, so to speak, will go a lot smoother."

"You want to take over the company?"

"That's why I became vice president."

"Are you sure you're prepared for that though? That's a huge responsibility to put on one's shoulders."

"I started preparing for the position at 14. I'm ready. Our dear Francis just needs to get it through his thick skull that his time has passed, and that he should pass on the mantle to a new generation." Rufus finished with a sneer, as if it's a speech he has practiced before.

"I'm sure you're talented enough to be able to run the company smoothly when you do take over, but, Rufus, you need to understand that Shinra is corrupt through and through." Cloud lowered his voice and stepped closer to the other man, as though if he spoke too loudly someone would overhear them. "It isn't just the company you'd be inheriting, it's all the sins that've been committed under its name as well. Are you sure you want to take on the responsibility of that?"

"You seem to have given this a lot of thought." Rufus frowned.

"Let's just say I've had a lot of time to think about it."

"You got offered the position?" He asked with a twitch of his brow.

"I declined it. And the second I did I saw my worth dwindle in Francis' eyes." Cloud scoffed, folding his arms in hope of concealing the unkempt rage that abruptly fired through him.

"Do you regret it? Not Accepting?"

"I regret a lot of things in my past, but that is one of the few things I would never want to change." Cloud sighed, the emotion departed as quickly as it had arrived, and it left Cloud feeling a deep emptiness inside him. He caressed small circles on his upper arm to calm himself down.

"I want to change it. Shinra. I know we could do better, for the people and ourselves. We'll get rid of them all, the corruption. We'll sever as many limbs as possible to save the company from the infectious people with greedly intentions. Especially those who did this to you. But we need to start somewhere and if we light a fire under Francis' ass and slowly increase the pressure he will eventually fold."

"Oh…" Cloud saw the sincerity in the other's eyes, and gently nodded. "Alright. I'll help you." He let out a small breath of air before continuing. "And I suppose you want me to try to convince Sephiroth and the others to help? I can't promise anything in that regard."

"As long as they don't get in my way, there's no reason for things not to stay the way that they are."

"Right… I'll keep that in mind."

"Before you leave, I'll be assigning at least two Turks to watch over you at all times. Of course it will be from a distance and you'll have full authority to dismiss them if you please."

"I- thank you, Rufus." He gave his half brother a hesitant smile. "I should head back." Cloud said as he stepped towards the exit, "Keep in tho-" Before he could finish the sentence the door behind him burst open and Reno frantically stepped through, eyes immediately focusing on Rufus.

The redhead let the doors slam into the walls behind him as he made his way towards the vice president. "Julia got too close sir, she let it slip where blondie is, Sephiroth and co. are on their way up here as we speak, and he doesn't look happy. Not that he ever does." The words left the other man's mouth in a not-so-whisper, while Rufus kept his eyes glued on the door.

"Oh, no." Cloud let out before he could stop himself, then continued. "Don't hurt him! He's just worried, I'll talk to him."

"Hurt him?! Dude, do you even know who you're talking about?" Reno asked distraught. "We'd be lucky if he doesn't run us all trough with his huge fucking sword."

"Reno, enough. Tell the others to stand down. Let them through."

"He wouldn't do that." Cloud weakly retaliated at the redhead's rapidly disappearing back.

"Cloud." Rufus called for his attention. "Think long and hard on who you trust with sensitive information before you share anything."

"I already trust them with my life, Rufus. They're my friends."

Rufus managed to give a small nod before the door once more burst open, hinges working hard to keep the wood on the frame as they hit the wall.

Sephiroth, in all his leathery glory, branashing Masamune, stepped into the office. His eyes searching the room before zeroing in on Cloud.

"Sephiroth, calm down please. Let me explain." The silver haired general's fury seemed to falter at Cloud's easy tone. He still didn't stop his stride til he stood between the two blonds. With his back to Rufus, he gave Cloud a quick once over his hand hovering uncertainly around the blonds shoulder and face. Cloud made the decision for him, grabbed his hand and cupped it to his cheek.

"I'm alright."

Sephiroth let out a long breath, his thumb gently brushing the skin under the blonds eye, once, twice.

"What happened?"

Guilt struck Cloud hard at the other's hoarse voice. He'd really caused unnecessary distress. He gripped Sephiroth's hand tighter as if to reassure him of his strength.

"You Turks sure love to stick your nose where it doesn't belong." Genesis said as he strode past them, his long legs taking him to face Rufus in three strides.

Cloud looked around. The room is almost filled to the brim with people in suits, most of them with their hand in their suit jacket, undoubtedly holding a gun beneath the fabric, waiting for the go ahead from their boss. Zack, without Cloud even noticing, had placed himself between the turks and him, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides.

"I assure you, my nose belongs here." Rufus' monotone voice did nothing to extinguish the redhead's fury. The amused smirk on the blond's face did even less.

"You wanna fucking bet?"

"Guys, please. It's alright I promise!" Cloud Quickly got out of Sephiroth's hold, and stepped in front of them to try and de-escalate the situation.

Rufus gave a subtle wave of his hand and the twenty or so people that had barged into the office after Sephiroth, quickly disappeared back out. Only Reno was still at his side.

"You don't need to protect these guys Cloud. They're sneaky bastards, I always thought they were above kidnapping recovering victims of abuse, shows how much I know." Zack huffed at his side, glaring daggers at Reno, who returned the look tenfold.

"It's really not like that. They didn't make me do something against my will." He ran a nervous hand through his hair, unsure of how to go about explaining the situation. "I- we were talking and… We're, uh." Sephiroth, moving slowly, placed a warm hand on the small of his back to center him, like he's gotten accustomed to do in the past few days they'd spend together. Cloud breath twice before he could completely calm down. "He's… he's my brother."

"...Uh, what?" Zack supplied eloquently.

"I second that." Genesis said, his eyebrows disappearing behind his fringe.

Cloud could feel the warm hand on his back freeze and slowly retract. He tried not to show the disappointment on his face. He quickly searched the generals face for disdain. His eyebrows were furrowed as he looked down at Cloud with only questions in his eyes and no contempt. He breathed out a sigh of relief.

"So, what? You're a Shinra?"

"Well, only on my dad's side…" Cloud tried for humor, but fell flat.

"The… president is your dad…" Zack, ever so helpful, confirmed with a nod.

"Fucking hell." Genesis ran a hand through his locks, stepping back to pace around behind them.

"He just wanted me to know and…" Cloud continued on. He glanced nervously towards Rufus, the other blond only staring back at him, as if asking Cloud what he would do through his gaze.

"And…?"

Cloud really didn't know how to go about this. He knew Sephiroth only wanted the best for him, but would that include risking his whole livelihood for him? If he didn't want a part of the plan, if he decided to bring the information up the corporate chain, everything would be ruined. Even if Sephiroth decided to help them, that still left Genesis, Angeal and Zack. how would they react? Shinra is their whole life. Did they really want to risk their position for someone they've barely known for 3 months?

"Cloud."

He once more felt a warmth at the small of his back. It grounded him in the present. He forced himself to breath slower, only now realizing his high pulse. He couldn't lie to them, but he also couldn't bring himself to tell them the truth, to ruin everything Cloud has built these past few months.

"We're planning a coup." Rufus cut in before Cloud could spiral further.

Three pairs of eyes turned to the blond that was, once more, sat behind the desk. His fingers interwoven and his head leaning on them. He met their looks of disbelief, with the same old smirk on his face. Cloud was starting to believe it was a mask.

"It's not a coup! Rufus has already been promised the position, it's basically his! All we want is to… speed up the process of the promotion." Cloud knew sugar coating it wasn't going to help much. Everyone in the room was smart enough to look past the sweet words and look at the facts of the matter. "We're just going to put Rufus up as the president and then he'll… remove the people that did this to me from a position of power..."

"You wanna kill the president?" Zack asked, befuddled.

"No!" Cloud quickly declared, before furrowing his eyebrows and turned towards his half brother in question.

Rufus snorted before shaking his head. "I agree that that would be the easiest way to go about it and assure he has no more strings of power to pull with the company. But I have no intention of killing my own father, no."

"We're just going to remove him from his position." Cloud said, his hands cupped in a visual representation of removing something and gently placing it somewhere else. He desperately searched out the eyes of the three Firsts standing before him. Sephiroth as usual was hard to read, with almost no emotion crossing his face. Genesis was still pacing around by the door, no doubt deep in thought. Zack was the only one that made a move. He stepped forward towards Cloud and placed a gentle hand of reassurance on his shoulder.

"Cloud, you don't have to be scared. We're with you, Even the two emotionally constipated people over there."

"Excuse you? I'm very much in touch with my emotions, thank you very much." Genesis Scoffed. And of course that would be the first part he decided to comment on and not a potential hostile takeover of Shinra.

Cloud smiled at the two men before dreadingly turning to the General. The other's eyes were solely fixated on him. Cloud gulped as he felt his heart rate spike at the intense look he was given.

"I suppose that saves me the trouble of doing it myself." He said as he gave Cloud a haughty smirk, different from Rufus' in every way. Cloud felt his blood rush towards his head. He had to swallow a few times before he got control of himself. The room suddenly felt unbearably warm. Cloud hesitantly returned the smile. "I'll assist you. On one condition."

Rufus' eyebrows twitched in surprise, he waved his hand with a nod of his head, indicating for him to continue.

"I want to kill Hojo."

Cloud almost broke his neck as he turned to look at the silver haired man in shock.

"Sephiroth…"

Sephiroth didn't turn to him, his eyes affixed on Cloud's brother with a cold look.

"Alright." Rufus smiled as he shrugged at the mention of murder.

"Rufus!"

"What? Gaia knows he deserves it."

"That's besides the point! I don't want to kill anyone!"

"Good thing you won't be the one to kill the bastard then." Genesis pointed out unnecessarily.

"But…!"

"Cloud, know this. If that asshole doesn't die by Sephiroth's hands he will die by mine. And there's nothing you can say or do that will change my mind."

Cloud gave up at Genesis' blunt words.

"Well it seems this pleasant gathering has come to an end. Cloud, I'll contact you later on further details." Cloud nodded to the other blond as Sephiorth gave him a suspicious look. "And I'd appreciate it if you Soldiers don't act rashly on your own." Rather than the request the worlds would imply it to be, the intent of the order was obvious. "Now that we know we'll be working together, I need to finish writing up a plan before we do anything else." He shuffled some papers around on his desktop before producing a slip of paper. He quickly scribbled down some numbers before handing it to Cloud.

"This is my personal number. If anything comes up, give me a call."

Cloud hesitantly stepped up to the desk to accept the paper. He never expected Rufus to be this genuine, and by the looks of it, Rufus himself wasn't used to the display either.

"Thank you, Rufus."

He had never expected to get any semblance of himself back, even when he's consciousness started to return to him. Slowly week after week, even when he saw the progress clear as day. He never fully expected to be himself again. But now, with Sephiroth and the other Firsts, and now, Rufus as well.

It feels like he's a person. One with a family and friends that can rely on him, and he can rely on right back.

He felt real.

As the tough passed through his head, an almost unbearable warmth erupted from his stomach up his chest. He felt the tingling all the way to his fingers. He had to focus on not crupeling the paper in his hand as he concentrated on the numbers, trying to sear them into his brain to always remember. "Thank you…" His voice was rough. He had to clear it a few times before he trusted himself to sound normal. "I'll keep in touch." He finally managed with a smile and a slight nod.

Cloud felt a gentle pull on the small of his back he knew was Sephiroth urging him towards the exit.

He gave one last wave to Rufus before he let himself be steered out of the office.

There were a few moments of silence as they made their way towards the elevator before it was abruptly broken by Zack.

"That… was the most horrifying thing I've ever been a part of."

"Are we counting that one-on-one training session you had with Sephiroth? Because you were pretty close to shitting your pants." Genesis teased.

"Was not! And, yeah, much worse than that time Sephiroth beat the crap out of me. Turks freak me out."

Cloud softly folded the paper and placed it in his pocket before turning to the threeo.

"I'm sorry I worried you. I shouldn't have headed out without you."

"The way I see it, Cloud, is that you are your own person. You don't need anyone's permission to go anywhere." Genesis answered with a flip of his hair, and a raised brow.

"We trust your judgment. But, next time, tell me where you're going so I know for... contingencies sake." Sephiroth added as he removed his hand from Cloud.

"Alright." Cloud, and probably everyone else in the elevator caught the hidden meaning. The fact that he's been living, eating and sleeping right next to his worst fear personified never really hit him until today. The fact that he could turn a corner anywhere in the building and come face to face with the professor brought an instinctual fear he'd tried so long to push down, back to surface. Cloud gulped.

It's fine. As long as he had Sephiroth by his side, he'd be fine.

Sephiroth and Cloud got dropped off on their floor, Genesis and Zack heading to do their respective things, so Cloud could rest the remainder of the day.

In reality, Cloud felt well. Not the best he's been, but not completely drained either. Sephiroth took it upon himself to send the two others away. Cloud got the impression Sephiroth didn't want to separate from him, the trought brought the warm feeling back up inside him, this time engulfing his heart and rising up to the back of his neck. He looked up to meet the others eyes and was met with nothing but warmth and kindness. The gentleness of the green eyes almost made Cloud flinch.

He quickly looked away when he felt heat in his cheeks, he willed his heart to calm down.

"Are you feeling well?"

Of course Sephiroth would notice the slight change in Cloud.

He kept his eyes on the ground as they walked into the apartment. The more he thought about it the more heated he became. He felt his heart run into overdrive, pumping blood into his cheeks specifically. Cloud stepped past him and into the bathroom.

"Cloud?"

He felt the others footsteps follow him in haste, but he couldn't be bothered. Cloud turned on the cold water splashing himself in the face a few times before he could completely calm down.

"Cloud, please talk to me."

He met the General's eyes in the mirror, worry written on his face. Again he felt the warm hand on his back, this time rubbing small circles between his shoulder blades.

"I'm alright, sorry. A lot happened today…" Cloud turned towards Sephiroth. The other man's hand never leaving him. He swallowed thickly. "It's somehow overwhelming."

"I understand." Sephiroth answered, always understanding, always gentle."Do you need to lie down?" He stepped closer. Paying no attention to the fact that they were already standing less than a foot apart.

Cloud's breathing stuttered to a halt.

"Cloud?" The blond could feel Sephiroth's voice grating away at him. The taller man's hand still rubbing circles onto his back. He couldn't stop himself from placing a palm on the taller man's chest. Not pushing, just resting.

Cloud wanted to feel it as he said his name.

Sephiroth stepped closer once more. Cloud could now feel the other's warm breath on his ear. Every soft exhale. His, now, short hair did nothing to block the sensation. He felt goosebumps run down his back and arms.

"Cloud."

Cloud felt the vibration run down Sephiroth's chest. He willed himself to look up at the taller man.

Their eyes met, and Cloud couldn't look away even if he wanted to. He felt captivated by the green eyes.

Before Cloud could stop himself, he stood up on his toes and placed a gentle kiss on the general's cheek, slowly, he let the contact end, wanting it to last as long as possible.

He's feet back on the floor, he moved an inch to gauge the other's reaction.

Half a smile found its way on Sephiroth's face, which in Cloud's mind translated as approval.

Again he stood on his toes, going for the other cheek. Gently, he placed another peck near the other's mouth.

This time, when Cloud stepped down again, the General followed the movement down.

Cloud looked up at him in question. Tilting his chin up in a challenge, which Sephiroth gladly accepted.

Sephiroth engulfed the blond's lips in his own. One arm around the small of his back, the other pushing his jaw open so he could slip his tongue in.

Cloud felt his breath taken from him, he just barely remembered to breath with his nose. The hand on his back pressed him into the General's toned chest, almost lifting him off the ground with ease.

For a while, the only thing one could hear in the bathroom was the sleek sound of their lips moving against each other, both fighting for dominance, no one winning.

Cloud could feel Sephiroth's heart beating fast through the thin sweater he was wearing. He gently placed his arms around Sephiroth's neck, bringing him closer and deepening the kiss.

Sephiroth suddenly pulled back, his eyes searching Cloud's. He tilted his head in question at the taller man, not trusting his voice at the moment. The other's gaze raked up and down his face. He must look ridiculous with lips swollen and hair tousled. As Cloud caught his breath he felt a light snort coming from the other man. He opened his mouth in indignation, ready to give the other a piece of his mind, but never managed to get that far as Sephiroth once more dived down to claim his lips.

Cloud gladly accepted the interruption.

He felt the other's hands moved downwards, till they gripped his thighs and lifted him up. Cloud made a sound of surprise into the other's mouth, and he was gently placed on the counter. He supposed it must have hurt the other's neck having to bow down to meet Cloud like that. This way they were the same height.

Cloud felt hot all over. Everywhere Sephiroth was touching him turned scalding, especially his face.

He had to keep reminding himself to breath. Always getting distracted by the way Sephiroth's big hands moved over his back and found their way under his shirt. For a minute (or an hour) nothing else but him and Sephiroth existed. Nothing outside of the bathroom. Just them.

Sephiroth, once more, pulls back. This time a quizzical look on his face. He slowly removes the gun that was in his pocket.

"I got it from Rufus…" He rushes to explain. "It's for protection."

Sephiroth looks at it for a second longer, then places the gun next to them on the counter and claims his lips again.

A few moments goes by, before they tire themselves out and Cloud is leaning his head on the other man's shoulder. Both of them needed to catch their breath, but only Cloud was blushing all the way down his back.

"Would you like to go to bed?."

Cloud hesitated, "...I-"

"To rest." Sephiroth quickly added, feeling his uncertainness.

"Alright." Cloud felt happiness surge over him and couldn't keep himself from giving Sephiroth a hug. He brought the other's head to his chest, one arm around his shoulder, one around his head. Cloud smiled into silver hair, placing a small kiss on the taller man's temple.

He abruptly felt himself being lifted, and he screeched out in surprise, having to balance himself on Sephiroth's shoulders so as to not fall to his back like a sack of potatoes.

"Sephiroth!" His laughter managed to override the dismay he was going for. "I can walk!" He couldn't stop another burst of laughter from surfacing as Sephiroth walked through the livingroom and into their bedroom as if he wasn't carrying a grown adult over his shoulder.

He placed Cloud on the bed, as gently as he could with the blond flailing about, and climbed in next to him.

As they both settled in, Cloud turned towards Sephiroth.

"Sephiroth," He whispered, "Thank you."

Sephiroth furrowed his brows in confusion, before the blond clarified.

"You make me happy."

The silver haired fully turned towards the blond, running his thumb over the skin under his eye.

"You make me happy too." He answered back with a whisper.