Once upon a time, there was a Godly valley with mountains that could touch the sky and trees that cast long shadows. The people who live in the small mountain town are hardworking and happy, so long as they never stray into the forest where the wolves lurk in the darkness. Adults brave the trees in groups to hunt the vicious pack as they have for decades, the conflict is deep with no sign of victory for either side. But wolves are not the only threat, nor the village's only secret - and the link connecting them is a simple cloak of Red ...
Every night, from the highest peak of the uninhabited mountains, a single Wolf howls to the good folk of the valley – as a warning, as a message, and as a reminder of what they did:
"Beware, beware, the Path where the Witch once stood. Beware, beware, of the Wolf in the Wood."
Cover art: thequalityrunaway DOT tumblr DOT COMpany/ post/138570607597/for-confessions-of-the-red-cloak-au-once-upon-a
Cloud was awake. Squall smiled in the new light of day running his hand up and down the blond's spine, his fingers left goosebumps across the bare flesh, and Cloud sank deeper and deeper into the borrowed furs with each new circuit. Though his mate's eyes stayed closed and relaxed Squall knew he was awake, his breathing, the slight tense of his body, the occasional sigh all indicated that he was faking.
But Squall didn't mind. Cloud could rest as long as he wanted. Besides, Squall was enjoying taking his lazy fill of his mate, he silently admired the way he was suddenly so conscious of Cloud, how he somehow knew what each little reaction meant.
The sighs when he rubbed a spot that was sore or tense, the tiny, tiny hitches in breath whenever he touched a sensitive zone, the way his eyes moved as he anticipated where he'd move next. Squall licked his lips and felt his own body reacting predictably.
He knew that they were both deliciously sore, and Squall smiled as he recalled last night, absently shifting his legs to feel the dull pain and satisfied aches. Silent brands that it had happened, that they had become one. That Cloud had made good on his promise to show him everything, and that Cloud loved him.
His fingers idly moved in nonsensical swirls on Cloud's skin, slower now he was thinking of other things.
Outside peeked into their hurried den and invited their awareness, their oncoming day, but Squall wasn't tempted when Cloud lay so peacefully beside him. Craving more, his lips soon replaced his hand and Cloud, at last, dropped his façade with an eager moan of approval as Squall's lips gently sucked at his spine.
Following the dip in Cloud's back all the way back up to his nape Squall left several lingering kisses before he whispered a greeting, "Enjoying that?"
Cloud turned his head, nipping playfully at his bottom lip in answer, laying down with a demanding grunt that meant 'continue.' What a demanding one I've picked, Squall laughed but didn't deny himself another feel of his mate's body.
First, his hands moved through Cloud's hair, brushing it patiently until it lay just perfectly above his eye. The second the lid opened he'd see that magnificent blue, just how he liked it. Next was Cloud's neck, lips and teeth for this part. Cloud shuddered and shivered throughout the teasing touches; you're mine, Squall said each time he went near that vulnerable location. He lifted a leg to straddle Cloud's back, running his hands over his toned muscles appreciatively, working his fingertips and knuckles into any knots until Cloud moaned helplessly. His hips shifted under Squall, his bottom lip was drawn between his teeth. Squall licked his lips, glad he wasn't the only one affected.
He whispered into Cloud's ear "Turn over."
Cloud obeyed, eagerly clamping his hands on Squall's hips, rolling their erections together with a sigh of relief, "That's the way to wake up," he smiled.
Squall decided not to point out that Cloud had been awake for over ten minutes before he'd begun his loving touches. Instead, he braced one hand on the ceiling of their den and the other on their erections, rocking both their hips in a natural motion that made his eyes flutter shut and his shoulders tense deliciously. His hand felt good, but Cloud's flesh against his felt better.
Cloud's hands pawed at his sides, at his spread thighs and his ass as the teasing rhythm worked them from a sleepy glow to a lustful warmth. Since their clumsy first time had given them their hyperawareness of their partner they had improved their pleasure and learned each and every reaction.
Shamelessly, they had become slaves to it.
Squall shuddered predictably when Cloud's hands clawed at his lower back and forced him to arch into his own fist, his hips jerking out of rhythm and out of control for a second. Biting back a moan Squall fought back with his fingers, teasing the head of Cloud's erection with every stroke until the blond's eyes were fiery with desire, like a heavenly demon of lust.
He surged up when Squall pushed him too far, biting against Squall's throat and pulling him back by his hair, Squall now the helpless one as the wolf-man sank his teeth into his vulnerable throat, growling when Squall moaned.
"We're ready, Squall, come on."
Breathing out steadily, Squall closed his eyes as Cloud's hands groped his ass, fingers kneading and inching closer to his entrance, "It's fine, I don't need-"
"I want to," Cloud smiled, eyes lidding as he used his grip on the brunet's hair to pull him in for a full, deep kiss, Squall's arms felt weak until they were both anchored around Cloud's body. The brunet's breath hitched when Cloud's finger probed at his still slick entrance, pressing inside with Squall's encouraging moan.
The foreign breach was familiar and good, objections had been long forgotten to this kind of intimacy, the tips pressed in at the walls and stroked in ways that made Squall softly whimper.
Cloud's eyes were mostly black with a rim of colour, beautiful with lust and wild with want, Squall fought almost in vain for control over himself as Cloud stretched his entrance, already prepared from their long night of mating.
Squall's head rolled back when Cloud's fingers hit just the right spot inside him, they lingered a second time to force an aborted shout from his lips. Squall felt Cloud's hand tighten on his ass, his legs tensed in anticipation and knew he was unbelievably pleased and turned on with what he'd seen. He tilted his head back, exposing his throat, and shot a dark look from behind his bangs and got the same reaction- it was fun to tease and turn Cloud on.
But it was soon too much for prolonged teasing. The Hunter gripped Cloud's elbow as he begged Cloud to fuck him again, to stop teasing him so damn much like it was a sport. "Enough, please, enough," he breathed against Cloud's lips as the blond leaned in to ravish them again.
Thankfully, Cloud seemed to realise that he'd pushed Squall far enough, he withdrew his fingers and positioned his relieved lover over his erection, waiting for his nod of approval before slowly easing him down onto it.
Squall's breathing stopped as he was breached and stretched and filled. He distantly felt Cloud's hand stroking his thighs and cheek as Squall focused on lowering himself as painlessly as possible, he groaned internally as he was entirely filled, resting on Cloud's lap and finally drawing deep breaths again.
He grinned breathlessly when he sensed through his closed eyes how his mate fussed and tended to him, rubbing his lower back to ease the tension, nuzzling against his cheek with half-whispered nothings falling from his lips until Squall had adjusted to the intrusion.
Squall cupped Cloud's face and kissed him, battling for dominance with his tongue until he won. Smirking he pressed several shorter kisses to those slightly swollen lips and guided Cloud's hands down his body to his hips. "Ready?"
Cloud laughed and answered with his body.
Honestly, Squall couldn't recall when he had grasped a handhold in the roof of their tiny cave again, when he'd started using the leverage to impale himself as Cloud thrust his hips up and into him. All he knew was that it helped him feel good. He moaned loud, unabashed and needy and distantly confused as to how he had ever been hesitant or disturbed by this physical connection when he felt so good. His blood sang stars burst behind his eyelids, he felt like he was being burned alive and yet he couldn't stop shivering.
He met his lover's eyes when Cloud began to guide his hips down in different angles, he knew what was coming, he gratefully pressed an open mouthed kiss to Cloud's throat before his mind drew blank as Cloud's member hit his prostate. He shuddered, overwhelmed and their rhythm stalled with his choked gasp.
His lover chuckled affectionately and helped him through the first few overwhelming waves with a hand pressing against the nape of his neck, Squall shivering and eagerly tilting his hips for more. More pleasure, more of Cloud. Squall was half sure he'd called his mate's name, but he was overwhelmed, Cloud kissed over his heart though so … perhaps he had …
Their skin was damp with spots of sweat, their breathing ranging from harsh to heavy, Squall's hair was a mess from the frequent pulls and tugs it received, Cloud's chest was steadily gaining bite marks and bruises. Cloud left a mark over his heart as Squall felt his body begin to tense, he gasped a warning before Cloud groaned in relief and lowered his hand to palm the head of Squall's erection, intending to finish them both off.
Squall forced his tiring legs to rise and fall faster as their exhausted ache additionally gained a familiar one, Cloud's erection slid in deeper and his hands on his body were ecstasy. He came not long after, Cloud's name on his lips but no further as Cloud swallowed his moan in a kiss, parting once to whisper Squall's name and then came himself, Squall panting and recovering in his arms.
Sore and tired, aching in all the best ways, they laid back on their furs, Squall shifting to free Cloud from his body before relaxing.
The sun was reaching into their little cave now, it shimmered across Cloud's skin. Squall's attention was drawn there again.
He ran a hand across Cloud's new collection of bite-bruises and frowned at the beads of sweat shining like pearls on his mate's skin. "We should really think about bathing soon," he commented, admiring the sheen the perspiration gave his lover, he looked like some kind of stained glass angel come to life.
He hadn't seen many beautiful things in his life, no arts or fine books, but sunsets and autumns and stained glass still had nothing on the man beside him. He was so lovely, so warm, so real …
Blue eyes met grey, and the owner of Blue smiled softly, "I like you smelling like me." His nose predictably touched the crook of Squall's neck, inhaling luxuriously and following the smell with a playful lick. "Smells like I've claimed you in every position possible," he grinned.
Squall rolled his eyes, and bluntly reminded him that he had in fact done that. He'd been keen to be all over him, not that Squall protested at all since he could give as good as he got. "I don't mind the scent, but I am sticky."
Cloud made a face as he sat up, wolf or not he was human and his body liked some sensations over others- stickiness was not one of them. "Yeah, there is that I suppose …" he tilted his head up and inhaled deeply, "I think there's a stream nearby … or pool," he rubbed his nose a little and grinned, "Weird, all I keep drawing back to is you."
Squall smiled. He stretched too, pressing a hand between Cloud's shoulder blades affectionately before he stood outside their den, groaning in the harsh light of day and the pains in his muscles. It looked like noon, perhaps just past noon, and forest life and village life would be in full swing. Both seemed far away as he held a hand out to Cloud. The blond wrapped his cloak around his shoulders to cover him, nuzzling his nose playfully before indicating their destination, the blond nothing short of an exhibitionist as he led the way.
Must be his inner wolf, they were never clothed, Squall mused as he admired the view. He resisted Cloud's tugging on his hand to walk side by side to keep his eyes on his fine ass – not that he'd ever admit it.
Cloud jumped ahead in the final few meters to splash into the pool, it didn't look deep, it came up to Cloud's mid-thigh. It was surrounded by a bank and a few rocks from the mountain face, tracks indicated that it was a rarely used resource. Squall knelt and spotted bird prints instead of hooves and paws, nodding as the clues made sense.
In the middle of the water, the blond sat down as best he could and rubbed his body all over while his teeth chattered. "Guardians this is cold!" he yelped.
Squall laughed and paced in after him, leaving the red cloak hung up on a tree. He kneeled in the water too and sighing as the chill washed all traces of stickiness off of his skin. It chased up his muscles and made them twitch, it even felt like it was cooling his breath! But Cloud was right, it was icy.
Feeling brave, he ducked his head under the surface and squeezed out the water, bearing the icy trickles with closed eyes and meditative breathing. He repeated several times until he was sure his hair was clean, Cloud's fingers came to help partway through, rubbing against his scalp and the skin of his nape as firmly as he dared.
He heard Cloud mutter a few times, his hands anxiously trying to keep Squall warm as the icy watch fell from the crown of his head to his waist. Cloud gathered Squall's hair into fists and squeezed, water ran down his arms and out of Squall's unruly mane. Cloud smiled, tucking several strands behind Squall's ear.
"Your hair is getting long."
Squall pulled at a random strand to test its length and blinked in surprise, "I didn't notice."
"It's very uneven at the back, do you cut it yourself?" Cloud asked, rubbing warmth into Squall's shoulders again.
Thankful that his mate's body was warmer than average, he answered "Yes." Squall recalled Matron doing it when he was younger and tidying it up after he began to cut it himself. Squall wasn't one for dwelling on appearances, but he couldn't help but ask, "Is it bad?"
His lover's arms linked over his chest, "No, I like it, it's … a bit wild. Are you going to let it grow longer?" he wondered, nuzzling into the damp strands affectionately.
"It might get in the way …" Squall mused, unsure if he'd like it that way, wondering if it would make him look too similar to Irvine.
"So cut it out of your eyes," the wolf suggested, shuffling around to look him in the eye, he pulled at his own hair "If I don't keep mine short it starts to look ridiculous, it just keeps growing spiky." He held a hand above his head to indicate just how long they must have gotten for him to draw that conclusion.
Squall snorted.
Cloud grinned at his laughter and stood up to sit at the water's edge "I'm freezing my balls off here, you've got to be cold too." He took Squall's hands, intending to lead Squall back to their den, but Squall had other ideas and pinned the blond against the tree where his red cloak hung innocently.
"Red?"
Cloud blinked up at Squall as the brunet's hands moved in small circles over his body, enticing and lowering and growing hot. Squall loved the lidded look Cloud gave him once he realised what he intended. Squall licked over Cloud's lips dominantly, delving inside as Cloud moaned against him. "I'll warm you up," he promised before his mouth got really busy.
Later, well into the evening after they had exhausted themselves until they couldn't get another rise if they tried, their thoughts moved from the pleasant haze of sex and afterglows to other things.
Squall sighed to himself, Cloud pushed his bangs from his eyes to ask what was on his mind and Squall answered; "I was thinking that I should be going back, back to the village." He had been gone several days, even if Edea was covering for him people would notice his absence. Gossips would chatter over barters and between work, neighbours would whisper, damn it, even Rinoa might find a reason to work up another fuss. It would be so much trouble for him, and it would only get worse the longer he waited.
Cloud's hands tightened on him, but he nodded too, "My pack will be wondering where I am … I haven't even howled these three days, nearly four." His hands hadn't loosened on his mate, though. Squall felt the same way, the silent protest against splitting up.
"I wish you could come with me," Cloud murmured, nuzzling Squall's chest sadly. Squall held him tighter and wished the same. Cloud couldn't follow him to the village, and Squall would never want him to. Winhill village life wouldn't be kind to Cloud, and he couldn't go to the pack of wolves … the woods were their only refuge, and yet it was one that they couldn't stay in. It was unfair.
"Will they be able to tell that you've mated?"
"Definitely. Your scent is all over me, plus I'm limping so even if my pack's noses weren't so sharp it would be easy to tease the truth out of me," he grinned, his sharp chin pressing into Squall's breastbone with an expression of glee, "But they won't have to. I'm going to make sure everyone knows, I'll flaunt the fact that I've got the best mate." He received a flick to the nose for his ridiculousness, but he preened under the small swat like he'd been praised.
Still smiling like the cat that got the cream, he snuggled back against Squall's chest and hummed soothingly, sensing his mate's uncertainty and tension. "Kisses for your thoughts?" he asked.
Squall had accepted two before he spoke, "I don't want you to go."
Eyes soft, Cloud leaned in for a deeper, slower kiss that melted most of Squall's bones. He pressed their foreheads together as Cloud whispered, "I'll come back. Nothing can keep me from seeing you again now … I'll sing to you every night we're apart to remind you that I'm coming back."
Smirking, Squall asked, "Is that going to be our little secret way of talking to each other?"
"You still need some practice," Cloud corrected airily, "All wolves do it talk to each other, but mine will always be for you." He rolled off of Squall, much to Squall's disappointment, and pointed up at the darkening mountaintops "You can't see from here, but there's a ridge higher than the rest of them on the mountain, and it's the only place a howl can reach your village clearly. Everywhere else echoes off the mountain and is swallowed by the woods."
Cloud snuggled back into Squall's side "I'll go up there every day I'm not with you to tell you I miss you."
Squall smiled "That's very persistent of you." But what he meant was Thank you. Cloud must have known, his hand rested against Squall's heart and stayed there as they slept.
Thanks for your comments, please leave another.
Pardon the fact this is late- Strifehart Week 2k16 took over and I was behind on this story for a long time. Plus, if you follow my Tumblr you would have seen my drawings, and know that I'm trying to plan a new series. It's slowing my story down but I'm not going to give up on it! I've put too much thought into this to leave it high and dry!
thequalityrunaway DOT tumblr DOT COMpany/ post/141026879897/i-remember-you-his-friend-stayed-with-him-that - FANART! For chapter 15 (go look at it! Cloud's naked XD)