Author's Note: This fanfic is metaphorically sponsored by Trojan: Pleasure you want. Protection you trust.
Chapter 21: Rubbers
Beep. Beep. Beeeeeep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeep…
A high-pitched noise repeatedly sounded off close by. Lying on his stomach with one arm under him, Cloud stirred from his dormant state. Half of his face was smothered by a pillow; dried spit streaked down one cheek. A low groan came out of him. Clearing his scratchy throat, the neck itched and ached at certain spots. His watery eyes stung when he opened them. They burned with that annoying sensation that came from waking up too early. Cloud wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand. He tried to make sense of his surroundings but darkness consumed everything. Where was he?
Fatigue and disorientation prevented Cloud from instantly recognizing the source of the beeping sounds. It was his phone alarm. One hand reached into his jacket's pocket, mildly amused he still wore it. Fingers roamed about until they found a button. Killing the alarm, Cloud rolled onto his back with a sigh. Metal coils squeaked. Its sound reminded him of the flimsy mattress back in his apartment. The uneven lumps across the surface under him felt painfully familiar. As he drew in breath, the heaviness and sour milk-like stench in the air confirmed his suspicions.
He was… home?
His hand blindly reached for a lamp that usually sat beside his makeshift bed. Once Cloud felt a chain in his grip, he pulled down on it. Light instantly filled the dark space, revealing a very familiar apartment located on the upper floor of El Palacio.
Cloud stared up at the pattern of web-like cracks on his ceiling while his body struggled against the drowsy effects of hibernation. The lack of a morning sun in the Slums always made it difficult to visually determine whether it was night or day. Ongoing muffled chatter from next door neighbors and blaring television sets, as well as the scraping sounds of skateboards outside, indicated it was early. Cloud wondered how long he had been out. Hours? A day? Both thumbs massaged the temples of his throbbing head while he tried to piece himself together again.
Recalling how he got home proved problematic. Cloud couldn't remember the trip back to his apartment building. He still wore the clothes he left with prior to his outing, except for the boots. The lethargic teenager eventually spotted them by the side of his mattress; their shoelaces neatly tied. Mentally replaying the events that happened at an earlier time, Cloud knew he had attended class. That occurred before his meeting with Jessie. Sometime after that, he got a call from his PHS.
On the mattress, Cloud's body stiffened in memory of that call. He stopped touching the temples of his head. Hands dropped to his sides as he lay still. Memories slipped into his mind, one after another.
Spirals of light. A purple-filtered playroom. Mechanical cackles from a life-sized doll. Shimmered green eyes. Ivory skin covered in red. Forbidden words that both excited and disturbed the senses. The nerves under Cloud's skin tingled and grew warm when more details arose from his now conscious state – show me your despair. Briefly rubbing his sore neck, the boy propped himself up by the elbows. He checked his phone and hoped to find a message waiting for him. Perhaps it'd explain how he got here.
There were several missed calls from his mother – damn, he forgot to call her – but nothing from the silver-haired Host that accompanied him during his crazy outing. Chewing on his fatty lower lip, Cloud noted the date and time today and discovered it was a Sunday. He'd been asleep for several hours. The time read twenty minutes passed eight in the morning. His alarm must've been ringing for a long time since he originally set it to go off at six. Recalling this, the rugged boy sat up. He stared at the date again. His mouth gaped. Immediately, Cloud bolted out of his bed.
"Crap!" came the first colorful word from his mouth.
He was over two hours late for his morning shift.
On his feet, Cloud stripped off his jacket and top. His head spun from sudden vertigo but he stayed standing and raced to the closet, nearly tripping in the process. "Damn it, damn it, damn it…"
Odd combinations of words spilled out of the youth's lips while he yanked his Chocobo Chow uniform off a hanger. Somewhere in the background, Cloud heard a tapping sound on his window. Ms. Tinker, he realized. She had come home from her own adventures. His stupid pet now pawed at the glass and whined from the emergency stairway, demanding to come in for her breakfast. Cloud sighed. He opened the window to let the dog in and tossed leftovers from his mini-fridge at her, anything to shut her up. Then he phoned his workplace while slipping on his trousers with a free hand.
After a few rings, someone picked up from the other line. Mr. Mukki's voice exploded in Cloud's ear. "Bubby! Mukki was wondering where you were! Everything okay?"
Recalling how lit and shit-faced he got last night, the teen didn't want to admit he accidentally slept in after a wild night of partying hard with a Host. Instead, he mumbled, "Sorry, Mr. Mukki, I didn't hear my alarm go off." Cloud fumbled to get his belt through the pants' loops and added, "I didn't realize how late it was until I woke up."
"Oh my, bubby. Mukki thought something serious happened; Mukki was about to phone you. So glad everything is okay though. You had Mukki worried, bubby."
"Sorry about that, sir. I'm heading to the train station right now. I should be there in an hour."
"Ah, bubby, no worries. It's a slow day. Go ahead and take the day off."
Cloud stopped midway in buttoning his disheveled shirt. "Uh… what?"
"Mukki got the rookies on your station, bubby, so you're covered. Gotta break them in some day."
Worried the rookies would burn the entire place down, Cloud still pressed, "You sure…?"
"Yeah, bubby. You've never requested a day off before. And you've never been late – this is a first. Go ahead and enjoy the day off, bubby. You sound like you could use one."
Upon hearing those last words, Cloud reactively cleared his scratchy throat.
"Of course, if you want the hours you can still come in," Mr. Mukki offered.
Cloud contemplated for a moment. While he wanted a good paycheck this week, getting to enjoy a day off sounded even better, especially when he felt totally out of it right now. He relaxed his shoulders. "Um, thanks, Mr. Mukki. I think I'll stay home. Gonna get some rest, y' know?"
"No problem, bubby. Mukki hopes you feel better. See you tomorrow!"
"Thanks." Flipping his PHS shut, Cloud puffed out air.
His eyes still itched from lack of good sleep. He also realized his undershirt was on backwards. Cursing to himself, Cloud wanted to go back to bed and spend his free day sleeping, smoking a bowl, yanking off, and watching missed episodes of his favorite shows. It'd be a carefree lazy day. Of course, it didn't take him long to remember he had a shit-ton of things to do. Call mom. Study for the exams. Complete Mr. Bugenhagen's assignment. Hit the gym. Call mom. Fine-tune his swordsmanship. Buy groceries. Take his daily run. Call mom. And figure out what to wear for his date.
His date… Damn. It was tonight. 8 o' clock. Cloud peered into his closet. Not much was in there to wear, save for his uniforms and a few ragged items. Most of his clothes had been tossed into the dirty bin.
Despite feeling groggy and not in the mood, Cloud opted to start the day by doing the laundry. Tidying up the place would've been added on his to-do list as well but everything looked organized enough. All the books and training equipment typically scattered across his floor had been set aside. The dishes were washed and stacked. Even his clutter of canned food on a shelf appeared lined in orderly fashion, each spaced evenly apart. Their food labels all faced the same direction – when had he done that?
Ms. Tinker wagged her tail as she continued eating her breakfast. Once in a while she sniffed the air, as if alerted by something. Then she went back to chowing down on two-days-old Chocobo tenders. Undoing the buttons of his shirt, Cloud walked passed her. He entered his bathroom to properly wash his face and take a shower. Ditching his PHS and belt on a shelf, he stripped off his uniform and tossed it into the clothes bin to wash with the rest of today's laundry.
The morning piss he took required a good minute or two. It indicated how much he drank last night. He had also smoked some powerful shit that left his mouth dried and full of cotton. Cloud inwardly laughed at his own recklessness, strangely feeling a sense of accomplishment from it. He shook his pecker a few times to clear it of piss drops before flushing the toilet. Then he washed his hands at the nearby sink.
The bathroom mirror, covered with aged black spots, reflected his pale complexion and cracked lips. It confirmed what he already suspected: he looked like shit. Yesterday's outing had left him with bags under his crusted eyes and a white lining around the mouth. Cloud bent down and took many sips of cold water directly from the faucet. Then he splashed his face several times. Thankfully, his earlier disorientation waned enough for him to see clearer. Last night's mako-laced cannabis had long left his system too, keeping his vision absent of any bizarre green lights – thank the gods. He became more coherent despite a nagging headache.
Applying white paste on a toothbrush, Cloud spent several minutes tending to his teeth. He scrubbed off any nasty gunk left behind from last night. As he tilted his head side-to-side for a better angle, a peculiar detail on the mirror's reflection caught his attention. The hand brushing his teeth slowed down. Foamed at the mouth with toothpaste, Cloud paused when he discovered marks around his neck. There were several of them. His expression contorted to a look of confusion. After rinsing his mouth with water and spitting out toothpaste, Cloud got closer to the mirror.
He'd initially dismissed the marks as black spots from the mirror. However, his teeth tapped together once he realized what they were: bruises. They were bruises.
Slowly tracing one of them with a thumb, Cloud softly hissed. The purplish patches of skin still felt tender to the touch. He followed the shape of a hand print that was bigger than his. It didn't take him long to remember how he got these bruises. Even now, he could feel a pair of smooth and slim hands wrapped around his neck as well as the rapid pulse of his own heartbeat. He could still hear his voice too: Shall I… enlighten you more?
Sephiroth… Tall, dark, and beautiful Sephiroth. He was a man made into a boy; a boy made into a man.
Cloud breathed out. He gripped the edges of the sink. His mind pieced together the Host's other actions and words but drew a blank once he reached the point where he had passed out. Sephiroth's soft humming was the last sound he'd heard. His tender notes lulled him to sleep; warm hands still on him.
Snatching the PHS off the shelf, Cloud checked his electronic device again for further clues as to what else happened last night. He had taken plenty of photos during the carnival outing with his Host. To his surprise and disappointment, however, the photos were gone. It was the same for the text messages. Cloud stared at his phone's blank screen a moment longer.
A password prevented anyone else from screwing with his PHS. No one but him knew that password. Yet, every photo he had taken at the carnival was erased. It couldn't have been him. No matter how shitfaced he got last night, there was no way he would've wanted to delete them. Someone else did this. With a long drawn-out sigh, Cloud snapped his phone shut. He recalled his talk with Zack yesterday, back when he nearly pissed himself while trapped inside a coffin.
The raven-haired youth had mentioned the importance of LOVELESS' exclusion. The Hosts took great measures in ensuring the club's secrecy from outsiders. Cloud concluded all evidence related to last night was deleted for this purpose. This explanation didn't make him feel any better though. The fact one of the Hosts successfully hacked into his phone felt disturbing enough. Furthermore, what was the point of giving him back his phone last night? Why did they let him take pictures at all if someone was going to erase them anyway? At a loss for words and annoyed, Cloud tossed his PHS back on the shelf.
All that remained now were the memories; memories laced with intense emotions and sensations he'd never encountered before. Lips formed into a thinner shape as Cloud stared at his image on the mirror again. If not for the bruises, he would've thought last night was a dream. Perhaps it still was. Perhaps he was asleep, dreaming within a dream. Cloud peered closer at his reflection. He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes.
"Are you real?" he asked the other Cloud. "Or am I? Which of us resides in the fantasy?"
A low throaty laugh bounced off the bathroom walls after a long moment of silence. Cloud scoffed at himself, feeling stupid and pathetic right now.
His abdominal scar itched, as it typically did on dried cool days like this. Even after all these years the wound was still remodeling itself. Mending itself. Scratching it, the scar grimly reminded the boy of his mortality and limits as well as the unmerciful nature of life. It consisted of big wolves that devoured the weak. He knew right then and there that he was the real Cloud: only he carried all the burdens and despair of the real world. Accepting this truth, the Nibel native pulled away from the mirror.
Cloud got the water running in the bathtub's showerhead shortly. Steam rose and fogged his immediate surroundings. He stepped inside the rusted tub and pulled the shower curtain around him. The first jets of hot water hit him hard and fast. His freckled skin turned to a harsh pink color. Cloud didn't mind. He welcomed the brutal sensation. It made him feel again.
The sound of his neighbors yelling was heard over the rush of running water. Cloud ignored them while he spread shampoo over his hair. It was getting long again. He debated on getting it cut before his date. With a bit of Gil, he could hire a decent hairstylist to give him one of those popular city-boy cuts. He could look chic for once. The rural teen ultimately decided against it though. Appearing to Jessie with a strange new haircut came at the risk of looking stupid in it.
Thoughts of the car mechanic inevitably made Cloud anxious over tonight's affairs. His fingers scraped across his scalp more aggressively. He already confirmed their seats for tonight's show and hoped Jessie didn't mind sitting all the way at the back. He also hoped she liked Wutai fast food at the Lucky Wu Diner. It was all he could afford with his limited budget. These setbacks weren't the only concerns plaguing his mind right now, however. Something else bothered him.
Overhearing the couple next door yell again, Cloud wondered if tonight's match-up was a good idea. He had initially offered to go out with Jessie because she fixed him up on the night of his fight. She was also a sweet girl with similar tastes, great personality, and a nice body. They got along fine – brilliantly, in fact – and nearly went all the way yesterday. Everything seemed headed in the right direction.
So what was wrong?
Cloud absently stared at the drainage between his feet. His head bowed, the shower's water rinsed the shampoo off his hair and collected at that suction point. The soapy water spun and spun. As Cloud watched the small whirlpool, he grew frustrated with himself. There was nothing wrong with Jessie. She had a kind and beautiful spirit. Her warm aura reminded him of Tifa's. She wasn't the problem. He was.
As always, it was in his nature to overthink things, fail to be happy, and be a royal pain in the ass to everyone, including those he cared about. Cloud felt like a malfunctioned toy in need of a repair job.
After washing his hair, the lowly teen ran a bar of ivory soap over his arms and legs. Cloud scrubbed off the filth he'd accumulated since last night. Sensitive parts received extra attention. This bath obviously lacked all the extravagance and finesse of the one he shared with his silver-haired Host yesterday. There were no mirrors or freakish mannequins or sterile whiteness here. Nothing grand. Just cracked walls, leaky pipes, and a water-stained ceiling. Admittedly, Cloud missed the scent of vanilla and rose in the air.
A small scoff escaped from the boy's mouth. It was so unlike him to get involved with a Host. He initially laughed at the concept of paid lovers when Ele' first mentioned it to him awhile back. Now he was bound to one by contract. Their arrangement seemed simple enough: fulfill whatever desire Sephiroth demanded of him. In exchange, the Host would give him his company.
Rubbing his neck with soap, Cloud envisioned his silver-haired companion. He pictured Sephiroth's exotic features and peculiar mannerisms. The Host's hands wrapped around him again. Choking him. Bringing him close to death. Bringing him close to absolution.
Their intimate encounter last night still resonated in the teenager, bringing with it a mixture of anxiety, dread, and excitement. Sephiroth nearly choked the life out of him. Yet, the action gave Cloud an adrenaline-rush that subsequently killed the numbness swelling within him for all these years. The crude act reminded the Nibel native of his own existence. It forced him to breathe again.
Pathetic how drastic measures like that needed to be taken to feel anything these days, Cloud thought while he set the bar of soap on its designated tray. His slippery hands scrubbed at the neck one more time. Admittedly, he hated himself for feeling this way. Life would've been so much better if he could go a morning without feeling empty and insignificant inside; a day he didn't drown in despair.
Here in Midgar, the human spirit died a gruesome death, either from shitty economic situations, indifference, or broken dreams. The human heart was fragile and susceptible to influence. Thus, Cloud knew he was not alone in his misery. Misery fucking loved company, especially in this age of technological mako-enhanced enlightenment. Chumps like him could only find solace in far-fetched dreams, chemicals, junk food, blow jobs, online texts, and late-night TV-show binges. No wonder the older farts felt his generation was a lost cause, bound to die off fast and young and in a blaze of glory.
While Cloud did not want to concede to his own dark thoughts, he had only felt alive and awake in Sephiroth's presence. His terrible angel brought him salvation in the form of pain and pleasure. Closing his eyes now, Cloud touched his neck again. He convinced himself it was only to massage the bruises there. Nevertheless, fingers wrapped around his neck one-by-one.
The bruises still felt sensitive but Cloud applied pressure on himself anyway. He clasped at the neck in the same manner Sephiroth had done last night. The Host's words echoed in his mind. Choke me. Destroy me. Tighter. Show me your despair. I can take it. Cloud's other hand lingered below. It traveled down the landscape of smooth-shaped abdominal muscles until it reached the bulky mass between his legs. He stirred it to life.
Already, the pulse beat more. Cloud could feel the heat emanate and intensify throughout his body. He wanted to achieve that high again; he wanted to recapture that curious and terrifying moment between Sephiroth and him. Pain with pleasure. Cloud's own efforts weren't enough though. His administrations felt sloppy and poorly timed. Not only did he have trouble simultaneously focusing on two actions, but he reactively loosened his grip whenever he needed air or got too greedy with his hand strokes. Cloud reluctantly let go of his neck, feeling disappointed by his shortcomings and results.
Outside of his shower, the PHS went off. Cloud emitted a low sigh. He wanted to spend a few minutes beating off to the mental image of Sephiroth's body but forced himself to turn off the shower to check the caller. His still-throbbing erection wobbled as he slid the curtain aside and got out of the tub.
The PHS still ringing, Cloud wondered if it was Sephiroth. Was he ready to talk about last night? Schedule a meeting? Putting a towel around his slim waist, Cloud padded to his PHS as fast as he could but bit his lower lip once he learned it wasn't his Host. He answered the caller anyway.
"Hey Kyle…"
"I heard you were off today," the street rat's voice came through loud and clear. Cloud could hear Kyle's Wutai-Pop music playing in the background. "Tsk, tsk… Shame on you for not telling me."
Cloud frowned. He leaned against the sink and blankly stared at the stiff budge that poked from under his towel, still feeling sensitive. "Mr. Mukki just gave me the day off like twenty minutes ago. Word gets out fast. Are you spying on me again, asshole?"
"Maybe."
"You mean 'yes'."
"I have well-placed sources that give me twenty-four-seven Intel," Kyle explained himself.
"Lemme guess: Wedge got jealous that Mr. Mukki gave me the day off and immediately texted you to whine about it." Cloud scratched his chin. The small uneven stubbles of fair blond hair there irritated him. He searched for an electric razor in the mirror's cabinet.
"Yep. Pretty much. I think the rolly-polly figured you were with me already and wanted to passive-aggressively put you on the guilt-trip."
"Prick." Cloud found his electric razor. With a flick of a switch, it buzzed to life and he began to shave. Over the noise, he spat, "He's probably throwing a hissy fit at the fryer station right now, talking shit behind my back with Biggs."
"Naturally." Kyle chuckled on the other line. "Hey, what's that buzzing sound? You using a vibrator? While on the phone with me? Oooh, kinky. I like it!"
"I'm shaving, idiot."
"Way to ruin my fantasy. You want me to come over? I can help you shave your balls."
Cloud sighed. "Kyle. It's too early in the day for me to kick your ass, so do yourself a favor and shut up."
The laughter at the other end grew louder. Kyle nearly choked. He coughed several times. "Fiiiine. You're no fun. How about I bring over my best stash instead? We can get lit and play with each other's boy parts. Does that sound better?"
"Sounds fantastic," admitted Cloud, briefly glancing down at his hard-on. "However, I got a date tonight. I have nothing to wear for it so I need to do the laundry. I also gotta call mom. She's likely pissed we didn't talk yesterday or worried I'm lying dead in an alleyway somewhere. Some other time, okay?"
"Ouch. Mommy issues." The sound of Kyle loudly snorting – likely blue dust, Cloud guessed – was heard. His words came out slurred and hurried when he suggested, "Hey, let's meet at Wall Market."
"Huh?"
"Today," Kyle clarified in a higher pitched voice. "Right now. This moment. Let's get together."
"What for?" Cloud slowly brought the electric razor up from under his chin. "I already told you I'm gonna be busy."
"Because if I know you, which- I-totally-do, you'll likely wear jeans and a t-shirt for your date."
At this, Cloud stopped shaving and made a face. "What's wrong with jeans and a t-shirt?"
A grunt-like sound echoed back to him. "Hopeless. You're hopeless sometimes, Cloud. What is this, a cheap-ass date? Are you taking her to Chocobo Chow for dinner too?"
"No. The Lucky Wu Diner."
"Mother of Shiva's Tits, that's terrible!"
"What's wrong with the Lucky Wu Diner?" Cloud demanded to know, frowning.
"Eeeeverything," Kyle shot back. "This girl deserves better than that. You need to step up your game, Cloud. You like this girl. Don't you?"
Cloud hesitated before answering his question.
"Well…?" continued Kyle. "Don't you?"
Despite going out with a great girl, Cloud was filled with the usual questions and doubts that previously ruined his other potential interests. He honestly couldn't decide whether he felt anxious or excited about his get-together with Jessie. The more Cloud thought about it, however, the more worried he got over the possibility that Jessie would be disappointed in knowing the real him. Or worse, expect more out of their date. Like a relationship.
The closes thing to a relationship Cloud ever had was with a lady twice his age from the Plate. He was fifteen at the time. The sex had been great, often serving as the focal point of their interactions. But the relationship itself lasted just a few months. They had little in common and Cloud eventually grew tired of being treated as some trophy boy-toy from the Slums. Like so many well-off Midgar City residents, his Ex sought out a young impressionable lover for vanity and status purposes. She was also more in love with the idea of being with a pretty boy from the Slums than actually being in love with him.
Their breakup proved uneventful, perhaps even trivial. When he finally worked up the nerve to call the whole thing off, there were no tears from his Ex. No yelling. No spiteful words. Just a smile and a 'good luck' and a 'call me if you wanna fuck some time'. He never did call her back.
"I think I like her…" Cloud at last answered back, as honestly as possible. His jaw danced.
"You think so?" Kyle paused. The music from his line got quieter, as if he'd just turned down the volume. "Sheesh, Cloud, you can be pretty indecisive sometimes. You can't decide which way to go. Or with who."
With a low growl, Cloud went back to shaving. He grazed the side of his face and muttered, "First of all, it's only a date. Second, you're the one who told me to cut loose and test the waters. And third, shut up. You're just as indecisive as I am. Maybe worse."
"Too true…" Kyle laughed at his level of accuracy. "I told you how much we're alike."
Cloud chuckled and smiled along.
In Midgar, they both learned that getting romantically involved with anyone was about as meaningful as choosing what shoes to wear for the week. Many, like his Ex, preferred a fresh new pair. Others, like Kyle, couldn't settle for one set. It was because of this Cloud put little stock in the silly romantic notions his mother raised him on – soul mates, one true love, and all that jazz. Those concepts meant nothing in the city; they led only to heartache or disappointment. Cloud needed to evolve and go beyond his mother's outdated traditions and beliefs. He had signed a contract with a Host partly because of that.
Unfortunately, now that he was going out with Jessie tonight, he had trouble shaking off his current mindset. He hoped to suppress his doubts, anxieties, and questions long enough to have a good time.
"You stocked up, by the way?" Kyle later inquired.
Cloud knew what he meant by that question. He sent the electric razor down the side of his neck to catch any hair there. "No. I was thinking about heading to the Pharmacy for that. But… maybe it's not a good idea. I still don't know how I feel about Jessie. Going all the way with her tonight might give her the wrong idea about us. I think I'll just play things in the straight and narrow tonight."
"It's still a good idea to get stocked up. Meet me at Wall Market, okay?"
"What the hell for?" repeated Cloud his previous question from earlier. He still didn't know why Kyle wanted to see him right now. Thankfully, he didn't have to wait long for an explanation.
"I'm going to help you pick out a nice outfit at the Boutique. You're going to dress like a gentleman, not some trailer-trash white boy from the Slums."
Offended by that description, Cloud quietly quipped, "I'm not getting anything expensive."
"Spoken like a true cheapskate."
Cloud rolled his eyes and removed the last patches of fine hairs on his face. He shut the device off.
"We'll meet at the Pharmacy," Kyle reminded him, "Call me when you get there. I'll give you a fat bud and royally suck you off if you actually show up and don't act like a hillbilly hick in the Boutique."
"I m'ake no pro'mises," Cloud said, using the most exaggerated Nibelheim accent he could use. He clicked off his phone as soon as the other boy hung up.
Wasting Gil on an outfit he'd use only once seemed like a stupid idea. Unfortunately, once the street rat set his mind on something it was impossible to change it. Cloud left the bathroom and went through his closet to salvage whatever he could find to wear. Spending time with Kyle this afternoon actually wasn't a bad plan. Free smokes and a blowjob certainly sounded better than visiting his apartment's creepy-ass, mole-infested basement to do his laundry. It'd also relieve the tension he felt toward tonight's date.
Ultimately, Cloud ended up finding a vintage blue-and-white baseball jersey shirt with long sleeves and tanned cargo pants that had sewn patches all over. His attire looked thuggish but he didn't care. Ready to go, he scratched the back of Ms. Tinker's floppy ears before locking up and leaving his apartment.
On the way out of his residence, Cloud noted two peculiar things. The first was the landlord. Riding in the elevator together, Mr. Butch looked cheerier than the usual. He smiled and wished him a nice day. There was no mention of Ms. Tinker or any noise complaints. This baffled Cloud. Up until this point, Mr. Butch never had anything good to say to him. He constantly complained about something. But today? The landlord was all smiles and even held the elevator door for him when they got off on the first floor.
What the hell? Did Mr. Butch get laid or something?
The second peculiar thing Cloud found was a white-enclosed envelope in his mailbox. At the apartment's foyer, he stood by many rows of mailboxes. His hands held an envelope with his name on it. While there was no sender address included, a silver-marked elaborately designed insignia appeared on the back. Cloud removed a pocket knife from his boot and carefully sliced along an edge of the envelope. He discovered two tickets inside. Smelling of vanilla and rose, both of them were printed on fine textured paper. They offered admittance to an evening show.
"Loveless?" Cloud murmured to himself, reading the show's title on the tickets. His lips formed a thin line. He already bought tickets for this play.
While slightly disappointed by his findings, Cloud entertained the idea of using the additional Loveless passes for two friends. It would make tonight's date less awkward. On further inspection of the tickets, however, Cloud learned the location of this Loveless play was different from the one listed on his own passes. Sector 2. That was the Commercial District. Weird. Cloud wondered if it was a typo since Sector 2 consisted mostly of factories and the loading docks; not theaters or public venues for entertainment.
Factories and the loading docks…
Cloud recalled traveling through a meat factory to reach the LOVELESS Host club. He'd been blindfolded on his way there but heard the horns of distant airships and beeping sounds of active cranes. It must've been Sector 2. Scanning the tickets again for more information, Cloud blinked when he found a small handwritten note on the back of one of them. The cursive-written words appeared small and well-spaced out from each other: In case you want to see a different kind of show. – S
S… Cloud's breath caught midway up his throat. Instantly, he looked around the foyer, hoping to find a very unique man with very unique eyes close by. His Host had been here or, at least, sent the tickets to his mailbox. This explained how he woke up in his apartment this morning. Sephiroth knew where he lived and dropped him off. Cloud couldn't recall giving his enigmatic Host his home address though. Perhaps he had included that bit of information when he logged onto the LOVELESS website yesterday? He couldn't remember.
Cloud's eyes roamed his surroundings again to search for Sephiroth. Aside from another tenant checking her mail, no one else was here. He paused from the investigation when his PHS beeped. An incoming text message indicated that Kyle had just arrived at Wall Market and was heading to the Pharmacy to meet him there. Tucking the tickets inside his cargo pants, Cloud decided to leave the matter alone for now. He left the mailbox area and went through the apartment building's double doors.
Outside, the air felt chilly. Few people walked about. Some huddled close to the barrel pit fires. A group of kids used a large slab of fallen concrete from the Plate to test out their skateboarding skills. It seemed like an average day in the Slums. However, Cloud found himself surprised by the presence of a tall, well-dressed figure with wavy brunette hair straight ahead.
At the apartment's entrance gates, the young man stood with his back pressed against a long metal pole and held a fancy PHS model to his ear. The man was clean-shaven and donned dark sunglasses over his eyes. Cloud had never seen him before. His neighborhood usually consisted of the regulars; same tenants and same visitors. Given what little light there was in the Slums, Cloud thought it was silly of him to wear the shades, no matter how slick they looked. This guy obviously came from the Plate.
Hands in his pants' pockets, Cloud strolled passed him, catching a whiff of his pleasing lavender cologne along the way. He concluded the man was here to see a whore or dealer. That was usually the case for city-folks from the Plate. The teen paid him no mind and headed in the direction of Wall Market.
Like most of the shops in Wall Market, the Pharmacy was poorly lit and relatively small in size. Cracked walls and warped flooring indicated years of neglect. Little consideration was also given toward presentation. Aside from the tattered posters of promotional deals that lifelessly hung along the walls and windows, some shelves looked either too cluttered with inventory or too empty. Many items had yet to return to their assigned spots. This made it difficult for customers to find what they were looking for. Meanwhile, a sickly green color cast over the entire place due to low-set ceiling beams. They occasionally flickered on and off again and gave off a sterile, uninviting vibe.
Few people wandered through the establishment. Electro-funk tunes played from a vintage stereo at the counter close to the Pharmacy's entrance. There, a twenty-something clerk with unkempt shoulder-length hair sat and flipped through the pages of a smut magazine. His white overall uniform had wrinkles and grease spots all over. He bobbed his head to the colorful beats of the current song. No doubt, the young man had a shotgun hidden under his counter for would-be muggers and assaulters. He sat behind a large protective metal cage and noisily slurped up the contents of a half-gallon cup through a straw, not noticing the two boys making out in a dark corner.
Cloud and Kyle stood in a poorly lit aisle by themselves. Flanked by a row of feminine hygiene products and vitamin supplements, their lips repeatedly pressed together. Cloud kept his eyes closed. He held a red basket with one hand while the fingers of his other pulled at the nipple ring through Kyle's meshed blouse. As always, the street rat gave little fucks over suitable attire and showed as much skin and metal studs as he could. Kyle's lean-shaped thigh rubbed against the budge of Cloud's cargo pants. The Nibel boy breathed hard and fast. He didn't care if Kyle's baby-blue lipstick smeared all over his mouth while they kissed or that he tasted of cinnamon. Focusing only on the friction between his legs, he groaned when the other boy rolled his hips forward again and again, working his rigid shape to full potential.
"Something tells me you're in the mood to fuck," Kyle mentioned in between their kissing.
"I am…" Cloud whispered back. His stiffness still pressing along the other's thigh, he sighed when Kyle's fingers found their way to it, teasing its base. "You're a bad influence on me…"
"I know." The street rat chuckled. He watched Cloud's eyes flutter while he massaged him over the fabric of his pants. "I can make rabbits disappear, turn water into wine, and transform saints into sinners. For my next act, I'll make a modest country boy become a glorified city slut."
Cloud opened his eyes and made a face. "God, Kyle, you talk too much. Shut up."
"Make me."
Kyle stuck his pierced tongue deep into the other's mouth. Cloud swallowed it down. The metal of a stud grazed the roof of his orifice. Tasting Kyle, he found himself getting more worked up, more anxious. He couldn't wait to finish their business in Wall Market and head back to his place.
As they occupied the last aisle of the Pharmacy, the Nibel boy vaguely remembered why they were here. Cloud hoped his bolder and braver companion would assist him in acquiring a very essential item and spare him any embarrassment. But the lowly street rat clearly had other ideas in his head. They were the very thoughts that possessed Cloud's nether regions since this morning. The more they basked in each other's body warmth, the difficult it became for Cloud to keep his resolve.
Thankfully, the street rat pulled back. He withdrew his tongue but kept his hand on the other's hard-on. "Well?" Kyle started, "You doing this or what?"
Cloud's half-lidded eyes stared at him. Then he looked over Kyle's shoulder to check the front of the Pharmacy. The object he'd come for was in clear sight, inside the glassed case behind the clerk.
For Cloud, it seemed funny – and downright annoying – that condoms had to be heavily secured alongside heavy prescription pills and potentially lethal chemicals. The only way to acquire them was by request. Granted, such measures needed to be taken to prevent shoplifters from stealing them. Rubbers were among the top ten most stolen items. Even the city folks on the Plate had trouble protecting the protection. It still made Cloud's predicament awkward though.
"C'mon, you might as well get it over with." Kyle squeezed his tip. He visibly bit back a chuckle.
The dread of buying condoms in front of everyone in the store hit Cloud. He glanced back and forth between Kyle and the clerk. His voice drew quieter when he later offered, "How about you buy them for me? I'll give you… something in return; something you've been bugging me for a long time."
"Now that does sound promising…" the other boy admitted. Kyle stared directly at Cloud's lipstick-smeared mouth, understanding his words. However, a gleam appeared in his eyes. He presented a half-crooked smile. "But honestly? Seeing you suffer like this is more fulfilling. It's rare seeing you rattled by anything, let alone, by a box of rubbers. Ha!"
"Asshole." Cloud glowered back at him, tempted to punch him.
Kyle leaned in for another kiss. He clutched Cloud's erection harder, forcing the country-born boy to gasp. "The sooner you do this, the sooner we can get you a nice outfit. Then we can have some quality fun time."
His member throbbing in Kyle's hand, Cloud intently looked at the cabinet behind the counter again.
Despite being seventeen, Cloud had to constantly remind himself he was a man and shouldn't feel ashamed by this. His decision to stock up on condoms was a very responsible, very adult decision, no matter its taboo implications. That didn't settle the knotted tension that swelled in his belly, however.
"I still don't see the point," Cloud debated, wiping off the blue color on his lips with the back of a hand. "Like I said, we're not going to do anything. I'm worried it'll give Jessie funny ideas."
"It doesn't hurt to prepare for the unexpected though," advised Kyle. He released his grip on Cloud and took a step back. His hand reached for the weapon attached to his belt. Kyle held it up to the light. "I carry my nunchucks all the time. Doesn't mean I'm gonna use 'em. Know what I mean?"
Cloud nodded. He knew Kyle was right – as always. Too many boys their age ended up with a STD or became reluctant fathers because they left things to chance or assumed the worst would never happen. Taking precautions was a good idea. Even so, Cloud couldn't shake off this dreadful feeling eating at him.
"I don't want to hurt her," he mumbled. His eyes locked onto an empty spot on the floor. "I feel weird buying that shit. It kinda cements the possibility that we're going to do it tonight. I… don't want that, especially when we're fooling around like this. It wouldn't be fair to her."
Kyle reached out with his hand. He placed a strand of wild blond hair away from Cloud's flushed face. "You said it yourself: it's just a date. This isn't Nibelheim. The dating scene is a lot different here in the big city. It's more opened. More flexible. More relaxed. Lots of people take multiple partners at the same time to see which ones work. You two aren't even a couple so there's no need to fret over this."
Cloud already knew this too. A date was only a date. Sex was only sex.
He immediately thought of his silver-haired Host. Sephiroth had many lovers on the side. The man was beautiful, so of course he would. His Host likely shared the same mentality as everyone else in the city. Sephiroth didn't sound offended when he learned about his date. If anything, he had offered his client tickets for an exclusive Loveless show tonight. The knowledge of this irritated the country boy for some reason. Likewise, Cloud couldn't escape the gloomy feeling he felt when he thought about sleeping with Jessie tonight. She wasn't just a random girl he could test out: she was a cherished friend.
In the end, Cloud found himself still struggling against the silly romantic notions his mother had beaten into his head during his younger years. He was bound by funny concepts as devotion, consideration, and discipline. He needed to break out of that cycle if he was going to find happiness in Midgar. Treating it as a personal challenge for himself, Cloud felt determined to see his mission at the Pharmacy through.
"All right, time to do this…" he declared, either to Kyle or to himself; he didn't know which.
Standing in the middle of the aisle, Cloud tried to ignore any prying eyes close by; anyone ready to judge his personal business. He had already filled his basket with meaningless items to mask his true motives for coming here. Cloud stood still, however, when a mother and her lively five-year-old child entered his aisle from the other end. He promptly covered his budge with the basket and stood further away from Kyle. At the back of Cloud's mind, he wondered why they were even at the feminine hygiene section.
The older woman looked to be the same age as his mother. While she checked the selection of yeast infection ointments available to her, her child ran up and down the aisle and knocked over many boxes filled with sanitary pads. The awful girl screamed, spat on the floor, and stuck her tongue at her mother when she was told to behave. At one point, she ran up to Cloud and kicked him on his ankle. The little girl giggled while he winced. She scurried back to her mother before he had the chance to scold her.
"Little shit…" muttered Kyle nearby. "I'm never having kids."
Rubbing his ankle with a free hand, Cloud wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment.
Every once in a while the mother eyed Cloud from her spot, looking at him as if she knew exactly why he was here. He, in turn, stared into his basket, pretending to be too preoccupied with his inventory to notice. Already, he could picture Mrs. Strife shake her head, her steel-blue eyes piercing into his soul and giving him the ultimate Mother-Guilt-Trip.
Cloud instantly felt a wave of relief settle over him once the woman in the aisle moved on. She grabbed her rotten child by the hand and walked to another section of the Pharmacy. Cloud exhaled. Then he checked the front of the store again.
Up ahead, an elder man was ready to get rung up. The clerk behind the counter rolled his eyes as he set his magazine down. He yawned and scanned the old man's items.
"Any time this century would be great," Kyle joked to Cloud, staring at the same direction. "Seriously, it's not like you haven't bought them before. Go stand in line already."
The other boy gripped the handles of his basket tighter, still keeping it in front of his crotch. Most of the time, Cloud got his rubbers off Biggs; his coworker gave them away like lollipops. On the rare occasion Cloud had to purchase them himself, he made sure to stop by the Pharmacy near closing time when hardly anyone was around. The clerk behind the cage would usually be a sweet chubby girl who also gave him his motion sickness pills. She cracked jokes and always made him feel at ease. Unfortunately, she wasn't working today, just the snot-nosed bum in the cage. About the only reprieve Cloud got right now was the lack of customers.
Aside from the old man getting ready to leave at the check-out line, there was the mother and her bratty child, a late-aged woman with a cane, and… a sharply dressed man with sunglasses. Cloud frowned at this particular fellow. Currently texting on his PHS, he looked exactly like the guy he had encountered in his neighborhood earlier. In fact… it was him.
"He's hot," Kyle noted. He stood beside Cloud when he abruptly got quiet.
Seeing the suave man again seemed strange. Cloud chalked it up to coincidence. After all, Wall Market was a popular hotspot for Slum residents and Plate visitors alike. This guy probably stopped by the Pharmacy because the meds were considerably cheaper down here. However, the man held no basket on his person. His features also struck Cloud's curiosity the more he studied them. Despite the glasses hiding his eyes, his profile seemed irritatingly familiar.
That last thought came and went when the finely dressed man noticed Cloud and Kyle. He paused from his texting and locked eyes with the Nibel native. A small smile formed on his lips. Warmth spread across Cloud's face; the man really did have a nice smile. He observed him more and saw the handsome stranger raise his PHS at eye-level. The device flashed.
"Hey, I think that guy just snapped a picture of us," commented Kyle enthusiastically. He grinned and turned to Cloud. "He obviously likes what he sees, eh? Maybe he's looking for some three-way action."
Rolling his eyes, Cloud felt his skin grow warmer. He remained quiet. Upon closer observation, he saw the letter K imprinted on the man's phone sleeve. A bluish light gleamed from his dark shades but Cloud dismissed it as an odd light reflection from the Pharmacy's shitty ceiling beams. Straight ahead, the handsome man nodded at them. Then he turned away and ventured off to another aisle.
Weird, Cloud thought. He half-expected the pretty fellow to come over and talk to them after taking their picture. But it seemed all he wanted was a memento.
"Hey, now's your chance," Kyle suddenly said, redirecting his attention back to the front of the store. Up ahead, the clerk bagged the old man's purchases. The elder wobbled away from the counter. "Go get your shit. I'm gonna get that man's phone number for you."
"Don't," Cloud rejected. "We don't know who that guy is. He could be a creep."
Letting out a sigh, the other boy shook his head. "Your hardcore-country-boy upbringing is showing its ugly face again. Really, Cloud, you'll never live life to the fullest if you fear the possibilities and think every guy who takes an interest in you is a creep."
"You're interested in me and you're a creep," Cloud pointed out with a snort.
"I'm exceptional," Kyle corrected him and lightly smacked the back of Cloud's head. "Seriously, though, you need to relax. Enjoy the moment. Live it up a bit and maybe – just maybe – you'll stop looking like you're constipated all the damn time."
Cloud narrowed his eyes at Kyle's silly observation but did not rebuttal his main point. He agreed: he needed to stop overthinking things and go with the flow.
"Hurry up and talk to the clerk," urged Kyle as he walked away, following in the direction the handsome man disappeared to.
Cloud took Kyle's advice. Summoning the courage needed to approach the rugged fellow in the cage, he advanced toward the front of the Pharmacy. The current music pumped louder and harder; it matched the tempo of his heart's beat. His legs felt heavy but Cloud pushed onward anyway. He was determined to get over his personal anxieties, insecurities, and that infamous Nibel-Guilt-Complex that haunted every boy raised in the country side. When Cloud finally made it to the clerk's part of the store, he let out the air he'd unknowingly held in.
Stepping up to the counter, Cloud set his basket down near the man's cage. His eyes had trouble meeting the Pharmacy's associate. Only briefly did the blond-haired teenager try to peek at the selection of condoms in the case. He forgot the type he'd purchased last time. The white boxed ones? Blue? The clerk must've grown impatient with Cloud's silence. He spoke up in a loud, rough tone.
"What'cha need?" the clerk barked, not bothering to look up from his crude magazine. "You ready to check-out? Or what? I ain't got all day."
It took Cloud a moment to get his vocal cords to work again. Once he did, the words came out soft and uneven. "Um… I need a box of motion sickness pills."
He didn't need those, but it served as an excellent tactic in acquiring what he actually wanted.
"Eh?" The clerk flipped to the next page of his magazine. Electric guitars boomed from his stereo.
Running a hand through his locks of hair, Cloud did his best to keep his composure and not give the man a death stare. It was obvious the clerk wanted to be anywhere else but here right now. Working at Chocobo Chow for as long as he had, Cloud could relate to that sentiment. However, at this moment, his patience grew thin by his personal situation. He wanted to get this business over and done with fast.
In a louder, slower voice, Cloud repeated, "Motion. Sickness. Pills."
The man in the cage finally looked up from his magazine. A corner of his mouth drooped down. The eyebrows drew low. He stared at Cloud for a long moment. Then, without a word, he spun around in his chair. Its coils squeaked loudly as he rose to his feet and walked up to the cabinet a few feet away. Muttering a curse word, his keys jingled while he searched for the right one.
It didn't take long for the clerk to access the cabinet's contents. While he scanned through the large collection of pills and boxes there, Cloud noticed the well-dressed man in sunglasses again. He appeared at the corner of his eye; his PHS up to his ear as he talked to someone on the other line. They didn't make eye contact like before. In fact, the man walked passed Cloud without a glance his way.
Watching him leave through the Pharmacy's glassed doors, Cloud grew curious. This guy had spent a good amount of time here. Yet, he didn't purchase a thing. Odd.
Kyle trailed a few steps behind. Joining Cloud at the counter, he pressed his back against it and crossed his arms across his chest. The street rat's shoulders slouched. He sighed.
"That was fast," Cloud expressed with a scoff. "Did you scare him off with your charms?"
Kyle rewarded his snarky attitude with a middle finger. "No, I didn't, asshole. He had to leave and meet up with his friend right now. I didn't even get the chance to ask for his phone number for you."
"Not like I asked for it in the first place. Still, did you ask him why he took our photo?"
"Yeah, I did." Grinning, Kyle leaned closer to him. "Get this: the photo wasn't for him. It was for his friend." Noticing the perplexed look on Cloud's face, he elaborated, "Apparently, his friend has the hots for blond-haired guys with blue eyes but is kinda… reclusive? He doesn't come out often. Mr. Hottie, therefore, acts as his eyes. He checks out persons of interest on his behalf. Pretty intense, huh?"
"I guess…" Cloud replied slowly.
He wasn't sure whether to feel intrigued or disturbed by this news. This revelation meant the smartly dressed fellow had been following him all this time. His presence in the Pharmacy wasn't a coincidence. However, this still didn't explain why this guy appeared outside his apartment.
"I don't know about you, but that sounds kinda fucked up," expressed Cloud later. "Basically, that guy is a spy for his master. For all we know, his master is a serial killer looking for blond-haired, blue-eyed boys to kidnap and stuff behind his walls as trophies. We just got put on the menu."
"Hah, you would think that way," Kyle blurted in return with a glint in his eyes. He leaned further back against the counter and stared up at the ceiling. "But hey, if that's the case, I wonder which of us his master wants. You? Or me? If he's as cute as his servant, I'll happily volunteer myself as his victim."
Cloud couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed by Kyle's words. He already hated the comparisons made between them on previous occasions, mostly because it was obvious who the winner would be. There was no way he could compete with Kyle's charms, confidence, and good looks. The prideful side of the Nibelheim native hated this feeling of inferiority.
When the clerk returned with his requested item, Cloud set these gloomy thoughts aside. Kyle turned around and both of them looked up at grungy young man in the cage.
Scanning the box of motion sickness pills at his register, the clerk asked above the loud music in a flat, even voice, "All right. I got your pills. Anything else you need?"
Beside Cloud, Kyle noticed the box of motion sickness medication and quirked a brow. He nearly chuckled, realizing his strategy. The street rat knew better than to open his mouth, however. He kept quiet even while Cloud sucked in air and struggled to talk again.
Feeling the heat rise on his cheeks, Cloud watched the clerk ring up the rest of his items from the basket. His mouth refused to cooperate and stayed shut. He glanced over at Kyle but the little shit offered no help. His companion merely twirled one of his nunchucks with a finger and began to whistle. It was when the clerk reached the last item in his basket that Cloud knew it was all on him to do this. Drawing closer to the metal cage, his eyes stayed low as he spoke. His voice sounded no more than a whisper.
"I… uh… I need a box of condoms."
In the process of bagging his items, the clerk paused and eyed him. "Huh? What was that?"
Again, that ridiculous loud music… Gritting his teeth, the seventeen-year-old boy gripped the edge of the counter, tempted to smash the stereo into pieces. The man had shitty taste in music anyway. Still, Cloud recollected himself and stayed focused on his current task. He glared up at the clerk with his steel-blue eyes. His next words emerged as sharp, clear, and to-the-point this time.
"A box of condoms," he demanded and kept his eyes on the other man.
Behind the metal cage, the clerk stood straighter. He blinked.
"You heard the man," Kyle reinforced and set his nunchucks aside. He glanced at Cloud and gave a silent nod, appearing both impressed and pleased with his assertive manner.
The two stared back at the man in the cage. He stayed quiet but his eyes grew wider; more alert. Both shoulders settled into a relaxed position. Surprisingly, the aloof façade the clerk had donned thus far dissipated as soon as a grin took shape, forming itself along the contours of his thin lips.
"Ah. Right. I got a shit-ton of those babies," confirmed the clerk. "You've come to the right place, man."
The clerk's lopsided smile got Cloud to loosen his own tensed shoulders. He breathed again.
"Getting your freak on tonight, eh?" the man began again. His tone contained a high-pitched melody to it now. He went through his keys and approached the cabinet once more.
"Damn right he is," Kyle answered and patted Cloud on the back. "This lover boy is gonna score. Big time. Multiple times, in fact. He is going to own this city."
"Fuckin' A. Who's the lucky girl?" the clerk wanted to know. "She got a sister or a friend? Hook me up and I might throw in these for free, man."
Cloud refrained from talking. He watched the clerk go through the cabinet's selection again and wished he hurried up. Even when the clerk no longer acted like a douche, this experience still felt about as nerve-wracking as buying a bag of weed from a dealer. It didn't help when the mother and her rotten daughter made their appearance. Coming from the other side of the store, they looked ready to check-out. Within seconds both stood behind Cloud and Kyle and waited in line.
Damn it.
"Mommy, I need to pee-peeeeeeee…" the girl whined.
"In a minute, honey, just hold on," urged the mother, "We're almost done here."
"But mommy! I need to pee-pee now! Hurry, hurry! Oh, mommy, look. They're selling candy. I want that candy. Can you buy me candy? Buy me candy. I want that candy. Give me candy!"
"No, honey, that's not candy. Those are cough drops. For sore throats. I'll buy you candy later."
"But mommy! I want candy and I want it now!"
This verbal exchange went back and forth until the child wailed. Her screams pierced Cloud's ears. Shutting his eyes tightly, he muffled a curse word. He couldn't wait to get the hell out of here. This kid was a handful. Even the clerk behind the gated fence looked annoyed and covered his ears.
"I want candy! Give me candy!" The child formed tiny fists with her hands. Her face flushed red.
"Baby, please," her mother pleaded. "I'll get you candy, I swear. We'll get some after this. Just please…"
"I don't like you anymore!" The child jumped up and down before slapping her mother on the leg. She hit her two more times before turning away, running for the glassed doors. "I hate you!"
"No, come back!" The mother started after her. "Come back! Don't go out there!"
Opening his eyes, Cloud furrowed his brows. He saw the girl bolt for the exit of the Pharmacy. Her shiny red shoes clacked loudly against the floor. Kyle sighed in relief from where he stood.
"Good riddance," was all he said and watched the drama unfold with narrowed eyes. He didn't move from his spot.
Cloud felt the same way. He didn't want to intervene either. Let the IMs on patrol handle it, he told himself. This wasn't his problem. His jaw clenched when he stayed put for a moment longer, however. Something nagged at him. It hit him at the belly and grew from there. Cloud knew what it was. He tried to deny its existence, reminding himself that it bound him to the old irrelevant ways. Once his clear blue eyes stared at the mother chasing after her daughter, however, that became the final straw for him.
As much as that spoiled girl got under his skin, Wall Market was a dangerous place, especially for kids. Many people harbored ill intentions toward minors; some more perverse than others. It didn't take long for Cloud's body to move at its own accord. Even when Kyle yelled after him, telling him to let the infantrymen deal with it, he sprinted after the child anyway. He knew Mrs. Strife would be royally pissed at her son if he simply stood back and did nothing. It wasn't the Strife way. The Strife way entailed getting neck-deep into a shitty situation with cuts and bruises along the way.
Years of routine jogs and sprints in preparation for Shinra's try-outs enabled Cloud to pick up speed and catch up. He ran past the mother. Right as the little girl swung the glassed doors open and took her first steps outside, he snatched her by the wrist. Cloud held onto the child even as she tried to sprint away. A few people outside the Pharmacy noticed them. They swiftly walked by and looked the other way. That didn't surprise Cloud much. Here in the Slums, and up in the Plate, people minded their own business. Some didn't care while others simply didn't want to get entangled in a nasty mess. Fair enough.
In a short distance, Cloud spotted the well-dressed man again. He hadn't left for the Plate right away after all. His PHS was in front of him like before, apparently recording this colorful event. He smiled. Cloud growled but bit back a curse word, mindful of his current company. He turned away and headed back into the Pharmacy with the little girl in tow.
The child screamed and thrashed about. Cloud ignored the pain she inflicted with her nails. They dug deep into his skin in an effort to free her wrist. He managed to drag the little girl passed the Pharmacy's entry doors anyway and kept her in place long enough for her mother to arrive. When she did, the woman scooped her up in her arms and looked straight at him.
"Oh God, I can't thank you enough!" Tears ran down her cheeks. She held the girl closer to her chest. "I thought I lost my baby forever. Thank you for giving her back to me."
Feeling on the spotlight, Cloud couldn't figure out how to respond and thus kept his mouth shut. He didn't feel he deserved any praises anyway. Nice? Wonderful? He was hardly any of that.
Cloud recalled his own terrible, younger years. On countless occasions he put his mother through hell. The fights… The terrible words… Running away from home… It was a wonder Mrs. Strife put up with him at all. Anger and violence had been his way at expressing his fears and guilt. His mother soaked it all up like a sponge, maintaining her resolve while keeping her heart open to him. Because of this, Cloud couldn't fault this Slums mother for raising such a rotten child or the little girl for becoming so rotten. Shit happened. Life happened. The two looked like they'd seen their share of despair and tried to cope with it as best they could. Helping them, thus, was common sense for Cloud. It didn't warrant praises.
"I'm so sorry my girl misbehaved like that," continued the mother, "I'm just so glad there are nice, wonderful boys like you still around. If I ever have a son I hope he turns out to be like you."
Irony had a funny way of slapping Cloud across the face because it chose that exact moment for the clerk to return. In his hands were several boxes of condoms.
Over the beats of eclectic funk music, the man's voice boomed when he proudly announced, "All righty, so I didn't know which kind you wanted, but I got standard-sized rubbers, rubbers slicked in-and-out with lube, beveled rubbers for that extra stimulation kick, and fruity-flavored rubbers for the oral adventurous types. If you need anything bigger or, ahem, smaller, I got those too."
Cloud felt the color on his face drain. His ears burned while the rest of his body's temperature dipped to extreme lows. He wasn't sure if time itself had slowed down, only that each passing moment stretched on forever and consequently made everything more dreadful. Beside him, Cloud heard something akin to a low chuckle. He didn't dare look Kyle's way.
"So which ones you want?" The clerk laid out all the boxes in orderly fashion.
"Mommy, look!" Still in her mother's arms, the little girl pointed at all the pretty colored boxes on the counter. "He's buying balloons! Can I get a balloon? Give me a balloon. I want the purple ones. I want purple balloons!"
As if the weight of gravity suddenly crashed down on him, Cloud found it difficult to stay on his feet. At any second he could collapse.
By now, the last person in the Pharmacy, an old woman with the cane, made her way to the check-out line. Her squinty, beady eyes widened to twice their size when she spotted the boxes of condoms. Trying to straighten her hair to make it more presentable, she flashed Cloud a toothless grin.
"Balloons!" resumed the girl. "I want purple balloons! Give me balloons! Now!"
It was clear the child was set to have another episode. Cloud no longer cared. He blankly stared at the items he had requested. His mouth gone dry, he couldn't respond to the clerk, even when he repeatedly asked him which one he wanted. This nightmare surprisingly ended when the center of attention shifted away from him.
It went straight to Kyle.
"Those aren't balloons, honey; they're condoms," he told the little girl with a smile that showed all white teeth. "They're rubbers daddy puts over his pee-pee whenever he wants to get his freak on with mommy. That's how babies are made, kid: daddy's joo-joo juice."
Oh god, Cloud immediately thought.
No surprise, the mother's mouth dropped. She held her child even closer to her and looked at Kyle as if he'd just grown horns on his head. The street rat maintained his smile though. He went as far as to wink and wagged his pierced tongue at the child in her arms. She started to cry.
Behind the cage, the clerk's face grew red from his constant laughing. The man had trouble breathing. Shaking his head, he finally settled down enough to ask Cloud again, "Which ones you want, lover boy?"
At a loss for words, Cloud stood still. He was on autopilot mode right now.
"All of them," Kyle answered on his behalf. He removed a wad of rolled-up Gil from his low-rise jeans and dumped it on the counter.
Cloud stared at the odd exchange, still unable to move. The fact he was taking every kind of rubber available didn't faze him one bit. At this point, nothing shocked him. As soon as the clerk bagged up everything and handed him his items, he finally got his body to work again. Electrical signals from his brain surged down the length of his spinal cord and ordered all muscles throughout his body to move. Cloud snatched the bags and grabbed Kyle's hand. Both of them promptly got the hell out of there.
As Cloud and Kyle scurried toward the glass doors, the girl in the mother's arms cried louder. The last words Cloud heard before passing through the Pharmacy's doors were 'You told me cupcake sprinkles made babies, mommy! Cupcake sprinkles!'
Once outside of the Pharmacy, both boys darted down a long, wide path in Wall Market. Steam from pipes and vents continuously puffed into the air from nearby establishments and residences. The area burst with people, smells, and noise. It was the weekend so Wall Market drew in a bigger crowd than the usual. Ignoring the hustlers and drunks, Cloud and Kyle moved beyond a busy intersection. They found a secluded quieter spot underneath a tall skeletal pillar that stretched up for miles. Above their heads, four large Wutai symbols ran down vertically and buzzed brightly in neon-pink lights. The two stood close together. Bathed in bright pink light, they observed the fogged and clustered atmosphere.
It took Cloud a while to recompose himself. When he did, he turned to Kyle beside him. The boy's own pair of blue eyes looked purple under the neon light. Cloud stared at him for what felt like an eternity. Eventually, though, the corners of his mouth twitched. Cheeks blossomed with color. A gradual smile took hold of the rural Nibel teen. It stretched out. A moment later, Cloud erupted in laughter. It was a loud, hearty one; one he hadn't experienced in ages. Not since Nibelheim. Kyle followed suit. Their sounds joined the ongoing ruckus of Wall Market.
The quest to purchase rubbers had been fulfilled, Cloud thought to himself as he guffawed nonstop. Que the victory music. It had been a fucked up situation, one he wanted to lock away in his chamber of memories and think about only when he was in the mood to laugh at himself. Or kick himself. Having Kyle around only made it harder to forget it any time soon. However, Cloud appreciated the street rat's presence and his ability to endure crazy scenarios like that, even when it meant tossing another monkey wrench into the machine and seeing the chaotic results of it.
The two Slum boys finally settled down from their laughing fit. Facing each other, silence and stillness prevailed between them. Their eyes locked onto each other.
It was only when Cloud dropped his bags on the ground that their bodies clashed together. Arms slid to available, ready spots. Hands clutched onto certain parts tightly. Cloud took the initiative this time. He leaned forward and smashed his lips against Kyle's. Their mouths swayed left-to-right, continuously moving in opposing positions until one of them needed to breathe.
"Gods, you're a real piece of work…" Cloud hastily muttered in between their kissing.
"I know…" Kyle took the compliment in full stride. His hands drifted below and grabbed the mounds of Cloud's backside, squeezing them.
Cloud felt his arousal in his pants push against Kyle's. Their kiss grew more frantic. Tongues wetly slipped back and forth. Fingers ventured toward firmer areas. Kyle had to pull his face away when their actions became more demanding; more intense. Lips only inches apart, he noted the heated look in Cloud's eyes and instantly knew what he wanted right now.
"Not yet," the street rat said, out of breath. "We still need to get you something nice to wear for tonight. We'll get that sorted first. And then…"
"And then what?' Cloud challenged. His eyes still settled on Kyle. "You going to fulfill that offer you gave me when you called? I can remember two things mentioned."
One of Kyle's fingers followed the splitting path of Cloud's buttocks. It lingered at one particular spot for too long. Afterward, he withdrew his hand and used it to reach into his jeans' front pocket. Kyle pulled out a tightly wrapped, fat hand-rolled blunt.
"Sweetie, I always aim to deliver in my promises," he said, waving it in front of Cloud's face.
Cloud parted his lips just enough for Kyle to slip his prize in between his teeth.
"As for the other thing," resumed the street rat, "We'll see how well you behave at the Boutique."
The fatty J stayed at the side of Cloud's mouth. Its tip reactively bobbed up and down when he quietly remarked, "You know, you're not the only one who is in the mood of giving…"
Hearing that, Kyle arched both brows. His attention focused on Cloud's lips. "What, you gonna finally put that pretty mouth of yours to work? Have my dreams become realized at last?"
Cloud maintained his silence but kept his half-lidded eyes on Kyle. His teeth gently bit down on the joint. The other boy noticed the subtle action and softly chuckled while he lit it up for him with a match. It burned brightly. Shortly after Cloud took his first burn, he grabbed Kyle's hand and dragged him along. Together, they headed in the direction of the Boutique to take care of business.