Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue.
Yoru: Good day all!
Kuronue: Welcome to the next chapter of Bookstore!
Yoru: In this chapter, many things happen and Cloud proves why he's the best boyfriend ever! …besides Vincent. And Axel. And maybe Reno. And a few others. Anyway.
Kuronue: This chapter contains more references to abuse and rape, plus a mouth-rape.
Ienzo called into work the next day, telling Xenahort that he was not feeling confident enough to come in. Cloud was beside him, gently stroking his hair.
"Sir, I will try to be in on Thursday…please, Mr. Xenahort, he knows where I…well, yes, he knows that too, but I'm not at home…I'm at Cloud's…oh, for Hyne's sake, Mr. Xenahort, now you're just jealous…sir, the whole workplace knows, and I'm not going to discuss this with…yes, sir, I'm sorry…all right, sir. I'll be in Thursday morning. Thank you, Mr. Xenahort." Ienzo hung up, sighing.
"He's jealous, hmmm?" Cloud teased.
"Ridiculously. Tried to tell me that Isa would guess where you live before he guessed the location of Xenahort's place." Ienzo nestled close to Cloud, closing his eyes.
"He was trying to get you to come stay with him? Oh, yeah, that would have been brilliant."
"I'm not going to pack my few belongings, if you haven't noticed," Ienzo pointed out dryly. Cloud laughed, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend and hugging him close.
"No, I guess you're not. You look adorable in my pajamas, by the way."
"That's because you're waiting for them to fall off," Ienzo gritted out, subconsciously pulling the pants up a little.
"I wouldn't complain if they did," Cloud purred, kissing Ienzo's cheek. The scientist rolled his eyes and got up, padding to the kitchen.
"Where's the tea?"
"In the right-hand cabinet." Cloud went into the kitchen to see Ienzo straining to reach the handle. He laughed, giving away his presence.
"…you knew I couldn't reach it." Ienzo crossed his arms indignantly as Cloud came into the room and got it for him.
"Well, yes." Cloud laughed as he made two cups of tea, handing Ienzo his and going back into the living room. Ienzo followed more slowly, looking around.
"I like your apartment. It's cozy."
"Thanks. I'm going to warn you, though, my friend Leon has a key, so if he pops in randomly don't be alarmed. He's harmless." Cloud turned on the television, giggling like a child as an old cartoon about Chocobo Jack came on. Ienzo sat beside him, smiling slightly at the show.
"That Chocobo kind of looks like you."
"Are you saying my nose is big?" Cloud whined playfully, putting an arm around Ienzo again. Ienzo only smiled wider, feeling very much at home.
Ienzo got up on Thursday morning dreading the impending workday. Aeleus would have called if Isa had come in the day before, so Ienzo could only assume there had been no sign of him. He preoccupied himself wondering if he should go home to get some fresh clothes so that he could come back to Cloud's after work, and decided against it.
"Cloud, do you have a shirt I can borrow?" he asked, poking his head into the living room where Cloud had set up a cot.
"Nk," Cloud responded, waving a hand vaguely in the direction of his room. Ienzo laughed – Cloud was apparently only a morning person on days when there was no work to be done.
"Thanks." Ienzo went to the closet and selected a shirt to go with the slacks from the day before and his lab coat. Braiding his hair with the ease of long practice, he stopped by the cot to kiss Cloud's cheek.
"I'll go home after work, okay?"
"Nu-uh. Stay," Cloud murmured, grabbing Ienzo's hand.
"I have to go to work."
"Come back after."
"Cloud, I've got nothing to wear," Ienzo chuckled, squeezing Cloud's hand reassuringly.
"I'll come pick you up at work, and we can go to your apartment and get you some clothes. I want you here," Cloud said, sitting up and rubbing his eyes as he became more awake.
"Really? That would be amazing." Ienzo kissed his hand, "I'll look forward to it."
"Off at 5, right?"
"Yes. See you then." Ienzo blew him a kiss on his way out the door into the warm sun. It was a beautiful day, and though he had been planning to take the bus to work, Ienzo decided to walk. He convinced himself that Isa wasn't lurking around every corner, and besides, Cloud was a speed dial away. Whistling softly to himself, Ienzo started the short walk to Xenahort's building.
He was about halfway there when a hand grabbed his wrist and yanked him around to face familiar yellowish-gold eyes. Ienzo jerked back, fear clouding his senses as Isa stepped closer. Forgetting his phone completely, Ienzo quickly found himself against a wall.
"I-Isa…"
"Miss me, pretty lover?" Isa asked, putting his hands against the wall on either side of Ienzo's face. Shoulder-length blue hair brushed against the scientist's cheeks as his captor leaned close.
"G-get away from me!" Ienzo snarled, pushing at Isa's shoulders.
"Away from you? But kitten, you're mine," Isa purred, leaning down and nipping at his ex-lover's neck. Ienzo whimpered, his hands still pushing desperately at Isa's shoulders.
"P-please…Isa…I l-left you, please leave m-me alone…"
"Yes, it's the fact that you left me that bothers me," Isa growled, wrapping an arm around Ienzo's waist and pulling him close. Ienzo's fighting became near-violent as his captor grabbed his chin and forced him into a lustful kiss. Isa's tongue probed at Ienzo's teeth, shoving inside as Ienzo tried to scream.
Cloud…CLOUD! Ienzo's mind screamed as the sensual onslaught continued, the hand around his waist sliding under his shirt and stroking bare skin.
CLOUD!!!
"Get off of him before I kill you." Cloud's voice had never been so welcome. Isa's mouth slowly moved off of Ienzo's, freeing his voice. Now that his face was free, Ienzo could see that the large blade of Cloud's Buster Sword was resting on the back of Isa's neck.
"Let go of him."
Isa let go, allowing Ienzo to stumble backward and hit the wall again. The scientist wiped his mouth vigorously, coughing and spitting as he tried to dispel the unwelcome taste. Isa turned to face Cloud, crossing his arms as he stared down the blade.
"Can I help you?" he drawled. Cloud levered the blade up so that it touched Isa's chin lightly.
"You can leave and never let either of us see you again. It's a generous offer, so go before I decide to hurt you instead."
Isa laughed softly, "Ienzo's new lover, eh? Have you had him yet? He's delicious."
Faster than Ienzo's eye could see, Cloud had dropped the sword and lunged at Isa. One hand was around the blunette's neck in an instant, bearing him to the ground. The other was busy pounding Isa's face into the concrete.
"Cloud! Enough!" A brunette man that Ienzo didn't recognize was suddenly pulling Cloud off, holding him back as he tried to get back to Isa. The blunette stumbled up, clutching a broken nose.
"You bastard," he hissed, taking his hand away and staring at the blood.
"At least I'm not a rapist," Cloud snarled back, still trying to get out of his friend's hold. Ienzo made a wide berth around Isa, hurrying to Cloud's side and putting a hand on his arm.
"Your friend's right. That's enough," he murmured, lacing his fingers with Cloud's. His voice, finally free of panic, seemed to get through to his infuriated boyfriend. The blonde stopped fighting, looking at Ienzo. The scientist's eyes widened as he saw that Cloud's beautiful blue eyes were literally glowing back at him.
"Mako," Cloud's friend whispered, obviously seeing Ienzo's shock. Cloud jerked his arms away, ignoring Isa completely as he wrapped his arms around Ienzo.
"Are you all right?" he asked quietly. Ienzo nodded, burying his face in Cloud's strong chest.
"You're under arrest," he heard the brunette say to Isa, and then a scuffle. He looked up just in time to see Isa turning a corner with the brunette hot on his heels.
"Leon will catch him," Cloud assured his boyfriend, stroking his hair. Ienzo nodded, closing his eyes as he rested his head on Cloud's chest again.
"He didn't hurt you?"
"No." Ienzo's voice shook a little, enough to make Cloud kiss the top of his head lightly.
"You want to go home?"
"Yes. Please. Take me home."