A/N: Hello my good readers forgive the long period between updates, I was out of commission due to having to go BACK to the ER, but everything is fine now and I am here to update! ;D

And as promised this chapter will BE very entertaining. X]

CHOICE

Chapter 017: Forgive me

Cloud sat in the living room reading while his mother busied herself in the kitchen, both listening to 'Loveless' on the radio, which was broadcasting live from Loveless Avenue in Midgar. Cloud turned the page of the book he was reading and let out a sigh, only picking up on bits of pieces of the play from the radio. He blinked as a light turned on above his head. His mother smiled down at him. "Cloud, if you read in the dark you'll hurt your eyes."

Cloud offered his mom a half smile, his eyes going to the window. The sun had begun to set and had cast the world into a deep orange glow, a warm orange glow at that. Cloud was almost half tempted to go outside and bask in it, but decided he would rather not and thus returned to his reading as his mother returned to her messing in the kitchen. Several dramatic lines and a few paragraphs later, a knock at the door caused the blond to look up. He frowned and glanced back towards his mother in question. She smiled at him. "It must be Tifa, I'm going over there for dinner."

Cloud cocked an eyebrow. Again? He sighed and pushed himself up from the sofa, tossing the book down upon the cushions and walking towards the door. He opened it and, sure enough, there stood Tifa Lockheart. She bounced in and quickly hugged him.

"Hi, Cloud!"

He smiled and returned it.

"Hey, Tifa."

Her smile turned towards Cloud's mother.

"Are you ready, Mrs. Strife?"

"Almost sweetie."

Tifa turned her gaze back to the blond.

"Cloud, why don't you join us tonight?"

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck.

"Uh, why don't I take a rain check?"

Tifa gave him a hard look.

"Cloud, you haven't been over for dinner once with your mother. You can't possibly enjoy staying home all by yourself."

Cloud shrugged.

"I've just been really tired is all, work is a killer." He stated—though that was only half true. Tifa sighed.

"Well, okay but you have to come next time, promise me," she said, taking his hand and offering him a warm smile. He felt a pain of guilt attack his heart. The last promise he had made he had failed to keep. He offered her the smallest of smiles and nodded.

"Promise."

She smiled, accepting a bag from Mrs. Strife before waving goodbye and exiting the house. Cloud bid the two farewell and was just closing the door when he picked up on a bit of their conversation.

"We're having three other guests tonight to," Tifa stated.

"Oh really? Who?"

"Their SOLDIERS from Midgar."

Cloud paused, the door open just a fraction. He peaked out as the two women continued on their way. "Yeah, they came all the way out here to see why we've been getting so many monsters lately."

And then they were gone. Cloud frowned and closed the door. SOLDIERS? He supposed it was not that surprising, after all there was a Mako reactor outside of the town, and Shinra was in charge of the reactors. He sighed and returned to the sofa and his novel. He was glad he decided not to go, he did not feel like seeing anyone from Shinra or SOLDIER for that matter. He did not need them giving him a hard time.

*

Zack exited the house and glanced around, his eyes falling upon the taller man standing not too far away. He closed the door behind him and approached. "Seph? You okay? You got up in quite a hurry."

Sephiroth turned his gaze from the moon and towards the other man.

"I just needed some air is all." He returned his gaze towards the star-blanketed sky. "We don't get nights like this in Midgar. So clean, so fresh."

Zack nodded. Midgar was rather stuffy compared to the mountains.

"Well, are you sure you're okay? Mr. Lockheart looked a little….perturbed."

Sephiroth did not look back at the younger man.

"I'm fine, thank you for your concern, Zackary, but please tell Mr. Lockheart and his daughter that I will be returning to the INN for the evening, and that I apologize."

Zack sighed and turned back towards the house.

"Okay, I'll tell them you got jet lag or something," he mumbled, re-entering the house. Sephiroth eyed the door over his shoulder for several moments to be sure no one else wandered out to locate him before making his way from the house and in the general direction of the INN. As he made his way, his eyes scanned the small little brick-and-wood houses. They were small and quaint, and rather cozy in an odd way. Sephiroth had never been one to enjoy 'cozy' or 'cute' or 'adorable' things, of course that had changed when he had fallen in love with a 'cute' and very 'adorable' blond cadet. Thinking of said cadet caused the general to pause in his advance towards the INN and his eyes to shift towards a house tucked in a corner. Sephiroth swallowed as he eyed the house. The lights were on and he knew for a fact that the young man who had stolen his heart was indeed home. 'I said I wouldn't seek him out,' he thought to himself almost bitterly. He sighed. He longed to see the blond again, to know for sure if the blond hated him, if things were truly over. It was stupid, but he had to know. He turned on his heel and headed towards the house. As he stepped onto the porch and raised a gloved fist to knock lightly upon the wooden door an odd sensation of total calm washed over him, cooling his heated veins. He knocked gently. He could hear shuffling from inside the small house followed by a thump before the lock on the door was unlocked and, several seconds later(,) the door opened and light flooded out into the dark world of night.

Sephiroth eyed the blond standing in the door, keeping the slight smirk that threatened to spread across his lips from doing so. The blond stood with his hand still on the doorframe, blue eyes large and mouth parted slightly. He looked like a deer caught in the head lights.

"Good even, it's good to see you, Cloud."

If Sephiroth was not mistaken, he spotted a slight shiver cross the blond's small frame. Cloud blinked several times before shaking his head and glancing around before thrusting out his arm and grabbing the taller man by the front of his coat and pulling him into the house, closing the door behind them. Sephiroth let the smirk cross his lips and blinked, looking around as the blond locked the door and closed the blinds over the windows. The blond then turned sharply on his heel and eyed the older man as if he were seeing a ghost.

Silence stretched out between them for several long moments. All that could be heard in the room was the 'ticking' of the clock atop the bookshelf and the last act of Loveless that was playing on the radio. Sephiroth shifted, his façade having become one of un-enthusiasm as he eyed the blond.

"S-Sephiroth." The blond's voice was quiet, uneven.

"Cloud."

The blond opened his mouth to speak but no sound came out. He repeated the motion several times before closing his eyes and dashing forward. Sephiroth shifted slightly as the blond attached himself to his chest, wrapping his arms around his middle.

"I'm so sorry! I should have listened to you!"

Sephiroth let a small smile form upon his lips. "I should have known you never would have done it…you're not, you don't…I'm sorry!"

Sephiroth wrapped his arms lightly around the other's form. 'That was unexpected.' He bowed his head, his hair cascading passed both of them as he pressed his lips to the top of the blond's head.

"I should be the one apologizing."

Cloud shook his head, tears spilling from the corners of his eyes.

"No, no it was me who did you wrong! I never should have yelled, or h-hit you." He shifted so he could gaze up at the other. "I'm sorry. Oh, Sephiroth, how can you ever forgive me?"

Sephiroth smiled.

"I was never angry with you."

Cloud bit his lip, sniffing slightly.

"T-take me back?"

"Every time," Sephiroth whispered, leaning down and connecting their lips. The blond's watery eyes shut and he surrendered to the kiss, leaning into the embrace. Sephiroth held him tighter, supporting him as his eyes drooped slightly as the kiss slowly turned passionate. Though after several minutes Sephiroth broke the kiss, the need for air too great to ignore any longer. Both eyed the other, panting slightly. Cloud leaned his head against the other's chest.

"I'm sorry, Seph."

Sephiroth rolled his eyes.

"How long are you going to keep apologizing, cadet?"

Cloud flinched, pouting slightly.

"I'm not a cadet anymore." He blinked as he was lifted off of the floor, his eyes being leveled with the taller man's. He blinked in surprise. Sephiroth was eyeing him very seriously.

"You will always be my cadet, Strife."

A blush painted across his cheeks as he eyed the general.

Sephiroth lowered the blond back to the floor. "How about you give me a tour?"

Cloud smiled.

"Sure."

After showing Sephiroth most of the small house, they both entered the ex-cadet's bedroom.

"And this is, well, my bedroom," he stated, waving his hand around and shrugging. "It isn't much."

Sephiroth's eyes wandered about the room. The bed was small with a large fluffy pillow and red plaid bedspread, wooden dresser, desk and bedside table. Sephiroth noted a few pictures of family and or friends decorating the wall nearest the door, before his eyes wandered towards a white door that lead off of the bedroom. Cloud pointed to it. "I was lucky to get my own bathroom."

Sephiroth's eyes then turned towards the wall and ceiling above the blonds bed. The wood was littered with little black holes. He cocked an eyebrow and eyed the blond who blushed and scratched the back of his neck. "Uh, you see I, uh, used to collect newspaper clippings and posters" his blush darkened "about you."

Sephiroth nodded and approached.

"I see you've taken them down."

Cloud bowed his head.

"I was really mad at you."

"Understandable." Sephiroth turned and eyed the blond. "You don't need to feel bad Cloud, I was never angry with you, you can believe me because I never lie."

Cloud smiled. That was true, the general was well known for telling people exactly what he thought. Cloud turned to face the other man.

"I know. I guess I just feel like such a fool for not responding to your letter." He blushed. "Actually, I didn't read your letter until yesterday."

Sephiroth chuckled as he took a seat upon the bed and leaned his back against the wall. He patted his right thigh; Cloud approached and climbed atop of him, his knees resting on either side of the silver-haired man's hips. Sephiroth gently took the other's hips and pulled him closer, smiling at him.

"I missed you, Cloud."

"I missed you, too." Cloud rested his hand on the exposed part of the other's chest, feeling the steady heartbeat beneath the chest bone. "I've never felt so alone and empty as I did these past few months." He felt the back of his eyes burn again, and knew he was on the verge of tears. "I never want to feel that empty feeling again," he breathed quietly, a tremble crossing his from. He felt a gloved hand gently cup his chin, a thumb gently running along his jawbone; His blue eyes met jade green.

"And you won't have to." Sephiroth craned his neck forward slightly, his nose just brushing the blond's. "I promise."

"Is it wise to promise something you cannot guarantee?" He ignored the voice. "I will never hurt you again, Cloud," he breathed. Cloud's eyes drooped.

"Sephiroth."

Their lips met, the blond's parting to allow the general access. Sephiroth slipped his tongue into the other's mouth, re-exploring the warm, damp cavern; running his tongue along the blond's teeth, cheeks and roof of his mouth before rubbing against his own tongue. He could feel the blond's tongue rubbing back. Sephiroth let his eyes droop closed as their tongues slid along one another, Sephiroth easily taking dominance, though in a slow, soft and kind way. He ran his right hand beneath the blond's shirt and up his side, the other squeezing his thigh. Cloud groaned into the kiss as the general's gloved fingers located one of his nipples and began teasing it. Cloud broke the kiss and gasped for air, his head lolling back on his shoulders at the sensation of the general teasing his perked nipple. Sephiroth latched onto the blond's neck, sucking, nipping and licking at his pulse point and receiving soft pants and groans, which caused a shifting within his fatigues. Having noticed the growing hardness that had begun poking at his bottom, Cloud shifted his hips, rolling his entire lower half as to drag his weight over the hardness. Sephiroth's hands squeezed tighter where they rested and a low groan escaped him at the sensation; he glared at the other.

"Bad cadet," he snarled, gripping the blond's hips as to halt the movement. "Will I have to punish you?"

Cloud grinned and wiggled his hips as best he could, causing the general's grip to tighten almost painfully; he loved it. A feral growl escaped the older man's throat before the blond found himself on his back, his legs hooked on the general's hips as the general hovered over him, his front pressed firmly against the blond's backside. Sephiroth made quick work of the blond's clothes, tossing them across the room before attacking the naked flesh with his mouth. He caught a pink nipple between his teeth and tugged gently, causing the blond to yelp and arch up against him. He tilted his head slightly as he nipped and sucked on the erect nipple, so he could gaze down the blond's lean stomach. The blond's delicate member was hard and twitched every now and then. Sephiroth smirked, shifting as to capture the blond's lips as he slinked a gloved hand between their bodies and began fondling the blond's hard member. Cloud groaned into the kiss, his hips jerking only slightly, hindered by the fact that Sephiroth was positioned directly between his thighs. Sephiroth palmed the hard member, rubbing up and down both sides with his gloved hand before running his finger tips along the vein, up and down before wrapping his fingers around just the head and jerking just slightly. Down the shaft, pulling the foreskin with his gloved hand, then back up, forcing the foreskin over the red head before releasing the member. Cloud had been reduced to a whimpering, twitching mess, which just caused Sephiroth's own sheathed erection to pulse with want painfully.

"Seph…please…ugh…please it's been so long, ugh I can't take it," he pleaded. Sephiroth gently kissed his ear, shifting as to begin removing his clothes.

'Why do I wear this much clothing?' he cursed as he attempted to undo the straps that held his coat on, but lost his temper and broke them instead, quickly shedding the coat before making quick work of his boots and pants. He leaned back over the blond, gently nibbling and kissing his ear.

"Do you have any lube?"

Cloud's eyes opened and he groaned, shaking his head. Sephiroth smiled. "That's okay, I'll handle it."

Cloud blinked as Sephiroth moved away before his back side was lifted and he was tilted upwards slightly, his legs hooking over the general's shoulders. Cloud gasped and moaned loudly as he felt the general's wicked tongue begin licking at his entrance. He gasped and moaned and groaned at the damp sensation, his erection beginning throb painfully.

"Ugh…S-s-s-SEPH! UGH PLEASE! UGH I CAN'T HOLD IT IN MUCH LONGER! UHHHHHhhhhh."

Sephiroth chuckled, shifting again, easing the ex-cadet's legs from his shoulders, positioning himself, once again, between the other's thighs. He gave the blond's erection a teasing tug.

"Don't even think about cumming yet."

Cloud whimpered. Sephiroth removed his gloves, licked his right palm till it was slick with saliva before running it along his own thick and weeping erection, smearing his own seed and saliva along his shaft before shifting his hips forward, positioning his head with the blond's glistening and puckered entrance. He pushed his hips forward pushing just the head in, a gasp escaping from the blond who quickly closed his eyes. Sephiroth groaned. "You're so tight," he commented as he eased the rest of the way in, both letting out a sigh. A drizzle of pre-cum began oozing from the blond's erection.

"Seph, move please…ugh, Gaia."

Sephiroth did not need to be asked twice. He pulled out till just the tip of his cock remained inside of the blond's tight heat before quickly pushing back in, causing a grunt to escape the blond. Sephiroth leaned over the blond, one hand on his hip with the other on the bed as to balance himself. He began kissing, nipping and licking at the blond's neck as he began bucking his hips. His thrusts were full and deep and fast. Soon both were covered in a thin layer of sweat and were groaning and moaning and gasping as their bodies gyrated together. Cloud slid a hand between them and began pumping his erection a little faster than Sephiroth's thrusts, groaning as he felt his orgasm close approaching. Sephiroth gritted his teeth, bowing his head against the blond's neck as the coil in his loins tightened almost painfully and then snapped. Cloud let out a cry and arched up against the general's hard body as he released, splattering both of their stomachs with his warm seed, just as Sephiroth released inside of him. Both groaned, their muscles stiffening as they road out their climaxes. Several seconds later both fell limp, panting. Sephiroth forced himself up, upon shaky arms, shifting, pulling his limp cock from the blond's now raw entrance. He gently took the blond under the thighs and spread his legs a little farther. Cloud let out a soft groan at the motion, semen oozing steadily out of his entrance. After a few moments, Sephiroth sighed.

"Good enough," he grumbled, collapsing next to the blond who gave him a questioning look. Sephiroth smiled and ran his hand along the blond's chest. "Don't want you getting Mako poisoning, even a slight case."

Cloud smiled.

"I love you, Sephiroth."

"I love you, too, Cloud."

Cloud rolled onto his side so as to face the general and tucked himself against him. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around the blond. He heard a happy sigh escape the blond and he could not help but smile happily as well. He closed his eyes; he had his Cloud back.

YAY FOR CLEPHIROTH SMEX!