Title: Priceless
Summary: Leon is a freshman in college with dyslexia, and his new Victorian Literature professor, Dr. Sephiroth, doesn't make things any easier for him. Desperate to help, Cloud considers Sephiroth's offer to pass Leon, but not without a price from Cloud. LC, RS, SephyCloud
A/N: I apologize for any inconsistencies but it's been months and a lot happens. I'm already beginning to lose sight of my objective and vision in this fic but I will try my best to finish it. Also, I'm in college, guys! So maybe I'll be able to depict their college lives more accurately…or not. X) Anyway, enjoy!
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"I…I don't drink." Cloud slowly sat down across from Sephiroth, holding a steady, troubled glance.
"Didn't think so. You're underage anyway." The silver-haired man chuckled to himself and took a sip from his glass. "Well, let's get down to business then."
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To think that he had been so bold, Leon shook his head and felt mortified all over again for the hundredth time that evening. He had returned to his dorm room, washed his face, and was now lying on his bed, going over what had happened in his mind while feeling the minty effect of the cleanser he had used. Letting out a groan, the brunette sat up in bed and looked over at Cloud's empty side of the room. Where had the blonde gone anyway? Leon frowned and came to the conclusion that stressing over what had happened was not healthy. He smoothed out his white dress shirt as he stood up and left the room, heading for Riku's room.
As Leon approached the dorm room, he could see that the door had been left ajar. Perfect. He needed to talk to Riku before solitude with his own thoughts drove him insane.
He pushed the door fully open, but was not greeted by the sight of the silver-haired hotshot. Instead, he found a redhead with his face suspiciously buried in between a pair of smooth, lithe legs. The two lovers looked up at Leon's expressionless features. Silently, Leon shut the door and left.
The blue-eyed boy looked down at Axel. "Think he's gonna tell Riku?"
Axel shrugged. "Who cares? Demyx is currently in my room, but Riku isn't in yours." He pointed out.
"Yea, but you know how much he hates it when we…go at it in my room." Roxas ruffled his blonde hair.
"It's not like he isn't always screwing around with Sora in here either." Remarked Axel, as he leaned down and resumed what they had been doing previously.
"Mmm…ah…" Roxas fidgeted, curling his toes as he struggled to speak. "But you know…they always stay on Riku's side of the room. We tend to…travel. I don't think he'll appreciate it when he finds the evidence on his bed sheets. "
Axel lifted his head and raised an eyebrow. "Does this mean you want me to stop?"
"No! Not at…ah…"
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Leon discovered Riku at the library and slid into a seat next to him.
"Hm…so you do work." Leon commented, as he stared blankly at Riku's laptop screen.
"Sometimes." Riku yawned. "But actually, I happen to be writing an erotic novel right now."
The brunette narrowed his eyes as he analyzed the typed document. "An erotic novel that takes place during the Bosnian war? Seems unlikely for you, Riku."
"Heh. Thought I'd be able to fool you." Riku leaned back in his chair and dropped his hands to his sides. "So…what are you doing here?"
Leon brushed a hand through his hair. "Well…I thought you'd be in your room. But apparently not. By the way, I suggest you change your bed sheets as soon as possible."
"Huh?" Riku widened his eyes. "Wait, don't tell me that Roxas… Aw man…" Riku threw his head back in exasperation. "Geez…how do they screw? I'm curious but something tells me it's worse than a kinky porn flick gone wrong." He muttered to himself.
"I kissed him." Leon decided to get right to the point.
"What? Kissed who?" Looking up from his thoughts distractedly, Riku casted a glance at the laptop screen.
"…Who else?"
Riku's interest was apparent. "And?" A hint of amusement was present in his voice.
Leon stared down at his boots and shrugged. "I don't know."
"Don't tell me you just ran away after that." Riku saved his half-typed essay and turned off his laptop, eyeing the brunette critically.
"The opposite, actually. He received a call on his cell." Leon sighed. "Apparently a situation arose and he left to take care of it."
Riku bit down on his lip. "If I were you, I'd straighten things out A-SAP." Leon slumped forward in his seat held a hand up to his forehead, rubbing the side of his face. "Look, I know communication isn't your thing…" Riku sympathized. "But that was a pretty bad time and place to leave things hanging like that, you know? Come on. Maybe you won't even have to say much. I don't think I need to tell you how well Cloud knows you."
Leon only nodded, and covered his face.
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He'd never seen Sephiroth so casual before. But now…the silver-haired man had completely lost the façade of professionalism.
Must be the alcohol. Cloud thought to himself. "So why did you call me here?" Cloud asked, trying to behave nonchalantly while fiddling with a loose thread from the tablecloth. "More importantly, how did you know I was here?"
Sephiroth took another sip before answering. "I didn't. It happened by chance, believe it or not, and I thought to myself…why not?"
"What do you want me to do now?" Cloud looked around the private room as if it might have contained clues to his question.
For a moment, Sephiroth did not answer. Cloud took this as a sign that Sephiroth was brainstorming some sort of cruel and unusual punishment. Not that he had done anything to deserve to be punished, he thought, wincing slightly. Damn. This Sephiroth was really a bastard. Cloud thought, for the millionth time.
"Nothing, Mr. Strife." Sephiroth replied at long last. "Nothing specific, at least." Cloud hesitated. Was this some sort of ambiguously open-ended approach that literary educators were infamous for? "I can see you're perplexed. No matter." Sephiroth suddenly stood up. "Come. We'll talk a little."
Cloud clumsily followed after the silver-haired man out of the room, navigating through the packed restaurant and out the gold-framed doors towards the parking lot. He had caught no sight of Leon or Vincent and even if he had, wouldn't have dared to try to talk to them while in Sephiroth's presence. Plus, Leon knew nothing of their deal. The blonde sighed to himself. What was Leon doing, anyway? Was it possible that the brunette felt humiliated and was angry with him? All Cloud wanted to do was to get back and clear things up. He wanted to assure Leon how ecstatic his initiative had made him. Most of all, he wanted to feel the delightful effect that Leon's lips had on him, again and again.
He found himself staring at a black BMW. "If you will," Sephiroth gestured towards the expensive-looking vehicle. "I'm confident that you can open the door for yourself."
Stepping carefully into the car and avoiding contact between his boots and the side of the door, Cloud found himself surrounded by the strong scent of leather and decided immediately that he did not find it pleasant at all. All that changed when Sephiroth took his place behind the wheel. A wave of cologne found its way to Cloud's nose and at once, Cloud found it refreshing and crisp. Why couldn't BMWs smell like this? He toyed with the idea of purchasing this cologne for Leon but on second thought, he didn't want to be reminded of Sephiroth when it wasn't necessary and nor did he want to let Sephiroth know that he admired his taste in fragrance. He quickly let the scheme drop.
Sephiroth started the car and backed out of the parking lot. Cloud laid a hand on the cool, metal door handle. How strange it was, being driven by Sephiroth without any knowledge of where they were headed. He drove in silence, as Cloud peered out the windows, equally silent. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out Sephiroth's relaxed form with one hand easily steering the wheel. Baby blue eyes widened. Hopefully, Sephiroth hadn't had too much to drink.
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The door slammed open as Riku paraded into the room, pausing momentarily to stare at his bed with disgust. Roxas, who was lying on his own bed, propped himself up on his elbows.
"Hey." He casually greeted.
"…Hello." Riku said unpleasantly, gazing at his bed. "What happened to my sheets?"
"About that…" Roxas rubbed the side of his neck. "I dropped them into the wash for you. Cause…you know."
"No, I don't know. Enlighten me." Folding his arms, Riku narrowed his fierce aqua green eyes.
"I'm sorry, man." The blonde confessed with a shrug, unfazed by Riku's glare. "I told Axel you wouldn't like it but he was just doing his thing and…you know? Who could resist?"
"Goddammit, Roxas. You know I happen to sleep and fuck on this thing."
"And so do I." Roxas muttered. "But look, if you and Sora ever get bored of screwing over there, you could always come over to this side…when I'm not here, that is." Roxas suggested.
"No thanks." Riku sighed and flopped onto the bare mattress. "How the hell do you guys get over here, anyhow?"
Roxas began to relay to him the details. "Well it always starts off with a game of internet chess…" Riku grimaced. "…and then after he blows me, he likes to talk dirty while barking and that just completely gets me off…" Riku groaned. "…Cloud's buster sword up my ass! Then he licks the lemons while shoving another…" Riku buried his face into his pillow. "…he likes to call it Mr. Abraham Lincoln…" Riku shouldn't have asked.
"You're hopelessly fucked up, you know that?" Riku frowned.
Roxas smirked. "Piss off."
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Cloud stepped out of the car, looking up at a modest, yet somewhat endearing house. As he followed Sephiroth to the entrance, little lamps that were rooted along the walkway lit up with each step that Cloud took. To the front of the house was a small artificial stream, bubbling in a way that soothed one's senses.
If the exterior didn't look like much, the interior certainly caught one's eye. The floors were set with creamy, marble tiles and glazed over for a glossy finish. The edges and corners of the walls were lined with something that resembled gold foil while tiny chandeliers adorned the ceiling of each room.
Stepping into the heart of the house was the kitchen, doubling as a bar, with wide counter space and crystal wine glasses hanging from the ceiling rack. Behind the glass doors of the showcase cabinet stood various bottles of wine and champagne. Sephiroth reached for the golden knobs and swung open the doors, pulling out a bottle and pouring himself some more to drink.
"Help yourself to whatever." Sephiroth said lazily, clearly losing eloquence in his speech. Cloud wandered into a connecting living room and sat down on a couch. It was soft, and he couldn't quite make out what the material was. But he liked it. He could feel the carpeted floor under his feet. There was a wide-screen TV in the room, along with a wall full of DVDs and CDs.
A cute little fireplace was present as well, and Cloud wondered if it was ever put to use or if it was just there for show.
"Haven't used it in ages." Sephiroth said with a nod as he entered the room, in reply to Cloud's quizzical gaze at the fireplace. Cloud quickly looked up. "But I used to." He sprawled himself on the opposite end of the couch and flipped on the television set.
"It's nice." Cloud spoke up.
"Hm?"
"Your place—It's nice."
"Is it? I always felt it never really suited me."
"It lives up to your class act." Cloud admitted, as Sephiroth chuckled a bit. "Though it does seem a bit too excessive for just you. Does anyone else live here?"
"Yes, one of my acquaintances from graduate school, but apparently he's not here right now." The silver-haired man said with a shrug.
"Do you usually have guests?"
"Rarely."
"Should I consider myself fortunate, then?"
"If it pleases you."
"What's his name? Your housemate."
"Zack. You resemble him a bit, actually."
Cloud made a face. "Don't tell me you have the hots for this guy but can't get him and that explains why I'm here."
More chuckling. "Believe me; you've witnessed how accomplished I am in the literature of failing students? I seduce even better."
"Err…do you?" Cloud was unsure of how to take that.
"Shall I demonstrate?" Sephiroth asked softly. Cloud blinked in a mixture of surprise and confusion. Perhaps the wine was really winding him down. The older man tugged at the buttons of his shirt, loosening them to reveal his broad chest. Cloud stiffened as Sephiroth leaned over, his lips hovering over Cloud's jaw line.
No problem. You can do this. Cloud coached himself silently.
As he moved to cover the blonde's mouth, Cloud shifted into a more comfortable position and slowly eased back. He flinched as he felt Sephiroth's lips touch his and recoiled slightly. Sephiroth easily crossed the distance and gently pushed Cloud onto his back.
Sephiroth wasn't a bad looking man at all. He held the affections of the girls in class, in fact. But it just wasn't working for Cloud. He couldn't find anything to like in this man. This man who abused Leon for his disability. This man who was currently taking advantage of his disability.
"Your mind is elsewhere…" Sephiroth murmured in between kisses.
Leon…Leon's lips on me. Leon's hands on me. Yes…pretend it's him.
He was repulsive. The way he stank of alcohol. The way his hand slid down the zipper of Cloud's shirt. The way Sephiroth's mouth worked passionately on his own. The way their bare chests brushed against one another's.
The way Cloud moaned in response and would learn to ache for his touch…it was repulsive.
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"Shit, man. I think I'm scarred." Riku was in Leon's room having a one-sided conversation with Leon. "Who knew?" He raised a hand incredulously and let it drop uselessly. "God…who the fuck would've known?"
Leon raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He had been leaning back his chair for the past hour listening to Riku rant, completing a paper for class and thinking about what he would say to Cloud. He called it multi-tasking.
"Leon, you could really use a proofreader." Riku had glanced over at Leon's Word document to find several glaring mistakes. Leon grunted. "Well, it's an improvement. It used to be worse." Riku added. "Have you been going for treatment?"
"No. I stopped with that once college began."
Riku bit down on the end of a pen. "You know you shouldn't have."
"What does it matter to you?"
"Hey. Just thought I'd look out for you. That's all."
He sighed. "Sorry. I have a lot on my mind and that just doesn't happen to be one of them."
Riku pursed his lips. "Time to start articulating those thoughts then." He motioned towards the door.
A lean, young man had stepped into the room without being noticed. Riku jumped to his feet. "Chin up. I'll see you guys around." He left the room
Cloud moved to sit on Leon's bed, wordlessly.
"You seem worn out. What happened? Are you alright?" Leon questioned.
"Oh. Yea. Don't worry about it. It wasn't serious or anything." The blonde waved the issue aside. Leon cleared his throat. He tapped his fingers on the keyboard, all coherent thoughts abandoning him at the moment. "Riku's right, you know. You should really continue treatment."
Leon shook his head. "You wouldn't understand how frustrating it's been. How frustrating it still is."
"Probably not." Cloud said gently. "But I'll help you. I'll do anything to get you up there. Life long support to match a life long struggle." He smiled bleakly, glowing blue eyes which began to glisten.
"C-Cloud?" Leon was alarmed as the blonde began to lose composure. Leon quickly left his seat and knelt on the floor before Cloud. Reaching up, Leon tentatively ran his fingers across Cloud's face.
"You understand, right Leon? You know I'd do a lot for you. Anything. So don't be angry. Don't leave." His voice cracked and was reduced to a whimper.
Leaning in, Leon kissed Cloud tenderly on the forehead, then the eyes, and gradually moving down to capture his mouth. "I understand." He said quietly, pressing his forehead to Cloud's, peering into the depths of his blue eyes and soothing his blonde, spiky hair.
Ah. He understood nothing.
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"Oh, God…" Cloud muttered as Sephiroth licked his way down Cloud's chest, consuming his skin in fiery passion. Their tops were carelessly strewn onto the carpet floor. He tangled his fingers in the silver locks of the older man's hair as Sephiroth loosened the belt on his pants, and Cloud turned to gaze at the TV. I Love Lucy was on. Voices blared from the television set.
Yes…yes. Leon's firm hands wandering the plain of my stomach.
Lucy had done something that Ricky specifically told her not to.
Leon's hands caressing my arousal.
"Ahhhh, Luuucy!!" Ricky shouted in aggravation.
Leon's tongue lapping at my…ahh…ahhh…
"Wahhhh!" Wailed Lucy from the television.
It was all he could do from moaning Leon's name.
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Again, sorry for this chapter. Somehow I felt it wasn't as good as it could've been. If you're displeased, feel free to rally up an angry mob and come after me with torches! Tell me all your thoughts!
Edit: I just realized that I uploaded the wrong file and it was missing a few sentences and improvements...sorry! But here it is now.