-A Love Divulged-
After dropping Tifa of at Seventh Heaven, Zack sped down streets and alleys that Cloud hadn't even known existed.
They were soon in the forest, the glowing flosflourescent trees the only thing lighting their path.
Cloud clutched Zack tightly, his arms around his waist, his cheek against Zack's warm back, lost in incoherent thought.
Fenrir slowed to a stop and Cloud looked up, blinking to clear his mind.
They were in a grove, a grassy circle ringed by the white glowing trees. A soft breeze stirred the grass and Cloud's hair.
"Zack," he said breathless, "how did you know where this was?"
"Sephiroth used to train me here, and I always wanted to bring you here, on a new moon just so the light of the trees would light your gorgeous eyes."
Zack got off Fenrir and jogged over to a felled tree. From the hollow inside it he procured a blanket. "Ha, still here."
Cloud gave the ratty blanket a skeptic look. "I am NOT laying on that."
Zack gave a sort of defeated look then grinned. "Fine, the grass is soft here anyways."
Cloud chuckled. "Have I ever told you you remind me of a puppy?"
Zack laughed, rubbing the back of head. "Angeal used to tell me that all the time!"
He sobered for a moment at the mention of Angeal's name, then regained his smile.
"Have I ever told you how beautiful you are?" Zack's smile was soft, longing, as if his heart were trying to burst.
Zack walked over to Cloud and took his hand, then pulled him down onto the soft grass.
"Yes, every morning I wake up next to you."
"And grace the world with those sad blue eyes."
They layed out side by side facing each other, hands clasped.
The light of the trees played in Cloud's eyes, the danced to his skin, then sparked through his hair. His eyes were, for a swift moment, innocent again. Innocent as they had been the day he met him.
Zack laughed.
"What's so funny?"
"Neibleheim. That's such a backwater name."
"Oh, and where are you from?"
"Gongaga."
Cloud laughed, blue eyes sparkling.
Zack unlatched his hand from Cloud's to stroke his face.
"You are so beautiful Cloud, I'm so sorry I took your innocence…"
A tear spilt down Zack's face, which Cloud wiped away.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Zack. I love so you much."
Zack kissed him, long and passionate, a simple lip to lip physical expression of the ache Cloud sent panging through his heart.
Cloud rolled onto his back and put his knees up, creating a cradle for Zack.
Zack layed on Cloud carefully, not wanting to crush him with his weight. His lips found Cloud's again, eagerly rubbing Cloud's lower lip between his teeth. Cloud opened his mouth for him, Zack quickly slipping his tounge inside.
He traced Cloud's teeth, then ground his tounge against Cloud's. A whimper passed through Cloud's mouth and into Zack, sending a swift chill through his body. Cloud bit down gently on Zack's tounge, rolling his jaw to massage it. Zack pulled back, the sucked Cloud's tounge into his own mouth. Zack sucked with enough force to bruise and Cloud's eyes rolled back from the stimulating pressure.
They broke for a moment, panting.
"I love you so much." Zack breathed. "I will love you until always."
Cloud's sad blue eyes lost themselves in Zack's bright cerulean ones, unending love communicated through glowing orbs.
Cloud reached up to kiss him.
From behind them a katana was heard being unsheathed.
Zack rolled off of Cloud to stare up into Sephiroth's reticent green eyes, six-and-a-half-feet of cold steel between them.
"You traitor," Sephiroth growled. He slashed his blade down at Zack, who rolled out of the way.
"Sephiroth!" Zack and Cloud gasped.
Kuja, who was standing behind Sephiroth, whimpered and jumped back.
Zack jumped up, getting between Masumune and Cloud.
"He's not yours Sephiroth!" Zack snarled.
He thanked the Lifestream Fenrir was beside him. He punched it, opening Cloud's sword stash.
He wrenched one of the huge blades out saying, "Would it kill you to have my Buster sword in there?"
"He will always be mine!" Sephiroth roared, swishing Masumune in attempts to sever Zack's limbs.
Zack successfully blocked all slashes, the countered with a heavy swing of the side of the blade like a paddle, hitting Sephiroth in the side.
"Get out of the way!" Cloud yelled, tackling Kuja. Cloud's larger body landed roughly on Kuja's slender one, making the spell caster grimace in pain.
"Why did you―" his voice was cut off as Sephiroth's blade swung above them.
Cloud put his arm around Kuja, helping him up.
"Come on, you need to get by the Fenrir."
Kuja, scared, allowed Cloud to support him as they dashed to his bike.
"You're a spellcaster, right?" Cloud asked, leaning Kuja against the bike.
Kuja nodded his silver hair a mess.
"Can you put up a Barrier around the Fenrir and us?"
He nodded again, unable to speak. He closed his eyes and held his palms out like he was pushing against an invisible wall. They began to glow and silver-white orbs spun around Kuja's lithe little body.
"There" he panted.
The air had an oily rainbow sheen and the ground had a ring of light circling them.
Sephiroth stumbled once as he stood, then tossed his hair back.
Zack braced himself into a position that could quickly become offensive or defensive depending on Sephiroth's attack.
"What about Kuja? Huh? You're already in a relationship!"
"This doesn't concern him," Sephiroth barked.
Their blades clashed again.
Kuja let out a whimper. "Sephiroth is a passionate lover, and he undoubtedly loves me, I know that, but these past two weeks I've had to beg him… taking whatever scraps I can get."
Kuja began to tremble and cry.
"You bastard!" he screamed. "If you don't stop this I'm going back to Mateus!"
Sephiroth ignored him.
Kuja broke down into sobs and leaned into Cloud for comfort.
"Mateus?" Cloud asked, not sure what had possessed him to do so.
"The Emperor of Palamecia," Kuja wept.
Cloud was still confused, but wrapped his arms around Kuja. Cloud wasn't one normally turned to for comfort, so he didn't quite know what to do.
Zack was kneeling when Cloud looked up.
"He is mine," Sephiroth said.
Zack pushed himself up and went at Sephiroth again. Sephiroth blocked, his blade biting down into Zack's as Zack pushed down.
"Cloud is not an object!" He snarled, thrusting Sephiroth back.
"He is what ever I want him to be." Sephiroth thrusted Masumune out, silver blades of light twisting down its length.
Zack pulled in succession three rapid backhand springs to evade.
"He chose me," Zack leered.
Sephiroth went tense and rigid.
His pupils narrowed to slits, his irises glowing with mako and rage.
A huge black wing exploded from his back.
Kuja yelped and buried his head into Cloud's chest, never before seeing his lover like this… or had he?
"Kuja… have you seen Sephiroth like this before?"
He nodded against Cloud's chest. He looked up, pulling a black feather from inside his armor. He clenched it tight with both hands.
"I carry one of his black feathers, and he carries one of my red."
Cloud was confused. Kuja had feathers? Sure there was that purple one in his hair but… Cloud blinked it away.
Sephiroth rose into the air and raised his hand to the sky.
"Mother grant me your strength," he murmured.
Light spiraled down into an orb in his palm.
Cloud looked to Zack, he was panting and bleeding, unable to move.
"This has to stop!" Kuja cried, "he's going to kill him!"
Cloud stood, balling his fists.
"Sephiroth. If you truly love me, you'll stop."