Beyond
Flora Winters
I do not own Final Fantasy VII.
Summary: Sometimes the dead simply do not stay dead. This story will contain boy love, strong language, and scenes of explicit violence.
Chapter Five
Cloud opened his eyes, finding himself looking out of a very familiar looking window, down into a very familiar looking street. He suddenly realized that he was wearing his old Shin-Ra uniform and that he was in the Nibelheim Inn, looking down at his home street. In fact, his home was just around the corner.
He put his hands to the cold glass, looking down at the rain drenched street in shock. How the fuck had he gotten here? What the fuck was going on?
He froze when he felt familiar arms wrapping themselves around his narrow waist. He was pulled backwards against a rock hard chest, feeling gentle kisses on the back of his pale neck.
"What are you thinking about, Cloud?" The voice which haunted his dreams asked with a low chuckle. Two very soft lips were nibbling on his left earlobe. It sent shivers shooting down his spine, making his knees slightly tremble. "You're always getting lost in that spiky blonde head of yours nowadays."
He spun around in those arms, looking up into Zack Fair's face. His blue eyes widened in wonder as he slowly reached up to put both palms on either side of the taller SOLDIERS face.
"Cloud, what's wrong?" Zack asked, putting his bigger hands on top of his. "You're so pale. You look like you've seen a ghost or something."
Cloud was trembling. Was this real? Was he dreaming? Had Sephiroth drained him to the point where he was fantasizing? He didn't know. All he did know was that the past was walking around before his very eyes.
He slowly traced Zack's handsome face with his fingers, feeling every curve, feeling how smooth his skin was. He was biting his bottom lip as he did so, and suddenly pushed Zack backwards with his hands.
Zack stumbled and caught himself. There was a look of shock on his face. It was like he hadn't thought Cloud possessed such physical strength.
"What was that for?" Zack growled, putting his hands on his hips, glaring at him in amusement. "Is this some new game of yours?"
Cloud walked forward, pushing him back again. The spiky, black haired stud stumbled backwards again and fell over onto the bed.
"What in the world, Cloud?" Zack asked in shock, only to smile when the blonde straddled his waist, jerking on his vest, trying to rip it off. "Hold on, I'll take it off. Stop! You're going to tear it."
"Shut up!" Cloud snapped, jerking on it even harder, trying to get the damn thing off. He wanted it off of him. He had to know. He fucking had to know!
Zack did so. His eyes were so wide. It made Cloud snicker. Was he scaring him? It almost felt good to be scary.
"What has gotten into you?" Zack laughed nervously, helping him with the vest. "There, there, it's off."
Cloud threw the thing over his head, ignoring the shattering of a vase on the dresser across from them. He ignored the pout on Zack's face, too. He pushed him down, looking at his chest with a critical eye.
He let out a shaky breath, gently tracing the almost invisible crescent scar above Zack's left nipple. He blinked his stinging eyes several times and the tears began to fall.
"Hey," Zack said, reaching up to caress a wet cheek. "What is wrong with you?"
He flinched away from that loving hand, and nearly fell off the bed. He stumbled backwards, looking this way and that like some caged animal. It was another nightmare. He was trapped in another nightmare. Any minute now, Zack's flesh would start rotting, and Sephiroth would come crashing through the window, giggling like a demonic possessed little school boy.
The wind rattled the window and Cloud yelped in blinded fright. He took off racing from the room, screaming when he saw two familiar faces from SOLDIER. He was fucking surrounded by ghosts. He was surrounded by the dead.
"Cloud?" One of them asked in shock as he ran by them. The both of them grabbed a hold of the wooden banister in order to keep from falling down the steps as the blonde rushed down them without even looking back or apologizing for nearly causing them to fall and break their necks.
Any minute now, Sephiroth was going to jump out and tackle him to the ground.
"Cloud!" Zack yelled after him. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"Mr. Strife?" A concerned voice asked from the counter, but Cloud gave the familiar face the finger and raced out the door, leaving it wide open.
Lightning split the sky and thunder boomed from high overhead. The falling rain was stinging his face, but he didn't care. He had to get the fuck out of here. He had to find a door that would let him wake up.
"Cloud!" Zack yelled from behind him and he could hear the booted feet running after him. "Where are you going?"
"Stay away from me!" He screamed over the thunder, turning blindly, running down a dark alley. He stumbled over a loose cobblestone, falling to one knee, but he got right back up.
His heart was racing a thousand miles an hour. It felt like it was going to explode out of his ribcage and race off, leaving him in its bloody spray.
He turned around the corner and ran right smack into a dead end. He spun around in horror when he heard Zack getting closer.
"Cloud! You're going to hurt yourself!"
He screamed and spun back around, clawing at the wall with his fingers. He had to get through. He started jumping, and pounding his fists against it.
"Cloud?"
"NO!" He screamed, throwing himself against the wall now. "Don't come near me! Don't touch me! You're not real! None of this is real! Leave me alone!"
Zack's voice was so soft. "Cloud?"
Cloud fell to his knees, sobbing uncontrollably as he looked at his hands. His nails were torn and his skin was bleeding. He slowly turned his head around to look up at Zack with a horrible fear in his eyes.
"Don't hurt me," he whispered, pleadingly, backing away to huddle in a dark corner. "Please, don't hurt me…"
It suddenly looked like it was Zack who was trapped in a nightmare. The taller man went down on both knees before him, reaching out, only to stop when Cloud lowered his head, trembling even worse.
"I'm sorry!" He cried, holding his bloody hands to his face, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm so sorry!"
"What are you sorry for?" Zack asked, staying where he was, not moving away, and not moving any closer.
"I watched you die!" Cloud moaned, trying to back up through the wall. He wanted to crawl into the shadows and hide. "I let you die!"
"I'm right here," Zack said in a comforting tone. "I'm not dead, Cloud. You've not done anything. You must have been having a bad dream."
"Stay back!" Cloud shrieked. His eyes were glowing like molten blue jewels. "Quit mocking me!"
"What is going on?" Another voice asked and Cloud's heart froze as if it had turned to a lump of ice in his chest.
He ever so slowly turned his head around, looking up. There was a dark shadow standing on the roof to the side. A long, black leather coat was snapping in the wind and rain.
"YOU!" Cloud screamed, holding out his finger, firing a bolt of lightning without knowing he had any Materia on him.
The tall shadow deflected the bolt with a very long sword that shimmered in the lighting above. The figure lowered his massive blade. "What the fuck has gotten into you, Cloud?"
"Why won't you die?" Cloud howled as thunder bellowed and lightning split the heavens, firing another bolt at him, followed by three more. The shadow blocked them just as easily, too.
"I don't know what's wrong with him, Seph!" Zack yelled up at him. "It's like he's trapped in some kind of dream and won't wake up from it!"
"Shut up!" Cloud yelled at Zack, firing a bolt at him, too. "Just go the fuck away and leave me alone!"
Zack leapt to the side as the bolt went hissing past him, striking a garbage can with an exploding sizzle.
Cloud jumped to his feet and took off running past him, only to cry out when a hand grabbed him by the wrist. A shape jumped him and he went down hard on his back.
"Calm down!" Zack yelled in his face, squeezing him until he was panting. "I'm not letting you go until you promise to calm the fuck down!"
Cloud screamed and squirmed until he couldn't anymore without breathing. Tears of rage and terror were streaming from his eyes. He snarled and snapped at Zack with his teeth, trying to do anything to get free from him.
"Don't make me put a sleep spell on you, Cloud," Zack growled, having to really fight him. "You know I'm really good at that."
"No!" Cloud cried, arching his back, fighting to get loose. "I want to wake up!"
"You are awake," Sephiroth said, looming over Zack's shoulder.
"Zack!" Cloud yelled, eyes widening into even more madness. "Please, don't let him get me!"
"Nobody is going to get you, Cloud," he said, turning to look at Sephiroth who was kneeling beside him. "It's only us."
"We need to get him out of this rain and into a warm bath," Sephiroth said. "I'll go see if I can't wake the store owner up and get some soup."
"Let me die!" Cloud screamed, fighting even harder, moaning. "Just let me die…its warm there."
"What do you mean, wake the store owner up?" Zack asked, ignoring Cloud's psycho rant, looking around, holding onto Cloud even tighter. "The whole goddamn town is awake now."
Sephiroth chuckled. "Well, that certainly makes my job easier."
"Come on, Cloud," Zack whispered, being ever so cautious as he pulled him up. "Everything is going to be okay. Nobody is going to hurt you. I'll ram a grenade up their ass, having them explode for the baby Jesus."
Every cell in Cloud's body was screaming for him to run the fuck away as soon as that hold relinquished just a little bit more. His heart was telling him to hold onto Zack but his brain was screaming for him to get the fuck out of there.
"If you run," Zack said, looking into his blurry eyes. "I'm going to come after you and once you're done showing off your magic, I'm going to kick your ass."
Cloud started to pull away and Zack was having none of that. He pulled Cloud ever so close and kissed him on top of his wet head.
Cloud rested his head against Zack's naked chest, feeling the warmth radiating from him like a furnace. He was so hot and he was so cold.
"Come on," he said, just holding him by the wrist now. "I'm going to take you back to the inn, put you in a bath, and fix your hands."
Cloud looked at his right hand. It looked like shit. His nails were torn all to hell and were caked with blood. It stung like a mother fucker.
He blinked his eyes. He was bleeding. He was actually bleeding. He had never bled in any of his other dreams.
"Are you going to run?" Zack asked.
Cloud shook his head. Was he lying? He didn't know. All he wanted to do was get warm. He was so cold, he could see his breath.
"All right," Zack said, slowly leading him by the hand out of the alley.
"Zack?" Cloud asked, and his voice was trembling. He didn't know if it was from fear, the cold, or if it was both.
"Yeah," he said, turning his head to look back at him.
"Did I hurt you?"
Zack snorted. "Yeah, right."
Cloud looked away. "Zack?"
"Huh?" He asked, continuing to lead him back to the inn.
"I love you."
Zack froze in front of him and ever so slowly turned back around to look at him again this time. "What…what did you say?"
"I…I never got to say it before," he said, tears falling again. "I just…I just want you to know."
"You're such a dummy," Zack said, pulling on him. "Come on. All this crazy has made you even more delirious."
"I do," Cloud said, holding his ground. He was like a mountain. None shall move him. "I really do…love you."
"I know," Zack said, gently pulling on him. "Now come on. I want to get you out of this rain before you get sick."
Cloud stepped forward, throwing his free arm around his neck, kissing him on the lips right there in the rainy street for anyone to see. He just had to know if this figment kissed just like his Zack.
He was not disappointed. Zack's kiss caused his knees to buckle just like always. It made him feel like warm golden hands were gently massaging a soothing balm onto his heart.
"…That which was lost…shall be returned once more…open your eyes, my heavenly Cloud…and go to the one your heart sings eternally for…"
Cloud pulled away from him with wonder on his face. He suddenly gave Zack's right nipple a good twist.
"Son of a bitch!" Zack shrieked, letting go of his hand, face crumpled in pain as he put his hand over it. "What the fuck, Cloud?"
"The same reaction as last time," Cloud muttered to himself. "Only all of this is a different situation."
"What the hell are you going on about?" Zack growled, tackling him, putting him in a headlock, digging his knuckles into his blonde head. "Am I going to have to teach you a lesson in manners? You don't twist a man's tit! Hell, you don't twist anyone's tit!"
"Zack!" Cloud cried, and the man let him go. Those blue eyes burned into him and Cloud literally jumped him, throwing his arms and legs around him. The two went down with a loud thump. He squeezed the spiky, black haired man so tight.
"Cloud?" Zack wheezed in question. "What the hell? I can't breathe."
"What's this?" An amused voice chuckled from behind the two of them. "Isn't there a law against this sort of behavior in public?"
Cloud's blood froze in his veins. He had forgotten about Sephiroth. He turned his head around and glared at him with poisonous blue eyes.
"Well, if looks could kill," Sephiroth said, holding up a can of chicken soup.
"You'd be dead at my feet," Cloud hissed, getting off Zack, pulling him to his feet, standing in front of him.
"Okay," Sephiroth said, frowning slightly. "I'm going to call in a doctor and have him or her look you over."
"Um, Cloud," Zack said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "You're scaring the general. That's not a good thing."
Cloud ignored him. He didn't take his eyes off the vibrant emerald eyed, silver haired demon. "I'm watching you."
Sephiroth blinked. "Okay, that's a little spooky, Cloud."
He cocked his head to the side. "You can walk in front of us."
Sephiroth looked at Zack. "Has he gone mad?"
"There must be something in the liquor," Zack said, shrugging. "Or it might be the storm."
Cloud kept his mouth shut. He was not about to tell them a damn thing about him knowing everything that was going to happen. He was going to kill Sephiroth the first chance he got and then he was going after Shin-Ra, from the inside. They would never see it coming until it was too goddamn late to take a shit about it.
He threw his head back, laughing out loud as the lighting hissed and thunder boomed over his spiky blonde head.
Zack bit his bottom lip. "About that doctor…"
"I'll make the call," Sephiroth said, handing him the soup.
"Come on, Cloud," Zack said, taking his hand. "You can mimic Hojo, later."
Cloud's blue eyes flashed. He was going to make that bitch ass whore squirm like a worm on a hook. He was going to string him up and watch him dance as he fried his cock off.
"All right," Cloud said, apologizing for his behavior, hissing because his hands really hurt.
"Cloud," Sephiroth said from in front. "I can feel your eyes burning through my spine. What did I do to piss you off?"
"I'm sorry," Cloud lied with shocking ease. It sounded so goddamn real. "I think I'm just really stressed out…and I kind of snapped."
"Ah," Sephiroth said. "When you start to feel stressed…let us know."
"Roger," Cloud said, squeezing Zack's hand. He was going to make this silver haired bitch pay. He was going to tie him down, tie his long hair into knots, and brush them out until the whore was sobbing like a five year old girl.
"I'll fix your hands," Zack said, leading him inside. "And then I'll give you a massage after your bath."
Cloud smiled. That would give him time to plan.
"I'll fix this soup," Sephiroth said. "Do you like salt in yours, Cloud? I forgot."
Cloud nodded. "Just a dash ought to do it, thanks."
Sephiroth nodded and walked off, looking at the can. "Instructions…"
Zack rolled his eyes. "Come on."
Cloud bowed to the inn keeper. "Sorry about before, Sir. I wave having a moment."
The inn keeper nodded his head with a forgiving smile and Cloud followed Zack up the steps.
TBC…
Please review and tell me what you think.
Thank you all for your wonderful reviews.
Flora.