Warning: The first part of this chapter is pure Tifa/Vincent het. In the second half, Sephiroth follows through on his plan. Both parts are explicit so if you don't like it, PM me and I'll give you an edited version.
Chapter 47 : At Last
Vincent didn't pace. He didn't tap his fingers or his toes. He merely stood in the stables, surrounded by the noise and the warmth provided by the chocobos sheltered by the structure. He'd put his mantle over a pile of the mossy grass that the old man used as a bedding. He snuck glances at it. Having it on the ground rather than around his shoulders and over his face made him feel naked and exposed, and even more uncomfortable with the situation. So he stood, hands gripping opposite arms hard enough to almost cause pain, and wondered if he was a fool.
*Only if you leave now, my host.* Chaos' voice was acerbic but Vincent hardly listened to it.
They'd been arguing ever since he'd left Yazoo and Tseng up in the loft and come down to the stables. Vincent knew what was at stake; if he left now, abandoned Tifa and ran away, there would be no hope for them at all. He knew that. He knew it down to his bones and to the depths of his soul.
He still wondered if he was a fool.
He wasn't young. He wasn't clean. He was too thin, too scarred, too ugly... plus it had been too long since he'd been with anyone. He wasn't sure he even remembered what to do.
*Let me refresh your memory, my immortalis,* Chaos purred and images poured into Vincent's mind; of lips and tongues and hands, gripping, holding, and squeezing. They were rough, urgent, needy images and Vincent shied away from them. He didn't want to treat Tifa like a dockside whore. *She might like it, my own; many do.* Vincent ignored it and went back to not pacing.
Her footsteps, when he finally heard them, were light but they echoed in Vincent's being. He could try to talk her out of this, encourage her to wait; except he'd practically promised not to back out.
"Vincent?" her voice was hesitant, as if she half thought he would have left.
"I'm here." He hadn't lit any of the lamps, not wanting the light. When she moved to one to ignite it he reached out a hand. "Wait..." She paused. How did he say it? He'd explained it to the young clone easy enough but Yazoo had grown up as an experiment; he knew what that meant. Tseng had been more asleep than awake. Vincent doubted the Turk would remember anything of their shared bath. Still... he'd never been good with words. He cleared his throat anxiously and her eyebrows went up at this sign of nerves. "The experiments that were performed on me..."
"Yes?" she encouraged.
"They didn't always have enough of my skin left... after." He couldn't look at her; he couldn't... "So they used whatever they had available. Most of my body has my own skin, but not all of it."
Tifa swallowed. She'd known it had been bad but this was more than what she'd read. She forced a smile, it was shaky but real; after all, he hadn't run away. "So we'll leave the lights off. I'm okay with that."
Vincent closed his eyes in gratitude he hadn't realized he would feel. "Thank you." He heard her walk over to him. He felt her hand, so warm and real, cup his cheek and he had to lean into it. He opened his eyes to look at her, so warm and real. She was always warm and real.
*So kiss her already!* Chaos ordered impatiently.
It was good advice so Vincent took it. He cupped her face, long fingers holding her steady, for the touch of lips to lips. Hers were so moist and soft; enticing and irresistible. He tipped her head and ran his tongue along the seam of her mouth, once again using the caress to ask permission to enter and, once again she allowed him entry with a soft sigh. She tasted better than anything he'd ever experienced before. He explored this hidden part of her, tentatively at first, ready to retreat at the smallest sign that she was repulsed. It never happened and the kiss went on and on.
It was Tifa who finally took it to the next level. She leaned up into the kiss, deepening it and she took her turn exploring his mouth, running her little tongue over the points of his teeth, tickling the top of his mouth, and caressing all of his inner surfaces. She wasn't gentle, not really, she wanted to know what he tasted like and that was that.
His arms tightened and she squeaked involuntarily. They loosened instantly. Vincent would have drawn back more but she was still kissing him and that he couldn't pull away from.
"Mmm," she hummed in approval as she retreated a little. Her arms were around his neck and he couldn't even remember when that had happened.
He ran his thumbs over her cheeks, her eyebrows; he ran light kisses along her chin and over her nose. He nipped, lightly, at her earlobe and the sensitive skin on her neck. And she hummed and sighed and he could almost taste her smile.
He felt her hands pull his shirt out of his pants. She put them low on his back and he stiffened. "It's alright, Vincent," she soothed, "I'm not looking." She ran her hands up his spine and he was aware of every ridge, every bump, that she encountered. He stood frozen with the fear that she would stop and tell him it was too much; he was too damaged. She leaned forward and kissed his collarbone through his shirt. It was gentle but also firm and sure. It was all of her acceptance demonstrated against his skin.
He let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding. "Tifa," he breathed. He lifted her face because he had to kiss her more, taste her more, because she was wonderful, and here with him, and he'd never known anyone like her.
He would've kept kissing her but again she broke away. She took a step back, putting some space between them, so that she could undo her shirt, slipping one button after the other through their holes and exposing her golden skin fingertip by fingertip. Vincent was enraptured, his gaze flicked between her busy hands and her face, downturned and intent. Even Chaos was silent in anticipation. Only when the shirt was completely undone did the small warrior look up at him. He didn't know what she saw in his face but a small smile flickered on her lips and she reached up and took his hands, both bare for this, and placed them inside her open shirt, on her full breasts. He swallowed.
"It's a good thing you have big hands," she teased without bite as she held his hands in place with her own. His long fingers completely encased her soft flesh.
He couldn't think. He didn't know what to do. This was so much more than he'd anticipated, so much more real than he remembered. She was warm—Tifa was always warm—and firm. Her nipples were already hard little pebbles pushing through her bra into his palms. He didn't have to think to know to rub them with the soft centres of his hands. Then it was an easy step to pet them with his fingers, to pinch them lightly through the cloth. His eyes devoured Tifa's face as her lids fell over passion blurred eyes and she breathed out in gasps and soft pleas. Her cheeks were flushed and she was beautiful.
He could feel Chaos, inside him, purring approval; content to let him remain in control so long as this was the result... for now.
His gaze wandered over her but stopped at the pulse in her throat. It was beating a frantic rhythm. Her skin fluttered and danced and he had to know what that felt like. He leaned down and covered the spot with his lips; he tasted it with his tongue and scraped it with his teeth. He was rewarded when she jerked helplessly against him. He was encouraged when she moaned brokenly. She grabbed at him, holding his arms for the balance she'd lost.
It was a powerful feeling to have made such a strong woman weak and it made Vincent catch his breath. And he was breathing, panting actually, although he often didn't need to. Now he couldn't help it as his heart pounded. He actually had to pull away from her succulent skin in order to pull some much needed oxygen into his lungs.
"Please, please, Vincent," Tifa gasped, "I don't want to wait anymore." She stepped away then took one of his hands and led him back to his cloak. He stood and watched as she removed her shirt. He was frozen when she reached behind her back to undo the clasp of her bra. When she saw that he hadn't moved she held the scraps of material in place. "You're making me nervous."
He jolted a little, blinking and looking away. "I'm sorry. It's just... I'm not..." He swallowed and tried again. "You are entrancing."
"Oh..." she whispered. Then she grinned. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special but it would be nice if I weren't the only one naked here."
"Ah, yes. Of course," he nodded agreement. He lifted his hands to the shirt he wore; it didn't have buttons. He was going to have to pull it over his head, exposing himself in one abrupt motion very different from Tifa's slow striptease. He reached down to the hem and took hold. He took a breath and lifted. When his head cleared the cloth, he saw Tifa stretching out her hands to run them over his chest. She used fingers, relaxed and loose. She used her whole hand, firm and strong. Finally, she used her nails, gently but with a hint of threat that had Chaos perking up inside him. Hastily, Vincent put his hand on top of hers, stopping the dangerous caress.
"You don't like it?" she asked uncertainly.
He could lie and say that he didn't, but why? She already knew what he held inside him. "Parts of me like it too much."
"Oh," she smiled, "Oh dear." Then she leaned forward and carefully kissed away the faint red marks. Her lips stopped at his nipples, small, flat discs barely a darker colour than the rest of his skin. Only the pebbled texture and the little erect nub revealed to the dark-eyed fighter that they were his nipples. That and his reaction...
"Tifa," he breathed as his hands lifted to hold her head in place. He couldn't keep his eyes open. All his senses, all his being, focused on the moist caress of Tifa's tongue on his body. It was electrifying, each touch jolting him low in his belly, yet it drained his strength and his will, leaving him swaying helplessly, caught. "Tifa," he repeated, asking for something but he didn't know what.
"It's okay," she answered against his skin. "In fact, it's perfect."
Her hands skimmed down his ribs, over his stomach to the belt on his pants. He caught his breath, feeling her movements through the leather. She pulled the end out, releasing it, and he ached. She pushed the band out through the loop, and he shuddered. He nearly whined when she let go of the belt but then he felt her hands on the buttons that held his pants together. It was too much. He grabbed a breath and her arms, and lifted her up so their faces were even, their eyes could watch each other, and their lips could touch but he didn't want just to touch; he wanted to devour.
His kiss was hard and demanding, bruising in its intensity. He wrapped his arms around her tight enough to leave marks. It was only Chaos' triumphant chortling that brought Vincent back from the brink, back to an awareness of what he'd almost done; he'd, almost tore at her, almost forced her down... almost hurt her.
The realization made Vincent's legs go weak and he fell to his knees. His hands dropped loosely to her hips and his forehead rested against her soft belly. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he whispered, "I'm so sorry."
Strong hands stroked through his shaggy hair. "Shh, shh," Tifa murmured, "It's still okay. You stopped and that's what counts." He didn't know how long they stayed like that but he did find out that her belly tasted almost as good as her face and her neck. He had the vague thought that she probably tasted good all over.
*She would taste even better a little lower down and with fewer clothing, my immortalis. Trust me,* but Vincent clamped down on the demon inside him. This time he kept his touch light, gentle, loving.
She clutched at his skull, moaning. "Please, Vincent. A little harder."
*I told you some like it a little rough,* Chaos sneered. Vincent could almost see the creature who shared his body and his consciousness tip his head in thought. *Some like it even rougher. They're fun.*
The ex-Turk was determined not to let Chaos take control, not again because this was too important... but he wasn't above taking some of the demon's advice. He brought his hands around to the fastenings of Tifa's regular issue pants and thought, as he had many times during the march, that there was just something about a firm, slim woman in stark, tough fatigues... Or maybe it was this woman he corrected himself as she groaned approval and undulated against his busy hands.
He licked the skin as he exposed it, he even allowed himself to nip at it lightly. She shuddered and he knew that it was definitely the woman wearing the pants that he found so fascinating. He had bared her vulnerable belly. One move from him and she would be disembowelled and dead; she had to know it and yet she trusted him. She trusted him... even with all his parts.
Vincent slid her pants down exposing even more of her tender flesh. It revealed the dark patch of hair at her centre; hair that hid her most personal, sensitive area. Her scent was richer here, her taste sharper, and he wanted more of it. He brought his hands to her inner thighs, encouraging her to spread just a little wider, before he tilted his head. He used his tongue to search out the small nub that was the centre of her pleasure. He used his long fingers to tease and caress the rest of her secret place. She was already wet and he spread the slick moisture around, bringing some of it up to his tongue so he could sample it. Tifa hummed in delight.
So did Chaos, but Vincent wasn't telling that to the small warrior.
"I can't wait anymore," she said, stepping back and quickly shimmying out of the rest of her clothes. Vincent knelt, arms upraised, waiting for her return. He expected her to lay down in front of him, on the surface he'd prepared. Instead she pushed him over, pushed him back, forcing him to put out his hands to catch himself and leaving him stretched like an offering. Tifa stepped over him, centring her body over his, and crouched down.
At the touch of her moist heat, Vincent jerked up, massaging his penis against her cleft. "Tifa," he called. The chocobos warked in response. Tifa just smiled and grabbed his erection, holding it steady so that she could impale herself on it in one long, smooth slide. To Vincent, the sound she made as she encased his engorged flesh was like coming home and he couldn't help but echo it.
He could see her, in the dark, her face flushed and slack with pleasure. He could see her smile as she flexed internal muscles, testing the fit of their bodies. He watched as she leaned over him. He waited breathless as she nibbled from his chin to his ear. "So, I got my first chocobo riding lesson today. Wanna see what I learned?"
*Oh, I do so like the feisty ones,* Chaos cooed.
Vincent barely managed one nod. It was enough. The young fighter began to move, rocking her body over his, on his. Pulling away then returning in a controlled drop; relaxing and tightening inside to match the external movements. He started to move in counter-point, thrusting up as she came down. When she added a small circling motion when their bodies were closest together, Vincent could barely stop a keening sound from leaving his body.
He'd thought it was intense before but this... this was beyond anything he'd ever experienced. Encounters with Lucrecia had been quick and furtive. A race to achieve climax before someone walked in or called on the phone; a frantic effort to take advantage of what little time together they could find. It hadn't been this. Tifa was moving steadily, firmly; milking her movements for the smallest sensation. A small smile flirted permanently on her lips... at least when she wasn't biting them in pleasure. One thing she wasn't was furtive or frantic. She moaned approval and encouragement and Vincent responded by pushing his hips up harder on her down stroke. When she twisted, he counter-rotated to increase her sensations.
"Oh gods, Vincent!" She was nearly shouting and the birds warked nervously at the unusual noise.
Tifa wasn't the only one getting close to the edge. As the feelings intensified Vincent could feel Chaos pushing at him, wanting to take over, to take control of both of them; to take control period.
'But look at her,' Vincent urged and fixed his eyes on her face. 'Look at her,' he repeated and Chaos looked and saw a woman lost in the joy of the physical. 'This is what letting her be in charge has done,' the gunman argued.
*Well,* Chaos temporized, *when you put it that way...* and the demon backed off; content to watch the show once again.
Vincent was forced to use all his hard won discipline to hold his climax at bay. His body was tight and aching, muscles rigid, lungs starved for air, and the pressure to release something—anything—was enormous. He dug fingers into the hard-packed dirt floor, grabbing handfuls and squeezing, crushing the occasional stone to dust. He wasn't going to let go, not yet. He wanted to wait; he wanted to see Tifa's face lit up in shades of ecstasy. So he fought back his physical needs, he reined in his emotional response and he watched, waiting, intent.
When Tifa clutched at him, hands bruising, gasping out his name, he was rewarded. He could feel her body squeezing his erection, milking it, trying to pull him over with her. He could feel the liquid of her climax leaking out of her body and making his slick and moist. They were wonderful sensations, but they weren't what put Vincent beyond his own control. What brushed aside the last of the ex-Turk's resistance was the half-secret, satisfied smile she gave him with her lips and her eyes. It was a look that said he was okay, better than okay—he was perfect for her.
He jerked upright, holding her close as shudders wracked his body and his system pulsed in time with his orgasm. Inside him he could feel Chaos shouting exultantly—a triumphant scream. It was a good thing Vincent had no breath left or he would have echoed Chaos' joy. Instead he struggled to say Tifa's name and, once he managed it, he could do nothing but repeat it like a prayer. He buried his head against her chest and whispered thanks and praise, and her name, over and over as spasms ran through his body, through his mind, through his heart.
He had never, ever, felt like this before and he didn't know what to do...
Somehow Tifa knew. She said nothing just held him as more than thirty years of pain and loneliness were released in a flood of emotions. She wrapped herself around him, holding him close and dropping gentle kisses on his shaggy hair.
The birds, who'd been warking nervously, eventually grew used to the strange noises and went back to sleep. The night was still around them as the emotional storm passed and Vincent could finally draw a full breath. Tifa's hands were gentle on his cheeks as she lifted his face. He hadn't cried, he no longer had the capacity, instead, she had cried. Maybe for herself but also for him; he could see the shiny tracks on the fighter's cheeks. He couldn't remember the last time someone had cried for him. He raised shaky fingers to wipe the traces away. "Tifa," he breathed before leaning forward and kissing her, deeply, gently, thoroughly, before pulling back to gaze in wonder at her.
"That was nice," she said, voice low and lazy, "That was very nice."
*Well, I don't know about you, my immortalis, but I think it was worth the wait,* Chaos purred in reflected pleasure. *When can we do it again?*
Zack loved the hot spring pool. The moist heat reminded him of home, he said, as long as he ignored the darkness, the bare rock walls and the weird-ass mineral build up on most of the ceiling.
"And if one allows for there being no plants, no wildlife and no smell of rotting vegetation," Sephiroth pointed out.
"Picky, picky, picky." Zack was already half-naked. He'd started stripping as soon as the main room was out of sight, pulling off his belly guard and shucking his weapon harness. He was nearly bouncing and Cloud couldn't help but smile at his friend's recuperative powers. The guy's patron god had tried to kill him and yet now, just hours later, he was singing bathtub songs. The Corporal was staring at the skin revealed, checking to see if any of that ghastly paleness remained, but it was back to its nice, rich tan colour, except..."You have snowflakes on your back too."
The First twisted his head around trying to see. "Do they look good?" he asked. "Do you think Aerith will like them?"
"I like the General's freckles and it's the same idea, right?" It popped out of his mouth without thinking, because he did like the idea of General Sephiroth having freckles on his chest. It wasn't until Zack turned around fully, a big grin on his face and an evil teasing look in his eye, that Cloud thought that he maybe shouldn't have mentioned it.
"Four demerits, Corporal Strife," Sephiroth said silkily, "I'll punish you later."
The soldier swallowed, "Understood, Sir."
"Freckles?" Zack was still grinning. "You know, Sir, you were also exposed to extreme cold and wind chill. Maybe I should check you out for frost bite and stuff." As he said it, the SOLDIER stalked forward obviously expecting Sephiroth to react in his usual repressed fashion. When the silver-haired warrior casually and easily slipped out of his coat and his harness and moved forward to be inspected, Zack stopped and his jaw dropped; "Uh..."
"They're small," Sephiroth said straight-faced, "so you'll have to get quite close."
Zack stood frozen in place, just looking at his CO. "Uh," he repeated.
The General's lids half fell in triumph and he moved a pace closer to the dark-haired SOLDIER. "You can get as close as you like... Commander," he purred, "I won't mind. In fact, I'll enjoy it."
Cloud chuckled, breaking the spell. He was already stripped down to his pants. "You two carry on. I'm going to go soak and, um, see who comes out on top."
Sephiroth turned his cat-green gaze on his small lover, "Very droll, Cloud."
The blond bent down to remove his boots. "You did say we were both on notice." He smiled as he stood up, "I think you just gave it."
"No he didn't," the First protested.
Cloud ignored what Zack said, still smiling but now it was lazy and predatory. "Personally, I'm looking forward to it." He retrieved the little tube from his side pocket before he undid his pants, and kicked them off. Then he moved around the still frozen SOLDIER and into the pool. He sighed as tired muscles were enveloped by the comforting heat of the water; it felt wonderful. He shut his eyes briefly, but quickly opened them again, unwilling to miss any of the show. His lids stopped at the mid-point and wouldn't go any higher. It was okay; he could see Zack shifting his weight, trying to work out his nerves.
"I thought you were joking," Zack said, one hand on his hip, one in his hair.
"Did you really?" Cloud could almost see the General's eyebrow lift in mocking surprise.
Zack stammered a reply. "Well, no, but… I mean…" but Zack didn't know what he meant and his mouth was too dry to continue. He stared into his CO's odd eyes and felt hypnotized like he had when he was a snot-nosed volunteer freshly arrived in Midgar. Sephiroth stepped closer. The SOLDIER wasn't moving, wasn't backing away from the silver-haired warrior, but he wasn't reaching out either.
"Do you need to call Ms. Gainsborough again, Commander?"
"Ah no, actually; her permission was pretty comprehensive. Although she says she wants pictures." Zack leaned back and away, freaked that he'd let that slip, sure that the General would pick up on it and tease him about it—it's what he would do after all—but Cloud was spitting out an embarrassed sound in the pool and it pulled the General's attention to him. Zack let out a sigh of relief.
"Pictures?" the blond choked out, astounded and horrified. He looked up at his two companions, stunning eyes looking even larger in the dim light.
"Yeah or, y'know, a live demonstration—Fuck," Zack spat out unthinking. How he was equally dismayed as his friend in the water. "I can't believe I said that. I wasn't going to say that; not ever." He looked over at the General, his eyes nearly as big as Cloud's.
Sephiroth reached up to touch his SiC's cheek, to pull his focus back to the here and now. He stroked soft fingers over tanned skin, smooth and hairless like that of all SOLDIERs. "Cloud was correct: I do want to enjoy some intimate time with both of you. However, if you feel it will jeopardize your relationship with Ms. Gainsborough then I will reduce my expectations. We will bath together and check each other for injuries, and then you will leave and join the others in the sleeping area." Zack's mouth opened to comment but a long finger moved to cover it. "There will be no recriminations if you chose to go, no anger, no hurt. I have seen your… soul house and I understand how important she is to you." Sephiroth tipped his head slightly and silver hair slithered over fine features hiding his eyes, teasing his cheeks, and making him seem somehow young and wistful.
Zack swallowed. If Sephiroth had've assumed that he would jump into the sack with them whenever, just because he'd done it before, Zack would've had an easy time saying no, but he hadn't. The lab-raised super-warrior had been earnest and hesitant and so freaking honest with his emotions that Zack couldn't do it; he couldn't turn him down and, if he was honest with himself, he didn't really want to. He'd nearly died today—again—and, even though Shiva had been holding him, he'd felt really freaking alone. It just felt odd to have his girlfriend's permission to sleep with a couple other guys, or maybe he kept expecting to hear his mother's voice scolding him.
But he did want to see the boss's freckles…
He took a breath and settled his weight. "Nah, I'm not going anywhere." He stepped closer.
They were nearly the same height, he and the General. It was easy to lean forward and press his lips to Sephiroth's. He brought his hands up and wrapped them around the swordsman's strong arms. It kept them slightly apart so the kiss was light, tasting, savouring, rediscovering. Sephiroth echoed the grip and locked them together.
Cloud floated, using lazy hands to hold him steady in the gentle current, and watched with half-lidded eyes. He could understand why the General had enjoyed watching him and Zack together that time. The two warriors were good looking in completely different ways, reserved silver and enthusiastic black, but each so very, very strong. They matched each other in height and strength; their personalities fit by filling the gaps of the other, but what made Cloud's breath catch was the contrast between strength and tenderness they were showing. They were kissing with all the vulnerability of first love.
He could tell when they deepened the kiss; their heads tipped and, with each movement of tongue-to-tongue, Zack's hair waved and the General's rippled over his body. Zack's hum deepened. The Corporal swallowed and watched as his lover lifted a hand to cup his friend's cheek so they could deepen their kiss. Cloud could hear the sounds they made; moist licks, unconscious purrs, and it tempted him to go over and join them. Then they relaxed their grip and shifted positions so Cloud stayed where he was and watched.
Sephiroth was first, placing his long hands over the defined muscles of Zack's chest. He didn't stroke but just flexed, digging in his fingertips ever so slightly. The caress brought the big First to his toes.
As much as Cloud wanted to lie back in the warm water and enjoy the show, he was now breathing too hard to float. His dropped his feet to the bottom of the pool and moved closer. He flowed through the water, feeling it part around his aroused body and caress his sensitive skin. He felt it and did his best to ignore it. He wanted to watch but he wanted to touch as well... and be touched.
He watched as the dark-haired SOLDIER ran his hand over Sephiroth's broad back, from collar to hip. The General's deep purr was enough to freeze the blond in place once again. Sephiroth wrapped his arms around the First, burying one hand in Zack's thick hair and running the other down his spine until it reached the SOLDIER's firm, fine ass. Even then the General didn't squeeze just caressed and massaged and stroked. Zack made a helplessly needy sound and Cloud couldn't help but echo it. It broke the spell and both Zack and Sephiroth pulled back.
Zack was breathing hard, broad shoulders rising and falling, "Fuck, Seph," he said.
"Only if you wish to." Sephiroth had somewhat better control over his body but Cloud could see his ribs bellowing. The General was just as affected as his SiC.
Zack pulled back even further, running an anxious hand through his hair. Cloud caught his breath, waiting for the answer. Zack gave a laughing little cough, "Yeah, you know I do," and the blond released the breath in relief.
"It works better with no clothes," he suggested.
Zack looked over at him, mouth lifted in a fond half-smile, "You feeling all alone over there, Spike?"
Cloud shook his head slowly, "Actually, I was just thinking that your girlfriend had the right idea about watching and all."
This time Zack's laugh was loud and his smile was wide. "Y'know," he said brightly, "it's disconcerting to discover that all my pals are pervs."
"It's just…" Cloud flushed but stood his ground, "you guys are gorgeous together," he finished earnestly.
It was Zack's turn to blush. Sephiroth smiled, a slyly lecherous little smile, and stepped behind the dark-haired First. He wrapped his arms around Zack's body, trapping the SOLDIER's arms to his sides. The General turned them so that Zack was facing the pool… and the wide-eyed gaze of their companion. He placed his hands high on Zack's chest and slowly stroked his way downward.
"What th-the hell?" Zack stammered even as the muscles in his torso jumped and his nipples hardened.
Sephiroth leaned forward so his mouth was right next to Zack's ear, "I'm checking for frostbite."
"Oh shit," Zack whispered as long hands caressed his skin. The SOLDIER looked over to the pool and saw Cloud staring, open mouthed, at him on display. "Seph…"
"Shh," he whispered in return before nipping at the sensitive ear. When Zack gasped in response, the General licked it as a reward. He dragged his fingers over Zack's strong ribs. Here, where the muscles were so dense, a firmer touch was needed to bring the nerves to life. From ribs he moved lower, softening his grip on this, more delicate, area. He kept his eyes on Cloud, standing tense and eager in the water. There was a suspicious ripple where the blond's arm disappeared beneath the surface. "No touching, Corporal," he ordered, "Four demerits, remember?"
Cloud swallowed and lifted his arms out of the water. "Understood, Sir," He placed his hands behind his head and the General could see how he trembled with anticipation and arousal.
"Do you see that, Commander?" Sephiroth murmured, "See how he quivers? He likes this. He likes seeing you helplessly aroused. Are you as excited as he is, I wonder." On the last words, Sephiroth moved his hands lower, over pebbled skin, to the closure on the First's pants. He opened it with one hand, pulled the zipper down slowly and carefully as Zack's erection was pressing eagerly against the cloth. The General didn't unzip him all the way, just enough for him to slide his hand in and gently clasp the flushed organ.
"Odin's balls!" the SOLDIER yelped. He stretched his body upwards, trapped inside Sephiroth's arms, trying to push himself harder against that calloused hand. Sephiroth just licked at his ear and let his hand rest, unmoving, on the First's aching flesh. It didn't help Zack's control to see that Cloud's hips were jerking uselessly into the water around him, as if he could feel the silver-haired warrior's hands around his cock... or wanted to. Zack moaned, pressing his backside into the firm body behind him, and was reassured when he felt the evidence of Sephiroth's arousal. At least he and Cloud weren't the only ones affected by the game.
And it was a game, Zack realized, a game of tease and please, and who could last the longest. He smiled in relief. He wasn't good at being patient, but he was great at teasing. He pressed back harder, undulating slightly like a stripper in a bar. His hands were trapped by the General's so he couldn't lift them but he could reach back and grab onto Sephiroth's thighs. He could even slide them higher on those strong legs, high enough to grab handfuls of leather-coated ass. Then he did what Seph had done to him: he didn't squeeze, just caressed and massaged and stroked. He was rewarded by Sephiroth pushing his erection more firmly into Zack's backside.
The silver-haired warrior growled and punished him—if that was the right word for it—by placing his teeth on the sensitive juncture of his neck and biting down. The First couldn't help it; he surrendered. He tipped his head to the side to give his CO better access to the area. The General's hand tightened on his hard flesh and Zack happily pumped up into it, enjoying the mild relief the movement brought.
He shifted his hands forward around the General's slim hips, squirreling them in between their bodies. He stopped just before they would have covered Seph's groin, letting them rest, open-handed, on either side of the General's long length. Then he undulated.
"You play a dangerous game," Sephiroth growled in his ear even as his arms tightened and his hips moved.
"Betchyer ass I do," Zack said in breathless challenge.
"Actually, Commander, I believe it's your ass on the table." The General removed his hand from the First's pants making him mutter a protest, but it was only so that he could use both hand to push the material down, baring his middle completely both for his touch and for Cloud's enjoyment. Sephiroth hadn't forgotten that his small, blond lover was in the pool watching. In fact, he'd kept an eye on Cloud's reactions, watching him watch them. Seeing the young man quivering with tension was almost as arousing as having the dark-haired SOLDIER at his mercy. He wondered who would break first...
"Fucking hells, Seph," Zack gasped, hips turning, seeking the contact they'd had before.
The General didn't oblige. Instead he placed one hand in Zack's pubic hair and let it rest, barely caressing the patch of coarse curls. With the other he reached down and cupped his friend's heavy sac. It was still a little loose so the SOLDIER wasn't at breaking point yet. He lifted it so Cloud would see it more clearly, then he rolled it, massaging the tender globes with his thumb. Zack's erection jerked and he heard Cloud moan in response.
"Shall I make you orgasm, Commander?" Sephiroth asked in a voice loud enough to be heard over the water but quiet enough to be smoothly threatening. "Shall I stroke you until you pulse? It would likely land on your stomach, looking remarkably like your little stars. Do you think Cloud would like to watch you do that?" He paused, licking away a drop of sweat from the SOLDIER's hot skin. Then he leaned closer and whispered for Zack's ears only, "Do you think your flower girl would like to see that?"
Zack spasmed, body jerking, hands gripping whatever surface they could find.
"Or should I let you bury yourself in Cloud's body while I'm buried in yours and we can all climax together?"
"Holy fucking shit," was all Zack could whimper.
"I vote for option number two," Cloud called out. His voice cracked in the middle but he was beyond caring. He'd inched his way closer, drawn to the display, and the water level was too low to hide the flush of arousal that stained his neck and chest or his strutting penis weeping pre-cum into the pool.
Sephiroth smiled at his lover. "You want me to be fucking him while he's fucking you, is that it, Cloud?"
"Yes, Sir," Cloud replied faintly, chest heaving. Somehow the crude swear words sounded wrong coming out of Sephiroth's mouth but it also made them sound more... more erotic at the same time.
"I'm supposed to be punishing you, Corporal."
Cloud swallowed, crestfallen. "Yes, Sir," he said miserably.
"However," Sephiroth continued after a long pause, "That is too close to punishing myself and that I don't want to do." His lips quirked in triumph at the blond's sigh of relief. "What do you say, Zackary; do you think you can do two things at once?"
The First's hands gripped and regripped the leather pants they were resting on. "I have no fucking idea," he finally said, gasping, "but I'm willing to try."
The two SOLDIERs stripped out of the rest of their clothes. They could have gone faster but Sephiroth insisted on stopping Zack by kissing him or petting him. The Silver General was pretty fucking distracting when he wanted to be, the dark-haired First thought. Zack was crouching to untie his boots—having learned that bending over to do it wasn't a good idea—but he kept an eye on Cloud who was searching out the perfect spot in the pool, one where he could be laid out like a harvest day feast. The young soldier was acting like a kid getting a long anticipated present and Zack smiled to see it. It wasn't often the mountain boy allowed himself to be giddy.
The SOLDIER straightened and was blinded by the flash of the camera in the General's PHS. "What the hells?"
Sephiroth clicked another one before folding the device and putting it away. "Perhaps it's for Ms. Gainsborough."
"You are fucking kidding me," Zack complained. The silver-haired SOLDIER quirked his lips and Zack could see the evil teasing humour lighting up his eyes. "I'm going to have to keep you two separated."
The General stalked forward. He reached down to run a hard stroke up the First's shaft. "Ready?"
Zack came up on his toes at the caress; it was so firm it was almost painful but not quite. Or maybe he was just overly sensitive. He didn't know and, with Sephiroth continuing the massage, he didn't really care. "I'm ready," he gasped out.
Sephiroth's eyes glinted, "Then let us proceed." He placed his hand on the SOLDIER's back and pushed him forward toward the water where Cloud waited, mouth slightly open, panting.
The blond watched them approach and licked his lips. Both the men were bigger than him, taller and wider, and the presence each had made them seem even larger. He memorized the way they moved—Sephiroth's feline prowl and Zack's confident strut. They walked into the water as if they owned it. The same way they'd walked over the ice and the tundra and along the bone trail to the ancient city. He wanted to move like that and knew he didn't. He moved like what he was, a ground trooper, which meant he walked to cover the most ground using the least energy with the most awareness. It wasn't sexy, not like the two SOLDIERs were sexy. And yet he was here, with them, and they wanted to be with him.
Miracles did happen.
Sephiroth kept his hand low, resting just above Zack's buttocks. He made sure the First preceded him to where Cloud was waiting. The blond had found a ledge and lined the rock with towels. The tube of lubricant thoughtfully placed nearby and the General couldn't help the way his chest swelled. His little Corporal was a very straight-forward person and, after years of dealing with the egos of scientists, bureaucrats and his fellow genetically-enhanced Generals, Cloud's pragmatism was extremely attractive. He wouldn't have to suffer through hissy-fits, temper-tantrums or endless quotations from Loveless with Corporal Strife.
He leaned forward to whisper into one tanned ear, "He's waiting for you," then he pushed his SiC forward.
Zack had to lick his lips they were so dry. Cloud was waiting next to the bed he'd prepared. He had his hands braced on the stone behind him—very carefully in sight so that the General knew he was still obeying his orders. It stretched out his torso, elongating his body so that the water barely reached his belly button. More importantly, it barely covered the young soldier's straining erection. Each ragged breath made the water ripple and each ripple teased the aching flesh just a little more.
"Hey Spike," the SOLDIER said softly as he approached.
Cloud looked at him with large eyes, blue and anxious. Suddenly, he seemed so frigging young that Zack stopped. He looked at his friend wondering if this was really the right thing to do. Maybe they—he and Seph—were taking advantage of the young soldier. Although they'd shared a bed before, even had sex, Cloud had been comatose for one of those times and half asleep for the other so those hardly counted. There was that kiss though, back in the Cetran village; that had been pretty explicit, but Cloud had just finished kissing the General so of course he'd've been all revved up. There was the times they were together in the lab but he didn't really know how to think about that, not really.
The SOLDIER didn't realize that his eyes were just as anxious as Cloud's, just as uncertain, so that he looked liked years and years of pain had been stripped away leaving a little boy afraid to ask for a treat. When Cloud stepped forward and placed his hand on Zack's chest, he jumped. He looked down at his friend and watched as Cloud's shy teasing smile lit his features, "Hey, Flake."
Zack blinked. "What?" he asked, bewildered.
In answer, Cloud leaned forward and kissed one of the pale snowflakes that covered the scars from where the bullets had ripped him apart. Then he kissed another one, and another, and Zack pulled in a ragged breath. It didn't help when Sephiroth stepped up behind him and began doing the same thing to the marks on his back. It especially didn't help when the silver-haired SOLDIER concentrated on the ones that had appeared in the fine down that marked where his wings emerged. When Cloud's hands began to wander, Zack jerked and fine tremors began to run through his muscles.
He knew he was making noises; he knew he was probably praying and begging and pleading but he also knew he wasn't going to be able to stop. He felt like he was between two different electric currents and they were feeding in to him and the charge was building and building. "Fuck, look out," he gasped, "my wings..." and out they popped, a sure sign that he was losing all control.
"Ah, there they are," the General purred in satisfaction and then he leaned down and kissed them too.
Zack looked down his back in shock, barely aware of the tiny hands digging their talons into his shoulders. Sure enough, Seph was caressing the leathery membrane, kissing it and petting it delicately. "Shiva's tits," he whispered. He turned shocked eyes back on Cloud; Cloud, who was smiling at him in smooth satisfaction, as if he somehow knew what his General was doing even if he couldn't see it.
"Now you get to find out what it feels like." Cloud's smile deepened— Zack had done the same thing to him back in the lab.
"So it's revenge, is it?" He tried to sound fierce but his voice shook and made Cloud chuckle evilly at him.
Screw talking, Zack decided. He bent and grabbed the blond around the thighs, lifting him straight up. He stepped to the ledge and tipped Cloud over onto the towels he'd set up. He arched over the smaller man and shut his mouth by the easiest and most pleasurable means available to him: he kissed that soft, sweet mouth. It wasn't tentative or delicate—Zack had had enough of that shit—it was demanding and dominating and a hell of a lot of fun.
"Did you prep?" he asked urgently. Cloud shook his head silently so Zack grabbed the tube and squeezed some of the gel out on his fingers. He reached down and found Cloud's entrance. He felt the soldier relax his body, all the tension leaving the tight muscles so that the SOLDIER could insert his fingers easily. Which was great because he was quickly running out of patience—Seph was still behind him stroking his fucking wings and playing with the light covering of fur on his spine. Sadistic bastard, Zack cursed.
"I assure you, I only do so when it's fun for everyone," Sephiroth cooed and pressed harder making Zack shudder and moan.
"And he's good at it too," Cloud added with a smirk. He was lifting himself up, trying to force Zack's fingers in deeper, trying to keep them in longer. His pale blue eyes glowed with the power of his desire and Zack nearly laughed in relief to see it. He was feeling out of fucking control, it was about time someone else in the group felt the same way.
He lifted Cloud's legs, encouraging the blond to hook them over his hips, and then he guided himself to the small opening. With short pushes and strained groans, he worked himself in. The General helped by hitching Cloud's legs up higher which felt nice—really nice. It occurred to Zack that he should've propped Cloud's legs up on his shoulders because then his wing hands would be digging into Cloud's ankles instead of his shoulders. Not that he minded, really, but he was sweating and it made the little wounds sting.
They were all murmuring words of praise and encouragement to each other, a soft sound that barely traveled beyond the three of them. Zack could feel Sephiroth standing close, watching him work his way into their smaller companion, and he was amazed, once again, at the sheer presence of the man; the energy and focus he brought to everything he did. No wonder Jenova had wanted him… Then the General reached down to rub the area where he and Cloud were joined. His hand pressed gently on Zack's balls and the SOLDIER forgot what he'd been thinking. He moaned instead.
Cloud lifted himself up onto his elbows so that he could watch as Zack slid into him. When the SOLDIER moaned and closed his eyes he reached up and took Zack's full, wide mouth with his own, capturing the sound.
"I can't move," Zack finally gasped. "If I do, I'm gonna go. I know it."
"What if I move?" Cloud purred and followed action to words, moving his hips slowly up and down, squeezing and releasing the organ penetrating his body.
A large hand reached down and pinned Cloud's hips to the rock. "Odin's fucking balls, Cloud. Stop fucking doing that!" The small soldier chuckled happily. "Little bastard," Zack muttered in reply.
Cloud looked over the First's shoulder and saw Sephiroth looking both predatory and content, which seemed like an odd combination until he realized that the General had planned this. He'd wanted this, or something like it, and now he had it. He caught his lover's eye and grinned at him, letting him know that this was good, better than good. The General's little half-smile deepened into a full, deep one.
"Bend over further, Zackary," the silver-haired swordsman ordered. He pushed until the angle was correct then he used his foot to bump the big SOLDIER's legs further apart. The General cautiously slid his lube-covered fingers into his friend's small entrance. He stretched the tight muscle, worked the slick inner passage. He was careful to not hit Zack's sensitive prostate. This wouldn't be any fun if the First wasn't with him and Cloud. The SOLDIER moaned and twitched in response, once again burying his head against the smaller man's chest. Sephiroth could see his fists clench until they were white-knuckled—like snowflakes against his dark skin, and the leathery wings began beating the air.
"Think of Scarlett in full seductress mode," Cloud whispered to the dark-haired First. Sephiroth's eyebrow rose at the comment. He'd been approached a couple times by the ambitious Director but he hadn't been aware that the First had had any encounters with her.
"Shit! Gross and, y'know, fucking scary," Zack muttered back. Whatever memory Cloud had pulled up for Zack, it seemed to work. His wings settled into soft twitching and he relaxed or, at least, he relaxed enough.
The swordsman withdrew his fingers and used the excess lubricant to coat his own full erection before he stepped closer and began to slowly, carefully, insert his length. Zack started muttering, frantic and filled with swear words. Cloud murmured soothingly back and ran his fingers through the dark hair. Even so, every once in a while the SOLDIER's whole body would clench and Sephiroth would have to stop and wait until the spasm passed. By the time he was fully embedded, the swordsman was gritting his teeth so hard he could hear them grind.
Zack relaxed as best he could given everything but he could feel the tension running like electrified wires up and down his spine from his brain to where the action was. This was beyond anything he'd ever imagined—and he had a good imagination! The feeling of Cloud, under him, around him, combined with Seph behind him, inside him, thrusting firmly but not rough... Zack didn't know how to describe it. It was kinda like getting a mako injection, maybe, when the worst of the after-effects had worn off and it felt like flying. Except he wasn't flying, he couldn't. He was tethered to the ground, to his body, and he was loving it.
He'd love it more if Seph would only start to fucking move!
"Patience, Commander," Sephiroth murmured and massaged at his lower back, encouraging the muscles to relax more fully. "I don't want to hurt you."
Cloud reached up and cupped his friend's face in both hands. "Shh, Zack. It's okay. It's gonna be good. Trust me," he said between kisses and soft strokes. He kissed his way over the SOLDIER's, every feature precious to him, until he came to the lips. He'd always loved Zack's mouth, wide and friendly but sculpted which somehow made it more masculine than his own bow lips. He played with those lips now, licking and sucking and biting down gently. All the while he kept up his soothing murmur.
More and more of the First's attention was pulled to their interaction as Zack tried to catch Cloud's mobile mouth with his own. Then the General started to move, firm, steady strokes, and it felt like sparks under his skin, in his belly. "Oh fucking hells," he moaned because the movement forced him deeper into Cloud then released him to shift back. It wasn't thrusting, more like a massage, and it was absolutely fucking mind-blowing.
He grabbed the smaller man's cheeks and held him so that he could force that lush little mouth open and thrust his tongue in. All the aggressiveness and passion that the General wasn't using to fuck him, Zack put into the movement of his tongue.
"That's it," Sephiroth purred. His eyes were half closed and his lips were curled. He could easily hear the sounds the two other men were making. He leaned over to kiss Zack's snowflake-covered scars. "Do you like this, Zackary; how I feel inside you and how you feel inside him?" His only answer was a low growl. "Doesn't he feel good around you?"
"Hells yeah," Zack groaned. He had to let go of Cloud's mouth to drag in some much needed air but he didn't have the strength to keep his head up. He let it rest against Cloud's collar, tucked in beside the slim column of his neck. Zack could feel the thundering pulse in the big artery—this was getting to his friend as much as it was getting to him. That made Zack feel better.
The blond was squeezing him, rocking his hips, moving with the same slow, steady rhythm the General was using. "You guys are fucking sadists, you know that right?" Zack asked rhetorically. He didn't have to see to know they were both smiling.
At last Seph took pity on him and lengthened his strokes, moving faster and just a little harder. When he followed suit with Cloud, the blond called out, arching his head back and exposing more of that long, white neck. Zack took advantage of the posture and began munching on it; exploring the skin with his teeth, sucking up the sheen of sweat with his lips, leaving marks that would fade before morning.
Cloud reached down between them, running his trembling hands over his own skin until he could encircle his aching cock.
"I said no touching, Corporal," Sephiroth reminded him softly.
"But Sir..." It was practically a whine.
"Corporal," his voice was firm and Cloud reluctantly released himself. He stretched his arms up over his head to prove that he was obeying. "Good boy," Sephiroth purred in approval. Such obedience deserved a reward, he decided. "Commander, perhaps you can take over?"
Zack lifted himself up onto one arm so that he could do as he'd been asked. As he wrapped his fingers around the blond's fat phallus, he whispered "My turn, Spike." Cloud whimpered and keened his pleasure.
It became like a dance, an intricate, multi-tempo dance. Zack massaged Cloud erection at half the speed he was fucking him, while he was being fucked slightly faster by the General. Of course, they were all speeding up. It was inevitable because, under the physical sensations, was an awareness of what each other was feeling; a thread of sensation thrumming in harmony between them.
As amazing as it was, something good had come out of having Jenova cells fused onto their own.
"Indeed, Zack. It is a most intriguing side effect." Sephiroth struggled to keep his voice calm but knew he'd failed. Not that it mattered; not here, not now, not with these two. He moved faster, making sure to caress his friend's prostate with each stroke. He could feel the heat they generated, the tension, the anticipation growing. It would be soon. One of them would reach the breaking point and the other two would follow like dominos, the General knew it. He also knew that he wanted to be last. He wanted to experience his friends' climaxes, hear their voices, feel their bodies convulse and explode.
Who would be first?
It was almost too much. Caught in between them, Zack felt like he was going to combust. His wings fluttered and the little hands flexed uncontrollably. It didn't help that Cloud was pleading, begging him to finish it, and undulating like a fifty gil stripper. Zack focussed on Cloud's face, his amazing eyes, and concentrated on it to take his mind off the pressure that was building and building inside him. He tightened his grip on the blond's penis and started to pump him harder and faster, determined to make the mountain boy go before he did.
"Gods, Zack!" Cloud called.
"Do it. C'mon, Spike, do it!" Zack murmured back. "I wanna see you go over."
"I want that as well, Cloud," Sephiroth's smooth tones seconded the idea. "I would like to see your climax."
As if it were a command, like what he'd done on the ice to rescue Zack, the young soldier heard that voice and obeyed. His eyes closed, his back arched, and he shook hard, over and over and over. He let out a strangled, broken scream. Thick, pearly fluid jetted out, striping his chest and belly, and coating Zack's hand.
"Fuck, that's hot." Zack kept moving but he was entranced by the look on his friend's face.
Sephiroth leaned forward and murmured into his ear, "You look like that when you climax." The General sped up again. It wasn't intentional but watching Cloud, imagining Zack with the same look...
Zack moaned and cursed. Cloud was milking him, body clenching as the orgasm ran through him. Sephiroth was really fucking him now, no longer in total control of his body. He could hear their gasping breaths, smell the rich scent of their bodies, feel their bodies moving over his. He could sense their emotions so strong and primal, calling him, urging him to let go and he wanted to. The pressure coiled, tightened... and let go.
He couldn't help the shout that echoed off the wall of the cave. He couldn't help his wings beating and lifting him slightly. He couldn't help but bury himself inside Cloud's body and pulse and pulse and pulse, filling the passage with his own warm, thick juices. His mind was white and empty. There was only sensation, running through him, expanding. His only consolation was that Seph's orgasm was only beats behind his. The slim warrior curled over him, his long hair falling forward to drape over them all. The General emptied himself in a series of sharp thrusts, short and hard, hitting Zack's pleasure spot every time.
Zack swore but weakly. The little wing hands grabbed fistfuls of hair and held on as if the strands were a lifeline.
They knew they might never be like this again, even if they all survived the fight, so they strained and fought to keep the sensations going, to enjoy them to their fullest. But nothing is eternal and eventually the intensity faded leaving them all boneless.
"Shit," Zack sighed, "If we don't move soon I'm gonna collapse on the little guy."
"I'm not little," Cloud protested, "You're just gi-normous."
"Perhaps there's a shallow part of the pool, where we can sit and recover?" the General suggested hopefully.
Cloud flapped his arm at furthest part of the cave. "Over there, where the stream enters it."
Sephiroth slowly and reluctantly disengaged from the body holding him. He took a step back to give the Commander room and just had to stretch. He felt sleepy and relaxed. They were enjoyable sensations.
Zack braced himself on his arms and leaned backwards, pulling out in one steady move. However, it was quite another matter to straighten. He ached in places he hadn't known existed. "Oh wow."
He felt Sephiroth's hands on his lower back, kneading out the kinks, massaging away the stiffness. "The ledge was a little low, Spike," he complained as he stood up straight, flexing and twisting to get rid of the last of it.
"You're just getting old," Cloud countered.
Zack grimaced. "Yeah, maybe," he said reluctantly then he grinned, "But it sure beats the alternative." He bent over and scooped up the smaller blond. "If I'm sore then you gotta be worse. That rock is friggin' hard."
"Um, yeah, Zack... that's why is called 'rock' and not, y'know, 'grass'," Cloud mocked.
"Eat me."
Cloud smiled against Zack's shoulder. "Okay. Just give me a minute to get my energy back." Zack just laughed. The Corporal was so limp that if he let him go he'd just sink to the bottom and happily drown. Hells, he was freaking limp. He doubted he had another round in him.
"Let's leave the encore for some other time. We should probably clean up and get some sleep," the General interrupted their teasing conversation. "We have a great deal of ground to cover before we reach the Northern Crater. We need to get an early start."
"We could steal some of Bob's chocobos," Cloud said sleepily, "They'd get us there in no time."
Sephiroth stopped dead, "An excellent suggestion, Corporal."
Cloud looked up in shock, "I was only kidding, Sir. We can't steal his birds; I don't think they'd let us for one thing." They were in shallow water now so Zack let the blond slide down before sinking into the water and stretching out. His wings fluttered and splashed the hot liquid over him before finding a rhythm that let him float without effort.
The General's lips quirked up. "We won't steal them, Cloud. We'll ask Bob to loan them to us." He placed the towels carefully out of the water before returning to sit near his companions.
"We'll probably have to promise that you won't do battle with any of them," Zack smirked, "Y'know, guarantee their safety, that kind of thing."
Cloud gingerly sat down in the hot water. He had a few scrapes and they stung a little. "I'm never living that down, am I?"
"Not a chance." Zack said happily. Sephiroth shook his head in agreement.
Cloud sighed in embarrassment and let his whole body slide under the water. Sometimes life was just unfair.
AN: Sincere apologies for the lateness of this chapter but it really didn't want to come together. I re-edited, re-organized and re-wrote it many times. Hopefully, it lived up to your expectations.