A very surprised and very loud "woah!" woke Cloud up the following morning. Zack's warm skin threatened to pull him immediately back to sleep, but he forced himself to crack an eye open to survey his friend, see if anything was wrong. Zack was twisting around to peer at him.

"Damn. Good morning, Spike."

Zack smelled very nice indeed, like cinnamony hand soap. Maybe he'd just gotten back from the bathroom. Cloud grunted, and then froze. Bathroom.

He shook his head and pushed himself dazedly up to one elbow, but then got another shock, one separate from the aching pain on his bladder. Despite having what was almost certainly the best orgasm of his life the night before, he was hard again and poking Zack in the lower back with it. That explained Zack's look of amused shock.

"Ugh. Sorry." He covered himself with his hands and tried to climb over Zack to get out, but his friend wrapped his arms around him and towed him into his lap.

"Aw! You're so darn cute when you're sleepy Spike. Lemme hug you."

"Zack. I gotta piss like a racing chocobo. Let go."

Cloud awkwardly waddled to the bathroom and had a seriously inconvenient piss, squatting awkwardly as he tried to ignore his morning wood and tried to remember just how many of Commander Rhapsodos's ciders he'd drank. He stared at himself in the mirror as he washed his hands. His hair was a wreck, his eyes were slightly red, his lips were bruised—actually bruised, there was a small darkish mark on his upper one, woah. He spent a moment fiddling with it—and as expected his neck was littered in hickeys.

This was the visage of someone who'd gotten fucked.

A deflowered man, he was. Virginal no more. He continued to watch himself, appalled, and then a wide smile spread over his face.

There were five toothbrushes in Zack's holder. One was Cloud's that had appeared about a month ago, since sometimes he came over for food and wanted to be good for impromptu inspections, but also because he'd slept over on the couch once or twice. The others almost certainly belonged to Commanders Rhapsodos and Hewley, and General Sephiroth. He poked one hesitantly and blushed at the whole thing.

He brushed his teeth and splashed some water and soap on his face, then penguin-walked back out, hands clasped in front of his crotch. To his surprise Zack had kicked off the covers entirely and was lounging on his bed with an arm bent behind his head, leisurely stroking his cock, already hard and flushed.

"You wanna get more practice in?" Zack asked, winking at the dumbfounded blond.

Despite going cold with shock Cloud gravitated towards Zack's warmth like the man was a magnet, climbing on the bed and sitting back on his heels by Zack's feet. "Um," he said smartly. "I thought you only had permission for last night."

"Nah. We've got this morning too. They didn't seriously think we were gonna fuck last night and that I would be able to resist at least kissing you this morning. It's totally fine."

The man's fist moved up, wringing a thick, sticky drop of pre-come from his slit. He spread it around the mushroomed head with his thumb before starting the descent back down. Cloud's mouth watered.

"…You sure?"

"Yeah."

Cloud shuffled forward on his knees until he was between Zack's spread thighs. His hands came down on them and he stared at the entire situation for a moment. The SOLDIER's skin was darker than his naturally, but the region from his waist to his knees was a few shades lighter compared to the rest of him. That stupid bathing suit, Cloud concluded with a grin. Zack had been on a mission to Costa and had gotten some swimming in fairly recently, if he remembered correctly. The dark hairs on his shins gradually thinned as they reached his thighs. Where Cloud's ass had been nearly baby-smooth parts of Zack's was a little fuzzy, though not in a way that was intimidating.

His eyes slid back up Zack's body to his face to find that the man was watching him evenly. His eyebrows rose in invitation. "You want to fuck me?"

The grip on Zack's thighs tightened. "Really?"

"Only if you want to."

Cloud swallowed. "I want to."

"Cool."

The blond crawled up Zack's body the rest of the way and plopped down on him, their bare chests pressed together. When their lips met, both were smiling. Cloud had anticipated awkwardness, honestly. Even if it hadn't been from Zack he at least had envisioned himself being shy, closed-off, and uncomfortably reliving every last moment of the previous night. How did people even look at each other after sex? he'd wondered.

In actuality, it wasn't bad at all. He was reliving the previous night—Zack stretching him open, his stupid jokes, the way his voice had gone all shaky as he'd come while still fucking him—but it made him press his forehead to Zack's and kiss him harder, not shy away and hide.

There was a variety pack of condoms in Zack's dresser drawer that he picked through until he found his size. "I didn't know what you'd be," his friend shrugged from the bed. "But now I know. Mega, Ultra XL Buster Sword sized."

"Shut up," Cloud complained, embarrassed. He'd grabbed a medium and a small if the medium was too big. He doubted the differences were that great, because if most owners of penises got their way they'd all be XL, right? The things were supposed to be stretchy; he'd be fine.

When he returned he deliberately avoided watching Zack pump that delicious cock and instead watched his face. "What do you want me to do?"

Zack lifted a leg and spread both, unashamedly exposing his entrance. "Have at it, buddy."

Cloud exhaled and ran his hands along Zack's leg from ankle to hip, thinking it over. He nodded to himself. The lube had fallen onto the floor the night before and he retrieved it. "Ew," he muttered as he experimentally played with the substance, pressing his fingers together and then drawing them away. Zack was smiling at him but did not rush it. He knew, like Cloud did, that this was the application of what Cloud had learned the night before.

He didn't have to put everything he'd learned to the test however. Zack clearly didn't need turning-on and his throaty encouragement as Cloud slid that first finger inside him was entirely excited, and void of pain. He was a lot more used to this than Cloud, and it wasn't long before the blond had three fingers of his own inside his friend. Cloud's touches were careful and curious, his jaw dropping unconsciously as he observed.

With some trial and error he discovered what it took to make Zack suck in a breath or smile hazily at him, his cheeks flushed a pretty pink. At first he just sort of…reached in and poked around, like waving a broom at a spider-web covered corner of your basement. When he had a method to his madness and tried to imitate what Zack had done to him last night, controlled strokes meant to bring pleasure as well as loosen him up, it went much better.

"What are you thinking?" Zack asked him. Cloud glanced up his body again. While lounging back like this Zack was quite unlike a puppy, but more like a giant cat. The power in his taut abs and clenching thighs was plain. Cloud had no business fucking fingering a powerful SOLDIER like Zack but he was because Zack was allowing the contact. The blond swallowed thickly.

"I'm thinking… that I'm not the only one with a cute asshole."

Said asshole clenched around his fingers repeatedly with the force of Zack's laughter at his statement. It really was quite pretty. Cloud had a question burning on the tip of his tongue about self-care, because he'd heard some guys talking about porn stars and bleached assholes and that sort of thing. No matter how comfortable he was with Zack this morning he couldn't bring himself to ask that.

Instead he shifted up to kiss Zack again. It was an intimate gesture and was one of the oddest things to be doing with his best friend, but it was…terribly nice. There was something especially connecting about them both having used the same toothpaste that morning. Spearmint-scented breath fogged between them. Zack's tongue lewdly fucked his mouth and Cloud's back arched at the pleasure of it, his brain hazy again.

Eventually they broke away and Cloud returned to the task at hand—or fingers, really. He chuckled to himself nervously and glanced at Zack's face. The older man's expression was nothing but encouraging.

Cloud had been hard as hell since he'd woken up. He rolled his condom on and got close, feeling suddenly clumsy and inelegant. "Relax," Zack drawled, smirking at him as he worked that thick, heavy erection. "Just go for it."

Gentle hands moved to the backs of Zack's knees and pushed. He was heavy, though, and Zack helped him out, the muscles of his core contracting as he held his ass in the air. Fumbling fingers lined up his slippery cock and he slowly sank in.

When Zack had done the same to him the night before Cloud had been petrified, unsure what to do, and speechless from the feeling. Zack did not seem nearly as affected—used to it, perhaps, or maybe just humoring this awkward first try from someone who was just barely not-a-virgin—and merely smiled at him. Maybe his hand was moving a little faster. "You can keep going."

Cloud pushed in until there was no more to give and stilled, trembling like a leaf. "Oh…my god, Z-Zack," he whispered, shuddering. "This is—"

It was unlike anything Cloud had experienced before, and it got worse. Zack tightened around him from within with the ease of someone who'd had a lot of practice at it and Cloud's grip on the backs of Zack's knees failed altogether as he braced his hands on Zack's chest. His breathing was erratic and he curled his spine. His forehead touched down on the other's skin.

"Fuuuck, Zack."

Zack laughed and grabbed the back of his own knees to make it easier for him. "Damn, you're cute."

"I don't want to be—fuck, stop doing that for a minute, Gaia—cute!" Cloud panted, and then muffled a laugh into Zack's skin. "I want to be an… unstoppable sexy fuckdemon."

"Make all those infantry panties wet, huh?" Zack winked at him, and then his voice grew commanding, the same tone he used when they were training. "I know you can do it. Show me what you got, Strife."

At least once a week Zack Fair pulled something out of Cloud Strife that he hadn't known he possessed, whether it was a reserve of courage and strength at the point of exhaustion or a new sword technique. It happened again. Cloud straightened up, put both his hands on either side of that round, firm ass and snapped his hips forward.

Zack did not lose himself like Cloud had. He did not tremble or cry out or beg, but he did murmur encouragingly, his voice a low growl, "Yeah, that's it."

Fucking someone's ass was totally new but totally fun. Cloud figured out what he liked best—longer, deeper, slower thrusts, as opposed to a frenzied, messy humping—and slowly what Zack seemed to like too. He had no idea how to search for someone's prostate but was fairly sure he hit it a few times by accident.

The tight, gripping heat around his cock was out of this world; Cloud figured that his good sense was somewhere out there sailing the cosmos as well. Zack had looked so handsome when fucking him but Cloud was positive he looked like he was constipated. His face was red and the veins in his neck bulged and his hair was in his goddamn eyes and sticking to his forehead but he couldn't even care. Thrusting his hips forward and sliding them back over and over was consuming, swallowed up all rational thought; he desperately hoped in the back of his mind that Zack was enjoying himself, because being any more considerate than this was beyond him.

That grip around him abruptly increased in intensity again. Zack looked smug, the asshole, as he deliberately clenched once more. "Zack," Cloud choked, "P-Please, you gotta stop doing that—"

It was too late. Zack did it again, trying to make him lose it, but it worked a bit too well. Cloud's orgasm hit him out of nowhere and he curled over Zack again, helpless. He was pissed and fucked him savagely until it was over and he had to pull out, shaking.

"Oh my god," he wheezed, once the irrational anger faded, "I'm so sorry—"

"Quiet," Zack said. His voice had taken on that surprisingly dominant quality again and he held out one hand. "Come here."

Still mortified and feeling more like an inexperienced teenage boy than he ever had, Cloud clambered up Zack's body. The SOLDIER yanked him in for brutal kisses as his hand started to fly around his cock. Cloud broke away to peer behind him at it. Zack's cock was wet and reddened, the head shiny with pre-come. Cloud wanted it, but Zack didn't let him crawl down to help out; his teeth and lips worked against Cloud's neck, the blond feeling like he was being devoured, before working his way back up to Cloud's mouth.

"Sorry," he panted between long, drawn out moments of tongues sliding together, "Didn't mean to be scary. I just… didn't want you apologizing for stupid shit. It's cool, Spike."

Cloud shouldn't have worried quite so much. Zack wasn't laughing at him, and only smiled fondly before leaning up to kiss him again. Cloud was happy to do this, to relax against Zack's body and make out, like something real boyfriends or lovers would have done.

Zack pressed his face into Cloud's neck when he came and Cloud made out his muffled, "Shit, shitshitshit…"

The hand Zack had cradling the back of Cloud's head moved down and to the side so Zack could hug him. That hug grew into a squeeze and Zack rolled on top of Cloud. The SOLDIER wiggled like a puppy so excited its entire body shook instead of just its tail.

"Stop squishing me!" Cloud exclaimed, delighted. Zack gave him a noogie and the both of them grinned at each other, their faces hurting.

"Eew, you didn't take your condom off. Why not?"

"You didn't give me a chance to," Cloud said irritably, and sat up so he could pull it off. He tied it carefully and shook the tiny latex bag of jizz in Zack's face. "Look. It doesn't glow green."

"Get it away," Zack cried, swatting at it like a terrified, stereotypical old woman in a movie. He knocked it out of Cloud's hands and the blond hurried out of bed to retrieve it, then throw it in the trash.

"I am sorry," Cloud mumbled as he sat back on the bed. "I tried to warn you. That was—too much."

Zack smiled easily at him. "No worries. We were all there once. Once you do this a few more times and maybe pass another birthday you'll get it under control. Speaking of that, have you put any thought into what you wanna do?"

They had a totally normal, totally chaste conversation about Cloud's birthday party naked in bed, still covered in hickies and come and spit. Zack's stomach growled after they discussed what cake Zack would cajole Angeal into making and he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Hey. If I let you use the shower first will you make breakfast? You know I can't cook."

Cloud grinned. "Deal."

Breakfast passed just like any other breakfast, except for the occasional snort of laughter as they talked about something that had happened while they were together, like Zack's horrible one-liners.

"Do you feel better about it now? Like you can go do what you want to do with less worrying?"

"Definitely."

"Then we accomplished our goal, Spike. Awesome. And just to double check—you're not upset, are you?"

"Zack." Cloud frowned at him. "I think this is the happiest I've ever been."

When Cloud left the apartment they embraced. It was tighter than they were used to, and longer, but they had fucked for crying out loud, it was doubtful a little bodily contact between them would ever make Cloud uncomfortable again. Despite the intensity and length the hug was entirely platonic, and when Cloud strutted back to the elevator his face ached from all the smiling.

Cloud Strife dropped into his seat in the corner of the Shin-Ra Infantry cafeteria like it was a throne. He first placed down his tray, carefully so his apple didn't roll around too much. Then he stood up straight, looked around at his subjects, none of whom were paying him any attention, and hefted one leg over the bench with such flare it was as if they all were. Carefully, with his posture rigid and his head held high, he sat down. His ass rotated against the hard seat as he slung his other leg over the bench slowly, even seductively. Both boots pressed against the floor, slightly-sticky from something spilled earlier that hadn't gotten mopped up. Disrespectful, unimaginable for a throne!

His water bottle was the most phallic thing he'd had near his mouth since an actual phallus two nights ago. After sipping from it Cloud's tongue came out to wet his lips, and he surveyed the cafeteria.

These were not infantrymen and women. These were blue-clad prey.

Cloud Strife was no King but he was undeniably a Ruler—he ruled a new kingdom, one just conquered. Now he was powerful, attractive, inviting, and had control over something previously elusive—his own sexuality. Now he knew how to fuck and how to be fucked. What else was there, really?

It took a few days for Cloud's ridiculous, self-absorbed thoughts to simmer down, high as he was on his success, and the memories of his fantastical night with Zack. For a few days Cloud felt like he was the hottest thing in HQ. He eventually calmed, a little, but during those few days Cloud had his first real encounter with someone with whom he hadn't discussed everything in detail beforehand and who wasn't his best friend.

Lee was one of the boys who did morning drills with him. He was on the shorter side, much like Cloud, and had been the first one to give him a blowjob months ago, in a supply closet in some back corner of an unimportant floor in the building. They fucked in that same supply closet, with Lee's hands braced against the door as Cloud pounded into him from behind. They'd knocked over a mop and spilled some industrial cleaner by accident but Cloud was counting the whole thing as a success overall.

He hadn't come prematurely, at least.

The first thing Cloud did—seriously, as he was jogging down the stairs to go back to his dorm afterward—was call Zack.

"I did it," He huffed, his voice nothing but excitement, "I had sex. On my own. With a guy."

Zack cheered for him, and Cloud's grin lit up the dark stairwell. "Look at you go," Zack cried, "They grow up so fast! I'm proud of you!"

In fact, Zack heard just about everything. He had sort of adopted Cloud's sexuality, in a way. He was the one to take care of it and breathe careful life into it, and gave it the tools to survive out on its own—so he was invested.

Seeing Zack in person for the first time after they'd hooked up was a bit awkward, but only for a few minutes. The man had just gotten out of the shower when Cloud dropped by, and had a date with Sephiroth in half an hour. Cloud's eyes lingered on his still-damp skin and the deep muscled v's of his hipbones that pointed to the soft bulge in his sweatpants for a moment too long, but he shook himself out of the sudden vivid memory replaying in his head.

Instead of being hung up on their own hookup, however, the two men brushed it off for the more important things at hand. Zack took the time to listen to Cloud talk about his experience, smiling fondly the whole time.

The SOLDIER ruffled his hair before disappearing to get dressed up for his date. "Have fun," he told him, "Just remember to use your judgment. You deserve the best, Spike." His head poked back into the living room after a few moments. "Also, hey. I was talking to the boys and they want to meet you. Come eat dinner with us."

"What?"

Zack quirked an eyebrow. "Dinner. You. Me. Angeal, Genesis, Sephiroth. They wanna meet you properly now." At Cloud's disgruntled look he added, "Since we had sex twice and all."

That was the last thing Cloud wanted to do and he tried to nix the idea. "Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable though?" He really meant wouldn't I?

"No I wouldn't. I want you to meet them." Cloud was clearly unwilling so Zack sighed. "Look Cloud, they put a lot of faith in me when I spoke to them about how important to me you were. They put a lot of faith in you too. They just want to meet the guy I thought was special enough to have sex with when he needed me. Is that so bad?"

"No…" Cloud shook his head, feeling guilty. "It isn't."

Cloud didn't deserve anyone anything, but it was just common courtesy. The Legendary SOLDIER Trio had done him a massive favor. Without Zack and his goofy laugh, kind touch and careful attentions Cloud's first time could have been really shitty. He appreciated it so much… yes, he could meet them. It would make Zack happy, if nothing else.

"Good," Zack said, winked at him, and went to get dressed in his bedroom.

In the week that followed Cloud tried to be evasive about the date of the dinner, busying himself in the gym during his evening hours so he wouldn't be free. He busied himself with something else too, and Zack also learned about the others.

After Lee came Henry, who had fucked Cloud stupid in his own bed when everyone else was at lunch. He hadn't known where he was or even who his partner was for a few minutes after he came, still trembling and seeing spots. The kid was in his Materia Theory class and they hadn't talked before, but Henry had caught Cloud looking and that was that.

There was Stella, whose Sector 4 patrol route often passed his. Usually they stopped and chatted with each other for a while before passing on. Cloud had never had sexual contact with a girl but the mechanics weren't that hard to figure out, and the small, dark corner outside behind a building suited their purposes nicely. Carrying a condom around in his inner uniform pocket was turning out to be an extremely great idea. He lied about the location though, knowing his friend would scold him for doing that while on patrol and in the Infantry blues.

"A girl?" Zack asked, his eyes bulging. "I know you said you liked 'em but I didn't think you'd… damn, Cloud!"

There was Rio, when both he and Cloud had been drunk over the weekend. They tried to do it out in the dark on the obstacle course they each had to agonizingly run through twice a week, but had toppled off one of the structures into some mud. It failed to compare to Zack's warm, inviting bed. Zack laughed so hard at the incident Cloud thought he was going to pee himself.

There was Jatin on Tuesday who Cloud barely knew, but he was hot. They hadn't spoken a word to each other throughout the whole thing and pretended it didn't happen when they passed each other afterward in the hall. Cloud, annoyed, flipped him off when his back was turned and couldn't help but remember the way Zack had been so warm and touchy, kissing his neck and pressing his joyous smile into Cloud's skin.

To his horror, at one of their little meetings where Cloud told him about all of these people Zack gave him a solidified date. Thursday night Cloud was supposed to report to Zack's apartment at 1900 hours in order to meet Zack's boyfriends. The idea made him feel sick, but he developed no sniffles or aches. He had no valid excuse to get out of it.

Cloud knew wanting to avoid this dinner was rude. He'd always wanted to meet Genesis Rhapsodos, Sephiroth, and Angeal Hewley, after all—he had the poster on his wall back home to prove it. Just… did the situation have to be because Cloud had lost his virginity to their collective boyfriend, another SOLDIER First Class?

He did what was quickly becoming his go-to de-stresser in the hours before.

"We have to hurry this up," he murmured regretfully, his hand stroking gently through his friend Dominic's hair. The other infantryman's eyes narrowed in annoyance but he intensified the warm, wet suction around Cloud's dick. Cloud came a few minutes later and pulled his friend up for a smooch. Gradually Cloud was discovering who he was—a kisser, for one, and a gentle and considerate lover who was far more concerned whether his partner was uncomfortable or if their knees ached on the hard ShinRa shower tiles than if he was going to cum harder than he had the last time. Some guys didn't really like that, and wanted something quick, impersonal, and brutal, but it was fine that Cloud couldn't offer that. There were plenty of other boys out there to find what was needed.

Cloud attended his last class of the evening and returned to his dorm to change into his civvies. He wasn't sure what to wear—did he go for something sexy, to prove to his superiors that he was something of a good catch, that they shouldn't be disappointed Zack had hooked up with what Cloud really was—a short, quiet, awkward, stubborn, occasionally terribly shy infantryman? Did dressing sexy send the wrong idea, and make them think Zack should have gone for someone more wholesome?

Thank Gaia there were no more hickies on his neck; knowing this was coming, he hadn't let anyone bite him there in a few days. He settled for his nicest jeans and a simple Shin-Ra Infanty t-shirt. If they didn't like it, well, it wasn't like he was the one dating them or anything. Zack at least had seen him naked at this point, so it hardly mattered.

Goodness, he didn't want to do this.

He arrived at Zack's door at the correct time, but it took him a solid minute to work up the courage to knock. All the possible scenarios rushed through his mind. God, he was so fucked—the interview he'd had to get into ShinRa had made his stomach clench horribly but it hadn't made his knees tremble and threaten to knock together.

The worst part about it was not knowing why he was here. Zack's motives were unclear. Sure, it was nice and all for him to meet Zack's boyfriends, but there was more to it than that. Was it imperative he got along with them? Did Zack want him to be close friends with them too? As lovely as it sounded, Cloud wasn't so sure he could do that.

Absolutely miserable, Cloud knocked.

Zack answered it, and his smile made Cloud's worries yet again fade away. "Spike," he greeted, flashing a wide, bright-toothed smile. "Glad to see ya, dude."

He murmured a greeting, and all his anxiety came back in a rush as he peeked over Zack's shoulder and spotted the three SOLDIERs in the living room. Rather than standing powerfully like they were in ShinRa propaganda or on stage like they had been the first time Cloud saw them in person, they were lounging on the couch and on Zack's soft, squishy chairs. His emotions (and his dick) had no idea what to do.

The next few minutes passed in a blur. Cloud felt Zack pull him inside. He clammed up as the other three turned his attention to them. Thank you for letting me have sex with your boyfriend, Sirs, was on the tip of his tongue but he thankfully bit the nonsense back, saying stiff greetings on autopilot.

He stood still, uncomfortable and quiet. Zack had his hand on his hips and started to say something, but uncharacteristically cut himself off. Devastatingly awkward.

Genesis Rhapsodos scooted over to sit on the edge of the couch by the armrest, and watched Cloud carefully as he patted the cramped space on the cushion beside him. His voice rolled over Cloud like warm, gooey cinnamon apples. "Why don't you take a seat, Cloud?"

Cloud sat, and he desperately prayed no one realized it was because his legs had given out underneath him.

I can't thank everyone enough for the encouragement with the last chapter, especially because this whole thing is new and difficult and was kinda scary. You're all stars.