This is being posted as part 9/9 of my 'Cloud's Birthday Week 2k15' challenge over on tumblr. Happy Birthday, Cloud!

Sephiroth stood as Angeal reached their table. He pulled out the chair they'd saved for him and pressed a quick kiss to his partner's smiling mouth before coasting a hand down his back, pressing just above his hips and guiding Angeal to sit.

"What a gentleman," Angeal murmured as Sephiroth took his seat again. "Hello, everybody."

Angeal's hair was wet and he was panting slightly, having hurried to get here on time. Everyone greeted him warmly. His scheduled training with some struggling Third Classes went over longer than expected, but his four boyfriends did not start eating without him, waiting and talking.

It was very, very good to see Angeal. Sephiroth felt bad for him though, and so did the others. Genesis took Angeal's hand from across the table and said, "You must be exhausted. Will you be okay tomorrow?"

Shrugging, Angeal answered, I'll be okay."

Zack let out a gusty sigh and Cloud, seated between Zack and Genesis, watched Angeal pick up the restaurant menu and leaf through it with a (fairly adorable) scowl on his face.

Sephiroth tried to catch Cloud's eye, to let him know it was going to be okay and not to worry, but Cloud did not look his way.

"So you have to leave at 0300 hours?" Zack asked Angeal once they'd ordered their meals and a few appetizers, since they were all hungry after sitting here for so long.

"Unfortunately. Should be a two day trip."

"I'll miss you," Cloud finally piped up, his face glum.

"And I'll miss you." Angeal tilted his head and locked his gaze with Cloud's. He smiled, and Cloud did too, like he always did, unable to resist it. Sephiroth loved watching the two of them do that. "This is your night, though, Cloud—you're not allowed to be disappointed that I'm leaving."

Cloud twisted his mouth but gave a short nod. Genesis gave Sephiroth a knowing smile over the rim of his wine glass, looking wonderful in the restaurant's low lighting. They were here for Cloud, it was true. The romantic atmosphere and Cloud's favorite foods on the menu were meant to make him happy and relaxed, but that did not mean this couldn't also be an evening for Angeal as well.

"So how was everyone's day?" Angeal asked, taking Zack's hand and rubbing his thumb over his knuckles. Their table was in a specially-requested secluded spot so they could be affectionate like this without much worry.

Genesis had spent the day in meetings. He was always able to make boring things exciting in his own small way, however, and amused them with stories of what trouble he'd gotten into. Zack had done some endurance training in the SOLDIER pool. Sephiroth loved to swim, even though chlorine did nightmarish things to his hair, and asked to be taken along next time. Zack beamed and said he would.

Cloud met his friends Andrew and Stella out on the obstacle course after their morning drills, and they'd run and climbed and tumbled until they were aching. Sephiroth told them how he had finished his work early today and had time to read a book in his office, enjoying the silence and comfort.

It was rare to get the time to sit and relax as a group, telling each other all this mundane stuff. True, Angeal had to leave soon, but it was some time spent together.

It was time organized originally for Cloud's benefit, too… Sephiroth finally managed to catch his youngest boyfriend's eye. He smiled, as reassuringly as he could—regardless of whether he succeeded or not Cloud still smiled back.

The weekend previous, after three months of gently and slowly leading up to now, Cloud, along with their input and encouragement, decided that he was ready to have sex again.

It had been three months since Cloud accepted their official invitation for him to join their relationship. It had been an unbelievably wonderful three months. Actually romancing Cloud Strife was so preferable to just thinking about it, or watching him dance around his poorly-concealed affection for Zack.

Sephiroth had done a lot of thinking about getting his hands on Cloud's body in those days, his lips on that skin. He'd talked about it with Genesis and Angeal, as they figured out between themselves how they were going to navigate Cloud's addition (because it had been obvious and inevitable, even when both Cloud and Zack were refusing to admit their feelings for each other and later, when they both had their heads up their asses and were hiding from any real confrontation).

But despite Cloud's rather explicit introduction to this whole mess via sex with Zack, things had been fairly chaste since that day they all sat down and came clean about a lot of things.

Well, not entirely—they sure as hell fooled around with Cloud, touched him and licked him and sucked him, but the distinction between that and in his case penetrative sex was important to Cloud, even if he stopped placing such strong value judgements on those acts.

Cloud looked extremely happy as he devoured his stew, and Sephiroth was happy just to see it.

Let's romance the fuck out of him, Zack had said after Cloud told them he was ready to move this up a level.

Sephiroth was kind of proud of how much effort they put into romancing Cloud already. The beautiful, fun young man who was so sought after by others in the company, who had so many friends these days and held his head so high, deserved the attention and care. Someone like that had to be treated right or they'd find someone who could give them the love they deserved.

Thus, the romantic restaurant and all the affectionate holding of his hand and nudging of his feet beneath the table. Genesis had presented Cloud with flowers at the beginning of the evening, making Cloud flush horribly and protest, saying that it was not necessary.

It wasn't, but they wanted to do it.

It was necessary, however, to douse Angeal in affection. His mission the next morning was a small one with low risk, but none of them were about to underestimate the danger of the seemingly-innocent missions. Angeal indulged it all with an understanding smile. He ordered himself dessert for once, saying, "I deserve it."

"You do," Cloud agreed; he still looked a bit crestfallen about Angeal's departure.

Dinner ended with more soft laughter, gentle touches and shared smiles. They left and walked leisurely back to HQ as a group. Zack held Cloud's hand and Genesis Angeal's (it was dark now, so there was very little risk). Sephiroth walked behind his boyfriends, a protective rear guard.

Zack was saying, "Yeah, and tomorrow Kunsel's meeting me there. We're going to see if they have any new materia."

"Just stay away from the summons," Genesis warned. He couldn't keep his laugh hidden for long, and cracked when Zack shot him a venomous look.

As they drew closer to the building their footsteps slowed. Touches lingered a little longer. Conversation tapered off, and the five merely enjoyed each other's presences. In the shadow of the building Zack cupped Angeal's cheeks and kissed him goodbye. Genesis pressed their foreheads together and took Angeal's hands, rubbing the backs of them with his thumbs. Sephiroth drew Angeal's head to his shoulder and kissed his hair, memorizing the feeling of their chests pressed together.

Cloud, when it was his turn to say goodbye, kissed both Angeal's cheeks and then his mouth. "I'll miss you."

He seemed a bit too upset; there was more to it than just Angeal leaving. Angeal's brows furrowed and he held Cloud to his chest. "Did you want it to be me?" he asked directly. "I have to leave, but you can wait, and we can spend the night together when I get back."

They had talked about all the various options available to them for Cloud's 'first time' while part of their relationship. They could do it all together, as a group. If Cloud wanted a threesome or foursome they could do that too.

Cloud decided he wanted just one of them this time though, and they respected that.

Their infantryman shook his head. "That's not it. I just… wanted you nearby, I guess. I kind of had this vision of gossiping about it in the morning with you."

"Hey," Zack protested, but he was smiling.

Angeal pressed a kiss to his brow. "Over the morning-after breakfast I make you, I presume?"

Cloud laughed, though it was muffled as he pressed his face into Angeal's shoulder. "…Yeah."

"If you text me, I'll do my best to answer. We'll do breakfast when I'm back."

Cloud hummed and pushed up on his tip-toes to kiss Angeal. "I'll stay the night, and then you can treat me to a morning-after breakfast."

Angeal's gaze was all heat as he responded, "It's a date."

Cloud let Angeal go, and after the briefest pause, took Sephiroth's hand. Sephiroth wanted to be surprised, because surely he would have chosen Zack, to see what had changed from when they'd fucked as platonic friends to now, or Genesis, who always made him smile so brightly—but this situation somehow just felt… right.

"Take care of him," Angeal said, and Sephiroth nodded. Angeal knew Cloud did not need special care like that so he said, to Cloud, "And you. Take care of him, too."

"No promises," Cloud said. "I've come a long way since Zack and I did it. I hear I'm pretty great in bed."

Zack snickered. "And you were pretty damn awesome that first time, Spike."

Genesis squeezed Zack's shoulder. "I seem to remember someone raving about how good their best friend was in bed during his first time."

With just a grin, Zack quipped, "Hell yeah I did."

Zack's apartment was on a different floor, so he got off the elevator first. He gave them all a two-finger salute before getting off. Genesis and Angeal went to Angeal's place. Sephiroth knew Genesis would make sure that Angeal got to sleep at a decent time and was ready for his mission. Genesis met his eyes and sent him a long, loaded look before disappearing inside the apartment.

Cloud's hand was still so very warm inside his. They walked in silence to Sephiroth's door, and took off their shoes just past it with an easy familiarity. Sephiroth hung up his coat (a cloth one, not his uniform) on the hook and Cloud sat on his couch.

It was almost like any other evening they'd shared. Sephiroth joined Cloud on the couch, sitting on the far end and folding his hands in his lap. He held very still. It wasn't quite nervousness, but…

Cloud nudged him with one socked foot. Sephiroth looked over. Cloud smiled, a bit hesitantly at first. When Sephiroth raised his eyebrows that grin grew wider and more genuine. "You okay?" he asked.

"Very." Sephiroth tugged at Cloud's ankle so his foot rested in his lap. He peeled off Cloud's sock and attempted to rub his feet—he was awfully good at it, and it was something he often did for Zack—but Cloud squirmed ticklishly and jerked his foot back.

Sephiroth snatched at it, playful, and Cloud kicked him away, then crawled over to slide his arms around his neck and lean against his chest.

Sephiroth held him, pressing a hand to his back, over the ridge of his spine.

"I have so much to tell you," Cloud sighed.

"Mm?" Sephiroth turned his head, and pressed his lips to Cloud's temple. The blond retracted his arms and settled against him, his back to Sephiroth's chest. Sephiroth looped his arms around Cloud's body, and even pushed a hand up Cloud's shirt to pet the soft skin of his belly. Cloud was an extremely touchable young man.

"A whole bunch of stuff." Cloud held Sephiroth's other hand between both of his. "But mostly… that I'm really happy."

Zack would have turned it into an easy joke; Genesis would have said something witty; Angeal would have said something romantic. Sephiroth's relationship with Cloud was unique to them, however, and he'd always had the most luck when he was being honest, and worried less about what he was supposed to say.

"I am happy too," he said simply, and held Cloud a bit closer to demonstrate it.

"…And I guess a bit disbelieving, still," Cloud added after a moment.

"You shouldn't be. It seemed inevitable that you would end up here, with us."

"…Aw," Cloud said after a pause, "You're always so nice to me, Seph."

"I'm being serious. We should have known as soon as Zack asked if he could assist you in the loss of your virginity. That all the platonic feelings between you wouldn't stay that way for long."

Cloud shrugged. "I dunno… I mean, that didn't happen with any of my other, um, hookups. But I think that… even right after, like a day or two after it happened… I knew something was different with him."

Sephiroth tilted his head, resting his cheekbone against the top of Cloud's fluffy head. "Things were very different with Zack." It was not funny and never would be, but it was certainly… interesting, these days, to look back on the betrayal he, Genesis and Angeal had felt as they discovered that Zack's feelings for Cloud were not platonic and ran beyond friendship.

They had assumed Zack lied to them, perhaps not maliciously but concealing his true thoughts about Cloud all the same. He, Angeal, and Genesis had trusted Zack so much, and believed in him so much that… yes, it had hurt.

But the blond in Sephiroth's arms won them over despite that, and he soon became more important to them than what Zack had done. They moved past it.

It turned out that wasn't what had really happened—and it was a huge relief to all of them, even if it had taken them all far too long to hear the explanation from Zack's mouth directly.

Cloud noted, "Things changed a lot with us." He sounded amused. When Sephiroth made a questioning noise Cloud elaborated. "I met you once or twice before Zack and I slept together, but that was like, for a minute. Total. Afterward it was like…" He laughed; Sephiroth adored that laugh. "I thought I was gonna shit my pants."

"What?" Sephiroth's voice rose in objection. "I never tried to intimidate you."

Cloud moved away from his comfy resting position and turned, straddling his thighs. He cupped Sephiroth's long face in his hands. "You were like, silent when I came around for dinner."

"I had a lot of thinking to do."

Cloud snorted. "We were finally able to talk on my birthday, remember? It's…good that happened."

Sephiroth remembered it fondly. Cloud continued, bumping their foreheads together gently, "You were drunk as shit."

A gentle chuckle. "I was."

Cloud kissed him, his lips gentle and coaxing Sephiroth's into responding in kind.

Sephiroth twirled one of Cloud's spikes around his finger. It did not want to curl and quickly stuck straight out again. Cloud's hair got rather curly when wet or damp, but would lift and straighten as it dried. He smiled. His feelings for this man really had transformed a lot since that first dinner they had all together.

"You were so nervous around me," He noted in a deep purr, his hands running up Cloud's thighs. The denim fabric was rough against his palms; the soft skin beneath was much preferable.

Cloud chuckled. "What did you expect? You were drinking alone at the kitchen table. I thought I was annoying you at first."

"Definitely not," Sephiroth murmured. He tilted his head so he could kiss Cloud again. They did so for a long while, noses occasionally brushing. Sephiroth loved the way Cloud kissed, enthusiastically and passionately, with all his heart in it. He'd warned them three months ago, "I'm a kisser," and Sephiroth, at least, was not complaining. Kissing Cloud was one of his favorite things to do.

Gradually Cloud shuffled closer so their chests pressed against each other. His cock was growing interested already; Sephiroth could feel it when Cloud's hips rocked into his lower belly. With considerable effort Sephiroth drew away from Cloud's addicting lips and tongue, only to kiss the dip beneath and behind his ear (Cloud always loved it).

His boyfriend's hands tightened on his shoulders. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Please do," Sephiroth rasped, sucking a bruise onto Cloud's jaw.

Cloud said something he did not expect. "On my birthday you said I was passing your 'tests.' Am I ever going to learn more about them?"

Sephiroth stilled and snorted rather ungracefully. "What?"

Cloud's careful hand raked through his hair. "It's a solid question."

"…I'm trying to remember what I told you about that."

He remembered perfectly, of course, despite the considerable intoxication at the time that made him divulge that information in the first place. He continued, "Perhaps they were a little childish, but I needed a way to ensure you were good enough for Zack."

Cloud pulled back a bit, so that he could look Sephiroth in the eye. He tilted his head and fixed him with a complicated—but somehow still effortless—look, a mix of shyness and confidence. "Did I pass all of them?"

"With flying colors." Sephiroth did not have words to explain how much more Cloud meant to him than he had expected, when he was just Zack's recently-deflowered friend.

He slid Cloud off his lap, stood, and offered his hand. "Please allow me to surpass all of yours as well."

He led Cloud to his bedroom. He had not really prepared for this, legitimately assuming that Cloud would want to spend this night with one of their other boyfriends. He had everything they would need, though.

Cloud crawled onto his bed and flopped down on his back, his arms spread wide to the edges. "You basically just said 'let me blow your mind, Cloud.'"

Sephiroth sat on the edge of the bed, his socked feet on the carpet. He gazed at his lounging lover. "Correction. I am going to blow your mind, Cloud."

Cloud grinned at him and reached out. Sephiroth leant over, bracing his hands on either side of Cloud's body. Their lips met, gentle and soft.

Sephiroth crawled on top of Cloud, cradling the side of his head with his hand as he kissed him hard and deep. Cloud was so into it, reaching up and touching the exposed part of his chest, and squeezing Sephiroth's sides with his knees. He raked a hand through Sephiroth's hair and tugged a little bit in his excitement.

"Easy," Sephiroth murmured as he skimmed his hands up Cloud's shirt, petting his sides.

Cloud's mouth was just as hot and insistent but the frenzy of his movements faded, and their kisses slowed, growing indulgent and deep. Cloud's tongue was so familiar in Sephiroth's mouth now, sliding against Sephiroth's with care.

Hands pulled at Sephiroth's sweater. It needed to be pulled over his head, and though Cloud seemed momentarily annoyed that they would have to pause their making out to deal with it, he made the most of the situation. Cloud eased Sephiroth over so he could sit and straddled his thighs, his shins pressed into the mattress.

He pulled Sephiroth's arm through one of the sleeves and took the time to kiss his palm before pushing the sweater up over Sephiroth's head. It got caught, of course, because the other arm was still in the sleeve and they hadn't tucked Sephiroth's hair out of the way. Sephiroth saw only black fabric.

It must have been what Cloud wanted, though, because he let out an amused hum and traced ticklish fingers over Sephiroth's now-bare sides.

Sephiroth did not mind this, really, even though one particular movement tugged at his hair and his one arm was awkwardly stuck out to the side. Letting his boyfriend play with and explore his body was worth any minor discomfort.

Cloud kissed him through the sweater, just a quick peck complete with a bump of their noses. Sephiroth's lips tasted of cotton, and it hadn't felt like much, but… he found his breath catching anyway.

When Cloud's hands started fiddling with his belt Sephiroth took the sweater off the rest of the way himself, putting on a fake scowl. Cloud just smiled at him, giving a soft laugh that wasn't quite a giggle, but close.

He looked so beautiful. Flushed cheeks, hazy but affectionate eyes… the kind of face Sephiroth wanted to hold and pepper in quick, silly kisses until he remembered that that wasn't something he did. "Hey, you," Cloud murmured, every bit the seductive little incubus on Sephiroth's lap, "Good to see you again."

Even as he spoke, his hand delved past the fly of Sephiroth's slacks, fingers cupping the half-hard bulge of his cock through his underwear.

Sephiroth let out a tight sigh at the sensation. "It was a long forty seconds without you."

Cloud smiled. "It was rough, huh?"

"Excruciating. I nearly forgot what you looked like."

"Can't have that," Cloud said, his voice low and intimate as their faces got closer and closer. Then their lips met again, and then again—still so gentle, despite Cloud pulling down the elastic of Sephiroth's briefs until his big cock sprang out, held up towards his belly with the band pressed around his balls.

Cloud licked a wet stripe up his palm and started to jerk him off. Sephiroth rolled his hips into it, needing a little stimulation, turned on as he was with Cloud Strife on his lap, finally ready to fuck.

He was not about to let his continue for much longer, though; Cloud was still fully clothed, hard and undoubtedly hurting. Sephiroth very much appreciated the attention but wanted to give Cloud some as well. Just as cloud had surely given his first time with he, Genesis and Angeal some thought (and wasn't that delicious, Cloud lying in his own bed in his quarters, visualizing how he wanted to fuck his boyfriends), Sephiroth, too, had considered so many things he wanted to do to and for Cloud.

He kissed Cloud's neck, and nipped at the fluttering pulse he found there. Then his lips trailed to Cloud's shoulder. He loved the cute freckles there, and gave them some love, on both sides.

Cloud raised his arms when Sephiroth pushed up his shirt, his hands spread wide like big paws. Sephiroth removed it, his lips following wherever his hands skimmed. He gently tossed it to the floor and studied Cloud. "You're gorgeous," he said, meaning his words.

They renewed Cloud's blush. He let out a tiny groan, and another when Sephiroth kissed his ear, just barely biting at the lobe with his teeth.

"This is so good," Cloud breathed.

Sephiroth paused. He still had his cock out, resting hard and full between their bodies, but he had hardly offered Cloud any real pleasure yet. He had not thought so, but was Cloud's neck really that much of an erogenous zone?

"What is?" he asked, just to clarify. If Cloud liked something, he would make sure to continue doing it.

"It's…" Cloud twisted his mouth, thinking hard even as he rolled his hips. The first time they made each other come had been like this, dicks rubbing together. It seemed he remembered that, too. "It's just so different. All the attention, and… how into it I am—it's just…"

He trailed off, frustrated.

Sephiroth tilted his head. "Are you referring to the casual encounters you've had?"

Cloud ducked his head, but it was just for a moment. "Yeah, I guess," he said, meeting his gaze. "Like when I slept with Zack, I felt it, but less than when I'm with you guys now, of course."

"Intimacy," Sephiroth murmured, his hands feeling Cloud's skin, "It can make a world of difference."

Casual sex was a joy, and fun, too—but for Cloud, that emotional connection changed the game. Sephiroth certainly felt intimate as he and Cloud got each other out of the rest of their clothes. Cloud mentioned that the cute underwear he was wearing were bought specifically for this occasion; Sephiroth made sure to compliment how he looked in them, loving the visual effects his words had on Cloud.

Cloud looked even better with them off, though. Soft breath puffed against the sensitive inside of his thighs, and wet, affectionate kisses fell to the curve of his dick and the vulnerable skin of his scrotum. Cloud's hand fell to Sephiroth's hair, gently petting.

They had all the time in the future to continue down this route however, and Sephiroth had blown Cloud quite a few times already. After a few tingling sucks to his cockhead Sephiroth withdrew and returned to Cloud's mouth, one of his very favorite parts of Cloud.

They laid down together, Cloud on his belly lounging against Sephiroth's chest.

Sephiroth grabbed Cloud's ass, kneading there as Cloud started to suck at his neck. It felt good; Sephiroth hummed and tilted his head back to let Cloud have at it.

"What do you want, my Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, his voice rumbly with desire. Cloud's erect cock rubbed against his between them. He rolled his hips up to get some stimulation, and Cloud rode that wave. He was so skilled.

Cloud couldn't bite back the tiny gasp at Sephiroth's pet name for him. It embarrassed him slightly, but it was a good kind of embarrassed, Genesis had assured Sephiroth. Cloud's reaction to 'Pumpkin,' for example, was quite different.

"I want you to fuck me." Cloud bit at his jaw, so warm on top of him, so desirable. "I've been thinking about it so much, Seph…"

Sephiroth groaned softly. Fuck, there was that fantasy again, of Cloud fantasizing about him—it left him breathless for a moment. In his distraction Cloud sat up, straddling his lap again, this time keeping Sephiroth's big cock pressed down towards his belly button. Their balls met and Cloud reached down to pump his own cock, his beautiful lashes fluttering.

"Would you grab lube?" Sephiroth asked. His actions contradicted his words, though; his hands fell to Cloud's hips, keeping him anchored on top of him.

Cloud gyrated his hips, dragging his balls and some teasing skin of his perineum along the length of Sephiroth's cock. Sephiroth growled and Cloud's eyes rolled, shutting entirely. He liked that.

"You gotta let me go," Cloud breathed, working both of them over, "If you want me to get it."

"But I will miss you."

Cloud's eyes cracked open, peering down at him. …Yes, those kinds of things were not what Sephiroth usually said… But desire and the gentle atmosphere changed him. This intimacy made him… a little silly, and a lot indulgent. Playful.

It was bizarre. When he first met Cloud, he never would have thought he'd reach this point. Cloud had not been much—attractive, sure, but not… consuming, like this.

Cloud crawled away to the bedside table and Sephiroth really did feel a bit of loss, like an ache in his heart. He was not gone long, though, and then he was sitting on him again, wrapping slick, sticky fingers around Sephiroth's erection.

Cloud did not have a condom, Sephiroth noted. He'd mentioned last weekend that he wanted to try without it. Zack was quick to dash his dreams, saying that despite it being a rather common fantasy it didn't feel like anything at all when someone came inside you.

Cloud was stubborn though. He'd practiced safe sex with all of his other partners, and now that he was exclusive, wanted to be without. At any rate, they'd all been tested that week, and no one had gotten any blood wounds since, from training or a mission or otherwise… so they were set.

Cloud slid a finger into himself, still spread out on Sephiroth's lap, and the General growled. "if you think I'm letting you do all that by yourself you're mistaken."

With a quick laugh Cloud let himself be coaxed onto his back. "Angeal told me to take care of you," he reminded, breathing on his hands to warm up the lube. "And I told myself that I would do the same, whenever we got to do this."

Cloud looked sheepish, and rested his calf on Sephiroth's shoulder as the first finger slid into him.

"Cloud," Sephiroth admonished, and screwed up the tiny bit of courage he needed to say this next part. "I care about you a great deal. All my boyfriends are equally as important to me. It is an honor to make you feel good."

Cloud moaned out loud, and Sephiroth doubted it was because of the second finger he had inside him now.

Three fingers had Cloud arching, digging his heel into the muscles of Sephiroth's back and jerking his cock steadily.

Sephiroth turned his head so he could kiss Cloud's knee. "Did you prep yourself a bit before dinner?"

A slightly-goofy grin. "Just a little. It's been a while. Gen, Zack and Angeal have all fingered me, I mean, but…"

It's been a while since he's had a dick up his ass, Sephiroth finished in his head. He frowned, though; he tried to even his expression out quickly, but Cloud caught it.

"I haven't asked you to do it, since I knew we'd be doing it right now," Cloud told him. He sat up, and Sephiroth let him clamber back up onto his thighs again.

Sephiroth watched blankly as Cloud stroked is cock, shifting around on his knees. "You specifically wanted me for this?"

"Well, yeah," Cloud answered, rubbing the flushed, wide head of Sephiroth's dick against his asshole. He eyed Sephiroth's expression, then pressed their foreheads together, a kind hand falling to his neck.

"Seph," he breathed, "Of course I did."

Months ago, when Zack and Cloud were not talking, and then when Cloud also started to avoid Angeal and Genesis, he had stayed with Cloud. It had made Sephiroth very happy.

Cloud trusted him enough back then to keep him safe, to be a retreat from all the things stressing him out. Sephiroth remembered feeling comfortable with Cloud. Cloud even slept over, and Sephiroth's body had ached as he held Cloud, wanting to get closer than he already was, but knowing he could not, not while things were so muddled.

It was doing their own special connection a disservice to think it was necessarily weaker than any others.

"I understand," Sephiroth said, because he did.

Cloud positioned Sephiroth's cock beneath him, the owner running encouraging hands over his hips. He sank down until just the flared head breached him.

"Oh," he said.

Sephiroth curled his spine and breathed irregularly as Cloud stayed like that for a long moment, savoring the sensations. It was just the tip, but he could tell already how tight and hot Cloud was, know his body would accept him so eagerly. Sephiroth helped Cloud take it in. He pressed a warm hand to his lower back, supporting him, and covered his neck with kisses.

"Oh," Cloud breathed again, in wonder. "You're so big, Seph…"

The thought that Cloud perhaps had not taken anything his size before made a flash of unexpected desire zing through him. "And it's for you," he sighed into Cloud's neck, his eyes closing. Yeah, this—and the rest of him—was all Cloud's.

"Mm," Cloud agreed, seated fully on him now. His tight ass twitched around him, so damn good. Slowly, Cloud pulled himself back up, and then sank down again.

It was not a fast, frenzied fucking. Due to the size and the lack of recent experience with anything other than fingers (though he had a suspicion Genesis had used one of his toys on Cloud, so that was a possibility as well as a delicious thought) Cloud had to go slow, but Sephiroth wanted it that way anyway.

He ground his hips up into his boyfriend, slow and sensuous, giving him every inch of his thick cock in a way he could handle. The pleasure that had his breathing catch every few moments was eclipsed, even, by the loving kisses Cloud gave him and his smaller hands on the side of his face, holding him steady.

He grabbed Cloud's asscheeks, pulling and pushing, and Cloud arched his back, his movements turning more fluid. He liked that.

Cloud panted, his cheeks a lovely pink, "Fuck, you're good."

Sephiroth growled again, clutching his boyfriend to him, his hold tight. "Cloud" was all he could say.

He'd expected it, but it was still so fascinating to see the ease with which Cloud moved. The confidence was beautiful. Cloud was very, very cute when he occasionally got shy around him, but this was not the time for that. He was just sexy, dazzlingly so.

Cloud shifted his legs so they came up, then wrapped them around Sephiroth. His ankles locked, heels digging in to either side of his spine. It was the perfect position for Sephiroth to switch them so he did just that, easing Cloud onto his back, his shoulders pressed down with everything else curving up to meet him.

Sephiroth braced himself and really started to fuck Cloud. "Agh, shit," Cloud hissed as Sephiroth's heavy balls slapped against his ass, buried inside as deep as he could get. Sephiroth did powerful, full, claiming thrusts at first—Fuck, he was finally inside his youngest boyfriend—but soon switched to quicker, shallower ones.

Cloud's hair bounced merrily from the force of them, and he pumped his cock slowly. His blush was deep and blotchy now, spreading down his chest towards his belly. He was so warm, inside and out—the tight, wet heat around his cock gripped him unbelievably good.

"Cloud," Sephiroth purred, speaking to the side of Cloud's face, curled over him and thrusting his hips like an animal, "Tell me how you like it."

Cloud groaned, opening his eyes, which had fallen shut again. Sephiroth kissed his cheek and then his forehead, though they were, for him, uncharacteristically sloppy.

The blond unhooked his legs from Sephiroth's waist and drew his knees to his chest. "When they hold my legs down."

Sephiroth's hands slid up Cloud's thighs to the backs of his knees. He held firm, keeping Cloud spread and presented so filthily. He fucked in again, and like this he could see Cloud's asshole stretched around him, reddened and slick.

"Seph," Cloud moaned again, "Your enhancements are so fucking hot."

"You like SOLDIER strength, my Cloud?" Sephiroth asked, his voice light and teasing. He continued to hold Cloud's legs as he fucked him, the roll of his hips something obscene.

"Hell yeah." Cloud dug his head back into the pillow. "Damon used to—" He stopped short, shocked gaze meeting Sephiroth's.

Sephiroth gave a very deliberate roll of his hips. "You may finish your thought," he said.

Cloud's eyes cut to the side. "…Damon used to pick me up sometimes. I liked that. Or just kinda held me in certain positions. Like you are now. It's hot."

Sephiroth tried to smile reassuringly, but he probably failed. It didn't matter. Cloud and he communicated better without words anyway. It was irrelevant where or when Cloud discovered what he liked and didn't like in bed—what mattered was that Sephiroth, here and now, listened and respected it—and him.

So Sephiroth did his best to do what made Cloud burn hottest. Cloud, too, discovered how Sephiroth liked to fuck. These observations were far from clinical, however. A deep groan let Cloud know to keep doing something, and gentle nudges or repositionings fixed the rest.

And soon it was all just good, when they figured it out well enough. Sephiroth let Cloud's legs go so he could lean in close again, kissing him, bumping their foreheads together, cradling Cloud's face in his hands.

They kept it slow, not racing towards orgasm. The powerful thrusts from before were just sensuous rolls of hips now, bodies rubbing, gently working their way there.

Between their bodies Cloud pumped his cock, hard and hot and drooly. His cries grew quieter and quieter until they faded into silence, and Cloud looked like his breathing had stopped altogether—the sign he was coming.

Sephiroth felt Cloud's ass clench and the wet splash of cum hitting his belly. Cloud took in a great big gasp as his orgasm faded, chest heaving, his face flushed.

He sighed, "Sephiroth."

Cloud coasted his hands from Sephiroth's shoulders to his neck. He was still every bit as warm and gripping around his cock despite coming himself. He clenched around him—oh, but he was talented at this.

Sephiroth pushed in deep and stayed there as he came. He shuddered all over as his cock bucked inside Cloud, who let out an approving mmm and eased him through it.

Rolling onto his side on trembling arms, Sephiroth gathered Cloud to his chest. The blond was warm and sweaty and affectionate, curling into him and kissing the corner of his mouth.

They kissed a bit, and maneuvered a bit. Cloud said after a minute of breathing and touching, "…Zack was right."

"About what?"

"It really doesn't feel like anything at all when someone comes up your ass."

Sephiroth smiled wolfishly. One hand snaked down Cloud's body and followed the curve of his bottom. He pressed a finger to Cloud's slick asshole and gently pushed it in. "It's sexy, though, isn't it," he purred, noticing the tiniest catch in Cloud's breath and the way he pushed back into it.

"Oh yeah," Cloud answered. It was highly likely they would go again before the night was over. Perhaps Cloud would fuck him this time… Cloud had already expressed interest in pounding his ass. It all sounded good on Sephiroth's end.

An hour later they were sitting on Sephiroth's couch again. It was far too late for either of them to still be awake, really, but they had bowls of Sephiroth's favorite ice cream and a crappy movie on that neither of them particularly cared for.

Cloud, firmly snuggled against Sephiroth's side with his thighs over his boyfriend's lap, said at some point, "Even the after-sex cuddles are better with you."

Sephiroth almost laughed at the wonder on Cloud's face. Instead, he pressed a small smile to the top of his head. "There is a lot more where that came from, Cloud."

His PHS, sitting on the counter near the pot of coffee that was almost ready, rang with the particular little tune that let Sephiroth know it was Angeal calling.

"Good morning," he greeted when he held it to his ear.

"Seph," Angeal responded. "Morning, baby."

Sephiroth's lips quirked up into a small, still-sleepy smile—only Angeal got away with calling him that every now and again. He heard crackling on Angeal's end… sounded like bacon. "Is that the morning-after breakfast in the background?"

Angeal chuckled. "It is. Cloud's probably eaten a third of the eggs already, and they're still sitting in the pan. No patience."

"Morning, Seph," Cloud called. He sounded happy. Good.

"Anyway," Angeal said, and paused for a moment as he shuffled something around, "I just wanted to tell you that Cloud and I had a good time. Also… that I heard something about you saying something when you and Cloud were together last weekend?"

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed suspiciously. It sounded like Angeal and Cloud had made good on their promise of gossiping as well as breakfast, for the morning after they first fucked. "Like what?"

Cloud guffawed in the background of Angeal's kitchen. "'Correction,'" Angeal quoted, "'I am going to blow your mind, Cloud.'"

Sephiroth poured himself a mug of coffee, the PHS cradled between his ear and shoulder. "It was very seductive in the moment, I assure you."

"Do you guys always tell everybody else all the cheesy lines you guys say during sex? It happened with me and Zack, way back when too…"

"We try to have as few secrets between us as possible," Angeal explained to Cloud. Even though Sephiroth was slightly embarrassed he nodded along in his own kitchen. Angeal continued, "And it's hilarious. You four are all adorable. So yes."

Their conversation devolved into things Sephiroth couldn't quite make out, but he could hear the sounds of kisses, and a deep, rumbly chuckle. "We're going to let you go, Seph," Angeal said after a few moments, back on the line. "Have a great morning." Cloud chimed in with his own goodbye and Sephiroth bade them both farewell. He placed his PHS back on the counter and took a slow sip of his coffee, staring down at the device.

In the silence and solitude of his kitchen, Sephiroth smiled.