Chapter 17: Domestic
Cloud rose from the bath, too nervous to notice how bad his head was pounding as he could hardly breathe. He reached over to drain the water as he stepped out and wrapped his waist in one of Sephiroth's fluffy black towels. He cleared the fog from the mirror as he toweled off his hair and did the best he could to get it to spike up.
He was a nervous ball of anticipation and worry as he practically vibrated on his toes. Fingertips came to his neck as he frowned at the healing scar. Hiding Sephiroth's scent with a bath was one thing, but his neck...he'd never be able to hide it.
Zack was due back today. He had gotten off the phone with him a half hour ago. He was safe. Cloud had done everything Shinra had wanted him to. He had stayed in Sephiroth's apartment like a kept pet while his alpha was doing training. They hadn't sent Sephiroth off for a mission in over a month, a fact that he could see was wearing on the SOLDIER who was used to having his sword caked in blood.
Sephiroth's temper was getting worse and worse with being in headquarters all the time, and Cloud didn't blame him. The way people treated him like he was a trophy in a case, it was sickening. He knew he had begun to resent him for being the one to make him stay. How could he not? They were being watched around the clock. Cloud got a blood test every day to check if he was pregnant, a fact he still couldn't quite wrap his mind around. A fact he kept telling himself wouldn't come true, despite the fact that he had supposedly already lost a baby. ...Zack's baby. Sephiroth was once more being used as an experiment, and it was all his fault.
Cloud tried to be as helpful as possible...accommodating. It was like walking on eggshells around Sephiroth's mood. Then came the news Zack was coming home, and the mood had gotten even more foul. He couldn't blame him in that regard either. They had agreed not to tell Zack until they were back in person. They had agreed not to tell him, because Cloud still didn't have any clue what he was going to say when he saw him again.
It had been easy pretending to play house with Sephiroth. It had been easy when he didn't have to face what he had done, but he was almost home now. He was almost home, and Cloud still didn't know how he was going to hide the mark on his neck.
He padded out of the bathroom, heading distractedly into the kitchen as he started the coffee and dug around in the fridge for the ingredients to make them breakfast. His hands were shaking as he opened the egg cartoon, cracking eggs as he heated up a pan for omelets. Cloud glanced over at the clock on the wall, frowning at the time as he looked around.
Throwing the ingredients into the pan, Cloud practically ran down the hallway. He opened their bedroom door slowly, smiling at the way Sephiroth was still wrapped in the comforter, long silver hair spanning over the pillow. His heart pounded in his chest at just how normal this felt...to be here with him. To be with him.
"Hey…" He managed, still nervous as he came over to lean down on the side of the bed, fingers carding through the long hair. "Seph...I made breakfast. You have a Second Class training session in a half hour."
Bleary aqua green eyes slitted open, blinking softly, before narrowing as his nose curled. "What's that smell?"
Cloud inhaled, not smelling anything but a slight burn as his eyes widened. "Shit!" he exclaimed, rushing back out of the room and down the hall. He slid in front of the stove as the entire pan was smoking from the bacon he had thrown in the batter, wincing as he pulled it off and tossed it into the sink.
He flipped on the water on the sink as the burning hot pan sizzled and smoked as he tried to wash out the mess he had attempted. His heart was pounding as the nervousness of what he had to do today came back, feeling sick as he grabbed for the sponge to scrub at the pan.
He scrubbed furiously at the pan, noticing Sephiroth out of the corner of his eye. The other was clothed in just black silk pants as he poured himself a cup of coffee. The nervousness only increased as the other was staring at him in suspicion. He had yet to say anything as he sat at the island in the kitchen, drinking his coffee black.
Cloud slammed the ruined pan down in the sink, turning regretful eyes on Sephiroth as the other continued to stare. "I'll buy you a new pan. I'm sorry...do you want something else? I can make rice...or toast. I can go down for bagels…" he winced. "No, we probably don't have time for that because of your class." He grabbed for his wet hair, towel sliding low on his hips as he tried to consider why he was freaking out so much over breakfast.
Sephiroth took another drink of his coffee, lowering it slowly as his face was a mask of pain. "Why do you smell like that?"
He felt his cheeks heat, gripping at his hair as he shook his head. "I just...I…" The words were going to piss Sephiroth off regardless, he didn't know why he was trying to hide them. "I just took a bath."
The SOLDIER stared at him, eyes cold and reproachful. "In what exactly?"
"They have that scented oil section in the store. You know like flowers and fruit and herbs… So I just grabbed one of everything and dumped the bottles in," he explained, bouncing nervously on his toes.
Sephiroth's nose curled in disgust. "How many bottles?"
Cloud winced, eyes falling to the floor. "All of them I think."
"Dare I ask why?" Sephiroth questioned, voice guarded but still curious.
His cheeks heatened as he shifted from one foot to another. "Well cause last night..we...a few times and…"
"You didn't want to smell like me when you greet your lover?" Sephiroth asked, and there were knives in that tone.
He flinched, looking up into icy eyes. "It's not like that."
"What's it like then?" Sephiroth questioned, mouth set in a stern line. "Tell me, precious."
Cloud shrugged. "Fine, it is like that. I'm not going to smell like you when I greet him at the train station when he's been gone for over a month."
"Oh?" Sephiroth questioned, putting down his cup. "How do you intend to greet him, then?" He leaned forward. "And I'd be very careful how you answer that."
He frowned at his mate, crossing his arms over his chest. "I haven't decided yet."
Sephiroth scoffed, looking away as he ran his hand through his hair. "You haven't decided yet...of course you haven't." When he turned back the annoyed amusement was gone, and his face was a cold mask again. "Come here."
Cloud bit his bottom lip as he could feel his mate's irritation from where he stood. Sighing in resignation, he moved closer to the stool Sephiroth sat in at the island. "I'm not going to fuck him, Sephiroth. He's going to despise me the second he lays eyes on me."
"That's the only reason?" Sephiroth questioned, irritation thick on his tongue.
The blond frowned at him. "No, it's not the only reason."
"And if he takes you back?" his mate asked the question they had both been avoiding since Sephiroth had fucked him raw in that stairwell.
"He won't," Cloud answered in pain. "How could he after what I did?"
Sephiroth grinned sardonically. "You underestimate his benevolence. You also underestimate your effect on him."
"My effect on him?" Cloud question. "Like my effect on you?" He crossed his arms over his chest. "That why you're with me, Sephiroth? My effect?" he bit out under his breath.
"You wound me, Strife," Sephiroth murmured mockingly, reaching out to grab his hips and yank him close. "Obviously, I'm here for the burnt eggs."
Cloud smiled in spite of himself, biting his lip again to hide how happy a simple act of affection could make him as Sephiroth's large hands slid up his back. "They were going to be good eggs."
"Oh?" Sephiroth questioned mockingly. "I have no doubt," he promised placatingly before pulling Cloud down to his lips.
He melted, his head getting fuzzy like it always did when Sephiroth kissed him. Cloud keened into that kiss, arms wrapping around Sephiroth's neck as he pressed between the alpha's legs. Sephiroth's hand came down to his front, working on the knot that kept his towel hanging loosely on his hips. It was then he remembered just why he had spent two hours soaking in brain tumor inducing oils.
Cloud broke from the kiss, shoving at Sephiroth's chest to keep him at a distance. "Stop, you're going to make me smell."
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at that. "Oh Cloud, let me be the first to assure you that you do smell. I got a pounding headache the second you came into our room."
"I told you why—" he started, but Sephiroth interrupted.
"You told me," he agreed. "But did you think it through?"
Cloud frowned at his mate, knowing full well the other was going to make him regret the question. "Meaning what?"
"Meaning…" Sephiroth reached up, thumb pressing against Cloud's chin to slightly open his mouth. "How many times did you brush your teeth? Did you gargle those oils as well?" Cloud's eyes became heavy as his breathing sped up at the implication. "Or did you forget how we started last night?" Cloud squirmed as Sephiroth pulled him close. "It's one of my favorite things to see...your mouth stretched around me...trying so hard to keep up with what goes so easily inside you."
"Sephiroth…" Cloud moaned out a beg, eyebrows knitting in repressed frustration as he shut his legs tight together as arousal swept through him. "Don't."
"Don't what?" Sephiroth asked with amused cruelty. "Where else did you wash? Surely between your legs, right?"
Cloud reached down to block Sephiroth's hand as it slid up his thigh. "I said stop. You're going to make me…"
"I'll help you scrub if you need me to. Make sure we get as deep as I went last night." Cloud moaned before he could help himself, cock hardening against the towel as wetness seeped between his thighs.
Sephiroth threw his head back as Cloud's arousal filled the air, and when his head slowly came back his eyes were glowing as his teeth grew sharp. "Shall we remind you?"
"Wait…" Cloud tried as hands wrapped around his hips, lifting him easily with the strength the SOLDIER possessed. He moaned as he was placed onto the island, Sephiroth ripping away the towel as he leaned down to take the hardening cock into his mouth.
Cloud cried out as that mouth engulfed him. His hands shoved in Sephiroth's hair on instinct to push him away, but his resolve crumbled at the way that tongue wrapped the length of him, sliding him all the way down his throat. "Sephiroth!"
Because they never did this…
There was never a need. Cloud got wet the second Sephiroth touched him. It was almost unfair how sensitive he was when it came to the alpha. He had irrevocably been consumed by Sephiroth to his soul. He wanted to make him breakfast. He wanted to wake up next to him. He wanted to make him happy, and make all those fucks that just looked at him like Shinra property eat the pavement.
Cloud's mouth was open, a needy whine leaving him as he was hefted forward. He clung to the back of Sephiroth's hair as his legs were thrown over the other's back as he practically sat on his shoulders as Sephiroth's mouth moved over his length.
He shut his eyes in pleasure, trying not to be too loud as his stomach tightened in ecstasy. He did scream when a tongue pressed into his slit. His entrance convulsed in need, wanting his alpha. Needing to be claimed as his body was on fire.
"Wait…" he begged, trying to rip Sephiroth's face away, gasping as he was lifting even higher on top of those shoulders as he pressed down his lover's throat. His toes curled, heels pressed into the alpha's back as he came so hard he nearly whited out, empting down that throat as Sephiroth swallowed everything as Cloud's nails clutched into his scalp.
Sephiroth lowered Cloud back onto the counter, and the blond yanked him to him the second his hips pressed down. He lapped at Sephiroth's mouth the second their lips touched, tasting himself as he spread his legs, reaching to paw at the silk.
He actually growled at Sephiroth when his wrists were grabbed and pressed to the counter. His eyes were glowing blue as he glowered up at his lover. "Sephiroth…"
"No," Sephiroth spoke, voice a calm indifference for what they had just done. "That will make you smell."
Cloud's mouth dropped open in shock as the island was now covered in his slick as he stared incredulously at his mate. "Don't tease."
"I'm not teasing, Cloud. I have a class to teach, and you went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure you didn't smell like my cum."
It was a punishment then.
"I didn't mean it like that," he tried, trying to yank his wrists out of Sephiroth's grasp as he laid splayed in front of the other with his legs spread and willing.
"You did," Sephiroth assured him. "Consider this, my beautiful Omega, if you behave...tonight I'll give you what you want." Sephiroth's eyes roamed down his body, and Cloud spread his legs wider to please his mate. "Betray me...I won't fuck you for a week. I'd threaten for longer, but...well…" Sephiroth seemed distracted, mouth open in a pant of arousal, as Cloud shifted his hips in his slick. "It would be a lie."
"Now," Cloud argued, teeth gritted at the threat. "Please…" he made his voice a panted beg. "Sephiroth…" He knew he shouldn't even before he said it. He remembered the look of betrayal Zack had shot him back in Nibelheim when he did it, but he wanted Sephiroth. "Alpha…" He made his voice that teasing command.
The one that made alphas obey.
Sephiroth's eyes widened at that, and Cloud's did as well as he wasn't listening. He was now just glaring at the audacity. "Who do you think you are exactly, huh?" Cloud moaned as he was yanked forward so that his ass was hanging off the island, Sephiroth's clothed erection pressed against him. "You think you're my master, Omega?" He began to move his hips, gripping Cloud's own hard enough to bruise. "You do not command me...despite how they may want you to."
Cloud grunted as he was yanked up to sitting, mouth gritting in pain as teeth sunk down onto his neck. He gasped, feeling his entrance convulse as he came again, actually crying with the amount of pleasure and emptiness as he didn't have his alpha inside of him as his entrance spasmed. Blood dripped down the back of his bare back as Sephiroth pulled back, mouth coated in blood.
"Has anyone ever told you no?" Sephiroth asked, grabbing for his hands as Cloud once more tried to paw Sephiroth's pants down. "Zack did, didn't he? Perhaps that's why you long for him." He tilted his head as he watched Cloud. "I never told you no. I never had the strength to, and look what's become of you." Sephiroth leaned in, clashing their mouths as blood spread across Cloud's face. He pulled back, and he knew he was a mess as Sephiroth kissed his cheek. "I'd take another bath if I were you...but don't take too long. Zack's waiting."
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A.N- So this was supposed to be Cloud and Zack's reunion chapter...but other things happened. So I figure I would split the chapter so that it didn't get too long. Which means next chapter is going to be sooo hard to write...but I have a definitive plan to have Zack Fair get what he deserves...which is the world. Hopefully unless my brain messes things up. Also...Sephiroth and Cloud being domestic was just too cute not to share. Hope you enjoyed! I'll try to update ASAP. Hopefully I'm not flooding you with too many chapters at once.