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Yes! It's done! *does the happy dance*
Actually, this chapter is awesome for two reasons. One, it is the end of Interlude Three. Next up, badguys. And, two, this is where I hit 25,000 words in Nano. Yay! *happy dances*
Longest chapter of Gracious so far at 5,509 words. But I finished the damn interlude!
LAMP!
Chapter One: Escape
Interlude One
Chapter Two: Clean Up
Interlude Two
Chapter Three: On The Run
Interlude Three: Part One
Interlude Three: Part Two
Interlude Three: Part Three
New Chapter:
Interlude Three-Part Four
1990
Well, life was suddenly a lot more interesting. He hadn’t really expected to end up with Cloud, of all people, sharing his bed on a semi-regular basis. Nor did he miss the look of almost hurt on Seph’s face the first time the man had run into them afterwards. That had taken a long talk, a night of just sitting next to his friend and letting the words come. After that, he had a feeling that they both felt a lot better. Zack couldn’t help but feel a hell of a lot of guilt for sleeping with Cloud when Seph still had something for him. He really should stop, but then Cloud would think he’d done something wrong.
Sometimes, Zack thought bitterly, he really knew how to get himself into situations.
Not that that situation was the only one. Cloud still avoided Seph, while Seph tried to figure out ways to corner Cloud, and the fact that he was trying to corner Cloud was clear, so that made Cloud even more twitchy.
Idly, Zack wondered if he could drown them both. Maybe tie them up in the closet?
Well, they’d be united in the goal of killing him, he was sure.
Still, it just didn’t seem things were getting any better. Over a month had passed since Seph’s Mako booster, and he didn’t think those two had shared more than a dozen words. And all of those had been while he was in the room.
Was going to strangle them both, then make Reno help him hide the bodies.
Damn brat.
It hadn’t taken long for Cloud to say something to make Zack realize that his friend/lover has never been with Reno. He had been played, and played good. And he still wasn’t sure if he should be proud of Reno or disgusted at himself for falling for it. Well, at least he got to be with Cloud, and being with Cloud was…nice.
Still, that was a bit embarrassing.
Either way, he was spending time with Cloud and, strangely, more time with Seph. Usually it was just the rare occasion that Seph sought him out for any type of physical comfort, but in the last month, he had come and spent the night with Zack at least three times. Zack was wondering if Seph wasn’t just the tiny bit jealous with how much time Cloud got, and if, maybe, this was Seph’s way of getting just a tiny bit of Cloud. The blond’s scent was on Zack’s bed, and scattered all over the room. It almost hurt Zack to realize that this was as close to Cloud as Seph was going to get at the moment, and that the man still had a very large crush, if not more, on Cloud.
Still things were just getting worse, and he wondered if it would ever get better. He wanted it to get better. Cloud and Seph would be good together, and he wanted both of them to be happy.
He’d have to figure something out. As soon as possible, too. If this went on too much longer, he was going to scream.
Maybe he should anyway. It would get a startled response from them anyway, not just from the noise, but from him losing his cool. Zack didn’t get like that too often, but, honestly, this was starting to push his limits. A lot.
Hopefully they would get it all worked out soon.
///
Sex, Cloud decided, was really nice.
He completely understood why people did it now. Still that was the only good thing to come from the mess so far. He still didn’t trust Sephiroth, and the here and gone and here again of the missions was playing merry hell with his nerves. Sometimes both Sephiroth and Zack were gone, and sometimes just Sephiroth.
Now, for the first time since everything had happened, Zack was going and leaving Cloud alone with Sephiroth. That…wasn’t good. Who knew what Sephiroth was going to do when there was no real place for Cloud to hide?
Not that they could change anything. Zack had gotten his orders not from Sephiroth, who, Cloud did admit, tried damn hard to only be in the house at the same time Zack was there, but from the President himself, who wanted to send a higher level SOLDIER who had been in Wutai during the war, but wasn’t Sephiroth. At least that’s how Zack explained it.
That left Cloud alone with Sephiroth for at least a week.
Frowning, Cloud sighed, and then went to look for the phone. Maybe he could find a few friends to stay with for the week or so it took Zack to get back.
He really was tired of being afraid in his own home. Even if it had been Sephiroth and Zack’s first, he lived here now, too. He shouldn’t be this nervous here.
Maybe it would go away eventually, but for right now, it was here, and it was enough to make him twitch.
No, he wasn’t going to be run out. He was going to try to stay. He wasn’t going to be run out of his house, and he did pay at least part of the rent. In fact, he had refused to move in unless Zack let him pay his part of the rent. Cloud still remembered the grin Zack had wore when he finally agreed with him about letting him pay. Sephi….
Sephiroth had looked pleased as well.
Why had that changed? Did Sephiroth not think he did enough around the house? Cloud knew that the other two men in the house did share a bed on occasion, but…. Did Sephiroth expect that as part of living here?
No, that couldn’t be right, or else Zack would have warned him. Zack was a good friend, and he would have never let anyone wander into a situation like that without some warning. Not to mention that Cloud knew just how protective of him Zack was. No way in hells would Zack put in him a situation where he would be intentionally injured or hurt by someone he trusted. Just wasn’t going to happen.
He wasn’t going to run. He wasn’t.
That didn’t mean that he shouldn’t have a backup plan in case he needed it. Just in case he needed it.
Picking up the phone, he started to call around.
///
Zack had been gone for hours, and Sephiroth was determined that, this time, he was going to talk to the boy. He just had to figure out when and how. This was what Zack was good at, another reason he made the man come with him to meetings and social events.
So, in order to determine the best time in order to talk to the blond, Sephiroth was quietly following him around the house, trying to stay out of the way, watching him with sharp eyes. He just had to figure out when to talk to him.
Then Cloud, who was almost twitching, stood up and started to stalk for the front door. A bit surprised, Sephiroth followed. For a moment, he wondered if it was just Cloud going to another room, but then he saw it was very clear that the boy was heading for the front door.
“Why are you leaving?” As far as he knew, the other had no plans, at least none he had mentioned to Zack, so he didn’t think Cloud had anywhere else to go.
Not pausing in his movement for more than a second, Cloud answered. “Because you are….” He trailed off with a noise of frustration.
Sephiroth was confused. “No…I had no intentions of going out, so why….”
“That,” Cloud hissed, “would be the point. You’re here. I’m going somewhere else. It would have to be safer than being here.”
More confusion. “I fail to see how going elsewhere unarmed is safer than remaining in a room with me,” Sephiroth told him. That made no sense whatsoever. Being unarmed, especially outside and alone, was rarely smart, and how could it be safer than being with him, when Sephiroth knew he would kill to defend his people.
Hand on the door, Cloud paused, and then turned enough to give Sephiroth the evilest look he had ever gotten from the young one. He was more used to hero worship, though that had vanished during this last month.
He found he, well, didn’t quite miss it exactly, but he did miss the fact Cloud would pay him attention that wasn’t so…fearful. Yes, fearful was not what he was looking for when dealing with Cloud.
“I don’t recall feeling safe the last time the two of us were alone.”
With those clipped words, tone full of anger and something else, Cloud turned and started to open the door again. Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed. What?
“Last time we were alone,” he said, his words calm and cool and almost as clipped as Cloud’s had been, “when my control was temporarily lowered, I am very much certain that I did nothing to harm you.”
Blue eyes, flashing with anger so much they almost looked Mako touched, tried to burn a hole into him, but Sephiroth was used to far more anger than what Cloud could toss, though…it hurt.
“Right. Keep telling yourself that.” Sephiroth tensed when he saw that Cloud was actually trying to leave, so he moved forward and put his hand on the door, keeping it from being opened far enough for anyone, even someone as slender as Cloud, from getting out.
“If I had wanted to hurt you, you would be injured.” A simple fact. Really, Sephiroth could kill everyone he knew. It would be so easy to do, even by accident, which was why he was so very, very careful about the few people he let into his range. The only people he let in his range were the ones it would hurt so much to send them away that it was worth the risk of hurting just to keep them near.
Somehow, he was sure there was something not quite right with that idea, but it was all he had.
“Let go.” Cloud’s voice was cold and flat, even as he flinched.
Sephiroth’s answer was easy. “No.” He kept his hand where it was. “I want you to stand still and explain why you keep flinching and running away from me.”
The look he was given was one of confused horror. “You don’t know why I flinch? How about how what you did last time counts as an assault? Would that explain it at all? Now, let go!” He jerked at the door, and Sephiroth easily kept it from opening any further. In fact, he edged it just a little bit more closed. This was just getting more and more confusing.
“No,” he finally said, “I do not know why you flinch. If I did, I wouldn’t have asked. And you seem to have some misconceptions of what you think I can do if you seriously considered that an assault. What I did before did not injure you. To the contrary, you are the one who did the most damage to me.”
With a disgusted growl, Cloud let go of the door and started to stalk for the kitchen. Most likely for the door out of that room. As if Sephiroth would let him leave that way after not letting him leave another. He would have answers.
“Fuck you, Sephiroth. You deserved it. Jackass!”
Well, that was a clear sign that Cloud had been hanging out with Zack. Only explanation for why he was treating him with so little regard. It was nice and frustrating at the same time. This time, he didn’t let Cloud get far before being right on his heels.
“And how did I accomplish that? I kept myself very well in check considering the effects of the shot. I did not harm you at all.”
“That was well in check? I had to hit you with a fucking lamp to make you leave me alone! A lamp!” He was still a very unhappy person. Even Sephiroth could see that. He just wished he knew how to deal with it. This was why he needed Zack for this, but Zack had refused to help him, telling him that he needed to figure it out on his own.
He cared for Zack, but sometimes the man was just frustrating. This was all very confusing, and a little backup would have not gone unappreciated.
“The affects of a Mako shot,” he started, in dry tones, “tend to have reactions such as the loss of control that are a great deal more violent than what you saw of me.” He circled, cutting Cloud off from the door. “My intent at the time you decided to destroy furniture on my head was to calm you down, which you have yet to mention at all.”
Something told him that he should not find the fact that Cloud was snarling at him cute. He really shouldn’t. Cute was a word Zack would use and Sephiroth tried to keep things like that from infecting his vocabulary.
“Oh, yes, flinging me around and not letting me leave when I want to is calming. Right. As for Mako shots, do you just pick random people, or do you target your victims?” The blond backed away from him, glancing over his shoulder at the front door. It was irritating when Sephiroth realized that he was still trying to escape for some reason. Sephiroth had not and was not planning on hurting him. Why did Cloud insist on acting as if he was?
“I,” Sephiroth growled, “was in the process of deciding to calm you down when you attacked me. I was also complying with your wishes to be released.”
“That was a lousy attempt then,” Cloud growled back as he started backwards for the door, eyes on Sephiroth. “I needed calm because you kept trying to undress me. Didn’t ask or anything. Just grabbed me and started doing it without a single word my direction. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“How exactly did you expect me to go about obtaining your permission? You were there. If you had bothered listening to the explanation, you should have known that implied consent.” He could feel the muscles along his shoulders twitch. Why was Cloud so upset about this? He should have known all this already.
“What? What was explained to me? All I know is that you grabbed me and didn’t ask. Would it have hurt you to do that?” Suddenly he shook his head, and Sephiroth blinked. “No, forget it. I’m leaving.” And then Cloud was bolting for the front door again. Sephiroth was not ashamed to say that he bolted after him, darting forward to slam the door shut before Cloud had gotten it open more than a few inches.
“No, I expected the shots to have been explained to you! I did not expect you to even be here. What was I supposed to think when I saw you were still here?”
Now it seemed as if Cloud was seriously eyeing the window. “I still don’t know what the hell you are talking about with the shots.” He started to edge towards the glass, obviously pondering his chances.
With a noise of pure annoyance, Sephiroth grabbed Cloud’s shoulders and steered him towards the couch. The blond tensed so fast under his touch that he had to help the boy keep his feet. “Fine. Sit, and I will explain the shots to you.”
“Let go. Please.” The voice was rather strained sounding, and Sephiroth could feel the slightest bit of shivering under his hands.
“Not until I have your assurance that you are not about to make me chase you all through the house to keep you from leaving. I would very much like to have this entire situation cleared up. Now sit and I will explain what I can about the shots.”
“I’ll sit. Just…let go. Please.” The tone was almost pleading, and Sephiroth frowned. He had not wanted to drive Cloud to that tone of voice. It was…disturbing for the boy to fear him on this level. Releasing him, he waved towards the couch. Instead of sitting there, Cloud slipped over and sat in the chair furthest from the couch, eyes wary as they stayed on Sephiroth. The older man was…less than thrilled at the near fearful attention. He got enough fear from other people.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused, feeling a headache coming on. “What do you know about Mako shots? Anything at all? I’m not sure exactly what they teach the new recruits about them.”
Tense as an animal in a trap, Cloud answered in a stiff voice. “I know they make SOLDIERs what they are. That’s all we’ve been told.”
He just stared. That…couldn’t be right. That was sheer neglect on Shinra’s part….
“Nothing else?” The words just weren’t being comprehended for a moment. Shinra couldn’t be that stupid, could they?
Cloud shook his head a tiny bit, eyes dark in a pale face. He hadn’t noticed how pale Cloud had gotten. When had that happened? “No, nothing at all. They tell us it’s classified and that we can’t be informed unless we are accepted into the SOLDIER program itself.”
“How completely and unbelievably stupid... They should at least warn newcomers to avoid the SOLDIERs on days when shots are assigned, that’s just common sense. I had been under the assumption that you would be aware that it wasn’t exactly wise to be around me after a booster. Reflexes and senses are heightened beyond even the normally high parameters of SOLDIER norms for a few hours directly following a booster. However, at the same time, rational reasoning measures and inhibitions are dramatically lowered a great deal during the same time frame.”
At least it was obvious that Cloud was listening to him. The blue eyes were narrowed as he was obviously thinking about what Sephiroth was telling him. “You’re drunk.” Eyes widen again. “You are drunk and you have heightened senses.”
Not exactly, but as close as a non-SOLDIER was going to get, so Sephiroth just sighed and nodded slightly at that comparison.
Cloud’s look turned to horror. “And they turn you guys loose?” Realization struck again. “That’s why SOLDIERs never room with anyone other than fellow SOLDIERs. It’s to keep people safe. I’m the only one….” A somewhat stricken look. “But why did you come after me? Was it just because I was handy?”
A scoffing sound. “I am not so indiscriminant. As I have said more than once, I did not expect you to be here.”
“Where else would I be? You know I have those things Shinra makes SOLDIER candidates fill out. Tons and tons of paperwork. And I didn’t know what was going to happen.” He frowned. “Why did you pick me if you were being picky?”
Scowling, Sephiroth stalked over and bent to look the boy directly in the eyes at close range. “I had thought you informed.”
Whatever else he was going to say was lost when Cloud jerked back so fast and hard that he almost flipped the chair over. Grabbing the arms, Sephiroth slammed it back onto all fours and growled out “Stop that!”
“I’m sorry,” Cloud snarled back, sarcasm clear in his voice. “Now I know about the shots. If that was the only reason you picked me, then it was because I was handy. Just let me go, and I’ll know to not get near this place on shot days.”
So it was as simple as that. His attention was not wanted. Stepping back, he nodded. “I have survived plenty of such days with no company. I did not mean to press unwanted advances on you. I apologize.” Another step back, making sure that the other had plenty of space to move in.
Quietly, Cloud stood up and walked to the front door. He paused, not looking back as he spoke, hand on the doorknob. “You are not alone, you know that. Zack is here, and I am here, even when I’m scared half to death of you. As for the advances, the part that I didn’t like was the not being asked. All I wanted was for you to ask.” His voice dropped so low that even Sephiroth had to focus on him to hear it. “Why wasn’t I good enough for that?” The door clicked open.
“I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“Well, congratulations. You’ve just learned something.”
Then he was out the door, and Sephiroth was alone.
Again.
Why did they always keep leaving him alone like this?
///
For a while, Cloud simply wandered, taking a long, meandering path to base and back again. It helped his temper, and let him sit back and think over the conversation with a bit of a calmer head.
Now he had to decide what to do.
Mumbling to himself, he ran through a few ideas mentally, making commentary on them in a low voice. "Okay, how would Zack deal with this? No, can't do that, he'd kill me before anything would be resolved. No, can't do that either, because I like living there. Oh, hell no, can't do that because I'm pretty sure that's illegal the world over."
After a few minutes, he sighed. “Looks like I’ll actually have to talk to him after all.”
With that, he started back for the house. It was dark still, no lights on in the front room when he returned, though he could see the kitchen was occupied. Taking a deep breath, he paused when he smelled that something had been charred. Oh, hell, Sephiroth had tried cooking. It was the only answer.
He slipped through the house quietly, though he knew that Sephiroth had to know he was there, and came to rest in the doorway leading to the kitchen. There he waited, and watched to see what the other man was doing.
At the moment, Sephiroth was standing at the far side of the kitchen, staring out the window, empty handed. Cloud coughed once, knowing Sephiroth already knew he was there, but being polite anyway. “Would you like some help?”
Sephiroth didn’t look back. “I believe I managed something suitable on my own.” Soft voice, as neutral as it could be. Okay, looks like they were both upset. Shrugging, Cloud moved over towards the refrigerator and started pulling out things for a sandwich. After a few minutes, it was clear that he was making enough for the both of them.
“You don’t understand why I was so upset, do you?”
His eyes focused on the food and not on Sephiroth, he almost jumped when the other man spoke, but locked down the reaction.
“I did state as much.”
A wry, almost bitter smile. “Sephiroth, excuse me for being a bit upset then.” He took one of the sandwiches, and pushed the other Sephiroth’s way. “Did anything I say earlier make sense, or was it all pretty much gibberish?” Let’s see if any of it got through or if he’d have to start from scratch.
Collecting the sandwich, Sephiroth took a bite and chewed it slowly, obviously using the time to gather his thoughts. That was a clear sign to Cloud that, as upset as he as, Sephiroth was just as bad, if not worse. Interesting.
“I overstepped boundaries without permission and offended you.” Another bite. “You will not need to worry about such behavior again.”
Picking at his own food, Cloud sighed. “It wasn’t the boundaries that bothered me. It was the fact that you didn’t ask. That was the majority of it, really. If you had just asked, I…. I don’t know what I would have done, but I don’t think it would have involved a table lamp.” An almost bitter smile, he could feel it on his lips. Still not looking at Sephiroth, he continued.
“Hells, I probably would have jumped for joy if you had expressed any interest in me.” His voice dropped, and even he could barely hear the next words. “Probably still would.”
Sephiroth made a scoffing sound. “Even in such a state, I would not have approached you if there was no prior interest.” Glancing up, blinking, Cloud saw the other man remained focused on his sandwich.
“What?” He could feel that his eyes were wide. “You mean, I wasn’t just a convenient body?” That…was a complete surprise, really.
“Had I not been interested in you already, I likely would have been intent on harming you, not….” He trailed off, focusing on his food once more.
“Oh.” Sitting down at the table, Cloud sighed, and then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
Quiet. Glancing at the man from the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Sephiroth finish off his sandwich, then move for the door of the kitchen. “You have no need to apologize,” the older man said. “You were not the one that erred.”
“Now who’s running away? And I can apologize if I want to.” He focused his eyes back on his food, not sure if he wanted to see what the expression on Sephiroth’s face was at the moment.
Another sigh. “Apologize as you wish, then, it is better if I do not stay and further upset you yet again.”
“I should have known something was wrong, and I shouldn’t have hurt you like that. Well, okay, not sorry about that, you scared me. But I am sorry about afterwards and not being willing to sit down and listen to you.”
He could hear Sephiroth’s hair swish along the leather of his coat. “As I said, you have nothing to apologize for. It was my own misconception. I…. I would not want you to feel uncomfortable in my presence. I hope that you will be at ease around me again soon.”
Gaaaah.
Pushing his sandwich to the side, Cloud began to thump his head against the table. Repeatedly.
After a moment, he heard Seph ask, a bit confused, on what he was doing. Stopping and resting his cheek on the table, he shifted enough so he could look at the man. “I’m trying to figure out how to make you listen to me, since I can’t herd you into a chair like you did to me earlier.”
A moment of quiet. “You did not ask me to sit.”
Cloud valiantly fought and won the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, now that it’s clear I’m the dumb one, would you please sit down? Please?” This was hard on his system, this ordering the General around. Yay?
Another moment of quiet, and then Sephiroth moved, dragging out the chair and sitting on it. He said nothing, simply looking at Cloud expectantly.
Shifting so his forehead was pressed against the table again, Cloud took a second to collect his thoughts before he started. “I thought I had killed you, you know. With the lamp. Thought I had somehow, with my cursed luck, managed to find the one weak point you had and knocked your brains out. I know, stupid thought, right? Me, kill someone like you. Stupid, really.”
“I am not invincible, for all that Shinra likes to pretend I am. I did not anticipate being knocked out either, though.”
“It scared me. That really long, long second when I thought you were dead, it scared me a lot. Like nothing else had ever scared me before. And not because you are General Sephiroth, leader of Shinra’s military. Because I thought I had killed someone who I thought of as my friend.”
He could feel the stare.
“Well, I consider you a friend, even if you don’t think the same of me. And I was scared I had hurt you.” He paused and tried to think of a comparison. “Imagine what it would feel like if you thought you had killed Zack?”
“I can’t. It simply will not ever happen.” A moment of silence. “I…did not realize you held me in such a high regard.”
“I did. Still do, oddly enough. That’s why I was so upset with what happened that night. You are someone I respect, someone who I look up to, and…it seemed as if you had no regard for me whatsoever. As if I was worthless.”
Shifting so he could watch the man’s face again, Cloud saw him frown. “Considering my state of being, I was being incredibly careful with you.”
“I didn’t know that, remember? I just thought I had finally reached the end of your rope, or that you had decided I needed to earn my keep, or that rent wasn’t just money. Maybe I was just to be a convenience if you ever needed someone like that, but….”
Sephiroth actually looked mildly offended. “None of those were my intention, nor would they be.”
Meeting Sephiroth’s eyes, Cloud finally just asked. “Then what was your intention? Because I’m still confused on why you picked me, really? I’m not that attractive, or witty, or nice to be around. I’m sure you could have found someone better.”
The look Sephiroth gave him wasn’t pleased. “So you’re demeaning my taste?”
A slow blink. “I’m what? Demeaning your what? How? What was your main intention?”
“I approached you because you were you. I would not have accepted a replacement for that. And my intention at the time was to be intimately close with you.”
Oh. Ooooh. Cloud felt his cheeks burn. “Oh. I had, um, guessed that. The intimate part. But why me?”
“I thought the answer was obvious?”
“Not to me. Remember, it’s already been decided that I’m the stupid one.” He studied Seph’s face, curious. “All you ever needed to do was ask. That was all I ever wanted. That’s still all I want.”
Now Sephiroth was the one who looked confused. “How?” he asked, studying Cloud back.
“How do you ask?” He couldn’t mean that.
A slight nod.
Or maybe he could.
Okay, he could do this.
Forcing himself to relax a bit, Cloud stood and walked over to stand next to Sephiroth. Reaching up slowly, watching Sephiroth’s reactions carefully, he cupped his hands around the older man’s face. “Sephiroth, may I kiss you?”
A moment of stillness. “You may.”
With that, Cloud leaned in and softly kissed Sephiroth. It wasn’t a hard kiss, or a demanding one. Just a simple, soft kiss.
After a moment, Sephiroth leaned into the contact, hands in his lap. It was enough to send shivers down his back, and Cloud, after a soft sigh into the kiss, pulled back so he could look the other man in the eye. “That’s how you ask. Any questions?”
Sephiroth hesitated only a moment, then reached out and loosely caught Cloud’s shirt. “Yes. Would you do that again?”
“See, knew you could do it,” he said before leaning in for another kiss, almost as unsure as Sephiroth. This time, as they kissed, Sephiroth took more initiative in it, shifting so he was fully facing Cloud and pulling him closer. Cloud let him, almost purring into the kiss.
“See how much easier that is?” And how had he ended up straddling one of Sephiroth’s legs?
“I think,” the other man said after a moment, “that I much prefer this way.” He rested on of his hands on Cloud’s lower back, voice dropping and sending shivers up Cloud’s spine. “Am I going to have to ask for every kiss?”
“Not for every kiss, but it’s nice to ask occasionally.” He paused and licked his lips. “Especially good to ask for first kisses.”
The expression on Sephiroth’s face was solemn. “I will do my best to remember that. Will I have to keep asking tonight?”
“Maybe once.” Cloud smiled softly as he let his arms curl around Sephiroth’s neck. Sephiroth’s other hand joined his first on Cloud’s back.
“May I kiss you, then?”
“All you had to do was ask.”
///
Two long, long weeks, and he was home. Well, no bloodshed in the living room, that was good.
No Cloud in his room, or in Zack’s room. That was bad.
But… Zack heard more than just Seph breathing down the hall. Creeping down that way, he peeked in.
Well, damn, the pair must have worked things out.
He stood there a minute longer, watching as Seph was curled protectively around Cloud, both of them sound asleep. And given Seph was just wearing his hair, and Zack couldn’t see enough of Cloud to tell what he was wearing, he didn’t think this was another Reno situation.
This was good, right?
Well, he would hope it was, and smiled softly.
It was about time. They would be good for each other.
Slipping out of the doorway, Zack headed for his room. It seemed a bit colder after what he had just seen, but that was okay. They would be good for each other, and that was all that really mattered.
Chapter Four: Plans Begin
Wordcounts:
Nov 9: 5,509
Nano: 25,395
OGToF: 33,785
Novermber so far: 38,211
Actually, this chapter is awesome for two reasons. One, it is the end of Interlude Three. Next up, badguys. And, two, this is where I hit 25,000 words in Nano. Yay! *happy dances*
Longest chapter of Gracious so far at 5,509 words. But I finished the damn interlude!
LAMP!
Chapter One: Escape
Interlude One
Chapter Two: Clean Up
Interlude Two
Chapter Three: On The Run
Interlude Three: Part One
Interlude Three: Part Two
Interlude Three: Part Three
New Chapter:
Interlude Three-Part Four
1990
Well, life was suddenly a lot more interesting. He hadn’t really expected to end up with Cloud, of all people, sharing his bed on a semi-regular basis. Nor did he miss the look of almost hurt on Seph’s face the first time the man had run into them afterwards. That had taken a long talk, a night of just sitting next to his friend and letting the words come. After that, he had a feeling that they both felt a lot better. Zack couldn’t help but feel a hell of a lot of guilt for sleeping with Cloud when Seph still had something for him. He really should stop, but then Cloud would think he’d done something wrong.
Sometimes, Zack thought bitterly, he really knew how to get himself into situations.
Not that that situation was the only one. Cloud still avoided Seph, while Seph tried to figure out ways to corner Cloud, and the fact that he was trying to corner Cloud was clear, so that made Cloud even more twitchy.
Idly, Zack wondered if he could drown them both. Maybe tie them up in the closet?
Well, they’d be united in the goal of killing him, he was sure.
Still, it just didn’t seem things were getting any better. Over a month had passed since Seph’s Mako booster, and he didn’t think those two had shared more than a dozen words. And all of those had been while he was in the room.
Was going to strangle them both, then make Reno help him hide the bodies.
Damn brat.
It hadn’t taken long for Cloud to say something to make Zack realize that his friend/lover has never been with Reno. He had been played, and played good. And he still wasn’t sure if he should be proud of Reno or disgusted at himself for falling for it. Well, at least he got to be with Cloud, and being with Cloud was…nice.
Still, that was a bit embarrassing.
Either way, he was spending time with Cloud and, strangely, more time with Seph. Usually it was just the rare occasion that Seph sought him out for any type of physical comfort, but in the last month, he had come and spent the night with Zack at least three times. Zack was wondering if Seph wasn’t just the tiny bit jealous with how much time Cloud got, and if, maybe, this was Seph’s way of getting just a tiny bit of Cloud. The blond’s scent was on Zack’s bed, and scattered all over the room. It almost hurt Zack to realize that this was as close to Cloud as Seph was going to get at the moment, and that the man still had a very large crush, if not more, on Cloud.
Still things were just getting worse, and he wondered if it would ever get better. He wanted it to get better. Cloud and Seph would be good together, and he wanted both of them to be happy.
He’d have to figure something out. As soon as possible, too. If this went on too much longer, he was going to scream.
Maybe he should anyway. It would get a startled response from them anyway, not just from the noise, but from him losing his cool. Zack didn’t get like that too often, but, honestly, this was starting to push his limits. A lot.
Hopefully they would get it all worked out soon.
Sex, Cloud decided, was really nice.
He completely understood why people did it now. Still that was the only good thing to come from the mess so far. He still didn’t trust Sephiroth, and the here and gone and here again of the missions was playing merry hell with his nerves. Sometimes both Sephiroth and Zack were gone, and sometimes just Sephiroth.
Now, for the first time since everything had happened, Zack was going and leaving Cloud alone with Sephiroth. That…wasn’t good. Who knew what Sephiroth was going to do when there was no real place for Cloud to hide?
Not that they could change anything. Zack had gotten his orders not from Sephiroth, who, Cloud did admit, tried damn hard to only be in the house at the same time Zack was there, but from the President himself, who wanted to send a higher level SOLDIER who had been in Wutai during the war, but wasn’t Sephiroth. At least that’s how Zack explained it.
That left Cloud alone with Sephiroth for at least a week.
Frowning, Cloud sighed, and then went to look for the phone. Maybe he could find a few friends to stay with for the week or so it took Zack to get back.
He really was tired of being afraid in his own home. Even if it had been Sephiroth and Zack’s first, he lived here now, too. He shouldn’t be this nervous here.
Maybe it would go away eventually, but for right now, it was here, and it was enough to make him twitch.
No, he wasn’t going to be run out. He was going to try to stay. He wasn’t going to be run out of his house, and he did pay at least part of the rent. In fact, he had refused to move in unless Zack let him pay his part of the rent. Cloud still remembered the grin Zack had wore when he finally agreed with him about letting him pay. Sephi….
Sephiroth had looked pleased as well.
Why had that changed? Did Sephiroth not think he did enough around the house? Cloud knew that the other two men in the house did share a bed on occasion, but…. Did Sephiroth expect that as part of living here?
No, that couldn’t be right, or else Zack would have warned him. Zack was a good friend, and he would have never let anyone wander into a situation like that without some warning. Not to mention that Cloud knew just how protective of him Zack was. No way in hells would Zack put in him a situation where he would be intentionally injured or hurt by someone he trusted. Just wasn’t going to happen.
He wasn’t going to run. He wasn’t.
That didn’t mean that he shouldn’t have a backup plan in case he needed it. Just in case he needed it.
Picking up the phone, he started to call around.
Zack had been gone for hours, and Sephiroth was determined that, this time, he was going to talk to the boy. He just had to figure out when and how. This was what Zack was good at, another reason he made the man come with him to meetings and social events.
So, in order to determine the best time in order to talk to the blond, Sephiroth was quietly following him around the house, trying to stay out of the way, watching him with sharp eyes. He just had to figure out when to talk to him.
Then Cloud, who was almost twitching, stood up and started to stalk for the front door. A bit surprised, Sephiroth followed. For a moment, he wondered if it was just Cloud going to another room, but then he saw it was very clear that the boy was heading for the front door.
“Why are you leaving?” As far as he knew, the other had no plans, at least none he had mentioned to Zack, so he didn’t think Cloud had anywhere else to go.
Not pausing in his movement for more than a second, Cloud answered. “Because you are….” He trailed off with a noise of frustration.
Sephiroth was confused. “No…I had no intentions of going out, so why….”
“That,” Cloud hissed, “would be the point. You’re here. I’m going somewhere else. It would have to be safer than being here.”
More confusion. “I fail to see how going elsewhere unarmed is safer than remaining in a room with me,” Sephiroth told him. That made no sense whatsoever. Being unarmed, especially outside and alone, was rarely smart, and how could it be safer than being with him, when Sephiroth knew he would kill to defend his people.
Hand on the door, Cloud paused, and then turned enough to give Sephiroth the evilest look he had ever gotten from the young one. He was more used to hero worship, though that had vanished during this last month.
He found he, well, didn’t quite miss it exactly, but he did miss the fact Cloud would pay him attention that wasn’t so…fearful. Yes, fearful was not what he was looking for when dealing with Cloud.
“I don’t recall feeling safe the last time the two of us were alone.”
With those clipped words, tone full of anger and something else, Cloud turned and started to open the door again. Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed. What?
“Last time we were alone,” he said, his words calm and cool and almost as clipped as Cloud’s had been, “when my control was temporarily lowered, I am very much certain that I did nothing to harm you.”
Blue eyes, flashing with anger so much they almost looked Mako touched, tried to burn a hole into him, but Sephiroth was used to far more anger than what Cloud could toss, though…it hurt.
“Right. Keep telling yourself that.” Sephiroth tensed when he saw that Cloud was actually trying to leave, so he moved forward and put his hand on the door, keeping it from being opened far enough for anyone, even someone as slender as Cloud, from getting out.
“If I had wanted to hurt you, you would be injured.” A simple fact. Really, Sephiroth could kill everyone he knew. It would be so easy to do, even by accident, which was why he was so very, very careful about the few people he let into his range. The only people he let in his range were the ones it would hurt so much to send them away that it was worth the risk of hurting just to keep them near.
Somehow, he was sure there was something not quite right with that idea, but it was all he had.
“Let go.” Cloud’s voice was cold and flat, even as he flinched.
Sephiroth’s answer was easy. “No.” He kept his hand where it was. “I want you to stand still and explain why you keep flinching and running away from me.”
The look he was given was one of confused horror. “You don’t know why I flinch? How about how what you did last time counts as an assault? Would that explain it at all? Now, let go!” He jerked at the door, and Sephiroth easily kept it from opening any further. In fact, he edged it just a little bit more closed. This was just getting more and more confusing.
“No,” he finally said, “I do not know why you flinch. If I did, I wouldn’t have asked. And you seem to have some misconceptions of what you think I can do if you seriously considered that an assault. What I did before did not injure you. To the contrary, you are the one who did the most damage to me.”
With a disgusted growl, Cloud let go of the door and started to stalk for the kitchen. Most likely for the door out of that room. As if Sephiroth would let him leave that way after not letting him leave another. He would have answers.
“Fuck you, Sephiroth. You deserved it. Jackass!”
Well, that was a clear sign that Cloud had been hanging out with Zack. Only explanation for why he was treating him with so little regard. It was nice and frustrating at the same time. This time, he didn’t let Cloud get far before being right on his heels.
“And how did I accomplish that? I kept myself very well in check considering the effects of the shot. I did not harm you at all.”
“That was well in check? I had to hit you with a fucking lamp to make you leave me alone! A lamp!” He was still a very unhappy person. Even Sephiroth could see that. He just wished he knew how to deal with it. This was why he needed Zack for this, but Zack had refused to help him, telling him that he needed to figure it out on his own.
He cared for Zack, but sometimes the man was just frustrating. This was all very confusing, and a little backup would have not gone unappreciated.
“The affects of a Mako shot,” he started, in dry tones, “tend to have reactions such as the loss of control that are a great deal more violent than what you saw of me.” He circled, cutting Cloud off from the door. “My intent at the time you decided to destroy furniture on my head was to calm you down, which you have yet to mention at all.”
Something told him that he should not find the fact that Cloud was snarling at him cute. He really shouldn’t. Cute was a word Zack would use and Sephiroth tried to keep things like that from infecting his vocabulary.
“Oh, yes, flinging me around and not letting me leave when I want to is calming. Right. As for Mako shots, do you just pick random people, or do you target your victims?” The blond backed away from him, glancing over his shoulder at the front door. It was irritating when Sephiroth realized that he was still trying to escape for some reason. Sephiroth had not and was not planning on hurting him. Why did Cloud insist on acting as if he was?
“I,” Sephiroth growled, “was in the process of deciding to calm you down when you attacked me. I was also complying with your wishes to be released.”
“That was a lousy attempt then,” Cloud growled back as he started backwards for the door, eyes on Sephiroth. “I needed calm because you kept trying to undress me. Didn’t ask or anything. Just grabbed me and started doing it without a single word my direction. What the hell was I supposed to do?”
“How exactly did you expect me to go about obtaining your permission? You were there. If you had bothered listening to the explanation, you should have known that implied consent.” He could feel the muscles along his shoulders twitch. Why was Cloud so upset about this? He should have known all this already.
“What? What was explained to me? All I know is that you grabbed me and didn’t ask. Would it have hurt you to do that?” Suddenly he shook his head, and Sephiroth blinked. “No, forget it. I’m leaving.” And then Cloud was bolting for the front door again. Sephiroth was not ashamed to say that he bolted after him, darting forward to slam the door shut before Cloud had gotten it open more than a few inches.
“No, I expected the shots to have been explained to you! I did not expect you to even be here. What was I supposed to think when I saw you were still here?”
Now it seemed as if Cloud was seriously eyeing the window. “I still don’t know what the hell you are talking about with the shots.” He started to edge towards the glass, obviously pondering his chances.
With a noise of pure annoyance, Sephiroth grabbed Cloud’s shoulders and steered him towards the couch. The blond tensed so fast under his touch that he had to help the boy keep his feet. “Fine. Sit, and I will explain the shots to you.”
“Let go. Please.” The voice was rather strained sounding, and Sephiroth could feel the slightest bit of shivering under his hands.
“Not until I have your assurance that you are not about to make me chase you all through the house to keep you from leaving. I would very much like to have this entire situation cleared up. Now sit and I will explain what I can about the shots.”
“I’ll sit. Just…let go. Please.” The tone was almost pleading, and Sephiroth frowned. He had not wanted to drive Cloud to that tone of voice. It was…disturbing for the boy to fear him on this level. Releasing him, he waved towards the couch. Instead of sitting there, Cloud slipped over and sat in the chair furthest from the couch, eyes wary as they stayed on Sephiroth. The older man was…less than thrilled at the near fearful attention. He got enough fear from other people.
Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and focused, feeling a headache coming on. “What do you know about Mako shots? Anything at all? I’m not sure exactly what they teach the new recruits about them.”
Tense as an animal in a trap, Cloud answered in a stiff voice. “I know they make SOLDIERs what they are. That’s all we’ve been told.”
He just stared. That…couldn’t be right. That was sheer neglect on Shinra’s part….
“Nothing else?” The words just weren’t being comprehended for a moment. Shinra couldn’t be that stupid, could they?
Cloud shook his head a tiny bit, eyes dark in a pale face. He hadn’t noticed how pale Cloud had gotten. When had that happened? “No, nothing at all. They tell us it’s classified and that we can’t be informed unless we are accepted into the SOLDIER program itself.”
“How completely and unbelievably stupid... They should at least warn newcomers to avoid the SOLDIERs on days when shots are assigned, that’s just common sense. I had been under the assumption that you would be aware that it wasn’t exactly wise to be around me after a booster. Reflexes and senses are heightened beyond even the normally high parameters of SOLDIER norms for a few hours directly following a booster. However, at the same time, rational reasoning measures and inhibitions are dramatically lowered a great deal during the same time frame.”
At least it was obvious that Cloud was listening to him. The blue eyes were narrowed as he was obviously thinking about what Sephiroth was telling him. “You’re drunk.” Eyes widen again. “You are drunk and you have heightened senses.”
Not exactly, but as close as a non-SOLDIER was going to get, so Sephiroth just sighed and nodded slightly at that comparison.
Cloud’s look turned to horror. “And they turn you guys loose?” Realization struck again. “That’s why SOLDIERs never room with anyone other than fellow SOLDIERs. It’s to keep people safe. I’m the only one….” A somewhat stricken look. “But why did you come after me? Was it just because I was handy?”
A scoffing sound. “I am not so indiscriminant. As I have said more than once, I did not expect you to be here.”
“Where else would I be? You know I have those things Shinra makes SOLDIER candidates fill out. Tons and tons of paperwork. And I didn’t know what was going to happen.” He frowned. “Why did you pick me if you were being picky?”
Scowling, Sephiroth stalked over and bent to look the boy directly in the eyes at close range. “I had thought you informed.”
Whatever else he was going to say was lost when Cloud jerked back so fast and hard that he almost flipped the chair over. Grabbing the arms, Sephiroth slammed it back onto all fours and growled out “Stop that!”
“I’m sorry,” Cloud snarled back, sarcasm clear in his voice. “Now I know about the shots. If that was the only reason you picked me, then it was because I was handy. Just let me go, and I’ll know to not get near this place on shot days.”
So it was as simple as that. His attention was not wanted. Stepping back, he nodded. “I have survived plenty of such days with no company. I did not mean to press unwanted advances on you. I apologize.” Another step back, making sure that the other had plenty of space to move in.
Quietly, Cloud stood up and walked to the front door. He paused, not looking back as he spoke, hand on the doorknob. “You are not alone, you know that. Zack is here, and I am here, even when I’m scared half to death of you. As for the advances, the part that I didn’t like was the not being asked. All I wanted was for you to ask.” His voice dropped so low that even Sephiroth had to focus on him to hear it. “Why wasn’t I good enough for that?” The door clicked open.
“I didn’t know I was supposed to.”
“Well, congratulations. You’ve just learned something.”
Then he was out the door, and Sephiroth was alone.
Again.
Why did they always keep leaving him alone like this?
For a while, Cloud simply wandered, taking a long, meandering path to base and back again. It helped his temper, and let him sit back and think over the conversation with a bit of a calmer head.
Now he had to decide what to do.
Mumbling to himself, he ran through a few ideas mentally, making commentary on them in a low voice. "Okay, how would Zack deal with this? No, can't do that, he'd kill me before anything would be resolved. No, can't do that either, because I like living there. Oh, hell no, can't do that because I'm pretty sure that's illegal the world over."
After a few minutes, he sighed. “Looks like I’ll actually have to talk to him after all.”
With that, he started back for the house. It was dark still, no lights on in the front room when he returned, though he could see the kitchen was occupied. Taking a deep breath, he paused when he smelled that something had been charred. Oh, hell, Sephiroth had tried cooking. It was the only answer.
He slipped through the house quietly, though he knew that Sephiroth had to know he was there, and came to rest in the doorway leading to the kitchen. There he waited, and watched to see what the other man was doing.
At the moment, Sephiroth was standing at the far side of the kitchen, staring out the window, empty handed. Cloud coughed once, knowing Sephiroth already knew he was there, but being polite anyway. “Would you like some help?”
Sephiroth didn’t look back. “I believe I managed something suitable on my own.” Soft voice, as neutral as it could be. Okay, looks like they were both upset. Shrugging, Cloud moved over towards the refrigerator and started pulling out things for a sandwich. After a few minutes, it was clear that he was making enough for the both of them.
“You don’t understand why I was so upset, do you?”
His eyes focused on the food and not on Sephiroth, he almost jumped when the other man spoke, but locked down the reaction.
“I did state as much.”
A wry, almost bitter smile. “Sephiroth, excuse me for being a bit upset then.” He took one of the sandwiches, and pushed the other Sephiroth’s way. “Did anything I say earlier make sense, or was it all pretty much gibberish?” Let’s see if any of it got through or if he’d have to start from scratch.
Collecting the sandwich, Sephiroth took a bite and chewed it slowly, obviously using the time to gather his thoughts. That was a clear sign to Cloud that, as upset as he as, Sephiroth was just as bad, if not worse. Interesting.
“I overstepped boundaries without permission and offended you.” Another bite. “You will not need to worry about such behavior again.”
Picking at his own food, Cloud sighed. “It wasn’t the boundaries that bothered me. It was the fact that you didn’t ask. That was the majority of it, really. If you had just asked, I…. I don’t know what I would have done, but I don’t think it would have involved a table lamp.” An almost bitter smile, he could feel it on his lips. Still not looking at Sephiroth, he continued.
“Hells, I probably would have jumped for joy if you had expressed any interest in me.” His voice dropped, and even he could barely hear the next words. “Probably still would.”
Sephiroth made a scoffing sound. “Even in such a state, I would not have approached you if there was no prior interest.” Glancing up, blinking, Cloud saw the other man remained focused on his sandwich.
“What?” He could feel that his eyes were wide. “You mean, I wasn’t just a convenient body?” That…was a complete surprise, really.
“Had I not been interested in you already, I likely would have been intent on harming you, not….” He trailed off, focusing on his food once more.
“Oh.” Sitting down at the table, Cloud sighed, and then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry.”
Quiet. Glancing at the man from the corner of his eye, Cloud saw Sephiroth finish off his sandwich, then move for the door of the kitchen. “You have no need to apologize,” the older man said. “You were not the one that erred.”
“Now who’s running away? And I can apologize if I want to.” He focused his eyes back on his food, not sure if he wanted to see what the expression on Sephiroth’s face was at the moment.
Another sigh. “Apologize as you wish, then, it is better if I do not stay and further upset you yet again.”
“I should have known something was wrong, and I shouldn’t have hurt you like that. Well, okay, not sorry about that, you scared me. But I am sorry about afterwards and not being willing to sit down and listen to you.”
He could hear Sephiroth’s hair swish along the leather of his coat. “As I said, you have nothing to apologize for. It was my own misconception. I…. I would not want you to feel uncomfortable in my presence. I hope that you will be at ease around me again soon.”
Gaaaah.
Pushing his sandwich to the side, Cloud began to thump his head against the table. Repeatedly.
After a moment, he heard Seph ask, a bit confused, on what he was doing. Stopping and resting his cheek on the table, he shifted enough so he could look at the man. “I’m trying to figure out how to make you listen to me, since I can’t herd you into a chair like you did to me earlier.”
A moment of quiet. “You did not ask me to sit.”
Cloud valiantly fought and won the urge to roll his eyes. “Well, now that it’s clear I’m the dumb one, would you please sit down? Please?” This was hard on his system, this ordering the General around. Yay?
Another moment of quiet, and then Sephiroth moved, dragging out the chair and sitting on it. He said nothing, simply looking at Cloud expectantly.
Shifting so his forehead was pressed against the table again, Cloud took a second to collect his thoughts before he started. “I thought I had killed you, you know. With the lamp. Thought I had somehow, with my cursed luck, managed to find the one weak point you had and knocked your brains out. I know, stupid thought, right? Me, kill someone like you. Stupid, really.”
“I am not invincible, for all that Shinra likes to pretend I am. I did not anticipate being knocked out either, though.”
“It scared me. That really long, long second when I thought you were dead, it scared me a lot. Like nothing else had ever scared me before. And not because you are General Sephiroth, leader of Shinra’s military. Because I thought I had killed someone who I thought of as my friend.”
He could feel the stare.
“Well, I consider you a friend, even if you don’t think the same of me. And I was scared I had hurt you.” He paused and tried to think of a comparison. “Imagine what it would feel like if you thought you had killed Zack?”
“I can’t. It simply will not ever happen.” A moment of silence. “I…did not realize you held me in such a high regard.”
“I did. Still do, oddly enough. That’s why I was so upset with what happened that night. You are someone I respect, someone who I look up to, and…it seemed as if you had no regard for me whatsoever. As if I was worthless.”
Shifting so he could watch the man’s face again, Cloud saw him frown. “Considering my state of being, I was being incredibly careful with you.”
“I didn’t know that, remember? I just thought I had finally reached the end of your rope, or that you had decided I needed to earn my keep, or that rent wasn’t just money. Maybe I was just to be a convenience if you ever needed someone like that, but….”
Sephiroth actually looked mildly offended. “None of those were my intention, nor would they be.”
Meeting Sephiroth’s eyes, Cloud finally just asked. “Then what was your intention? Because I’m still confused on why you picked me, really? I’m not that attractive, or witty, or nice to be around. I’m sure you could have found someone better.”
The look Sephiroth gave him wasn’t pleased. “So you’re demeaning my taste?”
A slow blink. “I’m what? Demeaning your what? How? What was your main intention?”
“I approached you because you were you. I would not have accepted a replacement for that. And my intention at the time was to be intimately close with you.”
Oh. Ooooh. Cloud felt his cheeks burn. “Oh. I had, um, guessed that. The intimate part. But why me?”
“I thought the answer was obvious?”
“Not to me. Remember, it’s already been decided that I’m the stupid one.” He studied Seph’s face, curious. “All you ever needed to do was ask. That was all I ever wanted. That’s still all I want.”
Now Sephiroth was the one who looked confused. “How?” he asked, studying Cloud back.
“How do you ask?” He couldn’t mean that.
A slight nod.
Or maybe he could.
Okay, he could do this.
Forcing himself to relax a bit, Cloud stood and walked over to stand next to Sephiroth. Reaching up slowly, watching Sephiroth’s reactions carefully, he cupped his hands around the older man’s face. “Sephiroth, may I kiss you?”
A moment of stillness. “You may.”
With that, Cloud leaned in and softly kissed Sephiroth. It wasn’t a hard kiss, or a demanding one. Just a simple, soft kiss.
After a moment, Sephiroth leaned into the contact, hands in his lap. It was enough to send shivers down his back, and Cloud, after a soft sigh into the kiss, pulled back so he could look the other man in the eye. “That’s how you ask. Any questions?”
Sephiroth hesitated only a moment, then reached out and loosely caught Cloud’s shirt. “Yes. Would you do that again?”
“See, knew you could do it,” he said before leaning in for another kiss, almost as unsure as Sephiroth. This time, as they kissed, Sephiroth took more initiative in it, shifting so he was fully facing Cloud and pulling him closer. Cloud let him, almost purring into the kiss.
“See how much easier that is?” And how had he ended up straddling one of Sephiroth’s legs?
“I think,” the other man said after a moment, “that I much prefer this way.” He rested on of his hands on Cloud’s lower back, voice dropping and sending shivers up Cloud’s spine. “Am I going to have to ask for every kiss?”
“Not for every kiss, but it’s nice to ask occasionally.” He paused and licked his lips. “Especially good to ask for first kisses.”
The expression on Sephiroth’s face was solemn. “I will do my best to remember that. Will I have to keep asking tonight?”
“Maybe once.” Cloud smiled softly as he let his arms curl around Sephiroth’s neck. Sephiroth’s other hand joined his first on Cloud’s back.
“May I kiss you, then?”
“All you had to do was ask.”
Two long, long weeks, and he was home. Well, no bloodshed in the living room, that was good.
No Cloud in his room, or in Zack’s room. That was bad.
But… Zack heard more than just Seph breathing down the hall. Creeping down that way, he peeked in.
Well, damn, the pair must have worked things out.
He stood there a minute longer, watching as Seph was curled protectively around Cloud, both of them sound asleep. And given Seph was just wearing his hair, and Zack couldn’t see enough of Cloud to tell what he was wearing, he didn’t think this was another Reno situation.
This was good, right?
Well, he would hope it was, and smiled softly.
It was about time. They would be good for each other.
Slipping out of the doorway, Zack headed for his room. It seemed a bit colder after what he had just seen, but that was okay. They would be good for each other, and that was all that really mattered.
Chapter Four: Plans Begin
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Spotted one possible mistake:
Frowning, Cloud sighed, and then went to look for the phone. Maybe he could find a few friends to stay will for the week or so it took Zack to get back.
Is the 'will' supposed to be a 'with'?
Yay for Seph/Cloud shagging. Bet they did lots of catching up in that two week period of no Zack *pets poor Zacky*
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*pets the pair* Took them long enough to work things out. And Zack is all "Well, good, they finally worked it out." *creeps out the back door*
I don't think he realizes that both Cloud and Seph are both very "Mine" about him. *pets Zack as well*
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Great chapter. ^_^
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The look Sephiroth gave him wasn’t pleased. “So you’re demeaning my taste?”
A slow blink. “I’m what? Demean your what? How? What was your main intention?”
“I approached you because you were you.
SQUEEEE! Issocute! Zack and Seph are gonna hafta work on Cloud's self-image, though. Those jerks in Nibelheim really did a number on his psyche. Oh! And Zack's melancholy acceptance? It hurts so good. ^______^
BTW, I have a confession to make. I snuck onto your NaNo journal earlier to read this before it was completely finished. *is guilty*
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And that's fine. I have a few others who read it there first, and then read it here. Now you can see why me having a beta is such a good thing for everyone.
Poor Zack, he knows they have a thing for each other and is more than willing to back off to let them be happy together. And they are slowly working on Cloud's self-esteem. When he first moved in, he wouldn't have kissed Sephiroth at all. *pets them all*
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*pets joo* Locking people in a room with just drinks and lube works. *nods*
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I'm surprised Zack didn't jump on them when he found them... that's what I would've done XP
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A slow blink. “I’m what? Demean your what? How? What was your main intention?”
You'll probably want to add an ing to 'demean'. I catch stuff like that because I'm an English major, and grammar is something I'm generally good at.
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You seem to be an awesome beta, because you apparently take the stories, correct them, and send them right back, without taking days or weeks, like some people I've heard of.
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I'm glad Cloud came out okay. I figured you can't hang around with Zack and Seph for any length of time and not have one. Seph would scare you to death, or Zack would get you arrested.
And I really, really need to write that sidestory dealing with Cloud, being sick, and feeling eyes on the back of his head constantly afterwards.
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A great chapter where the mood shifts quite well instead of dizzing.
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Glad everything is going smoothly. I'm trying to not fall into the trap of "everything in the story, out, nownownow!"
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Congrats to Seph and Cloud for finally make it to the
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Is it bad I've already hit 25k and that's not even all of what I've written of Gracious yet, and I'm -still- only in book one?
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Cloud is a slut. He has three people now. It kills me that a mountain-home-town boy can seduce two of the world's strongest men. Go Cloud! He's fun for the whole household! XD
Now all there need be is a threesome and you will make Kitsy a very happy person.
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Cloud's got shinies. Lots and lots of shinies.
And I'm working up to it.
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Cloud now holds the fearsome power of the table lamp. Seph will always keep one eye on him if the blond is near something that even resembles a table lamp. It's rather funny in my head.
Though this is the birth of a tradition for Cloud and Seph, though it'll be a bit before you guys get to see it. *grins*
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