“Why must you be so relentless?” Sephiroth rested his chin on the palm of his hand, his
elbow propped up one knee. He was growing weary of Cloud’s pathetic attempts to
escape from their captivity. “You’ve been hacking at that wall for over an hour.”
All Sephiroth got for his superiority complex was a haughty glare from Cloud. “That’s
because you won’t lift a finger to help. Are you afraid of getting your clothes dirty?”
“I gave you my sword didn’t I?” When Cloud turned to hammer the sword into the wood
with both hands, Sephiroth laughed under his breath. “Trust me, Cloud. If given the
opportunity, I would be the first one out of here. Your presence demeans me in every
way possible.”
That insult sent Cloud over the edge. He whipped Sephiroth’s newly polished sword into
the closet and stormed over to him. “I can’t stand here and listen you! How can one man
be so vain and egotistical? And…get off of my bed!” He seized Sephiroth’s cape and
yanked on it.
Sephiroth kicked Cloud’s legs out from under him, causing him to fall forward and into
Sephiroth’s lap. “We will not be able to get out until at least the morning,” he said
angrily. He had lost his temper which wasn’t too hard for him to do. He got some
satisfaction from Cloud’s discomfort at falling between his legs. Cloud was pushing
himself away from Sephiroth, using the older man’s thighs as leverage. “The last thing I
want is to hear you whining about this predicament with every breath you take.”
After Cloud was safely back on the other side of the room, Sephiroth sought out
something to keep himself occupied. He went for the bookcase above the bed and started
to flip through a couple of novels. “Can you at least leave my belongings alone?”
“This is a time of crisis, Cloud. Nothing belongs to you while we are in the midst of a
natural disaster. Learn to share.” Then Sephiroth was skimming down one page out of a
novel he had taken a liking to. “I never knew you were a romantic. Who are you acting
out these sickening scenes with?”
Cloud decided that it was time to fight Sephiroth on his own battle field. “Why haven’t
you killed me? Isn’t that the reason you came here in the first place? Or are you getting
off at tormenting me?”
“So many questions from a child like yourself.” Sephiroth knew that Cloud was preying
on his weakness, his inability to do what he had threatened to.
“Sephiroth!” Cloud picked up the sword again and slashed it into the wall. An
expression of alarm crossed Sephiroth’s face when the bladed instrument flew from
Cloud’s fingers. “OWW!” The impact had nearly dislocated one of Cloud’s shoulders.
He staggered away from his target, clutching at his right shoulder.
“Are you alright?”
“What do you care?!!” Cloud bit his lower lip to maintain his composure and dignity.
However, he wasn’t so sure he could tolerate being in the same room with Sephiroth for
another hour. “You killed Aerith and many innocent people…including my mother. Am
I some sort of pawn to you? All you do is pull my strings and you continue to do so even
after I killed you.”
A low muttering came from Sephiroth. “Maybe I have no use for you dead.”
Sinking down onto a cushion, Cloud started to daydream about the whole ordeal being a
fantasy. Yes, that was it. A cruel prank that his brain was refusing to give up. It was
plausible. It had happened before so why not again?
Hands with grips of steel were suddenly clasped to Cloud’s shoulders. Gloved fingers
were working their way through his tension, easing the pain. Cloud leaned back and
closed his eyes. The sensations grew more intense as those hands slid forward to his
collar bone and back again. His neck muscles loosened up just as Sephiroth began to
massage his back. Cloud felt so lightheaded that he forgot where he was and who he was
with. All he knew was how good it felt to be given so much attention. Nobody had ever
considered taking the initiative with Cloud on being affectionate. The experience was
new but not entirely unwelcome. Even when Cloud registered the soft breathing
touching the back of his neck, he still refused to let it end.
“It appears that I have found a soft spot in you, Cloud. I didn’t think that I could reach
you after all the hurt that I’ve caused.” Sephiroth wrapped one arm around Cloud’s
chest, pulling him closer. Cloud stiffened against him but didn’t resist.
“You used to be an honorable man,” Cloud said quietly. “I looked up to you. I even
called you my hero…that’s why I couldn’t kill you.”
“You left knowing that I had survived?”
“I was anticipating it. You may have done unspeakably evil things but I know why you
did them. That doesn’t make it right and I can’t block out those memories but…I can
forgive you.”
For once in his life, Sephiroth felt as if all the bad things he had ever done were banned
from any record books. If Cloud forgave him then the rest of humanity could call him
what they wanted to. This was the secret that had been held in his heart and forbidden
from his mind. He had always wondered why Cloud got away from his traps unscathed
every time. Subconsciously, his need to protect Cloud had been stronger than the desire
to end his existence. “That means a lot to me. Thank-you.” Sephiroth was now at peace
with the world.
“I’m starving.” Cloud heard his stomach growl and also yawned from exhaustion.
“So am I.” Or was Cloud talking about food? “Try not to think about it.”
Cloud shrugged away from Sephiroth and flopped onto his bed. “Thanks for the
massage. I trust you to leave my limbs attached for when I wake up.”
That was it? He had just made an obvious advance on Cloud and now he was going to
sleep? “There is plenty of room for two.” Sephiroth casually lay down next to Cloud
who was looking straight into his eyes. “You haven’t done that since I first met you,” he
observed.
“Done what?”
“You put me so high on a pedestal that it was near impossible for you to reach. All I
want is to be able to communicate with you on an equal level.”
“Then you’d better quit calling me ‘child’ and ‘boy’ and any other derogatory names that
your intellectual mind can come up with. I never imagined that we would be having this
conversation…or any conversation.” It seemed comfortable to just exchange looks with
Sephiroth, knowing that he wouldn’t anger the former crackpot. Finally, Cloud had to
cover his mouth and stifle a fit of laughter.
How it warmed Sephiroth’s frosty heart to watch Cloud laughing, happy, carefree and
directly in front of him. He wasn’t scared or cowering and he wasn’t holding back.
Cloud was the reason the goodness in him was returning. “What’s so amusing?”
“I never realized how perfect your hair is. Every woman you walk by must be jealous.”
Sephiroth stroked his fingers through Cloud’s hair and kept his attention on him. Cloud’s
eyes were unfocused as he settled down into the pillows. “I would rather wake up with
your hair in my mouth than my own.” Had he really said that? What an unrecoverable
slip of the tongue.
“You aren’t sleeping anywhere near me unless you take off that ridiculous cape and those
leather gloves.”
Was Cloud pretending not to understand the subtle hints and gestures? Or did he really
want what Sephiroth had to offer? “Done.” Sephiroth untied his cape and took off his
gloves, kicking his boots on top of the pile. Cloud had been wearing a loose shirt and
track pants to begin with so he didn’t need to change. Having complied with Cloud’s
wishes, Sephiroth pulled back the blankets and slipped underneath them. Cloud did the
same to feel the heat from Sephiroth’s body.
Now that Sephiroth was without his accessories, Cloud was stunned at the muscles which
lurked inside of Sephiroth’s clothing. His arms were taut with strength and his chest
perfectly developed with no scars. He looked powerful and by experience was known to
be a person not to be messed with.
“Cloud…about earlier on…I am truly sorry for hitting you.”
Cloud merely nodded and looked over at the lamp near the bed. “You’d better turn that
off or we may not have it for tomorrow.”
Once the light was off, the room changed to a pitch black setting. All that either Cloud
or Sephiroth could see were the others’ mako eyes bright in the darkness. Should he
prompt Cloud to respond with more coaxing? It wasn’t as if he needed the rest or wanted
it. Here he was in a place devoid of any disturbances with Cloud, all alone. Cloud was
sleeping in the same bed as him, almost touching him. How could he keep repeating the
same mistakes. If he just let it be, would there be another chance? Another situation that
offered the same privacy and atmosphere.
Something brushed over Cloud’s hip then fastened onto it. “Hmmm…Sephiroth,” Cloud
murmured drowsily.
Sephiroth moved his hand over Cloud’s hip then to the small of his back where he
applied some pressure. Cloud was securely held to Sephiroth’s body where he rested his
head onto Sephiroth’s other arm. Now there was no way out but to go ahead and do what
he wanted to.
Cloud was well aware of Sephiroth’s hands roaming free up and down his body but he
wasn’t going to fight it. How could the man be anything but sincere when he kept his
hands where they belonged. Sephiroth could have overwhelmed Cloud with his hidden
passion but he proved to be too decent. He caressed Cloud’s face and stroked his arms
and back but no more than that.
“How did I manage to find someone as sweet and compassionate as you, Cloud? You
have all the qualities which I have failed at.”
“You became sane again.” Cloud hugged Sephiroth’s arm and found that he couldn’t
stay awake for another minute.
Sephiroth was about to join Cloud in slumber land when a sharp noise alerted his
defenses. There was something amiss concerning their recent earthquake, if that was
what it had been. His gut told him that something was seriously wrong. Sephiroth spent
the night holding onto Cloud and trading glances with the blocked entrances and his
sword. Every now and then, there would be a cackling sound, faint but not so far away.
Where had he heard that sound before? Then it struck him. What kind of alien creatures
were waiting for him behind the cement and wood particles? Were they after him or
worse yet, Cloud?
“Oh no.” What if he had died for just an instant and upon rebirth one or a legion of
undead massacred demons had tagged along with him? “Cloud!” He shook Cloud
roughly and got a small protest. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine…go to sleep.” Cloud snuggled closer to Sephiroth again and closed his eyes.
While Cloud slept, Sephiroth dealt with his distraught state by monitoring Cloud to
ensure that he wasn’t being attacked in his dreams. There was now a stable bridge
connecting Cloud to Sephiroth and he would let no one ever come between them again.
