By: Silver Rayne
Chapter 2
“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.