Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Ashen Skies ❯ Chapter 5

“Ashen Skies”

Chapter 5

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Warnings: Het content (Zack/Aerith-medium, Tifa/Reno-mild), Yaoi thought content (Sephiroth/Cloud), Self-loving-male, graphic

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*Disclaimer: Final Fantasy and all related characters belong to Square-Enix. This fiction piece is strictly a non-profit exercise of creativity and entertainment for people (like me) who can't get enough of this world and the characters.*

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“You look like shit.”

 

Zack climbed off the snowmobile and gave Genesis a humorless smirk. “Thanks. Next time I'll remember to put on some makeup before going out.” He moved to give Aerith room to dismount and his knees almost buckled. Aerith cried out in concern and Genesis lunged to his side and put a supportive arm around him.

 

“Where are you hurt?” asked the redhead with a frown, looking Zack's body up and down in search of wounds.

 

“It's healed now,” Zack explained with a sidelong look at Aerith. “Uh, she got to my materia in time to save my ass. I'm just dizzy from loss of blood.”

 

The redhead gave him an odd look, but then shrugged. “So you ran into one of our `friends' while you were out there, eh?” Genesis continued to support Zack, walking him out of the garage and into the shelter, with Aerith following closely behind.

 

“Yeah, we had ourselves a little party,” Zack confirmed with a grunt. The muscles in his side were tight where the bullets had pierced him, even though the damage was completely healed. “They're getting smaller.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“The WEAPONS,” Zack explained. “Unless the one I fought was just a reject, the planet's starting to make smaller WEAPONS. It was almost human sized.”

 

“You took it down by yourself?” Genesis raised an eyebrow.

 

“Yes, he did,” Aerith answered before Zack could open his mouth.

 

Zack looked at her, unsure of that. He'd blacked out for a short while after being hit and all he knew was that she'd used some kind of blue-green energy to heal his wounds. She'd been prepared to use that same power to protect the both of them when the big WEAPON was passing them by. Since he'd promised not to tell anyone about her strange ability, he didn't refute her claim that he finished the WEAPON off because there was no way anyone would believe she did it unless he gave away her secret.

 

“Like I said, it was smaller than normal,” Zack replied.

 

“Why didn't you try to bring it back with you for study?” Demanded Genesis, “And what happened to contacting us when you found her?”

 

“Uh, we were kind of busy hiding from its big brother, Gen. We're lucky the normal sized WEAPON didn't find us or crush the snowmobile.”

 

Genesis sighed. “You could have contacted us.”

 

“The only thing on my mind at the time was getting us both back here in one piece,” argued Zack. “If it wasn't just a fluke, I'm sure we'll see more of the mini WEAPONS anyhow.”

 

“It makes no sense,” Genesis said thoughtfully as he guided Zack down the corridor leading to the medical wing. “Why would the planet deliberately start manufacturing smaller, weaker WEAPONS?”

 

Zack's eye roved the walls and ceiling of the rocky corridor and he frowned. “Maybe because the big guys can't get to us in here. Maybe the planet's trying to adapt so that it can ferret us out of our tunnels.”

 

Genesis looked somewhat surprised. “I can hardly believe I didn't come up with that before you. Kudos, Zack…I think you're getting smarter.”

 

Having known Genesis for long enough to tell when an insult was meant in brotherly affection, Zack wasn't offended. Aerith, however, had no such familiarity with the redhead and she glared at him.

 

“Zack isn't just a big dumb jock,” she defended.

 

Genesis looked so surprised and offended by her outburst that it made Zack laugh. He winked at the girl to pacify her. “Don't get upset, Aerith. That's just Gen's way. He didn't mean anything by it.” His laughter pulled his sore muscles taut and he ended the sentence with a groan and stopped walking. “Hold up…gotta catch my breath.”

 

Whatever umbrage Genesis felt at Aerith's lecture vanished and his features took on a faintly concerned expression as Zack pressed a hand against his side and took a few slow breaths. Aerith put a hand on Zack's shoulder and gazed at him with open worry.

 

“I'm okay,” Zack assured them. “Just a little sore where I got injured. Laughing isn't a good idea, right now.”

 

“You could have internal injuries,” Genesis predicted ominously.

 

Zack shook his head. “No, it's totally healed. Aerith did a good job with the…uh…cure materia.”

 

Genesis again looked at him oddly. “Were you conscious when she healed you?”

 

“No, why?”

 

The redhead glanced at Aerith, who was looking more uncomfortable by the moment. “That's the second time you've claimed she healed you with materia, but I don't recall socketing any Cure materia to that bangle I loaned you. It was mostly destructive and defensive materia.”

 

“I used healing potions,” Aerith said quickly. “He had a pack of them in his snowmobile and I poured a couple down his throat and on his wounds.”

 

“Interesting,” Genesis said with a narrow-eyed look at the girl. “You didn't say that before I made the observation about the materia.”

 

“I didn't think it was important,” she told him in a tight voice. “I just wanted to get Zack to a doctor. Is that so hard to believe?”

 

“Lay off, Genesis,” Zack sighed, hoping his voice wouldn't give away his anxiety. “What the hell difference does it make? What do you think she did, conjure a magical green light and heal me on her own?”

 

Aerith's eyes widened but Zack smirked at Genesis, keeping his expression deliberately sarcastic. The redhead's lips compressed with annoyance and he let the matter drop. As they neared the medical ward, Cloud's voice called out to them. They stopped and turned around to find the blond jogging toward them with a look of relief and guilt on his face.

 

“You found her,” Cloud said as he approached. “Zack, I'm sorry…you were counting on me and—“

 

“It's not your fault, Cloud,” Zack assured him with a forgiving smile. “The little lady is sneakier than I thought and she just gave you the slip.”

 

“I'm sorry, Cloud,” Aerith apologized remorsefully.

 

He shook his head. “As long as you're both safe, I guess it doesn't matter. Why did you go traveling outside alone, anyhow? What were you thinking…were you going to try and find the Soldier group that was out hunting, or something? I know you were worried about Zack but that was just plain stupid! You aren't hurt, are you?”

 

Zack and Aerith both blinked. Neither of them had ever heard Cloud say so much so quickly and it was a bit jarring. Genesis was looking at them with interest, curious to know why Aerith pulled her stunt, too. They couldn't tell them that she'd gone out there to try and talk to a WEAPON. That would just convince Genesis she was crazier than he thought and he'd probably go to Lazard and recommend she be locked up. Thinking quickly, Zack came up with an excuse.

 

“She was sleepwalking.”

 

Cloud seemed to find the excuse satisfactory and he even gave Aerith a sympathetic look. “Tifa used to do that. I caught her wandering toward Mt. Nibel one night.”

 

“Sleepwalking,” repeated Genesis dubiously.

 

Aerith shrugged, following Zack's lead. “It doesn't happen all the time. I talk in my sleep more often.”

 

“Well, aren't you a treat,” Genesis said sarcastically. “Zack, tell me something…how does a sleepwalking girl make it outside without the guards stopping her?”

 

“I don't know,” Zack snapped crossly. “Maybe they were asleep on the job or something. Can you stop playing detective long enough to help me into the med ward before I pass out?”

 

“You could use a nap,” Genesis replied dryly, but he resumed helping Zack down the hall and he said no more about it.

 

Aerith and Cloud followed silently and by the time they got Zack into the medical ward and sitting on a bench, he was seeing black spots and panting. There weren't any doctors immediately available but Hojo offered to have a look at Zack and get him started on a blood transfusion. Zack wasn't thrilled by the thought of being examined by the professor, but he was too weak and dizzy to put up a serious protest. With Genesis' help, he followed Hojo into one of the examination rooms and lay down on the table. His friends watched as Hojo lifted up his shirt and examined the place he'd said he'd been injured.

 

“You're certain this is where you were struck?” Hojo's fingers moved over Zack's torso, pressing lightly in search of anything unusual beneath the skin. Zack grunted a little when the pressure reached the tightened area of muscle.

 

“I'm positive,” Zack answered.

 

Hojo shook his head. “The skin's utterly smooth. There's no sign of entry or exit. What method did you use to close the wound?”

 

“Healing potions,” Zack and Aerith said at the same time.

 

Hojo raised an eyebrow and adjusted his glasses. “There should still be some scarring, my boy. You aren't lying to me, are you?”

 

“I've got no reason to lie,” Zack said. “Anyway, I've always patched up pretty good.”

 

Hojo gave Aerith a long, suspicious look that made her want to fidget, but he shrugged after a moment and turned his attention back to Zack. “Yes, you do patch up good. Be thankful for your Mako enhancements, Mr. Fair.” He felt around for a few more moments before tugging Zack's shirt back down. “You've suffered some muscle strain but that's easily fixed. I'll get you started on the blood transfusion and a cold compress. You'll need to take a few days off duty to rest and recover.”

 

~********************************~

 

Angeal came to visit shortly after Hojo started Zack on a pint of blood. The big Soldier looked angry as he walked into the examination room and after scanning Zack to assure himself that he was all right, he began his lecture.

 

“Next time, come to us before you rush out alone. This might not have happened if you'd had some backup with you, Zackary.”

 

Zack winced. Unlike Sephiroth, the only time Angeal used his full name was when he was particularly annoyed with him. Though he wasn't yelling at him, his tone was such that Zack could tell he was on the verge of losing his temper.

 

“Look, I just wanted to get Aerith safely back,” Zack argued. “Genesis knew I was heading out.”

 

When Angeal gave Genesis a disapproving look, the redhead glared at Zack as if to say; “Thanks a lot.” Aloud, Genesis pleaded his case calmly. “Zack's a big boy. He said he would contact us once he found her or if he ran into trouble. It's hardly my fault he failed to do so.”

 

“I didn't get the chance,” argued Zack. Cloud and Aerith looked from one Soldier to the next as they bickered. “She was about to be attacked when I found her and the damn thing took a shot at me after I brought it down. After she healed me we had to hide from a bigger WEAPON and after that, I just wanted to get the hell back here!”

 

“So what they're saying is true?” Angeal said incredulously. “You took down a WEAPON on your own?”

 

“Apparently it wasn't a normal one,” Genesis cut in. “It seems the planet's starting to manufacture a mini line of WEAPONS.”

 

Angeal frowned. “How big was it?”

 

“I'd say about ten feet tall,” answered Zack. “I'd have brought the carcass back with me but like I said, a bigger one came sniffing around and it picked up the body as it passed us by.” Zack thought about that and furrowed his brows. “Hey, do you think WEAPONS are cannibals? Maybe the big one was hungry or something.”

 

“I don't think that's what we need to be focusing on,” Angeal said sternly. “Sephiroth is on his way and if I were you, I'd make sure to have an apology ready. He was just about to organize a search and rescue for you when we got word that you were back and I don't think he's pleased with you.”

 

The color that Zack had regained to his face rapidly depleted. “Uh…I don't suppose you can talk to him for me, can you?”

 

Angeal shook his head. “You're on your own, Zack. You'll just have to find some way to pacify him yourself. Now that I know you're all right, I've got work to get back to.”

 

“Wait—“ Zack pleaded, but Angeal walked out of the room without looking back.

 

Genesis blew a low whistle and sighed. “Well, good luck, Zack.”

 

“You too?” Zack protested as the redhead followed his lover out of the room. “Chicken!” The insult didn't affect Genesis at all and Zack sighed and looked at Cloud and Aerith. “Are you two going to take off too?”

 

“Of course not,” Aerith said, though she looked very nervous. “It's my fault you're in trouble, after all.”

 

“Mine too,” Cloud said unhappily. His knee was bouncing rapidly and he drummed his fingers on his thighs and peered through the open entrance. “I guess we'll all face the music together.”

 

“He won't do anything to either of you,” Zack assured them.

 

“Why not?” Cloud asked dubiously.

 

“Well, she's a woman and you're a cadet,” Zack pointed out. “Me on the other hand…I'm an officer and I'll bet you fifty gil the first thing out of Seph's mouth is going to be a lecture on how I should have known better.”

 

Aerith grimaced and Cloud's knee bounced even faster. Zack looked at the blond with amusement, despite the sense of pending doom hanging over his head. “What's with the leg, Cloudy? I told you Seph won't hurt you.”

 

Cloud looked down and he seemed a little surprised to find his knee bouncing. “It isn't that. I had coffee while you were out.”

 

“How much?”

 

“Oh…a lot.” Cloud looked away bashfully. “I wanted to be sure I'd be awake to hear news about you and Aerith. Since I didn't know how long it would be…I…overdid it a little.”

 

Zack struggled not to laugh, knowing that it would only pain his sore muscles. “So you're hyped up on caffeine. No wonder you were babbling earlier.”

 

“I was babbling?” It obviously came as a surprise to the blond. “I don't remember babbling.”

 

“Well, for you, it was babbling,” Aerith said with a smile. “For anyone else it would have been a normal string of questions, I think.”

 

“Oh,” Cloud said. He looked as though he would have said something else but he saw Sephiroth approaching outside and he snapped his mouth shut and tensed.

 

Zack braced himself as his superior walked into the room. Sephiroth's angelic features seemed perfectly calm and neutral but Zack knew better than to assume the man's mood matched his expression. “Uh, hey General. I'm all patched up and Aerith is fine, so there's no need to worry.”

 

Sephiroth's cold, emerald gaze examined him from head to foot before scanning Cloud and Aerith. “I could expect foolishness like this from a civilian and a cadet,” Sephiroth said in a carefully controlled voice, “but you should have known better, Zackary.”

 

Cloud's eyes bugged out and met Zack's with amazement, causing the black-haired man to smirk. “See?” Zack said to the blond and Aerith. “I told you.”

 

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. “You told them what, exactly?”

 

Zack cringed. “Um…that you wouldn't be interested in punishing them. Hey, I'm really sorry I goofed but I acted on my instincts, Sephiroth.”

 

“And that nearly got you killed.” Sephiroth sighed and checked the transfusion bag hanging over Zack's head. “I'm hearing some odd rumors about your little excursion. Care to tell me what this talk of you taking down a WEAPON is all about?”

 

Zack groaned softly, wondering how many times he was going to have to repeat the events before everyone was satisfied. He described what happened and Sephiroth listened attentively. When he was finished, the General looked through the open entrance to be sure nobody was in range outside and then he leaned over Zack and spoke to him in a low voice.

 

“As soon as they finish treating you, I want you to fill out a report. When you've finished that, you're to tell Reeve about this WEAPON you fought. You're off duty until further notice.”

 

Zack nodded. “What about Hojo? Shouldn't I tell him about it, too?” He hated the thought of all the creepy questions the professor would likely ask him but Hojo was the top scientist on their team.

 

“No,” Sephiroth said. “If Hojo wants to know more, he can ask Reeve. He'll only badger you for failing to bring back a sample and that will get us nowhere. If the planet is starting to produce these smaller WEAPONS regularly, we'll have a specimen for him soon enough.”

 

Zack relaxed a little. In his own way, Sephiroth was looking out for him. “Thanks. I'll get right on it as soon as the blood transfusion's finished.”

 

Sephiroth nodded and straightened up. As he turned to leave, he looked over his shoulder at Zack, then at Aerith. “Oh, and Zackary? Keep to your story about the girl.”

 

“Er…story?” Zack felt a chill run up his spine as the General's feline gaze held his for a moment before Sephiroth faced forward and walked calmly out.

 

“He knows,” Aerith said softly.

 

Cloud looked confused. “He knows about what?”

 

Zack stared at Aerith questioningly and nodded at Cloud. She nodded in return. “I think we can trust him,” she said.

 

“We'll tell you after we leave here, Cloud,” Zack offered. “I don't want to risk anyone eavesdropping.”

 

“Okay,” the blond agreed.

 

~*****************************************~

 

A little over an hour later, Zack was leaving Reeve's workshop with Cloud and Aerith at his side. Deciding they weren't going to get a lot of privacy indoors, Zack suggested they go outside to talk. Together, they took the tunnel leading outside and Zack checked around for other residents. Night was falling, so nobody else was out there. He ushered Cloud and Aerith away from the entrance to the underground, to make it less likely that the guards or any civilians near the entrance overheard them.

 

“Okay, here's the deal,” Zack said, “Aerith healed me after I got shot by the WEAPON.”

 

Cloud gave him a blank look. “Okay.”

 

“I mean, she did it without materia or potions,” Zack elaborated. “She healed me with her own bare hands.”

 

Cloud's golden brows furrowed and he looked from Zack to Aerith. “How?”

 

“I'm Cetra,” Aerith answered.

 

Cloud had never heard the term before so he merely shrugged in polite ignorance, but Zack had a different reaction. The Lieutenant's eye opened wide and he stared at the girl with surprise. “You didn't tell me that! That explains everything.”

 

“I'm confused,” Cloud admitted, scratching his head.

 

“The Cetra were here before us humans,” Zack explained. “They had strange powers and could talk to the planet. I wish I could tell you more but I kind of didn't pay full attention in history class. I think some cultures called them the Ancients.”

 

That sounded familiar to Cloud. He looked at Aerith in amazement. “You're an Ancient? But, I thought they all died out.”

 

“I think I may be the last,” sighed Aerith. “When I was little, someone tried to capture Mama and I. My father held them off…he gave his life so that we could get away.” She looked up at Zack. “Mama took me to the city you found me in and we lived there together until she died. She called it the Forgotten City. Our people lived there, once.”

 

Cloud suddenly felt like an intruder as Zack put his arms around the girl and gazed down at her with warm sympathy. “I wish you'd told me this sooner, but I understand why you didn't. Aerith, do you have any idea who the people were that came after you?”

 

She shook her head. “No. I was very small back then. All I remember was Father yelling at us to run and the sound of gunfire. I'm sorry I didn't explain this to you before, but I was too worried about you to try and explain.”

 

“You said Sephiroth knew,” Cloud murmured. “How could he?”

 

“Sephiroth's a bookworm,” Zack answered, “he's not as bad as Genesis but he knows his history and I'm guessing he figured out that Aerith wasn't just imagining the voices she was hearing. He probably drew his own conclusions after watching her behavior. I think Genesis is suspicious, too.”

 

“What about professor Hojo?” Cloud asked grimly, “He would know about the Cetra, wouldn't he? Do you think he suspects anything?”

 

“He hasn't been paying a lot of attention to the goings-on with residents,” Zack said with a frown. “That's probably a damn good thing, too.”

 

Cloud nodded. “If he thought she was an Ancient, he'd probably…” He trailed off uncomfortably, not wanting to scare Aerith.

 

“He'd want to use me,” finished the young woman. “It's okay, I know the danger. If people find out what I am, they'll want to make me use my powers for their benefit. Nowadays, they might even see me as the enemy because of my ties to the planet. My mother told me I could never tell anyone. She said that humans either worship or kill what they don't understand. I never actually thought I'd be able to do any of the things she could. Until today, the only thing I could do was hear the people in the Lifestream.”

 

Zack gave Cloud a worried look. “We can trust you, can't we? You'll keep this under your hat won't you, Cloud?”

 

“Sure,” Cloud said with a nod. “Aerith's my friend.”

 

She gave him a warm, grateful smile and Zack relaxed a bit. Aerith shivered in the cold and Zack rubbed her back. “You're getting chilly and my side's starting to hurt again. Let's go back inside and get something hot to eat.”

 

“You guys go on,” Cloud said. “I'm going to stay out here for a little while longer.” It was always refreshing to be out in the open air. The narrower tunnels inside the community always made him nervous.

 

“Okay buddy,” Zack agreed. “See you later.”

 

~*********************************~

 

Cloud was still outside an hour later when full night fell. He'd meant to go back in sooner but the northern lights caught his attention and he stared in awe at the phenomenon. He heard booted footsteps approaching from behind but he assumed it was just Zack, checking up on him. The Lieutenant treated him as a younger brother at times. Cloud turned when the footsteps stopped beside him and he gulped when he saw that his visitor was Sephiroth.

 

“General…Sir,” Cloud said, immediately standing at attention out of sheer instinct. He wished he'd thought to do the same earlier when Sephiroth came to visit Zack in the infirmary.

 

“Aren't you off duty?”

 

Cloud cursed himself inwardly, humiliated by the lapse. “Yes. I just…forgot.”

 

“I suppose you've had a busy day,” Sephiroth excused. He gazed out at the darkened horizon and watched the phantom lights that flickered in the sky.

 

“Would you like me to go?” Cloud asked uncertainly.

 

Sephiroth regarded him with puzzled green eyes. “Did I ask you to?”

 

“N-no,” Cloud answered, growing more flustered.

 

“Then stay.” Sephiroth's eyes flashed with something resembling amusement.

 

Cloud looked up at the sky again but his enchantment with the northern lights was dulled by Sephiroth's presence. He tried not to stare at him but it was very difficult to resist—especially when the chill breeze stirred his pale hair and a few silken strands brushed against Cloud's arm.

 

“What do you see when you look out there, Strife?”

 

The sudden question startled the blond and he looked up at Sephiroth uncertainly before peering out at the snowy landscape and starry sky. “Um…hope?”

 

Sephiroth looked at him with faint annoyance. “Be honest.”

 

Cloud flushed, knowing that his honest answer was going to sound presumptuous. “Glory,” he sighed. “I see a chance to be a hero. Stupid, huh?”

 

Sephiroth's eyes held his. “If it's stupid, then I'm an idiot.”

 

Something amazing happened then. Sephiroth smiled at him. Cloud stared up at him, stunned to his very core by the sight of that mouth curving that way. The smile was like Sephiroth himself; sensual and riveting.

 

“Goodnight, Cloud.” Sephiroth nodded at him and walked away, leaving the blond standing alone and dazed. He passed by Zack on his way to the entrance and he nodded at the Lieutenant as he passed him.

 

Cloud was still standing dumbstruck when Zack jogged over to him. “Hey, you're still out here? The temperature's dropping to the negatives, Cloudy. You'll make yourself sick.” Zack stopped in front of him and studied his face. “Zack to Cloud. Your brain hasn't frozen, has it?”

 

“He smiled at me,” Cloud mumbled, staring in the direction of the shelter entrance where Sephiroth had gone.

 

Zack looked over his shoulder and screwed up his face. “Who…Sephiroth? Nah, he never smiles. Must have been a trick of the light.”

 

“It's dark,” Cloud pointed out with a frown.

 

“Okay, so it was a trick of the shadows, then.”

 

Cloud shook his head. “No, it wasn't. I know what I saw. He smiled at me. He also called me by my first name.”

 

Zack scratched his chin. “What's so shocking about him calling you by your first name?”

 

“I don't know,” admitted the blond. “It just seems like he almost always calls me `Strife' or `Mr. Strife' or `Cadet Strife'. I think I've only heard him call me `Cloud' a couple of times since I met him and it sounded…friendly.”

 

Zack thought about it and his facial expression slowly changed to dawning comprehension as he looked at Cloud. His blue-violet gaze roved over the blond and a grin steadily grew on his lips. “I think I get it, now.”

 

“Get what?” Cloud blushed, having an idea of what he was talking about but choosing to play dumb.

 

“You're a smitten kitten, aren't you? That's why you looked like someone hit you over the head a minute ago.”

 

Cloud rolled his eyes. “I'm not smitten.”

 

“Oh, yes you are,” Zack insisted with a chuckle.

 

“No, I'm—“

 

“And I'll bet Seph has a thing for you, too,” Zack continued as if Cloud hadn't spoken. “If he's been calling you by your last name it means he's trying to keep his distance and if you really made him smile…well…I haven't seen that guy crack a real smile in years.”

 

Cloud's heart skipped a beat. “You…think he likes me?” He forgot all about hiding his feelings in the moment of vulnerable hope.

 

Zack's grin broadened. “See? I'm right…you're totally smitten.”

 

Cloud sighed. “Well, what about you and Aerith? You guys give me cavities.”

 

Zack laughed but immediately grimaced in pain and pressed a hand against his side. “Okay, you got me. I'm smitten too. Feel better?”

 

Cloud smiled a little and nodded. “You should lay down and put a compress on that,” he suggested, pointing at the spot that Zack was holding. “Where's Aerith? I kind of expected her to be nursing you right now.”

 

“She's having a shower,” Zack said. He shifted boyishly on his feet. “I'm trying not to think about it, man.” When Cloud chuckled, Zack feigned a glare at him. “Hey, you try thinking of Sephiroth naked and wet and see if you don't get a happy.”

 

Cloud predictably blushed at the mental image. “That was dirty.”

 

“No, usually showers make people clean,” Zack countered with a wink.

 

“Let's just go back inside,” sighed the blond.

 

~********************************************~

 

Aerith was nervous. Fortunately, there was still enough hot water left for her to have a decent shower and she tried to forget about her anxiety as she enjoyed the warm spray of water on her body. She finished drying off and she put on her long, thick nightgown while still in the shower, as was her modest habit. She followed up with the winter robe and slippers before exiting the shower and finished towel drying her hair as best she could.

 

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, Aerith left the women's bathing room and made her way to the SOLDIER barracks. Zack was just going in when she arrived and she stopped in puzzlement. He'd been lying down when she left to take her shower. Maybe he'd gotten up to use the bathroom or have a snack.

 

“You need to rest,” Aerith told him firmly, forgetting her own nervousness over sharing his bed for the first time. She shifted the bundle of clothes and shoes in her arms and gave him a stern look.

 

Zack jumped a little and turned to her with a guilty expression on his face. “Oops, I was hoping to make it back before you finished.”

 

Aerith smiled in spite of herself. “I just don't want you to hurt yourself. Did you get hungry? I would have brought you something from the kitchen.”

 

“I went to check on Cloud,” Zack admitted, “I never saw him come back in and he wasn't wearing a thick coat when we went outside.” He put and arm around her and walked into the barracks with her. “Silly guy's going to catch pneumonia if he isn't more careful.”

 

“So while I'm trying to take care of you, you're trying to take care of Cloud.” Aerith chuckled. “You two are hopeless.”

 

He grinned and when they reached his bunker, he pulled the screen open and gestured invitingly. “Ladies first.”

 

Aerith bit her lip and moved past him slowly. Zack stopped her and looked her in the eye, his features gentle and reassuring on her. “Aerith, I'm not going to let those kisses go to my head, okay? I'm not going to jump you. I want you to feel safe with me.”

 

She felt bad. He'd misunderstood her hesitation. “I do feel safe with you,” she promised, reaching up to stroke his hair. “It's just…I've never…”

 

Zack seemed to guess what she was trying to say and he caught her hand and kissed it. “Nothing's going to happen until you're ready for it to, honey. I mean that.”

 

She nodded and smiled at him. He'd partially guessed the source of her anxiety but he still seemed to be under the impression that she didn't want him that way. Having no experience at all with the opposite sex, Aerith's knowledge of romance was limited to books she'd read. Deciding it was premature to worry about it before anything actually happened, she deposited her soiled clothes in the laundry basket under the bunk next to the chest and set her shoes beside it.

 

She relaxed a little when she saw Crackers waiting between the two pillows on the bunk and she climbed on and slipped under the covers before tucking the stuffed parrot under her arm. Zack joined her and he shut the screen behind him. He smiled when he saw her holding Crackers and he sat down on the edge of the bunk and started removing his boots.

 

“I thought he might make you feel a little safer,” Zack explained as he pushed his boots under the bed next to hers, “So I took him out of the chest and set him there for you when you went for your shower.”

 

“Thank you,” Aerith said softly. She scooted back against the wall to give him more room as he removed his armor pieces and jacket. She swallowed when he pulled his shirt over his head and she watched the muscles in his back ripple. It occurred to her that Zack couldn't change into his pajamas without stripping naked first. It seemed to dawn on him too, because he paused as he started unbuttoning his pants and he turned his head to look at her a little sheepishly.

 

“I can step out to finish this,” Zack offered. “It's not like I'll traumatize any Soliders that come in before I finish. They've got the same stuff I do.”

 

“No, you don't have to change out in the open,” protested Aerith. “I'll just turn around and shut my eyes until you're finished.”

 

“You sure?” Zack looked endearingly bashful all the sudden. “I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”

 

She admired his broad shoulders from beneath lowered lashes and nodded. She didn't have to have experience to appreciate an attractive male body and she hoped she wasn't being obvious. “I'd be uncomfortable kicking you out of your own bunk every time you change for bed,” she insisted. “I'm a grownup, I can handle it.” With that said, she rolled over to face the wall and she dutifully pulled the covers over her head.

 

She wondered how long it had been since he'd done anything like this in front of a woman. She highly doubted he was a virgin and despite his self-consciousness over his eye, she always saw other women giving him interested looks. She listened to the sound of clothing rustling as he removed his pants and underwear and she chewed her lip, imagining what he looked like in the nude. She wasn't surprised to feel her face heat up but she noticed with interest that other parts of her felt suddenly warm, too. There was an odd tension in her pelvic area and lower abdomen that she remembered feeling once or twice before while reading certain parts of romance novels.

 

“Okay, I'm decent now,” Zack informed her.

 

His weight shifted on the mattress and Aerith turned around and lowered the covers back down over her head. Zack was in a pair of drawstring track pants and his chest was bare. Aerith controlled the urge to stare at his exposed chest with difficulty. He had great muscle tone and the faded scars visible here and there didn't distract from the appeal.

 

He extinguished the wall sconce before stretching out beside her. He covered up before loosely embracing her with one arm. “Are you comfortable enough?” he murmured. His eye glowed faintly in the dark and it startled her for a moment, but she remembered that Zack had Mako enhancements and it made sense.

 

Aerith nodded and boldly snuggled closer to him, putting an arm around his waist. Crackers got a little smushed between the two of them as Zack reciprocated and pulled her closer. Aerith looked at his shadowed face and slid her hand up from his waist to his chest and shoulder. His lips parted and his gaze seemed to grow warmer on her. Biting her lip, she continued on, grazing his jaw with her fingertips in passing.

 

“Aerith,” Zack whispered, shaking his head as she started lifting his eyepatch off. “Don't.”

 

She didn't say anything—merely gazed evenly at him and kept going despite his weak protests. He closed his eyes as she tugged the patch off of his head and dropped it onto the pillow. She maneuvered herself so that she could cup his face in both hands and she studied his features. There was just enough light coming in from outside for her to make them out. There was a thin scar slashing down over his left eye from the brow but it wasn't as severe as she'd expected.

 

“Zack, look at me,” Aerith commanded softly. “Please.”

 

“Don't want you to see it,” he said in a tight whisper.

 

She swallowed a lump in her throat and brushed her thumbs over his eyelashes. “Please, Zack?”

 

He compressed his lips and slowly opened his eyes. The damaged one had a milky film covering it and it didn't focus on her. He frowned unhappily at her and she could feel the tension in his body. There was nothing she could do to restore the eye, she knew. Still, she didn't see a disfigurement when she looked at it. She saw a mark of honor he'd earned trying to save lives.

 

“You're perfect,” Aerith whispered sincerely. She closed the distance between their faces and kissed him, then. He went utterly still with shock for a moment and then he began to relax and reciprocate the kiss.

 

“Aerith,” Zack sighed against her lips, and then his firm mouth moved against hers and his tongue delved gently between her lips when she parted them.

 

She combed her fingers through his hair and stroked his exploring tongue with her own instinctively. His fingers likewise tangled into her damp hair and she didn't resist as he rolled her onto her back and partially covered her body with his. A powerful thigh wedged between her legs and the feel of it pressing intimately against her loins made her restless. He shifted against her and she felt the evidence of his arousal against her thigh, pressing against her through the layers of their clothing. It excited her even more and her curiosity increased.

 

Zack didn't try to undress her or put his hands anywhere too intimate. He courted her with slow, sensual kisses and his calloused hands stroked her face, neck and outer thigh with far more patience than she felt. She explored his shoulders and back before caressing his chest and stomach. When his lips broke away from her and began nuzzling her throat, Aerith nearly lost her composure and groped him. She tempered her desire and dragged her hand away from the prominent bulge that tempted her. What kind of impression would she give if she acted on her lust, when he was practicing so much restraint?

 

Their breath quickened as the kissing and touching continued and Zack finally slid his hand down over Aerith's bottom, rubbing it gently before giving it a squeeze. She whimpered against his mouth and cupped the back of his head demandingly. She started brushing her thigh against his groin, fascinated by the feel of his hardened manhood against her leg. He groaned in pleasure and the sound made a thrill shoot through her body.

 

Zack's kisses tapered off and he dragged his hand away from her bottom to rub her back. He rolled onto his side and pulled her with him, moving his lips over her cheeks and forehead. Aerith felt an unreasonable sense of disappointment when she realized he was deliberately cooling things down. She knew he wanted her…the evidence was still pressing against her leg. She chastised herself as he whispered goodnight to her and gave her one last kiss. Zack was just being a gentleman and even though she felt so strongly for him, they'd only known each other for little more than a week.

 

Aerith snuggled against his chest and contented herself with replaying the moment in her mind. He stroked her back slowly until he drifted off to sleep and her restlessness finally settled, allowing her to fall asleep as well. She woke up to the voices a couple of times during the night but Zack kissed her and soothed her with murmurs until they settled down. It was the best she'd slept in a long time.

 

~********************************~

 

Sephiroth was on his way to bed when he passed by Cloud's bunk. The blond had his screen open and he was fast asleep, with his cheek resting on his folded hands. Sephiroth paused and watched him for a moment, wondering how he could sleep with the screen open and the overhead lanterns shining on him. He looked doll-like and innocent in his slumbering pose and Sephiroth imagined what it would be like to wake him in a most…creative…way.

 

He clenched his jaw, irritated with himself. Strife had the most interesting affect on him and it only seemed to be getting worse with each day. He liked to watch him in action when the blond trained with Zack. He liked the sound of his voice and the accent that came with it and he found himself amused more often than not by Cloud's bumbling shyness. What was interesting to Sephiroth was the fact that Cloud always seemed confident when he was sparring or working on the military vehicles, but whenever he got around the General, he lapsed into awkward uncertainty.

 

Sephiroth was no fool and he guessed that Strife's behavior around him stemmed either from attraction or intimidation. He realized that he was just standing there staring at the sleeping blond and he gave himself a mental nudge and looked around to ensure nobody was nearby to notice. He'd let himself go too much this evening. He shouldn't even be entertaining fantasies about taking the blond to his bed, no matter how attractive he found him.

 

Still, when he returned to his own bunker and put away his dirty clothes, he couldn't stop thinking about the cadet sleeping just a few bunks away. He combed through his damp hair before lying down and covering up. He threaded his fingers behind his head and stared up at the rocky ceiling as he listened to the sound of other Soldiers snoring, whispering or conducting other activities in the dark. He thought he heard Genesis groan in the distance and he rolled his eyes, guessing that the redhead and Angeal could be at it for hours before going to sleep. They were quite subtle about it but Sephiroth had sharper ears than most.

 

As his thoughts continued to meander amongst fantasies of relieving Cloud Strife of the uniform that looked so good on him and taking full advantage of his body, Sephiroth unconsciously pulled one hand out from behind his head and began to slowly drag it down his torso. He detected a low grunt of satisfaction coming from Angeal's bunk, followed by a muffled moan from Genesis. The sounds only increased his growing agitation and Sephiroth rested his hand over his swelling package, hesitating.

 

~There's going to be a mess and I have nothing to contain it with.~

 

Condoms were in short supply these days and while it was on the list of things to manufacture eventually, the focus was still on living utilities, medicine and food. Sapphire blue eyes forced themselves into his mind again and he sighed.

 

~I'll simply get it out of my system. I can do laundry early this week.~

 

Sephiroth began to rub the length of his discomfort through the material of the black sweat pants he wore. He shut his eyes and imagined that it was Cloud's hand stroking him. That did the trick. His erection twitched under his hand and he reached into the pants and gripped it firmly. He began to stroke up and down the shaft as he pictured Cloud naked and spread out on his stomach, waiting eagerly for him with his firm little ass sticking up. Sephiroth moistened his lips with his tongue and moved his hand faster, thrusting his hips in synch with his hand motions.

 

What would a moan of passion sound like, coming from the blond's lips? Cloud had what Genesis referred to as a “prison mouth”, meaning in such a setting, inmates would be climbing over each other to be the first to sample it. Sephiroth always thought the term was distasteful and crass but the more he thought of the way Cloud's mouth was shaped, the more he could empathize with someone's desire to make him their bitch.

 

Realizing where his thoughts were going, Sephiroth frowned and chastised himself. He had more class than this, surely. If Strife had any way of knowing what was going through Sephiroth's head right now, he would probably defect and take his chances with the WEAPONS in the wilderness, rather than stay within proximity of such a filthy pervert. Thankfully, Cloud was no mind reader so if Sephiroth decided to act on his lust and seduce him, he would never have to know that he'd imagined cuffing him and pushing his cock into his mouth.

 

~How troublesome.~

 

The bondage scenario wasn't going away. It only changed from a cuffed blond giving him a blowjob to a cuffed blond getting humped nice and hard, with his legs hooked over Sephiroth's shoulders. The silver-haired Soldier groaned and he immediately bit his lip when he realized the sound had come from him. He was getting close and the closer he got to release, the more vivid the mental images grew. He guessed that Cloud was a pillow biter—probably a lip biter, too.

 

“Hunh…ahh…Strife,” Sephiroth panted, tossing his head. He bucked his hips as his balls tightened and he shuddered as he came in his pants. It was a good, hard orgasm and it was probably long overdue. Sephiroth's tension drained from his body deliciously as the climax tapered off and he sighed in relief and simply enjoyed the afterglow for a few moments. When his bliss began to fade, he became aware of the uncomfortable dampness in his pants and he got up to change out of his soiled pajama bottoms and change into fresh ones.

 

He was oblivious to the fact that the object of his lust had gotten up for a glass of water and heard most of his activities as he was passing by his bunk.

 

~***************************************~

 

Cloud stood frozen outside Sephiroth's bunk, terrified and fascinated all at once. He'd heard the man's grunts of efforts as he was on his way out of the barracks and he'd paused, wondering if the General was in pain. He almost called out to him to ask if he was all right but then Cloud heard something that made his heart lurch and his eyes go wide.

 

“Hunh…ahh…Strife.”

 

Cloud's mouth opened and his eyes darted around the room with confused panic. His first thought was that Sephiroth somehow knew he was standing on the other side of the screen and he was calling for him.

 

~He…he just said my name. Should I…go in there?~

 

He heard the man's sated, relieved sigh and it left little doubt in his disbelieving mind that Sephiroth had indeed just been fantasizing about him while jacking off. With that knowledge came the utter certainty that “going in there” and alerting the General to the fact that he'd heard his activities would only result in a quick, painful death. Deciding not to temp fate, Cloud tiptoed rapidly back to his own cubby, his sock-covered feet sounding painfully loud against the stone floor to his own ears in his adrenaline-pumped panic.

 

Cloud heard the General's screen slide open just as he made it into his cubby and the blond practically leaped into his bunk, banging his forehead painfully against the far wall in the process. Wincing, he lay down and yanked the covers over his body, facing the wall to hide his blush from anyone that passed by.

 

He heard the whisper of footsteps approaching and he stared at the wall anxiously. He had no way of knowing how much Sephiroth heard with his enhanced senses…for all he knew, the man could tell he'd been standing outside his bunk moments ago. A tall shadow fell against the wall and Cloud's skin tingled as he felt Sephiroth's presence at his back. It loomed closer and the blond shut his eyes and mumbled in what he hoped was a convincingly sleepy way. He swore he could feel warm breath stir his cheek and he prepared for…what? To be bitten? He didn't know what he expected.

 

“Hmm,” Sephiroth hummed softly.

 

His presence retreated then and Cloud told his heart to stop beating so hard and fast. Even if the General suspected he'd had an audience, it seemed that Cloud's feigned sleep was convincing enough that he didn't think it was him. After a few tense moments, Cloud heard the other man's screen slide shut again and he was able to breathe once more. He became aware of the throbbing pain in his forehead and he sighed. He was lucky he hadn't knocked himself out cold. Another immediate problem became apparent and Cloud grimaced. The tense experience had put his bladder into overdrive and he needed to get to the bathroom.

 

~****************************************~

Cosmo Canyon, the next morning:

 

Tifa woke up to find another flower sitting in a clay vase outside her bunk. She nearly stepped on it and she sighed as she bent down and picked it up. This one was a rose…one of the yellow desert variety. She shook her head, wondering where Reno was finding these flowers. She read the little note tied to it, unsurprised to see the familiar handwriting and the words “How about now?”

 

The first one he'd left for her was a plateau daisy and it had a note that said: “Gimme a chance.”

 

The second had been a tulip of some kind, with the words: “I'm sorry, okay?” scrawled into the note.

 

She now boasted a small bouquet of wildflowers on the rickety end table in her sleeping alcove—one for every day of the week since that raucous kiss. She had a collection of little notes stashed away in her trunk as well, with a mixture ranging from apologies to persuasion and even a knock-knock joke. She didn't know why she was hanging onto any of it, honestly. Well, okay…the flowers brightened up the tiny room and cheered her a bit and she had to admit the knock-knock joke had made her smile.

 

At first, she thought he was being sincere but his eyes still undressed her every time he saw her and he still couldn't hold a conversation with her without staring at her breasts. It annoyed her. She thought she could actually grow to like him—if not romantically then at least as a friend—but he seemed determined to act like a pig every time she thought he could be decent. If she'd stopped to think about it for a moment, she might have realized that it had become something of a game between the two of them. She stubbornly insisted that she had no interest in him and she was only keeping his notes as a reminder that he couldn't be taken seriously.

 

“Oooh, that's a pretty one,” Marietta said admiringly as she passed by and saw Tifa pluck the rose from its vase and place it with the other flowers in the bigger one. The older woman smiled at the brunette when Tifa sighed. “That boy's a persistent one, isn't he?”

 

“He's an annoying one,” Tifa corrected, but she smiled at the other woman.

 

“I know Reno can be a bit much,” advised Marietta, “but when he's sober he can be a decent sort. Maybe you should take a bit of pity on him, dear. From where I'm standing, it looks like he's doing his best to romance you.”

 

“Where I come from, what he's doing is called stalking,” Tifa snorted. “And when is he ever sober?”

 

“Not often, these days,” admitted Marietta sadly. “I worry about that young man at times.”

 

Tifa steeled herself against the pity that rose in her breast. She worried about him sometimes too and she hated that. “I'm not going to cave just because he's sad. We're all sad and we've all lost something or someone, but most of us aren't using that as an excuse to act like sloppy perverts.” She shook her head again and got her brush out of her trunk. “No, if Reno wants to impress me, he can look me in the eye when we speak and he can start treating me with respect. If he can ever manage that, I might consider it.”

 

“I can't say I really blame you,” the older woman sighed. “But I'll remind you that young men aren't always adept at reigning in their baser instincts. Surely, you've noticed other men eyeing you and other young ladies the same way Reno does?”

 

“But he's the only one that took liberties,” Tifa shrugged. She brushed her hair until it shone softly in the lamplight. “I can't do anything about men's wandering eyes but I can turn down their advances.”

 

Marietta shrugged. “Suit yourself, dear. Just remember, there's a shortage of available young men and it will only get worse before it gets better.”

 

~**********************************~

 

Tifa finished helping with breakfast like she did every morning and she sat down to eat her own meal. She sighed as Reno came and sat down at the table with her, just when she was almost finished eating and thinking she'd escape without harassment.

 

“Did ya like your rose?” His eyes were predictably drawn to her chest.

 

“My face is up here,” Tifa said as patiently as she could. Raising her voice would only give him the satisfaction of an emotional reaction and she was sure that the best way to deal with men like him was to appear disinterested at all times. “If you can't talk to me without staring at my chest, please leave.”

 

“Okay look…I'll shut my eyes,” he offered. He closed his eyes and grinned. “How about that? Now can we talk?”

 

“Now you're just being silly,” Tifa murmured, fighting a smirk. “Reno, I mean it. If you can't even keep your eyes open around me without leering, I have nothing to say to you.”

 

He opened his eyes and fixated them on her face. “There, see? Eye contact. So tell me, what can I do to make you stop hating me, Tifa?”

 

Not “Toots”, not “Doll”, not “Tits”. He'd actually used her given name. It was a start. She considered him silently for a moment, waiting for his eyes to waver and drop to her chest like they always did. To her surprise, they didn't. His blue-green gaze held hers and she realized he wasn't drunk, yet.

 

“I don't `hate' you,” Tifa sighed. “I just don't think a lot of you. Flowers and notes don't make up for what you did.”

 

“I hear ya.” Reno nodded, calculating. “So what do you think would?”

 

“It…it's nothing you can fix just like that,” Tifa tried to explain. An idea came to her. He wasn't so bad when he wasn't drunk. “Stop drinking for a week, so that I can see what you're really like underneath the alcohol. If you can do that and NOT molest me with your eyes every chance you get, maybe I won't see such a rat.”

 

Reno seemed to take the idea into consideration. “Hmm…I think I could do that. Let's compromise a little more though. I want a guarantee to get a little something out of this, yo.”

 

She glared at him. “I'm not giving you a lap dance and I'm not sleeping with you.”

 

He chuckled. “Who said anything about that? All I want ya to do is wear something nice for me.” At her suspicious look, he revised: “It ain't anything skimpy, if that's what you're thinking. What I've got in mind is actually pretty modest. So, how about it?”

 

“You just want me to wear an outfit for you,” she summarized, narrowing her eyes.

 

“That's it.” He nodded.

 

“And you'll keep your hands to yourself?”

 

Again, he nodded and he held up one hand, palm open. “Scout's honor, yo. I won't lay a finger on ya. I just like to see a pretty woman in a nice outfit, once in a while.”

 

Tifa sensed that there was some hidden motive behind his counter-offer but she couldn't see what it was. She shrugged. “How can you be sure the clothes you want me to wear will fit me?”

 

“The tailor already has your measurements, right?” His eyes started to roam and he blinked and yanked them back up, almost making her smile. “I'll just tell her what I've got in mind and she can make it to fit ya just right.”

 

“And I'll get to see it before I decide whether to put it on or not?”

 

“Sure thing, babe.” Reno shrugged.

 

Tifa sighed. She supposed it was reasonable enough. “You have a deal.”

 

~*********************************~

 

-To be continued