Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Ashen Skies ❯ Chapter 29

Ashen Skies"

Chapter 29

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Warnings: Yaoi (graphic-end of chapter)

 

Author's note: I don't know why I like to pick on poor Cloud so much. Thank you everyone for the feedback.

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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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On Wednesday, Tifa invited Cloud over to have lunch with her and Reno. After the meal, she and Cloud stood outside the house she shared with her boyfriend and they chatted about recent events.

 

"It's a shame that Sephiroth didn't come for lunch too," Tifa said. "I know he isn't a very social person but I hope he doesn't think he isn't welcome."

 

"It isn't that," Cloud assured her. "He just had a lot of troop inspections to do today. He said to give you his regards, actually. Sorry I forgot."

 

She smiled softly. "Do you ever worry about him working too hard?"

 

Cloud shrugged. "Not unless he starts acting stressed out. I can usually tell, because he starts cursing more often and he isn't as patient as usual."

 

Tifa chuckled, trying to picture the General cussing like a sailor. She'd heard him utter a swear word here and there but he somehow made even vulgar words sound dignified. Reno had swearing down to an art—one that he took great pride in. It used to rankle Tifa but she was so accustomed to it by now that she hardly noticed it anymore. In fact, she would think something was wrong with him if he stopped using slang and curse words.

 

"So everything is okay between the two of you?" She pressed. Sephiroth was so reclusive that she rarely saw him except when he was doing his rounds through the city, preparing for a mission or going to headquarters.

 

"Everything is fine," Cloud said with a nod and a little smile. "He...doesn't act the same way when we're alone together as he does in public."

 

"I wouldn't think so." Tifa found it somewhat cute that her friend seemed to be the General's only weakness. Adept at hiding his emotions, Sephiroth could never fully mask his affection for Cloud and he slipped a little more each day.

 

"I'm glad you have one another," Tifa murmured sincerely. "You seem perfectly matched, even though you're very different."

 

Cloud smirked. "That's funny...I think the same way about you and Reno. By the way, how did he get you? You never told me what convinced you to give a guy like that a chance."

 

Tifa shrugged and lowered her gaze, a little embarrassed to admit the truth. "Persistence, mostly. He also left me flowers every day and knock-knock jokes."

 

Cloud's eyebrows went up. "Knock-knock jokes? Really?"

 

"Well, only one," Tifa explained with a fond smile of remembrance. "The other little notes were apologies and persuasion."

 

"So he basically stalked you."

 

Tifa looked at Cloud with surprise. She had similar thoughts of his methods, at first. "I suppose you could think of it that way. Really though, he kept his distance from me until I was ready to let him closer. It might be hard to believe, but he can be a gentleman when he wants to be."

 

Cloud shrugged. "If you say so. As long as he makes you happy, I guess I can't complain." The Turk in question was inside having a shower. Why he waited until mid-day to do so was a mystery to Cloud, but then Reno was eccentric.

 

"Oh look," Tifa said with a nod at something behind Cloud, "Mr. Tuesti is coming our way. It looks like he wants something."

 

Cloud turned around and saw Reeve walking the path on their block. He moved with purpose and he was looking at them as he drew closer. Cloud waved at him and the older man smiled in a friendly manner.

 

"Good afternoon," Reeve greeted as he came to a stop outside the house. "I'm lucky you're both here. I was going to knock on your door after I spoke with Tifa, Cloud."

 

"Er...all right. Is something wrong?" Cloud regarded the engineer curiously.

 

"Not at all," Reeve assured. "I suppose I'll get straight to the point. I need a pair of guinea pigs."

 

Cloud and Tifa looked at one another. "Guinea pigs?" They repeated in unison.

 

"That's right." Reeve nodded. "I had some spare parts to play with and I came up with some combat gear that might be of interest to Miss Lockheart. Our troops are trained at unarmed combat, of course, but I've heard that she's the person to speak to, if I want someone who's mastered the art."

 

Cloud grinned at Tifa. "You heard right," he confirmed with pride.

 

Tifa flushed with pleasure. "So this is martial gear you've made?"

 

Reeve nodded. "It's still in a testing phase but I can only get so far trying it myself. If I want to see how it truly measures up, I need someone with your fighting skills to try it out."

 

Flattered, Tifa couldn't bring herself to refuse. "I'd be happy to help."

 

"It's safe, isn't it?" Cloud asked in concern, his brows furrowing.

 

"Of course," Reeve assured him. "The testing will be in a totally controlled environment. Your part in it will be a little more risky, however."

 

Cloud looked at him with suspicious blue eyes. "And what's 'my part' in this?"

 

"You've mastered the sky," Reeve said slyly, "how would you like to find out if you can master the sound barrier, as well?"

 

Cloud's frowned. "Doesn't sound very stable."

 

"The choice was between you and Lieutenant Rhapsodos," explained Reeve. "Genesis is brilliant but he tends to think he knows better than others. I thought you would be more likely to respect my instructions. Commander Hewley is level-headed, but I fear he's too cautious to experiment and the General...well, let's just say I'd rather not approach the man asking him to be my lab rat. Of course, if you'd rather not I can always go to Rhapsodos."

 

It was common knowledge by now that Cloud and Genesis were competitive in flight against one another, though it was generally good-natured. It came as no surprise to Tifa that Reeve's comment wiped away Cloud's reluctance.

 

"I'll do it."

 

"Excellent," Reeve smiled. "If you'll both come with me, I'll take you to the testing area."

 

"Wait," Tifa stalled, "let me tell Reno where we're going, first. We were going to have a game of darts and it would be rude to walk out on him without an explanation."

 

"Of course," Reeve answered amicably. He and Cloud waited while Tifa went into the house to inform her boyfriend of where they were going.

 

"Reno," Tifa called out as she shut the door behind her.

 

"Yeah babe?" His voice floated through the door of the bathroom.

 

"Cloud and I are going with Mr. Tuesti to be his guinea pigs. I'll be back later, okay?"

 

The bathroom door opened abruptly and Reno came out, clutching a towel around his waist. His cinnamon hair was damp and it straggled down his back in wet tendrils. "What?"

 

She scanned him covertly with admiring eyes, enjoying the sight of his barely concealed nudity. "I said I'm going with Cloud and Mr. Tuesti. He needs us to test some things for him."

 

Reno looked like he was about to protest but the stubborn expression on her face evidently made him think better of it. "Shit. Well, I'm not gonna to try and stop ya but I'll be damned if I'm not going with you. Give me a minute to put some threads on."

 

"You don't need to come," Tifa argued.

 

"Like hell I don't," countered the Turk. He gave her a crooked smile. "Look, I respect Reeve's smarts but sometimes the man's gadgets screw up. Think I'm gonna sit at home while my girl puts one of them through a test run?"

 

Tifa couldn't really argue with that, so she merely smiled tolerantly. If their situations were reversed, she imagined she'd want to be there too.

 

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

 

Reeve took them to the research building and led them into the basement, where his workshop was located. To their surprise, he opened up a security door against the back wall and bade them to follow him down an arching, crystalline staircase into the cavernous underground shelter, beneath the city.

 

"Some of my work requires more testing space," Reeve explained as they followed him down the staircase. "That's one of the reasons I insisted on this particular building when we were organizing what would go where. Only this house and the headquarters building have access to the underground caverns. We keep it secured against civilian access."

 

"But what if we need to use the underground for shelter?" Tifa questioned as she looked around.

 

The cavern was enormous and while she had known it was here, she didn't realize it was the size of the entire city above. There was even a lake and the water seemed to be lit from within, casting the cavern in soft, glowing light. There was some kind of reflective mineral smattered through the walls and ceiling that magnified the light and made the rocky surfaces glitter. It was eerily beautiful and Tifa glanced at Cloud and Reno to see appreciative expressions on their faces, too. There were small shell buildings along the bank of the lake, hinting that the Cetra once used the cavern for shelter as well.

 

"We're prepared to allow access for the colonists if there's ever a need," Reeve assured her. He had a flashlight but there really wasn't a need for it. "The buildings on the south side of the banks are stocked with preserved food rations and medical supplies, in case of emergency. Until then, I conduct some of my more complex work down here. It prevents the risk of curious civilians sticking their noses in where they don't belong and subsequently getting said noses blown off."

 

They reached the bottom of the staircase and Tifa looked across the distance to see a sister staircase, hundreds of yards away. She guessed it led up to the headquarters building. "This place could house several families, if the population grows enough to need more living space."

 

Reeve nodded and gave her a brief smile. "Indeed. It's ingenious, really. Rather than expand their city further into the wilderness, the Cetra took advantage of this hidden world beneath it." He sighed regretfully and shook his head. "They must have been thriving, before the disaster wiped so many of them out. So much was lost with the passing of the Ancients."

 

Tifa felt her throat tighten in reaction to the sadness and nostalgia in Reeve's voice. It was a shame, what happened to that mysterious race of people. She felt like an intruder suddenly and she began to contemplate asking if they could conduct the testing in the forest, rather than down here. From the corner of her eye, she saw Cloud's lips curve into a barely perceptible, secretive smile and she wondered what provoked it. How could he smile like that, when faced with the evidence of how many Cetra once lived here? She knew him better than to think he was being callous or disrespectful so she didn't comment on the brief smirk, but she did make a mental note of it.

 

"Is this where Lieutenant Fair found Aerith?" Tifa asked as she fell into step beside Reeve. Aerith told her that she had tried to hide down here when she heard the search team's helicopters but Zack and Genesis managed to track her anyhow.

 

"That's the way I understand it," Reeve confirmed with a nod. "The poor girl was hiding in one of these buildings. Apparently she'd been living here all alone, since the death of her mother." The older man frowned suddenly and Tifa thought she saw suspicion in his expression. "It was very lucky for her that her mother found this place."

 

Tifa mimicked his frown unconsciously. Yes, it was lucky that Aerith and her mother found the Forgotten City. She didn't understand what prompted them to live here alone for so long, however. Why not live with other people in a populated community? It was really no wonder Aerith was so different from other people. The solitude must have surely had a negative impact on her development to adulthood.

 

They approached one of the larger buildings and Tifa noticed that there was light coming from the windows. A shadow of movement blocked out the light temporarily and she guessed that someone was inside. Reeve approached the door and opened it, motioning them to follow him inside. The interior of the house had been cleared out and replaced with storage crates, tables and lab equipment. One of the tables had all manner of odd gadgets and tools resting on its surface and another had various bits and pieces from WEAPONS on it, cleaned and polished.

 

Vincent was studying what appeared to be an arm from a bronze Alpha when they walked in and he looked up from the object to gaze at them with unreadable crimson eyes. "So, you convinced them."

 

"I won't say 'I told you so'," Reeve answered with a smirk.

 

Vincent's gaze settled on Cloud and Tifa. "You do realize there are risks in working with this man?"

 

"Hey," Reeve chuckled, "have a little faith in me, Vincent. I wouldn't put my friends at risk."

 

Vincent's pale lips quirked. "So you say. Your love affair with mechanics sometimes fogs your reason, however."

 

Reeve rolled his eyes and cast a dry look at Tifa and the others. "He's very supportive of my work, as you can see."

 

Tifa hid a smile behind her hand. She had come to know the engineer and the gunman well enough to understand that Vincent was mostly teasing, in his subtle way. "I can tell."

 

"So what kind of tests are you putting Blondie and my girl through, Tuesti?" Reno looked around with curiosity and veiled mistrust. "Ya never told us."

 

"Ah, that's going to require some space," Reeve answered. "Vincent, is model five ready?"

 

Vincent nodded behind the high collar of his cape. "It's in the back room. I'll wheel it out while you get the crate with the equipment."

 

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

 

"Yo, I don't know about this, man," Reno said nervously as Vincent rolled the dolly to a stop. Strapped to the contraption was an Alpha WEAPON, reassembled using parts gleaned from vanquished enemies. It was white in coloring, suggesting that it was constructed of Alphas killed in the Modeoheim territory. Apparently, Reeve intended to use it as a practice dummy of sorts.

 

Reeve dragged a second dolly carrying a crate and he set it upright before glancing at Reno. "You've got nothing to worry about. It's completely harmless." He unlocked the crate and opened it. "Tifa, you're first, my dear."

 

Tifa approached and looked into the crate as Reeve pushed aside insulating pads of cloth. She blinked as the material was pulled aside to reveal a pair of chitinous boots and what appeared to be gloves.

 

"I took the liberty of getting both your shoe sizes from the tailors," Reeve explained as he lifted the items out of the crate. He set the boots on the ground and held the gloves out to Tifa. "I couldn't be sure of the size of your hands, however. I can make adjustments to these later, if they're a poor fit."

 

"So you've been planning this for a while?" Tifa guessed as she gingerly took the objects from him. They appeared to be composed of spare Alpha parts and they were more like gauntlets than gloves. They were white and the fingers were segmented at the joints. Despite their bulky appearance, they were surprisingly light and there were slits in the top of them, beneath the knuckles.

 

Reeve shrugged. "I had spare materials to work with. As I said, I could have designed them for one of the troopers but I've seen you practicing your martial arts and it occurred to me that you would make better use of them. Go ahead, try them on."

 

"I don't know if I want to wear something made from WEAPON corpses," Tifa murmured with a frown, still holding the gauntlets as if they might come to life and strangle her.

 

Reeve sighed and gave her leather halter-top a meaningful look. "You're wearing material made from dead animals, but you won't try something made from a creature intent on killing us off?"

 

Tifa blushed, feeling a little foolish. "I guess you have a good point," she grumbled.

 

Deciding it would be easier to put the boots on before the gloves, she sat down on the cool, gritty floor of the cavern and unlaced her leather boots. She took them off and left her socks on as she slipped her feet into Reeve's constructed boots, one at a time. She noticed a slit in the toe of each boot and there were fastenings to secure them, rather than laces. To her surprise, they were cushioned well and they felt pretty good on her feet. She wiggled her toes inside of them before standing up again with Reno's help.

 

"Not bad," Tifa announced. She rocked on her heels experimentally and walked a small circle. "Maybe you should go into the shoe-making business, Mr. Tuesti."

 

Reeve chuckled. "I don't think the average customer would appreciate the features of my line of footwear. Try pressing down hard with your heels."

 

Tifa did as he asked, bouncing a little to lend the force of weight to her motion. She felt something click inside the boot and suddenly a sharp, curved spike extended from the slit of each boot. Tifa gasped and Reno's eyebrows shot up. The spikes looked like single, thick claws.

 

"Nice," Cloud complimented in an impressed tone.

 

Tifa grinned without even realizing it and she lifted her right foot and tilted it, studying the boot with interest. The extendable claws could do serious rending damage to an opponent with the right sort of kick. She picked up the gauntlets and slipped them on one at a time. There were fastenings at the base around the wrists and she snapped them shut.

 

"How do they feel?" Reeve asked.

 

Tifa nodded and experimentally wiggled her fingers. "A little loose, but they're secure enough around my wrists to make up for that." She clenched her left hand into a fist and she yelped a little in surprise when claws like the ones in her boots popped out of the slits in the top of the gauntlet. They were just long enough to extend a couple of inches past her knuckles.

 

Reeve grinned at her as Tifa admired the sharp, shiny talons. "I take it by the look on your face that you approve, Miss. Lockheart?"

 

Tifa nodded. "It has potential."

 

"Then let's move on to the real test, shall we?" Reeve nodded at Vincent and the gunman unfastened the straps securing the Alpha "dummy" to the dolly. Vincent stepped back when he finished and Reeve took a remote out of his blazer pocket. The engineer pushed a button and a green light blinked on the tip of the remote.

 

"Uh, Reeve?" Cloud said uncomfortably as the Alpha's darkened eyes lit up with a blue glow. The creature began to move, straightening up and stepping away from the dolly.

 

"Don't worry," assured Reeve, glancing from the remote to the Alpha. "It's not sentient. I'm controlling it and it isn't armed. Let's see how you fair against it, Miss Lockheart."

 

Tifa didn't get a chance to answer before one of the Alpha's arms swung out at her. She cursed in her home tongue and dodged the blow. Cloud and Reno both started forward to help but she waved them away.

 

"I've got this," Tifa insisted.

 

Her heart pounded and her adrenaline pumped as the Alpha tried to tackle her. She rolled aside and when she came to her feet again, she aimed a half-circle kick at its midsection. Her boot struck hard and the spike in the end of it cut a gash in the creature's side. The creature opened its left hand and a panel opened in the palm of it. Tifa instinctively dodged, even though there was no ammunition for her opponent to fire at her. It followed up with a kick that clipped her on the hip, just hard enough to make her stagger and wince.

 

"Reeve, cool it," Reno muttered.

 

"I'm fine," Tifa assured him. She didn't want Reeve to "cool it". Sparring with a handicapped opponent was no way to test her abilities.

 

"The lady calls the shots," Reeve said. "When Tifa's had enough, she'll tell me."

 

Tifa appreciated Reeve's trust in her judgment. She understood why Cloud and Reno looked so nervous but they both needed to curb their protective instincts. They always said they respected her skills but when it came down to a fight, they obviously had trouble maintaining that respect.

 

She scored another kick in her opponent's thigh and followed it up with a punch in the chest. Tifa avoided another retaliatory hit and she jumped up, twisting her body to deliver a spinning kick in the Alpha's head. She heard Reno whistle and she grinned, allowing herself a moment of pride. It didn't last for long because the Alpha caught her around the neck with its arm. Tifa acted on instinct, knowing that she could never flip such a large opponent. Instead, she grabbed hold of the restraining arm with both hands to give herself leverage and she swung her legs out and up, kicking the Alpha in the face as it looked down at her. The blow loosened its hold on her and Tifa slipped out of its grasp and rolled away.

 

"Good move, Tifa," Cloud called.

 

She spared him a little smile before engaging her opponent again. The boot and gauntlet set not only allowed her to do shredding damage to the Alpha, it enhanced her strikes and enabled her to hit much harder than average. She had to hand it to Reeve; using the WEAPONS' own biology against them was a stroke of genius.

 

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

 

"Are you timing her?" Cloud asked with a frown as he noticed Reeve glancing down at his watch. It was hard to tear his eyes off the sight of his old friend battling the remote controlled Alpha, but he had to trust Tifa's abilities and Reeve's common sense. So far, Tifa had only taken a couple of minor hits and the Alpha had several gashes in various places.

 

Reeve nodded absently, switching his attention between the fight and his watch consistantly. "I need to know how fast she can take it out on her own. Of course, my dummy isn't as strong or quick as a live Alpha but for evaluation purposes, this will do."

 

"I don't think a lot of troops are going to be willing to trade off their guns for hand-to-hand combat," Cloud pointed out. The set was impressive but unarmed combat wasn't a specialty in the military.

 

"I'm aware of that," Reeve answered. "That's why I had your friend in mind when I designed them."

 

Cloud didn't like the sound of that one bit, but he was distracted by Tifa's challenging yell. He looked up in time to see her launch another one of those devastating leap-kicks and this time, the spike on her boot cut a gash in the Alpha's throat. The damage was severe enough to make the creature stagger and its head fell back, exposing wires and biomechanical tendons in the wound. There was no blood since the Alpha wasn't alive, but the injury sufficiently crippled it. The Alpha stumbled blindly and Tifa made a sweeping kick at its feet, knocking it onto its back.

 

Reeve pressed a button on the remote and the Alpha twitched and lay still. Tifa stood over it, breathing heavily but appearing unshaken by the fight. The engineer put his remote away and clapped his hands in applause.

 

"You killed my toy," Reeve said with a grin. "Faster than I expected, in fact. Well done."

 

Tifa smiled and walked away from the vanquished Alpha. She lifted her right hand and flexed her fingers, retracting and extending the spikes on the gauntlet with interest. "I could get used to this," she admitted. She sighed and removed the gauntlets, prepared to give them back to Reeve.

 

"No, those are yours now," Reeve informed her. "I've got no use for them and you'll do a lot more damage in the field if you use them."

 

Cloud stared at Reeve and so did Tifa and Reno. "What are you talking about?"

 

"Tifa's fighting skills," answered the engineer calmly. "I think it's about time we take advantage of them...that is, with her kind permission, of course."

 

Tifa's eyes lit up. "Really? You'll let me fight with the strike teams?"

 

Reeve shrugged. "If you think you'd be willing to learn how to use the missile launchers and materia, certainly. Against the large WEAPONS you would be fighting from a distance with the other ranged attackers, but against the Alphas, you'd make an outstanding melee combatant."

 

"Now, wait just a minute," Cloud said.

 

At the same time, Reno blurted: "Hold it, man."

 

Cloud took a step back and so did Reno as the small, curvy brunette advanced on them with fire in her eyes. "Tifa," Cloud protested, "it's really, really dangerous out there. I just don't want to see you get hurt!"

 

"And you think I'm in love with the idea of the two of you fighting out there, risking your lives?" Tifa countered. "I'm just as capable of fighting as the women who go out with your teams and I've been very patient about staying behind while you all fight to protect us. If you really respect me, you won't try to hold me back."

 

"It ain't that we don't respect you," Reno sputtered, "it's just...you've never been in on these fights before, babe. No experience."

 

"Yeah, that's right," Cloud agreed with a nod.

 

"The two of you never had experience either, the first time you went out on a strike," Reeve reminded Cloud. "Everyone starts somewhere."

 

"Thank you, Reeve," Tifa said. Her intense gaze continued to shift back and forth between Cloud and Reno. "I'm ready to fight."

 

Knowing how determined Tifa could be when she set her sights on something, Cloud could think of no other arguments. Reno came up with a last protest, but it was a lame one.

 

"I'm not dating any of those other chicks on the strike team."

 

Tifa stopped her advance and slowly smiled at the Turk. "Now you know how I feel, every time you go on a mission. Don't you think you're being hypocritical?"

 

Reno huffed a sigh and scuffed the ground with his shoe. "Guess there's no talking you out of it, huh?"

 

Tifa shook her head. "No. I want to do this." She looked at Cloud searchingly and bit her lip. "Can't you trust me to take care of myself?"

 

Cloud worked his mouth and tried to come up with a protest that wouldn't sound overprotective or sexist. He couldn't. Instead, he looked to Vincent for help. "Don't you have anything to say about this?"

 

The gunman raised a dark brow. "It's none of my business."

 

Cloud heaved a defeated sigh. He should have known better than to expect help from Valentine's quarter. "Fine," he muttered to Tifa. "But if you get blown up or stomped on, don't say I didn't warn you."

 

Tifa grinned and hugged him around the neck. "I'll be fine. You'll see."

 

"There is one catch," Reeve announced.

 

Tifa released Cloud and looked at the engineer expectantly. "Yes?"

 

"It's standard procedure for all female combatants to be tested for pregnancy each week." Reeve gave her an apologetic look. "I know that sounds a bit extreme, but its protocol, to ensure that no pregnancies are put at risk."

 

Tifa shrugged. "I can live with that."

 

"Well, now that we've established that, it's your turn on the table, Lieutenant Strife." Reeve bent over the crate again and dug through it. He pulled out a bronze colored boot that looked somewhat like the ones he designed for Tifa, but bigger. He shook his head and replaced it. "That's one of Genesis' boots."

 

"So you made a pair for him too," reasoned Cloud, temporarily putting aside his concerns about Tifa.

 

"Indeed, I did." Reeve nodded and kept digging. "As I said, I was prepared to approach him if I couldn't get your cooperation. I'm in the process of making a pair for the General and the Commander as well, but I want to see how they go before I continue." He located the boots he was looking for and pulled them out with a satisfied grunt.

 

Cloud studied them curiously as Reeve set the boots on the ground and gestured invitingly to him. They were smaller than the bronze ones, obviously designed specifically for him. They were cobalt blue in coloring. Cloud approached them and began to remove his combat boots.

 

"What exactly are these boots supposed to do for me? I don't have Tifa's kicking skills."

 

"They'll enhance your flight speed," answered Reeve readily. He liberated an item from the crate that looked something like a thick metal bracelet. There were two tiny lights and a button set into it. "They're jet propelled. I learned that the WEAPONS fuel their jets, lasers and plasma attacks with their own blood. That blood is a form of concentrated Mako. I've perfected a means of refining Mako by studying them. It doesn't take much to fuel the boots and it depletes slowly. See the canisters set into the back of the boots?"

 

Cloud picked up one of the boots up and looked. There was a metal cylinder set into the back, just above the heel. "I see it."

 

"They are detachable," explained Reeve. "I've got several of those filled up and stocked. When you run out of fuel, you just remove the empty phial and replace it with another one."

 

Cloud nodded and he turned the boot over in his hands. He could see the exhaust holes on the sole and he grimaced. "Have you tried these out yourself?"

 

Vincent smirked and Reeve cleared his throat. "Er...sort of. 'Try' being the operative word."

 

"I told you to wear a helmet," mumbled Vincent.

 

Reeve flushed. "And in hindsight, I should have listened."

 

Tifa giggled. "So what happened?"

 

"He knocked himself out on the ceiling," Vincent offered succulently, his ruby gaze glancing sidelong at the engineer.

 

Cloud pressed his lips together to fight a chuckle. He could easily picture Reeve Tuesti recklessly activating the jet boots in his own living room and shooting straight up. "You're going to kill yourself one day, if you aren't more careful."

 

"Well, I did manage to hover for a while the second time I tried it," defended Reeve.

 

"And then you dropped like a stone and nearly broke both of your legs," sighed Vincent.

 

Reeve shot an impatient look at the gunman. "Which is why I need someone with wings to test them. That's where you come in, Cloud. You can steer and if these boots work as they should, you and the other winged officers could conceivably out-fly our aircrafts. It would be a great advantage against the opposition."

 

Reno snorted. "Yeah, right. Keep dreaming, yo."

 

Cloud warily put the boots on and stood up. They were bulky but they fit his feet well. Reeve offered him the strange bracelet and Cloud took it, fastening it over his left wrist. "So what's this for?"

 

"That's the remote," explained Reeve. "Notice the flat black switch beneath the button. That's the 'safety' switch that prevents accidental ignition. When you're ready, push the switch to the 'off' position and press the ignition button."

 

"Shouldn't we be doing this outside?" Tifa asked worriedly.

 

"The cavern ceiling is high enough to allow plenty of flying room," Reeve assured her. "I prefer not to give civilians an air show, for now."

 

"Especially if it doesn't work right," Cloud grumbled. He looked up at the cavern ceiling and the stalactites hanging from it. It was at least a hundred feet above them and it seemed reasonably high enough. There was enough open space in the huge cavern to provide room for practice maneuvers, too.

 

Cloud gathered his nerve and let his wings emerge. He stretched them one at a time and flapped them gently to get the circulation going.

 

"It might be easier if you activate the jets after you're in the air," Reeve suggested. "Firing them up from the ground could be awkward."

 

Cloud nodded in agreement and took a deep breath. He spread his wings and leaped into the air, flapping until he was approximately twenty feet off the ground. "Well, here goes," he muttered. He flipped the switch and prepared to push the ignition.

 

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

 

"Oh Cloud," Reeve called, "there are three exhaust settings for the jets. All you have to do is click the button to cycle through them and if something goes wrong, just flip the safety switch back to the 'off' position and it will cut the jets."

 

"Got it," answered Cloud.

 

"This is a disaster waiting to happen, you know." Vincent's soft mumble was meant for Reeve's ears only as the gunman leaned close to him.

 

"The plasma weapons I made and Tifa's fighting gear turned out fine," muttered Reeve back, "what makes you think this will be any different?"

 

"Tifa's fighting gear doesn't propel her through the air like a rocket," countered Vincent, "and the plasma weapons were tested extensively under controlled conditions before you released them for military use."

 

"That's what we're doing now," insisted Reeve. "Testing. How else am I supposed to do it?"

 

Vincent shrugged, offering no further argument.

 

Cloud began to glide slowly before pushing the ignition button. Blue jets of flame sputtered into existence from the soles of his boots and he gave a nervous little whoop as the flare propelled him faster. He quickly balanced his flight and made a wide turn, circling around to head back in his companions' direction.

 

"See?" Reeve murmured with a grin. "It's working just fine."

 

He shouldn't have spoken so soon. Cloud apparently decided to kick up the strength to the third level without getting a feel for it first. Two more jets of flame suddenly joined the single jets and they hissed loudly, at full strength. Cloud abruptly shot through the air with a terrified yell, streaking overhead with alarming speed.

 

"Shiiiit!" The blond's exclamation bounced off the cavern walls and ceiling as he zoomed over his friends' heads.

 

"Cloud, you boosted it too fast," Reeve hollered at him, "Turn it back down to the lowest setting!"

 

"I didn't touch anything!" Cloud yelled. "They did this by themselves!"

 

Reeve swore and ran along the bank of the lake, with Vincent and the others following closely behind. Cloud was wobbling in the air, struggling to control his trajectory. "Flip the safety switch!"

 

Cloud hollered an indecipherable string of curses before answering. "It's not doing anything! They won't turn off!"

 

"Oh, damn," Reeve muttered. He followed up with a shout to Cloud. "Just circle around until we can figure something out, then!"

 

"Cloud," Tifa shouted in alarm, "Look out for that stalactite!"

 

Poor Cloud tried to avoid the looming threat but he was moving too fast to dip low enough. Everyone winced as he plowed into the bottom of it, smashing it in his wake. Amazingly, the collision didn't knock him unconscious. The broken fragments fell into the lake beneath him and he called Reeve a dozen or so vile names. It was difficult to tell if he was injured but he appeared to be keeping his head. He circled around to the deep end of the lake, flying a bit lower to avoid another incident with a stalactite.

 

"What do we do?" Tifa cried as she staggered to a halt next to Reeve and watched her friend helplessly.

 

"I'm working on that," Reeve answered, but in truth the only thing he could think of was to send someone up to the surface to seek out one of the other winged officers for help. He pictured the look on Sephiroth's face and he groaned. The man would kill him for doing this to Cloud, he was sure of it.

 

Reno came up with an idea that might stop Cloud's wild flight and save Reeve's life. "Hey Blondie, aim for the lake! If ya take a dunk in the water it might put out the flames."

 

Cloud seemed to agree with the plan and he made another circle before angling down for a descent. The swearing never ceased and it grew louder as he hit the water and skipped over it like a hurled stone. Reeve muttered a little prayer as the blond produced a wave and the water sprayed over him. He was closing in on the shoreline fast. Cloud submerged and all they could see of him was the crest of water surging around him. His momentum slowed and tapered off as he approached the shore and Reno jumped hastily aside as Cloud emerged from the lake and skidded belly-first in the sand. He came to a halt and he lay there like a beaten rag doll as the exhaust on his boots sputtered and died.

 

Tifa reached his side first and she rolled him onto his back with effort, calling his name anxiously. "Cloud? Speak to me! Are you okay?"

 

Cloud opened his eyes with visible effort and looked up at her dazedly. His right eye was swelling shut, leaving little doubt that he'd have a marvelous shiner from the ordeal. "Take these things off me," he coughed.

 

Tifa obligingly pulled the boots off and helped him sit up. His hair was caked with wet sand and the left side of his face was covered in it. While Tifa retrieved Cloud's regular boots and helped him put them on, Reeve knelt before the blond and looked him over for injuries.

 

"Clearly, the boots need some fine tuning," the engineer said sheepishly. "Anything broken, Cloud?"

 

"No thanks to you," grumbled the blond. He gingerly touched his swelling eye and glared at Reeve.

 

"I'm very sorry for that," apologized Reeve. "The ignition button worked fine this morning. It must have gotten jammed somehow. I'll work on it."

 

"You won't get me to test them again," promised Cloud with a grunt as he got to his feet. "Use Genesis, next time. He likes to live dangerously."

 

"Perhaps you should see a doctor," suggested Vincent softly as Cloud began to limp toward the staircase. Tifa and Reno supported him when he staggered.

 

"I just want to go home," Cloud said in a tone of finality.

 

Reeve picked up the discarded jet boots and sighed, watching Cloud and the others slowly make their way up the stairs. "Sephiroth is going to kill me," he muttered with certainty.

 

"Strife made his own choice," Vincent assured him. "Sephiroth has enough sense to realize that. You should focus on fixing the error so that it doesn't occur again."

 

Reeve nodded in agreement, riddled with guilt and embarrassment.

 

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

 

"Can I talk to you about something for a minute?" Cloud addressed Reno when they made it to his front door.

 

Reno and Tifa looked at each other and she shrugged. "Let me guess...man talk?"

 

Cloud gave her an apologetic little smile. "Sorry. It will only take a couple of minutes."

 

She sighed and gave him a fond, tolerant look before squeezing his hand and kissing Reno on the cheek. "It probably isn't anything I'd want to hear anyhow. I'll see you at the house, Reno."

 

"Sure thing, babe." Reno watched her go and he openly admired the sway of her hips.

 

Cloud cleared his throat politely to get the Turk's attention and he almost smirked when Reno seemed to shake himself out of a daze before meeting his eyes. "Uh, so what did ya want, Strife? If you're gonna lecture me about taking care of Tifa, save it."

 

Cloud blinked, wondering if he was that transparent. "It's something like that, but not in the way you think."

 

Reno cocked his head with interest. "Yeah? What's on your mind, pal?"

 

Cloud hesitated, averting his gaze. "You heard what Reeve said. Women combatants have to be tested for pregnancy to stay on active duty."

 

Reno shrugged. "So?" He reached into his blazer pocket for the container of cigarettes he kept on him.

 

Cloud looked at him and hated himself for what he was about to suggest. "I know you don't want her out there any more than I do. If she gets pregnant, she can't fight."

 

The Turk stared at him, frozen in the action of lighting the cigarette he'd put between his lips. "What the hell are you getting at, Strife?" His words came out as a mumble.

 

"I think you know." Cloud flushed.

 

"Aren't you the guy that keeps warning me not to knock Tifa up without putting a ring on her finger?" Reno looked like he was caught somewhere between amusement and disbelief.

 

Cloud shrugged. "It's different now. She'd be safe."

 

Reno lit his cigarette, put his lighter away and took a deep drag. He looked sidelong at Cloud as he blew the smoke into the air. "Thought ya respected Tifa's fighting skills, man. What's with you all the sudden?"

 

"I do respect her fighting skills," Cloud insisted. "It's just...she's the closest thing to family I've got left. I know it's selfish but I want to keep her as safe as possible."

 

"And you think me putting a bun in her oven is the way to go, eh?" Reno chuckled.

 

"Well, they wouldn't let her fight if you did," Cloud stubbornly reminded him.

 

Reno rolled his eyes. "Maybe you don't wanna hear this but if she hasn't gotten preggers by now with the way I go to town on her, odds are her birth control is pretty damned solid and it ain't going to happen anytime soon by accident."

 

"It could if she took the wrong herbs," Cloud suggested, grimacing. He chose to ignore the comment Reno made about how often he had sex with Tifa. As much as he wanted to punch the man's lights out, Cloud's fears for his childhood friend's safety outweighed chivalry. "You could replace her regular dose with something that looks the same."

 

Reno shook his head and dragged his fingers through his gel-stiffened, vivid hair. "You're a real piece of work, Blondie. I never would have thought ya had it in you to backstab your best friend."

 

"I'm trying to protect her!" Cloud snapped, feeling his stomach twist with guilt. "Don't tell me you're growing a conscience."

 

Reno smirked. "No such luck, kid. I'm just protecting my nuts. If I sabotaged Tifa's birth control and she found out about it, she'd kick me in the balls so hard they'd get lost in my fucking nostrils. Besides, I'm not in a hurry to be a dad and even if I was, I'm pretty sure I'd suck at it. You probably know that all ready, though."

 

Cloud heaved a defeated sigh. Reno's words weren't the most eloquently spoken but there was an undeniable ring of truth to them. Cloud never would have imagined himself stooping to something so low, taking choices away from his dearest friend for no better reason than his selfish need to keep her safe.

 

"I don't know what I was thinking," Cloud admitted shamefully.

 

Reno's blue-green gaze was steady on him and his pale features softened a little. "Ya love her, bird boy. You're just brainstorming for a way to keep her out of trouble and you're not thinking straight. You ain't cut out to be a villain, so why don't ya do yourself a favor and leave the dirty tricks to guys like me, yo. Don't beat yourself up over being scared for your friend."

 

Cloud studied him thoughtfully, finally seeing what might have caught Tifa's interest. Reno saw the world as it was, without romanticizing things. "Do you? Love her, I mean."

 

Reno took another drag from his cigarette and stared at him for a minute. He smirked briefly before answering. "See ya around, Strife."

 

Cloud watched the redhead turn and walk away. The non-answer didn't trouble him as much as he thought it should and it took him a moment to realize why. Reno might be brutally honest about some things but when it came to admitting feelings, he was afraid. With a little sigh and a mental self-scolding, Cloud opened the front door to his house and walked in.

 

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

 

"Hey Tifa, what would you do if I screwed with your birth control to get you pregnant?"

 

Tifa was so taken by surprise by the unexpected question that she went utterly still, hovering petrified over the stove like a statue. "I...beg your pardon?"

 

"Would ya be pissed?" Reno kept peeling the potatoes with casual lack of concern.

 

"I...well, yes! Why are you asking me this?" He was the very last man on Gaia she would expect to do such a thing, given his expressed ambiguity concerning accidental conception.

 

Reno shrugged. "It's no big deal. I just know a guy that told me he was thinking of slipping his wife a placebo and trying to knock her up on the sly. I told him it was a dumb idea and she'd probably kill him. Guess I'm just curious to hear a lady's perspective, yo."

 

"Well I'm glad you discouraged him," Tifa said emphatically. "That's a horrible thing to do to someone. Partners should be honest with each other and if she's not ready, he should respect that."

 

"Yeah, I get that."

 

Tifa gave him a faintly suspicious glance, wondering if there was something more to the subject. He gave her a wink and asked her to pass the pairing knife, appearing completely at ease. Tifa shrugged and smiled softly at him, charmed as usual by the flirty, sidelong wink.

 

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

 

Sephiroth had just finished bathing and he was reclining on the sofa in a pair of sweat pants, reading a book about sea life. His silver hair lay over one shoulder, drying naturally against his chest. He turned to page thirty-four just as the front door opened and Cloud limped into the house. Sephiroth lowered the book and gazed up at his lover with one brow arched questioningly. Cloud's right eye was bruising and swelling shut. His face was filthy and his hair was caked with wet sand. There was a scrape on his chin and he moved gingerly.

 

"Do we have any healing potions or a Cure materia anywhere?" Cloud mumbled absently, making his way to the kitchen without looking at the General.

 

Sephiroth slipped his bookmark between the pages and set the book aside on the coffee table. He got up and followed the blond, catching him by the shoulder and turning him around before he could reach the kitchen.

 

"Did you get into a fist fight?"

 

"Not exactly," Cloud answered. He averted his sapphire eyes and looked rather embarrassed.

 

"Then what exactly happened?" Demanded Sephiroth.

 

"Reeve had a pair of boots he wanted to test," Cloud muttered.

 

"And what did these boots do? Come to life and kick you in the face?" Sephiroth's gaze roved over his lover and his curiosity increased.

 

Cloud managed a soft chuckle and shook his head. "No. They were jet-fueled boots and he needed someone with wings to try them out." He proceeded to explain what happened and Sephiroth sighed when he finished.

 

"In the future, you should avoid testing fresh inventions for that man," advised Sephiroth. He walked into the kitchen and opened one of the cupboards, searching the top shelf until he found a healing potion. "Tuesti is the most talented engineer I've ever seen, but he has a tendency to slack off on safety measures when he feels he's on a role. Here, drink this."

 

Cloud took the potion and pulled the stopper without comment. He drank it down and wiped his mouth off with a sigh before setting the empty flask on the counter. "Guess I should have known better."

 

Sephiroth smirked subtly at him. "There's nothing wrong with exploring new ideas. Just don't be so quick to trust Reeve's until you know he's done more than preliminary testing."

 

"Well, he said he tried out the boots himself first," Cloud defended. His bruises were visibly fading and the swelling was going down over his eye. "Vincent said that he knocked himself out on the ceiling."

 

Sephiroth snorted and shook his head. "That should have been your first warning sign."

 

Cloud shrugged. "I was curious," he admitted.

 

Well, there was no help for it now. What was done was done and though the potion healed his injuries, Cloud was filthy. Sephiroth was annoyed with Reeve for using his lover as a lab rat, but at the same time he was amused with Cloud. For some reason the blond managed to be endearing even when miserable.

 

"You should have a hot bath," suggested Sephiroth. "We'll decide what to have for dinner afterwards."

 

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

 

After Cloud got cleaned up and changed into a pair of boxers, they baked a couple of potatoes and pan-cooked some sausages but they never made it through the meal. Cloud managed to give Sephiroth one of those blue-eyed glances of quiet adoration while he was bringing a bite of food to his lips and the General found it uncommonly sensual. Sephiroth tried to curb his lusty reaction to the glance but Cloud innocently licked at a drop of juice that dribbled from the sausage on his fork. The sight of the pink tongue flicking out to capture the drop made Sephiroth swell in his pants. Without ceremony, the silver warrior put his fork down, stood up and circled around the dining table.

 

Cloud looked up at him curiously, pausing with his mouth open and the fork hovering at his lips. "Everything okay?"

 

"Are you especially hungry, Cloud?" Sephiroth's desire for him was sharp but he wasn't going to be a beast and demand satisfaction at Cloud's expense.

 

Cloud considered the food he was about to put in his mouth and then glanced sidelong at obvious tent in the crotch of Sephiroth's black sweat pants. He set the fork down and shook his head. "I can finish later."

 

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

 

Some time later, Cloud's boxers were lying forgotten on the floor on top of Sephiroth's sweatpants. The blond was straddling his lover's thighs, with his back to him. Sephiroth's swollen length was deep inside of him and the General's mouth was close to his right ear, murmuring encouragement as Cloud shifted restlessly. They had never tried this position before and the penetration was quite intense. Cloud moaned unevenly and rocked with experimental care. Sephiroth embraced him around the waist and smoothly rolled his hips, pumping slowly forward and back within the blond.

 

"Good," Sephiroth approved huskily as Cloud adjusted to the position and undulated with greater confidence. He dragged a hand down and gripped the smaller man's erect cock, stroking the shaft with patient care.

 

Cloud gasped his companion's name and lost his rhythm for a moment, distracted by the additional pleasure of being fondled. Sephiroth's breath was hot against his ear and the thrusting length of his arousal massaged him inside fantastically. Cloud was taken aback when Sephiroth suddenly began to lean back against the headboard, pulling him with him. He resisted instinctively at first when Sephiroth paused his fondling to slide his hands under Cloud's knees.

 

"Relax," instructed Sephiroth.

 

He urged Cloud to move out of his straddling position, guiding his legs and assisting his motions. The blond gasped sharply as his lover eased him into a sitting position that drove Sephiroth's length in deep. Confused, Cloud let the other man guide him and he ended up leaning back against his chest. Sephiroth gripped Cloud's legs under the knees and he pulled them up toward the blond's chest and held them apart. It wasn't the most dignified position and Cloud flushed, imagining how lewd he must look. His thoughts were blown away a second later as Sephiroth started pumping his hips with shallow, rapid motions.

 

"Oh...ohh god...S-Sephiroth," Cloud whimpered.

 

His vision blurred and his flush of embarrassment became a flush of passion. Though Sephiroth wasn't thrusting hard, the position put all of Cloud's weight down on him and the angle caused his shaft to press firmly against his most sensitive area. Sephiroth hooked his arms under Cloud's knees for a firmer grip and he groaned breathlessly in his ear, leaving little doubt that the position was as delightful to him as it was to the blond. Cloud turned his head, craning his neck awkwardly as he sought out a kiss from those parted, velvety lips. Sephiroth obliged him and their tongues caressed fervently.

 

Sephiroth began to thrust deeper and harder, making Cloud's breath catch. Sephiroth's lips stifled his moans and Cloud squirmed restlessly, wanting to join the thrusting motions of his lover's hips. The restraint and position didn't allow him to do more than wriggle and he whimpered. He felt Sephiroth's mouth curve into a smile against his lips and the General broke the kiss and looked at him with smoky green eyes.

 

"Frustrated, Cloud?" His voice was seductive and husky with pleasure.

 

Cloud couldn't think of a way to answer that and the taller man's thrusting forced moans from his lips anyhow. He gave Sephiroth a strained look and wet his lips with his tongue. His erection was bumping against his lower abdomen from the motions and Cloud reached down to grasp it desperately. Syrupy beads of precum were steadily leaking from the tip and he slicked his fingers over them before slowly stroking himself. Sephiroth growled softly in response to the sight of him doing it and Cloud's lips curved into a tremulous little smile. He wasn't doing it to put on a show, but it made him happy knowing that it turned Sephiroth on when he touched himself.

 

Sephiroth kept his rhythm steady and his skin was hot against Cloud's as he shifted and pumped beneath him. Cloud panted heavily, feeling a warning pressure in his pelvis and groin. He stroked himself faster and groaned Sephiroth's name desperately, wriggling in the General's lap as best he could. Sephiroth rewarded him with a sharp thrust that made his breath hitch and caused his back to arch. Cloud leaned back against his lover, resting the back of his head on his shoulder. He turned his head and kissed Sephiroth's neck as a strained moan arose in his throat.

 

"Think I'm...coming," Cloud grunted.

 

It was rather an understatement. He was sure he was coming and almost as soon as the words left his mouth, he grunted and tensed. The uneven spurt of his cum left a creamy trail of white droplets and splatters on his torso. His eyes fluttered shut and he gasped Sephiroth's name, relaxing against him as the orgasm ran its course and faded. He released his sated genitals and put his hands on Sephiroth's straining thighs, stroking them and moaning softly as the General continued to pump. A few minutes later, Sephiroth groaned roughly and pushed deep into Cloud, bowing his head over the blond's shoulder. He pulsed inside of him and his muscles strained with the climax. Cloud murmured his appreciation breathlessly and smiled, relaxing against his lover.

 

"We've got to do that one more often," Cloud announced, referring to the position.

 

"You enjoyed that, did you?" Sephiroth was winded but he still managed to sound elegant and controlled.

 

Cloud smirked and buried his face against Sephiroth's neck. "Just a little."

 

His earlier attack of stupidity and moral plummeting was forgotten in the bliss of the afterglow. He made a silent promise to himself never to consider using subterfuge against Tifa again and he focused on enjoying Sephiroth's presence.

 

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

 

-To be continued