Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Price for a Memory ❯ Recovery and the Hair Cut! ( Chapter 20 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

20.

Cloud glanced up to see Sephiroth standing, arms folded, leaning against the door frame.

Question answered, he was in Sephiroth’s room.

Wait….that can’t be right.

“How do you feel Cloud?”

“I don’t know. What happened to me?”

“I wish I knew Cloud. It was like you were possessed by something….or should I say someone. I think we both knew who it was.”

Cloud ducked his head slightly and nodded very slowly.

“Why?”

Sephiroth pondered this question.

“Why indeed? I think that maybe what you said to me is true. I die so you can live. If I was not here….maybe Hojo wouldn’t be here either. I’m the only reason he sticks around….so he can continue experimenting on me.”

Sephiroth paused. Cloud’s eyes were shut tight. Still, he continued nonetheless.

“I think that if I wasn’t here….you wouldn’t be here in ShinRa so you would be in no danger.”

“Don’t talk like that Sephiroth. I’m glad I came here. I’m glad I met you….and Zack of course.”

“Even though the ghost or spirit or poltergeist of your dead ‘father’ tries to take over your mind and make you try to kill me? Even though a mad scientist will want his hands on you if he ever finds out you have the same….gift as I?”

Sephiroth watched in stunned silence as the blond nodded.

“Ummmmm, Sephiroth? How do I get rid of this?”

Sephiroth smiled as the youth pointed at his midnight black wing.

“I can show you how. It’s quite easy once you get the hang of it.”

“Can’t I just break it off?”

Sephiroth said nothing but shook his head while still smiling warmly at the young Cadet. How he wished he could tell him about their heated kisses and touches.

Cloud cautiously slid out of the oh so comfy bed, wincing as his bare feet hit the cold wooden floor.

Sephiroth moved to stand in front of the tiny blond male. He placed his hands on Cloud’s bare shoulders and jolted his body slightly so Cloud would lock eyes with him.

“Ok, now, I know you are shattered and sore but you have to try your best here. What I want you to do is find the source of your energy. Close your eyes, concentrate, relax and feel for your centre of energy.”

He watched Cloud do exactly as he instructed.

“Once you have found that, push it down with all your might. Push it down. There. Can you feel your wing move?”

Cloud nodded ever so slightly. His eyebrows ruffled, nose scrunched as he found his centre.

“Push it down.”

Cloud almost cried out when his wing started moving. It hurt just as much going back inside his shoulder as it did tearing it to pieces on the way out.

Sephiroth watched the expression on the boys face. The way his teeth gritted. The sounds he made in pain. He couldn’t help but wonder….he couldn’t help but imagine Cloud making those faces for him. Making those noises for him.

The sharp gasp from the blond as his wing finally vanished really boiled Sephiroth’s blood. It was the kind of sharp, short, cry out a male makes when they orgasm.

Sephiroth felt very hot all of a sudden. He pulled his hands from Cloud’s shoulders and fought the urge to throw the youth across the room and back onto the bed so he could ravage him hard and fast.

Biting his bottom lip, he stared at Cloud as he caught his breath and finally opened his bluey/green orbs.

“I-I did it.”

“Well done. I don’t know how many times it took me to get that damn thing to go down.”

Sephiroth sniggered inside at the innuendo placed in his small statement.

“What exactly happened to me Sephiroth?”

“All I know is, one minute I was on my own in the lab. Next thing I know, you crept up behind me and tried to kill me. How you managed to get down there undetected, and how you managed to handle a Buster Sword is beyond me.”

“I handled….Zack’s sword?”

Sephiroth grimaced inside before he shook his head and pointed over to the far wall. He had removed the sword from the lab when he grabbed Cloud and ran. It perched beside Masamune. Both sitting comfortably together.

“That is not Zack’s sword. I have no idea where you got it from. It looks very like his, but the blade and also the hilt of your one is much less damaged. It weighs a tonne. I’m surprised you didn’t snap from the weight of it.”

“I don’t know what to say Sephiroth. I guess all I can say is….sorry.”

“That’s ok. So….you remember nothing about what happened?”

“Nothing. I just remember throwing you off me screaming in pain….wait….why were you….on top of me?”

“I had to….restrain you or you could have done yourself some serious damage.”

Cloud silenced himself. He had a sneaking suspicion something else happened. His lips felt a bit bruised and tender. He didn’t want to pry.

Instead, he wandered over to the edge of the bed and sat himself down. Finding his boots resting on the floor near him, he grabbed them and pulled them on.

“Cloud?”

“Huh?”

R 20;I was wondering if I….if I could….I would like to train you personally. I believe we don’t have much time left. I think it would benefit you if we trained together.”

Cloud seemed to think long and hard about Sephiroth’s request. Did he really want to be training every day with the man he had made an assassination attempt on? However, on the plus side, he would be able to see much more of him and really show him what he could do in battle. At last, maybe he would be able to stand beside Sephiroth as an equal, despite all the goings on around them.

Nodding his head, Cloud gave his almost whispered reply. “That would be great Sephiroth. I would love to train with you.”

“After all, I said I would have my eye on you Cadet.”

Cloud smiled upon remembering his first day where Sephiroth said those very words. His eyes widened slightly as finger tips brushed over his own. He hadn’t even noticed Sephiroth sitting down beside him.

Did Sephiroth just try and take his hand?

He glanced down at his hand on the bed spread and smiled, blushing pink cheeks. Sephiroth’s finger tips rested atop Cloud’s fingernails.

“Cloud?”

Cloud looked up to see Sephiroth leaning in. Not able to do anything else, Cloud let himself lean in too.

Lips touched ever so slightly.

“I will always have my eye on you….Cloud.” Sephiroth whispered onto Cloud’s lips.

“SEPH! YOU IN THERE?!”

Sephiroth screamed mentally. “Fuck!”

He silently cursed as he pulled away from Cloud, removed his fingers from the blond’s and made his way over to the locked door.

Cloud looked round, still blushing as the door flew open to reveal a very panicked looking raven haired male.

“Have you seen Cl….”

“Hi Zack.”

Zack shot past Sephiroth and landed at Cloud’s side on the bed.

“What happened to you? I woke up and you were missing!”

“I-I was sleep walking. Sephiroth found me slumped at the bottom of a flight of stairs and brought me up here.”

Sephiroth mentally praised Cloud for his quick thinking. He didn’t want Zack to know that Cloud had tried to kill him hours before.

Zack pondered Cloud’s explanation, taking it all in before he beamed brightly and thumped a hand atop Cloud’s shoulder. Cloud’s sore shoulder.

Said blond couldn’t stop the small grimace and hiss.

“Careful Zack. He hurt himself when he fell down those steps.”

“Sorry Cloud.”

Sephiroth stood back at the now closed door and watched his two friends interact with each other. Zack was blatantly flirting with the boy. A huge part of Sephiroth seemed to notice how the boy enjoyed being flirted with. He even caught Cloud flirt back slightly with a glance, touch or smile.

He twanged green with jealousy. However, it had been him that had kissed the blond earlier that night. It had been him who almost kissed him again there. It had been him and not Zack.

“Oh Seph?”

“It’s Sephiroth, Zack. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Cloud and myself need to get back now. Training starts in about four hours. I’m sure Spiky wants to get some beauty sleep before I pound him into the ground huh?”

Sephiroth wanted to cut in that it would be him to ‘pound’ Cloud into the ground first, but bit his tongue and smiled.

“Sure. However, due to recent circumstances, tomorrow will be Cloud’s last day of training with the Cadet’s. From now on. I will be instructing him….personally.”

Palpable silence filled the room as Zack stood in utter silence. After what seemed like centuries, he finally found his voice.

“Th-that ok with you Spiky?”

“Uh huh. He asked me just before you came in.”

“Ok then….as long as I can join in sometime!”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes and pointed to the door. “Bugger off!”

Sephiroth smiled at Cloud as he left just behind Zack. His fingers lightly touched Cloud’s elbow as he left the room.

He was sure he saw the youth blush and smile almost impishly back.

Closing the door and locking it tight, Sephiroth wandered back over to his bed and plopped himself down, just where Cloud had been seconds ago.

Lying face down on the pillow Cloud’s head had rested on, he could just about smell the youth on it.

Groaning into the pillow, Sephiroth felt like pulling his hair out. He wanted Cloud, oh so badly. However, time and patience were not on his side.

“Damn boy!”

------

Cloud stood in formation the next morning. Standing to attention was murder, especially if one only had a couple of hours sleep the night before while trying not to dream about a certain silver haired General. Not to mention that every time he moved, his back ached immensely.

Cloud just thanked the Gods that Sephiroth had cleaned the bloody wound. That would have definitely brought much unwanted attention if he had not.

The first part of training was one in which Cloud despised. Running countless numbers of times around the training grounds in blistering heat was just superb, Cloud often thought to himself. Totally sarcastically of course.

“Spiky! Wait up.”

Oh hell, this was all he needed. Another earful from Reno. That guy hardly ever shut up.

“What’s up? You ok? You’re hobbling a bit there!”

“I’m fine. Just a bit of back ache. Nothing serious.”

“Where’d you get to last night. Rumour has it that Zack was searchin’ everywhere for you.”

“I was sleep walking. Why?”

“Nothin’, just wondering.”

Cloud glanced over at Reno as he almost struggled to keep up. How he was still training, hell, how he was even still here was still beyond the blond.

“Cloud?”

“Huh? What is it?”

“Whatcha think of the General?”

Cloud mentally winced at the red heads bold question.

“U-umm, I don’t know. He’s ok I guess.”

“Heard he’s gonna be training you personally.”

How on Gaia did Reno know that? Sephiroth had not told anyone. He had not told anyone. Zack had not told anyone….at least Cloud hoped he hadn’t.

“You’ve heard about the boys the General had previously ‘personally’ trained haven’t you?”

Cloud dumbly shook his head at the sweating red head beside him.

“They say he doesn’t train them in the way we think. Supposedly he uses them as some sort of kinky sex slaves!”

“Don’t talk crap! Seph….I mean the General isn’t like that!”

“Hah! He’s like the biggest male whore in ShinRa. Zack’s even had him on a few occasions.”

Cloud was tired of listening to the gossiping Reno. Speeding up his pace despite the heat of the sweltering sun, he shot ahead of the red head, leaving him sniggering to himself.

“Have fun Cloud….”

------

Zack paced about Sephiroth’s office. Impatient, anxious and generally quite pissed off.

“What did you do to him last night?”

“Zack, I did nothing. Personally I don’t see how it concerns you.”

“It does concern me Sephiroth. Cloud….he is….he is one of my best Cadet’s. I-I don’t wanna see him hurt….in any way.”

Sephiroth opened his mouth to say something, but, was abruptly cut short. “Why the hell was he in your room? Why was he wearing nothing but jogging bottoms? Why were small blood smears on his shoulder?”

“It happened again. His wing appeared again. He came to see me for help. I cleaned his wound….not completely, it would seem.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You don’t understand what he is going through. I on the other hand, do.”

“Are you sure that’s all that happened? I heard about a disturbance down in the labs….was it you?”

Sephiroth averted his gaze from the raven haired Commander.

“I knew it. Why were you down there? Was it about Cloud?”

“No. Project R.1.K.U. I wanted to find a ….sample. I gave it to Highwind.”

Zack pulled a face as if to say ‘You dumb fuck. You trust that guy?’

“To answer the question you dare not ask. I do not trust him, however, he is the only one who hates Hojo as much as I do. He wants to see him fall.”

Zack nodded slightly before smiling at Sephiroth.

Sephiroth smiled back….just.

“You care about Cloud don’t you Zack?”

“I do. I worry that he is going to….die. He keeps telling me about these dreams he has. Awful dreams. He dreams of both him and myself being mutilated. He stands and watches both him and myself being cut down.”

“By who?”

“He can’t see him. All he can see is shadows. All he can hear is the male laughing.”

Sephiroth nodded before turning to face the window onto the training grounds. He watched Cloud spar with that red head….Reno if he remembered correctly. He watched each graceful swing of Cloud’s training sword. He watched each precise sweep of the feet. Each glance, glare and smirk. He especially liked watching Cloud’s long, sweeping golden blond hair swirl around him like a kaleidoscope of shimmering summer colour.

“Sephiroth?”

“Yes?”
< br> “You care about him too.”

Sephiroth whipped his head round as Zack vanished out of the door, letting it click firmly shut behind him. He shut his emerald eyes, bowed his head slightly. Silver hair forming a frame around his face.

“I do.”

------

Somehow, Cloud was always left with no hot water at the end of a shitty day of training. His last shitty day of training.

That cold shower tensed and froze all his muscles. Now, he was in even more pain than before.

Shivering his way out of the shower room with just a towel round his waist, he silently wandered over to his bed, flopped down on it, closed his eyes and tried to drift off to sleep. Fuck dinner that night, fuck it. He just wanted to sleep.

“I’m searching. Searching for my light.”

“Really? I’m searching too.”

“For your light?”

The small male in front of him nodded.

“Don’t lose sight of it.”

Cloud walked away from the tiny brunette.

“I lost sight of it….long ago.”

Opening his eyes, he found himself leaning against what looked like a run down house.

“Oh, Cloud.”

Totally confused, he shut his eyes back over.

This is just a dream! Wake up!

“Whatcha doing Cloud?”

“I’ll find him.”

“Who?”

“I’m looking for someone. Silver hair. Carries a long sword. Tell me if you see him.”

Looking at the same boy in front of him, he looked taller, older. Just like him. Those same piercing blue eyes just tinged with a hint of green. Gravity defying hair. He could sense that the boy was still searching. Searching for his light.

Shutting his eyes, he felt the boys presence diminish. Opening them, he stood atop of a balcony.

That same boy. Collapsed onto the ground clinging to a slightly taller silver haired boy. A carbon copy of Sephiroth.

“It’s Riku. Riku’s here. I looked everywhere for you!”

“Come on Sora. You’ve got to pull it together!”

Before Cloud could even move, darkness shrouded it’s way around him, throwing him through nothingness.

Cloud tried to scream. His voice wouldn’t do anything. He felt like he couldn’t even breathe. Landing roughly on a harsh, unforgiving surface, Cloud opened his eyes. That same cliff edge. Finding his voice, he groaned loudly and pulled himself to his feet.

He feared turning round. He knew who was lying behind him.

“C-Cloud?”

Slowly turning round, he grimaced as he looked at the fallen raven haired male.

“Zack?”

“I-I’m sorry. I should have stopped….I….I love….”

Cloud tried to scream out. He tried to call out for Zack. His voice failed him again.

Vibrant mako blue eyes snapped open.

“ZACK!”

Hands to his shoulder’s panicked the blond. He tried to push those hands away.

“Cloud? Cloud stop! It’s me. It’s Zack!”

Cloud froze when he heard Zack speak. He wasn’t really dead? It was another bad dream?

“Y-your not dead.”

“No. I’m right here. I’m not going to die. I’m not going anywhere. Trust me.”

Cloud slowly sat up and rubbed the sweat soaked bangs away from his eyes. Deep royal blue met vibrant cerulean blue. Both stared at each other of what felt like eternity.

Cloud finally spoke up. “It was awful. I saw you die. Again.”

“It’s just a bad dream. That’s all. Dream’s can’t hurt you Cloud.”

“Yes they do. I’m bleeding again.”

Zack made to move to get a damp towel to clean the wound. A small hand on his wrist stopped him.

“Leave it.”

“You sure?”

“Yes. It just heals itself up. It’s nothing.”

Both males sat in awkward silence. Cloud was utterly confused about his feelings. Sitting here with Zack, he wanted to tell him so much. He felt the same around Sephiroth. However, he felt like he was on fire with the silver haired General. His legs turned to jelly, his groin ached, his head screamed yes!

However, when he sat with Zack, he felt something much….deeper. He felt like he could hold hands with this male. He felt like he could share his deepest secrets with the raven haired male. He felt at peace with Zack.

He felt uneasy, restless, scared but extremely turned on around Sephiroth.

Cloud didn’t know he was crying until warm fingers brushed a stray tear off before it slid down his flushed cheek.

“Don’t cry Cloud. Nothing’s going to happen. Trust me.”

Wide and teary eyes looked up at Zack. Cloud nodded repeatedly. Almost as if he was trying to convince himself none of his dreams would come to pass.

“I-I trust you Zack.”

“Really?”

Cloud nodded again. That same hand moved down to rest atop Cloud’s smaller hand which rested on the bed.

“Then let me do something for you. Something that will really test how far you trust me.”

Cloud gulped loudly. His stomach flipped inside him. He felt hot and faint.

He watched Zack get up, walk over his bed side table, reach into the top drawer and pull out a sharp object.

Cloud couldn’t make it out due to the darkness in the room.

Lights snapping on caused said blond to mash his eyes shut in shock.

“You sure you trust me?”

Before Cloud could even react. A loud snipping sound reverberated through the empty room.

“Hold out your hand.”

Long, shimmering blond locks of hair were placed in his palm.

Cloud could have cried. His beautiful hair. His closest likeness and link to Sephiroth….being CUT.

“Nothing bad will happen. Nothing. I will look out for you.”

Cloud shut his eyes and listened to the snip, snip of the scissors.

Blond pooled round the two males. Zack bit down on his bottom lip as Cloud tilted his head forwards, revealing for the first time, the back of his neck.

That creamy, tanned flesh just begging to be caressed.

Zack slowly leaned in to the youth. Silently inhaled his scent. Lips just touched that enticing neck.

Cloud pulled away slightly.

“H-how does it look?”

“….Much better.”

Cloud stood rather swiftly and paced over to the mirror. He stared in awe at his new appearance.

Shorter bangs framed his pretty face perfectly. His spikes, although shorter, still remained the same. The right side of his hair found longer layers creeping down the side of his face, ending just atop his shoulder blade. Turning his head, all of the length was gone. All that remained were short spikes of golden blond hair. Running his fingers through the back of his hair, he turned to face Zack.

“Thanks.”

Zack said nothing but smiled as warmly as he could despite Cloud’s detached actions.

Zack wished nothing more than Cloud to know how he truly felt.

He never found the words as he watched Cloud sleep hours later.