STRIFE !

     There’s an inferno building, muscles taut beneath reckless hands and he hover statuesque between the cold indifference required to peel himself away from the inviting warmth beneath him.

     Tell me you don’t like where and when and how I touch you.

          I do..

     and maybe I’ll behave.

          Please don’t.

     or not. Because I’ll make it a goddamned hardship to leave me, and you know it.

     Oh how he knows it. Every brush of knuckle against bare skin as those inept fingers work at his belt fumbling for the clasps holding leather plate against his stomach, every bat of those golden lashes against pallid cheeks and the sultry challenge rising in the depths of mako graced eyes sets him on his heels. When he thinks he can pull away, he’s drowning in those big blue oceans and reeling in a desperate attempt to claw his way back to the surface. But he’s never sure if the surface is up or down.

     “Cloud…” It’s meant to sound firm and resolute, resigned to scampering off to do the jobs he promised he’d finish today. The slums need a cleansing of monsters, there’s medicine to be fetched, thugs to be put in their place, cats to be found… A young cadet in need of…training. Yet the name stretches into a whine and his teeth graze the bend of neck beneath and he is folding, melting around the blonde like a flan in the desert heat. He’s weak…so horribly weak. Angeal would be disappointed.

     Long limbs unfurl around the figure pressed into the dull frame of the bed and Zack shifts to put distance between them, just enough to let those hands at his belt properly, but Cloud has disobeyed. There has to be some punishment for that.

     “What did I say?” Zack’s fingers close around those wrists, lifting them back into place and he lowers again, nuzzling the sweater high enough to expose that toned stomach, tongue lavishing the warm skin and- he closes his mouth around the man’s belly button and blows a raspberry, darting out of the way seconds later to fetch his sword and attach it to his back.

     “I’ll be home before you know it, I promise! Keep the bed warm for me, ‘kay?” Saluting leisurely and with a self satisfied grin, he throws open the door and dances down the walkway with a spring in his step.

zack ’ s  hands are heavy around his wrists ,     gripping him with an utter CONFIDENCE that Cloud would obey .     that Cloud was HIS,    to do with as he pleased .     and the fucking audacity of it ,    the surety and the certainty of it ——– makes cloud HARD .

the nudge of that nose just beyond the hem of his sweater ,    teasing the sensitive ,    clandestine skin there ,     with breaths that sweeten the goosepimples they inspire ....

——— until he feels that ungainly raspberry against his stomach and tenses immediately ,    drawing his knees up and spouting out an   U G L Y  laugh that leaves him in tears as zack rushes out the door .     he gives himself half a moment before he’s grabbing for his phone and slamming out a flurry of texts :

     Oh those hands are his now, clutched in the grip of a man who will not be swayed and brought to the eager mouth exploring its way along collar bone and every individual pad of those fingers are kissed and splayed that he might graze his tongue between them. A warmth in his gut and a quiver in his breath his only indication of weakness, Zack nuzzles the palm of both hands and lowers them back towards the bed, stretching them far above the cadet’s head.

     “Nuh uh- you’re being extra naughty today Cloud, keepin’ me from workin’. We aren’t gonna become gillionaires at this rate.” Not that he would mind. A poor farm boy coming from a poor background to live his life in poverty with the man of his dreams? It’s a tale as old as time itself and god it sounds like heaven. Better a poor boy with a full heart than a corporate goon with an ice box in his chest he’d say. Maybe he’s a sap, but the way those legs are wrapped around him, the honeyed lilt of Cloud’s voice, the way he can feel those hips writhing against him… He’s breathless.

     “Keep your hands right where I want ‘em or I’m goin’ to work.” Peering through dark brows, the muted glow of mako casting its gentle light against his lashes, Zack noses his way down the man’s chest and slides his hand up beneath the stolen sweater he hasn’t bothered to change out of. First Class never looked so good on anyone else.

          oh .    OH .     that voice in his ear ,    that tone ,    that timbre ,    that tease  . . .  that ‘ s  all devastatingly unfair ,    in cloud ‘ s  estimable opinion .   his spine  t i n g l  e s  after the lightning strike of pleasure that FISSURES and  f  i  r e s   through every nerve ,    setting his skin alight . 

     “ naughty ?? “    cloud scoffs ,    as if it ‘ s  beyond him that he would every embody such a heinous trait .     but his hands continue to roam as they please ,    in defiance to that challenge that he ‘ s  sure is hardly meant to deterr him .    

      “ tell me you don’t like where and when and how i touch you , “   cloud insists ,     and the grin on his lips is nearly audible as he presses that smile against the line of zack ‘ s  perfect ,     chiseled jaw .     “ and maybe i ‘ ll  behave . “ 

     Is that a challenge, cadet? It reeks of one and Zack is never one to back down from a challenge. Evidenced in the way he doesn’t drop his beloved onto the bed where he should be resting and dash off to finish the jobs he promised he’d complete. It’s before noon, they’ll get done…eventually.

     A firm  s q u e e z e  of ample cheeks and the utterance of a chuckle betrays the harsh furrowing of his brow. The weight carried at his fore like a chocobo feather in comparison to the sword and yet still he struggles to keep them afloat as he lowers the man to the mattress below, settling densely between thighs and encasing Cloud in a flurry of black hair and muscle.

     “I got a lesson t’ teach, I’m sure they’ll understand.” Zack murmurs against the pink lips taunting him with their idleness, chasing those words back to their source and purring his delight from the well of his chest. His hands worm from beneath the blonde to find purchase in old sheets they still haven’t bothered to fix since they’d slept, bearing the weight of his upper half while he focuses solely on the way Cloud feels beneath him, against him, filling his head with dizzying devoir and wanton greed.

     “Today’s lesson-” He barely manages to mutter between the dusting of kisses from lips to jaw to neck, leaving the scent of the man fresh on his tongue. “is upper body strength ‘n…how to…improve it.”

     he  s i n k s  down within the down of the bed ,     letting himself be laid down as delicately as a princess .    he loves how gentle zack can be with him  . . .  and how decidedly un - gentle he can be .    like how his hands grab at his ass ,    or the way he pushes himself between his legs ,    or that little GROWL he gets in his voice when he gets a little too arduous and ardent  . . . 

just the way he likes him .

     A frown threatens the corner of his lips when the warmth in his arms moves, dreamlike haze shifting to the cold sobering of reality and his grip tightens like a carnivorous plant refusing to let its prey go. He won’t let the cadet slip too far from his grasp! Hive minds think alike and he smiles down into the oceanic eyes gazing up at him, resisting that tug just a little longer for sport.

     “My, the mouth on you!” Exaltation slips past kiss-full lips and mako eyes drift languidly over their subject pouting and in desperate need of attention. To tease or not to tease? He wanted to be early today but there’s an impossibility in the notion of leaving someone so cute to languish at home. It’s the tug that gets him, destroys those anchors holding him back and he sinks into the sea, folding the meager advantage of height over his companion to claim those naughty lips, stooping further to brace his hands against the round hills of Cloud’s ass and haul him into the air. A nudge of his elbows against the cadet’s knees and he’s encouraging those legs to wrap around his middle.

     the encouragement is redundant and hardly necessary ,    when cloud ‘ s  legs are already hitching themselves around zack ‘ s  waist with a proprietary ,    DESERVING sort of dominion ,    as if they BELONG there .     because they DO.    at least ,    in his esteemed opinion . 

     how was he ever meant to get ENOUGH of him ??     this unfairly handsome creature that treats him as if he were the most precious ,    IMPORTANT thing in the world ,    who adores him so  c o m p l e t e l y  that he suffers his tireless kisses and caresses and every sundry need with a sincerity like ardency ??

    Fingers lace at the small of Cloud’s back and his chin lifts to admit the flock of golden hair, resting atop the shore of spikes and wrinkling his own nose against the tickle a stray strand creates.

    “Mm..sounds like I’m the asshole here. And I certainly don’t want that reputation.” The grin on his lips bleeds into the tone of his voice and his heart beats wildly against Cloud’s ear.

     cloud twists away as gently as he dares ,    dislodging himself enough to remain within zack ‘ s  arms to RISE upon his tiptoes and tilt his head back to beg a kiss of him .    His fingers g r a s p  insistent at the knit of his sweater and PULL him down ,    if the amorous lips aren ‘ t  enough to entice . 

     He would. Over and over again until they were pried apart or melded together, whichever came first. Cloud is making it easier to stay and ignore his obligations with every word, every touch. They can fair without him for a day, right? A week? A rumbling low at the back of his throat gives way to the ache in his chest and in all his training with Angeal about discipline melts away, giving in to the pull both figuratively and literally, of those roaming hands.

     “Mmn..how about-” Another kiss chaste and quick. “a compromise?” A play of fingers along the warmth of his neck and Zack’s hands traverse the expanse of the lithe body against him to rest at the curve of Cloud’s hips. Honed arms slide gleefully around, cementing the blonde in place.

     cloud looks up at him with a wrinkle in his nose to match the one between his brows ,    preemptively unsatisfied with whatever prospect entails him not having everything he wants of ZACK——

     Fingers flex around the hilt of broadsword, hesitation heavy in reaching limb. Is it worth it to go back to work today? Do they really need the gil? A heavy wallet makes him happy, but a certain someone makes him happier.

     The weight of the greatsword settles against the wall with a dull thunk as he turns, cocksure grin spreading across sun-kissed skin, and closes the distance between them. Gloved hands reach to curl around pale cheeks, framing delicate features in the rough worn leather baked under an unforgiving sky and he leans down to brush noses with Cloud.

     “Y’know I can’t stop at just one, right?” Swaying hips inch a little closer like a timid dog inching his way towards the meal of a lifetime and he hums low, turning that face to capture Cloud’s lips instead.

his heart still stops ,     his breath still hitches when zack reaches for him ,   and his pale lashes flutter shut ,    lips chewed red with anticipation part as obediently as anything to the promise of more than he ’ s  asked for ,    more than he could ever ask for    . . . 

his whole body turns to answer the angle of those hips ,    moulding his entirety to zack’s form ,    every inch of his skin willing him to stay just one moment longer ,    just one breath longer ,    just one heart beat longer  . . . 

—⧼ ⚠  @nimbostratused ⧽      ⦅ CLOUD ⦆

Bad enough to have to cart around some extra bodies to fuck up a perfectly efficient mission—even worse to have to cart around some SOLDIER firster assholes. Like syrup in a pocket watch, brawny types had a way of gumming up the delicate inner workings of Turk operations. Reno had said as much—repeatedly, loudly, coaxingly—but still the file on the most recent operation specified in plain print: BRING MUSCLE.

Rude would have been the perfect amount of muscle, had he not been undercover in some backwater town down south. Probably drinking moonshine and ogling uneducated women in skimpy cut-off shorts. Lucky prick.

The file, however, made the mistake of not defining the exact specifications of the muscle. Reno inferred it meant he should bring along someone capable, highly trained, and willing to assist with a grey-tinged moral ambiguity. Which just sounded more like someone who would get in the way of his technique than offer any real aid. So maybe that was why he pointed at the first patrolling guard to pass him by.

“Hey, you,” he said, like that was the guard’s name or title. “You ever been in a helicopter before? Doesn’t matter, come on. You’re on official administrative research now. Let’s bounce before I run into my boss.”

It was nearly the end of his shift .  An hour away from FREEDOM ,  and the whole night to himself ,  to spend alone in the quiet of the barracks until everyone came back from DFAC ,  fat and sated with some mediocre ,  tasteless chow . 

So when the shitty redhead with the unkempt tie decided to shout orders at him ,  he was one godforsaken breath away from telling him to piss off——— until he saw the black suit . 

Fucking Turks . 

As far as Cloud knew ,  Turks were the brains ,  and the rest of them were expendable muscle ,  and he , a young and as yet useless boot ,  happened to be the most expendable of all . 

Didn ’ t seem right ,   ignoring a senior officer and what appeared to be a direct fucking order .  But he wasn’t about to get his ass handed to him for going AWOL on whatever helicopter-involving bullshit he was about to get himself into .

Dante was already settled messily into the haze of drunkenness, perched crookedly on the bar stool and leaning cock-eyed against the counter. He’d spilled a little of his drink and promptly forgotten about it, and also forgotten about the unfortunate recipient of the spill. He’d dabbed haphazardly at the guy’s arm, of course, because being drunk made him a little more magnanimous, but then he’d tossed the napkin aside and resumed his tenacious pursuit of the bartender feigning disinterest him.

She didn’t respond favorably to any of his compliments or jokes, which he couldn’t blame her for—honestly, he couldn’t keep track of half the things he was saying as they left his mouth, forgotten in the tar pit of his inebriation. When she set his tab in front of him—and the tabs for the last two visits in addition—he passed his hand over his eyes with a low groan through his teeth.

“Seriously, T-Bone?” he demanded, although he’d adopted a kind of puppy-dog-pout as he leaned across the counter towards her. “You said I had ‘til the end of the month. I don’t got this kind of money right now. I’m waiting on a big payout from a—well, it’s top secret and frankly, none of your business. I’ll pay the tab! But at the end of the month.”

He leaned over again, this time to the guy on his left that had received the splash on his arm. “Real hard ass, right? It’s cool, she totally digs me.”

So he was right in his assumptions .   Dante didn’t remember him .   At all .

His lip curled in distinct displeasure ,   hardly caring if Dante could observe or not ,   barring his obvious inebriation and the abominable ,   flickering lighting of the halogens overhead .   For all Dante knew or gave a shit,   Cloud could be some half-blotto stranger clown next to him .   He already kind of was .   And that irritated him more than he’d thought possible ,   with the benefit of time and distance .    

Fuck ,   he was just the same ,   too .   Same cocksure half smile ,   the same lean ,   the same low ,   rumbling timber ,   that felt like it  r e s o n a t e d  in his thighs .   In his cock ,   even .     Same shit-talking ,   wiseass , pretty mouth .     Same pillow-soft lips .   Cloud wondered if he kissed the same ,   too . 

Tifa—with some presentiment of Dante’ s bluster and Cloud ’s wavering resolve—came ‘round ,   catching Dante’s gaze just to demonstrate her eye roll as she passed ,   and pointedly poured Cloud another round .   Cloud ,   feeling mighty pleased with himself at someone 's recognition ,   raised his drink and turned it to catch the light in the facets of the scratched lowball glass . 

Days bled into weeks ,    melted into months since he’d seen Dante last .    Long enough for him to forget .    Maybe .    And now ,    here he was ,    same old Dante ,    his eyes taking debauched liberties upon every hill and vale of the girls that crowded Tifa ’s shitass tavern ,    perched beside him on the next stool over ,    unaware or uncaring of his presence there . 

Cloud didn ’t make a sound when he nudged him thoughtlessly  ( rudely )  while he was gesturing to tell a story ,    or when he spilled some of his half-flat ale on his arm .    Or when he wolf-whistled at Tifa  ( earning a spectacularly withering look from her )———nothing .    Was it even worth the effort ??