Chapter Text
Sephiroth rubbed the bridge of his nose, trying to stave off an impending headache.
He found himself in his office, with no recollection of how he had gotten there. And it wasn’t the first time. Over the past week, he kept finding himself in strange places, with gaps in his memory.
The places weren’t unusual, as such. It was always either his room, his office, or somewhere within the Shinra Tower—all places he regularly frequented, so he thought nothing of it at first, trying to blame it on exhaustion and overwork.
Except it kept happening.
Even after Sephiroth had gone out of his way to lighten his schedule, giving himself more time to relax, making sure he got plenty of sleep, the situation kept reoccurring. Just last night, he’d gotten seven solid hours of sleep, which would have been unthinkable only a week ago, yet here he was again, in his office, with no memory of ever going there.
The situation was more than a little concerning. There were only a few people within the organization who had higher security clearance than him. If someone had found a way to compromise him, the consequences of that could be catastrophic.
Not for the first time, he considered telling someone, knowing that it was his duty to do so. If he was suffering blackouts, people needed to know. But Sephiroth was a very private person, and he wanted to deal with this on his own. Quietly, if he could.
The war in Wutai had ended just the year prior, but that didn’t mean the resentments were suddenly gone. Sephiroth himself had killed a lot of people, left a lot of families without sons and brothers. He wasn’t naïve enough to think that there weren’t thousands of people out there who wanted him dead. He’d make a prime target for any potential spy or vigilante.
If someone had found a way to access, or even control his mind, there was no telling what they could do. Not only would it allow them to get their revenge on him, but they could bring down the entire company in the process.
Sephiroth looked off into the distance, trying to decide on his next course of action.
The first sensible step would probably be to go to a physician. Yet, for him, that wasn’t an option.
Taking into consideration his specific biology, he couldn’t see just any old doctor. He’d need to visit the R&D department and solicit help there. But that, in turn, meant that he’d need to discuss his little problem with Hojo, which wasn’t something he was inclined to do. And so he found himself stuck, his mind awhirl, desperately trying to come up with an alternative.
It had taken him years to get Hojo off his back, to finally set some clear boundaries and stop the man from experimenting on him and submitting him to all sorts of degrading tests and procedures. If he went to him now, asking for help, he could already picture what Hojo would say. He’d blame it all on Sephiroth; he’d say that refusing those procedures had left him weak and vulnerable, and allowed an outside influence to penetrate his mind.
No, going to Hojo would be his last recourse. First, he’d exhaust all the other options he had.
The problem was, he couldn’t think of any.
Yet again, he tried to convince himself that he was fine. After all, he felt perfectly fine. There was nothing out of the ordinary—apart from these small gaps in his memory.
Perhaps someone was drugging him?
If Genesis were here, Sephiroth would be inclined to accuse him of playing a prank on him, but he was still stuck in Wutai, tying up loose ends with the local government, and Sephiroth hadn’t seen him in months. Besides, the drugs could explain the blackouts, but not waking up in strange places.
So, unless this was a very elaborate prank, there had to be something more serious afoot.
Sephiroth pulled up his search history and recently opened files, trying to look for clues there. When they opened, he stood up abruptly, almost toppling his chair, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.
There was nothing incriminating in the files, but only because the history had been wiped clean.
This was his first concrete bit of evidence that this wasn’t all in his head. Someone else must have done this. His login was protected by both a passcode and a retinal scan, and Sephiroth had no reason to hide the data on a computer no one else could access. The only reason for it to be deleted would be to hide something from Sephiroth himself.
He paced around the room, trying to come up with a plan, because at this point, it was clear that he had to do something. Perhaps he could start by visiting the surveillance team and examining the CCTV camera footage.
Yes, that was as good a place to start as any.
Determined, with a destination in mind, Sephiroth made a dash for the door. But just as he’d reached it, it opened, almost slamming him in the face. He flinched back, narrowly avoiding a broken nose. The door collided with his elbow instead, sending pain radiating down his arm. He was so lost in his own head, distracted by what he was going through, that even his enhanced reflexes hadn’t saved him.
Cloud stood in the open doorway, his eyes wide as saucers.
“Gods, did I hit you?” he asked, shocked, laying a gentle hand on Sephiroth’s arm.
Sephiroth shook his head; the pain barely registered. His mind was hazy and muddled, his worries drowning out all the other stimuli.
Except for Cloud.
Sephiroth’s eyes focused on the man standing before him, the man he’d been dating for the past month.
Their relationship was still new and fragile, still in the phase of getting to know each other, but Sephiroth enjoyed being with Cloud and saw this as something long-term, expecting it to grow even stronger with time.
“I’m fine, Cloud. The door barely touched me.”
He opened the door wider, inviting Cloud into his office. Despite everything, Sephiroth couldn’t deny that he was happy to see him. Everything else could wait. Cloud’s presence was a welcome distraction, and Sephiroth would always find time for him. Besides, Cloud never came to his office without a reason.
“Did something happen?”
“What?”
“Not that I’m not glad to see you, but you never come here while I’m working.”
Cloud’s eyebrows knitted in confusion. “But… You asked me to come.”
Sephiroth felt the bottom of his stomach drop out. He hadn’t called Cloud. Not him. Whoever was possessing his mind must have reached out to Cloud during one of his blackouts.
But why Cloud of all people?
He frowned, his mind racing, trying to make sense of it.
Only a few people even knew about their relationship. They weren’t exactly hiding it—all of their friends knew—but they weren’t public about it either. So why would anyone target Cloud? And more importantly, should Sephiroth warn him?
Cloud was one of the few people Sephiroth trusted, so he wouldn’t mind telling him about his problems, but talking about this would mean admitting that it was real, and Sephiroth was still trying to convince himself that it was not.
He rubbed his temples, trying to clear his head. This was driving him crazy. Maybe he was simply cracking under pressure and imagining the whole thing, after all. SOLDIERs have been known to degrade, and maybe he was no exception.
“Hey, you okay?”
Cloud’s worried voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He nodded and decided not to say anything for now.
“I’m fine, just tired,” Sephiroth said, despite not feeling tired at all. “I forgot I called you. I wanted to invite you out for lunch, if you’re free.”
Cloud’s blinding smile convinced him he’d made the right choice. There was no reason to worry Cloud until he had more information.
“I was just about to grab something to eat,” Cloud said and stood on his tiptoes to give Sephiroth a kiss.
When he wobbled, losing his balance, Sephiroth wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. He used it to draw Cloud closer and leaned down to deepen the kiss. Cloud let out a soft moan and melted against him.
Sephiroth would never fail to marvel at how perfectly Cloud fit into his arms. It was as if he was made especially for him. Cloud’s head reached right up to Sephiroth’s chin, making it possible to tuck him in beneath it, while his small frame fit snugly into his arms. The height difference also meant that Cloud had to stand on the tips of his toes and strain to reach him if he wanted to kiss him, which Sephiroth found adorable. Seeing those gorgeous blue eyes staring up at him never left him unaffected. Cloud sometimes complained that kissing him strained his neck, but Sephiroth loved the advantages his height provided him. He loved being able to lean down and steal kisses whenever he wished.
As they parted, both flushed and slightly breathless, Sephiroth ran his thumb across Cloud’s cheek. He would never tire of seeing him flustered like this—Cloud’s rosy cheeks hot beneath his fingers, lips shiny with saliva and pupils blown wide. Cloud looked absolutely delicious.
Seeing him like this made Sephiroth want to disregard all sense and caution and take him right there on his desk. But he still had a position to maintain, so with enormous amounts of willpower, he stepped back and put some distance between them.
“Shall we go get that lunch?”
For a moment, Cloud stared at him without comprehending, completely dazed; he bit his lip, gazing at Sephiroth like he’d prefer to eat him instead of food. But then he blinked and nodded, visibly struggling to get himself under control.
They walked out of the building, making small talk, discussing Cloud’s training and some of Sephiroth’s upcoming missions, heading for a mom-and-pop restaurant about a block away. It was their go-to place. Sephiroth didn’t like eating at the mess hall; not only was the food absolutely vile, the constant staring and whispering was more than enough to put him off his food. So, after some searching, he’d discovered this place. It was secluded and simple, never crowded, providing Sephiroth with the privacy to eat in peace. And while the owners clearly recognized him, they never attempted to pry into his affairs or ask for any favors, which made this Sephiroth’s favorite place to eat.
And most importantly, their food was delicious.
When he’d first brought Cloud here, he’d feared that Cloud wouldn’t like the simple foods on the menu, and that he’d ask to be taken to a more high-end restaurant instead. But he needn’t have worried. As it turned out, the owners were from the Northern Continent and they spent some time living in the Nibel region, so they knew how to prepare some of Cloud’s favorite dishes that he hadn’t had a chance to taste in years. Cloud nearly sobbed into his stew, repeatedly telling the cook how amazing it was. Afterwards, he’d gushed and thanked Sephiroth repeatedly, thinking he’d gone out of his way to find that place just to please him. He’d thanked him with words, then with kisses, then with the most amazing sex Sephiroth could ever remember having.
So, after that, this became their little getaway place.
Whenever they could find the time, which, admittedly, wasn’t very often, they’d go there for lunch or even dinner, on special occasions.
They sat down now, placing their usual orders, and chatted as they waited for the food to arrive.
Spending time with Cloud, Sephiroth felt normal for the first time that day. His worries seemed so far away. It was terribly naïve and dangerous to try to run from his problems, he knew. But all he wanted was to lose himself in this moment, watching Cloud wolf down his stew with a happy smile while he talked about silly anecdotes that had happened to him earlier in the day. He looked at Sephiroth with fondness and affection, making him feel safe and loved.
But then something in Cloud’s eyes changed, and they became playful and a little bit naughty. He leaned across the table and, in a whisper just loud enough for Sephiroth to hear, said, “Could I come over again tonight?”
A wave of arousal came over Sephiroth at the thought of having Cloud tonight. But it was quickly followed by confusion.
“Again?”
“Yeah. I can’t stop thinking about last night.” Cloud blushed as he said it, his tongue flicking out to lick his lips. “I never imagined I’d like it rough, but that was amazing.”
Cloud’s cheeks were flushed, his eyes burning with desire. His body language betrayed his arousal, and Sephiroth would have loved seeing this reaction in him, but for one problem. He hadn’t been with Cloud the night before. As far as he knew, he’d gone to bed alone. That was the last thing he remembered until waking up in his office a few hours ago.
Which could mean only one thing—it wasn’t him Cloud had been with.
Sephiroth felt static in his ears, his heart pounding. He wanted to scream, to accuse Cloud of betraying him, but there was no way Cloud could have known.
Yet the fact remained—Cloud had not only fucked someone else, he’d enjoyed it so much that it made him look like that…
Sephiroth’s fork clattered to the floor, falling from his numb fingers. He could see Cloud’s lips moving, saying something to him, looking deeply concerned, but his ears were ringing and he couldn’t hear any of it.
Unable to hide his reaction, Sephiroth jerked back and stood.
Somehow, he’d managed to get to his feet without toppling the chair, his hands shaking with rage and helplessness. He needed to find out who was behind this. Whoever had touched Cloud, he’d kill him.
He uttered a quick excuse, something about some urgent business he had to take care of. It sounded hollow even to his own ears, and Cloud tried to stop him, tried to get him to stay, but Sephiroth deftly sidestepped and fled the restaurant without looking back.
Cloud sat at the table, abandoned, wondering what the hell had just happened. Sephiroth had left in such a hurry that he forgot to pay. They hadn’t even finished their meal.
He slumped down in his chair, looking at the leftovers. His stew was still steaming, but his appetite was gone. And Sephiroth had barely touched his food at all.
Luckily, the restaurant was mostly empty, so no one had witnessed their drama, but what could have caused it?
Cloud sat there, second-guessing himself, wondering what he’d done wrong. It was true that they never discussed their sex life in public, but he hadn’t said anything inappropriate—had he? Sephiroth was a private person, he knew, but this was an extreme reaction, even for him. Besides, Cloud had said it in a whisper and all the surrounding tables were empty. No one could have heard him, he was sure of it. So, why?
But try as he might, he couldn’t figure it out. He’d just have to ask Sephiroth about it the next time he saw him.
He wiped his face with a napkin and stood up to leave, but then he froze. The uneasy feeling in his stomach was replaced by panic, as he realized he’d expected Sephiroth to pay, as always, so he hadn’t brought his wallet.
Quickly, he patted himself down, checking his back pockets, then the front ones, turning them inside out. Finally, he found a few crumpled bills in the inner pocked of his jacket. He counted them and breathed out a sigh of relief; it was enough to pay for the food. So he gathered his things and headed for the counter. Cloud hated wasting food, but there was no way he could force himself to finish his meal after everything.
As he approached, the owner smiled at him awkwardly, unable to look him in the eye; she’d definitely seen everything play out. She was a friendly woman in her late fifties, with greying hair and a winning smile. Except, right now, that smile looked strained, fraying at the edges, her gaze almost pitying. Cloud hoped she wouldn’t comment on what she’d seen or try to console him, because that would make him feel even worse.
Thankfully, she kept her thoughts to herself, minding her own business as usual, and after paying and tipping as much as his limited funds would allow, Cloud went on his way.
He rushed back to the Shinra Building and headed straight for Sephiroth’s office, only to find it empty. The man was nowhere to be found. Not even his secretary knew where he was. But she did tell him one thing—Sephiroth’s schedule was supposed to be free for the rest of the day.
Worry finally got the better of him, making Cloud take out his PHS and dial Sephiroth’s number. It rang and rang and rang, but no one picked up. Cloud couldn’t believe it. Even when he was in a middle of a meeting, Sephiroth always found ways to take Cloud’s calls. And on the rare occasions that he couldn’t, he always texted back immediately.
Except now, apparently.
Cloud quickly redialed, then redialed again. After the fourth time, the call went straight to voicemail, meaning that Sephiroth had turned off his PHS. Cloud glared at his phone in disbelief, annoyance starting to creep into his worry. Had he really done something so horrible that he deserved to be ignored like this?
Or maybe he was being unreasonable.
Maybe Sephiroth was simply busy, like he’d said he would be. After all, he’d never given Cloud a reason to doubt him. His behavior was weird, but there was no reason to think that he was lying or hiding something.
Telling himself to stop being paranoid, Cloud pocketed his phone and tried to go about his day. Every few hours, he’d call Sephiroth again, but every time, his calls went to voicemail.
Finally, after trying all day, Cloud had had enough.
It was already past dinnertime and even Sephiroth wouldn’t be working this late, so Cloud decided to confront him.
He snuck out of his dorm and quickly moved through the building. Avoiding the elevator, because he didn’t want to be caught by security cameras, Cloud opted for the stairs, taking them two at a time as he ran. The climb was exhausting, making Cloud grateful for his training. Not for the first time, he wished he had mako enhancements, because they would surely make this easier, but he still hadn’t made the cut for SOLDIER.
Slightly winded, Cloud finally reached Sephiroth’s floor. He bent over, hands on his knees, taking deep breaths and trying to steady himself. His heart was pounding, and not because of the climb. He was very nervous about facing Sephiroth, in a way he hadn’t been since they’d started dating. In all the time he’d known him, Sephiroth had never behaved like this and Cloud didn’t know what to make of it.
Chiding himself, Cloud stood tall, reminding himself to stand his ground. He hadn’t done anything wrong. Sephiroth was the one who needed to apologize for dodging his calls all day! He punched his upper thigh nervously, willing his feet to move. Reluctantly, they did, and in only a few short steps, he found himself in front of a very familiar door. He knocked—three quick, successive raps—then stood back and waited.
The silence stretched, and Cloud’s heart leapt to his throat. If Sephiroth decided to ghost him, there was nothing Cloud could do but accept it. It was a terrifying thought, which made him knock again, louder this time, more insistent.
After a few moments, he heard a noise on the other side. Someone was approaching the door.
The latch clicked, and the door finally opened to reveal an annoyed looking Sephiroth. But as soon as his eyes landed on Cloud, his expression changed completely.
It wasn’t the fond, soft gaze Cloud had grown used to; it was predatory, somehow, almost violent, clouded and calculating, but undoubtedly pleased to see him. Sephiroth looked just about ready to devour him.
“Cloud,” the man said in a way that sent shivers down Cloud’s spine.
He stepped aside and opened the door wider, silently inviting Cloud to follow him inside. He led him into the living room, which was uncharacteristically messy. There were papers all over the coffee table, and Sephiroth pushed them aside, clearing the space and moving them out of sight.
He looked like he was in the middle of some important research, and Cloud suddenly felt a little guilty. Maybe Sephiroth had really been busy all day. Instead of hounding him all afternoon, Cloud should have trusted him and given him space. There had been no need to get worked up over nothing.
“Do you want some coffee? A beer?”
“Coffee? Sephiroth, it’s almost 10 PM!” Cloud said, incredulous.
Sephiroth just shrugged his shoulders and brought him a beer. As he sat down, he took a sip of his own freshly brewed coffee. Cloud frowned, confused, but he didn’t want to question him. Sephiroth wasn’t a child, and he knew what he was doing. Maybe he had to spend the night working, so he needed that coffee.
As he looked up from the table, Cloud found Sephiroth watching him. It was impossible to describe the look in his eyes. It was intense and penetrating, as if he was looking into Cloud’s very soul; it made him shiver, suddenly chilled to the bone. Pinned by that gaze, he felt impossibly small and helpless. Sephiroth continued to sit there, a steaming cup of coffee cradled in his hands, not doing anything threatening, but Cloud felt like he’d walked into a trap, straight into a viper’s nest, where the snake eyed him, preparing to strike.
It was ridiculous. There was no reason to feel that way—it was just Sephiroth. Cloud had been here in this very room countless times before. Over the past month, he’d spent more nights here than in his own bunk.
But for some reason, the way those eyes watched him, tracking his every move, made his skin crawl and his heart pound.
Cloud cleared his throat, trying to dispel these thoughts.
“I came to apologize,” he said.
In truth, he’d come to demand an apology instead, but seeing that Sephiroth had truly been busy and not just ignoring him, made Cloud have a change of heart.
“Oh?”
“Yeah, for what I said today.”
There was that calculating, assessing look again, as if Sephiroth was trying to guess what the correct response would be.
“You have nothing to apologize for.”
“I made you uncomfortable.”
Sephiroth chuckled.
It was such a strange sound, almost mocking, leaving Cloud taken aback. It was nothing like Sephiroth’s usual laughter. Cloud rarely had the opportunity to hear it, since Sephiroth didn’t laugh often, but that was precisely why Cloud had learned to appreciate its melody. And it sounded nothing like this. Cloud frowned, unsure what to make of it.
“I assure you, you did no such thing.”
Sephiroth made himself comfortable in his seat, his legs crossed at the knee, an elbow propped up on an armrest, chin cupped in his palm. He was smirking, looking smug and confident, almost irritatingly so. Cloud had never seen him like this before. Sephiroth was an introvert, and despite being larger than life in so many ways and an idol to many, he always sat stiffly, holding his limbs close to himself, trying to take up as little space as he could. The man before him was so unlike the Sephiroth he knew that he almost seemed like an entirely different person.
“When I brought up the sex we had last night, you jumped up and left. What else was I supposed to think? I thought you were uncomfortable talking about that stuff in public.”
Sephiroth laughed, startling him. He looked positively delighted, his eyes shining with glee.
“Oh Cloud, I didn’t mind. You can talk to me about our sex life any time you want,” Sephiroth purred. “In fact, I hope you do. Tell me about it in detail, whenever you see me.”
He chuckled again, as if enjoying a private joke, but it only made Cloud feel even more confused. Sephiroth’s reaction was the polar opposite of the one he’d had that afternoon.
“Okay… So why did you leave?”
“As you can see, I’ve been busy,” Sephiroth explained, pointing at all the paperwork.
And what was Cloud to say to that? The explanation sounded perfectly reasonable, but something still nagged at him. Something was definitely wrong. Cloud couldn’t pinpoint what, exactly, but this whole situation was decidedly strange. Back at the restaurant, Sephiroth had looked so hurt, so genuinely shocked by Cloud’s words, and now he was telling him everything was fine? It made no sense.
But before Cloud could ask any more questions, Sephiroth got up from his chair and stalked closer. Leaning over Cloud, he tipped his chin up with a finger and made Cloud face him.
“I regret having to leave, but you can tell me now whatever it was that you wanted me to hear.” He leaned in even closer, his breath ghosting over Cloud’s sensitive ears, and whispered, “You should tell me what you liked right now, so that I can do it to you again.”
Cloud gasped, suddenly hyperaware of Sephiroth’s proximity.
The air felt thin, and try as he might, Cloud couldn’t get enough of it. Sephiroth’s fingers curled around his jaw and squeezed.
Cloud felt trapped beneath those hands, beneath that possessive, dark look in Sephiroth’s eyes; they made him feel hot all over. He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry, and watched Sephiroth’s eyes follow his tongue, his pupils dilating, before their gazes connected once more.
Dirty talk wasn’t something Cloud was good at. He was too shy and preferred actions over words, but arousal was making him lose his inhibitions. If Sephiroth wanted him to spell it out, Cloud would, if that was what it took to make him do all those things again. So, he forced his lips to move.
Looking straight into Sephiroth’s eyes, he said, “I liked how you fucked me last night. I liked how rough you were.”
The fingers on his chin turned into claws and gripped him strong enough to bruise.
“Clothes off. Now.”
Cloud scrambled to obey. He’d never seen Sephiroth behave like this, and he found it incredibly arousing.
“Get on your hands and knees,” Sephiroth ordered, pointing at the floor.
Blushing, feeling both embarrassed and aroused, Cloud did as he was told.
The position made him feel incredibly exposed, but excited, too, and he eagerly awaited Sephiroth’s next move. He felt fingers slide across his naked body, tracing the length of his spine, and he shivered. When the fingers reached the curve of his ass, they left and came down in a sudden, harsh slap. Cloud gasped, feeling the sting. The fingers gripped him, kneading the tender spot soothingly, before slapping him again. And again.
Cloud cheeks were burning. This was humiliating, but his cock was already starting to fill out. The arousal was shocking and sudden and Cloud couldn’t stop the moans falling from his lips.
“Oh, Cloud,” Sephiroth purred, leaning over him, making his silky hair cascade across Cloud’s body. “I had no idea you enjoyed submitting to me so much.”
He tugged Cloud up by his hair and shoved him up against the wall, crowding him from behind. His teeth grazed the side of Cloud’s neck, sucking and biting, making him tremble. Sephiroth’s clothes were rough against Cloud’s naked body, chafing against his skin, electrifying his nerve-endings. Those sinful lips moved up to Cloud’s earlobe and clamped down, making him moan and buck against Sephiroth.
A rough hand reached around and grabbed his cock; it started stroking, and Cloud thrust into it shamelessly, wantonly. He kept moaning Sephiroth’s name, begging for more.
And the man delivered.
His hands were so forceful, like they’d never been before, leaving scorch marks across Cloud’s skin, setting it on fire. Cloud spread his legs, wordlessly asking for more, and shivered as he heard a chuckle in his ear. Sephiroth shoved two fingers in his mouth and Cloud gasped in surprise.
The fingers pressed against his tongue, moving in and out of his mouth, filling it, stretching it. They tasted vaguely of his own precome and Cloud closed his eyes, feeling inexplicably aroused. He did his best to lick those fingers, to tease them with his tongue, but Sephiroth was rough, shoving them in deep, making Cloud choke on them. Saliva dribbled down his chin, and Sephiroth leaned in to lick it off.
His slick fingers then moved to Cloud’s entrance and pressed inside.
Cloud gasped as both pleasure and pain shot through him. Saliva wasn’t slick enough to ease the friction, and it burned as Sephiroth’s fingers moved inside him, stretching him, but he was so aroused that he was nearly delirious. The slight hint of pain made everything sharper, heightened every sensation, and Cloud couldn’t get enough of it. He pressed back against those fingers shamelessly and felt Sephiroth’s growl reverberate in his chest.
He could feel Sephiroth’s growing hardness pressing into his thigh, and he moaned, rubbing up against it. In response, Sephiroth bit the side of neck, marking his skin, and Cloud let out a silent scream, eyes rolling back into his head. Sephiroth’s fingers were still moving inside of him, bringing him closer to the edge with every thrust.
But then Sephiroth pushed him away.
“Kneel,” he ordered, and Cloud dropped to his knees.
He looked up at Sephiroth, inhumanly beautiful, like a marble statue—stunning but cold. With a self-satisfied smirk, he unbuttoned his pants and took out his cock. It was already hard and leaking, and he gave it a few slow, deliberate strokes. With his other hand, he grabbed Cloud’s jaw and drew it closer. He pressed the head of his cock against Cloud’s lips, smearing slick all over them.
There was something cold and calculating in his eyes as he watched Cloud’s tongue come out to lick his cock, but Cloud was too aroused, too needy to think about it too deeply.
“Open up,” he said, and Cloud’s mouth fell open.
Sephiroth thrust inside viciously, stretching Cloud’s jaw wide. Tears formed in the corners of his eyes. This was degrading, but so, so arousing. Cloud moaned around the cock in his mouth, tasting the precome on his tongue, swallowing around it.
Fingers tangled in his hair and took control of his head. They yanked him closer, shoving the cock deeper into his mouth and Cloud just kept moaning, his own cock painfully hard, aroused by the rough treatment. His hands wrapped around Sephiroth’s thighs and encouraged him to move, to use him any way he wanted.
Looking up, his vision blurred by unshed tears, Cloud saw Sephiroth watching him. He still seemed strange and almost cruel, but his pupils were blown wide and his cock was pulsing inside Cloud’s mouth, so there was no doubt that he was enjoying this.
Desperate for release, Cloud’s hand moved to his own cock and started stroking, but the moment he did that, Sephiroth shoved him down onto the floor.
“I never said you could touch yourself, Cloud.”
And in the next moment, Sephiroth’s mouth was upon him. Cloud arched off the floor, a howl stuck in his throat. Sephiroth’s strong hands pressed him into the carpet, not letting him move, making him tremble with need. That delicate mouth teased him slowly, tongue licking along Cloud’s length, swirling around the tip, making Cloud whine and sob, begging for release.
Sephiroth’s fingers pressed back inside him, and then finally, finally that heavenly heat enveloped his cock. Sephiroth’s sinful mouth kept moving over him, sending wave upon wave of pleasure crashing over him, until all sense and reason had abandoned him.
Cloud’s eyes snapped open when he felt Sephiroth’s cock pressing against his entrance. His mouth opened in a silent scream as he was stretched impossibly wide. They’d had sex many times before, but for some reason—perhaps because he wasn’t as gentle or because he hadn’t spent as much time preparing him—Sephiroth felt bigger than usual. Cloud felt every ridge of his cock moving through his hole, forcing it open. He sobbed, tugging Sephiroth’s closer by his hair, forcing their mouths together.
Sephiroth seemed almost surprised by the kiss, his movements faltering, but then he collected himself and went back to the same unforgiving pace that was making Cloud’s toes curl.
“Sephiroth. Sephiroth!” he sobbed his name repeatedly as Sephiroth rammed into his prostate with every thrust.
Cloud came with Sephiroth’s name on his lips, a shattering orgasm ripping out of him.
Sephiroth fucked him through it, and after, even when Cloud was oversensitive, his whole body quivering, he still kept going, watching Cloud with a pleased, cryptic smile, chasing his own pleasure. He kept going for so long that, eventually, Cloud got hard again. Both his cock and his hole felt so sensitive that he couldn’t even think about touching them again, but he was so aroused that he wanted to weep. He writhed beneath Sephiroth, desperate and needy, his leaking cock twitching against his stomach.
Sephiroth leaned down and licked his throat, his collarbones, his nipples, drawing nonsensical noises from Cloud’s lips. When those sharp teeth clamped down on his nipple without warning, Cloud arched off the bed and came again, untouched. He felt huffs of Sephiroth’s laughter against his sensitive flesh, and then Sephiroth leaned back, grabbed Cloud’s thighs for balance, and started pounding into him with all his strength.
Cloud thought he was going insane, drowning in pleasure. Every nerve ending in his body sparked to life.
He looked up at Sephiroth, forcing his eyes to focus, and their gazes met.
Sephiroth’s nails dug into the flesh of Cloud’s thighs, his grip uncontrolled as his hips stuttered, and then he was coming, his cock throbbing and filling Cloud with his release. He slammed into Cloud again and again, riding out the ecstasy until he was fully spent and sated. And then, he pulled out and stretched out on the floor next to Cloud.
Cloud stared up at the ceiling, trying to catch his breath, wondering what the hell had just happened.
This was one of the most mind-blowing orgasms he’d ever had. Sephiroth’s touches were just the right mix of rough and tender, and Cloud couldn’t get enough of them.
Usually, Sephiroth was almost too careful, constantly aware of his superhuman strength and how easy it would be for him to hurt Cloud. And while that was sweet and Cloud appreciated it, this wild, savage side of him was far more exciting. He’d fucked Cloud with abandon, stretching him almost to the point of pain, and Cloud had loved it.
Afterwards, thoroughly exhausted, Cloud fell asleep in Sephiroth’s arms, his head pillowed against his chest.
Sephiroth looked down at the mop of unruly blond hair asleep in his arms.
It was hard to believe how he found himself here.
He’d spent years trying to escape the Lifestream, yet again, but with no more Remnants and all of Mother’s body parts destroyed, it was proving to be impossible. His own anger and resentment, along with Cloud’s memories and hatred, tied him to this world and prevented his soul from being absorbed by the Lifestream, but he found himself unable to leave. He needed Mother’s cells to obtain a physical body, which left him stuck, floating aimlessly through the Lifestream as time passed by.
After years of searching, he finally discovered a loophole—through the Lifestream, he could access other worlds at different points in time. In those timelines, there were other versions of him, all containing Mother’s cells, meaning they could be used as Remnants, as physical manifestations he could latch onto.
This offered him unlimited options to choose from.
Sephiroth had no way of knowing what he’d find in those new worlds, so he picked one at random and plunged into it.
He forced his consciousness into this new body, expecting to claim it easily, but something went wrong. Perhaps he was too weakened by the years spent inside the Lifestream, or perhaps his other self was far stronger than the Remnants he’d used in the past, but whatever the reason, Sephiroth found himself unable to take full control of this body. The host kept fighting him, struggling to preserve his own sense of self, not allowing Sephiroth to take over.
In the end, all he’d managed were a few short hours of awareness each day.
He spent every waking hour looking for ways to take full control of the body, but the research was slow and, so far, fruitless. It seemed that no one in this world was aware of multiple timelines, so there were no ready answers waiting for him. Sephiroth would simply have to do what he did best—fight and crush his opponent, pushing him out of this body using his own willpower.
And he had no doubt that he would succeed. From everything he’d seen, this man was disgustingly weak. Pitiful, even.
Vaguely, Sephiroth remembered that once, a long time ago, he too had been like this man, affected by emotions and held back by his humanity. But that was before he’d met Mother, before he’d discovered his life’s purpose and before he’d found out about his divine origins. Now, he was nothing like this pathetic mortal man he was forced to share this body with. The sooner he managed to purge him, the better.
Once he did that, he could focus on his divine purpose.
One of the first things Sephiroth did in this world was try to find Mother. It shook him to the core to discover that she was gone. She must have existed, or this body would not have had her cells, but he could find no trace or record of her. Through the Shinra database, he found out that Professor Gast was still alive, so Sephiroth approached him to learn more about his research. The man was shocked by Sephiroth’s sudden interest, but he agreed to share what he knew. Apparently, one of Hojo’s experiments had gone horribly wrong, setting the Nibelheim research facility on fire. The specimen—Mother—had gone up in flames.
Sephiroth had barely managed to conceal his reaction. He wanted to scream, to murder that worthless human. How dare they experiment on a being so vastly beyond them? How dare they kill her?
Mother…
Of all the worlds Sephiroth could have picked, why did it have to be this one?
The silence in his head felt oppressive and deafening.
Without Mother’s instructions, what was he to do? He had no goals, no aims of his own, beyond pleasing Mother.
The anger and desire for destruction were still there. Those had been his own all along, as had been his thirst for revenge. They were even stronger now, amplified, because he wanted to avenge Mother. But beyond that, he felt adrift and aimless, with nothing to do.
It didn’t take him long to decide to do his Mother’s bidding, anyway, concluding that it would be a good way to honor her memory. Besides, he’d worked so hard, tirelessly striving to accomplish these goals; it would feel like quitting if he abandoned them now.
And so, Sephiroth still decided to destroy the Planet. Not because it was something he truly wanted, but for lack of anything better to do. He would take the Planet’s carcass and use it as a vessel to transverse the universe, as he’d planned all along. And he would not do it alone. As he’d decided years ago, he would bring his puppet to keep him company.
And that might be even easier to accomplish in this world than he could have imagined.
Instead of having to waste time searching for his little puppet, he’d landed willingly in his lap. Imagine his surprise. This body’s useless host had done one thing right—he’d lured Cloud into his clutches and gave him to Sephiroth on a silver platter.
Sephiroth had tried to control Cloud countless times in the past, and it had never worked. He was stubborn and willful and always found ways to resist him. But now, he hung on to Sephiroth’s every word, doing as he was told. Seeing Cloud kneel for him, prostrate himself before him willingly, even eagerly, made Sephiroth feel like a god he was always meant to be. It gave him a sense of unlimited power. It felt exhilarating and addictive. It was far better than turning Cloud into a mindless puppet, because here he was, readily doing everything Sephiroth wanted him to.
Throughout the years, Cloud had constantly watched him—with fear, with hatred, with disgust. But he’d never looked at him like this. Seeing those eyes filled with adoration and love, seeing Cloud submitting to him willingly, after he’d spent so much time trying to force him, gave Sephiroth a high unlike any other. He’d never experienced anything like this in any of his previous lives.
It made him obsessed with Cloud, even more than before. He wanted to see what else he could make him do; how deeply he could make him fall, debasing himself for Sephiroth’s pleasure.
And that was why Sephiroth decided to play along, to act like the lover Cloud expected him to be.
He wanted to pull Cloud deeper into his thrall, to fully earn his trust, before ripping it away, destroying him in the process. Just thinking about it made Sephiroth smile, eagerly awaiting the crushed, heartbroken look on Cloud’s face when he told him the truth.
He ran his fingers through Cloud’s hair, pushing the bangs away from his face. He was sleeping so peacefully, unaware of what awaited.
Soon Cloud, he thought.
Sephiroth would bide his time, getting to know this Cloud better. He vowed to be patient, waiting to strike until he learned what mattered to this man the most—so he could take it away.