Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Truce ❯ Part I ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Iggy Lovechild 
A coincidental meeting, sake, and a vulnerable moment....
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Psychological | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 10.30.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 785 | Status: Completed
A coincidental meeting, sake, and a vulnerable moment....
Non Anime: Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Hentai / Psychological | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 10.30.2006 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.8K | Visits: 785 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. Theybelong to Square/Enix and were created by Nomura.
a/n: I think this story has been rooted in my brain for a long time and it took seeing Advent Children to nurture the seed. Maybe that's why I'm posting this despite frequent complaints that there's too much smut and especially too much yaoi on mm.org.
a/n: I think this story has been rooted in my brain for a long time and it took seeing Advent Children to nurture the seed. Maybe that's why I'm posting this despite frequent complaints that there's too much smut and especially too much yaoi on mm.org.
Special thanks to Holo for beta-ing (at least this part anyway).
“Truce”
Part I
Cloud Strife knew that he should have been pleased with the outcome of the situation. They had gotten their materia back, saved Yuffie, and managed to get Don Corneo out of their hair once and for all. The fact that The Turks had helped rather than hindered them had been a pleasant development as well.
Despite the fact that everything had worked out absurdly well, Cloud was restless and impatient. The entire debacle had been a waste of time really, and time wasn't exactly on their side. He wished that he had never listened to Yuffie and, though he supposed fate had served her up a bit of karmatic comeuppance for her betrayal, that wouldn't give them their wasted day back.
If they managed to beat Sephiroth to the Temple of the Ancients in time to figure out what he wanted with it, it would be a small miracle. Cloud felt helpless and he hated that. He couldn't sleep; he was too worried, thinking about the worst possible outcomes.
Cloud had never been the most optimistic person. In fact one might be inclined to call him a pessimist. One of the few times he had been optimistic about something was when he had decided to join SOLDIER, and that had turned out…well, things aren't always as they seem.
Cloud frowned into the darkness of his room, and made the decision to sneak out. As he sat up in bed, he shook his head. It's not sneaking out, Cloud brooded, I'm a grown man, after all; I can do whatever the hell I want. It wasn't his most mature moment, but he couldn't think of anything else he could do at the moment. Everyone but Vincent was asleep, and as much as he liked the ex-Turk, the man wasn't much company. Cloud would like to have called their silent moments together companionable, but he really didn't know the man well enough.
Since Wutai was a bit of an exotic getaway, a vacation spot for those who wanted something with more culture than Costa del Sol, the bar was still open. Cloud really wasn't much of a drinker but he ordered a beer anyway and settled himself into a quiet, lonely corner table.
He didn't care if the sake here was damned near world famous, it was too expensive and he really didn't want anyone to notice the missing gil. Well, he didn't want Tifa to notice. She ran a tight ship at The 7th Heaven when it came to handling money and old habits seemed to die hard with everyone he knew.
Cloud sipped his beer, trying to get his mind off Sephiroth, Jenova, Ancients, and Shinra. It wasn't easy and left him thinking about the situation with Tifa and Aeris, which was not all that much clearer. He had loved Tifa for a long time and even after all he had been through because of Shinra and Sephiroth, the feeling really hadn't faded.
But Aeris…She was special, she was someone to be cherished. Cloud was conflicted, wanting to get closer to her and yet feeling like he needed to distance himself. A part of him was afraid that he couldn't protect her and sometimes she seemed so full of a sad wisdom, as if she knew how this would all end up and that she wouldn't be able to see it through to that conclusion.
Of course it was ridiculous to think that. She was strong, a survivor, even more so than Cloud was in a way.
“Hey,” a voice startled him out of his morbid thoughts and Cloud tensed. The voice had become way too familiar over the past twenty-four hours.
“Go away, Reno,” Cloud scowled as he glared up at the red-head.
The Turk favoured him with an impish grin that just might have been infectious if only they weren't mortal enemies. “Damn, don't be so cold,” Reno's grin widened, “we've still got a truce goin', remember?”
“Hm,” Cloud shrugged. “A truce just means we leave each other alone for now, not that we become drinking buddies.”
Reno just laughed as he sat down across from Cloud. His eyes gleamed with mischief. “C'mon, it ain't healthy to drink alone.”
Cloud rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Fine. Suit yourself.”
He was silent, still brooding as he listened to Reno call over one of the waitresses in order to buy a round of sake, apparently for both of them. Cloud snorted derisively. He supposed Reno could afford it, being a Turk and all, and knowing Rufus, they had probably gotten a raise in funding.
“Can I trust you?” Reno asked suddenly as he reached into his coat.
Cloud was suddenly alert, watching that hand with suspicious, narrowed eyes. “Why?” he frowned, though he'd really wanted to say, are you kidding me?
Reno just pulled out a pack of cigarettes in a rather elaborate gesture and shook his head. “You seriously need to relax, yo,” he made a face. “Listen,” he explained as he shook a cigarette out of the pack, “I'm not really supposed to be smoking anymore. The boss says it's gonna ruin my health in the long run, and he doesn't want to lose one of his best to a bad habit, I guess.”
Cloud shrugged, “seems like a reasonable enough request.”
“Yeah well, it's my body, right? Ain't that why you ditched Shinra in the first place? Anyway, Rude and Tseng, I know they'll keep their mouths shut, but Elena, she's a bit uptight…”
Cloud could only groan. “Who the hell am I going to tell, Reno ? God, how drunk are you?”
Reno grinned as the waitress reappeared with the sake. “Not nearly drunk enough.” With practiced grace, Reno poured them both a cup of sake and lit his cigarette at the same time.
Cloud stared at the small cup that was slid in front of him as if it were somehow poisonous. “What are you up to?” He asked sharply.
Reno shrugged and Cloud sighed. Maybe he had a point; maybe he did really need to relax.
The Turk lifted his cup in a rather mocking toast before knocking the sake back without wincing once. Cloud sipped at his own, hesitant because he knew about the rice wine's harsh burn. It wasn't so bad as he'd imagined; it left a pleasant warmth in its wake, far nicer than the beer's queasy tickle.
Reno poured himself another cup as he regarded Cloud curiously. “So…you really think you can stop Sephiroth?”
Cloud frowned; he didn't like the query at all and found himself retorting rather snarkily, “Do you really think that Shinra can stop us from trying?”
“Hmm,” Reno's blue eyes narrowed coolly, all amusement gone from his expression. Cloud was eerily reminded that no matter what their current arrangement, they were still enemies. The sudden return of that devilish grin only somewhat relaxed Cloud.
“Y'know what?” Reno chuckled, that dazzling grin still lighting up his pretty face. “Fuck it, let's not talk shop tonight. Let's face it: No matter what happens, we still gotta do what we need to do in the end.”
Cloud smiled slightly and tilted his head,“That might be the smartest thing I've ever heard you say.”
Reno mock-scowled at Cloud and gave him the finger as he snuffed out his cigarette.
*~*~*~*
Reno was not a nice guy, he was a cocksure smart-ass who didn't give a damn about much more than himself and his job, but at least he was amusing company. He coaxed a smile or two from Cloud, which was a miracle in and of itself. Cloud didn't feel like he had much to smile about these days but Reno's good mood was annoyingly infectious.
They didn't have anything to reminisce about but they managed to find some common ground. Reno was a gossip junky. Cloud supposed that it was a spy thing and he was careful not to give up any important information. He was also careful not to tell Reno about the curious affair between Tifa, Aeris, and himself. Best not to give the Turk ideas, though he wasn't stupid enough to imagine that Reno didn't have his suspicions already.
Increasingly, the conversation turned back to Cloud. “You know what I think is funny?” Reno announced as they worked through round of sake number three.
“Hmm?” Cloud arched an eyebrow at him.
“Well…see, back when all this began, I did some checking up on you. Want to know what I found?”
Cloud was uneasy even though Reno was laughing. “What?”
(If he knows the truth, things are going to get interesting.)
(The truth? What? The truth about five years ago?)
A headache bloomed behind his eyes, bright and painful, and Cloud rubbed his temple to try to relieve it.
“Not a damned thing!” Reno shook his head, appearing now more annoyed than amused. “Can you believe it? I guess all the files on you are really classified or something.” His annoyance faded as his expression became more thoughtful. “If he wasn't so goddamned busy, I'd ask Rufus about it but…” He made a dismissive gesture, “I don't think it matters in the end, what you did, only what you're doing right now: Namely being a pain in Shinra's ass.”
Cloud groaned softly as his mind tried to process that information. Nothing on me? Well, he supposed it wasn't entirely out of the question. He was willing to bet that Shinra had bent over backwards trying to cover up the incident at Nibelheim. Hell, it made sense considering the current degree of ignorance among the people living there.
Yet how deeply buried was it that even a Turk couldn't find out the details and why, considering they were privy to stuff about the Ancients.
Something's not right here…
(You know the answers.)
(I do?)
“Hey? You okay?” Reno asked, “Too much sake?”
“Ugh,” Cloud stumbled to his feet. “Air. I need air…”
He barely registered Reno's hand gripping his upper arm, only that his touch was warm and grounded him in reality, at least for the time being.
A cool breeze from the mountains put a chill in the night air. Cloud relished it as he leaned against the back wall of the bar's exterior. It soothed away the jumble of thoughts and memories that were making his head swim.
“You are so screwed up, y'know that?” Reno shook his head, faintly bemused. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he spoke and the cherry created a somewhat spooky glow over his fine features.
“Go to hell, Reno,” Cloud grumbled half-heartedly. His headache hadn't really faded and he was in no mood for verbal sparring. He was irritable, wondering how he ended up in these ridiculous situations. What the hell was wrong with him, taking comfort in an enemy rather than trusting his friends? Reno was right. He was profoundly screwed up…
The Turk rolled his eyes as he approached him. “Whatever. Don't start that brooding shit again. It was cute for the first ten minutes, but now it's seriously starting to get old, yo.” Reno reached out, laid his long fingers against the back of Cloud's neck. He massaged the flesh there, fingers deftly kneading from the base of his skull down to the nape of his neck. All the tension began to leave his body. It felt impossibly good, his touch warm and so…real. Reno didn't know a thing about his headaches, his strange, crippling blackouts, and the voices that he heard. He found the knowledge oddly comforting, as soothing as the caress of his fingertips.
“Hmm…cute, eh?” Cloud chuckled. Of course everyone called Cloud cute, but he would never have expected to hear such a compliment passing from Reno's lips.
Reno's answering grin was positively wicked as he further invaded Cloud's space. His fingers tangled in the mess of Cloud's spiky blonde locks. “Sure, why not?” He shrugged as he tossed his half-smoked cigarette aside.
Cloud felt the hand that wasn't in his hair slide along his hip, drawing him closer. “Um…“ He murmured. His blood rushed in his ears, his heartbeat was too loud but for once that was all it was. Just his pulse racing too fast, reacting to Reno's intimate proximity.
Reno was leaning into him, pressing their bodies closer together. Cloud's senses were full of the man. His wild red hair brushed his cheek and he smelled of expensive alcohol and cigarette smoke and very faintly of some spicy cologne. His seductive gaze intoxicated Cloud's vision. Reno's eyes were an amazing shade of blue and Cloud thought of the ocean.
“Do you want this as much as I do?” He breathed against Cloud's mouth.
Oddly, Cloud was inclined to tell the truth rather than push the Turk away. This really wasn't right; it would just lead to trouble and yet… “I don't know,” Cloud admitted.
“Wanna find out?” Reno leered.
Cloud licked his lips, cast his eyes down and stared at Reno's mouth. He never waited for Cloud's answer and kissed him. Cloud stiffened, surprised and more than a little bit aroused. Reno's lips were hot, smooth and far from gentle. The kiss demanded his attention and Cloud fell to earth, more rooted in reality at that moment than he had been in the past five years. There were no voices, no fugues, no fractured memories, only the press of Reno's body and the heat of his mouth, smooth liquid tongue sliding past his lips.
Cloud raked his fingers through Reno's hair, loosening his already mussed ponytail. He broke their kiss, feeling bold and trailed his tongue along the Turk's jaw line. Cloud sucked his earlobe and listened to Reno's breathless laughter. Long fingers tugged at his hair and Reno sealed his fate with a few simple words.
“Cloud…” Their mouths clashed in a torrid kiss before Reno could continue, “Do you want to go somewhere...?”
TBC…
“Truce”
Part I
Cloud Strife knew that he should have been pleased with the outcome of the situation. They had gotten their materia back, saved Yuffie, and managed to get Don Corneo out of their hair once and for all. The fact that The Turks had helped rather than hindered them had been a pleasant development as well.
Despite the fact that everything had worked out absurdly well, Cloud was restless and impatient. The entire debacle had been a waste of time really, and time wasn't exactly on their side. He wished that he had never listened to Yuffie and, though he supposed fate had served her up a bit of karmatic comeuppance for her betrayal, that wouldn't give them their wasted day back.
If they managed to beat Sephiroth to the Temple of the Ancients in time to figure out what he wanted with it, it would be a small miracle. Cloud felt helpless and he hated that. He couldn't sleep; he was too worried, thinking about the worst possible outcomes.
Cloud had never been the most optimistic person. In fact one might be inclined to call him a pessimist. One of the few times he had been optimistic about something was when he had decided to join SOLDIER, and that had turned out…well, things aren't always as they seem.
Cloud frowned into the darkness of his room, and made the decision to sneak out. As he sat up in bed, he shook his head. It's not sneaking out, Cloud brooded, I'm a grown man, after all; I can do whatever the hell I want. It wasn't his most mature moment, but he couldn't think of anything else he could do at the moment. Everyone but Vincent was asleep, and as much as he liked the ex-Turk, the man wasn't much company. Cloud would like to have called their silent moments together companionable, but he really didn't know the man well enough.
Since Wutai was a bit of an exotic getaway, a vacation spot for those who wanted something with more culture than Costa del Sol, the bar was still open. Cloud really wasn't much of a drinker but he ordered a beer anyway and settled himself into a quiet, lonely corner table.
He didn't care if the sake here was damned near world famous, it was too expensive and he really didn't want anyone to notice the missing gil. Well, he didn't want Tifa to notice. She ran a tight ship at The 7th Heaven when it came to handling money and old habits seemed to die hard with everyone he knew.
Cloud sipped his beer, trying to get his mind off Sephiroth, Jenova, Ancients, and Shinra. It wasn't easy and left him thinking about the situation with Tifa and Aeris, which was not all that much clearer. He had loved Tifa for a long time and even after all he had been through because of Shinra and Sephiroth, the feeling really hadn't faded.
But Aeris…She was special, she was someone to be cherished. Cloud was conflicted, wanting to get closer to her and yet feeling like he needed to distance himself. A part of him was afraid that he couldn't protect her and sometimes she seemed so full of a sad wisdom, as if she knew how this would all end up and that she wouldn't be able to see it through to that conclusion.
Of course it was ridiculous to think that. She was strong, a survivor, even more so than Cloud was in a way.
“Hey,” a voice startled him out of his morbid thoughts and Cloud tensed. The voice had become way too familiar over the past twenty-four hours.
“Go away, Reno,” Cloud scowled as he glared up at the red-head.
The Turk favoured him with an impish grin that just might have been infectious if only they weren't mortal enemies. “Damn, don't be so cold,” Reno's grin widened, “we've still got a truce goin', remember?”
“Hm,” Cloud shrugged. “A truce just means we leave each other alone for now, not that we become drinking buddies.”
Reno just laughed as he sat down across from Cloud. His eyes gleamed with mischief. “C'mon, it ain't healthy to drink alone.”
Cloud rolled his eyes. “Whatever. Fine. Suit yourself.”
He was silent, still brooding as he listened to Reno call over one of the waitresses in order to buy a round of sake, apparently for both of them. Cloud snorted derisively. He supposed Reno could afford it, being a Turk and all, and knowing Rufus, they had probably gotten a raise in funding.
“Can I trust you?” Reno asked suddenly as he reached into his coat.
Cloud was suddenly alert, watching that hand with suspicious, narrowed eyes. “Why?” he frowned, though he'd really wanted to say, are you kidding me?
Reno just pulled out a pack of cigarettes in a rather elaborate gesture and shook his head. “You seriously need to relax, yo,” he made a face. “Listen,” he explained as he shook a cigarette out of the pack, “I'm not really supposed to be smoking anymore. The boss says it's gonna ruin my health in the long run, and he doesn't want to lose one of his best to a bad habit, I guess.”
Cloud shrugged, “seems like a reasonable enough request.”
“Yeah well, it's my body, right? Ain't that why you ditched Shinra in the first place? Anyway, Rude and Tseng, I know they'll keep their mouths shut, but Elena, she's a bit uptight…”
Cloud could only groan. “Who the hell am I going to tell, Reno ? God, how drunk are you?”
Reno grinned as the waitress reappeared with the sake. “Not nearly drunk enough.” With practiced grace, Reno poured them both a cup of sake and lit his cigarette at the same time.
Cloud stared at the small cup that was slid in front of him as if it were somehow poisonous. “What are you up to?” He asked sharply.
Reno shrugged and Cloud sighed. Maybe he had a point; maybe he did really need to relax.
The Turk lifted his cup in a rather mocking toast before knocking the sake back without wincing once. Cloud sipped at his own, hesitant because he knew about the rice wine's harsh burn. It wasn't so bad as he'd imagined; it left a pleasant warmth in its wake, far nicer than the beer's queasy tickle.
Reno poured himself another cup as he regarded Cloud curiously. “So…you really think you can stop Sephiroth?”
Cloud frowned; he didn't like the query at all and found himself retorting rather snarkily, “Do you really think that Shinra can stop us from trying?”
“Hmm,” Reno's blue eyes narrowed coolly, all amusement gone from his expression. Cloud was eerily reminded that no matter what their current arrangement, they were still enemies. The sudden return of that devilish grin only somewhat relaxed Cloud.
“Y'know what?” Reno chuckled, that dazzling grin still lighting up his pretty face. “Fuck it, let's not talk shop tonight. Let's face it: No matter what happens, we still gotta do what we need to do in the end.”
Cloud smiled slightly and tilted his head,“That might be the smartest thing I've ever heard you say.”
Reno mock-scowled at Cloud and gave him the finger as he snuffed out his cigarette.
*~*~*~*
Reno was not a nice guy, he was a cocksure smart-ass who didn't give a damn about much more than himself and his job, but at least he was amusing company. He coaxed a smile or two from Cloud, which was a miracle in and of itself. Cloud didn't feel like he had much to smile about these days but Reno's good mood was annoyingly infectious.
They didn't have anything to reminisce about but they managed to find some common ground. Reno was a gossip junky. Cloud supposed that it was a spy thing and he was careful not to give up any important information. He was also careful not to tell Reno about the curious affair between Tifa, Aeris, and himself. Best not to give the Turk ideas, though he wasn't stupid enough to imagine that Reno didn't have his suspicions already.
Increasingly, the conversation turned back to Cloud. “You know what I think is funny?” Reno announced as they worked through round of sake number three.
“Hmm?” Cloud arched an eyebrow at him.
“Well…see, back when all this began, I did some checking up on you. Want to know what I found?”
Cloud was uneasy even though Reno was laughing. “What?”
(If he knows the truth, things are going to get interesting.)
(The truth? What? The truth about five years ago?)
A headache bloomed behind his eyes, bright and painful, and Cloud rubbed his temple to try to relieve it.
“Not a damned thing!” Reno shook his head, appearing now more annoyed than amused. “Can you believe it? I guess all the files on you are really classified or something.” His annoyance faded as his expression became more thoughtful. “If he wasn't so goddamned busy, I'd ask Rufus about it but…” He made a dismissive gesture, “I don't think it matters in the end, what you did, only what you're doing right now: Namely being a pain in Shinra's ass.”
Cloud groaned softly as his mind tried to process that information. Nothing on me? Well, he supposed it wasn't entirely out of the question. He was willing to bet that Shinra had bent over backwards trying to cover up the incident at Nibelheim. Hell, it made sense considering the current degree of ignorance among the people living there.
Yet how deeply buried was it that even a Turk couldn't find out the details and why, considering they were privy to stuff about the Ancients.
Something's not right here…
(You know the answers.)
(I do?)
“Hey? You okay?” Reno asked, “Too much sake?”
“Ugh,” Cloud stumbled to his feet. “Air. I need air…”
He barely registered Reno's hand gripping his upper arm, only that his touch was warm and grounded him in reality, at least for the time being.
A cool breeze from the mountains put a chill in the night air. Cloud relished it as he leaned against the back wall of the bar's exterior. It soothed away the jumble of thoughts and memories that were making his head swim.
“You are so screwed up, y'know that?” Reno shook his head, faintly bemused. A cigarette dangled from his lips as he spoke and the cherry created a somewhat spooky glow over his fine features.
“Go to hell, Reno,” Cloud grumbled half-heartedly. His headache hadn't really faded and he was in no mood for verbal sparring. He was irritable, wondering how he ended up in these ridiculous situations. What the hell was wrong with him, taking comfort in an enemy rather than trusting his friends? Reno was right. He was profoundly screwed up…
The Turk rolled his eyes as he approached him. “Whatever. Don't start that brooding shit again. It was cute for the first ten minutes, but now it's seriously starting to get old, yo.” Reno reached out, laid his long fingers against the back of Cloud's neck. He massaged the flesh there, fingers deftly kneading from the base of his skull down to the nape of his neck. All the tension began to leave his body. It felt impossibly good, his touch warm and so…real. Reno didn't know a thing about his headaches, his strange, crippling blackouts, and the voices that he heard. He found the knowledge oddly comforting, as soothing as the caress of his fingertips.
“Hmm…cute, eh?” Cloud chuckled. Of course everyone called Cloud cute, but he would never have expected to hear such a compliment passing from Reno's lips.
Reno's answering grin was positively wicked as he further invaded Cloud's space. His fingers tangled in the mess of Cloud's spiky blonde locks. “Sure, why not?” He shrugged as he tossed his half-smoked cigarette aside.
Cloud felt the hand that wasn't in his hair slide along his hip, drawing him closer. “Um…“ He murmured. His blood rushed in his ears, his heartbeat was too loud but for once that was all it was. Just his pulse racing too fast, reacting to Reno's intimate proximity.
Reno was leaning into him, pressing their bodies closer together. Cloud's senses were full of the man. His wild red hair brushed his cheek and he smelled of expensive alcohol and cigarette smoke and very faintly of some spicy cologne. His seductive gaze intoxicated Cloud's vision. Reno's eyes were an amazing shade of blue and Cloud thought of the ocean.
“Do you want this as much as I do?” He breathed against Cloud's mouth.
Oddly, Cloud was inclined to tell the truth rather than push the Turk away. This really wasn't right; it would just lead to trouble and yet… “I don't know,” Cloud admitted.
“Wanna find out?” Reno leered.
Cloud licked his lips, cast his eyes down and stared at Reno's mouth. He never waited for Cloud's answer and kissed him. Cloud stiffened, surprised and more than a little bit aroused. Reno's lips were hot, smooth and far from gentle. The kiss demanded his attention and Cloud fell to earth, more rooted in reality at that moment than he had been in the past five years. There were no voices, no fugues, no fractured memories, only the press of Reno's body and the heat of his mouth, smooth liquid tongue sliding past his lips.
Cloud raked his fingers through Reno's hair, loosening his already mussed ponytail. He broke their kiss, feeling bold and trailed his tongue along the Turk's jaw line. Cloud sucked his earlobe and listened to Reno's breathless laughter. Long fingers tugged at his hair and Reno sealed his fate with a few simple words.
“Cloud…” Their mouths clashed in a torrid kiss before Reno could continue, “Do you want to go somewhere...?”
TBC…