(for Princess Moka)

A few years back one of Zack's superiors passed away, Sephiroth, he was seen as a great man and everyone was shocked when he died. No one seemed to know what had happened to him either. Zack had gone to Angeal and Genesis, the two people who would know something but they too knew nothing about what had happened to their friend. A little down Zack didn't really think anything of it. But that was years ago and the thoughts of Sephiroth had been washed out of his mind when he met someone who worked in another department of Shinra a young Cloud Strife who had captured him from first glance. His blue eyes so gorgeous; so gorgeous he could compare him to nothing. A year passed since he had started seeing Cloud when he actually remembered Sephiroth again at a memorial in his honour, a dedicating to his life, three years after his death.

After another long day at work Zack headed back to his apartment with a sigh. He put the key into the door and turned, stopping when a searing pain shot through his head. He groaned and leaned against the wood closing his eyes tight. This had been happening on an off for the past week, he just figured it was stress from work though and did nothing in particular about it. Maybe it wasn't just stress though. He decided, if it happens again, that he would go to the doctor about it. Eventually it stopped and he headed inside throwing himself down on the couch. He was glad that Cloud would be coming over later, he could get his mind off of these headaches which were starting to worry him now. He hadn't seen Cloud in a couple of days, they had both been busy, so he knew tonight would be...fun, if anything. Zack almost couldn't help the goofy smile that found it's way onto his face at the thought. He closed his eyes and was in the mind set drifting between sleep and the waking world waiting for that knock on the door which he knew would be Cloud.

Cloud couldn't remember a day when he'd felt so normal. Not since a while back, when something horrible had happened. No, he thought softly. No need to think about it. He gave a small sigh and continued to walk, feeling strangely light. He got to see Zack, he remembered. Zack...

Meeting Zack had been the moment Cloud's very life meant something. Zack, with his widly beautiful eyes, sun kissed skin and crazy hair. And even though it was mushy and something he would never admit, Cloud honestly thought he could be in love with this man. It had taken away the pain of his dark memories, the dark memory of Sephiroth. The man who had died a while ago... Once again, Cloud tossed his head. He turned on the small path leading up to Zack's place and gently raised his knuckles, tapping them lightly against the door. He had at least five seconds before Zack answered the door. He always counted.

Zack jumped slightly more awake then before as he heard someone at the door. He brushed his now slightly messed up hair out of his face and back into the relative position it had been in before and made his way to the door. He opened it and smiled at the blond standing on the other side of the doorway. His teeth seeming even whiter against the rest of his tanned appearance. "Hey, I've missed you, it's been a couple days." he said motioning for Cloud to step inside, "Do you want anything to eat or drink or anything?" Zack asked heading into the kitchen, cracking a pop open for himself before standing in the door way his eyes soft as he looked Cloud over, always so gorgeous, it made him so elated to think that this gorgeous man was 'his' it was like a dream.

"No, I'm good," Cloud replied, shaking his head slightly. He watched Zack, and for a moment, he felt shy. His throat started to clog up for a moment, and his cheeks heated up and his eyes burned. Zack was so...incredibly...hot, and Cloud was so incredibly not. He gave a few fake coughs in order to hide his face in his arm in shame, feeling embarrassed at his sudden breakdown. "Zack, do you..." He paused, unsure of what he really wanted to ask. Did he really want to question Zack's affectionate feelings for him? Cloud bit his lip nervously.

Zack paused, the can at his lips as he went to take a hefty gulp, an eyebrow rising high on his forehead at the almost embarrassed look on Cloud's face. He frowned slightly pushing off the wall and walking towards him. Kicking the door closed he reached up with his free hand placing it on the back of Cloud's neck. "Do I what?" he asked, his face filled with concern, he knew Cloud could be very fragile so he was always so kind so gentle, not that he could help it when he was around this man. His other hand stayed at his side as fingers idly traced along the line between hair and skin on that pretty pale skinned neck of Cloud's.

The feeling of Zack's fingers against Cloud's skin made his mind go blank. If Cloud didn't have much sense at all, he would have drooled, but he was smarter than that. "Nothing," he mumbled. "I was being stupid... Well, not stupid but insecure, I suppose. I was just wondering how I..." His voice trailed off as he forced himself to look up into Zack's deep eyes, feeling somewhat lost. Cloud licked his lips again, a nervous habit of his, as he took another shaky breath. "What made you...pick me over all the others?"

A smile slowly started to take control of Zack's face as Cloud spoke in such a fast nervous manner. Zack couldn't help but be used to Cloud being like this, he was so often insecure, but Zack found it adorable it was like he truly had no clue what he did to Zack. "It's been a year now hasn't it? And you're asking that now. You really do have no clue what you do to me Cloud." he said his eyebrows lowering as he smiled giving the blond a quick kiss before letting his hand fall from his neck and he went and seated himself on the couch patting the space next to him for Cloud to join. Zack took another sip of his drink before placing it on the table to the side of the couch.

A ridiculous blush spread over Cloud's cheeks from the small peck on the lips. He couldn't help the goofy grin that almost took over his soft lips, and he managed to shake himself out of his girly display of... Oh, what was the word...? Cloud forced his legs to move and dropped himself next to Zack, and once he was comfortable, he let his gaze fall on Zack's hands. Those hands that were so gentle... What did Zack mean that Cloud didn't know what he did to him? Cloud knew he drove the man crazy, but for some reason, he just couldn't make himself believe it was all real. Every since Sephiroth, he didn't want to believe that anything as beautiful as this relationship could be true. He found himself thinking about the incident and immediately forced his thoughts away. Cloud popped his toes, still gazing at Zack's hand, almost daydreaming about what those hands would possibly be doing later on...

Zack draped one arm around Cloud, pulling the blond closer to him smiling as he did so. He sighed as he rested his chin on top of Cloud's head, nestled in that spiked hair of his. Closing his eyes he let out a short laugh knowing that today was going to be a good day. "Cloud, Cloud, Cloud, what am I going to do with you?" he said more to himself then to Cloud, lacing a small laugh into the end of his question. He let out a content sigh that ruffled the spikes by his nose wishing he could always be this close to Cloud, or even closer.

Cloud couldn't keep it in any longer. He burst out, "What do you want to do with me?" and then blushed a bright red. The spout of giggles that followed, he could not contain either. Cloud was positive something was wrong with him. One moment he was shy and angsty, and the next he was acting like some giggly drunk on the side of the road. Did being close to Zack really get him this lovedrunk?

Zack was shocked his eyes opening wide at the outburst as he pulled himself away from Cloud blinking a couple times before laughing. "Who are you and what have you done with Cloud Strife?" he asked, propping himself on a knee as he placed a hand in the junction of Cloud's neck and shoulder, giving the blond a kiss, "Since when do you act like a giggly school girl?" he asked with a smirk pulling at one side of his lips.

Cloud couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that followed Zack's astonishment. "Today has just been an amazing day," he said, shrugging. "And it's ending with an amazing finish." He leaned forward and touched the tips of their noses together, feeling calmer than he had for...days.

Zack let out a short laugh, "Really, I thought today dragged out longer then usual, because I couldn't get you off my mind." he said rubbing his nose against Cloud's slightly as he spoke, "But an amazing finish, is definitely going to happen." He said his hand dropping from Cloud's neck to the bottom of Cloud's shirt playing with the hem idly as he smirked at the blond.

"Well, it was the thought of being with you that made my day seem rushed and go by faster, because I was anticipating being with you like this," Cloud admitted, once again blushing. His body was practically yearning for Zack's touch, and it didn't really embarrass him as much as it made him want the man more. Only Zack made him tremble like this, want like this... Zack was perfect for him.

Zack laughed, a deep laugh echoing up through his throat, at Cloud's words. His hand slipped its way up Cloud's shirt, hiking it up as his hand trailed up towards Cloud's collar, his other hand joining the first. One hand stopping to tease a nipple idly, rolling it between two fingers, as the other pushed the shirt up over his head pulling his face away from Cloud's for a moment. After discarding the shirt he moved forward planting another more heated kiss against Cloud's lips knowing that this was going to be fun.

Cloud felt Zack's hot mouth press against his, and was hyperly aware that his sensitive body was reacting. The hand of Zack's that was playing with his nipple was surprisingly gentle in the roughness of the action, and the feeling it gave Cloud made him give a soft moan into the heat of Zack's lips. Cloud threw one of his arms carelessly over Zack's shoulders, and left the other to dangle over the edge. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he couldn't believe he was letting this happen, but Zack's body just felt so good when it was pressed against his, even if it happened to just be a passionate kiss. But this... Cloud was willing for this, and knew it was much more than a heated make out session.

Zack's eyes dropped as he relaxed into the kiss his free hand trailed down to the hem of Cloud's pants moving slowly as he was in no rush as he started to undo the front of his pants. He loved the moan Cloud had let out but he knew he was going to get the chance to hear more of those so he didn't have to worry about that. If Cloud wanted this to go any faster he would have to move it along himself.

Eyes heavy, Cloud gazed at the ceiling, enjoying the feeling of Zack's hand trailing down his stomach. But as soon as his fingers touched his pants, it was as if his mind had flipped a lever and was screaming at him.

Sephiroth had done the same thing in the heat of the moment. But his was more like a fierce rip than a gentle tug on the button. Cloud couldn't stop the tears that poured down his face. He'd never felt so scared in his life.

"Stop!" Cloud cried, his hands immediately flying down to Zack's hand, ripping it away from his zipper. His face flushed with horror. Why had he done that? He'd asked for it, hadn't he? Embarrassed, he sank back down. Zack wasn't Sephiroth. Sephiroth was dead, and Cloud was happy with Zack. Cloud had never been happy with Sephiroth. Never. "I-I'm sorry!" he burst out, putting his hands over his face. I'm such an idiot, he thought bitterly.

Zack's eyes opened wide as Cloud pushed him away, he blinked a couple times a bit confused as to what had just happened. He sat back looking at Cloud a frown coming to his features as he moved a hand froward resting it in his hair. "Hey, it's okay, are you alright, what happened?" he asked his voice filled with all the concern he could muster. His heart was beating hard in his chest so worried for this man. "Please tell me if I did something wrong." he said. His free hand rested on Cloud's knee as he leaned forward to look at Cloud's face though it was covered by his hands.

"It wasn't you," Cloud murmured through his fingers, ashamed. "It wasn't you. It was something that happened to me, but it's okay." He pulled his hands away. He longed to tell Zack what had happened between him and Sephiroth...

...the screams of pain the silverhaired man took for screams of pleasure...

...that night, but it would've been too hard. His throat tightened at just the thought. Cloud managed to pull a calming smile on his face. "It's okay. I'm okay."

Zack frowned, "Do you want to stop, I don't want you to feel uncomfortable, if you're going to be scared or something I'm not going to continue. If there's something you want to get off your chest, please tell me Cloud." he said hand moving down from Cloud's head to his bare back rubbing it in a comforting manner not wanting Cloud to be as freaked as as he seemed to have been mere moments ago, it was clear that this calm attitude he had put on was relatively forced.

Cloud forced the words through his teeth. "I don't have anything to tell you, really," he lied, and he knew it. He could hear the false note in his voice, but hoped that Zack really would not notice the obviousness of his I'm-Not-Gonna-Speak-It nature. "I think we should just relax instead," he continued. "I think that tonight would be the perfect night to just rest and talk and..." Not have sex, he said in his head, terrified to put the words on his vocal cords.

You were never scared before, he chastised himself, strangely angry. Cloud, what was so different about this time? No, it wasn't that anything was different. Cloud had been remembering Sephiroth a lot lately, and it scared him. He'd been having trouble getting to sleep, and the nightmares... Maybe spending time with Zack tonight would ease it away. Cloud nodded to himself, positive that just resting would be the answer. He bit his lip and looked back at Zack, wondering what the man was tihnking. Did he think Cloud was being strange?

It was clear that Cloud was lying, it was clear that he did not want to talk about it and Zack didn't want to pry, he didn't want to make Cloud feel any worse then he clearly already did. "Alright that sounds fine by me." he said with a caring smile. He was very curious now though he couldn't help that much but he couldn't bring himself to pry into Cloud's mind. "Wanna go into the bedroom? We can lie down." Zack suggested, he figured Cloud might change his mind later on anyway. He knew Cloud had his own problems, a lot more then a lot of people had but he had never been one to ask about them, he would let Cloud tell him when he thought he was ready to let Zack know, no matter when that was. He kissed Cloud on the forehead, "You don't have to look so worried everything's fine, right?"

Cloud vaguely heard Zack speaking, but it wasn't until the kiss to the forehead that he actually paid attention, and now that he thought about it, maybe he was worrying too much. Zack would never do anything so...horrible like Sephiroth did. "Oh," he mumbled. "Yeah, okay..." He hated making Zack worried, and hated himself for being the reason why. It wasn't fair of him, but he had to get his mind off it. "I'm sorry," he said again, in a soft, low voice. He felt so tired all the sudden that he just leaned forward, resting his face in Zack's neck, feeling too exhausted to move.

Zack couldn't help but give a soft smile to Cloud as he leaned against his neck. Zack moved and picked up the thin blond, bridal style, without a problem carrying him into the bedroom like the princess he saw him as. He rested him on the bed before changing into some more comfortable clothing, not wanting to be wearing his work clothes into bed. A pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt 3 or 4 sizes bigger he turned back to Cloud and smiled, "suits me doesn't it?" he said with a laugh running his hand through his hair and sticking his tongue out slightly before moving to sit down next to Cloud, leaning against the wall behind him and looking down at the blond, pulling his legs up to his chest, resting his chin on his knees.