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It was an incredibly peaceful night.
That's what Cloud initially believed pressed up against to his lover, warm arms wrapped tightly around his waist, and with his face buried against Rufus' left shoulder. Their legs are twisted together underneath the silky sheets, the blankets wrapped comfortably around their bodies, and the mattress was soft yet firm all at once. He was practically being held in this position and Cloud enjoyed it, feeling secure in the embrace.
It was a pleasant night despite arriving back late from a delivery run, creeping through the dark corridors of Rufus' massive penthouse before arriving in their shared bedroom. Peeling off his clothes and equipment, Cloud settled for a quick shower, washing off the dirt and grime from driving in the open world before shuffling into a pair of clean pants. The dirty items was left next to the bathroom hanger for tomorrow, too tired to bother with it now. Shuffling underneath the covers, well aware that Rufus had briefly woken up at his arrival, Cloud curled up beside the man, which left him in his current position.
Cloud sighed blissfully, able to feel the soft puffs of breath from his lover bristling against his hair, while his skin was damp from the recent shower. The room was quiet, dark, and cool with the curtains pulled shut to keep the outside night lights and moon from peaking in. His mako blue eyes flickered open, staring at his lover's face curiously. It wasn't often he got to see Rufus this relaxed, the weight of his company temporarily unable to bother him in his sleep. The contrast of features was different almost like night and day and, for a moment, Cloud could honestly believe the man he slept with was much younger than his actual age. Apparently, stressed played a significant role in the lines and dark bags.
"You're staring."
Cloud should have known that Rufus was sensitive to his concentrated gazes, just barely able to cover his flinch at the sudden noise. Refocusing his attention on his boyfriend, he realized those icy-blue eyes had peeked open, returning the stare curiously and yet the fondness and affection within was so visible. The drowsiness was still there and he felt that warm arm resting against his waist retract to cover a yawn.
Cloud sighed, "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you."
"Its fine." Rufus shuffled in his spot, trying to find a more comfortable position before reaching under his head to yank the pillow downward to support his neck. "Can't sleep?"
Rolling onto his back, Cloud stared briefly up at the ceiling before turning his gaze to the glowing red letters on the bedside table clock. It was almost one in the morning, far too late or, at least, too early for Rufus who had to rise at an ungodly time in the morning for work. Cloud, on the other hand, didn't have any jobs until the afternoon and that one would be brief.
"Yeah, can't sleep." Running a hand through his spiky hair, barely dried from the shower, Cloud sighed once more. "Don't worry about me. Might just take me a little longer."
Rufus just hummed before shuffling forward, this time tucking his head against Cloud's inner shoulder and wrapping his right arm around the waist. It almost mimicked the earlier position in reverse. His silk pajamas was smooth against skin, the warmth just right underneath the heavy covers. "Now I know I'm pretty to look at but you'll need to reframe from doing so. Can't exactly sleep with your eyes boring into my skull."
"Rufus!" Cloud exclaimed exhaustively, unable to miss the wide grin on his lover's lips. He couldn't help the way his cheeks darkened and was tempted for a moment to yank the covers over Rufus' head childishly. Instead, Cloud just rubbed in-between his eyes with his thumb and forefinger before reluctantly flopping his arm against the bed in defeat.
Chuckling at the response, Rufus pressed a kiss against Cloud's cheek before returning to his snug position. He let out a content sigh, nuzzling his nose against the warm inner neck. "Good night, Cloud."
"Night..." Unable to stop his own jitteriness, Cloud leaned over awkwardly to place his own kiss against Rufus' forehead and used his right hand to thread his fingers through the short silky hair. He could practically feel his cheeks burning and his heart racing within his chest. He just hoped that the pounding wouldn't bother Rufus' sleep. Despite the faint brushing of his hand, Cloud could tell Rufus was simply resting, not quite there to fall back into the abyss.
Regardless, it was incredibly serene. The room was quiet, just faint noises coming from the streets and the comforting hum of the air-con. It was like, in that moment, all the worries for the next day was wasting away to nothingness and all that mattered was the warm press of heat.
Just as Cloud closed his eyes, hoping to catch some shut eye himself, his ears picked up the faint sounds of scratching. Barely noticeable and might have been missed if it hadn't been for his enhanced hearing. It sounded like something was brushing up against the windows outside in the living room, which wasn't possible considering the penthouse was up on the tenth floor. It could be a bird but there was no ledges along the window frames and Cloud didn't know any other animals that would be able to get this high up this late at night.
Then what sounded like a latch popping open snapped Cloud into reality.
Someone was trying to break in.
Yanking his arm out from underneath Rufus, mentally muttering a apology, Cloud quickly rolled his way off of the bed. His eyes went straight to one of his blades, the smallest of the set, and grabbed it along with the barrier materia and bracelet (popping those two together) within his bag. The shuffling behind on the bed momentarily caught his attention, spotting curious blue eyes peering down at his crouched form.
Fortunately, Cloud didn't need to say a single word to get the dire situation across as Rufus's eyes momentarily widened from the idea of being attacked within his own home before spinning off their shared bed on the opposite side. Rufus' own equipment laid there along within his cell phone, typing a quick message for his Turks, before making his way around the bed to Cloud's side, his materia-equipped shotgun in hand. Giving a sharp nod, Rufus alerted Cloud he was ready.
The not-SOLDIER returned the gesture, taking point, and pressed himself against the wall beside the door. As his left hand quietly rotated the door handle, Cloud listened for any noise outside the bedroom, any hints of their intruder. It was barely perceived but with his enhanced hearing, Cloud could pick up the faint sounds of something ruffling, like some kind of cloth rubbing across or against something. Any breathing or footsteps was non-apparent which left Cloud guessing on the intruder's location.
Opening the door, he peeked carefully around the enormous open room on the other side, using his augmentation to his advantage. The lack of light didn't bother him even with the streetlights and the moon shining through the windows. He searched through the darkness, cautiously studying it for any movement, before eventually stumbling across the intruder in the kitchen, the far right area.
The figure was tall, almost imposing with the way the man's clothes wrapped around his shape, with one hand appearing like it was covered with some sort of long claw. Cloud raised an eyebrow at the sight, stepping into the area with his fingers tightly gripping his blade. He already had the wall materia powered up, prepared to call forth a barrier if needed for protection of both himself and his lover. As he edged closer, Rufus close behind, Cloud tried to identify more details regarding their intruder, especially the weapons. He wanted no surprises in such enclosed quarters.
Cloud could make out a gun holstered on the right thigh, able to spot the various materia attached to it by the faint glow, using the color of them to calculate the type. The man was wearing some sort of long cape, the top covering most of the face, and had dark shoulder-length hair.
Cloud paused momentarily as he pondered over those particular features.
How many people did he know that went around dressed in a cape, wielding a gun, and had a claw-like hand on the left? And had a tendency to sneak around? And get into places that are restricted and difficult to accomplish? That list was short, very short. So much so that Cloud sighed so heavily and loudly that he saw Rufus flinch at his side from the sudden noise. Standing straight as he loosened his grip on his sword and depowered his bracelet, Cloud strode to the closest light switch with a irritated grumble under his breath. Flickering it on, he got a clear view of said intruder.
"Goddamnit, Vincent!" Cloud almost screeched, mentally cursing every word he could think of. He could see out of the corner of his eyes as Rufus relaxed, rapidly blinking a few seconds to adjust to the sudden brightness. At least, there was no danger. "It's like one in the morning! What are you doing here so late?"
Vincent didn't respond at first, stepping forward to lean against the door frame separating the living room and kitchen. He was dressed in his usual garbs, his red eyes studying the two blonds before him in return.
Rufus sighed, taking a step to Cloud's left. "You know, there is a perfectly operational door you could have used." Reaching into the back pocket of his pajamas, he pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to his Turks to prevent them from breaking down the door. He had enough issues for the night, no need to add more to the list. The response came back instantaneously, which another relief. "There's even a doorbell attached to it."
"Apologies." Vincent finally replied, his eyes still flickering between the two. "I was under the impression that Cloud was missing."
"Missing?" This time both blonds responded, glancing at each other momentarily for the fact they had verbally lined up.
Cloud, first to recover, shook his head, "Clearly I'm not." He motioned to himself, obviously standing in the middle of the room for both to see.
"Yes, I can see that now." Vincent sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, pushing some of the loose strands that had fallen from his bandana back, before stepping forward. There was a brief flash of frustration in those red eyes before it vanished, shaking his head.
"You said that Cloud was supposedly missing?" Rufus spoke up, deciding to take control of the situation. He had placed his weapon onto a nearby couch, no longer requiring it, and tucked his hands into his pockets. He looked ruffled from the sudden wakefulness, his normally slicked back hair sticking up in multiple direction (nowhere close to Cloud's usual gravity defying nonsense), and to those that knew him well, looked quite out of character from his normal pristine and perfectly up-kept attire. "Why's that? As far as I'm aware, he's been working."
Cloud nodded to that, agreeing. "I know I've been busy with deliveries and I haven't had time to visit Tifa and the kids but that isn't anything new." He reached up to scratch the side of his head, pondering over any thoughts that might be related to the topic. He knew for a fact there hadn't been any appointments or requests for a visit. Nothing that would attract unnecessary attention. It's been a typical couple of weeks, the usual business that's been ongoing for so long.
"Oh..." This time Rufus cut in, drawing all attention to him. The dawning expression in those eyes made it pretty obvious he had figured out part of the reason. With a smirk, Rufus answered. "Cloud, your phone. You mentioned you broke it recently and you had to get a new one, yes? Have you moved all your contacts over yet?"
"Ah, shit..."
Well, that would explain some of the issues. He had broken his phone during a monster job and had managed to get another relatively quick with Rufus' assistance. Transferring his delivery business information hadn't been hard and he had meant to move the rest of his contacts over, he had just...forgotten, too caught up in everything else. Unfortunately, it was now biting him in the ass.
Still, it shouldn't have been enough to cause everyone to escalate such an uproar and send Vincent of all people to search for him, not over his so-called 'disappearance'. Anyone could have easily looked through his business history and know he was constantly working, that package are being delivered on time.
Cloud sighed, "I know I have the tendency to not...answer my calls." He ignored the snort behind him and the eye roll that followed as well as the temptation to throw something at his lover. "But even that shouldn't be enough to get everyone so worked up." Rubbing between his eyes, he could only think of one person that would freak out at his lack of involvement. Rufus, at least, knew how to keep an eye on his lover through the usage of tracking devices (on his bike) and hacking Cloud's accounts, not that said blond had been happy to hear about that. However, it was either that or the Turks being constantly on his case, spying into his personal business. So, again, that only left one person that would truly worry about him if he didn't respond to their calls. "It was Tifa, wasn't it?"
"Yes," Vincent nodded, raising an eyebrow as he watched Cloud grumble under his breath and Rufus snicker behind. "She's been checking up on your apartment for the past two weeks. She didn't get worried until after four days you hadn't come back to the apartment."
"Yes, because I've been staying here..." Cloud motioned to the penthouse.
"You've practically moved in." Rufus muttered to the side, silently chuckling to himself. His words, however, wasn't missed to either enhanced men. Cloud huffed, crossing his arms but wasn't able to deny the notion. It was true, he had pretty much moved his personal belongings and equipment here. It was safer too in the long run. Aerith's church had become too popular to reside in and with Barret staying at the Seventh Heaven bar and the resounding awkwardness between Tifa and himself, it was just easier to move into his own apartment, which he ended up rarely using at this point of time. He was rarely around his place even before his relationship with Rufus and when it became official, he decided it was simply easier to keep the more dangerous artifacts where there was plenty of security.
"That would explain why she mentioned your stuff was missing..." Vincent glanced around the room, able to spot said items that had mixed into Rufus' expensive furniture. It easily stood out but it gave the penthouse a personal touch it had been lacking.
"Look, I know Tifa means well and all and that she gets worried easily considering our history but it shouldn't be enough to send you of all people after me." Cloud sighed, more frustrated than anything at this point. He ran a hand through his hair, pushing back some of the strands before it bounced back into place. "I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but it's annoying too."
"Understandable."
"Well, now that that's been cleared up." Cloud straightened his posture, folding his arms against his chest. "What are you going to tell everyone? I like my privacy and, as much as a love them all, I don't need everyone coming over to see me." And he doubted Rufus would enjoy that either, something they are quite similar about.
Vincent just shrugged, "That you're safe and you've been staying with someone instead of your apartment. The lack of response was from the fact you recently broke your phone. They don't need to know any more than that." Those red eyes flickered between the two blonds before breaking out into a chuckle. "But that does bring about my next question: How long have you two been together?"
Cloud glanced at Rufus, "Oh, right..." He hadn't mentioned the new relationship to anyone yet, wanting to let it develop on its own, and things had kinda spiraled rapidly over the months. Cloud was well aware of the awkwardness between ShinRa and his friends, their history long and violent, and he didn't want that playing a role when things was just starting to look up. He wanted to see where it went before finally revealing it to everyone. "It just...kinda happened?" He shrugged his shoulders, unsure on how to respond to the question. He looked to Rufus for help, only to receive nothing.
Of course, Rufus wasn't going to help, he just wanted to see Cloud squirm under the pressure. The barely there smirk was a dead giveaway of his personal feelings.
"I mean, we've been together for about five months give or take?"
"Must you make our relationship sound so questionable?" Rufus remarked sarcastically, his lips twitching as if wanting to smile.
"I-I didn't..."
"I'm joking." Waving his hand, Rufus couldn't stop himself from grinning at Cloud's stuttering response. It was cute the way his lover tried to defend what they had. Reaching forward, he wrapped his right arm around Cloud's left, pulling his lover closer against him, smirking at the way a flush began to grow on Cloud's cheeks. "Regardless, I'd appreciate if this conversation continued in the morning. It's quite late and I'd like to head back to bed." He tightened his grip, ensuring there would be no escape for the other. Rufus had every intention on heading back into the warm covers with his lover, refusing to leave him out here to continue this late night chat with Vincent. He may be neutral towards the ex-Turk but that didn't mean he wasn't greedy.
After all, the bed was far too cold without Cloud in it.
Vincent momentarily eyed their interconnected arms before nodding, flipping his cape back in his usual dramatic fashion. "You're right, it is quite late. I'll return later in the morning to continue this. I apologize for startling you both awake." He stepped back towards the window he had originally entered through, slipping into the darkness within a blink of the eye. Despite the brightness of his cape and the way his claw flickered in the light, he vanished entirely.
Cloud quickly locked the window, sighing in relief at the thought of being alone once more despite the idea that his relationship would soon be slipping out into the open with his friends and longtime comrades. Fortunately, the pressing warmth of Rufus beside him was quite grounding, keeping him from panicking, much less freaking out about this whole ordeal.
"You know, you'll now have to tell your friends about us." Rufus nudged, forcing Cloud's already pondering thoughts to the forefront. There would be no getting around this. "You can't push this off any longer."
"I know, I know..." Cloud sighed once more, purposefully avoiding looking at his lover in the eye. It's been a long time coming but the fear of rejection still remained. "It just...isn't easy. Our history hasn't always been pleasant and what we have is really nice. I..." Pulling away from his lover, he rotated his body so he could face the other, unconsciously rubbing his arm out of nervousness. "I don't want to let that go."
Rufus blinked twice before breaking out into a cough, spinning away from those bright overly-expressive eyes. It was almost like they were boring deep within his soul, bringing out emotions he hadn't felt since before this relationship. The warmth spreading within his chest was pleasant and yet...awkward. Regardless, the redness creeping up his neck was hard to miss on his pale skin and rubbing the area brought attention to the coloring. "And people say you aren't romantic..."
"Don't tease me, I'm trying to be serious."
Rufus couldn't stop the chuckle that slip through his defenses, patting his lover's chest teasingly. "Sorry, sorry, can't help it. You're just so fun to tease."
"Whatever." Cloud's own flush refused to leave and he folded his arms, keeping his attention anywhere than his lover.
"Well, considering we're both already up..." Rufus smirked as he reached forward, his hands sliding across both sides of Cloud's waist. He could feel the tiny shivers his fingertips made on that smooth skin, enjoying the way his lover was so receptive to his touches. The redness on Cloud's face darkened and grew further as Rufus leaned forward, placing a faint kiss right under Cloud's lips. He could feel the hitch of breath and the warmth of Cloud's skin burning against his own. "I did miss you yesterday and I feel like I deserve a reward for putting up with you and all your nonsense."
"I thought..." Cloud paused, his thoughts thrown off by the sudden advancement. He knew he wanted to retort against his lover, especially at that last comment, but finding the correct words was far more difficult than he expected. Everything was being thrown for a loop. "You had to get up early tomorrow?"
Rufus almost looked offended. "I'm the President of my own company. I can come in late or anytime I want to. Tseng can handle things until I arrive."
Rolling his eyes, Cloud grumbled under his breath but with how closely pressed their bodies are, his words weren't missed. "Of course and here I thought I would feel guilty for making you sleepy tomorrow."
"Guilty? With me?" Rufus pulled back momentarily, eyeing his lover. "You never have to feel guilty with me. Unless there's something you're not telling me..."
"Don't be ridiculous." Cloud rolled his eyes once more, almost offended by the idea. "I'm not that kind of person."
"You're right, you can have all the attention in the world, but you're so awkward, you don't know what to do with it."
"Rufus!"
"Which works perfectly for me." Cupping Cloud's chin, Rufus leaned in for a kiss, unable to hide his amusement. It was a quick peck but it was more than enough to silence his lover momentarily. "I don't like sharing your attention with anyone else except me."
"Greedy bastard."
"And you love it."
Cloud almost pouted, unable to snap to that.
The redness on the not-SOLDIER's face deepened when Rufus planted another kiss on the cheek. "Sometimes I forget how adorable you are at times. Now, come, time for bed for the both of us." As he began dragging his lover to bed, he shut off the lights, letting the living room be engulfed by darkness. Despite that, he could still clearly make out his lover, those bright eyes unmistakable. He made sure to pick up his almost forgotten shotgun and send out a quick message for Tseng to cover him for the morning. "You know, regardless of what happens with your friends, you won't be able to force me to willingly let you go."
Cloud paused, processing those words before breaking out into a grin. "I know and I'm grateful for that."
"Good. Had to make sure. You have the most horrid tendency to run away from things. I don't like it when what I consider mine disappears."
"Well, if that happens with my friends, I would be running away from them and straight to you."
"Ah, well then," Rufus grinned, wrapping his arms around his lover, tugging their bodies closer. "In that case, please do." He couldn't help sliding his hands down for a squeeze, knowing well enough that it would cause a reaction.
"You're ridiculous." Cloud couldn't stop his radiant smile from breaking out as he shoved Rufus into the bedroom, closing the door behind.
"And how long did it take for you to fig-"
Whatever Rufus had wanted to say was stolen away by a kiss, Cloud sealing their mouths together. "Shut up, Rufus." Another kiss and both were edging towards their shared bed, eyes closed as they focused on each other, momentarily forgetting about the world around them. Their hands drifted, both wanting to get an advantage over the other until Rufus reached up to grasp a fistful of Cloud's hair, yanking it back.
Rufus grinned at the way Cloud yelped so deliciously, going for the neck and peppering kisses along the warm sensitive skin. "Hmm, I can get behind this."
"Then don't stop."
"I don't plan to." Rufus went for a softer kiss as he tugged Cloud's head back down, just wanting to see those normally bright eyes filled with lust. "Come, let's go to bed."
Cloud grinned, "Gladly."