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“Are you alright?”
“Mn—?”
Cloud jerked his head up at the sound of Vincent’s voice. His eyes widened slightly, but he still wasn’t seeing anything, not the world around him — not the man in front of him. Vincent watched as Cloud’s eyes shifted side to side, searching for something, seeing through him and finding nothing. He reached up to tap his curled finger under Cloud’s chin. The light motion was enough to grab Cloud’s attention, and his head tilted back a little more. With a blink, Cloud’s eyes finally landed on Vincent’s face, and his pupils contracted slightly. Still blown considering the late hour but not enough to be worrisome.
Vincent then slid the back of his fingers up against Cloud’s cheeks, caressing and grounding him all at once. His motions were slow enough to give the blond time to adjust and follow along. He uncurled his fingers and slid them through Cloud’s hair.
“Are you with me?” he asked, voice low and soothing.
Cloud closed his eyes and sighed through his nose. After a few seconds longer, he lowly said, “Yeah…”
Thunder rumbled over their heads. Vincent slid his hands down to cup the back of Cloud’s head; he thumbed at the silver earrings.
“Are you sure?”
Cloud reached up without opening his eyes and loosely held onto Vincent’s wrists. Thunder rolled again, louder and closer than before. “Positive.”
A flash of white illuminated their surroundings before plunging them into the thick darkness once more. They were both tired; Cloud and his bike were both covered in dirt, and the rain wouldn’t make the trek any cleaner for either. Vincent leaned down to kiss Cloud’s forehead and the bridge of his nose. When he heard another sigh, felt Cloud’s posture relax, he tipped Cloud’s up to him and pressed a soft kiss to the blond’s lips as well. Cloud’s grip tightened marginally, acknowledging Vincent as well as giving his silent thanks. He was still here, still hanging in there.
Vincent started to back away, but Cloud squeezed tighter. Stay, the action said, and the kiss became firmer. Seeking and finding, wanting and giving. It was a slow build up that brought Cloud closer to the ground. Though Vincent was aware of the sound of rain approaching, he didn’t dare pull himself away. He enjoyed the moment too much to break it. He didn’t need the comfort, but it was always nice to have. The reassurance that their closeness gave was a treat on its own.
They parted just a breath when the rain broke over them. Rain pelted Vincent’s back and the top of Cloud’s head. It was hard and heavy, but still, they stayed. Just a few seconds more, just a moment longer…
“We should go,” Cloud said, still close enough to feel.
Vincent hummed in response. He didn’t want to move, but he knew that the turn in their situation wouldn’t allow it. He slowly brushed his thumbs along the curve of Cloud’s cheek bones before raising his head to kiss Cloud’s forehead again.
“Let’s,” he said before finally pulling away.
One of Cloud’s hands fell away, but the other lingered until it was forced to part. Afterward, he turned and hurried back towards Fenrir. Whatever had been bogging him down before had released its hold on him for now. He had to pull Fenrir free from its hiding spot, and Vincent kept watch of their surroundings as Cloud did so. Dirt caked the bottom of the bike and the interior of the wheels. He knew that once they had settled down, Cloud would want to scrub his vehicle from top to bottom. Could be something he might lend a hand in. Might have to back away once the actual maintenance started, however.
It wasn’t long before Cloud mounted his bike and got the engine going. It was a roar in the darkness, and the purr of thunder rolled out in response. Both noises were choking and all encompassing, but once Cloud began to tear down the open fields, Vincent ran after him. He gave a single jump before he was swathed in coils of red. Cloud glanced over his shoulder, making sure the other man was still keeping up. When he saw that Vincent had changed forms, Cloud focused straight ahead, squinted against the torrential rain, and pushed Fenrir to its limits to get out of the storm.
Cloud’s place was closest, so they clambered inside as fast as they could. Vincent took the easiest route (the upstairs window), and he opened the front door just in time for Cloud to push his way through it. Cloud made quick work of his boots, doing his best to keep from tracking dirt further inside of the townhouse.
“Mind if I use the shower first?” he asked, slightly breathless.
Hearing this, Vincent raised his brows slightly but said, “All yours.”
Cloud hooked his fingers in his boots, nodded his head, and then hurried inside the bathroom. The door closed heavier than what was maybe necessary, but Vincent didn’t remark on it. Instead, he began to remove his own sodden clothes without any real urgency. He went downstairs to hang up his cape in the laundry room; he stripped down his armour plating and left it down there as well. He popped the buttons of his top as he tried to remember where his spare clothes were. Cloud mentioned he had moved some things around when he got new furniture, but he never said if he—
Vincent perked up at the sound of running footsteps. Instinctively, his body tensed, already ready to spring into action, as his mind waited to access the situation. Footsteps thundered down the stairs, and Cloud hurried around a corner.
Topless with a hand pressed against his chest in a show of modesty.
With the urgency of his movements, Cloud’s breasts were jiggling under his hold, and Vincent found himself staring. Both in surprise and… well, he would admit it, appreciation. Cloud’s expression was tense with frustration and a thread of annoyance before he snatched whatever it was he came downstairs to get. It was only when he turned back did he seemingly realise Vincent was there. There was a flash of shock on his face, but his body was moving on its own. And soon, he was back on the stairs, heading back up to the bathroom.
Vincent stood there, a bit dumbfounded, his mind reeling to the point where he had to take a step back. He stared down at the ground, opened his mouth slowly, and then let out a dazed “… Huh.” There were a great many things he had learned about Cloud Strife in their time together, and it was both pleasing to know that there was still so much yet to learn. And that they still had so many things they shared in common. After a shake of his head, he headed upstairs to go ask Cloud where his spare clothes were.
By the time they were both finished with their respective tasks, Vincent was downstairs making them something light to eat while Cloud was still in the bathroom, this time furiously cleaning the dirt and grime out of his boots. Vincent came upstairs to hear the blond muttering vague obscenities under his breath.
“Are the stains that tough?” Vincent joked as he placed a hand on Cloud’s shoulder.
“You’re not funny,” Cloud responded back with a grumble. He sighed and forced his body to relax. “Just got myself worked up thinking about something. That’s all.”
“And so you’re taking it out on your boots. Fair enough.” Vincent reached around with his other hand to present the plate of food to Cloud. “—Also, I’m very funny. Don’t be rude.”
Cloud smirked and let his repurposed toothbrush rest against the leather. “Sure, I’ll let you think that.”
Vincent scoffed, and that earned a laugh out of Cloud. It was fun to get some response out of the usually reserved man. He hummed pleasantly when he felt Vincent kiss the crown of his head. It wouldn’t have surprised him if Vincent left him alone to eat before going back to his frankly aggressive boot cleaning, but when the black-haired man sat down beside him on the edge of the bathtub instead… Cloud looked over to his partner, who was staring down at his gloved hands.
“I’m trying to think of… the best way to say this,” Vincent said gently. His tone was even, leaning towards light-hearted, so Cloud didn’t outright panic. His curiosity was, however, piqued.
“Say… what?”
Vincent’s lips quirked up just enough for Cloud to catch the beginnings of a smile. It vanished when Vincent licked his lips and then looked up to the roughly painted ceiling. Whatever it was wasn’t bad, but now Vincent was going to leave him in suspense. He took another bite of his food before prodding.
“...Well?”
A chuckle, brief and lovely. Vincent tipped his head towards Cloud and tapped his fingers together. “Your breasts are lovely.”
If Cloud had food in his mouth, he might’ve choked, but as it was, a blush lit up on his face damn near immediately after he processed those words. He let out a stunned, breathless laugh before quickly shifting himself in the opposite direction. With his back to Vincent, he felt free to cover his face in embarrassment. Vincent slid closer if only to keep the precarious situation in Cloud’s lap from spilling into the tub. He hovered a hand near Cloud’s thigh before asking,
“That’s not bothersome, is it?”
“N-no!” Cloud squeaked out before muffling himself. He closed his eyes and then gave an embarrassed groan. Behind him, Vincent laughed and placed a kiss to the back of his neck.
“Good, I’m glad I didn’t overstep.” He was so close. So, so close. He lifted his head higher and said lowly against Cloud’s ear, “They are though.”
And to his delight, the blond shuddered before cocking back his arm and elbowing Vincent in the ribs. Vincent grunted softly, and the two straightened up in unison. Cloud looked over his shoulder to his partner, glaring at him before looking away slowly.
“Sorry, I… that I never told you I’m—”
Vincent smoothed his other hand up Cloud’s back. “You don’t have to explain yourself. I am as well.”
Cloud blinked. “Really?”
“Would I lie about such a thing?”
“... Huh. N-no, you wouldn’t. It’s just…” He shook his head. “I just didn’t think I’d find anyone else who… Hm. Small world, I guess.”
“It could stand to be smaller, sometimes.”
Vincent pulled away only enough for him to spin around to face the same direction as Cloud. Afterward, he pulled the tilted plate from Cloud’s lap into his own. He righted all of the food stuffs before popping one into his mouth. Without fear of knocking the food over, Cloud adjusted his position on the edge of the bathtub and went back to his task, only pausing occasionally to eat or let himself be fed. (He didn’t even second guess it when he noticed food being raised up towards his face in the corner of his eye.)
As he cleaned, he and Vincent talked about their experiences. They had known enough of their own hardships that it felt like refreshing to share some of the more… euphoric moments of their lives. Things that might have been simple or mundane felt cleansing to speak out loud. For Cloud, it was just one more person who understood. For Vincent, it was the reestablishment of a bond he long lost. He wrapped an arm around Cloud’s waist, silently thanking him for this, though he wasn’t sure the blond would immediately understand the gesture.
A joke or two earned Vincent a splash of water to his face while Cloud was rewarded with a flustering comment every time he made a dry witticism. The lights flickered when thunder boomed, and it was only then that they remembered they were technically in the middle of a storm. Vincent took the plate back to the kitchen while Cloud finished up.
He let his boots dry on a towel on the sink before he stepped into the bedroom. The rain certainly wasn’t letting up any time soon, and while this wasn’t the first time Vincent had slept over, this was going to be the first time he slept over and Cloud was dressed more… comfortably. (If Vincent was perceptive, and he knew the man was, Cloud fully expected to be chastised for this later.) He rolled his top up above his breasts and unzipped his cropped binder down the front. He managed to pull it up and pull back down his shirt when Vincent finally stepped into the room. He tossed his binder at his lover before placing his hands on his hips. Vincent caught the black material with one hand before looking over it. Durable material, mesh sidings…
Cloud watched him silently for a bit before admitting, “I made that.”
“You did?” At the positive hum, Vincent nodded his head slightly. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. You’re good with your hands.”
Cloud immediately bit his tongue as he shrugged up his shoulders. “Just necessity. Don’t think too hard about it.”
“Once again, you fail to give yourself enough credit.” But Vincent didn’t argue it further than that. He tossed the item onto Cloud’s dresser.
And here, Cloud hesitated to say what he wanted to. A nervousness washed over him before he quietly offered, “If you… need one, I can always make you one too.”
Vincent smiled faintly before shaking his head. “Won’t need one, but thank you. Mine are no longer an issue.” He closed the distance between them before cupping the back of Cloud’s neck, watching as the blond relaxed at the contact. He stroked his thumb along the underside of Cloud’s ear. “Back when my father worked with Shinra, I took full advantage of his employee benefits.”
“Gee, and you think they could’ve helped other people if they weren’t absolute cocks.”
Vincent jerked with a silent laugh, a smile flaring up on his face before he turned his head to hide it. His hair curtained his expression, but Cloud could tell from the small tremors his lover was laughing. The only thing that he did hear after a few seconds was,
“Cloud.”
“What?” He shrugged again. “You heard me.”
Vincent shook his head before looking to Cloud. His expression had evened out, but there was still the laughter in his eyes. “I suppose I did.”
Cloud reached forward to curl his fingers loosely on Vincent’s waist. The only light in the bedroom was the bedside table, and even that was flickering every time lightning cracked outside. It was nice enough for the two of them, and it made this moment even more comfortable. Cloud’s eyes trailed down to Vincent’s chest, and he bit down on his bottom lip, thinking.
“You know… I worked for Shinra once.”
Vincent hummed positively, lowly. “I recall, yes.”
“But I never got full wind of these, uh, ‘advantages.’ It was all just a shit show on my end.”
Another noise from Vincent, but this time it was that satisfying purr that Cloud liked so much. Vincent stepped closer. His other hand settled on Cloud’s hip. “It wasn’t all bad, at least on the surface.”
The mood around them was getting heady, and Cloud’s lips parted as he took in another breath. “Guess so.” He flicked his eyes up to Vincent. “Mind showing me the upside?”
Vincent leaned in and drew Cloud closer. “I don’t mind doing anything for you.”
Cloud had enough time before Vincent’s lips sealed over his to say, “Sap.”
Vincent smiled. “But you like it.”
There was no doubting that. As they kissed, Cloud took that as his cue to slid his hands up Vincent’s sleep shirt. He felt scars and hard muscle, but now he felt emboldened to press his palms against Vincent’s pecs. As his fingers brushed over the man’s nipples, he was surprised to hear the absolutely wonderful moan Vincent let out. Cloud nipped at Vincent’s bottom lip. Heat coursed through him when he felt Vincent shudder as he went over the soft buds again.
“Sensitive?”
Vincent nodded against him, and Cloud sighed in response, delighting in how he was the one who could bring this man such pleasure.
“God, Vincent.” Cloud brought his hands down quickly and curled his fingers in the loose sleep pants to tug him closer.
They fell into bed all but literally. Their hands roamed and wandered, now able to take each other in with full appreciation. The idea of intimacy to this level had been a foregone conclusion in Vincent’s mind. He himself having gone so long without that the notion didn’t even strike him as a passing whims these days. But the longer he had been with Cloud, the more he felt those urges grow, and it was still his greatest honour that the other man wanted him in kind.
For Cloud, this was yet another hurdle to cross. Another needle hidden in the messy haystack of his life. He knew that this facet of his identity would something he would have to talk about, especially before either of them broached the topic of sex. But as always, with Vincent, the problems and the answers always unveiled themselves in time. He was learning to be patient. It was starting to pay off.
Vincent’s gloves were lost as they revealed more and more of themselves. Cloud trembled as his lover’s nails grazed down his sides and over his skin. Vincent purred low and long as he doted on the other man. He brought Cloud’s breasts together and tongued over his nipples, sucking at them and showering them with attention before tugging at them with his teeth. Though Cloud wasn’t nearly as sensitive as him there, his responses were beautiful. He opened like a flower towards the sun, and the colouring of his petals were delightful. Shades of pink against his pale canvas with brighter spots of red here and there.
“No one’s ever touched you like this?”
Cloud shook his head, gasping as Vincent made a mark on the side of his breast. “Not… ngh! Not like this.”
He felt Vincent smile, a touch wider than before. “Allow me to reverse that mistake.”
Cloud arched again as the other breast was given individual treatment. Vincent teased as if he would make another mark, and that was winding up Cloud even more. “Don’t… get cocky.”
“With you like this, I believe I’ll ‘get’ however I wish to.”
“Shut up.”
Vincent laughed against him before kissing his sternum. “No.”
Cloud brought his hands up to thread them through his own hair as he blinked up at the ceiling, allowing himself to just feel Vincent make his way lower. When his legs were gently coaxed open, Cloud’s face scrunched up, and he slid his hands down to cover his face. Vincent stopped, and he looked up to Cloud.
“Too much?”
“Just keep going,” Cloud replied, words muffled but sheepish tone clearly heard.
Vincent gave a sympathetic smile. “I’ll be careful.”
“Uh-huh.”
Clearly, Cloud was past the point of words, but Vincent would be on the lookout regardless for any changes in his partner’s demeanor. He refocused his attention on the treasure before him. Cloud’s cock stood up proudly above the curls of blond hair and from between plush lips. Cloud squeezed around nothing in anticipation, and Vincent’s eyes followed the movement. He sucked in a breath, feeling his own body respond eagerly to the sight, before he leaned down to lap at Cloud’s wetness.
Cloud sucked in a breath and drew his hands away, pushing them up and shoving his hair away from his face in the process. “Fuck,” he groaned as Vincent took to him. He rolled his hips down against the other man’s face and moaned weakly. “Oh… oh fuck. Vince—”
Vincent used his thumbs to hold Cloud open as his tongue lazily explored. He pressed his mouth flush to Cloud, whose thighs jerked closer to Vincent’s head. Cloud was learning very quickly that Vincent was content to just lay on his stomach all night and just pleasure him. With how heated their kissing had gotten, Cloud half expected to be bent in half by now while his lover ate him out.
… That probably wasn’t completely off the table, but the lazy way Vincent had taken to him was completely unexpected. Almost as if he was enjoying himself, the bastard. But thought began to empty out of Cloud’s head as he felt a familiar but too infrequently felt sensation build in his body. His brows tensed as he focused on his oncoming arousal. It felt… good. It felt hot. His thoughts completely fuzzed out and clouded over as he realised he was actually going to cum like this. He gasped and shuddered, opening his legs wider of his own volition as he prepared for this wave to crash over him.
Vincent turned one hand to press a finger in, wanting to bring Cloud over just that bit faster. He was careful with his pressing, feeling the initial resistance, but his patience won out in the end as the finger slowly inched inside. Cloud, completely hazy until this moment, snapped a hand down to Vincent’s wrist.
“Don’t. I’m tight— ha! Oh? Oh god? Oh god, o-oh fuck…” He lifted his head to stare down between his legs, watching as Vincent sucked at his cock and stroked inside of him at the same time. Vincent kept rubbing against something that was making Cloud see stars. He threw his head back and bit down on his lip, letting his moans build with his pleasure. When he finally came, his entire body tensed.
Vincent was prepared for the bodily reaction, but he still laughed against Cloud’s pulsing cock when he felt two strong legs wrap around him. He was quick to right himself, though he was still smiling around Cloud’s cock as he properly brought the man over. If Vincent had been anyone else, the constriction might have been worrisome, especially with how strong even Cloud’s thighs were as they tensed around him.
Cloud squeaked out his last breath of air as he rolled onto his side, aftershocks running through him until he felt tears stinging the corner of his eyes. When he finally let himself breathe, he had to take deep breaths. He was fucking lightheaded for a couple of reasons. He barely had the sense of self to let go when Vincent gave the universal tap out against his thigh.
His body unclenched like a snapped rubber band, and Vincent licked his lips when he was finally released from his much preferable prison. He sat back on his legs and rubbed his hands up and down the length of Cloud’s thighs.
“Good?”
Cloud glared at him almost immediately. “I’ll fucking kill you.”
Vincent tilted his head. “You told me not to get cocky. You should be proud of my act of humility.”
Say what one might about Cloud’s status as a SOLDIER, but his recovery was certainly nothing to scoff at. Vincent saw Cloud sit upright, and the next thing he knew, he had been shoved onto his back with the blond straddling his stomach. The fact that he could still feel evidence of Cloud’s arousal was absolutely doing something for him too. Cloud had a hand pressed down on Vincent’s chest as he said,
“I told you you’re not funny, Vincent.”
“And I politely disagreed. I’m not above correcting any number of mistakes tonight.” He turned his head to look out the window, seeing that the glass was nearly grey-white from the rain and mist. “We’ve time to kill, after all.”
Cloud hummed before looking over his shoulder to Vincent’s lower half. His brows shot up. “I see what you mean by ‘full advantage’ now.”
Vincent looked to Cloud before drawing his hands closer. He trailed his nails idly over the curve of the blond’s knees. “My father rarely had need for medical services, and so he was very encouraging on the matter.”
“Good fucking man.”
With that, Cloud lifted up. Vincent fully expected for the blond to take his place between his thighs this time around, but it seemed the rug was not happily staying on the ground tonight. Cloud turned himself around, set his knees on either side of Vincent’s ribs, and then bent over his boyfriend’s waist. He stroked along the shaft carefully and watched with fascination as it jumped under his touch. He smirked and looked back to Vincent.
“Happy to see me?”
“You’re not cute, Strife.”
Cloud laughed breathily before looking back to Vincent’s cock. “I dunno. This guy here seems to think so.”
He heard Vincent start to say something, but when it was lost in a moan, he felt all too proud of himself. He ran his tongue from base to tip, taking his time to learn this part of Vincent while also pacing himself. It had been a long time since he had done this, so half the battle was even remembering the follow through. But it wasn’t long before he found his stride, and he happily crossed his arms over Vincent’s hips and bared down his weight as he sucked his lover off. His sporadic humming made Vincent buck up towards him, but in his base human form, Cloud was stronger than him by a mile. The thought made Cloud clench in pleasure. He felt his arousal drip down to land on Vincent’s chest or flow lazily down the inside of his thigh.
He pulled off at one point to look back at Vincent and say “Don’t touch.” It was a true test of will for him not to respond when he heard a small growl in response. He used snark to cover it up after he left a love bite on the dip of Vincent’s groin. “Don’t get pissy with me either.”
In spite of being told not to touch, Vincent spanked Cloud’s right thigh in retaliation. Arousal spiked through Cloud, but he absolutely and very quickly hid that with a faux “Ow! Dick.” He glared back at the raven-haired man and rolled his eyes at the smirk he saw.
Knowing that Vincent was enjoying this and finding his rhythm gave Cloud the confidence he needed to really push himself. It wasn’t a hardship at all, going down on Vincent like this. In fact… he was remembering a long lost pleasure. Vincent’s moans, the taste of him, the sensation of his cock against Cloud’s tongue… It was all so much. Cloud’s pulse was racing as he bobbed over Vincent’s cock, and when he occasionally pushed himself too far and made himself gag— He moaned wantonly, brows knitting as he worked to bring Vincent over the edge.
Vincent hissed in a breath and arched his back when he came. He tightened his hold on the sheets to keep his end of the order. Cloud couldn’t swallow all of it as he continued to suck Vincent off through his act — he was too out of practice for that — but he made damn sure to lick the man up as he took a breather. Vincent purred in content beneath him. Cloud rolled off to the side to sit next to him. He pressed the soles of his feet together and looked down to Vincent.
“Don’t tell me you’re tired, old man.”
Vincent, eyes closed, replied, “You had best be happy that I’m taking a moment to myself.”
“Or you’d what?”
Vincent felt blindly for Cloud before rubbing his thumb over the blond’s knee. “I’d have you get pissed at me for property damage.”
Cloud forced himself to take a breath. “Yeah, don’t do that. I just got this bed.”
“I’m sure Reeve would be more than happy to procure you a new one should you reach out to him.”
“Vincent.” Don’t threaten him with a good time…
Thankfully, Vincent gave a contented half-smile and said nothing else. Cloud leaned over to kiss the man before straightening back up.
“But… we do have time to kill, if you’re up for it.”
“Nothing to do tomorrow?”
“My earliest delivery is at 10, but I’m sure I’ll be up by then.”
Vincent finally opened his eyes to look at him, amused by his confidence. “And yet, I’m the one who gets chastised for being cocky.” He opened out his arms, and with an eye roll, Cloud fell into him.
“‘With you like this, I’ll feel however I want to.’ Isn’t that what you said?”
Vincent chuckled and bumped their noses together. “Something like that.”
Their lips found each other, and Vincent held Cloud close to his form as he rolled their bodies over. Outside, the world was being washed by the storm. The rain and mist would carry them through the night. In the morning, the clouds would break. Everything, and everyone, would have their chance to begin anew.