Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Crystal Clear	By : MystIc19 Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1058 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy VII, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 16
- 17
- 18
Disclaimer: I don�t own FF7 or the FF7 characters only this story and original characters!

�Why wasn�t Cloud accepted!?� The SOLDIER yelled while swinging open the door to the General�s office and stomping inside before slamming the door behind him.

Sephiroth didn�t seem surprised or startled from the sudden intrusion and just turned his gaze towards the angry man standing before him.

�He should�ve passed the exams! You know that just as well as I do!� Zack continued while moving closer to the desk. �Whatever small, minor thing that he may have done wrong should�ve been overlooked it�s no reason to fail him! And yeah I know that you didn�t actually administer the exams or score them but you�re the General! You have the last say!�

Keeping his green eyes on the other the General kept an unreadable expression on his face.

The SOLDIER let out a frustrated sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. Angry? Yeah, maybe a little, but he just more wanted answers to the questions that were buzzing through his mind.

�Don�t� Zack began with a shake of his head, �don�t look at me like that. I know you�re thinking I�m just letting my personal feelings get in the way, and you know what maybe so! But also because I know he should�ve passed, he worked hard for this and earned a spot in SOLDIER, there�s no way he�s on the level to be kept in Sergeant Okuda�s unit!� Hell he was right. And he was going to speak up for his boyfriend, there was no way he was just going to willingly stand by and at not at least get to the bottom of things.

Blinking slowly the General turned in his seat a bit and pulled open a drawer of his desk. �Are you done?� He asked calmly.

With a sigh Zack nodded briefly before pulling up a chair on the other side of the desk and taking a seat. He was through venting, besides yelling at Sephiroth probably wouldn�t get him very far. In a minute Sephiroth had pulled out a folder from the drawer and placed it on the desk in front of the SOLDIER.

�Believe me Zackary, I didn�t want him to fail,� the General spoke softly while leaning back slightly in his seat, �but I really had no other choice.�

With a raised eyebrow Zack eyed the other for a moment before glancing down to the folder that was now in front him. He quickly opened it as his eyes scanned the contents inside, his eyebrows furrowing for a second before his eyes went wide.

�With results like that it would be impossible for him to be in SOLDIER,� Sephiroth continued.

�Hypersensitive,� Zack spoke aloud with a shake of his head.

�He had a strong reaction from just a small dose of Mako, if he were in SOLDIER the amount of Mako he would be exposed to would surely kill him. And while I do believe he would be a good asset to SOLDIER I doubt he would be of very much use if he were dead,� the General explained.

Glancing up from the folder Zack met the others eyes, �And what about Professor Hojo? There isn�t anything he could do to help the situation?�

Sephiroth was silent for a moment as he turned his focus to the computer monitor, �The Professor rarely helps situations, I believe he does the opposite,� he spoke as his voice took on a slightly colder tone.

Letting out a sigh Zack placed the folder back on the desk. So his questions were answered, and his suspicions were right. He had hoped that they wouldn�t be, but the signs were enough to tell him so even before Sephiroth had confirmed it. Cloud was extremely sensitive to Mako and Mako was practically as essential to a SOLDIER like his blood, and without that then you really couldn�t be complete. It still didn�t seem fair though, to be rejected not because of skill but because of medical reasons? He didn�t know if that was worse or better actually.

�So I guess that�s why his eyes changed,� Zack said to himself.

�What was that?� The General asked while looking back to the SOLDIER.

�Have you seen Cloud lately?� Zack asked while glancing up.

�No,� the other man replied evenly.

�His eyes are like ours, only after a test run,� Zack began, �I wondered why they were that way.�

�Hmm,� the General mused. To him it did still seem a bit off that Cloud�s eyes would hold the glow of Mako after just a small dosage. Then again since the blonde was so sensitive to it maybe it didn�t take that much to have that effect on him. �I suppose that was to be expected,� he continued after a moment. Still not one hundred percent sure.

�He won�t go back to Sergeant Okuda�s class, he refuses to have to repeat that again for another year,� Zack explained ,�and I really don�t blame him.�

�It�s mandatory,� the General replied.

�It�s not fair,� Zack rebutted.

�So you want me to bend the rules?� Sephiroth continued.

�Seph,� the SOLDIER began while leaning onto the desk, �I�m not asking you to bend the rules, I�m just asking for another alternative.�

�He is too advanced to be in that class�I�ll figure out something Zackary,� he explained while turning back to the computer.

Blinking Zack gave a bit of a smile. Sometimes he really couldn�t read the General, despite how long they had known each other he was still a mystery in more ways than one. Standing up from his seat the SOLDIER was about to leave the office when the other spoke up again.

�There is something else before you leave,� Sephiroth began, �I�m assigning you as instructor for the new third class.�

�What!?� Zack questioned a bit surprised.

�It�ll be a good thing for the incoming SOLDIERS to have someone like you as their instructor in the beginning,� the General explained, �I trust you to get them on the right track.�

�Seph I�m too busy I can�t do that,� Zack started with a shake of his head.

�Don�t worry, I�ve already rearranged your schedule accordingly,� Sephiroth continued as he typed away on the computer.

��Of course you have,� Zack replied with a bit of a laugh as he turned and walked out of the office leaving the General to his work.
************************************************************************

Entering the apartment Zack kicked off his shoes before walking into the slightly dark apartment that was illuminated partially from the setting sun that was coming in through the kitchen window. It was quiet in the place and a part of the SOLDIER was wondering if Cloud was there or not. He had run into Kyo when he was out and the boy had asked him about Cloud. Apparently he hadn�t seen him since the night before which meant Cloud hadn�t been back to the barracks or anything. Which wasn�t really surprising he figured the blonde was still upset about last night. He wondered if he should tell Cloud the reason for him not passing the exams or if he should just let it go. After all it wouldn�t make him feel any better would it? Maybe he would tell him eventually but not now, the situation was still to fresh and he was trying to avoid it.

He made his way back to the room and saw Cloud sleeping in bed. Had he been lying here all day? It was still fairly early after all to be sleeping. Moving over to the bed Zack took a seat on the edge as he looked at the sleeping blonde. At least now when he was asleep he looked content rather than when he was awake and looking sad and depressed. He still felt bad, even though he had found out the reason for the blonde not passing the exams it didn�t make things better, it still didn�t change the fact that he didn�t make it into SOLDIER. Sighing he lightly ran a hand through the boys spikes. He wished Hojo had just told Cloud after his infusion what the situation was. Why let him go through all the hassle of taking the exams if he knew that he was going to fail? Why did the Professor give him those false hopes? Zack frowned at that thought, he guessed Sephiroth was right, the Professor didn�t make situations better�only worse.

�When did you get back?� Cloud asked sleepily while opening his eyes slowly.

�Just a few minutes ago,� Zack replied with a bit of a smile before leaning down and placing a kiss on the blondes cheek, �have you been here all day?�

The recruit shifted a bit before moving onto his back and looking up at the SOLDIER, �did you think I was going to go to class? I told you I�m not going back to Okuda�s.�

�No of course not,� Zack started with a shake of his head, �besides I think you�re entitled to a few days off if that�s what you want.�

Nodding a bit Cloud let his eyes wander around the room before Zack continued.

�I ran into Kyo earlier, he was asking about you. I think he wants to talk to you.�

Talk to him? That was the last thing Cloud wanted right now. He was sure Kyo would just give him the whole spill about how making it into SOLDIER wasn�t a big deal because he did his best and blah blah blah. He didn�t feel like hearing that, and he didn�t feel like seeing him right now either because he was still a bit jealous of his friend. He knew he shouldn�t feel that way but he couldn�t help it.

�I�ll talk to him later,� Cloud replied before closing his eyes.

Zack nodded silently in response while letting his fingers gently slide out of blonde hair. With a small stretch he got off of the bed and walked towards the bathroom, it had been a pretty long day and he was desperately craving a shower.

Cloud felt the shift in the bed when Zack got up and moved away and he slowly cracked open his eyes. He was tired yeah, but more restless than anything. He had been lying in bed all day and while he didn�t feel like actually doing anything he didn�t really feel like sleeping either. How long was he going to do this for? What was going to happen? He wasn�t going to go back to Okuda�s class so where did that leave him? Was he hoping that they would have a change of heart and somehow miraculously place him in SOLDIER? He didn�t really know what he was expecting to happen, but he couldn�t hide away in his boyfriends apartment forever�he would for awhile, but not forever.

�Are you leaving again?� Cloud asked while sitting up a bit before Zack had completely exited the room.

�No,� Zack replied while turning in the doorway, �just going to take a shower.�

�Oh,� Cloud responded with a short nod. He had been alone in the apartment all day and he was actually waiting for Zack to come back so he didn�t want him leaving so soon. It was just comforting to have him around.

A sly smirk spread across the raven haired youths face and he walked back over towards the bed, �join me?�

�What?� Cloud asked slightly confused as he already began to ease himself back onto the bed.

�Yeah,� Zack continued while leaning back onto the bed, �you need to get up anyways.� He really had no problem with Cloud wallowing for a while, but at the same time he didn�t want him to get totally comfortable. And besides, the idea just appealed to him.

�No,� Cloud replied while turning onto his side quickly and pulling up the covers.

�Come on, it�ll make you feel better, refreshed,� Zack continued while pulling the blankets away.

�Zack,� Cloud whined a bit while reaching back and trying to grasp the covers but instead felt the SOLDIERS hand clasp around his and tug slightly. He was up in a sitting position now and Zack grinned while continuing to pull him out of the bed.

�That�s it,� Zack began triumphantly, � you can still salvage some of the day, we can find a movie to watch on TV and order out after, have you ate anything?�

�No,� Cloud replied lazily while rubbing at his eyes and moving away from the bed on slightly wobbly legs.

�Well, we�ll fix that,� Zack continued as he ushered the boy out of the room and into the bathroom. He started the shower water a second later while reaching his hand in to test the temperature.

Cloud was staring into the mirror at his disheveled hair and his eyes that still looked a bit red from his crying. Shiva, he couldn�t help but think he was truly pathetic. He tore his gaze away from the mirror, he didn�t want to look at himself anymore and be reminded of what an absolute failure and loser he was. At least in the confines of Zack�s apartment he could lay around in bed and just sleep away all of his problems, at least then he wasn�t thinking about things. But now that he was up already he was starting to get upset again. His eyes traveled over to Zack as he watched him fiddle with the shower knobs a bit more, preparing to get the shower ready that he hadn�t even really agreed to take but somehow�he was. He really couldn�t help but still feel a bit happy though, despite his current frustration it would be a million times worse if he didn�t have Zack, if it weren�t for him he just knew that even the idea of being in Midgar still would drive him crazy. But somehow he managed to deal with it as long as Zack was there, as long as he didn�t have to face this alone. And just the thought of knowing that Zack was there for him, trying to make him feel better was enough to change the blonde�s mood just a bit.

�What�s that look?� Zack asked after turning around and seeing Cloud stare at him thoughtfully.

�Nothing,� Cloud replied with a shake of his head before letting a small smile appear on his face.

Now there was what Zack liked to see, he hated seeing the blonde so depressed and serious. And even though it was just a small smile, it was enough to give Zack a little hope, that maybe all wasn�t lost for the blonde, that maybe he would get out of this slump sooner than he expected.

�Done there?� Cloud asked while looking past the other and at the shower.

�Yeah,� Zack replied with a brief nod while beginning to take off his shirt as Cloud watched for a second before following suit. They were in the shower a moment later as the hot water fell over both of them. Zack was talking about something, going on about his day and such as Cloud listened contently. He didn�t really reply or talk much himself, he just listened, the sound of Zack�s voice was comforting and the feel of the water on him was soothing. He closed his eyes as he basked in the water letting Zack continue on before he heard a chuckle. His eyes fluttered open and he was looking at the other now, his long raven hair soaked and sticking to him.

�See, I told you this would make you feel better, you look relaxed already,� Zack commented with a smile.

He did feel a little better, as much as a shower could allow anyways, the hot water was taking away a lot of the tension that he had built up inside his muscles.

�I guess you were right then,� Cloud replied while moving a few damp spikes away from his face as he looked into Zack�s eyes.

�Glad to hear that,� Zack responded before leaning in and kissing the blonde. It was a quick, innocent kiss, or as innocent as it could be given the scenario. Cloud let his fingers glide across Zack�s shoulder before looking back up into blue eyes. Before he even realized it he was pulling Zack down for another kiss, although this one wasn�t exactly so innocent.

The SOLDIER was surprised at first but was returning the kiss fully a second later as he felt Cloud�s hands tangle in his wet hair. There was a sense of urgency behind the kiss and it deepened more as each second rolled by. The blonde slid his hands out of the others hair and let them roam freely sliding against Zack�s slippery wet skin. He felt Zack�s hands copy his actions and he let a low growl erupt from his throat as he pulled the SOLDIER closer to him, not allowing an inch of space to be present between them. He was against the wall a second later as Zack moved down to his neck, sucking and nipping lightly at the skin.

Cloud closed his eyes as he held on tighter to the other, the combined sensation from Zack�s touches and the warm water that was still running over them was driving him crazy. Right now, nothing else mattered and he wanted to keep it that way, to block out everything else and just focus on Zack. Zack was the only one who could make him feel this way, the only one who could make him forget about his problems and make him feel wanted when everyone else made him feel worthless. He needed this, he needed him.

Zack�s hand moving downward made the blonde open his eyes and let out a small gasp as he felt the other take a hold of him. He bit his lip as Zack worked his hand on him, it felt good but it wasn�t what the blonde wanted, he needed more, he needed to feel him inside him. Shifting a bit he placed one hand on Zack�s shoulder and wrapped the other around his neck and lifted himself up some before meeting Zack�s gaze. There was a deep lust evident in both of their eyes and with the steam that was filling the room it only seemed to magnify it.

Knowing what Cloud was trying to do Zack easily lifted the boy up as he wrapped his legs around his waist tightly and fastened his arms about his neck. Without hesitation Cloud leaned back in for another kiss, another hungry kiss. Zack groaned as he pinned the blonde against the wall again, this time a bit more roughly which caused the other to let out a grunt before catching the blonde�s bottom lip. Zack was moving against him causing a pleasant friction between the two and Cloud let out a moan that seemed to echo and bounce off the shower walls. He moved a bit while tightening his grip on the SOLDIER, the water was making their skin really slippery and it was a bit hard to hold on, but Zack just readjusted his grip on the blonde and held him tighter. Cloud really wasn�t heavy to him at all so it wasn�t much of a problem there.

Breaking the kiss Cloud leaned his head back against the wall as Zack continued to place kisses on his neck before moving to his ear and nibbling on his earlobe, though a little bit more harder than usual, not enough to really hurt though.

The blonde�s eyes fell closed again as he dug his fingers into Zack�s shoulder squeezing a bit harder when he felt him nip at his neck.

�Zack,� he moaned softly as the SOLDIER pressed him up harder against the wall. He felt Zack pause for a moment and he slowly opened his eyes and looked down into his boyfriends concerned face. He gave a slight nod urging Zack to continue, he didn�t want him to stop because he was worried about hurting him. No, definitely not now.

With a bit of hesitation on Zack�s part he gripped onto the other tightly before sucking in a breath and thrusting into the blonde as fast as he could, he knew it had to have been painful but thought it would be best to just get it over with rather than prolong the situation. Cloud let out a sharp cry of pain and Zack felt suddenly guilty for his choice of action.

�I�m so sorry babe are you okay? I tried to make it quick, I�m sorry,� Zack began while pulling away and looking into his lovers face before placing a few soft kisses against his lips.

�I�m fine,� Cloud replied while opening his eyes just barely, �I wanted you to, it�s okay.�

Zack nodded a bit before giving a weak alright as his response.

�Go ahead,� Cloud continued while kissing Zack fully, running a hand through his hair, �It�s alright,� he added after breaking the kiss. He knew Zack was feeling guilty and he didn�t want that. Holding each others gaze for a moment Zack finally began to move rocking up into the recruit causing him to clench his eyes shut momentarily before clutching onto his shoulder more tightly. He tried to match the others movements but it was a little hard to do given their position, so pretty much it was up to Zack. The SOLDIER was moving slow at first but once the blonde began to squirm and moan more he figured he was okay to move a little faster, which only made Cloud even more vocal. The sound of the blonde�s moans echoing throughout the room was only fueling Zack even more and he continued to thrust harder and more faster into the recruit.

Cloud was digging his nails into Zack�s shoulders now, so hard that he was leaving marks which caused Zack to let out a gasp.

�Zack!� Cloud cried out when the other brushed over that certain spot inside him.

�Cloud,� Zack rasped breathlessly as he continued to pound into him. He pushed him up against the wall harder as he leaned into him more making the recruit whimper as his back hit the wall again.

Their movements were becoming sloppy and erratic and Cloud felt himself slipping with every thrust of Zack�s and had to practically hang on for dear life as he continued to dig his nails into the others skin. Zack had pressed his lips against Cloud�s kissing him roughly as the blonde let out a soft moan. There was a tightness building up inside both of them as they neared their climax. The room was filled with quick breathing and moans as their wet bodies slid against each other in a disorganized rhythm. Their heartbeats seemed to match each other as they climbed up higher to reach the top that they were both so desperately craving to reach before they came crashing back into reality.

Cloud was throwing back his head a second later moaning the others name as Zack reached his limit at the same time keeping the boy pinned between him and the wall. Cloud was breathing heavily, completely spent as he rested limply against the other. Zack gave a small smile as he tightened his hold around the blonde keeping him there against him for a moment longer, he was sure he wouldn�t be able to stand right now by himself.

He knew Cloud needed this, this release. The pure physical and lustful interaction, which explained why things were a bit more rough than usual, which wasn�t a complaint in the slightest.

The cooling water of the shower shook them back into reality and they were forced to exit from their comfortable spot. In a few short moments they had made their way to the living room and were curled up on the couch together as Cloud tried hard to stay awake. That was one thing that Zack had noted, Cloud always was tired or would fall asleep shortly after any of their �trysts.� But it was something that he loved for the fact that the blonde would always cuddle up close to him, and this time proved no different. For the moment it didn�t even seem like the issue of the SOLDIER exams existed, it just seemed like any other night that the two of them would spend together, everything seemed okay, even if it really wasn�t�.it was nice to pretend that it was.

�What should I do tomorrow?� the recruits voice questioned, breaking the comfortable silence that was surrounding the two.

Zack let out a soft sigh as he paused for a moment in thought, his fingers stroking damp blonde spikes absentmindedly. �Nothing,� he finally replied, �don�t worry about class for now�if you go back and you�re not really ready it�ll just make things worse.�

�I can�t stay out of my academic classes for long though,� the blonde began before turning away from the television to look at Zack, �But I can miss a few.�

Zack grinned down at the boy before tightening his hold on him, �Sounds like a plan then.�

Cloud cracked the tiniest of smiles as he shifted a bit, his ear pressed against the SOLDIERS chest allowing him to hear his steady heartbeat. �Are you going to be here tomorrow?�

�Not all day, I don�t know what time I�ll be back since Seph rearranged my schedule so that he could fit in the third class,� Zack explained.

�What?� Cloud asked while opening his eyes that were slowly beginning to close. �What are you talking about?�

Was it too late to take back that bit of information? Zack couldn�t help but think that Cloud wasn�t going to be too thrilled about the fact that he was going to be instructor to the set of new SOLDIERS that he wasn�t apart of.

�Uh,� he began while glancing back to the TV, �Well today Seph told me that he wanted me to help with the third class.�

�You�re going to?� The blonde asked while sitting up, keeping his gaze fixed on the other.

Zack opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He didn�t know what to say. Maybe to Cloud this was like somehow betraying him, but he didn�t ask for it, and he was pretty sure he didn�t have much of a choice in whether he wanted to or not, Sephiroth had made that pretty clear. But he didn�t want to upset the boy anymore than he already was.

�I�well, yeah,� the SOLDIER finally replied not daring to say anymore than that at the moment. Cloud didn�t reply�well not with words anyway, but his response was very clear in his body language. He turned away from Zack and dropped his eyes to the floor, studying it like it was the most interesting thing in the room at the moment as his whole body seemed to tense. This wasn�t a good sign. Zack wasn�t a stranger to seeing Cloud angry and he knew how to read him, but it wasn�t like it was exactly a hard thing to notice when he was upset. �But it�s just to help them get on the right track, I�ll just be showing them the ropes basically�that�s it,� Zack continued while pushing himself up and wrapping his arms around the blondes shoulders.

Cloud didn�t react to the contact, not in the slightest. He just kept his gaze downward, a few blonde spikes falling forward to shield his face. If anything Zack would prefer him to get angry rather than just to be quiet and unmoving�that was actually worse.

�Spike?� Zack asked softly speaking into his ear as he pulled the recruit closer to him. What was running through his boyfriend�s mind? He wanted to be able to help Cloud through this whole ordeal, he hated everything about it, and what made it even worse was to see the person he loved so much to be so distraught and hurt and there really wasn�t a damn thing he could do about it. He hated feeling so helpless, it wasn�t a good feeling at all.

�Babe,� Zack began, �If you�re not okay with this I�ll talk to Seph. I mean sure he wants me to do this but that doesn�t mean I have to. There are other first class SOLDIERS, someone else can do it.�

The silence remained as Zack kept his hold on the blonde. He didn�t know if Cloud was going to say anything back or not but that was fine. Whatever was going on in his mind he would let him deal with, and if he wanted to talk then he would, but in the meantime Zack was just going to stay by his side�it was the only thing he could think of to do to comfort his lover.

�No,� Cloud said quietly.

�Hmm?� Zack questioned, not sure if Cloud had really said anything or if it was just his imagination.

�I said no,� the blonde replied this time a little louder as he finally turned toward the other, �Don�t pass it off to someone else. Seph wanted you to do it because he knew you were the best and he was right.�

Zack didn�t have a chance to respond seeing as how lips were pressed against his shortly after. Pulling back Cloud wrapped his arms around Zack�s waist as he rested against him.

The SOLDIER knew Cloud was conflicted about this and was only trying to be fair, but he didn�t want to add any more stress on him. �Maybe so,� Zack began, �but that hardly matters. If you�re not okay with it then I won�t, that means more to me than what Seph may want.�

�It�s fine,� Cloud replied with a soft sigh, �I don�t have a grudge against the whole third class.�

Zack gave a small chuckle before resting back on the couch and pulling the blonde down with him.

He felt his eyes starting to fall shut again as he rested against Zack, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. He didn�t want to think about SOLDIER or anything Shinra related now, he had started to forget about it momentarily when Zack got back and it had somehow resurfaced. But he just wanted to spend the rest of the night with the other and push everything else out of his mind, if he didn�t he knew it would just make him angry, and like the night before he refused to take out any of his frustration on Zack. He would get over this whole thing eventually�he would. But it was going to take some time, it was still a devastating blow and it had only just happened as much as he was trying to forget about it.

�You know�you know things are going to get better right?� Zack questioned softly as his hands lightly caressed the boys back.

�Yeah,� Cloud mumbled with a soft sigh. In his mind he didn�t know if happy endings existed in his life but he figured he could trust Zack�s word. And maybe that was all that he needed.
************************************************************************
�My first mission! I can�t believe it!� Kyo ranted with a huge grin.

Cloud rolled his eyes while letting a smile appear on his face. It was quite amusing to see his friend so excited, it was almost as if he lit up like a kid in a candy store. He had been going on and on about being assigned to a unit who had a mission lined up and that was the only thing on his brain.

It had been a few weeks since the results of the SOLDIER examination and Cloud was doing exceptionally better. Yeah sure he was still upset that he didn�t make it into SOLDIER but now he could be happy for his friend instead of hating him like he was earlier, and he had finally left out of his boyfriend�s apartment and started to attend his regular classes�although he didn�t go to Okuda�s. But there was that thought in the back of his mind that he might just have to swallow his pride and enter the class again, after all that was the only way to progress right? They wouldn�t let him take the exams again if they knew he had cut that class. But that was something he would worry about later.

�You only got put in that unit because Zack knows you�re my friend,� Cloud teased while leaning back on the blue mats in the gym that he and Kyo had practiced in many times before the examinations.

�Hey, that�s fine with me,� Kyo replied with a laugh. He was glad that he and Cloud were back to normal and that things weren�t weird between them. He knew that things would be okay though, Cloud just needed time�hell who wouldn�t after a blow like that? Catching glimpse on the clock on the wall Kyo jumped up from his spot on the mat, �Damn I forgot I�m supposed to meet Lana in like twenty minutes!� He exclaimed while already heading towards the door. �I�ll see ya later!� He called right before exiting the gym.

Shaking his head the blonde let out a small chuckle at his friend before letting his eyes drift around the room before they landed on the wooden sword rack. He took in a deep breath as he continued to stare at the swords. It had been a while since he had held one of the objects, after all what was the point? He thought he was pretty good at his sword skills but�maybe not. Picking himself up from off the mat he walked over to the rack and pulled a sword out from its spot, twirling it in his grasp. It was like second nature now wielding a sword, and now that he was holding one again he realized how much he missed it. He frowned as he lowered the sword, picking it up was like reopening a wound that hadn�t even completely healed yet.

�Always the right place at the right time,� a voice spoke seeming to echo in the empty gym with the sound of the door opening and closing.

Lifting his eyes from the sword to the entrance Cloud moved back over to the rack putting away the sword. �Maybe for you,� he replied evenly.

Jin gave a bit of a laugh as he walked over closer to the mat, �leaving?�

�Yeah,� the blonde replied while stepping away from the rack. It had been a while since he had seen Jin, matter of fact he hadn�t seen him since the night of the exam results. Well, actually he had spotted him a few times around the facility but he was always just passing by and of course he wasn�t about to try to talk to him.

�Hmm,� Jin began while stepping onto the mat and making his way over to the rack standing directly in front of the recruit. �Tell me Cloud, do you think you should�ve made it into SOLDIER? I mean really.�

What!? He didn�t have time for this, and he wasn�t even going to acknowledge that with an answer. That idiot knew what he thought and why the hell was he brining it up now? The exams were over, it was done with, Jin was a SOLDIER now and he wasn�t. Case closed.

Turning to walk off the mat the blonde stopped when a wooden sword was held out in front of him blocking his way. He turned narrowed blue eyes towards the SOLDIER who was sporting that cocky grin that he was so accustomed to.

�Don�t answer me,� Jin continued while nodding his head in the direction of the sword rack, �show me.�

Keeping his gaze fixed on the other for a moment longer he felt his feet moving in the opposite direction carrying him back over to the rack where he quickly retrieved a sword.

Jin�s smirk widened into a full grin as he got into a fighting stance. He knew how to set Cloud off and he knew if he got him angry that he would fight him, and that was what he wanted to prove his point.

Holding the sword out at arms length Cloud kept his focus on the other. He had sparred with Jin a few times before, and he even had some real fights with him too so he was pretty good at reading his movements and knowing his attack methods. They both remained unmoved for a while, trying to feel each other out before Jin finally took a swing at the blonde which he blocked easily, the sound of the wood clinking together forcefully. Their fight had gotten off to a good start, neither of the two holding back as they went at it full force. In fact Jin noticed that Cloud seemed way more fast and even the force in his attacks were stronger than the last time they had fought.

They continued on for a lot longer, dodging, blocking and landing the occasional hit. But in the end the recruit had knocked away Jin�s sword as it slid across the mat and onto the gym floor before the SOLDIER lost his footing and fell back onto the ground with the blonde pointing the sword at his throat.

Cracking a smile Jin gave a nod before speaking out of breath, �I got my answer, and it was what I expected.�

Looking at Jin with a confused expression Cloud pulled back the sword before taking a step back. �What are you talking about now?�

�You�re better than me,� Jin replied while sitting up, �and I�m in SOLDIER and you�re not.�

Those words struck a cord inside the blonde and he turned to walk away before he felt a hand grab onto his wrist. Spinning back around he tried to pull away from the other but Jin had a firm grip on him.

�Just listen to me Cloud,� Jin spoke with a pleading tone, his eyes looking straight into the boys, �listen to what I really said.�

Freezing for a moment the recruit searched Jin�s eyes before shaking his head, �it doesn�t matter whatever it is.�

�No, it does,� Jin continued with a sigh, �I�that night after the results I couldn�t stop thinking about you and how upset you were. It didn�t seem fair and I..I knew there had to be something else to it, some other reason for you not passing.�

�What does it matter to you?� Cloud asked coldly as Jin loosened his grip on his wrist and he pulled away.

Standing up to his feet Jin let out a sigh while running a hand through his hair. �Maybe on some level I felt guilty,� Jin began while shaking his head, �God Cloud� there�s so much you don�t know.�

What did that mean? Taking a step back the blonde looked at Jin a bit suspiciously. What didn�t he know? He didn�t like the sound of that.

�Like what?� Cloud asked a bit nervously. But Jin didn�t reply he just looked down at the mat seeming to ignore the recruits question.

�What!?� The blonde began angrier this time as he took a step up to the SOLDIER. If Jin knew something about his exam results, something important then by all means he wanted to know, he had a right to know.

�Everything!� Jin finally snapped while raising his head to meet glowing blue eyes. �You don�t know why you didn�t pass the exam! You don�t know why Okuda hated you and you don�t�you don�t know how I really feel about you.�

Cloud�s eyes grew impossibly wide as he continued to stare at Jin not really understanding everything that he had just blurted but it had definitely caught his attention. Especially that last part.

�W�what?� He asked hesitantly. Did he really want to know? His lips were moving before he actually had time to think it out however.

This was the point of no return, but Jin didn�t care. He wanted to tell Cloud, he needed to actually. He wanted to spill everything, things had been weighing on him for the past few weeks and were only getting heavier and heavier. He wanted to tell Cloud about his dad, and he wanted to tell him that he found out the reason for him not passing the exams by him snooping around his fathers office. He figured the blonde had been lied to and hurt for too long, he deserved the truth. But at the moment he really didn�t focus on that�

Reaching out he grasped the recruits wrist again pulling him forward just enough so that he was right in front of him. He saw the confused almost scared expression cross over the boys face as bright blue eyes met his briefly before he lowered his head, closing the distance between the two of them and his lips made contact with the blonde�s.

Cloud let out a shocked muffled whimper as he felt his body go numb for a moment, completely unmoving as his brain tried to register what it was that was going on exactly. It wasn�t until he felt Jin�s tongue glide across his lips that he snapped out of it, pushing himself away from the SOLDIER.

�What the hell are you�re doing!?� He shouted at the other in disbelief as he took a few steps back looking at Jin as if he had completely lost his mind.

�What I�ve wanted to do for�a long time,� Jin replied with a sigh, and scuffing a hand through his hair.

Cloud didn�t reply he just continued to stare wide eyed at the SOLDIER. What the hell were you supposed to say to something like that!? It didn�t make sense at all to the blonde, not at all! Or�did it make perfect sense? Jin was always a mystery to him, and even more so as of lately with him acting so strange�was the reason for all of that because�

�I know I�m definitely not on your list of favorite people, I know you think I hated you but�it wasn�t like that at all, it isn�t�.I,� Jin began while dropping his gaze again for a moment before looking back to the blonde, �it�s just there�s so much that I want to tell you. Things that I�m not supposed to but I don�t� I don�t care anymore.�

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Authors Notes: Oh my gosh an update! Yeah, it�s a bit past due but there it is! Sorry for the cliffhanger but this was already 13 pages so I had to cut it somewhere. And yeah I wanted to focus on Cloud�s up and downs after the SOLDIER exams because well I just think that was pretty devastating for him. Anyway, I will have chap 18 up soon! Juggling school and two jobs and a social life is a bit hectic, but I make it work! Thanks everyone, you already know you rock! ^^
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