Adult-FanFiction.org : Final Fantasy

Love Makes a Difference	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male > Cloud/Sephiroth Views: 2328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all its characters are owned by SquareEnix. They aren't mine, and I make no money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.
A/N: So, I’ve got Chapter 6 here, and Chapter 7 is nearly finished…but after that the updates will probably come a lot slower. The Holiday Juggernaut is upon us, and I’ll get steamrolled if I don’t take some time to buy and wrap those presents and send out some cards!
Warnings for this chapter…um, Indignant! Tifa and boys kissing boys…and fun had at Cloud’s expense. His mom loves to embarrass him, I guess. Heh.
Io and Muci I love that you both consistently leave me notes. It does a lot to keep my creative juices flowing…I know I could get more reviews on FF.net, but for me it’s a quality over quantity thing. Thanks so much for your kind reviews!
On with the story!!
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Chapter 6
Gail had just started the dishes when the plate in her left hand and the sponge in her right were suddenly plucked away from her. She looked up in surprise and found Sephiroth smiling down at her. Gods, he was tall and handsome! And how did he take care of all that glorious, silver hair?
“Let Zack and I do these,” Sephiroth said. He gently elbowed her aside. “It’s the least we can do. Dinner truly was the best food I’ve ever had.”
“Sure was!” Zack exclaimed. He found the dish towel hanging off the stove and joined Sephiroth at the sink. He gave Gail a grin she could only describe as rakish. “Go, spend some time with your son. Seph and I can handle this.”
Gail gave in to the urge to stand on her toes and press a kiss to Sephiroth’s cheek, and then shifted to do the same to Zack. “You’re sweet, both of you. Thanks.”
Gail left them to it, and went in search of Cloud. She found him on the porch, sitting on the top stair and staring at the starlit sky. She just watched him for a moment, reflecting on how he’d seemingly become a man overnight. He looked so much like his dead father that it was almost painful for Gail. There were times when he acted like him, too, little personality quirks that father had passed on to son. Like the way Cloud was brooding up at the night sky. Gail found herself smiling a little. Yes, so very much like his father.
“You’ll catch a chill if you sit out here much longer.”
Cloud snorted softly and turned his head slightly to look at her. Gail stifled a surprised gasp. It was dark on the porch, and as such, Cloud’s eyes were like faint azure lights in the night. She had forgotten--Cloud had accepted mako treatments since he had last visited. Gail vaguely remembered reading something about it in one of his letters.
“I can’t really catch colds anymore, Mom. The mako makes me immune to most viruses,” Cloud said.
Gail moved and seated herself next to Cloud. “It makes those baby blues even more stunning,” she said.
“You should see Sephiroth’s in the dark.”
Gail hid a smile. “Oh, you’ve seen them in the dark, have you?” It was too dark to tell, but Gail could well imagine the blush on Cloud’s cheeks.
Cloud cleared his throat. “Maybe . . .”
Gail laughed and leaned against him. She felt like a dwarf next to her own son, now that he was grown and all muscular from his SOLDIER training. She sighed and made a happy sound. “It’s okay, Cloud, I’m not upset. I like Sephiroth a great deal, and he seems to treat you well, which is really the most important thing.” Gail rested her head on his shoulder and looked up at the night sky.
“Mom . . .” Cloud paused.
Gail waited for a few moments, and then spoke again. “What is it, Cloud?” She knew he was troubled by something, because he only star-gazed when he was worried or trying to work out a problem in his head.
“I didn’t just come home to visit you,” Cloud said softly.
“Oh?” Gail prodded gently.
“Sephiroth . . .Zack thinks his father did something horrible to him years ago.”
Gail frowned. “His father?” She sat up so she could turn towards him. He was worrying his bottom lip between his teeth and looking as if he wasn’t sure he wanted to go on. Her mother’s intuition told her he needed to go on, to unload the worry off his chest. “Cloud?”
“It’s a long story,” he said softly.
“I seem to have some time on my hands,” Gail said. She smiled a little. “Sephiroth and Zack insisted on doing the dishes.”
“I don’t even know where to begin . . .”
“The beginning is good,” Gail said gently. “Come on, kid, talk to me.”
Cloud sighed, and then he began to talk. Gail stayed silent as he told the story. She felt goose bumps rise on her arms when Cloud reached the part about Sephiroth’s mako injections, and the fact that they should have killed him, but hadn’t. That sounded really bad, and even worse when he went on to say how they thought President Shinra might be a corrupt monster and somehow in on whatever it was Hojo had done.
“So really, us visiting is just a front,” Cloud said softly. “Zack’s mysterious source seems to think we’ll find the proof we need here--either at the Shinra mansion or at the mako reactor in the mountains.”
“And you don’t know who this source is?”
Cloud shook his head. “No, Zack says he can’t tell us yet, but I’ve been thinking about that. It has to be someone inside Shinra, because there aren’t a lot of labs that could actually test mako like that, and the email that gave them the clue about Hojo and the Shinra Mansion had to have come from the Shinra mainframe.”
“That does make sense,” Gail offered.
“Yeah, it does. We’re going tomorrow to search the mansion.”
“It’s dangerous, isn’t it?” She asked, already knowing the answer.
“Yeah,” Cloud whispered. “Mom, I think Sephiroth has some very scary skeletons in his closet. I’ve got this feeling that whatever we find isn’t going to be good, and that he isn’t going to like it at all.”
“You’ll all be in trouble if the President finds out,” she whispered.
“Zack thinks they’ll kill us if they find out we’re snooping.”
Gail felt her heart skip a beat. “Cloud. . .”
“I know it’s crazy for me to get involved,” he interrupted gently. “but I love him, and his father is hurting him. I wish you could have seen him, Mom, how miserable he was after his father had injected him with that crap. He was in so much pain, and I really thought he was going to die.”
“I think I’m glad I didn’t see him like that,” she said softly. She tried to picture the proud man she’d met writhing on the floor in agony, and it made her want to cry. How could a parent do something like that to their own child?
“Probably,” Cloud conceded.
“So you’re going there tomorrow?”
“Yeah.” He laughed softly, a desolate sounding thing that made Gail’s heart ache. “We’re not even sure what we’re looking for.”
“You’ll find it,” Gail said. “And when you do find it, bring it here. Don’t try to go through whatever papers you find there, Cloud. Make them bring it back here to read through. You won’t be discovered that way.”
“Mom, I’m not sure that’s a good idea. If we get caught, you’d be in trouble too.”
“I can live with that,” Gail said. “Please, Cloud, promise me . . .”
“Okay,” he said. “I promise.”
They sat in silence for a while after that before Gail spoke again. “You should go up and get some rest.”
“I’ll just go to my room.”
Gail grinned and shook her head. “No, you’ll go to the room your father and I used to share. I don’t think you and Sephiroth will fit in that little twin of yours!”
“Mom!” Cloud sounded scandalized.
“What? You’re lovers, right? And grown men! Why shouldn’t you get to share a bed?”
“Mom!!!”
Gail laughed. “Oh, just go, kid. I’m sleeping in the guest room, Zack’s sleeping in your old room, and you and Sephiroth are taking the master bedroom, and that’s final.”
Cloud opened his mouth, presumably to argue again, but was interrupted by the front door opening.
“There you are!” Sephiroth’s voice was like warm silk in the night air. Gail swore she heard Cloud’s breath hitch, and she could imagine the quickening of his heartbeat.
Can hardly blame him! Gail thought to herself. That man’s voice should be outlawed!
“Done with those dishes already?” Gail asked. She looked over her shoulder at Sephiroth, and was stunned by the emerald lamps that were his eyes. Cloud had been right--her son’s eyes paled in comparison to Sephiroth’s. They shone brightly in the darkness.
“There weren’t that many, really,” Sephiroth said with a shrug. “And what are you two up to?”
“I was just informing Cloud that you and he are sharing a bed this evening,” Gail said. She thoroughly enjoyed the scandalized look her son gave her. He was gaping at her like a suffocating fish.
“Are we now?” Sephiroth drawled.
“Yes, you are.” Gail pressed a kiss to her son’s flaming cheek before she stood.
Sephiroth’s grin was positively wicked. “Lucky me.”
“Sephiroth!” Cloud protested. It wasn’t a very effective protest, as he was obviously trying not to laugh.
Gail smiled and stood on her toes and gave Sephiroth another kiss on the cheek. “For the record, I like you a great deal, Sephiroth. A mother always wants what’s best for her kid, and I think that you are it.”
Sephiroth’s expression was suddenly serious as he gazed down at her. “I’ll do all I can to be worthy of such praise.”
“I know you will.” Gail smiled and opened the front door. “Goodnight, boys. I’ll see you at breakfast tomorrow.” The door clicked shut behind her.
*****
Despite the fact he was worrying over what they would find while exploring Shinra Mansion, Sephiroth slept like the dead that evening. He woke the next morning, just as the sun was rising over the mountains, feeling rested and ready to face whatever the day brought. He thought it might have a lot to do with the blonde sleeping peacefully next to him. Sephiroth shifted closer to Cloud and pressed a kiss against his forehead.
“Mm.” Cloud stirred, and then his shocking blue eyes blinked open. Cloud smiled a little. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Sephiroth stroked his fingers through Cloud’s soft hair.
Cloud reached out and slid an arm around Sephiroth’s waist and pulled him closer. “Did you sleep okay?”
“Like a rock,” Sephiroth confirmed. He brushed his lips across Cloud’s in a gentle kiss. “You?”
“Had a little trouble falling asleep, but I slept okay after that,” Cloud confessed. He blushed a little. “I’m not used to sharing a bed yet, I guess . . .especially not with mom sleeping right next door!”
Sephiroth laughed. “She doesn’t seem to mind us.”
“No,” Cloud agreed, still blushing.
“I like her a great deal,” Sephiroth said.
Cloud smirked. “And she likes you, that’s for sure.”
“How fortuitous,” Sephiroth purred. “It makes things much easier, doesn’t it.?”
“Yeah,” Cloud said. He pressed their lips together in another kiss. “Gods, I wish we were back at your place right now.”
“Me too,” Sephiroth whispered. He didn’t even have to ask why. He knew Cloud just wouldn’t be able to bring himself to have sex under his mother’s roof, and Sephiroth could respect that. As it was, he was perfectly content to lay there with the blonde in his arms. It was a good feeling. It was several more minutes before Cloud spoke again.
“Mm. Let’s get up. Mom promised to make sausage and egg casserole this morning, and I think I can smell it baking already,” Cloud said. “It’s really good.”
Sephiroth closed his eyes and inhaled, and thought he did catch a whiff of an odor that smelled like bread and sausage. It made him realize that he was hungry, almost ravenously so.
“Okay,” Sephiroth whispered, but not before giving Cloud another thorough kiss. He didn’t know if he would ever get enough of the blonde’s kisses!
They shared a shower, and somehow, Sephiroth managed to keep his desire under check. They shared a few more kisses as they dressed, and then Sephiroth took Cloud’s hand into his own and led his lover downstairs and to the kitchen.
“Good morning!” Gail flashed them a smile and motioned that they should have a seat at the table. “Breakfast should be on the table in about ten minutes. How would you like your coffee, Sephiroth?”
“Cream, please,” Sephiroth said.
“And how do you take your coffee these days, Cloud?” Gail asked. She reached into the cupboard and pulled down two mugs.
“Black,” Cloud said.
Gail paused and Sephiroth saw a wistful smile cross her features. “So like your father,” she murmured, so softly that he wasn’t entirely certain she’d meant for them to hear it.   She shook her head slightly, as if to clear an unwanted memory away, and poured coffee into the mugs. She set the mugs in front of them and a small carafe of cream in front of Sephiroth.
“Tifa called a few minutes ago,” Gail said. “She’s on her way over to join us for breakfast.”
“That should make Zack happy,” Cloud said with a chuckle. “You should have seen him falling all over himself at the bar last night trying to impress her.”
The sound of a throat clearing drew their attention to the doorway. Zack stood there, leaning against the doorway, grinning. “Hey, Spike, some things are worth falling all over yourself for.”
Gail laughed. “She certainly is a fine young woman.” She motioned Zack into the kitchen.
“Yes,” Zack said without an ounce of shame. “Yes, she is.” He sat across from Sephiroth and gave Gail a nod of thanks when she set a mug of coffee in front of him. “And how are the lovebirds this morning?”
Sephiroth narrowed his eyes and gave Zack a malicious smile. “Zack, I will kill you if you don’t stop that.”
Zack gave him an unrepentant smile. “So you keep saying.”
“He might succeed if I’m helping,” Cloud growled.
“There will be no killing in my kitchen,” Gail said with a laugh. She rapped Zack lightly on the head with her knuckles. “But you do like to live dangerously, don’t you?”
Zack laughed. “Yes, Ma’am.”
*****
Breakfast was a boisterous affair. Sephiroth couldn’t remember the last time he’d ever laughed so much, nor the last time he’d felt as comfortably at ease as he did in those moments. It became quickly apparent that had there been any justice in the world, Cloud and Tifa would have been born brother and sister. As it was, they might as well have been. They bickered and bantered as much as any true siblings would have, and it was obvious to Sephiroth that they cared for each other very much. Sephiroth surprised himself by not being jealous . . .rather, he found himself hoping Tifa would treat him similarly in the future. He was beginning to understand how a real family should be, and now that he had a taste of it, he wanted more.
“So, how long are you staying?” Tifa asked after she finished her breakfast.
“A week,” Cloud said. “Have to go back after that.”
“So, I actually get a week with you?” Tifa asked with wide eyes.
“Um,” Cloud shifted a little and looked away.
Tifa frowned a little. “Cloud . . .”
“Tell her,” Gail said.
Sephiroth hid a smile. Of course Cloud would have told his mother their real reason for visiting--it was obvious to Sephiroth just how close he and his mother were. The blonde would keep no secrets from her.
“It’s not my story to tell,” Cloud murmured.
“We’ve ulterior motives for being here,” Sephiroth said. Tifa turned her frown on him. “It’s not all pleasure, I’m afraid.”
“Then what is it?”
Sephiroth opened his mouth to answer, but Zack cut him off.
“She’ll be in danger if you tell her.”
Tifa started slightly at the words, and her frown deepened. “Cloud, so help me, if you don’t tell me what is going on, I’ll beat it out of you!”
“Tell her,” Sephiroth urged quietly. “You are her best friend. She has a right to know if you’re in danger, doesn’t she?”
“Are you sure?” Cloud asked.
“Tell her,” Sephiroth said. He took Cloud’s hand into his own and pressed a kiss to the back of it. “It’s okay.”
Cloud told her, and when he’d finished, Tifa’s jaw was slack and she was staring at them.
“Oh, my,” she finally managed. “That’s. . . that’s really serious.”
“Yeah,” Zack said. “Not that Cloud didn’t want to introduce Seph to his mom . . .”
“But I have to know the truth,” Sephiroth finished.
“I’m coming with you,” Tifa said.
Cloud’s reaction was sudden and almost violent. “Like Hell! It’s too dangerous!”
Tifa’s brown eyes narrowed. “I’m going, Cloud, and nothing you say is going to stop me. If you think I’m going to let my best friend just waltz off into something like this by himself, you’ve got another thing coming!”
Sephiroth was astonished by the sudden potential for violence he could sense in the air. Tifa wasn’t going to back down, Sephiroth could see it in the set of her jaw and the hard glint in her eyes. And Cloud was being just as stubborn. His blue eyes were narrowed to near slits and his frown was fierce.
“Take it outside,” Gail said suddenly.
“Gladly!” Tifa hissed. She slid back in her chair so forcefully that it wobbled dangerously when she rose, and it only stayed upright because Zack reached out to steady it with his hand.
“You’re not going!” Cloud said. He stood and followed her as she stormed out of the kitchen and headed for the front door.
“I am!” came the forceful reply.
Sephiroth and Zack looked at each other, and then were on their feet and headed for the front door.
“You’re not!” Cloud reiterated. “I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you!”
Sephiroth hit the front door just in time to see Tifa take the stairs down to the front yard two at a time. Cloud was close behind her, and he caught her arm and whirled her around to face him.
“I’m not a baby!” Tifa said. She wrenched her arm from his grasp and crossed her arms.
“No,” Sephiroth said as he descended the stairs, “but we could end up facing some very dangerous monsters.”
“I’ve had training,” Tifa said through narrowed eyes. “I can fight!”
“But not well enough!” Cloud interjected.
Tifa’s eyes grew wide before they narrowed again, and when she spoke there was a dangerous edge to it that made the hair on Sephiroth’s arms stand on end. “Oh, really?” She reached into the fanny pack that was draped around her hips and pulled out a pair of gloves.
Oh, my, Sephiroth thought as he watched her pull them on. The fingerless leather gloves were weapons--Sephiroth had seen such things before. The leather across her knuckles would be reinforced with steel and padded to soften the blows against her joints, and there would be more steel sewn into the layered leather across the back of her hands. She would be able to deflect blades with those gloves if she needed to. She had to be a fighter of some considerable level if her sensei allowed her such things.
“Tifa . . .”
“Go get that oversized sword of yours, Cloud,” Tifa said through clenched teeth, and she meant business. “Let’s just see if I’m good enough.”
“No,” Cloud said, shaking his head. His eyes were wide, and Sephiroth could see the thought of fighting her horrified him to no end.
“Afraid I’ll beat you?”
“I’m not going to fight you!” Cloud said.
“Yes, you are, because I am going with you, and apparently I have to prove myself before you let me!”
Cloud’s eyes narrowed. “I already told you, Tifa, you’re not going.”
Sephiroth looked sideways at Zack, and spoke so only Zack could hear him. “Go, get our weapons.”
Zack started a little, but recognized the command for what it was and wordlessly slipped into the house.
“I am going, and you’re going to fight me so I can prove to you that I’m good enough to go with you!” Tifa hissed. “I’m tired of people underestimating me just because I’m a girl!”
“I’m not going to fight you,” Cloud said. “And besides, my blade is in the house. . . “
“Actually, it’s right here,” Zack said. He came down the porch stairs and held Cloud’s buster sword in one hand and Masamune in the other.
“There,” Tifa said. “So, take up your sword and let’s get on with it already!”
“Thank you,” Sephiroth murmured as he took his sword from Zack and strapped it on.
“He’s going to kill us both for this,” Zack muttered back.
“She won’t back down,” Sephiroth said.
“I’m not going to fight you,” Cloud said.
Tifa’s eyes narrowed. “Then maybe your boyfriend will!”
She was rushing Sephiroth almost before the words registered. Sephiroth barely dodged the first punch. He felt the wind of it against his jaw as he evaded sharply, and was forced to block her second punch with the back of his arm. He felt a moment of surprise at how much it hurt. It’s going to bruise, he thought. She threw another punch and tried to sweep his feet out from under him with a sweeping kick, but he smoothly evaded both attacks.   He caught her next punch with his hand and gripped her fist tightly through the leather. She paused, just a fraction of a second, as if she suddenly realized just who it was she was fighting.
“I won’t hold back,” he told her.
“I didn’t ask you to!” she hissed. She threw a punch at him with her free hand, and Sephiroth was forced to release her in order to block the blow. He shoved hard, and she stumbled backwards a few feet before she regained her footing and glared up at him.   Her jaw was set, and her eyes were daring him to refuse her the fight.
Sephiroth canted his head slightly and narrowed his green eyes before giving her a dangerous smile and settling himself into battle stance. If she wouldn’t let it go, then it was better to just get it over with. “I’m waiting, Tifa,” he taunted.
He let her throw two more punches before he went on the offensive. She blocked his first two punches and evaded his kick by somersaulting over him and landing behind him. Sephiroth spun around with a sweeping kick, and even though he connected, she regained her footing easily and came at him again. She was faster than Sephiroth had been expecting, and he grunted in surprise when her fist connected with his rib cage. He doubled over with the force of it, and barely evaded the second jab with her left fist.
She didn’t give him a chance to recover. She came at him lightning quick, and Sephiroth groaned when she caught him in the chest with a flying kick. He went down hard, and he heard her land behind him. He shot a hand out and gave a feral grin when he felt his hand close around her ankle. He pulled hard, and Tifa gave a surprised yelp when he easily lifted and tossed her across the yard. He flipped to his feet and turned just in time to watch her recover and land on her feet in a crouch.
She’s good, Sephiroth thought. Her form is near perfect and she has the confidence of a seasoned fighter. Let’s see how unshakable her confidence is. Steel rang against steel as he drew his blade, and he was dimly aware of Cloud making a sound of protest, but he didn’t let it distract him from the woman facing him. If Tifa was intimidated, it didn’t show, and Sephiroth felt a flash of admiration. Many of the male opponents he’d faced would have been wetting themselves with fear at this point. Tifa merely narrowed her brown eyes and charged him.
Sephiroth attacked her like he meant it, suddenly confident that the woman would evade it. Tifa didn’t disappoint him. She somersaulted at the last minute and landed on her feet inside his defenses. She threw two punches at him before he shoved her away and attacked again. He was too fast for her to actually evade this time. She used the back of one gloved hand to deflect Masamune’s blow. The blade screeched as it cut through the leather and slid harmlessly off the protective steel hidden there. She shoved the blade to one side and grabbed the lapels of his uniform with both hands and shoved him backwards hard. She planted her foot in the center of his sternum and used the impact of his back hitting the ground to propel herself upwards and away. It was a very effective attack, and Sephiroth was certain had it been anyone but him, it probably would have broken half the bones in his ribcage.
He ignored the pain throbbing in his chest and rolled onto his side and then onto his feet. He didn’t give her time to recover from her attack. He rushed her before she‘d even had a chance to turn and face him, steel flashing and a growl in the back of his throat. Her eyes grew wide as he bore down on her, perhaps realizing too late that he’d gotten the jump on her. She caught both of his wrists as he brought Masamune down upon her. His momentum was too much for her, though, and she crumpled beneath him and tried to toss him to the side. He rolled with her, first under her, and then over her. They came to a halt, Tifa flat on her back and Sephiroth sitting on her abdomen, his knees drawn tightly against her ribs and Masamune’s sharp edge pressed against the flesh of her throat. She froze beneath him, not even daring to breathe lest the slight movement cause the blade to bite into her skin.
“Holy. Shit.” Zack sounded beyond awed.
Sephiroth glanced up and chuckled a little at what he saw.   Cloud and Zack were staring at them, slack-jawed and just this side of speechless.
“Please tell me someone was timing,” Sephiroth said.
“Three minutes and forty-six seconds,” Gail informed him from the porch. Her eyes were twinkling with amusement.
Sephiroth flashed her a grin.   “Thank you.”
“Three minutes and forty-six seconds?” Cloud choked out.
“Holy. Shit.” Zack repeated.
“What’s the big deal?” Tifa frowned. “I lost.”
Sephiroth chuckled as he carefully withdrew Masamune and removed his weight from her body. He stood and offered her a hand up.   She took it and allowed him to lever her off the ground.
“You don’t get it, sweetheart,” Zack said. “With Sephiroth it’s not if you win or lose, it’s how long you last.”
“Oh,” Tifa said, still frowning. “Three minutes and forty-six seconds isn’t very long.”
Sephiroth laughed outright then and gave in to the urge to wrap his arms around her shoulders and give her a fierce hug. It was unlike him, he knew, but he felt a sudden affection for this brave young woman, and it needed an outlet.   He released her and grinned down at her surprised expression.
“Most Shinra Second Class SOLDIERs don’t even last a full minute,” Sephiroth informed her. “Zack usually only lasts about four and a half minutes, and Cloud is the only one that’s lasted longer than that.”
“Really?” Tifa whispered.
“Really,” Sephiroth told her. He turned his head so that he could look at his lover. “Can she accompany us, Cloud?”
Cloud snapped his mouth shut and gave Tifa a slow smile. A bit of pride shone in his blue eyes when he met Tifa’s gaze.   “Yeah, she can.”
*****
TBC
- 5
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- 7
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Love Makes a Difference