Cloud let out a soft noise as he held him closer, like he was feeling the turmoil going through Sephiroth's head. He reached for his hand again, this time threading their fingers together as he let out a soft, content sigh at the feeling of belonging. He didn't have the same understanding of it that Sephiroth did, had no idea about what was done to him those missing five years of his memory, and he didn't much care to learn about it.
Right now was what mattered, and right now he was content in the arms of a man he had once considered his enemy, and he was okay with that.
"Mm... yeah," he murmured. "But they pretty much admitted they were going to lose it."
He didn't have any faith that they would actually get the paperwork filed through. And even if they did, he could always say he changed his mind, right? Like they would actually communicate with him that they could send him back if he still wanted to, right?
He wanted to believe they would.
Either way, he snuggled himself closer to Sephiroth.
Sephiroth held him closer. “I think you should tell them that as soon as possible. It would be better not to simply trust they won’t suddenly send you away. If you don’t answer your Glimmer and I find you are gone …”
He trailed off. He wasn’t sure how he would handle it.
"Mm," he agreed wordlessly, part of him wanting to drift off, he was so content. It was like being wrapped in a warm blanket on a cold day, with a warm cup of coco and seated before a roaring fire.
He peered up at Sephiroth; this close it was easy to see the differences between him and the one he knew. This one was... softer, his face seemed more rounded. Oh, he still looked like a master craftsman chiseled him out of marble, but there wasn't any of the harsh lines from a face constantly twisted in a sneer or smug look. Of course, being so much softer, it made his lips look very kissable from this angle.
...
No, he wasn't ready for that level of commitment yet. He ducked his head back down, resting it against his pauldron, only to make a face.
"...we should probably invest in different clothes," he admitted faintly.
"I wouldn't assume that, not after Halloween," Cloud said, a bit of stubbornness creeping into his voice. He leaned away a bit reluctantly, giving Sephiroth room if he wanted to take them off now.
"They wouldn't have been much use fighting angry spirits," he remarks, resisting the urge to add "petty." He might be willing to display a pumpkin for caution's sake, but he is very bitter and doesn't have the appreciation that the spirits apparently expect people will have after being forced to comply with them.
He unbuckles the pauldrons, setting them aside on the table before leaning back again.
"...fair," Cloud groused, watching Sephiroth set his pauldrons aside before he paused a moment. He reached up to do away with his own, setting it down next to his.
"...this feels weird," he admitted, looking at his empty shoulder like it betrayed him.
"...I guess," Cloud conceded, not sounding 100% sure on that. When was the last time he didn't need to be constantly on and ready to fight? Sometime during his missing five years? He didn't know, and he wasn't sure if it was worth finding out.
"This is the longest I haven't needed my sword, too," he admitted. He... wasn't going to tell Sephiroth about his and Blitz's pumpkin ducking in the park, where more than a few of them ended up sliced. Not after what happened.
Cloud let out a faint hum as he was pulled closer, enjoying the peacefulness of the moment. He really could just fall asleep like this, not realizing how much he needed something like this. Could he really just set his sword down here? Carve a small life for himself with... with the man he used to look up to like a living legend?
It seemed too good to be true, like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and force him back into reality.
And Sephiroth longed so much for this, to fully accept that he could be loved without one or the other betraying the other. But could he really not be afraid, given that almost everyone had either left or outright betrayed him and then he had betrayed Zack? Not one of his relationships had turned out happy. That was very frightening. But … he longed more than anything for something to work, to just be loved.
Cloud was content to stay like that for hours, but things like food and sleep were going to have to get in the way, and he had to eventually return to his apartment for the later. He let out a sigh after a moment, burying his face against his shoulder in a show of his unwillingness to be a responsible adult.
"I should probably go," he mumbled. "I need to get groceries."
"If this place is really supposed to be peaceful, maybe having new clothes will help us remember that we don't have to be 'on' all the time," he explained. It made perfect sense in his mind, at least.
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Date: 2025-11-12 02:20 am (UTC)Right now was what mattered, and right now he was content in the arms of a man he had once considered his enemy, and he was okay with that.
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Date: 2025-11-12 02:30 am (UTC)Maybe it would be alright. Maybe he was worrying too much over nothing. But …
“… When you arrived, did you fill out paperwork to leave?”
What if it went through? What if Cloud would suddenly be gone?
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Date: 2025-11-12 02:38 am (UTC)He didn't have any faith that they would actually get the paperwork filed through. And even if they did, he could always say he changed his mind, right? Like they would actually communicate with him that they could send him back if he still wanted to, right?
He wanted to believe they would.
Either way, he snuggled himself closer to Sephiroth.
"M'having second thoughts."
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Date: 2025-11-12 02:42 am (UTC)He trailed off. He wasn’t sure how he would handle it.
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Date: 2025-11-12 02:46 am (UTC)"I will," he promised softly.
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Date: 2025-11-12 02:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-13 11:50 pm (UTC)He peered up at Sephiroth; this close it was easy to see the differences between him and the one he knew. This one was... softer, his face seemed more rounded. Oh, he still looked like a master craftsman chiseled him out of marble, but there wasn't any of the harsh lines from a face constantly twisted in a sneer or smug look. Of course, being so much softer, it made his lips look very kissable from this angle.
...
No, he wasn't ready for that level of commitment yet. He ducked his head back down, resting it against his pauldron, only to make a face.
"...we should probably invest in different clothes," he admitted faintly.
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Date: 2025-11-14 12:05 am (UTC)He probably looked much the same as the other when insane. But sane, yes, very soft and gentle as well as ethereal.
"Hm? Oh. Well, I suppose I could remove those," he says. "There wouldn't be much need of them here. Probably."
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Date: 2025-11-14 12:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-14 12:18 am (UTC)He unbuckles the pauldrons, setting them aside on the table before leaning back again.
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Date: 2025-11-14 12:21 am (UTC)"...this feels weird," he admitted, looking at his empty shoulder like it betrayed him.
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Date: 2025-11-14 12:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-14 12:38 am (UTC)"This is the longest I haven't needed my sword, too," he admitted. He... wasn't going to tell Sephiroth about his and Blitz's pumpkin ducking in the park, where more than a few of them ended up sliced. Not after what happened.
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Date: 2025-11-14 12:56 am (UTC)“I can at least summon mine if needed,” Sephiroth said. As it was the other night.
He would not be pleased to hear about deliberate vandalism and waste of food.
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Date: 2025-11-14 12:58 am (UTC)"Must be nice," he said, before finally leaning his head back against Sephiroth's shoulder. That... was much more comfortable.
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:05 am (UTC)He smiled, holding Cloud closer.
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:16 am (UTC)It seemed too good to be true, like he was just waiting for the other shoe to drop and force him back into reality.
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-14 01:36 am (UTC)"I should probably go," he mumbled. "I need to get groceries."
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-14 01:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-11-14 01:48 am (UTC)He started to get up and reach for the pauldrons again out of habit.
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:50 am (UTC)"Maybe stop somewhere for new clothes too," he added.
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:56 am (UTC)In any case, he didn’t see what was wrong with his normal clothes aside from that. Although … it wouldn’t hurt to have more leather coats….
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Date: 2025-11-14 01:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
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