[For the briefest of moments, Sephiroth's gaze slips away from Cloud, dropping down low to the floor. A small moment needed to gather his thoughts and perhaps sort out his own feelings ... ones he mostly denies he even carries the capacity to feel.]
This life now ... It is --
[He knows he can't avoid it forever, but why does it have to be so damn hard to find the words for now? He shakes his head to clear his thoughts.]
You will hate me. In another life, we hated each other.
[But things were different now. Even for Sephiroth they were different.]
[cloud tilts his head, his hard expression easing up a little.]
We hated each other? Yeah, I can sort of see that. You're kind of an entitled bitch.
[but that's just their usual humor seeping through, and while he speaks casually his actions take on a more guarded approach; his arms crossed, shoulders hunched over a little. if it's true that they hated each other... what does that say, about them, right now?]
[thus the quieter more sensible response to what sephiroth said:]
[Why is this so hard? Why couldn't he just lock away any sort of emotion and act like the compact ball of hate he used to be? Had all the time spent in the lifestream, had all the clashes again and again brought him to this point?
No. It was Cloud. Somehow it was always Cloud.
He shakes his head, figuring he should clarify before the blonde takes that in the wrong way.]
-- Not for a long time. You became the only reason I could manifest in the world.
[huh. if only he could keep himself from looking so relieved, having believed for a moment there that sephiroth hated his entire existence. the tension in cloud's shoulders ease, and he finally allows himself to sit down on the couch.]
I did summon you to try and cheat my university exam.
[funny how it had been just a goof, something that was very obviously a joke, and yet—there was sephiroth, scaring the living daylights out of him, a few years ago. pressing knuckles to his temple and leaning into the couch, cloud keeps a careful look on the other man.]
So you only not-hate me because otherwise you wouldn't exist. Is that it? I hope it's more than that. I'm going to feel like a real tool considering all we've done together.
[Why were normal discussions with normal feelings so difficult? Is it because he's not fully human or because he's lived far too long?]
No. I'm not talking about that. Before in your other life --
[Though Cloud did summon him that was true. Sephiroth had fallen into almost a limbo state before unwittingly being called to and that was something he had not expected.]
You killed me. But since that moment we have always had a connection ... and even later on, I was always able to return as long you still remembered who I was. My ... hate had shifted to revolve solely around you. The only person who could ever defeat me.
[He shifted on the couch to move forward, grabbing a hold of Cloud and pulling him closer so that they were more face to face.]
I hated the world so much. Wanted to destroy everything. But there is no point anymore to all of that hate. I am glad to have found you again. And if you remember everything and choose to hate me, then I will accept that fate.
[cloud cocks an eyebrow in response. him, killing sephiroth? it sounds like a tall tale. while sephiroth has taken on a more... human-like form and all that, cloud can tell there is a force to him, a strength, that pushes past just someone who 'is buff' or 'lifts everyday.' he would know. he does do those things almost on the daily, and he still can't beat sephiroth in arm wrestling.]
[but it's hard to consider everything that was and is, when sephiroth speaks so strongly about hate, how that is what pushed him forward and made him gravitate towards cloud like it was the only thing keeping him anchored.]
[it's not something he can understand right now, it feels like. i hated the world so much. i wanted to destroy everything. words that speak volumes to cloud, who moves along with however the man wishes him to move, drawn closer. i am glad— and then an almost defeated i will accept that fate.]
[cloud sits up straighter and raises a hand to press his palm against sephiroth's cheek—soft and gentle, keeping the man's gaze with his own. it takes him no effort at all to lean forward, close his eyes, and press a kiss to the other's lips. when cloud does pull back, he looks resolute.]
If I remember everything and choose to hate you, [he thumbs easily over sephiroth's jawline] we'll deal with it when that happens.
[people can change. people can get better. divine, monsters, or otherwise.]
[Sephiroth did not know what he expected to be the outcome of his confession. The truth he kept hidden from Cloud all these years. His former nemesis lived a happy, relatively normal life. None of the bitter tragedy from before.
At first Sephiroth thought to leave well enough alone, but he knew what happened when the truth was kept from him like that. If Cloud remembered on his own the results could have been much worse. It was probably for those reasons that he broached the subject at all.
If it was to come out, it'd be on Sephiroth's terms.
But he still did not know what to expect. Cloud reaching in, the gentle touch, the kiss made the silver haired man's eyes close slightly. Pulling the younger man in even closer, he dips his head down until their foreheads were lightly touching.]
Your other life was filled with pain and loss. Should your dreams do cross into that time, it will will be dark and unpleasant. If you have questions now, I will answer. You deserve to know everything.
I don't really know what questions I should be having. If my dreams start getting like that... I'll ask you then.
[their foreheads pressed together, cloud is getting cross-eyed from having to keep eye contact. he thinks his action of choice is to puts his hands on either side of sephiroth's head and kiss him again. fingers tangle against the soft, silky hair. partly, cloud wants sephiroth to stop putting forward all this exposition that he doesn't know what to do with.]
[secondly, cloud wants to make it clear that he appreciates that sephiroth is trying.]
[when he pulls back, his hands remain in place; he curls his lips to the side and he tilts his head.]
I want to know how you feel about me now. One hundred percent, no bullshit. You used to hate me, but now you don't anymore. What does that mean? Do you want to see me suffer, or do you want to keep me from that as best as you can?
[Cutting him off with another kiss is certainly one way to side track the conversation and get Sephiroth to stop talking. Probably the best way actually. A small hint of disappointment lingers when Cloud pulls away.
Which is probably for the best. This is a serious conversation. One Sephiroth isn't sure he's fully prepared for.
Answering questions about the past would be so much easier than what Cloud is asking. Feelings -- He hadn't thought about how he personally felt about anything in a long time. And Cloud --
Cloud is complicated. No, not him as a person. Just everything else surrounding him. The two of them together really.]
Are you suffering now?
[He said fully side-stepping the question, but then remembering Cloud also directly asked for an answer 'no bullshit' allowed. With a sigh, he looks away for a moment.]
I do not want to see you suffer. I want ... you to have the happiness you were denied in the past. But I will never not be drawn to you, and tragedy is what surrounds me. Whatever moments first brought about our connection, I do know for certain that ... You are and will always be my other half.
[cloud shakes his head no at the question of whether he's suffering now or not. sometimes he keeps a shitty sleep schedule, and all the walking around the building he's a security officer for fucks up his feet, but he's not suffering. he feels content, for the most part.]
[so he listens to what else sephiroth has to say.]
[...and he looks surprised.]
—imagine if you had said that when we got the marriage license at city hall. I bet the process would have been so much easier.
[but cloud cannot deny, for all that he teases the other, the flip his stomach made at that; you are and will always be my other half. it sounds so stupid poetic, romantic in a way that cloud hadn't expected sephiroth to be able to put together. he draws his hands back onto himself, but he doesn't move from how close he sits to the other; instead, cloud nudges himself so that he's pressed closed to the man, head against his chest, an arm wrapped around his middle.]
For all the grief you give me, I am happy here, right now. So, don't sweat it.
[he's acting tough]
Maybe... uh, just say and show what you want? [in terms of care and appreciation and all that] It makes me happy when you do.
[Meanwhile, Sephiroth slips a hand behind Cloud's back and pulls him in more, practically onto his lap or as close as he can get. There is a small laugh that escapes at the mention of the marriage license.
Thinking back to that time, it sounded so absurd in the moment. Of course it was Cloud's idea. The easiest way to explain him being around. Though Sephiroth was so lost and confused he had no choice but to go along.
Now everything is much more clear. Clearer than ever before. Sometimes he even found himself letting his guard slip around Cloud, letting him in more and more. Like now ... though it is still hard, he is at least trying.]
I'm not sure what I want most of the time. But I will try.
[The fact that he actually admitted not knowing something is pretty big in itself.]
For you. If that brings you happiness then how can I say no?
[cloud tilts his head upwards and smiles. in the same motion, he pats at sephiroth's tummy—cheeky, really.]
That's the spirit, big guy.
[he really does appreciate the effort that sephiroth is trying to put into this. and while their conversation might have been weird and a little twisted at parts—and there's definitely that whole 'we hated each other in your past life' to think about—he's glad they had it. he feels a little warmer, a little more comforted, a little closer to sephiroth. the arm around him and the hand settled on his back helps drive that feeling home.]
[needless to say, he grabs at the remote controller and turns on the tv again. they'll watch netflix, curled up like this, and to be honest? cloud doesn't care that sephiroth has already watched whatever he chooses to press play to.]
[things remain just about the same in their routine, though there's something lighter about it. it's cloud's day off from work, but unfortunately that means he still has to run errands. groceries, today, and dropping by the pharmacy. his allergies have been kicking up lately. he pushes hands into the sleeves of his black denim jacket and rubs at his nose—as if that would make the sniffles go away—before waiting for a few more seconds by the front door.]
[...he checks his phone, pockets it. twirls the keys on his finger and takes them for a few spins. he readjusts the straps of the bag on his shoulder... and leans back just a bit to look down the hallway to see where the hell sephiroth is.]
Yo, Seph?
[sighing, he walks down it and back to the bedroom, looking at the man standing by the mirror.]
...you're not going to go shirtless to the store. [why does he always do this? why does cloud ask him to get dressed to go out and he puts on his leather pants, boots, and nothing more?] We'll end up with a bunch of grannies hitting on you.
[into the closet he goes, pulling out a comfortable dress shirt. plain, black. he offers it to sephiroth.]
[Well, why does Cloud always question his fashion choices? He gives the shirt a look, then over at Cloud and back at the shirt. With what can be best described as an over-dramatic sigh, he takes it.]
You almost sound jealous.
[Pulling the shirt down, he gives the blonde another glance as though to say 'satisfied now?'
He mostly does this because going to the store is probably his least favorite thing to do. But Cloud keeps dragging him along for whatever reason. He'll go because it makes the younger man happy.
Turning he gestures towards the door before heading there. They might as well go and get this over with.]
I don't want to have to fight off your old lady fanclub.
[he sighs, knowing that sephiroth just likes to make a point of things that don't need to be made a point of. but at least he's putting on the shirt and dressing up like a normal member of society. before they leave—and yes, despite sephiroth's impatient gesturing towards the door—cloud grabs a few hair ties from the dresser and catches up with the other. out of the apartment they go, and it's when they're waiting for the elevator that cloud takes a moment to fix the collar on sephiroth's shirt.]
Seriously.
[the door is closed and locked as they step into the elevator, and proceed to descend to the lobby. sephiroth likes to stand in the middle (it's the imposing aura), and so cloud steps behind him and starts gathering his long hair to tie it up into a loose ponytail.]
I don't know why you hate going shopping, when we have to buy so much shampoo on the weekly because of your hair. And you don't even tie it up.
[it's the usual brusque response, but cloud isn't all that mad. he puts his hands on the man's waist and leans over to his side to look up at him, once he's done with tying up his hair.]
[The mention of the word fanclub Sephiroth can't help but laugh. One of these days he'll have to tell him all about the one he had in the past. Most of those memories he kept locked away, hidden from even himself. He almost thought he lost them after all those years. Like they faded away when he was purely keeping himself anchored with hate. But somehow even those small moments hadn't fully degraded --
And being around Cloud now, he found himself remembering more and more of the simple times before everything changed. He wasn't sure if it were Cloud himself or just living here without all the hate.
Glancing down at Cloud while they were in the elevator, he really resists the urge to sigh. Always a comment about his hair! His hair is fine the way it is.]
I never tied it up before. I don't know why it's so important that you insist on it.
[Except for those few times when it's not, and before Cloud can say anything, he reaches over to put his hand over the blond's mouth.]
[cloud was about to bring up the freezer incident—or the elevator doors incident, or the kid-at-the-queue incident (he has a few to choose from)—but for the hand that clamps over his mouth. the urge to burst out laughing is there, and sephiroth can most likely feel how unequivocally amused cloud is.]
[he pulls away from the hand as he steps away from the other.] Fine.
[there will be no comments about the freezer incident, but they both know that cloud is right in his assertions.]
[(laughing is good, though. sephiroth had been doing a lot more of that lately, and it filled cloud with an indistinct sense of progress, of melting away at that layer that kept the man frozen in place in one particular aspect of his life.)]
[the doors of the elevator open and cloud steps out first, sniffling as he does and going for the lobby door. he keeps it open for a moment until he's sure sephiroth can make it through, and then he's making sure to take hold of his hand as they step out into the street.]
[You are so lucky he likes you, Cloud. So very lucky. Sephiroth lets out a sigh mostly for dramatic effect.
Okay so there were several incidents. They don't need to talk about them!
The hand holding is probably for the best since the blonde will need to pretty much drag him along. And it's not like Sephiroth cares about being seen with any sort of public display of affection because in all honesty he values the opinion of others very little.
He does, however, pull back on Cloud's hand and leans in a bit.]
I think you keep bringing up the incidents because you're jealous how everyone attempts to flirt with me and not you.
Yeah, that's it. You got me, Sephiroth. I'm really jealous of all these people you don't even pay attention to.
[he cocks an eyebrow and pulls at their hands in turn, urging sephiroth to keep moving and stop stalling on their mission to the store. sephiroth's sense of time isn't the greatest—something cloud has come to realize over the years. the fact that the other is in the kind of mood for banter and teasing remarks is not lost on the blond, though.]
Besides, anyone who flirts with me is on your shitlist. I'd rather keep them from that miserable fate.
[the store isn't too far from their place; a few streets ought to be crossed, but eventually they'll reach the town centre, with its indoor mall and its shopping store on the second floor. cloud takes long, purposeful strides towards the escalator and hops on, still holding sephiroth's hand as he ascends just a little bit faster than the taller man.]
You can push around the cart. [and he takes on step down so he's at eye-level.] We'll get those cookies you like, too.
[You give him that look yet still enjoy his company, Cloud.]
Most people are on that list regardless of whether or not they flirt with you.
[He retorts back, but it is true. Anyone who actually comes onto Cloud will wish they were dead in a matter of moments, except that a certain someone always decides to interfere before he can actually do anything about it.
Other than look overly imposing.
Which he does without even trying.
He lets Cloud drag him along ... and there's something amusing about him moving so that he's higher and at eye-level. So much so that Sephiroth practically smirks all too knowing. It's rather adorable really. Not that he'll say that outloud of course.]
Making me push the cart because you're afraid I'll wander off?
[he sees that smirk and he recognizes what it means, but decides to let sephiroth have that. cloud steps back and onto the landing once they reach the top, leading the way as he continues to tug him by the hand. they arrive at the grocery store and that's when cloud lets go, pointing over at the carts for sephiroth and heading over to the first section: fresh produce.]
[they don't do much cooking, but cloud's making a point of grabbing some onions and mushroom. essential for omelettes. ah, tomatoes, too.]
I'm getting moved to a different sector for work. [casually] Commute's going to be a bitch.
[Sephiroth wonders, at times, how he got to this point where Cloud can seemingly order him around. The great Sephiroth. Former SOLDIER 1st class, the war hero, and later the nightmare for the planet.
Being told what to do.
By Cloud.
How did this happen again?
He grabs the cart and wanders over behind the blonde as he picks through the produce.]
What sector?
[He does not particularly care, but it's good to know for when he has to stalk keep tabs on Cloud's location.]
[he places his choice of vegetables and fruits into the cart when sephiroth approaches. there's something to be said about how apples are one of the few fruits sephiroth eats, and so cloud starts bagging up a few more, studying them to make sure they're in good shape.]
It's gotten a little violent there lately, so— they want someone else to help out. Guess I drew the short end of the stick.
[a security guard position isn't a big deal and has never been, as far as cloud is concerned. sector four guards are just bad at their job; this is what he believes. there is no way anything bad could happen. tying up the bag with the apples, he pats sephiroth's arm and moves past to head on over to the bakery area. the pharmacy's just around it, so they'll make their way there after cloud grabs a few loaves of bread.]
Not even a raise in sight, but I'll get a bonus if I can hang on for three months after the transfer.
[...except, he'll get shot at three times two weeks in. nice.]
Why not find something else? Surely your skills are useful elsewhere.
[Sephiroth partially feels like some sort of puppy following Cloud around as he shops. He's practically bent over leaning on the handle of cart any time they stop. Looking more bored than he actually is. He does not mind spending time like this.
But that doesn't mean he'll let on about it.
He will also randomly put stuff in the cart much like a little kid who decides they need whatever random item.
And to see if Cloud notices. Or how long it takes him to notice. Like an annoying game. If he's going to be dragged along he has to find some way to amuse himself.]
[cloud would be an idiot to not notice sephiroth shoving things into the shopping cart. he'll deal with it at the register, as usual, for now just picking out a bag of flour tortillas, looking at sephiroth, and tossing it at his face so that it—unceremoniously—drops into the cart. well, maybe he swatted it away or caught it; doesn't matter.]
The looking's difficult right now.
[...maybe cloud hasn't been aware that sephiroth finds interest in his mundane work life.]
[sighing, he grabs the cart by the front and tugs it after him as he walks a little faster than what sephiroth, perhaps, would have expected. it's a beeline for the pharmacy as he sniffles again, going up to the counter and thinking himself lucky that there's no queue. he pulls out a prescription from his pocket and hands it over towards the pharmacist on shift who goes to the back shelves to find the medicine. cloud glances down and looks over at the items that need no prescription to buy... and decides to grab a box of bandaids (you can never have enough of them), and his hand also wanders towards the boxes of condoms—which, after choosing the right size and brand, he tosses them towards sephiroth; the toss is cut short and lands instead on the cart.]
[cloud pushes and pulls at the trolley, annoyingly.]
[Sephiroth might have legitimately answered the job question had Cloud not thrown the box. Sure the cart thing is annoying, but he's perfectly capable of holding it in place with one hand while reaching in to grab the box with the other. Also perfectly capable of ignoring the blond all together.]
Do you plan on using this in your job search?
[He'll look over the box just to be his own form of annoying.]
Are these even your size ..?
[He says all this while not even being discreet about it. Because he is that kind of person and he honestly has no shame nor cares what anyone thinks of him. Especially not the other people in the store.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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This life now ... It is --
[He knows he can't avoid it forever, but why does it have to be so damn hard to find the words for now? He shakes his head to clear his thoughts.]
You will hate me. In another life, we hated each other.
[But things were different now. Even for Sephiroth they were different.]
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[cloud tilts his head, his hard expression easing up a little.]
We hated each other? Yeah, I can sort of see that. You're kind of an entitled bitch.
[but that's just their usual humor seeping through, and while he speaks casually his actions take on a more guarded approach; his arms crossed, shoulders hunched over a little. if it's true that they hated each other... what does that say, about them, right now?]
[thus the quieter more sensible response to what sephiroth said:]
...do you hate me, then?
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[Why is this so hard? Why couldn't he just lock away any sort of emotion and act like the compact ball of hate he used to be? Had all the time spent in the lifestream, had all the clashes again and again brought him to this point?
No. It was Cloud. Somehow it was always Cloud.
He shakes his head, figuring he should clarify before the blonde takes that in the wrong way.]
-- Not for a long time. You became the only reason I could manifest in the world.
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[huh. if only he could keep himself from looking so relieved, having believed for a moment there that sephiroth hated his entire existence. the tension in cloud's shoulders ease, and he finally allows himself to sit down on the couch.]
I did summon you to try and cheat my university exam.
[funny how it had been just a goof, something that was very obviously a joke, and yet—there was sephiroth, scaring the living daylights out of him, a few years ago. pressing knuckles to his temple and leaning into the couch, cloud keeps a careful look on the other man.]
So you only not-hate me because otherwise you wouldn't exist. Is that it? I hope it's more than that. I'm going to feel like a real tool considering all we've done together.
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No. I'm not talking about that. Before in your other life --
[Though Cloud did summon him that was true. Sephiroth had fallen into almost a limbo state before unwittingly being called to and that was something he had not expected.]
You killed me. But since that moment we have always had a connection ... and even later on, I was always able to return as long you still remembered who I was. My ... hate had shifted to revolve solely around you. The only person who could ever defeat me.
[He shifted on the couch to move forward, grabbing a hold of Cloud and pulling him closer so that they were more face to face.]
I hated the world so much. Wanted to destroy everything. But there is no point anymore to all of that hate. I am glad to have found you again. And if you remember everything and choose to hate me, then I will accept that fate.
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[but it's hard to consider everything that was and is, when sephiroth speaks so strongly about hate, how that is what pushed him forward and made him gravitate towards cloud like it was the only thing keeping him anchored.]
[it's not something he can understand right now, it feels like. i hated the world so much. i wanted to destroy everything. words that speak volumes to cloud, who moves along with however the man wishes him to move, drawn closer. i am glad— and then an almost defeated i will accept that fate.]
[cloud sits up straighter and raises a hand to press his palm against sephiroth's cheek—soft and gentle, keeping the man's gaze with his own. it takes him no effort at all to lean forward, close his eyes, and press a kiss to the other's lips. when cloud does pull back, he looks resolute.]
If I remember everything and choose to hate you, [he thumbs easily over sephiroth's jawline] we'll deal with it when that happens.
[people can change. people can get better. divine, monsters, or otherwise.]
Alright?
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At first Sephiroth thought to leave well enough alone, but he knew what happened when the truth was kept from him like that. If Cloud remembered on his own the results could have been much worse. It was probably for those reasons that he broached the subject at all.
If it was to come out, it'd be on Sephiroth's terms.
But he still did not know what to expect. Cloud reaching in, the gentle touch, the kiss made the silver haired man's eyes close slightly. Pulling the younger man in even closer, he dips his head down until their foreheads were lightly touching.]
Your other life was filled with pain and loss. Should your dreams do cross into that time, it will will be dark and unpleasant. If you have questions now, I will answer. You deserve to know everything.
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[their foreheads pressed together, cloud is getting cross-eyed from having to keep eye contact. he thinks his action of choice is to puts his hands on either side of sephiroth's head and kiss him again. fingers tangle against the soft, silky hair. partly, cloud wants sephiroth to stop putting forward all this exposition that he doesn't know what to do with.]
[secondly, cloud wants to make it clear that he appreciates that sephiroth is trying.]
[when he pulls back, his hands remain in place; he curls his lips to the side and he tilts his head.]
I want to know how you feel about me now. One hundred percent, no bullshit. You used to hate me, but now you don't anymore. What does that mean? Do you want to see me suffer, or do you want to keep me from that as best as you can?
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Which is probably for the best. This is a serious conversation. One Sephiroth isn't sure he's fully prepared for.
Answering questions about the past would be so much easier than what Cloud is asking. Feelings -- He hadn't thought about how he personally felt about anything in a long time. And Cloud --
Cloud is complicated. No, not him as a person. Just everything else surrounding him. The two of them together really.]
Are you suffering now?
[He said fully side-stepping the question, but then remembering Cloud also directly asked for an answer 'no bullshit' allowed. With a sigh, he looks away for a moment.]
I do not want to see you suffer. I want ... you to have the happiness you were denied in the past. But I will never not be drawn to you, and tragedy is what surrounds me. Whatever moments first brought about our connection, I do know for certain that ... You are and will always be my other half.
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[so he listens to what else sephiroth has to say.]
[...and he looks surprised.]
—imagine if you had said that when we got the marriage license at city hall. I bet the process would have been so much easier.
[but cloud cannot deny, for all that he teases the other, the flip his stomach made at that; you are and will always be my other half. it sounds so stupid poetic, romantic in a way that cloud hadn't expected sephiroth to be able to put together. he draws his hands back onto himself, but he doesn't move from how close he sits to the other; instead, cloud nudges himself so that he's pressed closed to the man, head against his chest, an arm wrapped around his middle.]
For all the grief you give me, I am happy here, right now. So, don't sweat it.
[he's acting tough]
Maybe... uh, just say and show what you want? [in terms of care and appreciation and all that] It makes me happy when you do.
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Thinking back to that time, it sounded so absurd in the moment. Of course it was Cloud's idea. The easiest way to explain him being around. Though Sephiroth was so lost and confused he had no choice but to go along.
Now everything is much more clear. Clearer than ever before. Sometimes he even found himself letting his guard slip around Cloud, letting him in more and more. Like now ... though it is still hard, he is at least trying.]
I'm not sure what I want most of the time. But I will try.
[The fact that he actually admitted not knowing something is pretty big in itself.]
For you. If that brings you happiness then how can I say no?
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That's the spirit, big guy.
[he really does appreciate the effort that sephiroth is trying to put into this. and while their conversation might have been weird and a little twisted at parts—and there's definitely that whole 'we hated each other in your past life' to think about—he's glad they had it. he feels a little warmer, a little more comforted, a little closer to sephiroth. the arm around him and the hand settled on his back helps drive that feeling home.]
[needless to say, he grabs at the remote controller and turns on the tv again. they'll watch netflix, curled up like this, and to be honest? cloud doesn't care that sephiroth has already watched whatever he chooses to press play to.]
[things remain just about the same in their routine, though there's something lighter about it. it's cloud's day off from work, but unfortunately that means he still has to run errands. groceries, today, and dropping by the pharmacy. his allergies have been kicking up lately. he pushes hands into the sleeves of his black denim jacket and rubs at his nose—as if that would make the sniffles go away—before waiting for a few more seconds by the front door.]
[...he checks his phone, pockets it. twirls the keys on his finger and takes them for a few spins. he readjusts the straps of the bag on his shoulder... and leans back just a bit to look down the hallway to see where the hell sephiroth is.]
Yo, Seph?
[sighing, he walks down it and back to the bedroom, looking at the man standing by the mirror.]
...you're not going to go shirtless to the store. [why does he always do this? why does cloud ask him to get dressed to go out and he puts on his leather pants, boots, and nothing more?] We'll end up with a bunch of grannies hitting on you.
[into the closet he goes, pulling out a comfortable dress shirt. plain, black. he offers it to sephiroth.]
Just put this one on.
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You almost sound jealous.
[Pulling the shirt down, he gives the blonde another glance as though to say 'satisfied now?'
He mostly does this because going to the store is probably his least favorite thing to do. But Cloud keeps dragging him along for whatever reason. He'll go because it makes the younger man happy.
Turning he gestures towards the door before heading there. They might as well go and get this over with.]
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[he sighs, knowing that sephiroth just likes to make a point of things that don't need to be made a point of. but at least he's putting on the shirt and dressing up like a normal member of society. before they leave—and yes, despite sephiroth's impatient gesturing towards the door—cloud grabs a few hair ties from the dresser and catches up with the other. out of the apartment they go, and it's when they're waiting for the elevator that cloud takes a moment to fix the collar on sephiroth's shirt.]
Seriously.
[the door is closed and locked as they step into the elevator, and proceed to descend to the lobby. sephiroth likes to stand in the middle (it's the imposing aura), and so cloud steps behind him and starts gathering his long hair to tie it up into a loose ponytail.]
I don't know why you hate going shopping, when we have to buy so much shampoo on the weekly because of your hair. And you don't even tie it up.
[it's the usual brusque response, but cloud isn't all that mad. he puts his hands on the man's waist and leans over to his side to look up at him, once he's done with tying up his hair.]
At least we're spending time together, right?
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And being around Cloud now, he found himself remembering more and more of the simple times before everything changed. He wasn't sure if it were Cloud himself or just living here without all the hate.
Glancing down at Cloud while they were in the elevator, he really resists the urge to sigh. Always a comment about his hair! His hair is fine the way it is.]
I never tied it up before. I don't know why it's so important that you insist on it.
[Except for those few times when it's not, and before Cloud can say anything, he reaches over to put his hand over the blond's mouth.]
And no comments about the freezer incident.
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[he pulls away from the hand as he steps away from the other.] Fine.
[there will be no comments about the freezer incident, but they both know that cloud is right in his assertions.]
[(laughing is good, though. sephiroth had been doing a lot more of that lately, and it filled cloud with an indistinct sense of progress, of melting away at that layer that kept the man frozen in place in one particular aspect of his life.)]
[the doors of the elevator open and cloud steps out first, sniffling as he does and going for the lobby door. he keeps it open for a moment until he's sure sephiroth can make it through, and then he's making sure to take hold of his hand as they step out into the street.]
...can I mention the other incidents, though?
[yeah, cloud's smug.]
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Okay so there were several incidents. They don't need to talk about them!
The hand holding is probably for the best since the blonde will need to pretty much drag him along. And it's not like Sephiroth cares about being seen with any sort of public display of affection because in all honesty he values the opinion of others very little.
He does, however, pull back on Cloud's hand and leans in a bit.]
I think you keep bringing up the incidents because you're jealous how everyone attempts to flirt with me and not you.
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Yeah, that's it. You got me, Sephiroth. I'm really jealous of all these people you don't even pay attention to.
[he cocks an eyebrow and pulls at their hands in turn, urging sephiroth to keep moving and stop stalling on their mission to the store. sephiroth's sense of time isn't the greatest—something cloud has come to realize over the years. the fact that the other is in the kind of mood for banter and teasing remarks is not lost on the blond, though.]
Besides, anyone who flirts with me is on your shitlist. I'd rather keep them from that miserable fate.
[the store isn't too far from their place; a few streets ought to be crossed, but eventually they'll reach the town centre, with its indoor mall and its shopping store on the second floor. cloud takes long, purposeful strides towards the escalator and hops on, still holding sephiroth's hand as he ascends just a little bit faster than the taller man.]
You can push around the cart. [and he takes on step down so he's at eye-level.] We'll get those cookies you like, too.
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Most people are on that list regardless of whether or not they flirt with you.
[He retorts back, but it is true. Anyone who actually comes onto Cloud will wish they were dead in a matter of moments, except that a certain someone always decides to interfere before he can actually do anything about it.
Other than look overly imposing.
Which he does without even trying.
He lets Cloud drag him along ... and there's something amusing about him moving so that he's higher and at eye-level. So much so that Sephiroth practically smirks all too knowing. It's rather adorable really. Not that he'll say that outloud of course.]
Making me push the cart because you're afraid I'll wander off?
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[he sees that smirk and he recognizes what it means, but decides to let sephiroth have that. cloud steps back and onto the landing once they reach the top, leading the way as he continues to tug him by the hand. they arrive at the grocery store and that's when cloud lets go, pointing over at the carts for sephiroth and heading over to the first section: fresh produce.]
[they don't do much cooking, but cloud's making a point of grabbing some onions and mushroom. essential for omelettes. ah, tomatoes, too.]
I'm getting moved to a different sector for work. [casually] Commute's going to be a bitch.
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Being told what to do.
By Cloud.
How did this happen again?
He grabs the cart and wanders over behind the blonde as he picks through the produce.]
What sector?
[He does not particularly care, but it's good to know for when he has to
stalkkeep tabs on Cloud's location.]And why are you being moved?
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[he places his choice of vegetables and fruits into the cart when sephiroth approaches. there's something to be said about how apples are one of the few fruits sephiroth eats, and so cloud starts bagging up a few more, studying them to make sure they're in good shape.]
It's gotten a little violent there lately, so— they want someone else to help out. Guess I drew the short end of the stick.
[a security guard position isn't a big deal and has never been, as far as cloud is concerned. sector four guards are just bad at their job; this is what he believes. there is no way anything bad could happen. tying up the bag with the apples, he pats sephiroth's arm and moves past to head on over to the bakery area. the pharmacy's just around it, so they'll make their way there after cloud grabs a few loaves of bread.]
Not even a raise in sight, but I'll get a bonus if I can hang on for three months after the transfer.
[...except, he'll get shot at three times two weeks in. nice.]
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[Sephiroth partially feels like some sort of puppy following Cloud around as he shops. He's practically bent over leaning on the handle of cart any time they stop. Looking more bored than he actually is. He does not mind spending time like this.
But that doesn't mean he'll let on about it.
He will also randomly put stuff in the cart much like a little kid who decides they need whatever random item.
And to see if Cloud notices. Or how long it takes him to notice. Like an annoying game. If he's going to be dragged along he has to find some way to amuse himself.]
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The looking's difficult right now.
[...maybe cloud hasn't been aware that sephiroth finds interest in his mundane work life.]
[sighing, he grabs the cart by the front and tugs it after him as he walks a little faster than what sephiroth, perhaps, would have expected. it's a beeline for the pharmacy as he sniffles again, going up to the counter and thinking himself lucky that there's no queue. he pulls out a prescription from his pocket and hands it over towards the pharmacist on shift who goes to the back shelves to find the medicine. cloud glances down and looks over at the items that need no prescription to buy... and decides to grab a box of bandaids (you can never have enough of them), and his hand also wanders towards the boxes of condoms—which, after choosing the right size and brand, he tosses them towards sephiroth; the toss is cut short and lands instead on the cart.]
[cloud pushes and pulls at the trolley, annoyingly.]
You got job suggestions?
[it's a legitimate question.]
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Do you plan on using this in your job search?
[He'll look over the box just to be his own form of annoying.]
Are these even your size ..?
[He says all this while not even being discreet about it. Because he is that kind of person and he honestly has no shame nor cares what anyone thinks of him. Especially not the other people in the store.]
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