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sanctum_c...wow that was subtle. So... I'm trying something new here. And hoping it will work/I'm not going to regret typing any of this. The concept came form a discussion about a fanfic where Cloud and Aeris slept with each other at some point in the game canon, and how this was handled afterwards felt distinctly off - for both of the characters. So, there was then a discussion of if it was possible to integrate Cloud and Aeris having a sexual relationship into the game canon (which I've been calling 'canon-splicing'), how it would work, when they would have the opportunities, why they're having this kind of relationship and ultimately how they feel about each other.
For this the official timeline has been thoroughly discarded (though I tend to do that as a matter of course as it's really restrictive and feels way too fast), Crisis Core and Before Crisis are being ignored. Each chapter is currently intended to be split between Aeris and Cloud's perspectives; and in this one first Cloud, then Aeris.
Cloud's eyes blinked open, the last vestiges of his dreams slowly faded away as he paused to figure out where he was. His gaze roved around the unfamiliar room and the memories finally bubbled up. This was the spare room in Aeris Gainsborough's house. He'd only intended to rest for a short while to give the flower girl a chance to sleep herself; he needed to get out of the house and back to Sector Seven. He'd promised her mother he wouldn't let her get mixed up with him after all. He took in the cramped room and the old sofa that took up a lot of the floor space. Echoes of the dream resounded through his head; how long had it been since he last thought of his mother? And her telling him he should look for an older girl like that. Aeris was older; only a year but she was still older then him. And that thought dragged in those teasing words of Aeris he'd tried so hard not to think about as he lay waiting for a chance to get out of the house.
He just couldn't forget her words as they'd stood there on the landing outside the room. Just the memory awoke a sensation in his chest and he felt his body respond again. He shook his head, this was no time to dwell on Aeris's offer. He had to get back to Avalanche, get paid and then get out of there... But his mental image of the green-eyed brunette would not shift easily. She'd stood with her hands clasped behind her back, a slightly mischievous smile on her face as she told him they would be going through Sector Six to get to Sector Seven the next morning. Cloud had nodded, turning to head to his room when she spoke again and took at step towards him. The sight of her was intoxicating, and he'd been trying so hard to maintain his mercenary stance while with her, trying to prevent his gaze winding up on the neckline of her dress where it dipped exposing the swell of her breasts or on the her legs as the pink dress flapped around them as she walked. It had looked conservative when she was still but with the buttons undone up mid-thigh, it was hard to ignore the exposed skin when she moved. Her eyes were a stunning emerald green, and her brown hair looked so soft.
Suddenly she was in his personal space, her face so close to his. Almost unconsciously his gaze dropped to her chest seeing it dizzyingly close, and feeling his body respond to the visual stimuli. Aeris leaned into him, and for a heart-stopping minute Cloud thought she was going to kiss him. She didn't, moving her head to the side of his, causing an odd mixture of relief and disappointment to course through him.
"A shame," she said quietly, "That mom is in this evening. Otherwise we could have have some fun together. If you'd like... Cloud." Her warm breath tickled his ear, his blood pulsed and his body responded as his mind scrambled to parse the words and discern whether she was implying what his snap interpretation indicated.
He turned to look at her and her eyes slid to meet his, her smile quirking a little more. "Maybe if you slept in a bit in the morning, and after mom goes to work... Well, then we could see about relaxing a bit before we walk across two sectors to get you back to your friends."
Cloud was uncomfortably aware of his arousal at her words, hoping dearly that she wouldn't notice through his uniform. What should he say? What could he say in this situation? Did she mean it or was she just teasing? His mouth went dry, and he looked away trying to gather his thoughts as she stepped back. Did her eyes dip then? Just as he nervously looked at her, worried that she would read just how turned on those tiny hints had made him? If she did noticed she made no comment and instead turned to walk back downstairs.
"Sector Six is dangerous. You'd better get some rest tonight."
He nodded awkwardly as she smiled once more and bade him goodnight. He watched as she descended the stairs, then glanced nervously downwards to see if he had given himself away. Was it too obvious? He sighed and wandered into the room and sat heavily on the bed. His mind still churned with her offer. She couldn't have really been suggesting they have sex could she? He fidgeted awkwardly try to banish the fantasies that now began playing out in his head, unbuttoning that pink dress and touching the soft skin beneath.
No! He slammed a fist onto his leg. The pain helped momentarily and he concentrated on that. He had to stop thinking about this, and pleasuring himself was right out. He was in a spare room in a stranger's house. How mortifying it would be if someone heard him, or stumbled into the room. Nerve-wracking visions of a more naive Aeris filled his head as she wandered in to find him with his pants around his ankles. He was going to have to try and forget about it. He lay down on the bed, focusing intently on the ceiling. There was nothing to do, he felt horny, but he couldn't even risk heading out on his own for a good few hours. He thought fiercely back, trying to recall other moments, other memories he could focus on to distract from the far too appealing imaginings of Aeris. But he couldn't focus on anything, everything seemed to slip away as he concentrated. There were those horribly vivid memories of fire that he wanted nothing to do with.
He realized the bed was soft beneath him and suddenly felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. How long had it been since he last had slept in a bed like this? His eyelids drooped and he told himself he could risk a few minutes, maybe even a few hours to let Aeris go to bed. He sighed then as his mind latched onto the connotations of both Aeris and bed, and what an appealing combination they made.
Cloud eased himself up off the bed, thankful the bed-springs weren't noisy. The floors were wooden, and in the interests of stealth, he decided to remove his boots. Straight from his door to the stairs, down those and then out into Sector Five. There was a squeaky floorboard directly in between his room and the room next door, and the third step from the bottom of the staircase was likewise to be avoided. Boots in one hand, and taking a deep breath, Cloud edged the door open as quietly as possible. The house was still and quiet. Early morning light lit up the interior; unusual for the slums, though unsurprising given the incomplete plate above them.
By his estimation it was around 5am. Sufficient for the other inhabitants to still be deeply sleep, but cutting things a little close if the flower girl or her mother were early risers. He stepped quietly out into the hall, ears straining for movements within the other two rooms. One was Aeris's and he suspected it was the one beside his. He paused, looking at the door. He was torn. He needed to get back. He had to get back. And yet... There was that sensation in his chest again. No it wouldn't do to tarry here for the sake of sex. And neither could he get Aeris dragged into Avalanche's business. He'd gotten the flower girl back to her house, safe and sound just as she'd requested. And while he hadn't been paid quite in the way she'd offered at the church, he'd take the accommodation as payment enough.
He crept forward, stepping carefully over the floorboard, pausing at the top of the stairs to again check there were no sounds of movement within either of the other occupied rooms. Nothing. He stepped forward and descended the stairs. The stone floor of the ground floor was freezing, and Cloud gritted his teeth as he moved from the final wooden step, to the chill flagstones and then onto the rug in the centre of the room. He skirted around the table, and then crossed another stretch of cold stone to the door.
Easing it open, he voiced a silent apology to Aeris for leaving like this and a thank you for her part in his survival after falling from the reactor. The dirt path felt warm against his feet after the cold stone and listening carefully he pulled his boots on, and then pulled the door to. Dispelling his provocative thoughts of Aeris once more, he walked quickly away from the cottage and it's oasis of plant-life into the murkier depths of Sector Five.
The sound of the front door closing caught Aeris's attention and she started. Had he just left? She strained her ears for further noises, before getting dressed hurriedly. She'd been awake for a while now, thinking of the man sleeping just next door. He'd acted a little oddly after she'd left him alone with her mom, and she suspected Elmyra had warned Cloud off for some reason. The connection to Shinra, or perhaps just that Cloud was like Zack; a SOLDIER. She'd never quite gotten over his disappearance, the initial weeks as she excitedly and impatiently awaited his return all too quickly turned into months and then years. There had been no word, no messages, not even an announcement. She couldn't believe he was dead; for that she would have expected something in the press. Was it a betrayal then; had he met someone on his mission, found some new partner who appealed to him in a way she never could. Did he have kids now? Settled down in a completely mundane suburb on the upper plates, never sparring a thought to his slum-lover.
Stop. Dwelling on that was never going to do her any good. She should hate him. Really hate him for abandoning her. But it was difficult to hate Zack Fair, and even now with a Zack-shaped hole in her life, she couldn't conjure up hate. All she had was loss and a desire to know what had happened to the man she'd loved. Cloud might know. He was a SOLDIER, she could just ask him if he knew anything. Even in the absence of official word, surely there would be gossip amongst the ranks? The first time she'd tried to ask him, the question died on her lips as she looked into his eyes properly for the first time. Unlike Zack's purple irises, his were a beautiful pale blue, his pupils ringed with that same band of faintly glowing green. Her breath had caught a moment before she remembered to breath, and looked at the SOLDIER afresh.
He'd looked cute while unconscious, lying slumped and awkward in amongst her flowers after his dramatic arrival. She'd stared briefly up through the shattered timbers to see what was above. The church sat below the gap between the upper plates, and it wasn't clear at this distance, but it looked like there were some fires high above, rapidly being extinguished by blue-suited troopers. She'd watched him carefully as he slumbered, after checking he was still breathing. It was an hour or two later when he finally showed signs of stirring, faint groans and almost inaudible whispers escaping his mouth. She'd leant over, watching carefully as he opened his eyes. She smiled at his confusion and carefully explained where he was and then bid him hello again. It took him scarcely a moment to place her, a chance meeting in the chaos of the two nights before and the reactor explosion. Curious that she should meet him again after such a similar incident.
And then he flipped himself to his feet. The movement stalled her thought processes. That trick was familiar, it was one of Zack's favorites for getting up quickly. She'd never seen anyone else do it. Which was in itself evidence of nothing; Zack could have been taught it by someone else, and that same technique could easily be taught to Cloud. It was just a cool thing SOLDIERs could do to impress the girls. The thought amused her. Show off. Just like him. But those coincidences kept piling up. Here was an odd turn of phrase she'd heard Zack use, there was a nervous tick and a fidget. He maddeningly reminded her of Zack and at the same time was a complete stranger. Maybe all these little details were common to SOLDIERs; she'd known only one after all and had no basis for comparison.
But then she'd looked into his eyes and seen their beauty. She found herself staring at the rest of him; the almost feminine face, the lithe body; so different from the bigger built and muscular Zack. She wanted to tease the shock of blonde hair between her fingers. And now little fantasies were welling up out of her mind. Little fantasies of running her hands across his chest, his arms encircling her, their lips together, herself straddling the SOLDIER... She bit her lip trying to stem the mental images and the effect they were now having on her body. She wanted him. She wanted to touch and be touched by this gorgeous man who'd literally fallen into her lap. She was sure that nothing could displace her love for Zack, but really wanted to experience this man. She hadn't sex in so long.
The Turk's intrusion into the church gave her a ready opportunity to stay with Cloud, and not only that, gave her the chance to plant the seed of something more between them. It had only made him pause a moment when she promised that the payment for being her bodyguard was a date. He didn't mention it again, but moved quickly and efficiently as he fended off the Turk's cronies and ran along the church's rafters with her and out onto the rooftops. They talked, she flirted and he teased. The suave SOLDIER certainly didn't treat her delicately; he let her make her own leaps and jumps across the scattered debris they scrambled over. It just felt so natural to talk to this man, this SOLDIER.
She almost asked him about Zack then. She commented on his eyes and how it related back to that most distinguishable feature of SOLDIERs. But when he tried to press on how she knew about it, she couldn't respond, and she felt a little guilt then; all this comfortable talking, her stray thoughts in the church. But she wasn't looking for a new boyfriend, she'd never been able to let go of Zack. She pushed the thoughts away awkwardly and told Cloud it was nothing. She charged off ahead of him across the rooftops.
It wasn't hard to recapture their comfortable discussion though, Aeris finding herself so eager to guide Cloud around Sector Five, show him the places she frequented and spent her days outside of the church. And still that desire for him lingered; she found herself fidgeting a few times, trying to dismiss some decidedly daring thoughts from her mind. Eventually, almost reluctantly she guided him to her house. With a deep breath, she blew into the house and greeted her mother.
She really had expected her mother to chase Cloud off immediately, but she was at least civil to her bodyguard, and so unexpectedly seemed to turn events just how she was fantasizing. Cloud wanted to get back to Sector Seven to meet up with Tifa. A girl, but at least not his girlfriend. Well, no problems with her interest there. Her mother did note the time however, and she had to agree that she didn't relish wandering through Sector Six when night fell. Well, with Cloud she'd have no real worries on the way there, but on the way back... Plus she might need to find somewhere to crash two Sectors over. But instead of turfing Cloud out of the house her mom invited him to stay, and that was almost too tempting a situation to pass up.
She made up the spare bed her heart hammering in her chest, but when Cloud came up the stairs he seemed a little distracted, a little uncertain of himself. Her mother was just downstairs, but she had to make her offer, had to know if she could have her fantasy. She'd whispered a slight disappointment that Elmyra was home tonight, made a tiny hint about what could happen if he didn't leave the house immediately come the morning. He started and his pupils had dilated as she spoke. She flicked her eyes downward and saw his body respond. Now that was a gratifying response; he was tempted. With a smile she descended back downstairs, giving the object of her affections at least a chance to sleep and prevent mom being too suspicious that she headed to bed so quickly after him.
Her mom fortunately did not stay up much longer, and Aeris followed her up the stairs, a new urge getting harder to ignore. She closed her door firmly, ears straining for sounds from the next room; there were none. Hopefully he was still in there at least. Crossing to her dresser she rummaged through the top drawer for the strip of condoms she'd secreted there, along with the thin blister packs of her birth control. Just as well she hadn't decided to accompany Cloud this evening - it might not have been so easy or subtle to sneak these out with her. A pleasurable shiver swept down her spine as she contemplated what she needed them for. She glanced at the wall separating them. As long as her mom hadn't asked him to just run off, there was a chance he'd be around in the morning. She could wait until then. Couldn't she?
No. She was never going to sleep like this. She rapidly undressed, hanging her dress and jacket on the door, and changed into her nightwear before crawling into bed. He was right there on the other side of the wall. She rubbed her thighs together and decided not to fight it. With thoughts of stripping away Cloud's clothes, running her hands across his body and pushing him down onto the spare bed, she slipped her hand between her legs. She needed this right now.
For this the official timeline has been thoroughly discarded (though I tend to do that as a matter of course as it's really restrictive and feels way too fast), Crisis Core and Before Crisis are being ignored. Each chapter is currently intended to be split between Aeris and Cloud's perspectives; and in this one first Cloud, then Aeris.
Cloud's eyes blinked open, the last vestiges of his dreams slowly faded away as he paused to figure out where he was. His gaze roved around the unfamiliar room and the memories finally bubbled up. This was the spare room in Aeris Gainsborough's house. He'd only intended to rest for a short while to give the flower girl a chance to sleep herself; he needed to get out of the house and back to Sector Seven. He'd promised her mother he wouldn't let her get mixed up with him after all. He took in the cramped room and the old sofa that took up a lot of the floor space. Echoes of the dream resounded through his head; how long had it been since he last thought of his mother? And her telling him he should look for an older girl like that. Aeris was older; only a year but she was still older then him. And that thought dragged in those teasing words of Aeris he'd tried so hard not to think about as he lay waiting for a chance to get out of the house.
He just couldn't forget her words as they'd stood there on the landing outside the room. Just the memory awoke a sensation in his chest and he felt his body respond again. He shook his head, this was no time to dwell on Aeris's offer. He had to get back to Avalanche, get paid and then get out of there... But his mental image of the green-eyed brunette would not shift easily. She'd stood with her hands clasped behind her back, a slightly mischievous smile on her face as she told him they would be going through Sector Six to get to Sector Seven the next morning. Cloud had nodded, turning to head to his room when she spoke again and took at step towards him. The sight of her was intoxicating, and he'd been trying so hard to maintain his mercenary stance while with her, trying to prevent his gaze winding up on the neckline of her dress where it dipped exposing the swell of her breasts or on the her legs as the pink dress flapped around them as she walked. It had looked conservative when she was still but with the buttons undone up mid-thigh, it was hard to ignore the exposed skin when she moved. Her eyes were a stunning emerald green, and her brown hair looked so soft.
Suddenly she was in his personal space, her face so close to his. Almost unconsciously his gaze dropped to her chest seeing it dizzyingly close, and feeling his body respond to the visual stimuli. Aeris leaned into him, and for a heart-stopping minute Cloud thought she was going to kiss him. She didn't, moving her head to the side of his, causing an odd mixture of relief and disappointment to course through him.
"A shame," she said quietly, "That mom is in this evening. Otherwise we could have have some fun together. If you'd like... Cloud." Her warm breath tickled his ear, his blood pulsed and his body responded as his mind scrambled to parse the words and discern whether she was implying what his snap interpretation indicated.
He turned to look at her and her eyes slid to meet his, her smile quirking a little more. "Maybe if you slept in a bit in the morning, and after mom goes to work... Well, then we could see about relaxing a bit before we walk across two sectors to get you back to your friends."
Cloud was uncomfortably aware of his arousal at her words, hoping dearly that she wouldn't notice through his uniform. What should he say? What could he say in this situation? Did she mean it or was she just teasing? His mouth went dry, and he looked away trying to gather his thoughts as she stepped back. Did her eyes dip then? Just as he nervously looked at her, worried that she would read just how turned on those tiny hints had made him? If she did noticed she made no comment and instead turned to walk back downstairs.
"Sector Six is dangerous. You'd better get some rest tonight."
He nodded awkwardly as she smiled once more and bade him goodnight. He watched as she descended the stairs, then glanced nervously downwards to see if he had given himself away. Was it too obvious? He sighed and wandered into the room and sat heavily on the bed. His mind still churned with her offer. She couldn't have really been suggesting they have sex could she? He fidgeted awkwardly try to banish the fantasies that now began playing out in his head, unbuttoning that pink dress and touching the soft skin beneath.
No! He slammed a fist onto his leg. The pain helped momentarily and he concentrated on that. He had to stop thinking about this, and pleasuring himself was right out. He was in a spare room in a stranger's house. How mortifying it would be if someone heard him, or stumbled into the room. Nerve-wracking visions of a more naive Aeris filled his head as she wandered in to find him with his pants around his ankles. He was going to have to try and forget about it. He lay down on the bed, focusing intently on the ceiling. There was nothing to do, he felt horny, but he couldn't even risk heading out on his own for a good few hours. He thought fiercely back, trying to recall other moments, other memories he could focus on to distract from the far too appealing imaginings of Aeris. But he couldn't focus on anything, everything seemed to slip away as he concentrated. There were those horribly vivid memories of fire that he wanted nothing to do with.
He realized the bed was soft beneath him and suddenly felt a wave of tiredness wash over him. How long had it been since he last had slept in a bed like this? His eyelids drooped and he told himself he could risk a few minutes, maybe even a few hours to let Aeris go to bed. He sighed then as his mind latched onto the connotations of both Aeris and bed, and what an appealing combination they made.
Cloud eased himself up off the bed, thankful the bed-springs weren't noisy. The floors were wooden, and in the interests of stealth, he decided to remove his boots. Straight from his door to the stairs, down those and then out into Sector Five. There was a squeaky floorboard directly in between his room and the room next door, and the third step from the bottom of the staircase was likewise to be avoided. Boots in one hand, and taking a deep breath, Cloud edged the door open as quietly as possible. The house was still and quiet. Early morning light lit up the interior; unusual for the slums, though unsurprising given the incomplete plate above them.
By his estimation it was around 5am. Sufficient for the other inhabitants to still be deeply sleep, but cutting things a little close if the flower girl or her mother were early risers. He stepped quietly out into the hall, ears straining for movements within the other two rooms. One was Aeris's and he suspected it was the one beside his. He paused, looking at the door. He was torn. He needed to get back. He had to get back. And yet... There was that sensation in his chest again. No it wouldn't do to tarry here for the sake of sex. And neither could he get Aeris dragged into Avalanche's business. He'd gotten the flower girl back to her house, safe and sound just as she'd requested. And while he hadn't been paid quite in the way she'd offered at the church, he'd take the accommodation as payment enough.
He crept forward, stepping carefully over the floorboard, pausing at the top of the stairs to again check there were no sounds of movement within either of the other occupied rooms. Nothing. He stepped forward and descended the stairs. The stone floor of the ground floor was freezing, and Cloud gritted his teeth as he moved from the final wooden step, to the chill flagstones and then onto the rug in the centre of the room. He skirted around the table, and then crossed another stretch of cold stone to the door.
Easing it open, he voiced a silent apology to Aeris for leaving like this and a thank you for her part in his survival after falling from the reactor. The dirt path felt warm against his feet after the cold stone and listening carefully he pulled his boots on, and then pulled the door to. Dispelling his provocative thoughts of Aeris once more, he walked quickly away from the cottage and it's oasis of plant-life into the murkier depths of Sector Five.
The sound of the front door closing caught Aeris's attention and she started. Had he just left? She strained her ears for further noises, before getting dressed hurriedly. She'd been awake for a while now, thinking of the man sleeping just next door. He'd acted a little oddly after she'd left him alone with her mom, and she suspected Elmyra had warned Cloud off for some reason. The connection to Shinra, or perhaps just that Cloud was like Zack; a SOLDIER. She'd never quite gotten over his disappearance, the initial weeks as she excitedly and impatiently awaited his return all too quickly turned into months and then years. There had been no word, no messages, not even an announcement. She couldn't believe he was dead; for that she would have expected something in the press. Was it a betrayal then; had he met someone on his mission, found some new partner who appealed to him in a way she never could. Did he have kids now? Settled down in a completely mundane suburb on the upper plates, never sparring a thought to his slum-lover.
Stop. Dwelling on that was never going to do her any good. She should hate him. Really hate him for abandoning her. But it was difficult to hate Zack Fair, and even now with a Zack-shaped hole in her life, she couldn't conjure up hate. All she had was loss and a desire to know what had happened to the man she'd loved. Cloud might know. He was a SOLDIER, she could just ask him if he knew anything. Even in the absence of official word, surely there would be gossip amongst the ranks? The first time she'd tried to ask him, the question died on her lips as she looked into his eyes properly for the first time. Unlike Zack's purple irises, his were a beautiful pale blue, his pupils ringed with that same band of faintly glowing green. Her breath had caught a moment before she remembered to breath, and looked at the SOLDIER afresh.
He'd looked cute while unconscious, lying slumped and awkward in amongst her flowers after his dramatic arrival. She'd stared briefly up through the shattered timbers to see what was above. The church sat below the gap between the upper plates, and it wasn't clear at this distance, but it looked like there were some fires high above, rapidly being extinguished by blue-suited troopers. She'd watched him carefully as he slumbered, after checking he was still breathing. It was an hour or two later when he finally showed signs of stirring, faint groans and almost inaudible whispers escaping his mouth. She'd leant over, watching carefully as he opened his eyes. She smiled at his confusion and carefully explained where he was and then bid him hello again. It took him scarcely a moment to place her, a chance meeting in the chaos of the two nights before and the reactor explosion. Curious that she should meet him again after such a similar incident.
And then he flipped himself to his feet. The movement stalled her thought processes. That trick was familiar, it was one of Zack's favorites for getting up quickly. She'd never seen anyone else do it. Which was in itself evidence of nothing; Zack could have been taught it by someone else, and that same technique could easily be taught to Cloud. It was just a cool thing SOLDIERs could do to impress the girls. The thought amused her. Show off. Just like him. But those coincidences kept piling up. Here was an odd turn of phrase she'd heard Zack use, there was a nervous tick and a fidget. He maddeningly reminded her of Zack and at the same time was a complete stranger. Maybe all these little details were common to SOLDIERs; she'd known only one after all and had no basis for comparison.
But then she'd looked into his eyes and seen their beauty. She found herself staring at the rest of him; the almost feminine face, the lithe body; so different from the bigger built and muscular Zack. She wanted to tease the shock of blonde hair between her fingers. And now little fantasies were welling up out of her mind. Little fantasies of running her hands across his chest, his arms encircling her, their lips together, herself straddling the SOLDIER... She bit her lip trying to stem the mental images and the effect they were now having on her body. She wanted him. She wanted to touch and be touched by this gorgeous man who'd literally fallen into her lap. She was sure that nothing could displace her love for Zack, but really wanted to experience this man. She hadn't sex in so long.
The Turk's intrusion into the church gave her a ready opportunity to stay with Cloud, and not only that, gave her the chance to plant the seed of something more between them. It had only made him pause a moment when she promised that the payment for being her bodyguard was a date. He didn't mention it again, but moved quickly and efficiently as he fended off the Turk's cronies and ran along the church's rafters with her and out onto the rooftops. They talked, she flirted and he teased. The suave SOLDIER certainly didn't treat her delicately; he let her make her own leaps and jumps across the scattered debris they scrambled over. It just felt so natural to talk to this man, this SOLDIER.
She almost asked him about Zack then. She commented on his eyes and how it related back to that most distinguishable feature of SOLDIERs. But when he tried to press on how she knew about it, she couldn't respond, and she felt a little guilt then; all this comfortable talking, her stray thoughts in the church. But she wasn't looking for a new boyfriend, she'd never been able to let go of Zack. She pushed the thoughts away awkwardly and told Cloud it was nothing. She charged off ahead of him across the rooftops.
It wasn't hard to recapture their comfortable discussion though, Aeris finding herself so eager to guide Cloud around Sector Five, show him the places she frequented and spent her days outside of the church. And still that desire for him lingered; she found herself fidgeting a few times, trying to dismiss some decidedly daring thoughts from her mind. Eventually, almost reluctantly she guided him to her house. With a deep breath, she blew into the house and greeted her mother.
She really had expected her mother to chase Cloud off immediately, but she was at least civil to her bodyguard, and so unexpectedly seemed to turn events just how she was fantasizing. Cloud wanted to get back to Sector Seven to meet up with Tifa. A girl, but at least not his girlfriend. Well, no problems with her interest there. Her mother did note the time however, and she had to agree that she didn't relish wandering through Sector Six when night fell. Well, with Cloud she'd have no real worries on the way there, but on the way back... Plus she might need to find somewhere to crash two Sectors over. But instead of turfing Cloud out of the house her mom invited him to stay, and that was almost too tempting a situation to pass up.
She made up the spare bed her heart hammering in her chest, but when Cloud came up the stairs he seemed a little distracted, a little uncertain of himself. Her mother was just downstairs, but she had to make her offer, had to know if she could have her fantasy. She'd whispered a slight disappointment that Elmyra was home tonight, made a tiny hint about what could happen if he didn't leave the house immediately come the morning. He started and his pupils had dilated as she spoke. She flicked her eyes downward and saw his body respond. Now that was a gratifying response; he was tempted. With a smile she descended back downstairs, giving the object of her affections at least a chance to sleep and prevent mom being too suspicious that she headed to bed so quickly after him.
Her mom fortunately did not stay up much longer, and Aeris followed her up the stairs, a new urge getting harder to ignore. She closed her door firmly, ears straining for sounds from the next room; there were none. Hopefully he was still in there at least. Crossing to her dresser she rummaged through the top drawer for the strip of condoms she'd secreted there, along with the thin blister packs of her birth control. Just as well she hadn't decided to accompany Cloud this evening - it might not have been so easy or subtle to sneak these out with her. A pleasurable shiver swept down her spine as she contemplated what she needed them for. She glanced at the wall separating them. As long as her mom hadn't asked him to just run off, there was a chance he'd be around in the morning. She could wait until then. Couldn't she?
No. She was never going to sleep like this. She rapidly undressed, hanging her dress and jacket on the door, and changed into her nightwear before crawling into bed. He was right there on the other side of the wall. She rubbed her thighs together and decided not to fight it. With thoughts of stripping away Cloud's clothes, running her hands across his body and pushing him down onto the spare bed, she slipped her hand between her legs. She needed this right now.
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Date: 2013-05-28 06:02 (UTC)Okay so. Don't regret writing any of this! I think it's a good start. I am wondering though about rearranging the sequence so the story starts out as blunt as Aerith though--opening up with her hinted invitation and describing how she'd looked then and the effect it had had on him. Just a thought that came to mind as it cuts to the chase immediately and skips the changing around in time period; it's not confusing, but doesn't really seem necessary, either. Cloud's thoughts about his dream...you know, while it's an older girl, he's certainly not settling down (or at least not at the point of considering it a possibility) like his mother wanted! It'd be nice to see that acknowledged, that getting to know Aerith through her offer isn't exactly the girlfriend route (or if he is actually daydreaming about Aerith as a girlfriend, realizing that's not exactly what she offered him). In description, I really like how she speaks his name, takes "a step" toward him, and he goes into description--and then "suddenly" she's in his personal space, like he'd gotten too caught up in the details about her to really think about the matter of her approaching him until she was there. I like the mix of disappointment and relief as she DOESN'T kiss him but leans in toward his ear. And ah. I just like the little notes like her warm breath on him, and how she deliberately pauses in saying his name, kind of teasing the message out a little.
"Nerve-wracking visions of a more naive Aerith" seemed a bit odd; I mean, with the offer JUST having been made, is he really going to be picturing her as naive? Maybe that she didn't mean it seriously and really was just teasing (in which case, her finding him having been aroused by it is going to be SO awkward) or a fear of Elmrya being the one to find him... (...Run, Cloud. Elmyra WILL chase you out with the broom, while your pants are down around your ankles.)
...Poor Cloud, being ever tormented by his horny horny mind now.
...And then he wakes back up again! Like the detail of him removing his boots to be stealthy. And I also really like that he acknowledges feeling like it's payment enough having had shelter for the night, even if it's not what was promised.
Now to Aerith's section! It was a bit more involving on Zack than I had expected; pretty much gets everything upfront with her issues about him, if none of the answers about him. Slightly amused at Cloud managing to look cute while knocked out from the fall. The contrast of "lithe"/"muscular" between Cloud and Zack kind of bugged me a bit, mostly because they're not necessarily different (you can be lithe and muscular, and that's pretty much what Cloud is?). Maybe something like lithe/stocky to show how they're muscled is different.
Aerith decided very quickly that she wanted to have sex with Cloud. At first I was surprised, but then I realized that as a purely physical thing, that's not really all that odd to feel an attraction and want to act on it. I feel bad that she feels guilty about it though; oh Aerith....
"Object of her affections" seems a bit sentimental for how she's viewing Cloud so far; more sexual interest than affection going on right now (I know the affection is going to come in later, but... )
I am amused that her fantasizing has her taking charge of the sex. She knoooows what she wants.
Part of the reason the time skipping seems a bit unnecessary to me is how Aerith's section is chopped up for it; while I can see leaving off at her taking care of herself due to the theme of the fic, it makes it seem like chronologically it just...leaves off at her realizing that Cloud has gone, and frustratedly thinking about Zack for a while/getting dressed hurriedly (it's a bit odd too in how it goes to her getting dressed, hurriedly, THEN "she'd been awake for a while", so I guess the thoughts about Zack were actually happening before the door shut, THEN it goes further back again to...the first time she tried to ask him about Zack; and I'm honestly not sure if her real first good look at his eyes is supposed to be the night of the first reactor explosion or at the church, their settings aren't described in that moment and then we switch to Cloud being unconscious. ...Actually upon rereading I'm pretty sure that moment is that the one that's echoed later on with her seeing his eyes' beauty, so yeah; we go back in time about three or four times before moving forward, and we never seem to quite get back to the moment Cloud's left at to resolve him sneaking out of the house, that Aerith's mom had asked him to leave, even if it's as simple as Aerith being bound and determined to catch up to him to get a real response with no interfering parents around.
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Date: 2013-05-28 21:49 (UTC)This was kinda nerve-wracking to post as I just wasn't sure how well I had this working... (and it might just seem crass, and ... I'll stop as you liked it!). Certainly not adverse to re-arranging the sequence - its a habit I somehow got into a while back and I can see it being unnecessary here. Haha - yeah good point about Cloud's dream - certainly not what he's doing with Aeris (and even in the dream he does say he's not interested as well) - though it's ...sort of. Glad the seductive offer worked - I just really liked the idea of her crossing a boundary like that but keeping everything implied and not actually making contact with him.
...yeah good point about the suddenly naive Aeris catching him... that doesn't entirely make sense in context. Though I can see Cloud still being mortified if she did walk in on him like that (...not totally sure on Aeris's reaction if she did admittedly). Though yeah, Cloud might be so unconvinced that Aeris could have possibly been serious that the whole hallway encounter was his misunderstanding and he has just really embarrassed himself... though I think I'll go for fear of Elmyra blundering in and I love the idea of her chasing him out with a broom. Yep, Cloud is going to be one horny SOLDIER for a good long while (and Aeris's dress in Wall Market/the first kiss is really not going to do him any favours).
Glad the stealth/payment made sense - very much spur of the moment reason quite why Cloud might never press Aeris for a date in game canon; while not the same kind of thing, he is trying not to drag her into the mess he's involved with so asking her for a date anytime soon seems a bad plan...
Aeris!
...I am in two minds about the Zack stuff if it was more involved then expecting. I might cut part of it/move it to later (possibly in Wall Market) so its not so out of the way so quickly (as Aeris is meant to be a little conflicted about how she still feels about him versus hard to ignore attraction to Cloud). ...yeah I screwed up with lithe/muscular there - I was supposed to be going for stocky for Zack - and yeah the idea was that they are muscled very differently (at least I think Zack is bigger built then Cloud for the contrast).
Aeris speedy decision to have sex... I was a bit worried if this was too blunt/too fast and that maybe she should just find him attractive at this stage and then its after spending the trip through Sector Five with him that she decides she does want to have sex with him. But, if it does work as a purely physical attraction and a want to act on it I might leave it. Looking at this again the line about not replacing Zack feels a little clunky so that one might go.
Yeah 'object of affection' is the wrong term there as it doesn't fit with her current train of thought - need to switch that out for a different term/just rewrite that line.
I was wondering earlier again about having both Cloud and Aeris be virgins no matter what they tell the other... But I like Aeris knowing what she wants and her fantasy reflecting that.
Slightly embarassingly the first good view of his eyes is in the church, which doesn't really make sense given the earlier meeting. I think I'll rework this, and make clear the first view of his eyes is in Sector Eight, and maybe start the attraction off there - that she winds up thinking about him on her way back and wondering if she'll run into him again, and its the second meeting/having more of a chance to see/speak to him that she starts thinking about sex.
I think you're right about the time-skipping so I'll straighten the chronology out and place things more precisely. And yeah, Aeris taking care of herself just seemed a right seeming point to leave on given the theme, but it should really end with her pursuing Cloud...
...sorry this feels like I'm rambling like fury, but thanks for the feedback; now to get the spelling/grammar fixes in and rearrange events - I'm liking jumping straight to Aeris offer as an opening for the fic more and more.
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Date: 2013-05-30 21:09 (UTC)Though I can see Cloud still being mortified if she did walk in on him like that (...not totally sure on Aeris's reaction if she did admittedly).
Oh yeah I'm sure it would be embarrassing for both parties--though maybe Aerith would manage to overcome it and back out with some good grace. For Cloud, well. Pretty sure there's no way to play the cool, casually interested mercenary after you get found like that.
Aerith! I'm actually skipping around in comment a bit because I noticed you talking about her noticing his eyes the first time and the attraction starting there and I really liked that idea? And I'd venture that the second encounter is when she started thinking about sex as an actual possibility, but maybe even after the first time she's thinking about it? Like, she goes home enjoying a silly little fantasy, maybe not about sex itself but sexually-charged (...does this make sense), not that it means anything since she doesn't even know the guy's name and she's not likely to run into him--Planet, what are you dropping him into her lap for. A SIGN??? Okay Planet probably has bigger things in mind than a girl's sex drive, but it'd be a shame to waste such a nice opportunity... (And yeah, thinking more seriously about having sex at this point.)
Question about the guilt thing, really: does she feel guilty toward Zack (for being interested in someone else), or guilty toward Cloud (for not being interested in him as a romantic thing, seeing the Zack similarities)? It might be a personal preference thing; I'd lean more toward the latter, because of what she thinks (or tells herself anyway) went on with Zack and slighter because of it (as long as she thinks Cloud is on the same level as her about the relationship), but it could go either way--it could go both.
...Sorry, my thoughts are kind of scattered on this right now.
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Date: 2013-05-30 21:33 (UTC)Heh - yeah I don't read sex fics that often either though its hard not to be curious about a favourite pairing - and some are so well written anyway... But that's good to know I seem to be steering clear of crassness; and yeah I really want to avoid crude phrasing/not being thoughtful of the participants (especially when it's these participants).
Haha - yeah if Aeris catches Cloud - well, no cool factor after that - and yeah, I think she'd back out with good grace (but no way can he even give the impression he's not oh so interested, and seemingly as much in need too...)
Ah! Glad that feels like it works having the attraction start after the reactor 1 bombing, and the second encounter cements the attraction. I like that idea of Aeris thinking about Cloud as a little fantasy on the way home (I think I know what you mean about sexually charged - she's not fantasising about sleeping with him, but her imagination is concentrating on him and how appealing she found him... and her body is responding to that) - and yeah dismissing those notions; no idea of his name or how to find him... And he's now fallen into her lap, she has more time with him/to find out about him, then her fantasies step up a gear and now she has a better opportunity for actual sex.
I think the latter option on the guilt would be a better idea - being attracted to him, but not romantically because of Zack...