Fic: After the World's End - Chapter 9
Title: After the World’s End
Chapter: 9/19
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~3100
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: adventure, hurt/comfort, alpha/omega
Warnings: non-con
Chapter 1
Summary: Offered up as payment to an alpha for ridding the town of monsters, Cloud discovers that the outside world is vastly different than he expected, and that he could play a role in changing it.
Sephiroth never wanted to mate, preferring his independence as a SOLDIER that allows him to travel the world at his leisure. When he finds himself caring for a traumatized omega, however, his values start to shift.
***
There was definitely the start of a path. Sephiroth had managed to get some sleep, but had been up and pacing since early in the morning. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at his gut. Knowing that Cloud was hurt and frightened and being unable to do anything about it was killing him. He was considering forcing himself to choke something down for lunch for sheer practical reasons when there was a knock on his door. Reno gave him a tired smile when he answered it.
“Cloud’s asking for you.”
“Is he okay?”
Reno gave a half-hearted shrug. “Vincent and Tseng stayed with him all night. They let him out of it a couple hours ago. Aerith came to talk to him, but he didn’t want to, and he won’t eat anything, either. He just keeps asking for you.”
Reno couldn’t keep up with him as he ran down the hall.
“Why didn’t you call for me sooner?” he snapped as he entered the apartment. Vincent and Aerith were at the dining table.
“Because I judged it was best for him to not have immediate contact with someone else who’s attempting to mate him. Are you arguing with my decision?”
Sephiroth glared at his father. “You don’t even know him or what he's been through. Did Tseng agree with you?”
“Tseng is aware that I have more experience than him.”
“So that’s a no.”
“Sephiroth,” Aerith said gently, “go see him, but try to calm yourself first. Cloud needs you. You need to be strong for him. This is no time for arguing.”
Sephiroth just shook his head and took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders and neck before heading to Cloud’s room. He opened the door quietly and stepped in.
“Here he is, sweetheart.” Tseng had been sitting at the end of the bed, a good distance from Cloud, who was wrapped up in a blanket and hugging himself like he had the day they first met. “Use your best discretion,” he said as he passed. “But ultimately, do whatever you think will help him.”
Cloud reached out for him as he approached, his face streaked with tears.
“Hey, Cloud. Can I sit with you?”
Cloud didn’t respond verbally, but as soon as he was close enough, he grabbed at him and pulled him down. Sephiroth allowed himself to be hauled onto the bed, and attempted to get them arranged comfortably.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here now. I’m so sorry for what happened.” He held Cloud tightly and rocked him as he sobbed.
“Why did you go away?” Cloud eventually asked.
“Last night?”
Cloud nodded. “I thought-thought it was you. I remember seeing you, but then it was someone else. Why did you go away?”
“Oh, Cloud, I’m so, so sorry. We always-when something like that happens-a mated alpha is usually the person who can make the omega feel safe.”
“You make me feel safe.”
Sephiroth hugged Cloud closer. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry we didn’t listen to what you were trying to say. I’m here now. I won’t leave you again.”
“I was scared,” Cloud said with a sniffle. “Who was that?”
“My father,” he admitted. “Former head of the Turks.”
“Your father? Is that why he smelled like you? Then …” Cloud frowned as he thought. “Your … other father? Is that right? An omega?”
“Yes, that’s a perfectly fine way to say it. Usually we specify alpha-father and omega-father when we need to differentiate, but in my case specifically, Lucretia was my mother.”
“Not an omega?”
“She was an omega. Can I explain?" The topic of his parents wasn't his favourite, but he thought it might be good for Cloud to have a distraction to distance himself from what had happened before talking about it. And if he were being truthful with himself, he wanted Cloud to know about his past as well. His hopefully future mate deserved to know him better.
Cloud's curiosity seemed to get the better of him and he nodded.
"My mother was raised by her beta parents. They ran away from their village when they found out she was an omega in order to protect her. They loved her and treated her very well, but there was a lot that they didn't understand. In particular, they thought like you did, that any alpha she met would rape her and force her to mate. To protect her from that, and from persecution by betas, they raised her as female and kept her hidden away from everyone. They didn't realize that she had to mate or she'd die."
"Did she know?"
"No. She probably felt that she needed something, but had no idea what it was or how to describe it to her parents. She had only been told that men would always try to hurt her, and so she needed to run away if she saw one. She didn't know about alphas."
Cloud furrowed his eyebrows together and chewed on his lip.
"What're you thinking?"
"Just that I kind of understand how she might have felt. I mean, I knew about alphas and mating, but not that they wouldn’t hurt me. Although … Did your father find her?"
Although apparently there were still some alphas who felt entitled to omegas’ bodies. He pushed aside the surge of anger he felt and answered, "Yes. Vincent had been on his way to Wutai with some other alphas. A lot of omegas moved to Wutai after the geostigma crisis because they were treated as full citizens there and the laws protected them from abuse. Midgar changed its laws, of course, but many still wanted to stay. As a result, the king of Wutai made an agreement with Midgar to allow for alphas to immigrate there to find mates and keep the population healthy.
“On his way there, the ship he was on sank in a storm. He survived, but everything he had was lost. He ended up back on the western continent, where you're from, and he travelled on foot across it, hoping to meet up with another Turk or SOLDIER who could help. It was during that time that he found Lucretia. She had been beyond needing a mate for several heats, and had just started what would have been her final one. Vincent was looking for shelter for the night when he noticed her scent, and he tracked her to the cave where she stayed hidden.
"Only her mother was with her-her father had finally gone for help-Vincent overpowered her easily and got to Lucretia. Her instincts kicked in to save her, and she allowed Vincent to mate with her."
Cloud trembled slightly, and Sephiroth gave a short purr to steady him. "Did he kill her mom?"
"No, just knocked her out. It didn't do much to improve her parents’ opinion of alphas, however. Especially since-have you been told about birth control?"
"No, I don't think so."
"I suppose that since it's not much of an issue for you, nobody's explained yet. You’ve had enough relevant stuff on your plate. Alphas take birth control to prevent them from impregnating omegas, or anyone else for that matter. It's a simple shot we give ourselves once a month that not only neutralizes our sperm, but also reduces our aggression towards other alphas and helps us maintain control during heats. It’s why I was able to say that I would stay with you, but not have sex if you didn’t want me to when we were at the cabin. We start taking it as soon as we hit puberty, and we stay on it until we mate and decide whether or not we want children. If a couple wants children, the alpha goes off it temporarily. Being mated reduces aggression anyway, so that's not a problem. If they don't want children, or once they've had as many as they want, he goes to the doctor to be sterilized."
"Like I was?"
"Yes, but the procedure for alphas is much less invasive. Omegas are only ever sterilized if they have a health problem that requires it or if they really want to for some reason."
"Oh."
Sephiroth carded his fingers through Cloud's hair and kissed his forehead. "So getting back to the story. Because Vincent had lost everything when his ship sank, and he had been travelling for so long, his birth control had long since worn off and he didn't have any more. He saved Lucrecia’s life, but got her pregnant as well."
"With you?"
"Yes. Omega pregnancies are difficult at the best of times, but Lucretia had been dying and it was particularly hard on her. Vincent was able to get her to Midgar and she survived, but the combination of the late mating and immediate pregnancy took a terrible toll on her health. I … I often felt, growing up, that Vincent resented me, and after Lucretia passed away and he left Shinra, well … we haven't seen each other much since. Losing your mate is incredibly hard, and he didn’t take it well."
"Did they love each other?"
"It was difficult at first, after being forced together the way they were, and especially since Lucretia had her entire life turned on its head with no prior knowledge of what she was getting into. But yes, they worked hard to compromise and adjust, and by the time she died, they were very much in love and had been for a long time."
"I'm still confused though, why is she your mother?"
"Even after she mated and came to Midgar and realized that omegas consider themselves male, Lucretia felt more comfortable being female. That was what felt right to her, so she continued to live as a woman. It happens occasionally, even with alphas and betas. Sometimes people don't quite match what society expects or what their genitals say, but that's okay. We need to respect that. After all, it wouldn't feel very nice if I had told you that we consider omegas female and that you are therefore female, would it?"
Cloud shook his head violently. "When you first told me about how omegas were made, I was kinda worried for a second. I'm not a woman."
"And she wasn't a man."
"I think I understand. That's ... I'm glad that she was able to live as who she was. And ..." Cloud squirmed a little bit closer to him. "I'm sorry about your father. I ..."
"Don't worry about it," Sephiroth said with a sigh. "He doesn't hate me and I don't hate him. He might even come back to Midgar on occasion if I mate."
"Do you ... want to mate?"
Sephiroth looked down at the omega pressed tightly to his side. "Yes."
Cloud remained silent for a minute or so. "With me?"
"Yes."
"But I … I can't have kids. Didn't that make you mad?"
"That made me very mad. That choice should never have been taken away from you. They had absolutely no right to violate you like that. But I don't mind the fact that you can't have children. If we mated and wanted to, we could adopt. Mated pairs always have priority for adopting omegas."
"Oh …” He sat quietly for a few minutes before letting out a gusty sigh and saying in a small voice, “I don't want to do this anymore.”
"You don't want to do what, specifically?" Sephiroth closed his eyes and rested against the headboard. He would have to leave Midgar if Cloud refused to mate. As much as it would pain him to abandon Cloud, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand by while the inevitable happened.
"I hate this dating, courting, whatever you call it. It's all I ever think about and I just hate it. I feel like everyone's constantly wondering what's wrong with me and thinking I must be broken because I get scared and don't want to let them touch me."
Sephiroth opened his eyes and gently stroked Cloud's hair. "I don't know what the other people you've been seeing are thinking, but I don't think you're broken. I think that you've been hurt terribly and that you need time you don't have, and that makes me feel awful. Have I ever made you feel like I'm pressuring you?"
Cloud reached over to the nightstand and picked up that ridiculous chocobo, turning it over and over in his fingers. "Not to touch or have sex, but ..."
"But what? You can tell me anything, and I promise I'll do my best to fix it."
"But like I have to try out all these other people and I can't just ..." He trailed off again and continued to fiddle with the chocobo.
"Are you saying that you want to stop dating people because you want to make your decision and I'm making you feel like it's too soon?" Feeling like it was probably difficult for Cloud to say it, he decided to just be blunt. "Do you want to mate with me, Cloud?"
Cloud dropped the chocobo and grabbed his shirt instead. "I do, I want you, but I-not yet. I'm sorry. I want to just go to my classes, and have time to practice stuff at home. I want to do fun things. I want to be like Reno and just-"
"Have a bit of a life before tying yourself down?" Sephiroth smiled as his heart swelled. "You can do that. I want to mate with you very, very much, but it doesn't have to be right away. You've still got a few heats left before you need to mate. If you're certain that I'm who you want, then take that time and live your life."
"You'd let me do that?"
"Let you? Cloud, I’d be your mate. Your partner, not your owner or your boss. And I think that that would be the best possible thing you could do for yourself. Mating isn't a prison sentence, but it is a big change and you've never had a chance to just live for yourself. So do that. Find out who you are and what you love. I'll wait very patiently."
Cloud slowly lifted his head and sat up a bit. Despite his red and swollen eyes, a smile was blooming. "Will you still take me out to new places?"
"Absolutely. Let's just set aside sex for now. I'll still get you through your heats if you want me to, but otherwise, let's focus on being friends. As your friend, I'd be so happy if I could keep showing you everything you want to see. And if, when you're ready, whether it’s before or after mating, if you want to be more sexually active outside of your heat, I promise I will make you see stars."
Cloud flung himself forward and squeezed him tightly while Sephiroth rubbed his back.
"Okay, we have some negotiating to do and decisions to start thinking about, but first, I've heard a rumour that you refused to eat this morning, and it's already nearly one o'clock. Do you want to eat in here?"
Cloud sat back up and gave a shy nod. "Sorry, I was just …"
"Really fucking upset and no one was listening to you?"
"Yeah."
Sephiroth grinned. "And now I get to be the one doing the scolding. I'm quite excited. What would you like to eat?"
"I made a weird salad yesterday in cooking class. There were lots of leftovers."
"Mmm, weird salad sounds good. Is there enough for me to try some?"
Cloud laughed and nodded.
"Be right back, then."
Sephiroth hugged Cloud once more before rolling off the bed. He couldn't stop smiling as he went back to the main room where Tseng and Reno had joined Vincent and Aerith at the table. The four were deep in conversation.
"You guys can go now," he said as he headed for the fridge. "Aside, from Reno, of course. Not trying to kick you out of your own home. But, Tseng, tell the alphas to back off of Cloud. I'll scent mark him if he'll let me, but we haven't talked about it yet. Regardless, they're to leave him alone from now on."
"You're mating him?" Tseng and Vincent asked at the same time.
"Not yet, but I will. He wants to have some time to himself first. Reno, where's the salad Cloud made yesterday?"
Reno jumped up and pulled out a big glass bowl filled with some sort of grain, beans, and chunks of vegetables. "It's actually pretty good," he said. "Filling, too."
"Do we eat it with spoons?"
"Spoons were easiest."
"Spoons it is, then."
“Sephiroth, are you certain? Making a big decision like this when he’s upset and vulnerable isn’t-”
He glanced over his shoulder at Aerith. “He’s not upset and vulnerable. He definitely needs to talk with you about what happened with Luxiere, and so I’ll encourage him to make an appointment with you tomorrow to do so. I think it would also be good if he could to speak with you about mating so we’re all on the same page. But he had a good cry once the person he actually wanted was there, and then he calmed down and we were able to talk about the things that have been bothering him. Like the fact that everyone thinks he can’t make a decision unless he’s let half the alphas here fuck him.”
“That’s not-” Tseng started.
“That’s not what we say in so many words, but he’s not stupid. He knows what alphas want, and Luxiere gave him a very memorable lesson in case he hadn’t figured it out. He’s been pushing himself so hard to act like we expect him to when he just wants to have a chance to live his own life before mating with the person he wants.”
“But-”
Sephiroth slammed the bowl down on the counter with a growl. “We’ve given him options. He considered them. He made his decision. I am willing to acquiesce to his needs regarding sex, or lack thereof. End of discussion. I will kill any alphas who continue to bother him.”
Reno grinned and held out two spoons. “Congratulations. Does not mating right away mean I get to keep my roomie for a while longer?”
“I think Cloud would like that very much, if you’ll have him.”
“Hell, yeah. Does it also mean he can finally have some time to make friends with other omegas and not be stressed the fuck out all the time?”
“Absolutely. We’re giving him a stress-free few months of complete freedom.”
***
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
A/N: I’m trying to be not too paranoid about wacky new viruses, while also still being reasonably cautious. But I swear, if I wash my hands one more time, they’re going to fall off.
I watched a video comparing the AC voice actors to the remake’s, and I like them all except for Sephiroth. George Newburn did such a great job on him, and his new actor falls well short, in my opinion. Then again, Sephiroth’s best voice is actually the actor from French dub of AC. I will accept no arguments. If the remake has him again, I’d totally play in French.
Chapter: 9/19
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~3100
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: adventure, hurt/comfort, alpha/omega
Warnings: non-con
Chapter 1
Summary: Offered up as payment to an alpha for ridding the town of monsters, Cloud discovers that the outside world is vastly different than he expected, and that he could play a role in changing it.
Sephiroth never wanted to mate, preferring his independence as a SOLDIER that allows him to travel the world at his leisure. When he finds himself caring for a traumatized omega, however, his values start to shift.
***
There was definitely the start of a path. Sephiroth had managed to get some sleep, but had been up and pacing since early in the morning. The feeling of helplessness gnawed at his gut. Knowing that Cloud was hurt and frightened and being unable to do anything about it was killing him. He was considering forcing himself to choke something down for lunch for sheer practical reasons when there was a knock on his door. Reno gave him a tired smile when he answered it.
“Cloud’s asking for you.”
“Is he okay?”
Reno gave a half-hearted shrug. “Vincent and Tseng stayed with him all night. They let him out of it a couple hours ago. Aerith came to talk to him, but he didn’t want to, and he won’t eat anything, either. He just keeps asking for you.”
Reno couldn’t keep up with him as he ran down the hall.
“Why didn’t you call for me sooner?” he snapped as he entered the apartment. Vincent and Aerith were at the dining table.
“Because I judged it was best for him to not have immediate contact with someone else who’s attempting to mate him. Are you arguing with my decision?”
Sephiroth glared at his father. “You don’t even know him or what he's been through. Did Tseng agree with you?”
“Tseng is aware that I have more experience than him.”
“So that’s a no.”
“Sephiroth,” Aerith said gently, “go see him, but try to calm yourself first. Cloud needs you. You need to be strong for him. This is no time for arguing.”
Sephiroth just shook his head and took a deep breath, rolling his shoulders and neck before heading to Cloud’s room. He opened the door quietly and stepped in.
“Here he is, sweetheart.” Tseng had been sitting at the end of the bed, a good distance from Cloud, who was wrapped up in a blanket and hugging himself like he had the day they first met. “Use your best discretion,” he said as he passed. “But ultimately, do whatever you think will help him.”
Cloud reached out for him as he approached, his face streaked with tears.
“Hey, Cloud. Can I sit with you?”
Cloud didn’t respond verbally, but as soon as he was close enough, he grabbed at him and pulled him down. Sephiroth allowed himself to be hauled onto the bed, and attempted to get them arranged comfortably.
“Shh, it’s okay. I’m here now. I’m so sorry for what happened.” He held Cloud tightly and rocked him as he sobbed.
“Why did you go away?” Cloud eventually asked.
“Last night?”
Cloud nodded. “I thought-thought it was you. I remember seeing you, but then it was someone else. Why did you go away?”
“Oh, Cloud, I’m so, so sorry. We always-when something like that happens-a mated alpha is usually the person who can make the omega feel safe.”
“You make me feel safe.”
Sephiroth hugged Cloud closer. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry we didn’t listen to what you were trying to say. I’m here now. I won’t leave you again.”
“I was scared,” Cloud said with a sniffle. “Who was that?”
“My father,” he admitted. “Former head of the Turks.”
“Your father? Is that why he smelled like you? Then …” Cloud frowned as he thought. “Your … other father? Is that right? An omega?”
“Yes, that’s a perfectly fine way to say it. Usually we specify alpha-father and omega-father when we need to differentiate, but in my case specifically, Lucretia was my mother.”
“Not an omega?”
“She was an omega. Can I explain?" The topic of his parents wasn't his favourite, but he thought it might be good for Cloud to have a distraction to distance himself from what had happened before talking about it. And if he were being truthful with himself, he wanted Cloud to know about his past as well. His hopefully future mate deserved to know him better.
Cloud's curiosity seemed to get the better of him and he nodded.
"My mother was raised by her beta parents. They ran away from their village when they found out she was an omega in order to protect her. They loved her and treated her very well, but there was a lot that they didn't understand. In particular, they thought like you did, that any alpha she met would rape her and force her to mate. To protect her from that, and from persecution by betas, they raised her as female and kept her hidden away from everyone. They didn't realize that she had to mate or she'd die."
"Did she know?"
"No. She probably felt that she needed something, but had no idea what it was or how to describe it to her parents. She had only been told that men would always try to hurt her, and so she needed to run away if she saw one. She didn't know about alphas."
Cloud furrowed his eyebrows together and chewed on his lip.
"What're you thinking?"
"Just that I kind of understand how she might have felt. I mean, I knew about alphas and mating, but not that they wouldn’t hurt me. Although … Did your father find her?"
Although apparently there were still some alphas who felt entitled to omegas’ bodies. He pushed aside the surge of anger he felt and answered, "Yes. Vincent had been on his way to Wutai with some other alphas. A lot of omegas moved to Wutai after the geostigma crisis because they were treated as full citizens there and the laws protected them from abuse. Midgar changed its laws, of course, but many still wanted to stay. As a result, the king of Wutai made an agreement with Midgar to allow for alphas to immigrate there to find mates and keep the population healthy.
“On his way there, the ship he was on sank in a storm. He survived, but everything he had was lost. He ended up back on the western continent, where you're from, and he travelled on foot across it, hoping to meet up with another Turk or SOLDIER who could help. It was during that time that he found Lucretia. She had been beyond needing a mate for several heats, and had just started what would have been her final one. Vincent was looking for shelter for the night when he noticed her scent, and he tracked her to the cave where she stayed hidden.
"Only her mother was with her-her father had finally gone for help-Vincent overpowered her easily and got to Lucretia. Her instincts kicked in to save her, and she allowed Vincent to mate with her."
Cloud trembled slightly, and Sephiroth gave a short purr to steady him. "Did he kill her mom?"
"No, just knocked her out. It didn't do much to improve her parents’ opinion of alphas, however. Especially since-have you been told about birth control?"
"No, I don't think so."
"I suppose that since it's not much of an issue for you, nobody's explained yet. You’ve had enough relevant stuff on your plate. Alphas take birth control to prevent them from impregnating omegas, or anyone else for that matter. It's a simple shot we give ourselves once a month that not only neutralizes our sperm, but also reduces our aggression towards other alphas and helps us maintain control during heats. It’s why I was able to say that I would stay with you, but not have sex if you didn’t want me to when we were at the cabin. We start taking it as soon as we hit puberty, and we stay on it until we mate and decide whether or not we want children. If a couple wants children, the alpha goes off it temporarily. Being mated reduces aggression anyway, so that's not a problem. If they don't want children, or once they've had as many as they want, he goes to the doctor to be sterilized."
"Like I was?"
"Yes, but the procedure for alphas is much less invasive. Omegas are only ever sterilized if they have a health problem that requires it or if they really want to for some reason."
"Oh."
Sephiroth carded his fingers through Cloud's hair and kissed his forehead. "So getting back to the story. Because Vincent had lost everything when his ship sank, and he had been travelling for so long, his birth control had long since worn off and he didn't have any more. He saved Lucrecia’s life, but got her pregnant as well."
"With you?"
"Yes. Omega pregnancies are difficult at the best of times, but Lucretia had been dying and it was particularly hard on her. Vincent was able to get her to Midgar and she survived, but the combination of the late mating and immediate pregnancy took a terrible toll on her health. I … I often felt, growing up, that Vincent resented me, and after Lucretia passed away and he left Shinra, well … we haven't seen each other much since. Losing your mate is incredibly hard, and he didn’t take it well."
"Did they love each other?"
"It was difficult at first, after being forced together the way they were, and especially since Lucretia had her entire life turned on its head with no prior knowledge of what she was getting into. But yes, they worked hard to compromise and adjust, and by the time she died, they were very much in love and had been for a long time."
"I'm still confused though, why is she your mother?"
"Even after she mated and came to Midgar and realized that omegas consider themselves male, Lucretia felt more comfortable being female. That was what felt right to her, so she continued to live as a woman. It happens occasionally, even with alphas and betas. Sometimes people don't quite match what society expects or what their genitals say, but that's okay. We need to respect that. After all, it wouldn't feel very nice if I had told you that we consider omegas female and that you are therefore female, would it?"
Cloud shook his head violently. "When you first told me about how omegas were made, I was kinda worried for a second. I'm not a woman."
"And she wasn't a man."
"I think I understand. That's ... I'm glad that she was able to live as who she was. And ..." Cloud squirmed a little bit closer to him. "I'm sorry about your father. I ..."
"Don't worry about it," Sephiroth said with a sigh. "He doesn't hate me and I don't hate him. He might even come back to Midgar on occasion if I mate."
"Do you ... want to mate?"
Sephiroth looked down at the omega pressed tightly to his side. "Yes."
Cloud remained silent for a minute or so. "With me?"
"Yes."
"But I … I can't have kids. Didn't that make you mad?"
"That made me very mad. That choice should never have been taken away from you. They had absolutely no right to violate you like that. But I don't mind the fact that you can't have children. If we mated and wanted to, we could adopt. Mated pairs always have priority for adopting omegas."
"Oh …” He sat quietly for a few minutes before letting out a gusty sigh and saying in a small voice, “I don't want to do this anymore.”
"You don't want to do what, specifically?" Sephiroth closed his eyes and rested against the headboard. He would have to leave Midgar if Cloud refused to mate. As much as it would pain him to abandon Cloud, he knew he wouldn't be able to stand by while the inevitable happened.
"I hate this dating, courting, whatever you call it. It's all I ever think about and I just hate it. I feel like everyone's constantly wondering what's wrong with me and thinking I must be broken because I get scared and don't want to let them touch me."
Sephiroth opened his eyes and gently stroked Cloud's hair. "I don't know what the other people you've been seeing are thinking, but I don't think you're broken. I think that you've been hurt terribly and that you need time you don't have, and that makes me feel awful. Have I ever made you feel like I'm pressuring you?"
Cloud reached over to the nightstand and picked up that ridiculous chocobo, turning it over and over in his fingers. "Not to touch or have sex, but ..."
"But what? You can tell me anything, and I promise I'll do my best to fix it."
"But like I have to try out all these other people and I can't just ..." He trailed off again and continued to fiddle with the chocobo.
"Are you saying that you want to stop dating people because you want to make your decision and I'm making you feel like it's too soon?" Feeling like it was probably difficult for Cloud to say it, he decided to just be blunt. "Do you want to mate with me, Cloud?"
Cloud dropped the chocobo and grabbed his shirt instead. "I do, I want you, but I-not yet. I'm sorry. I want to just go to my classes, and have time to practice stuff at home. I want to do fun things. I want to be like Reno and just-"
"Have a bit of a life before tying yourself down?" Sephiroth smiled as his heart swelled. "You can do that. I want to mate with you very, very much, but it doesn't have to be right away. You've still got a few heats left before you need to mate. If you're certain that I'm who you want, then take that time and live your life."
"You'd let me do that?"
"Let you? Cloud, I’d be your mate. Your partner, not your owner or your boss. And I think that that would be the best possible thing you could do for yourself. Mating isn't a prison sentence, but it is a big change and you've never had a chance to just live for yourself. So do that. Find out who you are and what you love. I'll wait very patiently."
Cloud slowly lifted his head and sat up a bit. Despite his red and swollen eyes, a smile was blooming. "Will you still take me out to new places?"
"Absolutely. Let's just set aside sex for now. I'll still get you through your heats if you want me to, but otherwise, let's focus on being friends. As your friend, I'd be so happy if I could keep showing you everything you want to see. And if, when you're ready, whether it’s before or after mating, if you want to be more sexually active outside of your heat, I promise I will make you see stars."
Cloud flung himself forward and squeezed him tightly while Sephiroth rubbed his back.
"Okay, we have some negotiating to do and decisions to start thinking about, but first, I've heard a rumour that you refused to eat this morning, and it's already nearly one o'clock. Do you want to eat in here?"
Cloud sat back up and gave a shy nod. "Sorry, I was just …"
"Really fucking upset and no one was listening to you?"
"Yeah."
Sephiroth grinned. "And now I get to be the one doing the scolding. I'm quite excited. What would you like to eat?"
"I made a weird salad yesterday in cooking class. There were lots of leftovers."
"Mmm, weird salad sounds good. Is there enough for me to try some?"
Cloud laughed and nodded.
"Be right back, then."
Sephiroth hugged Cloud once more before rolling off the bed. He couldn't stop smiling as he went back to the main room where Tseng and Reno had joined Vincent and Aerith at the table. The four were deep in conversation.
"You guys can go now," he said as he headed for the fridge. "Aside, from Reno, of course. Not trying to kick you out of your own home. But, Tseng, tell the alphas to back off of Cloud. I'll scent mark him if he'll let me, but we haven't talked about it yet. Regardless, they're to leave him alone from now on."
"You're mating him?" Tseng and Vincent asked at the same time.
"Not yet, but I will. He wants to have some time to himself first. Reno, where's the salad Cloud made yesterday?"
Reno jumped up and pulled out a big glass bowl filled with some sort of grain, beans, and chunks of vegetables. "It's actually pretty good," he said. "Filling, too."
"Do we eat it with spoons?"
"Spoons were easiest."
"Spoons it is, then."
“Sephiroth, are you certain? Making a big decision like this when he’s upset and vulnerable isn’t-”
He glanced over his shoulder at Aerith. “He’s not upset and vulnerable. He definitely needs to talk with you about what happened with Luxiere, and so I’ll encourage him to make an appointment with you tomorrow to do so. I think it would also be good if he could to speak with you about mating so we’re all on the same page. But he had a good cry once the person he actually wanted was there, and then he calmed down and we were able to talk about the things that have been bothering him. Like the fact that everyone thinks he can’t make a decision unless he’s let half the alphas here fuck him.”
“That’s not-” Tseng started.
“That’s not what we say in so many words, but he’s not stupid. He knows what alphas want, and Luxiere gave him a very memorable lesson in case he hadn’t figured it out. He’s been pushing himself so hard to act like we expect him to when he just wants to have a chance to live his own life before mating with the person he wants.”
“But-”
Sephiroth slammed the bowl down on the counter with a growl. “We’ve given him options. He considered them. He made his decision. I am willing to acquiesce to his needs regarding sex, or lack thereof. End of discussion. I will kill any alphas who continue to bother him.”
Reno grinned and held out two spoons. “Congratulations. Does not mating right away mean I get to keep my roomie for a while longer?”
“I think Cloud would like that very much, if you’ll have him.”
“Hell, yeah. Does it also mean he can finally have some time to make friends with other omegas and not be stressed the fuck out all the time?”
“Absolutely. We’re giving him a stress-free few months of complete freedom.”
***
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A/N: I’m trying to be not too paranoid about wacky new viruses, while also still being reasonably cautious. But I swear, if I wash my hands one more time, they’re going to fall off.
I watched a video comparing the AC voice actors to the remake’s, and I like them all except for Sephiroth. George Newburn did such a great job on him, and his new actor falls well short, in my opinion. Then again, Sephiroth’s best voice is actually the actor from French dub of AC. I will accept no arguments. If the remake has him again, I’d totally play in French.