Fic: After the World's End - Chapter 11
Title: After the World’s End
Chapter: 11/19
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~4600
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.
***
Cloud couldn’t keep the smile off his face as Birdy ran swiftly down the rutted road. She seemed like she was having as much fun as he was, and he was fairly sure that Pippin was having more fun than both of them combined. The pack chocobo was hardly carrying anything-just the lunch Cloud had made and a few supplies. Sephiroth was letting him run without a lead, and he was taking the opportunity to dart around and jump over minor obstacles like they were hazards on a race track.
It was apparently extremely rare for Sephiroth to stay in Midgar for so long, and it was obvious to Cloud that both he and his chocobos were happy to get out of the city for a while. This would just be a quick trip, going out to a nearby town called Kalm to deal with some monsters that were interfering with travel. They would be back by evening. He was glad to have the opportunity to see what a SOLDIER mission was like, though.
“Look! Chocobos!” Cloud pointed to the cluster of them high up on a distant plateau.
“Oh, good eye! Wild chocobos are common around here, but they’re notoriously timid and hard to spot.” Sephiroth brought Birdy to a halt and they watched the chocobos until they moved out of sight. When they moved on again, Cloud kept his eyes peeled for more.
After travelling for nearly three hours, the road began to narrow. Huge rocks and steep cliffs loomed overhead, partially blocking the sky. Cloud felt Sephiroth’s body stiffen slightly. Just as he thought it, but before he had a chance to get nervous, Sephiroth spoke.
“The report said the attacks have been occurring around this area. Do you see the nooks and crannies in the cliffs and between the rocks? Those make it easy for predators to hide. If travellers aren’t paying attention, it’s easy to be taken by surprise. Ah, here we go.”
Sephiroth’s right arm clamped down over his chest like an iron rod, holding him tightly in place while he drew his sword. Cloud barely saw the thing leaping at them before the blade was cleaving it in two.
“Looks like normal wolves that have been mutated by mako,” Sephiroth said casually as he took out another one. Cloud was amazed at how calm the alpha’s voice was. Like he was just having a normal conversation instead of fighting vicious monsters. It helped him feel less scared.
“Mutated by mako?”
“That’s right. Mako isn’t used much anymore. SOLDIERs are still enhanced using small amounts of it to give us the advantage in combat, but other than that, Neo Shinra just keeps a small supply on hand to be able to run the vital services in the event of an emergency.” Birdy took a big leap over a lunging wolf, knocking it down before spinning around so Sephiroth could kill it. “The old Shinra, on the other hand, left us with secret pipelines, storage facilities, and reactors all over the world that are degrading as time goes on.”
Cloud suddenly found himself bent down so his face was jammed into Birdy’s feathers, and Sephiroth leaned over him, completely blocking him off with his body. Not even a second later, something slammed into the alpha, and Cloud could hear it snarling and snapping. The arm around him didn’t loosen even slightly, and Sephiroth gave a grunt of effort before launching them both upwards. A moment later, the weight was gone, and Cloud was sitting back upright in his seat in time to see a wolf go flying over Birdy’s head. Birdy jumped, catching it with her talons and slamming it into the ground where something crunched unpleasantly.
“I suspect that one of those degrading stockpiles is leaking mako into the water supply these wolves have been using, causing the mutations,” Sephiroth continued his explanation like nothing had happened. His sword continued to flick left and right faster than Cloud could process, piling up more and more bodies. “We’ll track down the water supply and see if we can find the source of the contamination, then a specialist team will come out to clean it up so no more animals are harmed by it.”
In hardly any time, the road fell silent again, and they were surrounded by the bloody bodies of the pack. Sephiroth’s grip on him loosened, and he leaned around and stroked Cloud’s cheek with his thumb.
“You okay?”
His heart was thumping wildly, but after taking a couple moments to think, Cloud nodded. Thanks to the alpha's calm attitude and overwhelming competence, he had never actually felt like he was in danger. “Are you? Did you get bitten when it jumped on you?”
“I’m fine. It landed exactly where I wanted it to. It might have added a new scratch to my shoulder armour, that’s all.” Sephiroth kissed his forehead, then sat upright again and whistled.
“Wait! Where’s Pippin?” He looked around desperately, hoping the chocobo hadn’t been hurt.
“On his way back. Here he comes.” Pippin appeared from around a small bend and warked happily. “Good boy, Pip. It’s difficult for him to fight if he’s got a pack on, so it’s his job to book it and protect the supplies when we fight. He technically could have stuck around today, but I didn’t want to risk the lunch you worked so hard on getting ruined. Speaking of lunch, are you getting hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Great. Let’s get off the road and find a nice spot. I’ll leave you with Birdy to set up lunch while Pippin and I deal with these bodies. I don’t want scavengers coming along and eating the contaminated remains, so I need to burn them.”
Cloud wrinkled his nose at the prospect and was secretly glad that Sephiroth didn’t want him to help with that. He was interested to see how they would go about tracking down the source of the contamination, however. He wondered just how much cleaning up after the old Shinra’s messes they still had to do after so long. Though he had learned a lot about how much devastation they had caused, it was still shocking to see how their practices were still causing problems.
***
“I had a really good time today,” Cloud said as they entered the apartment building. “Thanks for bringing me along.”
“Thanks for coming. It was nice having company for it.”
An alpha Cloud didn’t know got off the elevator and slowed as he passed, staring at him with interest. Sephiroth placed a protective arm over his shoulders and gave a low growl, and the alpha quickly backed up and moved on.
“I need to scent mark you again, I’m sorry. Do you mind coming to my place? I’ll get it done quickly.”
“I don’t mind.” Being scent-marked was far better than being hit on and leered at all the time.
Once they were inside, Sephiroth took his hand and led him through to the bedroom, where he sat on the bed to wait. His breath came a little quicker at the thought of what Sephiroth was going to be doing in the bathroom.
“Wait,” he called out, making a split-second decision to be brave, and Sephiroth froze in his tracks. “Can you do it in here?”
The alpha turned back to him. “With you?”
Cloud gave a small nod. “I-I’m curious. I've been looking at that magazine you gave me sometimes. I … like it.”
“Do you?” Sephiroth slowly walked towards the bed. “I figured you had tossed it.”
He shook his head. “You gave it to me. But I was scared to look at it until a little while ago. I like the pictures. It's not a bad thing … right?”
“I'm glad you like it. And no, it's not a bad thing at all. The porn industry here has a lot of regulations. The models wanted to be doing that.” Sephiroth sat down next to him and gently tucked some hair behind his ear. “Would you like me to just masturbate like I would in the other room? Or would you like me to do what an alpha would normally do to scent mark?”
“I want … I want normal. You don’t have to fuck me for it, right?”
“No, I absolutely don’t. It’s just a little bit more intimate. If it makes you uncomfortable at any point, just say so and I’ll stop right away.”
Cloud gulped and nodded, then Sephiroth shifted closer to him and placed some gentle kisses on his brow. He wanted to do things like this. He wanted intimacy. He knew he did. The pictures of the alpha and omega together were his favourites. He liked imagining being together with Sephiroth. He just had to get over his fear. This was just another small step. He tilted his head up to seek Sephiroth's lips. Sephiroth cupped the back of his head and kissed him properly, something he hadn't done since the incident with Luxiere. He hadn't realized how much he missed it.
Hands slid down his sides and plucked at the hem of his shirt. He supposed it would be easier that way. It was okay. He liked the way his body looked now. Sephiroth wouldn't laugh at him or call him names. He raised his arms and let Sephiroth pull it over his head, then the alpha eased him down onto his back.
"Doing okay?"
"Yes. I'm not scared."
“That's good, I never want you to feel scared with me. Is it okay if I take my clothes off? I can do it with them on, just unfastening my pants, but it’s more comfortable nude.”
“It’s okay.” It occurred to Cloud that he had never really seen Sephiroth naked. He knew he was during his heat, but that hardly counted.
Sephiroth stood and began to quickly undress, but he slowed when he saw Cloud looking.
"You-I like you-your ..."
"I like your body too. And you."
Cloud laughed and shifted back a bit, making himself comfortable. Seeing Sephiroth's body, and his long, hardening penis made him stiffen as well. He was fairly certain that a damp patch was forming in his underwear. He trembled, not with fear, but anticipation as Sephiroth crawled onto the bed and swung one leg over him, straddling his stomach.
Sephiroth pumped some lubricant onto his left palm and began to stroke himself while Cloud watched, absolutely fascinated. He yearned to reach up and touch as well, but at the same time, he also wanted to just watch the man pleasure himself.
"Does it feel good?" he asked.
"It does. It feels so much better with you here. Still all right?"
"Yeah." Cloud was pretty sure that his heart was going to beat its way out of his chest. If he had his stethoscope, he'd be going deaf.
Cloud couldn't look away as Sephiroth hovered over him, pumping himself slowly.
"Tilt your head back," he said after a while, then leaned forward, supporting himself on one hand.
Cloud did so, exposing his neck to the alpha, and seconds later Sephiroth moaned with pleasure as his hot, sticky release splattered onto his chest and neck. The smell of it made Cloud squirm with desire, and he moaned as well when Sephiroth began to gently rub it into his scent glands.
"Just breathe. You're okay."
"I know, I-" He was surprised to realize that he had bent his knees and spread his legs apart. Gaia, he wanted to touch himself.
"Do you want me to leave you alone? I can bring you something from your room. What you're feeling is perfectly normal."
He meant a dildo. Cloud was certain that was what he meant. But he thought back to the magazine. To the picture of the alpha lying next to the omega, using his fingers ... "Will you touch me?"
"If you want me to."
"I do, I-yes."
“Can we take off your pants?” He gave a shaky nod and fumbled with the button himself, then pushed them down. Sephiroth helped pull them off the rest of the way, then gently rubbed his neck again. “Is there a way in particular that you’d like me to touch?”
Despite blushing fiercely, Cloud managed to describe one of the pictures he had liked the most, and Sephiroth stretched out next to him, tucking one arm behind his head to cradle him against his chest.
"Like this?" His free hand trailed downwards over Cloud's chest, brushing over his nipples. He pressed his lips to Cloud's as he moved lower to rub his stiff cock with his still wet hand.
Cloud reached up to pull Sephiroth closer. "Like this," he mumbled around the kiss.
Sephiroth’s hand slipped further down and cupped his balls in his palm before rubbing his entrance.
“Yes,” Cloud hissed, spreading his legs wider. It felt so different compared to touching himself, and he gave a pathetic little whine when two fingers slid gently into him. Sephiroth kept his balls cradled in his palm as he pumped his fingers in and out, and he rolled them around and stroked them with his thumb. It occasionally slid upwards to rub the underside of his cock, and Cloud could only cling to him and continue to kiss as the pleasure built.
His only regret was that it felt too good. It was impossible to hold himself back once he started really feeling it, and he always came so quickly. Sephiroth kissed him as he came, shuddering in his embrace.
“Good, good. You’re doing so well.”
Unlike when he masturbated, however, Sephiroth didn’t stop. His fingers kept thrusting and wiggling inside him. It made him squirm a bit a first, then Cloud gasped in realization as he felt it building again. The sensations were more acute now, but not painful or overwhelming.
“Is this how Reno always spends so long?” he wondered out loud.
“Do you stop after one?” Sephiroth asked, and his hand stilled.
Cloud tugged on Sephiroth’s arm, trying to get him to start again. ”I do, but don’t!”
Sephiroth chuckled and hugged him before resuming his thrusting. “As long as you like it.”
“I do-I didn’t think-” Gaia, it felt good. He was beginning to be able to smell himself over Sephiroth’s scent.
“Multiple orgasms aren’t just for when you’re in heat. That first one is always just a quick warmup. It makes me jealous sometimes.”
The second one took a lot longer, with a more gradual buildup, but it felt even stronger than the first. When he came, he clutched desperately at Sephiroth, just to keep himself somewhat grounded.
“Keep going?” Sephiroth asked with a teasing grin, his hand never slowing.
“Please,” he begged. Fuck, he never thought he’d be begging outside of a heat, but it just felt so good. He didn’t want it to end yet. He shuddered when a third finger pressed into him.
“Stroke yourself,” Sephiroth whispered in his ear. He grabbed at the lubricant using the arm that was still tucked under Cloud and pumped some into his palm. Cloud reached down and gripped his stiff cock, moaning as the added sensation threatened to overwhelm him immediately. “That’s it. You’re so amazing.”
The third one didn’t take as long, but Cloud couldn’t keep himself from practically screaming in pleasure as the combination of the two different orgasms wracked his whole body at the same time. He arched his back, unable to hold still as he came all over himself, until he finally collapsed back into Sephiroth’s embrace, panting.
“Enough,” he whispered, and Sephiroth’s fingers slipped out of him.
His eyes went wide when Sephiroth straddled him again and he lifted the fingers that had just been inside him to his mouth, sucking them in one at a time. His cock looked even bigger than before, and precome was leaking in a steady stream from the tip. Cloud needed no encouragement the second time, and tilted his head back, exposing his neck again as the alpha stroked himself. It only took three strokes, then Sephiroth gave a cry to match his own. His aim wasn’t as good that time, and come splattered not only over his chest and neck but up onto his face as well.
Cloud raised his hand and spread some over his lips, darting his tongue out to taste it while Sephiroth watched with eyes that had gone nearly completely black with lust, with just the tiniest sliver of green around the edges.
He gave his head a shake and blinked as more green slowly returned to his eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that without asking first."
"I didn't mind. I ..." Cloud pulled at Sephiroth's shoulders until he lay down again and wrapped him up in his arms. He couldn't quite come up with the words to describe how he was feeling, and so just snuggled close and hoped that Sephiroth understood that he was okay. Sephiroth rubbed his back and began purring, though it felt and sounded different than usual.
"Holy shit, I guess I really didn't scare you."
That was odd. Sephiroth always had to stop purring to speak. "What?"
"Fuck, didn't mean to interrupt you. Don't suppose you can do it again?"
"What are you-was that me?"
Sephiroth laughed and kissed the top of his head. "Yes, that was you, silly. Omegas can purr too, but not deliberately like alphas. They have to be feeling extremely happy and satisfied to manage it. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling very proud of myself right now. I'll try not to let it go to my head though."
"That was pretty satisfying," he admitted with a blush. "I had no idea I could-is it like that with ... with sex too?"
"Mmm. You should try it out when you're ready. I don't know which came first, the alphas’ staying power or the omegas’ ability to have multiple orgasms, but they work well together. I swear I don't usually come as quickly as I did that second time. It’s just that coming during scent-marking is always faster than sex, and you turned me on so much. I was about ready to pop whether I touched myself or not. You’d had enough, so my body was ready to finish."
"I turned you on?"
"You did. You are so fucking wonderful, Cloud. I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with you."
Cloud smiled and snuggled back into Sephiroth's chest. A few moments later, the purring started up again, and this time he could tell it was coming from him. The wet patch where he lay was dry by the time he stopped.
"I suppose Reno will be wondering where I am."
"Do you want to stay here tonight?"
"With you?"
"Well, I'd rather not sleep on the couch, to be honest, and crashing somewhere else so you can sleep here alone might get awkward to explain."
Cloud laughed, imagining how that conversation would go. "I miss sleeping with you. When we were travelling, it was so nice going to bed every night. I'd never felt safe like that before."
"Then spend the night if you'd like. I miss sleeping with you too." Sephiroth pushed himself up and stretched. "I'll just go tell Reno where you are and grab your pyjamas and toothbrush. Anything else you need?"
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay. If you want to take a shower, go ahead.”
Cloud looked down at himself and shook his head in disbelief. Between the dust from the road and their respective fluids that had gotten smeared all over him, he definitely needed a shower.
There were clean sheets on the bed when he got out of the shower, and his favourite pyjamas were set out on it. He wasn’t sure if the selection was Reno’s doing or Sephiroth’s. They both seemed to notice little things like that. When he stepped out of the bedroom, however, Tseng was waiting in the living room.
“Hey, Cloud. Can I talk with you for just a second?” Tseng sat down and patted his lap, and though Cloud was a bit confused as to what was going on, he cuddled up with him. The mated alpha had nearly always been a great source of comfort, and Cloud knew he had his best interests in mind. “How was your day?”
“Good. It was nice seeing the sort of work Sephiroth normally does. I wasn’t scared at all.”
“That’s great. I knew Sephiroth would keep you safe. And are you feeling okay about staying here tonight? It’s okay if you’re not. You can tell me in secret, and I’ll make up a reason why you can't.”
Cloud shook his head. “I really want to stay.”
“Okay, good. I’m so glad that you’re comfortable with it.” Tseng ruffled his hair and gave him a tight hug before letting him up. “Have a good night. Thanks, Sephiroth,” he called in a louder voice as he headed for the door.
“No problem.”
Sephiroth was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, and something in the oven smelled good.
“Thought you might like a small snack.” Sephiroth held out his arms and hugged him when he went to him.
He smiled, grateful for Sephiroth’s thoughtfulness. That had taken a lot of energy, and the dinner they had stopped for on the way back seemed like a very long time ago. “Tseng just wanted to make sure I was okay?”
“Yes. Reno thought it would be best to let him know and have him check in on you, and I agreed. Just in case. I meant it when I said I don’t want you feeling scared, and I don’t want to pressure you.”
“So Reno wasn’t upset?”
“No, he said that as soon as Tseng cleared it, he was going to invite Zack over and rattle the walls.” Sephiroth kissed him softly. “He knows that this is good progress as long as you’re comfortable with it, and would never begrudge your happiness. He expects to hear all about how the mission went tomorrow, though.”
“I’m glad. I’m going to miss him.”
“Miss him? Is he going somewhere? You know he’ll still be your friend after we mate, right? And I’m certain he’ll still help you out when you need it.”
“I thought unmated-”
Sephiroth scoffed, interrupting him. “You think those punks you hang out with are going to cut you off when you’ll be a mythril mine of fresh information about mating? Never mind the fact that you’re their friend?” The oven beeped and Sephiroth jumped down and took out a steaming apple pie. “Picked it up from the farmer’s market the other day,” he explained. “Want ice cream with it?”
“Yes, please. It smells delicious.”
Sephiroth cut the small pie in half and doled out a big scoop of ice cream for each of them. “Mating doesn’t mean losing your friends, Cloud. You’ll have slightly different experiences than them for a while, but they’ll all need to mate as well, sooner or later. It will mean giving up your apartment, which I understand will be hard. I know how much you like it, but we can find a new place if you don’t want to move in here. Make a home that’s ours, rather than mine with you added.”
Cloud took the plate that Sephiroth handed him and went over to the table. “Ours …”
Sephiroth cocked his head at him as he sat. “Let’s have a look at what’s available. I think it would be nice to have a fresh start.”
“I-I think I’d like that too. I know … I think it would be nice to make a home from scratch. The way we both want it.” He didn’t dislike Sephiroth’s apartment, but he always felt a bit awkward in it, despite Sephiroth’s efforts to make him feel welcome.
“Then let’s do that. Have you given any more thought as to where you’d like to go for our honeymoon?”
Cloud blushed as he took a big bite of pie. “I know it’s not what you had in mind, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Can we go back to that cabin? The one we stayed at on the way here?”
Sephiroth raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Sure, if that’s what you want. I suppose that means I should give you your mating present early.”
“My mating present?”
“Yes, it’s been a tradition since the geostigma crisis. Alphas give a gift that symbolizes their devotion to their omega’s happiness. It’s a sort of promise to not go back to the way we used to treat omegas. You’ll need time to get acquainted if we’re going back to the cabin, so I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
“What is it?"
"And spoil the surprise? I don't think so."
Cloud's mind was kept occupied with wondering what the present might be for the remainder of the evening. He barely paid attention to the TV show they watched and was distracted right up until he crawled into the bed next to Sephiroth. Once the alpha's arms wrapped around him, however, his preoccupation fizzled out. He would find out tomorrow. For now, he could only think about how happy he was, there in his future mate's embrace.
***
The ground disappeared from underneath Cloud's feet the instant he realized where they were going. It was only Sephiroth who kept him upright.
"The chocobo stables?"
Sephiroth just hugged him and dragged him forwards. When he pushed open the door, there was only one chocobo there. It was a massive bird, bigger even than Birdy, with feathers darker than hers as well, more of a gold colour than yellow. It was fully saddled.
"This is Dancer," Sephiroth said while Cloud stared in wonderment. "Birdy's daughter. She's been trained specially for you. I enjoy riding with you and would still love to whenever you'd like, but I want you to have your own chocobo as well. You're not giving up your independence by mating. Dancer is your proof of that. You can go anywhere and do anything with her."
"My ... own?" Cloud reached out to the huge bird and she lowered her head, letting him rub her beak before running his fingers through the beautiful feathers on her head. "Hello, Dancer."
She gave a soft kweh and knelt down, lifting her wings out of the way.
With an encouraging nod from Sephiroth, he swung a leg over her back while she held still. The saddle was much slimmer than Birdy’s, which was meant for combat, and was small enough to fit him perfectly. He had learned to ride a bit by himself, but Birdy’s saddle had been too big for him and was uncomfortable to sit in for long periods unless he had Sephiroth to support him.
"Click your tongue twice when you’re ready and she'll stand. You won't ever need help to mount or dismount her."
Cloud clicked twice and she rose gracefully to her feet, then remained still, waiting for further commands. The stirrups were the right length for him, and he took up the reins. "She's really for me?"
"She's all yours. I know she'll take good care of you."
"Thank you so much, I-"
"Would you like to go for a ride and get started learning what she can do?"
Cloud grinned widely as he blinked back his tears. "Yes, please."
***
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter: 11/19
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17 overall
Word Count: ~4600
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.
***
Cloud couldn’t keep the smile off his face as Birdy ran swiftly down the rutted road. She seemed like she was having as much fun as he was, and he was fairly sure that Pippin was having more fun than both of them combined. The pack chocobo was hardly carrying anything-just the lunch Cloud had made and a few supplies. Sephiroth was letting him run without a lead, and he was taking the opportunity to dart around and jump over minor obstacles like they were hazards on a race track.
It was apparently extremely rare for Sephiroth to stay in Midgar for so long, and it was obvious to Cloud that both he and his chocobos were happy to get out of the city for a while. This would just be a quick trip, going out to a nearby town called Kalm to deal with some monsters that were interfering with travel. They would be back by evening. He was glad to have the opportunity to see what a SOLDIER mission was like, though.
“Look! Chocobos!” Cloud pointed to the cluster of them high up on a distant plateau.
“Oh, good eye! Wild chocobos are common around here, but they’re notoriously timid and hard to spot.” Sephiroth brought Birdy to a halt and they watched the chocobos until they moved out of sight. When they moved on again, Cloud kept his eyes peeled for more.
After travelling for nearly three hours, the road began to narrow. Huge rocks and steep cliffs loomed overhead, partially blocking the sky. Cloud felt Sephiroth’s body stiffen slightly. Just as he thought it, but before he had a chance to get nervous, Sephiroth spoke.
“The report said the attacks have been occurring around this area. Do you see the nooks and crannies in the cliffs and between the rocks? Those make it easy for predators to hide. If travellers aren’t paying attention, it’s easy to be taken by surprise. Ah, here we go.”
Sephiroth’s right arm clamped down over his chest like an iron rod, holding him tightly in place while he drew his sword. Cloud barely saw the thing leaping at them before the blade was cleaving it in two.
“Looks like normal wolves that have been mutated by mako,” Sephiroth said casually as he took out another one. Cloud was amazed at how calm the alpha’s voice was. Like he was just having a normal conversation instead of fighting vicious monsters. It helped him feel less scared.
“Mutated by mako?”
“That’s right. Mako isn’t used much anymore. SOLDIERs are still enhanced using small amounts of it to give us the advantage in combat, but other than that, Neo Shinra just keeps a small supply on hand to be able to run the vital services in the event of an emergency.” Birdy took a big leap over a lunging wolf, knocking it down before spinning around so Sephiroth could kill it. “The old Shinra, on the other hand, left us with secret pipelines, storage facilities, and reactors all over the world that are degrading as time goes on.”
Cloud suddenly found himself bent down so his face was jammed into Birdy’s feathers, and Sephiroth leaned over him, completely blocking him off with his body. Not even a second later, something slammed into the alpha, and Cloud could hear it snarling and snapping. The arm around him didn’t loosen even slightly, and Sephiroth gave a grunt of effort before launching them both upwards. A moment later, the weight was gone, and Cloud was sitting back upright in his seat in time to see a wolf go flying over Birdy’s head. Birdy jumped, catching it with her talons and slamming it into the ground where something crunched unpleasantly.
“I suspect that one of those degrading stockpiles is leaking mako into the water supply these wolves have been using, causing the mutations,” Sephiroth continued his explanation like nothing had happened. His sword continued to flick left and right faster than Cloud could process, piling up more and more bodies. “We’ll track down the water supply and see if we can find the source of the contamination, then a specialist team will come out to clean it up so no more animals are harmed by it.”
In hardly any time, the road fell silent again, and they were surrounded by the bloody bodies of the pack. Sephiroth’s grip on him loosened, and he leaned around and stroked Cloud’s cheek with his thumb.
“You okay?”
His heart was thumping wildly, but after taking a couple moments to think, Cloud nodded. Thanks to the alpha's calm attitude and overwhelming competence, he had never actually felt like he was in danger. “Are you? Did you get bitten when it jumped on you?”
“I’m fine. It landed exactly where I wanted it to. It might have added a new scratch to my shoulder armour, that’s all.” Sephiroth kissed his forehead, then sat upright again and whistled.
“Wait! Where’s Pippin?” He looked around desperately, hoping the chocobo hadn’t been hurt.
“On his way back. Here he comes.” Pippin appeared from around a small bend and warked happily. “Good boy, Pip. It’s difficult for him to fight if he’s got a pack on, so it’s his job to book it and protect the supplies when we fight. He technically could have stuck around today, but I didn’t want to risk the lunch you worked so hard on getting ruined. Speaking of lunch, are you getting hungry?”
“Yeah, I could eat.”
“Great. Let’s get off the road and find a nice spot. I’ll leave you with Birdy to set up lunch while Pippin and I deal with these bodies. I don’t want scavengers coming along and eating the contaminated remains, so I need to burn them.”
Cloud wrinkled his nose at the prospect and was secretly glad that Sephiroth didn’t want him to help with that. He was interested to see how they would go about tracking down the source of the contamination, however. He wondered just how much cleaning up after the old Shinra’s messes they still had to do after so long. Though he had learned a lot about how much devastation they had caused, it was still shocking to see how their practices were still causing problems.
***
“I had a really good time today,” Cloud said as they entered the apartment building. “Thanks for bringing me along.”
“Thanks for coming. It was nice having company for it.”
An alpha Cloud didn’t know got off the elevator and slowed as he passed, staring at him with interest. Sephiroth placed a protective arm over his shoulders and gave a low growl, and the alpha quickly backed up and moved on.
“I need to scent mark you again, I’m sorry. Do you mind coming to my place? I’ll get it done quickly.”
“I don’t mind.” Being scent-marked was far better than being hit on and leered at all the time.
Once they were inside, Sephiroth took his hand and led him through to the bedroom, where he sat on the bed to wait. His breath came a little quicker at the thought of what Sephiroth was going to be doing in the bathroom.
“Wait,” he called out, making a split-second decision to be brave, and Sephiroth froze in his tracks. “Can you do it in here?”
The alpha turned back to him. “With you?”
Cloud gave a small nod. “I-I’m curious. I've been looking at that magazine you gave me sometimes. I … like it.”
“Do you?” Sephiroth slowly walked towards the bed. “I figured you had tossed it.”
He shook his head. “You gave it to me. But I was scared to look at it until a little while ago. I like the pictures. It's not a bad thing … right?”
“I'm glad you like it. And no, it's not a bad thing at all. The porn industry here has a lot of regulations. The models wanted to be doing that.” Sephiroth sat down next to him and gently tucked some hair behind his ear. “Would you like me to just masturbate like I would in the other room? Or would you like me to do what an alpha would normally do to scent mark?”
“I want … I want normal. You don’t have to fuck me for it, right?”
“No, I absolutely don’t. It’s just a little bit more intimate. If it makes you uncomfortable at any point, just say so and I’ll stop right away.”
Cloud gulped and nodded, then Sephiroth shifted closer to him and placed some gentle kisses on his brow. He wanted to do things like this. He wanted intimacy. He knew he did. The pictures of the alpha and omega together were his favourites. He liked imagining being together with Sephiroth. He just had to get over his fear. This was just another small step. He tilted his head up to seek Sephiroth's lips. Sephiroth cupped the back of his head and kissed him properly, something he hadn't done since the incident with Luxiere. He hadn't realized how much he missed it.
Hands slid down his sides and plucked at the hem of his shirt. He supposed it would be easier that way. It was okay. He liked the way his body looked now. Sephiroth wouldn't laugh at him or call him names. He raised his arms and let Sephiroth pull it over his head, then the alpha eased him down onto his back.
"Doing okay?"
"Yes. I'm not scared."
“That's good, I never want you to feel scared with me. Is it okay if I take my clothes off? I can do it with them on, just unfastening my pants, but it’s more comfortable nude.”
“It’s okay.” It occurred to Cloud that he had never really seen Sephiroth naked. He knew he was during his heat, but that hardly counted.
Sephiroth stood and began to quickly undress, but he slowed when he saw Cloud looking.
"You-I like you-your ..."
"I like your body too. And you."
Cloud laughed and shifted back a bit, making himself comfortable. Seeing Sephiroth's body, and his long, hardening penis made him stiffen as well. He was fairly certain that a damp patch was forming in his underwear. He trembled, not with fear, but anticipation as Sephiroth crawled onto the bed and swung one leg over him, straddling his stomach.
Sephiroth pumped some lubricant onto his left palm and began to stroke himself while Cloud watched, absolutely fascinated. He yearned to reach up and touch as well, but at the same time, he also wanted to just watch the man pleasure himself.
"Does it feel good?" he asked.
"It does. It feels so much better with you here. Still all right?"
"Yeah." Cloud was pretty sure that his heart was going to beat its way out of his chest. If he had his stethoscope, he'd be going deaf.
Cloud couldn't look away as Sephiroth hovered over him, pumping himself slowly.
"Tilt your head back," he said after a while, then leaned forward, supporting himself on one hand.
Cloud did so, exposing his neck to the alpha, and seconds later Sephiroth moaned with pleasure as his hot, sticky release splattered onto his chest and neck. The smell of it made Cloud squirm with desire, and he moaned as well when Sephiroth began to gently rub it into his scent glands.
"Just breathe. You're okay."
"I know, I-" He was surprised to realize that he had bent his knees and spread his legs apart. Gaia, he wanted to touch himself.
"Do you want me to leave you alone? I can bring you something from your room. What you're feeling is perfectly normal."
He meant a dildo. Cloud was certain that was what he meant. But he thought back to the magazine. To the picture of the alpha lying next to the omega, using his fingers ... "Will you touch me?"
"If you want me to."
"I do, I-yes."
“Can we take off your pants?” He gave a shaky nod and fumbled with the button himself, then pushed them down. Sephiroth helped pull them off the rest of the way, then gently rubbed his neck again. “Is there a way in particular that you’d like me to touch?”
Despite blushing fiercely, Cloud managed to describe one of the pictures he had liked the most, and Sephiroth stretched out next to him, tucking one arm behind his head to cradle him against his chest.
"Like this?" His free hand trailed downwards over Cloud's chest, brushing over his nipples. He pressed his lips to Cloud's as he moved lower to rub his stiff cock with his still wet hand.
Cloud reached up to pull Sephiroth closer. "Like this," he mumbled around the kiss.
Sephiroth’s hand slipped further down and cupped his balls in his palm before rubbing his entrance.
“Yes,” Cloud hissed, spreading his legs wider. It felt so different compared to touching himself, and he gave a pathetic little whine when two fingers slid gently into him. Sephiroth kept his balls cradled in his palm as he pumped his fingers in and out, and he rolled them around and stroked them with his thumb. It occasionally slid upwards to rub the underside of his cock, and Cloud could only cling to him and continue to kiss as the pleasure built.
His only regret was that it felt too good. It was impossible to hold himself back once he started really feeling it, and he always came so quickly. Sephiroth kissed him as he came, shuddering in his embrace.
“Good, good. You’re doing so well.”
Unlike when he masturbated, however, Sephiroth didn’t stop. His fingers kept thrusting and wiggling inside him. It made him squirm a bit a first, then Cloud gasped in realization as he felt it building again. The sensations were more acute now, but not painful or overwhelming.
“Is this how Reno always spends so long?” he wondered out loud.
“Do you stop after one?” Sephiroth asked, and his hand stilled.
Cloud tugged on Sephiroth’s arm, trying to get him to start again. ”I do, but don’t!”
Sephiroth chuckled and hugged him before resuming his thrusting. “As long as you like it.”
“I do-I didn’t think-” Gaia, it felt good. He was beginning to be able to smell himself over Sephiroth’s scent.
“Multiple orgasms aren’t just for when you’re in heat. That first one is always just a quick warmup. It makes me jealous sometimes.”
The second one took a lot longer, with a more gradual buildup, but it felt even stronger than the first. When he came, he clutched desperately at Sephiroth, just to keep himself somewhat grounded.
“Keep going?” Sephiroth asked with a teasing grin, his hand never slowing.
“Please,” he begged. Fuck, he never thought he’d be begging outside of a heat, but it just felt so good. He didn’t want it to end yet. He shuddered when a third finger pressed into him.
“Stroke yourself,” Sephiroth whispered in his ear. He grabbed at the lubricant using the arm that was still tucked under Cloud and pumped some into his palm. Cloud reached down and gripped his stiff cock, moaning as the added sensation threatened to overwhelm him immediately. “That’s it. You’re so amazing.”
The third one didn’t take as long, but Cloud couldn’t keep himself from practically screaming in pleasure as the combination of the two different orgasms wracked his whole body at the same time. He arched his back, unable to hold still as he came all over himself, until he finally collapsed back into Sephiroth’s embrace, panting.
“Enough,” he whispered, and Sephiroth’s fingers slipped out of him.
His eyes went wide when Sephiroth straddled him again and he lifted the fingers that had just been inside him to his mouth, sucking them in one at a time. His cock looked even bigger than before, and precome was leaking in a steady stream from the tip. Cloud needed no encouragement the second time, and tilted his head back, exposing his neck again as the alpha stroked himself. It only took three strokes, then Sephiroth gave a cry to match his own. His aim wasn’t as good that time, and come splattered not only over his chest and neck but up onto his face as well.
Cloud raised his hand and spread some over his lips, darting his tongue out to taste it while Sephiroth watched with eyes that had gone nearly completely black with lust, with just the tiniest sliver of green around the edges.
He gave his head a shake and blinked as more green slowly returned to his eyes. "Sorry, I shouldn't have done that without asking first."
"I didn't mind. I ..." Cloud pulled at Sephiroth's shoulders until he lay down again and wrapped him up in his arms. He couldn't quite come up with the words to describe how he was feeling, and so just snuggled close and hoped that Sephiroth understood that he was okay. Sephiroth rubbed his back and began purring, though it felt and sounded different than usual.
"Holy shit, I guess I really didn't scare you."
That was odd. Sephiroth always had to stop purring to speak. "What?"
"Fuck, didn't mean to interrupt you. Don't suppose you can do it again?"
"What are you-was that me?"
Sephiroth laughed and kissed the top of his head. "Yes, that was you, silly. Omegas can purr too, but not deliberately like alphas. They have to be feeling extremely happy and satisfied to manage it. I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling very proud of myself right now. I'll try not to let it go to my head though."
"That was pretty satisfying," he admitted with a blush. "I had no idea I could-is it like that with ... with sex too?"
"Mmm. You should try it out when you're ready. I don't know which came first, the alphas’ staying power or the omegas’ ability to have multiple orgasms, but they work well together. I swear I don't usually come as quickly as I did that second time. It’s just that coming during scent-marking is always faster than sex, and you turned me on so much. I was about ready to pop whether I touched myself or not. You’d had enough, so my body was ready to finish."
"I turned you on?"
"You did. You are so fucking wonderful, Cloud. I'm so excited to spend the rest of my life with you."
Cloud smiled and snuggled back into Sephiroth's chest. A few moments later, the purring started up again, and this time he could tell it was coming from him. The wet patch where he lay was dry by the time he stopped.
"I suppose Reno will be wondering where I am."
"Do you want to stay here tonight?"
"With you?"
"Well, I'd rather not sleep on the couch, to be honest, and crashing somewhere else so you can sleep here alone might get awkward to explain."
Cloud laughed, imagining how that conversation would go. "I miss sleeping with you. When we were travelling, it was so nice going to bed every night. I'd never felt safe like that before."
"Then spend the night if you'd like. I miss sleeping with you too." Sephiroth pushed himself up and stretched. "I'll just go tell Reno where you are and grab your pyjamas and toothbrush. Anything else you need?"
“I don’t think so.”
“Okay. If you want to take a shower, go ahead.”
Cloud looked down at himself and shook his head in disbelief. Between the dust from the road and their respective fluids that had gotten smeared all over him, he definitely needed a shower.
There were clean sheets on the bed when he got out of the shower, and his favourite pyjamas were set out on it. He wasn’t sure if the selection was Reno’s doing or Sephiroth’s. They both seemed to notice little things like that. When he stepped out of the bedroom, however, Tseng was waiting in the living room.
“Hey, Cloud. Can I talk with you for just a second?” Tseng sat down and patted his lap, and though Cloud was a bit confused as to what was going on, he cuddled up with him. The mated alpha had nearly always been a great source of comfort, and Cloud knew he had his best interests in mind. “How was your day?”
“Good. It was nice seeing the sort of work Sephiroth normally does. I wasn’t scared at all.”
“That’s great. I knew Sephiroth would keep you safe. And are you feeling okay about staying here tonight? It’s okay if you’re not. You can tell me in secret, and I’ll make up a reason why you can't.”
Cloud shook his head. “I really want to stay.”
“Okay, good. I’m so glad that you’re comfortable with it.” Tseng ruffled his hair and gave him a tight hug before letting him up. “Have a good night. Thanks, Sephiroth,” he called in a louder voice as he headed for the door.
“No problem.”
Sephiroth was sitting on the counter in the kitchen, and something in the oven smelled good.
“Thought you might like a small snack.” Sephiroth held out his arms and hugged him when he went to him.
He smiled, grateful for Sephiroth’s thoughtfulness. That had taken a lot of energy, and the dinner they had stopped for on the way back seemed like a very long time ago. “Tseng just wanted to make sure I was okay?”
“Yes. Reno thought it would be best to let him know and have him check in on you, and I agreed. Just in case. I meant it when I said I don’t want you feeling scared, and I don’t want to pressure you.”
“So Reno wasn’t upset?”
“No, he said that as soon as Tseng cleared it, he was going to invite Zack over and rattle the walls.” Sephiroth kissed him softly. “He knows that this is good progress as long as you’re comfortable with it, and would never begrudge your happiness. He expects to hear all about how the mission went tomorrow, though.”
“I’m glad. I’m going to miss him.”
“Miss him? Is he going somewhere? You know he’ll still be your friend after we mate, right? And I’m certain he’ll still help you out when you need it.”
“I thought unmated-”
Sephiroth scoffed, interrupting him. “You think those punks you hang out with are going to cut you off when you’ll be a mythril mine of fresh information about mating? Never mind the fact that you’re their friend?” The oven beeped and Sephiroth jumped down and took out a steaming apple pie. “Picked it up from the farmer’s market the other day,” he explained. “Want ice cream with it?”
“Yes, please. It smells delicious.”
Sephiroth cut the small pie in half and doled out a big scoop of ice cream for each of them. “Mating doesn’t mean losing your friends, Cloud. You’ll have slightly different experiences than them for a while, but they’ll all need to mate as well, sooner or later. It will mean giving up your apartment, which I understand will be hard. I know how much you like it, but we can find a new place if you don’t want to move in here. Make a home that’s ours, rather than mine with you added.”
Cloud took the plate that Sephiroth handed him and went over to the table. “Ours …”
Sephiroth cocked his head at him as he sat. “Let’s have a look at what’s available. I think it would be nice to have a fresh start.”
“I-I think I’d like that too. I know … I think it would be nice to make a home from scratch. The way we both want it.” He didn’t dislike Sephiroth’s apartment, but he always felt a bit awkward in it, despite Sephiroth’s efforts to make him feel welcome.
“Then let’s do that. Have you given any more thought as to where you’d like to go for our honeymoon?”
Cloud blushed as he took a big bite of pie. “I know it’s not what you had in mind, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Can we go back to that cabin? The one we stayed at on the way here?”
Sephiroth raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Sure, if that’s what you want. I suppose that means I should give you your mating present early.”
“My mating present?”
“Yes, it’s been a tradition since the geostigma crisis. Alphas give a gift that symbolizes their devotion to their omega’s happiness. It’s a sort of promise to not go back to the way we used to treat omegas. You’ll need time to get acquainted if we’re going back to the cabin, so I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”
“What is it?"
"And spoil the surprise? I don't think so."
Cloud's mind was kept occupied with wondering what the present might be for the remainder of the evening. He barely paid attention to the TV show they watched and was distracted right up until he crawled into the bed next to Sephiroth. Once the alpha's arms wrapped around him, however, his preoccupation fizzled out. He would find out tomorrow. For now, he could only think about how happy he was, there in his future mate's embrace.
***
The ground disappeared from underneath Cloud's feet the instant he realized where they were going. It was only Sephiroth who kept him upright.
"The chocobo stables?"
Sephiroth just hugged him and dragged him forwards. When he pushed open the door, there was only one chocobo there. It was a massive bird, bigger even than Birdy, with feathers darker than hers as well, more of a gold colour than yellow. It was fully saddled.
"This is Dancer," Sephiroth said while Cloud stared in wonderment. "Birdy's daughter. She's been trained specially for you. I enjoy riding with you and would still love to whenever you'd like, but I want you to have your own chocobo as well. You're not giving up your independence by mating. Dancer is your proof of that. You can go anywhere and do anything with her."
"My ... own?" Cloud reached out to the huge bird and she lowered her head, letting him rub her beak before running his fingers through the beautiful feathers on her head. "Hello, Dancer."
She gave a soft kweh and knelt down, lifting her wings out of the way.
With an encouraging nod from Sephiroth, he swung a leg over her back while she held still. The saddle was much slimmer than Birdy’s, which was meant for combat, and was small enough to fit him perfectly. He had learned to ride a bit by himself, but Birdy’s saddle had been too big for him and was uncomfortable to sit in for long periods unless he had Sephiroth to support him.
"Click your tongue twice when you’re ready and she'll stand. You won't ever need help to mount or dismount her."
Cloud clicked twice and she rose gracefully to her feet, then remained still, waiting for further commands. The stirrups were the right length for him, and he took up the reins. "She's really for me?"
"She's all yours. I know she'll take good care of you."
"Thank you so much, I-"
"Would you like to go for a ride and get started learning what she can do?"
Cloud grinned widely as he blinked back his tears. "Yes, please."
***
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