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demispectra · 25 days ago

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໒⦂ 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐘.

synopsis. in order to meet their graduation requirements, cloud decides to take his arts and humanities course early to share a class with sephiroth, but there are unexpected consequences.

genre. fluff + hurt / comfort

tw. suggestive language, mentioned vomiting ( the act itself doesn't happen dw guys )

inspiration. this artwork! && this one!

sephiroth x cloud strife.

a gentle breeze caressed cloud's cheeks, painting a tiny smile on his lips as he moved closer to the tall male beside him- who seemed to be engaged with the flurry of autumn leaves that caught his silver tresses.

it almost made him laugh, watching as his usually composed and ever graceful boyfriend struggled against something so menial, reminiscent a cat swatting helplessly at a fly.

compelled to assist in some way, partly because he didn't want to display the extent of his current amusement, the blond got on the tips of his toes, prying the leather clad hand away to replace it with his own. "hold still, lemme get it."

a brow quirked before sephiroth gave a slow blink, gradually lowering his hand along with himself for his lover to reach. "i apologize, i hadn't expect it to be this windy today." he sighed out, watching as calloused, yet nimble fingers detangled the crinkling intruders from the delicate mercury that was his hair, smiling exasperatedly. "perhaps i should have tied it before we left this morning." it likely would have saved trouble like this, but little time remained when it boiled down to catching the right train.

the spiky haired male gave a small hum, finally detaching the remaining leaf. "last i checked, today marks the start of autumn," he commented cooly, holding out the physical evidence of his statement. "pretty sure i warned somebody last night that because of that, the weather would be way more intense this week. but i see that information totally sank in real well."

plucking the fallen maple from his fingers, sephiroth wiggled it teasingly before the other's nose, chuckling at the way his features scrunched together, "i suppose. but you also chose to relay that information at the pinnacle of my exhaustion, cloud. all i could think of at that point was holding you close as i rewarded myself with much needed rest after that tedious thesis." while his third year thankfully consisted of less tests and homework, unfortunately that did not discourage professors from throwing an abundance of research-oriented assignments at him. such was the beauty of university.

cloud turned his nose, rolling his eyes. “uh huh, very cheesy excuse, but i remember you being perfectly awake, kissing my neck, even.” the second year grumbled back, pushing the hand away from his face before trekking onwards with a huff. if his lover wanted to be difficult, then so could he, and tenfold!

the man in question couldn’t help but break into a more prominent grin at the act, however, catching up with relative ease and little speed, given his longer legs. “i recall you enjoying it though, did you not?" he mused, tucking a strand of gold behind the other's ear. "this spot here in particular was something you had asked me to kiss, if my memory serves me corre-”

“a-alright already, you made your point!” the second year intercepted, rouge gathering at the tips of his ears and cheeks. “i still warned you though, so you’re just gonna have to deal with it unless you brought a hair tie with you.” he finished in a grumble, sending his partner an annoyed glance that quickly contorted into a blink.

for in between his lithe, gloved fingers had been a black, satin ribbon.

not a hair tie, then.. but an alternative.

a sheen of innocence overtook sephiroth’s countenance. “will this do in its stead, cloud?”

with a twitching brow, the second year shoved down the words he truly wished to convey and allowed a sigh to take their place. “sure, in the seventeenth century.” he muttered, taking the accessory from his grasp before motioning him towards a park bench.

at last, mischief revealed itself through a smirk as the astronomy major took a seat, humming lowly. “such a good student, applying what we learnt from last week’s session.”

“says the guy who brought the ribbon instead of one of the million hair ties he owns.” cloud fired back, gathering the river of moonlight into one palm before sliding the thin, shiny piece underneath.

eventually when it emerged on the other side, the blond grabbed both ends of the satin to tie a knot as tightly as he could manage, looping them into rabbit ears while the excess length fell on either side of the ponytail.

it wasn’t low, but not at the top of his head either. just a little above the middle.

when the bearer of the hairstyle turned around to face him, it became increasingly difficult not to blush. his lips stretched. “by your expression, i believe there was worth after all in keeping you on your toes with something out of the ordinary.” he answered silkily, rising from his place before offering his hand. “shall we, cloud?”

an incoherent profanity left the male in question, but he slipped his fingers between the gaps of sephiroth’s, anyhow. it was near impossible to say no to physical touch, after all. no matter how reluctant he made himself out to be.

the silver haired third year was perfectly aware of that, yet he continued to put out regardless, knowing cloud could never truly resist.

upon their arrival, thankfully not being the last to turn up despite some delaying factors, the tour could at last commence.

cloud lagged behind the group with sephiroth, listening idly to what the historian had to say regarding each piece they came across. it felt little to no different from an average lecture in their art history course, but the in-person experience made it a bit more interesting.

sadly it held minimal relevance to their majors, being stems in mechanical engineering and astronomy, but graduation requirements were graduation requirements.

“-and this painting here is said to represent the lifestream! a pool of glittering jade carrying the memories of the planet and of those that have returned to it.” the tour guide spoke, gesturing behind them to the canvas before turning back to face the group. “unfortunately, due to a lack of information, we can only assume this is how it looks, as nobody has ever quite returned to say.. although,” they paused, stepping forward. “there were two exceptions who were highly linked to the great calamity that once befell our lovely planet. one had been its heir, fated to sail the darkness of the cosmos with gaia as his vessel, while the other had been the hero that prevented such events. both, however, carried the cells of this threat, which in turn, enabled the lifestream to reject them from ever resting peacefully..”

“rumor has it that with each rejection of the planet, they become reincarnated..” the historian finished lowly, an echo of awed noises filling the eerie quiet that followed.

meanwhile cloud found himself raising a blond, skeptical brow. “rejected.. from the lifestream?” he repeated in a mumble, folding his arms. “first i’m hearing of this.” how could someone no longer be of the planet? it was completely unrealistic. “probably just a myth, right sephiroth?”

silence.

“sephiroth?” he tried again, peering up to see if his lover was paying attention, only to have found him.. clutching the side of his head, as though in agony.

concerned, cloud placed a hand on his back, knitting his brows together. “hey- you okay?” he called out softly, drowning out the distant rambling to properly address the other. “i didn’t tie the ribbon too tight, did i?” a poor attempt at lightening the sphere, though sadly ineffective, as the fifth semester did not quite lower his hand or laugh.

instead, he shut his eyes, shaking his head slowly. “i’m fine.. must be a dizzy spell of some sorts.” if it could even be called that.

a frown overtook the blond’s lips as he lowered his hand into his free one, tugging him along. “let’s.. sit down for a bit, we can join up with the group later.” he offered, letting out a meek laugh.. “good thing you packed us water and lunch from the night before, right?”

sephiroth willed himself to nod after being brought to a bench — which was too low for comfort, but tolerable. “everything is in my bag, but it’s okay, i can manage. you should catch up to the group so at least one of us is informed..” not that they would be tested on the tour, but it saved study time.

cloud wasn’t buying it one bit, though. “not happening.” as if he would bail on his partner to suffer in silence and discomfort. “i’m not leaving you here for something stupid to happen while i’m gone.” he grumbled back, fishing out what appeared to be a thermos.. and container of strawberries. “so here. eat a little and have some water. hydration is good to combat dizziness.”

the older blinked once, then twice before letting out a noise of amusement. “you worry far too much, cloud.” he answered tenderly, but took the offered snack and beverage anyway, unscrewing the metal cap. “it is rather touching though, seeing you care so much for me.” he smiled tiredly, taking a sip before leaning his head atop the nest of fluffy spikes.

for once, the sapphire eyed male allowed the weight without complaint, only letting out a soft huff. "try not playing off your suffering and i'll worry less." he snarked back, though the usual bite was not quite present as he shifted closer, leaning his own head against the curve of sephiroth's shoulder. "seriously, though, if you're not okay, of course i'm gonna stay with you."

a sigh tumbled past sephiroth's lips, though he couldn't help the warmth he felt at cloud's sincerity. "i appreciate it, but in that case.. we should not remain too long and at least attend some of the tour." he urged, shutting his slitted jade orbs before refocusing them on the canvas before them.

it wasn't anything out of the ordinary, it appeared to be a forest amidst a great storm by the darker shades and lines to indicate the rain. underneath was the artist's name, written in wutaian, which gave a general idea of what the painting might have been depicting.

cloud followed his line of vision, observing how intently his boyfriend gazed upon it, almost as though he could set the artwork ablaze with his mind alone.

it was.. worrying.

"well, when you're ready, we can get going." he suggested quietly, nudging his arm in hopes of swaying his attention. "think the next room has sculptures and displays. should be a change of pace, yeah?”

ignoring the sharpness in his temples, the taller allowed himself to nod, if only to lower his head from the image before him.

just what in gaia’s name was going on? he felt perfectly fine when they left the apartment early that morning; the train ride was decent for a change — well.. outside of cloud’s motion sickness, though sephiroth welcomed the head that landed on his lap.

so then, what went wrong? or better yet, what triggered these headaches?

at his silence, the spiky haired male opted to help with cleaning up the untouched strawberries and thermos, frowning a little to himself. there was still an entire day’s worth of a tour left to go.. would sephiroth, be okay enough to handle that?

after zipping his backpack, he shook his head. his boyfriend would be okay, he had to trust that he would be.

with that in mind, cloud rose from his seat, extending his hand. “ready?”

sephiroth lowered the leather clad palm grasping his forehead, easing it into the one offered before him as he let out a quiet hum of agreement.

not long after had the group reappeared in sight, the trail of historic rambles leading the pair to exactly where they needed to be.

throughout the walk, cloud made sure to remain close in case of anything, keeping their hands intertwined for a change ( he wasn't exactly one for pda ), though he couldn't help but glance up every now and again in worry.

if sephiroth was still not doing so hot, he hid it annoyingly well.

when their steps came to a halt behind the group, the blond tried to weave between the taller figures obscuring his view of the display, mentally cursing his lack of height. there should be an unspoken rule of going to the back of a crowd if you had a few more inches on you. alas, it was but wishful thinking.

"this here is the uniform of a first class SOLIDER! founded deep within the underground levels of the old shinra ruins. looking at it now.. it doesn't look like your typically soldier outfit, now does it?" the guide chuckled, scratching their nape. "maybe during their golden days, the uniform might have served a greater purpose.. but now, it's nothing more than outdated fashion."

the taller spared his beloved a small glance, raising a curious brow at his poor attempts at rubbernecking before allowing his lips to break into a tiny smile. "are you perhaps in need of a boost, cloud dearest?"

"fuck no." was the latter's immediate answer, still grunting through his little hops and neck craning. "i can see just.. fine-!" he could not, but sephiroth didn't need to know that.

only, he did. however, cloud.. was a frequent passenger of the denial train. he might as well have permanent first class and a special badge to pair with it. the sight was anything but foreign to sephiroth, but he couldn't complain. it was always entertaining to see him try to refute the truth, flushing a bright pink that complimented his features so sweetly as he helplessly attempts to reject defeat.

normally he would give the blond a few minutes to try things his way, savoring the spectacle before him that he would definitely commit to memory for future use, and would then lend his assistance. although the lightheadedness just.. wasn't quite allowing that out of him today.

"suit yourself~" he mused instead, wincing a little at the lingering pang at the back of his skull, but he held firm. the trip would be over soon and they could return to the comfort of their shared apartment.

at last when cloud stopped his futile efforts at peering over the students before him, the chaperone ushered the crowd over to the next display a few paces down the corridor.

a symphony of profanity rested within the confines of his throat, itching to be expressed, but he reminded himself that there were children and elderly around. that and, he didn't want to get his participation grade tanked for obscenities.

"ah, it seems the display is now within your view."

"shut up." the shorter grumbled, wordlessly reclaiming sephiroth's hand as he tugged him toward the mannequin encased in glass.

and it was.. an odd uniform, indeed. a sleeveless turtleneck, shoulder armor, suspenders, a.. was that a corset?

cloud grimaced at the idea of wearing such an outfit. it looked highly uncomfortable to be wearing for combat; well, at least the top half did. the pants and boots appeared quite mobile. breathable too. maybe if it was reduced to one pauldron-

"ex-SOLDIER. i quit."

the slightest hue of seafoam flickered in the otherwise sapphire pools that were his eyes, blond brows furrowing together the longer he stared. what.. was that voice? and why did it.. "why did it sound like me?"

he willed his gaze to fall elsewhere, anything that would prevent that strange crawl he was beginning to feel up his skin, settling his vision on what appeared to be two blades.

broadswords, to be precise.

sephiroth followed his line of view when his focus seemed to have diverted elsewhere, humming quietly. "those were said to be of the unnamed hero of the planet." he spoke up softly, lingering on the sword that looked to be made up of.. multiple swords? it reminded him of a puzzle, or perhaps even those bricks children often played with; legos, were they? that sounded like the name.

"hero.." cloud repeated numbly, the word sitting like poison on his tongue. it nauseated him, somehow, shrouded him with a wave of sickness that made him wish to pour out last night's dinner and the light breakfast from earlier this morning.

without thinking, he staggered forward, hand slipping free from the leather that encased it as he stopped before the case.

flashes of memories that did not belong yet belonged all at the same time scintillated his vision, as he closed in on the barrier separating him from the unnamed warrior's weapons.

"that's right.. i am your living legacy."

daringly, the palm that previously held his partner's rose to meet the surface, a flicker of jade appearing in the shimmering blade before he was suddenly pulled back a few steps. as though being hoisted out of a deep, raging sea that was ever still and silent beneath the tempest above. and now brought back to the land above, grounded by the firm, yet cushioning chest that collided with his back.

sephiroth.

"cloud, the sign says not to touch the glass.." the male in question muttered warningly, frowning slightly at the quiet that met them once more, excluding several murmurs from any onlookers. "the group seems to have strayed off toward another direction.. it would be wise to catch up with them if we're to actually learn something from this expedition." he added softly, loosening his grasp so the blond didn't feel constricted in any way.

looking at him, something seemed.. off. definitely different from how he appeared before the crowd cleared and gave way for him to view that SOLDIER uniform.

then again, sephiroth wasn't fairing the best either. maybe they had both eaten something off? or caught an infamous case found only through midterms-

"do not be deceived."

as though reawakened, the piercing sensation from before returned to assault his skull, pulsing in the way that tremors did when threatening to split open the terrain above.

"you know the truth."

taking a step back, the taller let out a strained exhale, releasing the other in the process to clutch his forehead as he had earlier.

something was terribly off.

"you feel it, too?" he asked despite the discomfort, shaking his head. "don't you.. cloud?"

finally snapped from his trance upon hearing his name, the spiky haired second year looked up with eyes that were half lidded, widening gradually at the state he had found his beloved in.

how did he.. when did he?

"i.." cloud paused, heart practically lodged in his throat by not only the sight that beheld him, but the very occurrence.

did he feel it, whatever that was, as well?

with half a mind left, the shorter fought back the dizziness that was beginning to envelop him alongside the nausea, reaching out for the hand that drew away earlier from him to lead them both out of the room, if only to evade the shit show that was bound to unfold at any given moment. "i don't know- but we should leave this room.. c'mon." he urged, mustering the strength to tug sephiroth along with him.

where to, he did not quite know as yet, but anywhere excluding their current location would be much preferable.

sapphire flitted from hall to hall in search, eventually settling upon the one where the least amount of people had been heading towards.

wordlessly, he led his lover down the corridor and into the showroom, nearly heaving out in relief at the lack of onlookers. good. while they weren't alone, which would have been more ideal, this crowd was manageable.

throughout the walk, sephiroth hung his head low, propping it up by his hand while the other had been tugged along by cloud's.

unfortunately, the pain simply did not wish to let up. earlier it had subdued a pinch, to a degree where he was able to interact and move about. now, however, everything seemed to feel both out of touch to him, and impossibly more agonizing than before.

hell, he hadn't even noticed, let alone acknowledged the fact that he was in a new area of the museum. it may very well have been like any other room had been; indistinguishable.

"good, another bench.." cloud sighed out, sitting the third year down before taking up the space beside him.

the queasiness was still clawing at his gut, threatening to leave him hunched over a nearby restroom, tossing his cookies out, but he held firm. there was still an excursion to be had; as for sephiroth..

the ocean eyed male stole a glance from the man in question, frowning at the deja vu that washed over him. they were basically in the same position as before, only worse.

where did the unease really begin?

the painting of the lifestream was where it began for sephiroth, and for him.. it was when he saw those two swords on display.

what did they mean? what did any of this mean?

as he peeled his eyes away from his lover, cloud hung his head low, a million different thoughts swarming his brain, which all but paused at the loud click that went off a few paces away. a camera, more than likely.

he prayed it wasn't a photo of him and sephiroth- which thankfully, by the looks of where the person stood and where the lens had been aimed, was not. but it was of a.. rather intriguing sight.

when his eyes rose from the photographer to look up at what he had been capturing, it all but stole what little air resided within his chest.

"is this the pain you felt before.. cloud?"

and filled that space with something cold- something sharp that was there, but was not all at the same time. a phantom blade, slotted into the depths of his hollowed sternum, mirroring the sight that currently beheld him.

"let me remind you.."

sculpted of the finest marble, stood a statue of two figures that were horrifyingly beautiful enough to solely be found in myths and folklore. hovering above was a long haired, winged one, and below, tipped back, was a spiky haired one, who was notably being speared by the odachi within the other's hand.

"this time you won't forget."

the more he stared, the realer the image became; instilling itself within the very depths of his mind, solidifying it, materializing into the reality that had been seated at his side, now holding his gaze.

no longer had a leather clad palm cradled his head, and the hand that rested within his seemed to tighten as slitted jades bore into his teal ringed sapphires. an unspoken dawning- an epiphany come true.

"it's.." no, it couldn't be. what were the odds of the rumored exceptions being them? it was nothing but folklore, outdated history that no longer held up credibility, let alone names and explicit figures to define the gossip. cloud refused to believe any of it.

and yet.. "it is, cloud." sephiroth chimed in, leaning in closer. "our former selves, from a life so distant ago now."

a life where they..

the blond shook his head, pursing his lips together. "exactly that- former. so it's.. it's not us anymore, sephiroth." he tried reasoning, squeezing his hand back. "we don't have to do that again- not in this life.. this is ours to have. we.." he paused, azure hues glinting. "we deserve it- after everything."

silence befell the silver haired male before he let out a low chuckle. "do you believe the planet will allow that, cloud?" he questioned softly, glancing toward the sculpture for a moment and then back to him. "would it truly be so generous to us?"

would it be? after being doomed to a life where they would jump endlessly between the cycle of death and rebirth? it was hardly generosity.

it was cruel in every way possible, but..

"it's gonna have to be." cloud affirmed, taking a breath before dispelling it. "the cycle of unrest ends with us. i might have denied you in the past, but this time.. things will be different." he continued steadily, bringing his free hand up to hold the back of the other’s head. "we'll.. get to have our happy ending." the one they’d been waiting for.

sephiroth was still for a moment, taking in his lover's sincerity — the twinkle of truth in his ocean pools as his palm warmed the coldness of his cheek.

once upon a time ago, they may not have held hands as they do so casually now. once upon a time ago, these fleeting touches might not at all have been welcomed, only harmful ones.

in this day and age, however, born into a life in which one accepted the other.. there had been opportunity for the path that could not have been taken back then.

a path sephiroth never thought he’d ever see come to fruition. "mm.. perhaps we will, then, if that is what you believe, cloud." he answered softly, placing a hand over the one that cradled his cheek before pressing a kiss against it. "for the moment, however,” he smiled, the usual lilt returning to his voice. “i believe we still have an excursion on our hands, no?"

notes. oh it feels so good to write after being cockblocked by midterms. anyway, i offer you sefikura food that nobody asked for.. i was very inspired by some fanart for this and uh, being in uni lol. hope it was good! i will be uploading sfkr works to ao3 alongside tumblr now, so you can read there instead under the same user ( silverflqmes ) 🫶 ALSO LISTEN TO THE ALCHEMY!

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#saving cause can't read now but #holy hell excited to see

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