How would Tifa, cloud, and aerith react to seeing someone who can shapeshift into a flying dragon, or an object, or into a copy of anyone? Basically anything they want.
Cloud is a bit put off. He's reminded of all of the weird experiments that went on with Shinra, somehow. He's much less freaked out if you shapeshift into something like another person, and even then, he only finds it acceptable if you're making fun of them.
Aerith is your biggest fan. She's got a list of things she wants you to change into semi-regularly. She wants you to shapeshift into a tiger, so she can cuddle you and not worry about how you might bite her. She loves bear y/n, because she gets to tie ribbons in your fur. The only time Aerith had an issue was when she asked you to change into her, and then she got freaked out.
Tifa thinks it's pretty cool, and useful for fighting. It reminds her of old anime she used to watch! She wants you to shapeshift into a talking metal bat so badly, so that she can hit enemies with you... She only yields when you tell her you will, in fact, still feel pain on impact. Sometimes, she has you change into other people so that she can play dress-up. Somewhere in the world, there's a picture of you changed into Cid, and you have him dressed like a 70's heartthrob.
the group was taking a brief break from travelling to stretch their legs. cloud thought to use this time to walk around, preferably by himself.
when he feels something on his hair, he instinctively turns to see what it is, prepared to wield his blade. he's surprised to see you standing in front of him, looking a bit taken back at his sudden movement, but immediately going back to touch his hair.
he closes his eyes and lets out a small sigh, both in relief and slight annoyance.
"your hair," is all you say as you knead strands between your fingers.
"yes," cloud opens his eyes with what he hopes is a neutral face, "what about my hair?" he asks, and you pull your hand back.
"how do you keep it like this all the time?" you don’t look him directly in the eyes when you speak, keeping your eyes on the blonde's hair with a curious gaze.
cloud merely furrows his brows at the sudden attention before looking away and shrugging. when he looks back momentarily, you're much closer than before and back to touching his hair, making comments cloud doesn’t even bother acknowledging anymore.
cloud interrupts your comments with his own, gently pushing your hand away from his head.
"sorry, i don't really do anything to it." cloud gives you a deadpan look, and you put your hands up immediately in defense.
“hey, i never said it was bad thing,” you grin at cloud's utterly confused stare. "it just amazes me how it always just... stays in that shape?"
"what?" is all cloud can get out, confused by your words.
"i mean, a lot of people take their time to make themselves look this good, but all you do is wake up and you look,” you let a smirk pass over your lips and give cloud a quick once over that makes his heart jump at the sudden action. "effortlessly handsome." you finally finish.
you lift a hand to brush some hair away from his face, and cloud has no words as he feels his pulse quicken at the feeling of your fingers brushing against his forehead to pull his hair away.
he can feel a heat climbing up the back of his neck to reach his face, and your smile widens a bit before giving cloud a wink, leaving and making your way to the others.
it takes everything cloud has in him not to crumple to the ground in a flustered mess.
TIFA LOCKHART
you circle each other tentatively, both watching each other strategically.
tifa opens with a jab towards your midriff. you manage to avoid the attack, spinning round into a kick, which tifa dodges with ease.
you continue to spar for the next several minutes, moving in some kind of dance of space and awareness and strikes forceful enough to hurt, but careful enough to not bruise.
tifa notices as you carry a small smile, face a little flushed and sweat sticking a few strands of hair to your forehead and she could trace, with her eyes, the lines of your arms and the dip between your collarbones and the smooth skin of your shoulders.
"staring, lockhart?" you questioned, a small smirk on your face, and tifa felt herself flush.
"um, n-no. just... looking for an advantage."
you raised an eyebrow. "worried i'll beat you?"
"well, uh..." was what came out instead, clearly thrown off by your teasing comments, nearly as embarrassing as her last excuse.
you grin, directing a spinning kick straight at tifa's ribs. this time, the hit makes contact, knocking her fully off-balance.
still slightly dazed, tifa forgets sparring etiquette and reaches out thoughtlessly, grabbing onto you to try and right herself, but your centre of gravity was still off from the kick, and you both ended up falling to the ground.
tifa doesn't breathe. part of that being because you had just landed on top of her, physically knocking the breath from her lungs, but mostly because you had just landed on top of her, bodies pressed together, your face against her neck.
you quickly push yourself up on your forearms, taking a little of your weight off tifa.
you stare at her for a second with a look in your eyes she can’t quite decipher yet. tifa's breath hitches when she sees your eyes flicker to her lips, gaze lingering on them for a while.
"pretty," you whisper, lowly, as your face unconsciously moves closer to hers, and in that exact moment, her brain stops working.
around you there was complete silence, with your breaths and the subtle sound of your heartbeats being the only sounds heard.
tifa's eyelids close slowly when she feels you lean in towards her. she shudders as she feels your nose brush hers.
it isn't until she feels you turn her head slightly and peck her on the cheek, that she opens her eyes, staring at you, an expression filled with confusion and desperation.
"i'd rather kiss you when i'm not covered in sweat and gross," you say, getting up and bringing tifa's hand up, placing a soft kiss against her knuckles. "for now, this'll have to do." you say simply, offering a cheeky smile before heading back and leaving a bemused tifa by herself.
AERITH GAINSBOROUGH
it's late in the evening when there's a rhythmic knock at the door, and you can instantly tell who it is.
"come in, aerith." you smile softly at the brunette as she walks into the room, humming a tune you don't particularly recognise.
aerith shuffles to where you sit and stands there for a second. you notice how her hair was down, no accessories or anything tying it up, and your heart flutters at how beautiful she managed to look at any given moment.
"can you braid my hair?" she asks, a pout on her lips as you raise an eyebrow. "pretty please?"
you look down and see a brush and hair ties in her hand, along with her signature bow wrapped around her wrist, and you can't help but titter at how prepared she was.
her hair is damp—she must’ve just gotten out of the shower—and she wears a white t-shirt paired with light pink shorts.
she looked to be ready for bed, you realise. her eyes look tired.
"of course," you stand up and go to turn on the bedroom light as aerith sits down, clapping her hands in rejoice.
you walk back over to aerith, who was setting down the hairbrush on the vanity desk. you stand directly behind her and begin the braiding process.
"you better make me look cute when it's done!” aerith teases, earning a soft snicker from you.
"you don't have to worry about that. you always look cute," you say, and aerith's smile only grows wider as she nudges you, calling you "such a flirt".
you take the brush in one hand and some of aerith’s hair in the other. you begin gliding it through the damp locks, weary to avoid pulling it. you delicately brush out the knots and begin sectioning the hair off.
as you start to braid her hair, you notice how aerith stared straight into the mirror, seemingly not at herself, but at you.
you decide to do some teasing of your own this time.
"so," you speak, snapping the brunette out of her trance. "why'd you decide to have me braid your hair tonight?"
she blinks a little bit, internally debating on what to tell you, then smiles brightly. "just wanted a reason to spend time with you." she says, confidently.
you feel a warm feeling creep from your neck to your cheeks, and it doesn't go unnoticed by aerith, and you can't help but feel slightly defeated.
"aww, did i make you blush?"
"shut up."
now, you're determined to get her back.
a few minutes pass of the both of you just talking as you continue to work your fingers through her hair, and you run a single finger down the complete braid when you finally finish.
"there," you hum, sliding your hands down to cup her face in your hands, tipping her head back so she’s forced to look up at you. "all done, pretty girl."
if it weren’t for the way your palms were pressed to her cheeks, you wouldn’t have been able to catch her reaction.
but since they were, you get the experience of feeling her face heat up beneath your hands by the second, and you can’t help the smile that finds its way to your lips.
"aww, did i make you blush?" you coo, a laugh bubbling out of you as aerith attempts to bury her face in her palms.
you move in front of her and kneel down to gently take her hands off of her face, giggling at her now red-tinted face. "do you like it when i call you that, my pretty girl?" you tease further, enjoying her reaction.
"mhm," she nods without hesitation, arms wrapping around your neck, a wide grin stretches across her lips. "definitely."
"good." you mirror her smile as she leans in to give you a toothy kiss.
Don’t really wanna be Elevator Buddies
(Sephiroth x Reader)
A/N: Part 1 here. im suffering sufficiently at my current job that im leaving that i think i can write something because i need an outlet and i also want sephiroth to make it better. also, i am so much older than when i wrote the first part; as such, my writing probably reads a lot more different - better, worse or same is up to you. to those who have requested a part 2 and have waited literal years (its been 4!!!!!), i love you, i'm so sorry its so late.
★★★★★
Staring at the message in your work inbox, you suddenly couldn’t summon the effort to care. Your mood instantly dropped and you needed to leave your desk. You kept your headset on as you wandered towards the small staff kitchen under the guise that you were still connected to a meeting and listening in, when really you just want to block people out. You didn’t want to be perceived.
You just wanted out.
ShinRa Inc wasn’t known as the best place to work, but the pay was good and it was better than any other options you had.
The coffee machine rumbled as you waited for it to process your order. You didn’t even want to drink the cheap, watered down stuff, you just didn’t want to be at your desk looking at that stupid fucking request. There wasn’t much that could get your out of these kinds of emotional troughs bar one thing that seemed to always work.
You felt the vibration of a notification from your phone in your pocket. Knowing what and who it was probably from, you eagerly checked the new message that had come through. It was just a photo of blue sky with some clouds—the tops of greenery you didn’t recognise lined the bottom. It was very abstract and out of context, but you were used to it now.
Putting aside your misery for the moment, you typed out a short response.
I can’t beat that. This is my view.
You took a photo of the ceiling above you. Stark, stale and claustrophobic in comparison to the natural sky you were given. You sent it off and only a few seconds later, received a thumbs up in response. It made you laugh.
Sephiroth was a terrible at texting sometimes, but it was endearing in way.
When you had first traded contact details a little after The Elevator Incident, it had taken a while before anything was sent from either of you. You were too scared of bothering him and he was more than likely too busy or just didn’t know what to send. It also felt like trading personal IDs was crossing into an entirely different friend territory that wasn’t as nonchalant as impromptu elevator conversations.
The messaging ice was broken when, one day, you got a single image of chocobo out in the wild with no context. If you didn’t have Sephiroth’s ID saved, you would have wondered if someone had messaged the wrong person. Your response was a quick ‘I love chocobos, they’re so cute!’, and your reward several hours later was a picture of a sweetly sleeping chocobo in a stable.
Sephiroth was a man of very few words, but he still found ways to communicate with you and that honestly made you feel… Well, you weren’t sure you wanted to admit what you were feeling too much. You knew you had feelings for the man, that you were attracted to him, but those feelings had no where to go. You couldn’t tell him.
For many reasons, you just couldn’t ever tell him about your ever growing affection for him.
You just couldn’t.
You wandered back to your desk, completely forgetting about the coffee you had made in the kitchen. The message from the 1st Class Soldier perked you up way more than the caffeine would have anyway. You scrolled through your requests again and sighed. It was probably going to be another late night in the office. Maybe you’d just call in sick tomorrow.
You worked a few more hours, eyeing your phone and hoping for more messages, but none came. Sephiroth was often the one to initiate conversation as you still felt like you would bother him if you sent something first. Still… You kind of really wanted to talk to someone—to him, specifically. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to send one message?
Picking up your phone you opened up your chat and tried to think of something to say. You typed out several things, but kept deleting them. ‘Hello’ felt too formal, ‘Hi!’ seemed too chipper.
Is something wrong?
The message popped up before you could send something yourself.
!!! No! I was just about to message you. How are you?
There was a pause—and then a short voice message.
▶• ıll— “Are you sure you’re alright? Was there something else you wanted to say to me?”
You could hear the smile in his words and you flushed upon the realisation that he must have seen your stupid three dots pop up and disappear constantly in the chat. You playfully hissed your own voice note back,
▶• ıll— “Ohhh shut up, I just didn’t want to bother you!”
Putting your phone down, you peeked over your divider and looked around to see if anyone else could hear you. It was fairly late in the office, way past usual business hours, so you could see some screens still lit up around the space, but there wasn’t anyone near you.
Your phone pinged a few times, indicating new messages. Some more photos, but this time of more a familiar sight—the Midgar cityscape.
I’m back.
It had been awhile since he had left on his last mission. You were glad he was back safe, not that you’d tell him that now. You sent off a quick, mildly motion blurred snap of your desk and sent it off.
?
A question mark? A question mark to what? The photo wasn’t that blurry.
It’s my desk.
Are you still working? It’s late.
Ohhhh… You cringed; it was late. Honestly if you didn’t procrastinate with absolute loathing and low morale earlier in the day you probably could have been home already, but you couldn’t push through the negativity.
Yeah, its been a rough day.
You waited for a response, but none came. Sephiroth went inactive spontaneously during your conversations, so it wasn’t surprising. Instead you put your phone down and continued on a project that was behind on its deadlines. Technically all of them were behind, but this one you at least had the energy to push through for now.
An hour later your phone pinged a couple times. A photo of the elevator you used everyday to get to up to your floor and:
Time to leave.
You stared at the message, biting your lip. Even if you wanted to leave, there was still things to be done and—
Do I have to drag you out?
▶• ıll— “Okay! Alright! I’m packing up, hold your damn chocobos. I’m leaving now.”
Who knew Sephiroth could be so pushy? During the long elevator ride down to the lobby, you wondered if maybe he only showed this side of himself to people he trusted or cared about. The thought made your stomach flip.
It could also have been that people never really gave Sephiroth the opportunity to be himself. It was an upsetting thought. He was the 1st Class Soldier, a warrior that couldn’t be toppled, a man way above the norm. Untouchable. Distant. You knew what his public image was like, but still somehow you couldn’t fathom how people couldn’t consider that there was another side to him.
The side of him that you always got to see.
The same Sephiroth that you saw was waiting for you as the elevator doors opened. You couldn’t help but smile at the sight. He stood by the empty reception desk with his arms crossed, looking out the front entrance. When he heard your footsteps he turned to face you almost immediately. The man’s expression would have seemed stoic to others, but you recognised the warmth in his mako-infused gaze.
What if you were the only person he looked at that way? You held your smile steady even as your heart argued with your head to accept that maybe that’s what you really wanted.
It felt like Sephiroth’s gaze only intensified as you approached him. “...You look awful.” His voice was low, quiet, but still teasing. There was a chuckle in there too, somewhere in his deep tone. Sure you had heard it recently in the voice message, but it wasn’t the same as hearing him speak to you in person.
“That’s so mean, Seph. Not even a proper greeting for me? Wow.” Even though you were exhausted, you automatically matched his manner. “You look…” Oh, you couldn’t tell him how you really felt about how he looked. There were so many adoring and affectionate words, yet somehow still not enough. “...Like you?” You finally sputtered out after filtering all the other things that your mouth wanted to say.
The 1st Class Soldier gifted you with a short laugh and you struggled to hold back the burst of emotions that bloomed in your chest. “You are so mean to me.” This interaction wasn’t like the others. This didn’t feel like the light playful chats in the elevator. When did these interactions change? When did all the same words that you used to use before suddenly mean something different?
Sephiroth suddenly leaned closer towards you, a small smirk crossing his lips. “I am nice to you.” The way he spoke was next to a purr, “Did you want me to be mean?” It felt like the mako glow in his eyes brightened for a moment; he was close enough that you could see specks of the otherworldly green in his irises.
You wanted to die on the spot. He was not flirting with you, no matter how much it felt like it. No way. However, before you could stop yourself, you replied quietly. “...I like it when you’re nice to me.” The look on Sephiroth’s face melted into something else—something just as warm, just as intense, but something so much more genuine and it immediately scared you. Before he could say anything more you let out dismissive laugh. “Phew, I am a lot more exhausted than I thought. I-I should probably get home.”
Maybe the fear was reflected in your expression. Sephiroth fell back into his usual cool and stoic demeanor and you wanted to apologise—it was hard not to feel as though you had just ruined something important. Casual conversation you could navigate. This? What was this?
Of course you’d find a way to make a bad day worse. Of course you’d ruin a good thing. Of course you’d—
A large hand pressed into your lower back and guided you forwards, interrupting your downward spiraling thoughts. When you looked up at Sephiroth beside you, he simply watched and waited for you to take the lead. Nothing in how he looked at you had changed from when you had first exited the elevator. “There’s a car waiting for you outside.” That voice you so adored, was steady and warm and sure. Still the same.
Quietly you stepped outside with Sephiroth in tow. He opened the car door for you, nodding to the driver who did the same in return. You sat in the back seat, with the soldier leaning outside on the vehicle, looking in to make sure you were comfortable.
“...Bye Seph.” You really did sound tired.
Sephiroth didn’t respond right away, but the silence wasn’t as heavy as the one inside the lobby. He placed a hand over his heart and bowed his head. “Goodnight.” You knew there was something else he wanted to say, but he held his tongue. There was another pause before he shut the door for you.
You leaned back in your seat and let the butterflies run rampant in your belly, let the buzz run through your veins, let it hum through your body. You covered your hands with your face. It felt like there was still something left to say, a conversation left unfinished.
From outside the ShinRa building, Sephiroth watched as you were driven away out of sight. He stood there, holding what he really wanted to say to you in his throat.
It was frustrating for him to know he could physically conquer any fight, any conflict, except for whatever he could see going on in your eyes. Did you know that he could see you becoming more and more tired with each interaction you had? It frustrated him to no end knowing that people took advantage of you and your time and your efforts. Idiots. Fools.
How could he put into words how you made him feel? Sephiroth was no good at words. He just wanted to keep you safe. He just wanted you not to be tired. He just wanted you to always smile when you saw him—a smile that said you were genuinely happy to see him. Not the 1st Class Soldier, but happy to see Sephiroth himself.
The man snapped out of his reverie as his phone pinged with a message. A voice note from you.
plot: with a bounty on your head, it was only a matter of time until someone came to collect... but at least cloud’s nice about it.
pairing: cloud strife x gn!reader.
cw: SOLDIER!cloud, hurt/comfort, angst, (a little) humor, depictions of violence, injuries, blood, and stitches. reader is averse to pain and puts up a big fuss about getting stitches but it’s not super graphic.
words: 2.6k.
a/n: this is an alternate universe in which cloud did become SOLDIER amongst other things, so this won’t completely align with canon.
If he doesn’t kill you, Shinra will. That’s all you need to know to get you running.
Granted, you don’t get too far. You’re a pencil-pusher who’s underfed, exhausted, and paranoid to the nth degree. You’ve been slithering from sector to sector in hopes of finding some ditch to die in before the Shinra agents get a hold of you, and you should’ve known that your luck would run out sooner than later. Your invisibility ceased the day you walked out of HQ with those documents under your arm and no intention of coming back.
You only wished you’d had a little more time to get them off your hands.
You take the brunt of the fall because of course you do; the SOLDIER at your back feels like he weighs more than a truck in your weakened state. Every hard, protruding piece of his armor digs into your body as he wrestles you down, fighting your useless thrashing with a simple grip on both your wrists.
With no mercy, your captor digs his knees into your sides to keep you still, “You’re wanted dead or alive. I wouldn’t try anything if I were you.”
There’s no bargaining with a SOLDIER, that much is certain to you. Having stood by as they trained, cleaned them up after missions, and watched their very humanity stripped away from them at the hands of one mad scientist you once called your superior, there was very little you could do but pray that whatever they planned for you was swift.
But as soon as you notice him reaching for your bag, all logic goes right out the window.
You kick and scream, suddenly revitalized with the desire to at least salvage something, anything. They couldn’t get their hands back on those documents. This couldn’t have all been a waste.
You’re barely even nudging the SOLDIER sitting on your back, only registering his retreating hand when you feel it on your head. With a quickness that only Shinra’s finest could manage, the SOLDIER pulls you back until your neck feels like it might split into two, and then rams your forehead into the ground, dizzying you on impact. The pain is instantaneous, no doubt breeding a concussion that would rival all others... that is, if it didn’t kill you.
There’s no more screaming, then. You think you let out a pitiful moan though, perhaps a gurgle, as consciousness slips away.
When you come to again, you don’t recognize where you are to be Shinra headquarters. In fact, telling by the familiar sticky humidity still in the air, you’d wager that you’d barely left the area you’d been captured in.
Against your eyes’ protests, you open them to figure out your situation so far. You’re in a disgusting, run down building with only two or three lights that work, but it’s enough to illuminate most of the room for you. There’s lots of debris, maybe one stable chair, and your captor is perched upon it. You’d been delegated to the floor where you could feel something wet soaking the back of your shirt, and you could only hope that if whatever it was belonged to you, it was only sweat.
Emboldened, you try to raise your head next, but it beats insistently for you to stay down and go back to sleep. Covering your eyes again, you slump in defeat, “I feel so honored.” You grimace through the pain.
You can’t see him now with your hand thrown over your face, but you imagine he doesn’t look too amused by your attempt to chat. “What for?”
“I had just... imagined they’d send a Turk. Not a SOLDIER. Seems like a big deal to send one of you after me.”
“You made it a big deal.”
Said “big deal” ended up being a few feet away from you, something you noted when you could uncover your eyes again. The papers were spilling out of the bag and onto the concrete, all scattered and out of order. He’d had to check to make sure they were what he was looking for, no doubt.
Mustering some more strength, you push yourself up into a sitting position and press against the wall behind you for stability, “I should at least congratulate you, Cloud. I watched you rise up the ranks myself after all. The fact they even gave you clearance for this mission means that... you’ve really made it. You’re the president’s lapdog now.”
It’s not uncharacteristic of Cloud to not react to a low blow, at least not nowadays. When he’d been younger and brighter, maybe. Now, his face just hardens as he looks over you, and it would comfort you to think that it was forced and practiced and not just who he was now.
For a little while, you sit there gathering your bearings as he watches you. He’d mentioned that your bounty was dead or alive, which only made you wonder why he hadn’t caved your skull in outside when he’d had the chance and made off with the documents. Knowing his efficiency, he’d have been back in time for a pat on the back from President Shinra himself.
Was he soft on you? The very thought makes you think your skull is starting to fill up with blood, it’s so silly.
“Didn’t get clearance.”
That gives you pause. If he hadn’t been cleared, then how had he... “What?”
Once your brain allows you to process more than your headache and Cloud’s breathing, you notice that Cloud starts to rise from his chair, then drags it across the ground to stop in front of you. Instinctively, you pull your limbs to yourself, expecting a SOLDIER beatdown worthy of a traitor like you.
Cloud doesn’t look like he wants to hurt you, though. His buster sword is even across the room, propped up in a corner, when he would usually cling to it like a safety blanket. Of course he doesn’t see you as a threat, but he also doesn’t seem intent on finishing this any time soon.
He takes the toe of his boot and kicks your leg lightly, making you squeak in pain. Was he going to make you suffer, then? “You’re bleeding.” He states.
Sure enough, there is a growing patch of blood on your upper thigh, looking ghastly seeping from the gash it came from. It must have been from when Cloud had toppled you, perhaps cut open by a rock. You grimace once again, “Don’t suppose you’ve got a first aid kit.”
You don’t actually expect him to produce one either, but when he sets the little tool box down on the chair and kneels in front of you, you immediately get nervous. “Needs to be disinfected,” he says, biting off his gloves and taking out an alcohol wipe to clean your wound, one freezing hand gripping your knee to keep you from squirming, “I would’ve stitched it while you were out but I didn’t think you waking up to a sharp object in your skin would’ve ended well.”
“Why? I’m gonna die anyway.” You jerk violently under Cloud’s grip but he’s so strong that you barely move, though the alcohol stings like a motherfucker. You have to bite your fist after your comment just to focus on something other than the burning.
He glances up at you to get an idea of your pain level, “Oh. Have you already decided?”
The cocky shit.
“I never got to decide. This was Hojo’s project, not mine. I was just the glorified nurse that happened to work by his side. Nobody cares if someone like me defects, all they need is a new body to take my place on the payroll.” When you see Cloud reach for a needle and thread, you instantly tense up, backing away as best as you’re able. “Don’t!”
Cloud gives you a dead look, looking seconds away from knocking you out again just for ease of operation, “I said you needed stitches.”
“It’s going to hurt.”
“You said yourself you were a glorified nurse. You’ve stuck more things in me than I can count over the last few years, don’t be a wuss now that the tables have turned.”
You resent being called a wuss, but have very little time to come up with a defense when he drags you back by the ankle with one hand. Resting his weight down on your leg to keep you in place, he begins to thread the needle. “Cloud, please, just let me bleed out and die.”
The SOLDIER huffs, continuing his work.
And, perhaps more foolishly than you mean to be, you reach forward and grab a hold of Cloud’s wrists, halting his offending hands though your strength doesn’t do much. His eyes do narrow, however, "You don’t really want another concussion, do you?”
The threat of such a thing makes you release him however hesitantly. “There’s no reason to fix me if Shinra’s gonna kill me anyway.”
“Shinra can’t kill you if I don’t let them.”
“Right. Because what you say goes. Face it, Cloud. I’m a traitor. As soon as they get whatever else they need out of me, I’m dead.”
You’d been close enough to the SOLDIER to know that he’d never been good with words. Try as he might, the ease with which those like Sephiroth spoke did not come naturally to Cloud. Where he excelled lied in his body, a weapon he’d honed with the help of Mako. He had always been an exceptional fighter, as in control of his own body as he could be with Shinra’s leash still on him, and it had been enough to get him this far.
Now, as he hovers over you, it’s all his body can do but to speak for him.
The frustrated little twitch in his expression shows his displeasure easier than any words could have in that moment. That stiff upper lip that he had put on earlier looked like it was starting to slip, and whatever his true feelings were about the situation were beginning to surface.
As if to distract himself, he leans back in to stitch you, moving slow enough that you could push him away if you were still against the idea. Knowing better than to do so, you instead press out a more gentle plea, “Can you at least let me do it, then?” You stammer.
Perhaps fed up with your constant interruptions, he hands you the needle and leans his weight fully on your leg, effectively keeping you still. Whether it was for your sake or his, you hadn’t a clue, but the pain would be temporary if you could just bite your lip and bear it.
Taking the severed skin in your hands, you hold the needle over it and begin to gauge where you should puncture the skin, but just as you’re working up the nerve, more blood gushes out, coating your fingertips and sending a wave of nausea to your stomach. You don’t even want to think of the pain that will surely follow once you get the courage to start stitching.
Your hand shakes. You can do it, you know you can, you’ve done it on practice dummies and SOLDIERs alike time and time again.
In an attempt to bite the bullet, you poke at your skin and flinch, perhaps harder than you could easily recover from, and you’re about to let out a frustrated growl when you feel Cloud’s hands envelop yours. Warm and comforting, he takes the needle from you only when you’re ready to relinquish it, and then as gently as he can, he starts stitching you up.
It hurts just like you’d expected and you quickly shove your fist into your mouth in some vain attempt to distract yourself. “Grab my arm,” you glance down through wet eyes when Cloud speaks, still steadily stitching you, “I can’t stop the pain but I bet it’ll feel better than that.”
You hate to admit he’s right. Copping a feel of Cloud’s upper arm feels far more satisfying than trying to break your teeth on your knuckles, and even when you feel like you’re hurting him, he doesn’t flinch at all. He’s fast, and by the time he’s finished, the pain is but a dull throb.
He follows up the stitching with some gauze to help slow the bleeding before he releases your leg completely, your hand falling away from his skin. “I wasn’t sent here,” he murmurs, just barely able to be heard over the incessant dripping in the corner, “I came for you.”
“What?”
“Hojo had mentioned you defected days ago when he brought in your replacement. I had thought something was off with you before then but had no proof, and then it came out that you were wanted by Shinra... dead, not dead or alive.”
“Cloud.” He was insane.
“Everything about those experiments needs to be exposed,” the SOLDIER- no, ex-SOLDIER stares you straight on, “and I know people who can make that happen. But there’s more that you could share than those documents could tell, so I need you alive. I need you... with me.”
On your own, you were no match for Shinra. That’s why it was always your best bet to hand off what you could to those who could use it best before your life was cut short, but perhaps with Cloud... well, you’d never considered he would dare defect along with you. This changed everything. “And you came for me... before you even knew why.”
Cloud seems to flush at the disbelief in your tone, “Because I believe in you. That was enough.”
You’d never thought it would be. Not in a million years.
When the pain in your leg and in your head has become bearable, you use Cloud to get onto your feet, and then you hobble over to your bag where the documents still lie scattered. Putting them back in order, you turn to Cloud over your shoulder, “Alright. Where are these people we need to see?”
Cloud finally retrieves his buster sword and swings it over his back. “Slums. Sector 7. I’ve got a friend there that’d happily lend a hand and a place to stay. When we get there, we can figure out a more permanent way to keep you safe.” Despite the ugly truth you knew about them, those Mako eyes of his were still rather stunning to behold even in dingy places like this. Said eyes look you up and down, scanning for any injuries he might’ve missed, “Can you walk on your own?”
You nod, the ache in your thigh no stronger than the adrenaline beginning to pump in your veins, “Yes, but I don’t have any weapons. I’m afraid I’ll need you to protect me.”
It felt odd to rely so heavily on him, especially given all he’d need to do for you from here on out. At another time, he relied more on you, vulnerable to your care in the bustle of Shinra’s relentless missions and experiments. The tables had flipped far too quickly for your liking... but you supposed that if there was anyone you’d lay your life in the hands of, it would be Cloud.
It’s then that he comes closer, hard features softening. With his hands now gloved once more, he holds one out to you, and the feeling of the leather is neither unfamiliar nor unpleasant. When your hand is secured in his and he tightens his hold, you feel almost bulletproof. “Pretty tall order, but I think I can manage.” He cracks just the tiniest of smiles, then.
[ Elo!!! May I have a matchup for Final Fantasy VII and XV with male preference? (SFW and NSFW) ]
⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒
of course! spoiler alert i paired you with the blondes i swear to god it wasn't on purpose LMAO
⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒
⚠️𝕋𝕎⚠️ : NSFW under the cut
⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒
ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 SFW:
- he's very quiet blunt most of the time, but doesn't really step out of line unless he needs to which contrasts your personality surprisingly well
- the two of you are essentially opposites but somehow make it work? like you understand what each other mean without really having to say anything and it somehow just works out that way skdnfk
- you're also one of the first people to make him like. genuinely laugh. he genuinely finds you hilarious
- except when you make puns. he makes a point to groan out loud when you make puns.
- lowkey could lay in bed with you all day if you wanted. he may be an ex-soldier who's used to waking up early but he loves lazing around in your arms for hours on end
- warning: he gets jealous kinda easily if you spend too much time on your phone and don’t pay attention to him but like on the downlow
- like you'll be watching a video with him while laying in bed and he'll just. slowly move his face farther into your field of view
- he doesn't like talking so expect a lot of silent gestures to gain your attention like placing a hand on your shoulder, curling his arm into yours, nuzzling his chin into your neck, etc etc
- not big on PDA cause it makes him anxious and he gets red just from holding your hand around others, but is all over you when you're behind closed doors
- loves your hugs the best since they make him feel safe, even if he has to bend down to your level
- also, he wont kill the creepies but he will bring them outside for you. he might try to wave them in front of your face to scare you a little bit but a threat to rock his shit is enough to get him to behave
ℂ𝕝𝕠𝕦𝕕 SFW:
- he's a bottom, your honor
- NO jk jk but fr, he's kind of submissive
- he likes that you're domineering, and he likes that you don't tolerate shit, so he'll intentionally get a rise out of you just so you end up taking it out on him later
- favorite position is cowgirl/boy since it's very uh. versatile.
- switch with a bottom leaning so if you're feeling stressed or frustrated or anything he is 100% willing to have you take it out on him
- kind of into degradation both ways? like he's not going to be downright hateful but he will tease you for being desperate if you're being not-so-subtle about your intentions with him
- he likes a partner that'll bite back when he says something, so if you refuse to go down without a fight you bet your ass he's going to do his best to win
- likes to get you to the point where you're begging and whining for him, breaking whatever bratty front you're putting up and getting you to fold beneath his touch
⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒ ⭒
ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕠 SFW:
- YOU LIKE TO MODEL? HE LIKES TO PHOTOGRAPH YOU
- who better to photograph than his favorite person ever in the whole world?? he already takes enough pictures of you on the daily, so why not have you pose for him??
- he makes sure you look just as heavenly in his photos as you do to him, and keeps them in a special album thats dedicated just to you and things you might like
- prompto has no shame. none. if you're embarrassed about your dancing this mf will intentionally make himself look like an idiot so you feel more comfortable
- yall probably do a lot of cringey couple shit like get matching sweaters and shit but its mostly because he makes you participate with the help of Puppy Eyes
- also he... he likes that you're short
- he doesn't intentionally like to be an asshole but on the off chance that you've done something to warrant his Mild Wrath then he'll intentionally put shit on higher shelves then watch you struggle because you refuse to as for help
good way to get back at him is to prank him by placing a bunch of fake bugs on shit. works every time.
ℙ𝕣𝕠𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕠 NSFW:
- no because,,, the HOLD you have on this dude
- ITS LIKE A GENUINE ISSUE he'll literally do whatever you want
- prompto is already experimental by default, so whatever crazy or outlandish ideas you have are pretty much on the table for the most part
- he's a bit of a bottom, no matter how much he denies it, and tends to beg a lot if you tease him
- his voice cracks and tears pool in his eyes when he feels you pull away from him, his body overstimulated and hypersensitive from being denied the contact he wants for so long
- kind of embarrassed about it but he's into voyerism rp. like, the concept of sneaking around and taking pics of you and then getting caught and punished for it drives him WILD
- its not often that he tops, but when he does he's usually pretty gentle and tender with you
- he doesn't like to hurt you unless you really want, and even then the most he'll really do is maybe spank you or very LIGHTLY slap your face if you ask
- fair warning though: the dude's like a rabbit. his stamina is through the roof and his refractory period is insanely short, so if you're in it for the long run you've got a long night in front of you
- he apologizes the morning after when you can't walk after, but we all know he's gonna do it again skdjnkj
Sephiroth getting a 'send nudes' text from his s/o?
Sephiroth getting a ‘send nudes’ text from s/o?
Thank you for requesting!! I hope you enjoy this :)
Warning: mature themes
______________
Sephiroth crossed his arms in bewilderment. Did he really just see that? Did you really just send that?
Apparently so.
He’d just finished his shower, his abdomen still enveloped in his bathing towel. While wringing his hair out, his phone lit up with your caller ID.
Unlike your usual flirty messages, this one read “Send Nudes”.
“What in the-“ he cut himself off. Seph was surprised by your straight-forward message...but a bit intrigued that you had the balls to do such a thing.
Of course it was a joke on your part though. You wanted to see how or if he’d respond. But...most definitely maybe you did want to see a little bit more of your boyfriend’s highly adored and coveted body.
He sent back an “Are you serious?”
Sephiroth normally doesn’t engage in such risky activities. He is aware of his status and he strives to maintain it....cleanly.
But being too serious all the time does get quite tiring. And he believes he should let loose and have his cake as well.
You sent back “Dead Serious”. With a heart, keeping it cute.
After his mind roamed with no’s and maybe’s, he came to the conclusion of ‘why not?’
I mean, he was already naked.
Throwing away his tense mood, he slid to the camera button, cautiously.
He sent you two pictures.
The first one with him in his towel, the fabric barely hanging around his waist. The left-over drips of water on his abs accentuated the steamy feel of the picture as a whole. It was too much to bare in one shot.
In the second one, he dropped the towel. His thick member was exposed, stealing the spotlight. He’s literally perfect, head to toe.
To tease you, he also sent “Oops”.
YOU. WERE. SHOCKED. You didn’t actually think he’d send it. You clutched your phone to your heart and screamed hysterically.
Mumbling quick prayers, you were overjoyed he was yours. You got yourself a good one.
Your phone vibrated against you, and with no hesitation, you snatched it. But you were least expecting the message.
“Your turn, beloved.”
Dammit. You didn’t think the tables would turn like this.
Nonetheless, it was only fair; so you stripped, hoping for the best.
In preparation for the perfect shot, you fixed your hair a bit and put on a little lip gloss.
Then alluringly put on the dirtiest look you could and touched yourself a bit.
After taking it a few times, you sent the photo. Though you were still a little unsure of yourself.
But, damn did it drive Sephiroth wild. His eyes dilated naturally. He couldn’t stop staring since he absolutely loved what he saw. Now he was the one feeling lucky.
He called you this time rather than texting.
And he began, “You have work tonight?”
“Nope.”
“I’m coming over there now. And I want you to keep touching yourself like that while I’m on the way too.”
The strict, sensual and low tone of his voice would make anyone loose their mind.
You sat in yet another meeting. Another meeting that could have easily been an email.
All the militia that worked for Shinra were expected to attend including nurses. Nurses like you.
You stifled a yawn before glancing back down at your notebook where you were doodling. Glancing up, you looked around the room to see if anyone else was suffering as much as you. Your eyes landed on Sephiroth, the beautiful, silver haired man with the grace and mystery of an angel.
Inspiration struck and you picked up your pen, roughly sketching the Soldier.
You looked up at him every now and then, your brow furrowed with concentration, lips pursed seriously.
Upon one glance at the man, your eyes met his piercing greenish-blue ones. Your face began to burn and you quickly looked back down at your drawing, grateful that he was on the other side of the room and couldn’t see your picture of him.
When the meeting ended, you quickly darted for the door, heading down an empty hall to get away from the crowd and Sephiroth. But sadly, luck was not on your side.
You glanced down at your sketch, smiling softly, admiring your piece when you bumped into something.
Your notebook slipped out of your hand as you quickly tried to regain your composure. Looking up to apologise, you felt the color drain from your face and you watched in horror as Sephiroth bent over to pick up your fallen notebook.
He looked at the picture of himself, his face emotionless, head tilted slightly. You would have loved to draw him in that position if you weren’t so terrified and embarrassed.
“Hm,” he said, handing you your notebook. “You’re very skilled.”
You felt your cheeks turn pink as you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.
“Th-thanks,” you stuttered, internally flinching at how nervous you sounded, like one of the simpering fangirls that followed the man around. “The meeting was boring so…”
Sephiroth nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips, “Yes. So many of those meetings could just as easily be sent in an email.”
You laughed a little, “I was thinking just the same thing.”
“Are you headed to lunch?”
You nodded, “Yes, I was just going to put my notebook away.”
“Would you like some company?” he asked.
Your brain felt as though it had stopped working, but you quickly smiled up at him, “Sure. That sounds nice.”
Sephiroth walked with you to your locker, the two of you making small talk, before leading you to a quiet restaurant.
The next day, you found a small package on your desk with a mysterious little note that read, “For the next meeting.”
Inside the package was a proper sketchbook. You couldn’t help but grin. He didn’t leave his name on the note, but you knew exactly who it was from. You made a mental note to draw him a special picture during the next meeting as a thank you before going back to work.
Hi, Jae, Trish here! I'm really in the mood for some FF fluff, and since I saw your requests were open I wanted to send you one. Can you write a preference of Cloud, Zack, Tifa and Aerith comforting and trying to cheer reader up? I would really like to read something soft. Hope I requested correctly. Also, would you mind tagging me as randomfandomimagine when you post it (no rush) if it's not too much trouble? Thank you so much, you're amazing 💖
Not at all! Thanks for requesting 🥺 @randomfandomimagine
All I have to say about this is that people have to normalize platonic affection 😔
Cloud Strife
Let’s be real... Cloud doesn’t do well with emotions
However, he doesn’t want you to be sad
He kind of.. awkwardly pats your back and offers to listen to you vent
He’s a really great listener, he doesn’t say much, just nodding every now and then to let you know that he’s still paying attention
After you’re done venting, he offers to do something for you, like buy you a drink or if you wanted to go smash some monsters together (safely, of course! Can’t have you being the one getting squashed)
If you didn’t want to vent, he doesn’t mind sitting in silence for a few minutes, but he’ll get a little restless, or he’s feel a little awkward and eventually wander off to do something else
Hey may not have great people skills, but if you’re close enough, he won’t mind hanging out with you
Zack Fair
Zack sees you upset and kind of? Panics?
He's rushing over and talking way too fast and kind of crowding your space
After you push him back and tell him to slow down, he explains that he's worried about you because you seemed upset
Obviously, you're kind of shocked because you thought you were masking it well (he's very perceptive)
He asks if there's anything he can do for you
If you want a snack, he's running over to the nearest store to get it
If you want cuddles (romantic or platonic), he's down
He's scooping you up in his arms and (gently) tossing you like a sack of potatoes onto the couch or bed
His main goal is to get you to laugh, so he's telling jokes or funny stories to get your mind off of whatever made you upset
Tifa Lockhart
You know that she's basically the best at comforting you
Tifa's gonna sit you down on a bar stool and cook you some comfort food while you tell her your woes
If you don't feel like spilling your heart out, she'll tell you about her day, and some stories about her youth
After you're done eating, she'll sit next to you and try to take your mind off things, holding your hand and giving it a squeeze
She might even offer to walk around with you, even if it's 3AM
If you like cats, she'll point them out as you walk, one of Wedge's babies even stopping by to say hello
If all of that doesn't work, honestly she'll probably put you to work and have you clean the tables at the bar
You'll have fun doing it though, because the jukebox is playing some fun songs and you're both laughing and having a good time
Aerith Gainsbourgh
Lowkey... The second she realizes you're upset, she wants to throw hands
Who/Whatever caused you to be sad? Getting taken down immediately
However, she realizes that she needs to take care of you before she can go get payback
She's going to sit you down somewhere safe and quiet, if you're nearby, she'll take you to a place with flowers and grass
She'll take your hands in hers and gently rub small circles with her thumb
Aerith is also a very good listener, if you want to vent, she'll pay very close attention, even getting angry or sad with you
If you just want to lean on her shoulder and cry it out, or just stare at nothing, she's down for that too, pulling you close and rub your back
If you couldn't tell I hc her as a very physically affectionate person
