At the end of a long two-day journey back to Midgar Cloud was feeling even more ashamed of himself than he did at first. After running all of his interactions with Cait through his mind and focusing on all the details Cait dropped along the way Cloud felt it was fairly obvious that Cait Sith was a vehicle through which someone high up in ShinRa acted.

The big thing: Cait Sith apparently sat in on board meetings and was highly-respected in the company? Really? A cat with a crown and a cape?

Obviously there had been holes in the story.

The worst thing about it, Cloud thought as they all made their way in the back of the Tower and took an elevator to their respective floors, bidding each other goodbye, was that Cloud had no idea who the real human controlling Cait Sith was. It made his skin crawl—it made him feel gross and violated.

He and the other Infantry went to their COs. Cloud and Maya had the same one—they reported in turns, first Maya and then Cloud. He spoke about the success of the mission, was told he would get written comments from the SOLDIER in charge, Ronald, in the next few days, and then was dismissed.

"Oh—Strife, wait," said his CO, opening a drawer at her desk. "Reeve Tuesti wanted me to give this to you. Said your PHS got destroyed during the mission?"

Cloud accepted it, surprised. It was the newest model, and much much nicer than whatever he was going to get if he went to requisitions a couple floors down, which had been his next destination. "Reeve Tuesti?" he asked.

"The head of the Department of Urban Housing and Development. Said he happened to be checking the reactor security cams and saw it break?"

Hadn't Cait Sith mentioned that department once or twice…?

Ah.

"Thank you, Ma'am," Cloud said. He saluted and went on his way, unboxing the PHS, powering it on and going through the opening settings as he wandered back to his dorm. His brain worked so slowly; he felt kind of numb.

Cloud sat on his bed and stared at his boots—they were all muddy from the mission, and he'd have to clean them before the next room and uniform inspection. One of his buddies was home, and he woke up from a crash nap long enough to nod at Cloud and grunt something unintelligible before going back to sleep.

The back of Cloud's neck prickled. Slowly, he turned to look at the button camera Cait Sith had watched from—or rather, the human behind Cait Sith, likely this Reeve Tuesti. …Ugh.

He dropped off his pack and his crap but instead of resting, which he desperately wanted to do, he strolled back out of his dorm. His usual spot outside was obviously no good, but there was one spot that was great for anybody looking to disappear; the Infantry cafeteria was always such a shitshow that he'd be one blond head in a sea of other indiscernible heads (provided those cameras weren't, like, amazing. You never knew with ShinRa).

Cloud wasn't super hungry but he grabbed some food anyway, sitting down in the middle of a table full of people and hopefully disappearing in it. Instead of touching his plate he pulled up the internet on his new PHS and bent over it.

Reeve Tuesti.

Most information about ShinRa personnel was highly classified and kept from the public. Although it acted very far from your average business they still made the attempt to appear like a regular electric company in a few ways. On their website they had smiling portraits of some top officials. Reeve Tuesti had one, and he was a handsome young-ish man with pale skin, dark brown hair and a short beard, probably just over thirty. It came complete with an optimistic paragraph about his experience (so he did in fact design the mako reactors) and his goals as Head of Urban Development at ShinRa—namely, to improve life for the people of Midgar by providing more people with 'affordable and accessible housing' and 'improving cleanliness and holding Midgar to a higher standard.'

It was all kind of gross. Cloud's feelings about him were complicated. On the one hand, Reeve was a nasty creep for deceiving Cloud and asking him to jerk off, and on the other, he—or Cait Sith—had seemed like one of the few people around here (like Zack Fair!) who genuinely tried to do good things for someone who wasn't themselves.

Cloud laid low for the evening, away from obvious cameras, sulking. He'd realized that losing his old PHS had meant losing Zack's number.

What if Zack was texting him right now, wanting to hang out? Wanting to fuck? He probably thought Cloud was some kind of asshole. Cloud had a new number now.

The unfortunate thing was that if your mission got you back before a certain hour of the day you still had to do all your regular duties the next day, and thankfully Cloud's company arrived in Midgar an hour after the cut-off. He had the next day off to recuperate before going back to drills and patrols.

Cloud curled up on his cot that night, listening to the snores or soft conversation of his comrades, and his new PHS buzzed under his pillow. Groggily he pulled it out and unlocked the screen. A text:

Hello, Cloud. This is Reeve Tuesti. I hope you received the replacement PHS well and are recovering from your mission. I owe you several apologies and explanations, for obvious reasons. If you are willing, please come see me tomorrow in room 35F on the 82nd floor. I've sent the necessary permissions to your ID card, and the elevators will let you off there. Please sleep well.

Cloud glared through the bunk above at the hidden camera in the corner.

It was messy—an odd mix of too-formal and too-friendly. The man was probably scared of meeting with Cloud, but was making himself do it because Cloud deserved, at least, to yell at him in person. He typed out a response, then deleted it. Then he did the same thing again. Then he shoved his PHS back under his pillow, muttered, "That motherfucker," and thumped the mattress above with his foot when the guy above whispered, "That's pretty harsh, Strife."

He was not planning to go. Really.

It's just that—the next day he tried reading a book, and he tried going for a gentle run, and he tried doing most of the usual things he did to pass time on his off-days but nothing worked. He was stuck thinking about Reeve Tuesti, and he was stuck rehearsing the lecture he was going to give, and the only way to get unstuck was just to suck it up, go, and get it over with.

So Cloud found himself riding the elevator up to the 82nd floor feeling awkward crammed in there with sharp-looking people in suits while he just wore ripped skinny jeans and a t-shirt. Some SOLDIERs had been in there earlier with their large firearms and large swords, but they all got off on the SOLDIER floor or the ones near it. Cloud had never been up this high before.

Floor 82 was all gleaming glass and the kind of shiny too-perfect wood that definitely wasn't real and just put on top of metal. All kinds of important decisions were made up here, to be sure… in these conference rooms or behind these doors. And speaking of… 35F.

There was even a little plaque that said 'REEVE TUESTI' and beneath it, his position: Director of Dept of Housing and Urban Development.

Cloud hadn't been shy or nervous about it until this moment. He did all sorts of things in the military that had pushed most of his old anxieties right out of him—he changed in front of people of various genders, he had to get in front of squads and assume a leadership role sometimes, he had to report to his superiors and even his superiors' superiors sometimes. ShinRa had done wonders for his self-confidence, and he wasn't the same kid full of self-hatred who took it out on others and couldn't ever speak up.

Still… lingering in front of the door, Cloud's stomach tumbled and his limbs turned tingly and felt far-away. The rehearsed thing he had in his head where he put this executive in his place vanished. Was there even anything in the world that you could say to someone in this situation?

Despite himself, Cloud knocked.

After a long moment (where Cloud was fooled into thinking that maybe Tuesti wasn't there) the door slid open like an elevator's, retracting into the wall.

Bookshelves lined the walls, and although there were some books, most of the stuff on them were mechanical parts, wires and bolts and complicated machinery spilling everywhere. Cloud didn't give them more than a quick glance though, focusing on the man behind the cluttered desk, who was standing up and coming around to meet him.

He had more facial hair now than on his official ShinRa picture, a well-groomed brown square mustache and beard combo. Tuesti's hair was neatly pushed back too, gelled to perfection. Despite that and his well-fitting suit something about him seemed unkempt. It may have been his obvious nervousness. He came over with his arm outstretched, his eyes darting from Cloud's face and away, then resolutely back to Cloud's face until he got nervous again and had to look to the side.

Cloud shook his hand, a little confused, and as it dawned on him that Tuesti was just as awkward about this… it soothed him. The tension in his shoulders disappeared somewhat.

"Cloud," Tuesti said, shaking a bit too enthusiastically. "Thank you for coming—really. It's, mm, good to see you."

Pointless small talk, just idle chatter. Cloud found himself laughing nervously, tiny chuckles born from not knowing how to respond to Reeve's obvious discomfort.

Reeve chuckled too, sounding strained—then he retreated back behind his desk and gestured at Cloud to pull up a chair from the wall. Cloud did so, Reeve watching him move it in silence, and when Cloud sat down and looked up Reeve was poker-faced, his hands folded on the desk like he was in a formal meeting.

…Cloud had the upper hand, he realized.

Yeah, sure, he'd been embarrassed at finding out he'd been played—but he wasn't the high-up ShinRa executive who'd been found out jerking off to a teenager. Cloud could probably ruin this guy's career if he wanted. He didn't really want to, but making him squirm a bit was on his agenda.

"So," Cloud said, trying to appear relaxed, "You're the guy who creeped on me through Cait Sith."

Reeve straightened his posture, perhaps surprised by Cloud's directness. "Er, yes—Cait Sith is a robot that I control, and through Cait Sith I perform a lot of reconnaissance missions or hands-on repairs that it is difficult for me to do in person, having as many duties as I do here in Midgar, and—"

If Cloud had lost his rehearsed bit it was only fair for Reeve to lose it too. Cloud interrupted him: "What happened that night at the reactor? Did you have me help Cait Sith from the very beginning just so you could convince me to get naked and you could jerk off to me?"

Reeve's eyes widened and he cleared his throat. The man looked miserable, for a brief moment, and then smoothed it all out. "It's…" he said, bowing his head a little. "It's easy to feel brave when it's three in the morning, you're drunk, and you're interacting with a beautiful young man through a screen. It didn't feel real—the consequences of my actions seemed far away in that moment, too. I was terrified you'd end up the same way as Cait after my feed cut out, but clearly you're unharmed. And no—you were just in the right spot that first time you met Cait, when you helped me with the air vent."

It was easy to feel brave when it was three in the morning and you were far away from home in the middle of a mako reactor—that was the kind of setting where you might even be convinced to finger yourself for a weird crown-wearing caped cat.

"The monster almost got me 'cause my pants were around my ankles," Cloud pointed out.

"It was a bad idea for me to convince you to do that in such a dangerous spot. I knew that there was a possibility of a monster attacking, I just didn't care."

"…I kind of didn't either." Cloud shrugged. "I'm pissed that you never told me that you're, you know, really Cait Sith—but I guess I understand. I was maddest thinking that's why you had me do all that stuff around HQ in the first place."

Reeve shook his head, his eyes closing. "No. Like I said, the first time was accidental, and the second time, when I left you the note by the vent and you took Cait Sith below the plate, was because…well, you didn't ask too many questions, and you did as asked. I couldn't have asked for a better person to help Cait do what he needed to do, honestly. But then we got sidetracked by Zack Fair, and I discovered you're attracted to men and I noticed just how attractive you are after that… and then," Reeve sighed, raking a hand nervously through his impeccable hair, "after that I suppose I just wanted to see you again, and there were some tasks around the Tower that needed doing, so I figured it was a good idea to enlist your help again."

Cloud noted, "When I went around the Infantry area for you."

"Yes. For the record—the walls there are a nightmare. They'll need restructuring in the next two years."

Cloud didn't let them get sidetracked. "You texted me a lot after that. You know, I thought it was weird, how your texts sounded so different from the way Cait Sith talked."

"…I wasn't as careful as I should have been to attempt to mimic Cait Sith's speech in my texts. Texting you was—fun," Reeve confessed. He pulled at the collar of his neatly-buttoned shirt.

Yeah, it was. Cloud looked down at his knees, turning it all over in his mind. He tried to block Reeve out so he wouldn't feel pressured as he thought it over. Eventually Cloud said, "Yeah, well… just apologize to me again, and we're cool, I guess."

Reeve tilted his head. He looked surprised he'd gotten off so easily. "I apologize, Cloud," he said. "I made you do me all sorts of favors without properly explaining, and in a moment of drunken weakness I took advantage of you. In fact, what I did is probably assault—you didn't consent to giving a thirty-one year old man a show. I endangered your safety, too—you could have been killed. I'm deeply sorry—and I mean that. I let a small crush make me act recklessly."

It was…sweet. More of an apology Cloud had expected to get. He didn't even have the heart to rage at Tuesti like he'd planned, if the guy had been belligerent or not self-aware about what exactly he'd done.

Cloud nodded slowly, pushing his bangs out of his eyes. "…Okay," he said slowly. "I accept your apology." He got up and walked closer to Reeve, and the man looked mildly alarmed. Cloud ignored it though, leaning against the corner of the desk. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the storage device Cait plugged into the secret terminal in the reactor. "Here," Cloud said. "I don't know if it finished downloading or not."

Reeve accepted it. "You didn't have to do that," he said: "Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if you had thrown it into the vat."

It didn't seem like he was putting himself down for pity—just stating facts. "I should have," Cloud said, smiling.

"Thank you, though." Reeve tucked it into his desk drawer. When Cloud didn't leave, though, and go back to his seat, Reeve looked at him again. His gaze started at Cloud's thighs and traveled up, a bit too slowly. Seemed unintentional. Cloud caught the look-over.

"So…" Cloud started. "So, ah…"

Strifes weren't known for their smoothness. Cloud did okay at flirting when Zack was involved, but this wasn't Zack. Maybe he could try being Zack—every time Cloud had met him the man was just bursting with confidence. Cloud tried again. Zack Fair. "So, you have a 'crush' on me?"

Reeve swallowed—the bob of his adam's apple pushed the knot of his tie forward. "Well," he answered, and Cloud could practically see the gears in his head moving around. "Obviously. You're a gorgeous young man, and you're sweet to boot. I couldn't help but grow fond of you."

"Fond enough to want me to jerk off for you."

"Yes," Reeve answered, his voice a rasp, "Fond enough for that."

Zack Fair, Zack Fair. Cloud could do this. He pushed himself up to sit on the desk entirely, his legs hanging down on either side of Reeve's knees. Amazingly enough, his dick was interested.

This whole thing was so illicit. He'd had a million fantasies about desk sex with Sephiroth, and this guy wasn't Sephiroth, but he was an important man with a desk who was clearly into Cloud and… it felt so fucked up, but thinking back to him masturbating for Cait with this handsome man jerking off too, in his bedroom or wherever, well—it kind of got him going.

Cloud leant back on his hands, lounging on the desk. Reeve looked at each of Cloud's legs in turn, then the plane of Cloud's chest. After a moment, his hands came up and rested on the tops of Cloud's knees—hesitantly, like he wanted to make absolute sure Cloud was okay with it.

He was—Cloud felt exhilarated and powerful. He didn't often feel this way, and it was great.

Sephiroth—he could channel Sephiroth too. He could strike a deal, he could be in charge. He could get what he wanted.

"I think you owe me still," Cloud said.

Reeve's thumbs had started stroking the side of his knees, soft over the roughness of his jean fabric. There was a rip on the left one, stylishly distressed or whatever, and Reeve's thumb dipped into it, his touch shockingly electric against his bare skin. "I do," he said. "Name your price, Strife."

"I want you to get me Zack Fair's phone number," Cloud declared. "Do your hacking thing. It was on my old PHS, which I lost because of you, and I don't know how to get it again."

Reeve nodded.

"And I'm pretty sure Cait Sith promised me a nice meal in Midgar at one point."

"…I remember that. I'll buy you whatever you want. I'll deliver it, if you'd rather not go out with me."

"No, going out with you is fine—so long as it's you, and not Cait Sith."

Reeve breathed, "Done."

"And…" oh, Gaia, this was unlike him—but he was channeling Zack Fair and Sephiroth now, and the two of them could surely get anything they wanted in this world. Cloud slid off the desk and onto Reeve's lap. He rested on his shins on the plush leather of the chair's seat. He rested his hands on Reeve's chest—the man's heartbeat raced—and after mustering his courage again he slid his arms around Reeve's neck as much as he could. "…It'd be nice if you could tell me a little more about this crush you have on me."

"I can do that," Reeve answered. His hands went to Cloud's hips, and when Cloud gave an encouraging little wiggle of his hips, they coasted back, not wasting any time, and settled on his ass, just like that. He had big hands, and they cupped his ass nicely, even squeezing a tiny bit. Okay—maybe this guy was as horny as Cloud suddenly was.

"I suppose it started when I—or Cait, rather—was stuffed into that bag and you went dancing with Zack Fair," Reeve murmured. His breath smelled nice, like spearmint. Maybe he snacked on mints. Up close Cloud could see the trim edges of his facial hair, and the hint of stubble starting to show through in a few spots. He must have to shave every day. "It was a bit nauseating watching the screen bounce around like that-" Cloud grinned a little, "-but I listened to you and Zack flirt a bit, and I got a bit possessive. After all, you were my helper."

"I was," Cloud agreed, his stomach muscles tensing at the word 'possessive.' Hot.

"And after, when you left the club, and let Cait out of the bag, you were… flushed from dancing, and a little bit drunk, and acting very cute. I was surprised."

"Mm." Cloud slid his arms up Reeve's shoulders, his clasped hands now jutting out a foot or two away from Reeve's chair, his chest pressing closer to Reeve's.

"And I wanted to see you again, after that, so I peeked in on you in the camera in your dorm—I shouldn't have, but I told myself I just wanted to make sure you were alright. I didn't do it often, but I checked in on you every now and again. And then… you saw your ex, that SOLDIER, and I got mad, thinking that I could treat you better than he. Show you a better time. Make you happier."

Cloud's response was breathy and wavered a little bit: "Ohhh."

"So I started texting you." Reeve's hands dipped into Cloud's jean pockets, groping his ass again, and Cloud shifted a little, pushing his bottom into Reeve's hands. "And you were as sweet and snarky as I thought you'd be. A couple times I thought about you as I masturbated, and when you had a mission to a problem reactor I jumped at the chance for Cait to accompany you."

Reeve paused, then. "I promise, I didn't send Cait out there with the purpose of getting you alone."

"It just sorta happened," Cloud finished for him. Reeve nodded. Cloud prompted: "And after all of that?"

"I've been thinking about how fucked up I am, doing that to you—and about how I'm far too old for you, and that you'd probably report me to the sexual harassment office."

"…And now?"

"I'm amazed I've got you on my lap, honestly."

Reeve squeezed his ass again, and Cloud's cock throbbed, starting to fill out and strain against his jeans. It hurt. Cloud breathed out unsteadily. "I've got to be honest too," he said. "In case you are—I'm not looking for a boyfriend. I'm going to date either Zack Fair or Sephiroth."

It didn't look like Reeve thought it would happen, but he swallowed again and nodded seriously. Cloud couldn't tell if he looked disappointed or not. "Understood."

"But also," Cloud blurted, "It's been almost half a year since I got fucked, and you're a lot hotter than I thought you'd be, and it's actually kind of hot that you got off to me a bunch of times and I didn't know it."

Reeve scooped Cloud forward, moving the blond up his body until their dicks pressed together between their clothes—and oh, fuck, Reeve was stiff down there too, it wasn't just Cloud. "A boy like you, not getting any for half a year," the older man murmured, "I can hardly believe it. I'll fix that."

Please, Cloud's hips answered, moving in a circular motion, stimulating them both and making Cloud's breath catch.

Reeve kissed him then, and his lips were cool and minty but his tongue warm. There was scratch from his beard and smooth from his hands which were under his shirt now, and sharp from his blunt nails digging into his waist and hips. Reeve groaned in his throat, leaning forward into Cloud like he couldn't get enough of him, and fuck it was so so so hot how bad this random guy wanted him, some guy Cloud had never even seen before in his life.

He bit at Cloud's neck, right over the thudding pulse and Cloud shook on his lap, squirming, so turned on it was painful. Reeve's hands scrabbled at his back.

The phone rang. Tuesti didn't answer it, but he pulled away, panting raggedly, to look at the caller ID. "…That was the vice-president," he said, once the ringing had stopped.

"Oh." Cloud waited, unsure if that meant they had to stop or not.

Reeve ran his hand through his hair again, leaning back in his chair. "Why don't… you come over tonight?" he suggested. "I can show you the other Cait Sith models."

Yeah, sure, that's why Cloud would visit.

"Okay," Cloud answered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "Text me when to stop by, since you have the number of the new phone you got me. Thanks for that, by the way."

"It was the least I could do."

Cloud got off of Reeve's lap, and as he straightened his clothes and adjusted his dick in his pants it dawned on him just how forward he had just been, and how risky and unusual this hookup.

Fuck it, he thought, and said "See you later," to Reeve who nodded stoically, though his impressive façade was a little weakened by his mussed up hair.

Cloud saw himself out, still breathing heavily. His cheeks burned in the elevator down—he was convinced all these execs knew exactly what kind of hanky-panky he'd just gotten up to with one of their directors. He made it back to his bunk without incident. He couldn't help but wonder if Reeve was watching, from the camera in the corner.

It made his dick hard again, to be honest. He spent the few hours between that and when Reeve invited him over showering, scrubbing every inch of himself, eating (foods that would quickly move through him—being unable to fit Reeve's cock in his ass 'cause of a giant shit blocking everything, that would be mortifying)—and lying there impatiently, playing round after round of a boring game on his new PHS to help pass the time.

Eventually he did get the text: Hello Cloud, this is Reeve again. My apartment is 351 on the 66th floor. I look forward to seeing you.

Cloud didn't want to seem too eager so he made himself wait twenty minutes in the main lobby, watching people pass by even at this hour, before he went up there. The condoms in his back pocket seemed abnormally heavy, and his lips tingled, as if anticipating more kisses. Tuesti wasn't bad at it at all… for a dude who hid behind a robot.

Cloud had been expecting some awkward, perhaps not conventionally attractive guy who didn't know how to talk to people, honestly—not such a neat, put-together man. It remained to see what he was like in his home—and how he was in bed.

…Damn, it had been a long time since the last time he and his Ex had sex. He'd brushed his teeth thoroughly but Cloud chewed gum just to be safe all the way up there, and he stuck the gum behind a leaf at a decorative potted plant. The hallway was sterile, with the usual metal and nondescript doors. He wondered if the more 'important' execs lived higher up or if any of these doors he passed could have belonged to Heidegger or whoever.

Better hurry to Reeve's before anyone asked him what the hell he was doing here.

He rang the doorbell at 351, shifting uncomfortably on his feet and frantically wondering if he'd gotten the wrong door somehow, as racing thoughts tended to do as you waited for the person inside to come to the door. The knob turned, and Cloud stiffened.

Reeve was in more casual clothes now, gray jeans and a neat dark blue sweater. He was fairly tall (most adult men were, compared to Cloud) but seemed shorter out of uniform. He imagined the same was true for Zack or Sephiroth; most people at ShinRa seemed less imposing when in civvies. It put Cloud at ease, a bit… this guy was just some guy, a guy who wanted to sleep with him and had a cat robot.

Gulp.

"Cloud," Reeve said, and he didn't sound nervous but he was shifting his weight back and forth on his feet which gave him away. Like before, it gave Cloud a little peace to realize he wasn't the only one. "Thanks for coming."

"I haven't done that yet," Cloud joked, his brain working on autopilot.

"Erm— uh," Reeve stammered, clearing his throat.

"Sorry, that was a really crappy joke." Cloud rubbed the back of his neck, moving past Reeve into the apartment as the man stepped back.

"No, it was good, I just, ah—my brain doesn't work as quickly around you as it normally does. I'm not always this tongue-tied."

Cloud stopped looking around to eye Reeve, and Tuesti offered him an uncomfortable, but genuine smile. He was sweet, and it made Cloud's cheeks red. "Thanks for inviting me," he murmured. "Nice place."

The door opened into the living room. There was a couch across from a huge television. There was a lot of technology in the room—large speakers, lamps with wiring… several tall bookshelves packed with books and miscellaneous computer parts spilling off the shelves. A poster for a fantastically nerdy movie from about when Cloud was born hung framed on one wall.

"It's kind of cluttered. Too many hobbies."

Cloud strolled forward after kicking off his boots, just to be safe in case Reeve was particular about it. Reeve followed close behind, and there was this electricity between them. A prickling on the back of his neck, telling that Reeve watched him. Their arms brushed, and Cloud's fingers twitched, itching to touch more of him. "Clearly you like building robots… and science-fiction movies. What else?"

Reeve's entertainment system had a cabinet built into it, and he opened the doors, revealing stacks of board games. "I don't often get to host parties, but I love tabletop games. I'll admit most aren't fun to play by myself."

"You should play Cait Sith," Cloud joked.

"I can put him more or less on autopilot mode, but I'm still developing his understanding of all the different games. He mixes up the rules and ends up throwing a fit when he loses."

Cloud did something brave—he hooked a finger through Reeve's belt loops and used it to pull himself closer to the man. Their legs bumped and Cloud gently pressed himself against Reeve. Reeve wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulders, and it was soft and warm. "Throwing a fit?" Cloud clarified.

"I'm apparently a cocksucking pile o' fucking garbage, wouldn't you know."

That was pretty funny. Chuckling, Cloud said, "So even you are fair game for him."

Reeve shook his head and looked utterly exasperated for a moment. "No respect for his creator."

A slightly awkward silence fell. They were touching now, and it was difficult to figure out how to transition this into something more intense without seeming—well, indecent, perhaps. Overeager. Cloud 'subtly' brushed past Reeve, managing to press against the front of his pants as he did so, and he was fairly sure he felt the slightest bit of evidence that Reeve was just as ready as he to get this show on the road.

"Show me the rest of the place," Cloud said, looking back behind him and extending a hand. Reeve graciously took it, lacing their fingers together tightly. They moved through the kitchen ("Oh," Reeve said, hurrying away from Cloud and to a plastic shopping bag sitting out on the island in the center. He picked it up and hung it from the crook in his elbow, taking Cloud's hand again with the other one. "I definitely don't have this," he said, and Cloud agreed, charmed, "definitely not." Looks like Reeve really didn't often bring people over, if it was indeed sex things inside that bag. Cute.)

There was a tiny laundry nook, a bathroom (well maintained, no clumps of hair on the floor) a closet—

"Oh, ah, Cloud—"

Cloud was already nosily peeking inside though, and what he saw made him jerk back with a shout. Reeve Tuesti was stuffed in the closet.

"That's a robot," Reeve said quickly, tugging Cloud back close to him. "I know it's realistic, but—"

"It looks just like you!"

Cloud, heart pounding, looked back and forth between the real Reeve and the man in the closet, standing among a mop, a broom, and various other things Cloud couldn't really focus on because this 'robot' looked so lifelike it was utterly eerie. It even had stubble. Reeve pulled out his phone, and his PHS didn't look anything like Cloud's—it was larger, and Reeve quickly moved through all sorts of menus. The Reeve robot opened its eyes, blinking for a moment. Its shoulders were stiff and it moved…well, robotically, but just for a moment. Then it sighed, relaxed, and looked right at him. "Hello, Cloud," he said pleasantly.

"…Woah."

The robot extended its hand, and Cloud shook. It didn't even feel too cold!

"Sometimes when going out into the field or on a particularly dangerous mission I'll send my robot. There's a Cait Sith inside controlling it."

"Or particularly boring meetings?"

Reeve smiled at Cloud—the man thought he was funny. "I won't confirm or deny that."

"If I didn't know better I would totally think this is you," Cloud breathed. Then, "Hey—how do I know you're not a robot?"

"Try me," Reeve said, grinning.

Cloud moved his hands to Reeve's hips. He was a pretty thin man, but his chest broadened up by his shoulders. Cloud felt his pecs and chest through his soft sweater. His gaze flicked up to Reeve's to check everything was okay, and then he delved his hands underneath the sweater.

Warm skin… an erratically beating heart. He did things to Reeve Tuesti. Cloud felt so powerful.

"Everything seems to check out," Cloud murmured. "One more thing…"

His fingers curled around the waistband of Reeve's jeans. He pulled a little, so Reeve was as close as possible, and then gently cupped his cock through them. It wasn't erect or anything, but it didn't feel completely flaccid either. Their flirting and touching so far was doing things to Cloud, too.

"I suppose you're real," Cloud finally said.

Reeve crowded him back against the wall, his staring robot-self be damned. "Trust me," he said lowly into Cloud's ear, "I wouldn't want to miss this."

Cloud had to kiss him; his lips burned with the need to do it. Reeve's lips immediately parted for Cloud's tongue. His hands grabbed at Cloud's hips, pressing their pelvises together.

Cloud jumped, though, when the Reeve-Robot attempted to get in on the action. He reached for Cloud's thigh, and the real Reeve swatted the other hand away with a sigh. "Sorry," he said.

The Reeve-Robot answered, "I can't help being fond of Cloud as well, since you are. My life is terribly boring, you know."

"It's self-aware," Cloud said, a bit awed.

"Not really—it just knows which scripts to say that sound the most realistic. Apparently it wants to have sex with you." He pulled out his PHS and deactivated it, then maneuvered it back into the closet.

"…What's it got down there?" Cloud asked, eyeing the robot's pants.

Reeve looked over his shoulder at Cloud.

"I mean," Cloud said, "You're hot, so—it's hot too, and um, forget it."

"You're a little wild, Cloud Strife."

"Me agreeing to jerk off for Cait Sith should have been your first clue," Cloud replied, folding his arms. He was irrationally embarrassed for asking that question—but come on, if you could be double-teamed by somebody and their hyper realistic robot, wouldn't anyone take that?

Reeve chuckled at him and drew Cloud close to his side again. He kept moving down the hall—towards the bedroom, probably. Two computers sat against the wall, and what looked like another Cait Sith lay deactivated on the floor, but Cloud didn't really stop to appreciate it. He was too busy pulling Reeve onto the bed. He crawled up it and flopped back against the pillows, waiting, smug and excited, for Reeve to follow him.

"Just to check," Reeve said, standing tall at the end of the bed, "You're okay with this happening."

"Yeah. Are you?"

Reeve nodded, looking entirely too grave for the situation. "Smile a bit," Cloud said. "Sex is fun. I'm not so scary."

"You're far scarier than you realize, Cloud," Reeve murmured, but he joined Cloud on the bed. Instead of lying on Cloud or kissing him, he merely laid down beside Cloud, lying on his side to face him. Cloud turned, and they stared at each other. Reeve said, "Thank you for giving this far-too-old-for-you man a chance."

Cloud pressed his smile into the pillow, embarrassed again. "You're a much bigger flatterer than I thought you'd be."

"You have a cute smile, and you blush. Makes me want to be honest with you."

Cloud blurted, "I thought, since you, you know, use robots and stuff, you'd be different. Less, um, smooth."

"Haha. My people skills aren't totally nonexistent…"

Cloud hid a smile into the pillow again, surprisingly…smitten with this guy. He still wasn't interested in dating him, but he was happy with how well they got along, this man he'd just met legitimately for the first time. Cloud lifted a leg and they both scooted inward so that Cloud could hike it up over Reeve's hips. Reeve's hand coasted up from his calf to Cloud's waist, squeezing Cloud's thigh fondly.

Reeve adjusted Cloud's angle so that their dicks could press together through their jeans, and he rolled Cloud over onto his back, following him—and then there they were, Reeve's weight pressing Cloud down, and they were kissing, nice and easy.

Underneath Reeve, Cloud pushed his hips up, loving the friction. Reeve's hair was gelled back (Cloud quickly realized he didn't exactly want to be running his fingers through it because of the product inside), and his facial hair was soft. His nose poked Cloud's cheekbone and Reeve inhaled Cloud's soft sighs between kisses.

It was so fun.

When they sat up, Cloud sat himself on Reeve's lap and put his biceps on Reeve's shoulders, arms resting out behind the older man, kind of like he had on the chair earlier. Reeve gripped his hips and smiled crookedly at him, inches away from Cloud's face. "You're awful beautiful, laddie," he crooned, imitating Cait.

Cloud laughed, then bumped his forehead against Reeve's. "Knock it off," he growled, fighting a grin. He didn't know how to respond to all these compliments Reeve kept giving him. In response, Reeve kissed him again. He acted like Cloud's lips were addicting.

To distract him, Cloud pawed at the crotch of his pants. As he undid Reeve's belt, he asked, "So… what are you cool with?"

"Anything," Reeve answered, "Any way you want me works."

"Fuck," Cloud muttered, his fingers scrabbling at Reeve's belt now. He got it loose and Reeve slid him off his lap, then got off the bed to stand and drop his jeans to the floor. He had a plain pair of dark blue boxer-briefs, clearly tented from the boner hidden beneath them, and as Reeve got back onto the bed, this time on his knees, he pulled his sweater over his head and dropped it over the side.

Tuesti didn't have as much muscle definition as Cloud, and not nearly as much as Zack or another SOLDIER, but he had broad shoulders and soft skin that Cloud reached out to touch. He had a tiny belly, squishy and cute. He covered Cloud with his body, his disheveled hair hanging down past his forehead and eyes as he tugged Cloud's shirt up and off. Reeve pressed kisses to Cloud's sternum and just above his belly button, and then inched Cloud's jeans off his hips.

"…You've been waiting for this, huh," Cloud murmured, helping peel the jeans off with his socked feet.

"Mm. When you pulled them down in the mako reactor—that was so damn erotic."

Erotic, spoken like a true gentleman. Cloud smiled. Reeve didn't try to get Cloud out of his underwear yet, but Cloud was ready to get them off; Reeve had seen his goods anyway, there weren't any surprises. Cloud slipped a finger under the elastic waistband and waited for Reeve to catch on, then folded his arms behind his head and watched as Reeve peeled them down, kissing his inner thigh once or twice on the way. Cloud's cock sprang free and up towards his belly button, mostly hard.

To his surprise, Reeve huffed a breath and then took the head of Cloud's cock into his mouth, just like that. Cloud let out a small "Oof!" not expecting the sudden sensations, but they were good, and as Reeve's tongue lewdly swirled around the head of his cock he let out a shaky groan, spreading his legs and digging into Reeve's back with the heels of his feet.

Reeve popped off and worked Cloud's cock with his hand until he had Cloud squirming and panting. He was gentle, and he seemed to respect Cloud's body—this was a good decision, Cloud could tell already.

Cloud's asshole was already clenching around absolutely nothing, and Reeve noticed, Cloud was sure he did. Dammit—he wanted to get fucked!

"Get on with it," Cloud sighed, turned on as hell with his knees back now, exposing everything he had to offer, and with Reeve's greedy eyes on his intimate spots, nothing but approval and hunger in his eyes. Reeve's cock looked so painful trapped in his underwear like that, but he reached for the shopping bag on the floor instead.

Glancing at Cloud, Reeve said, "We're going to imagine that I am seductively pulling these from the bedside drawer."

"Reeve Tuesti, a different man in his bed every night," Cloud narrated, now stroking his own cock a little. "When he's got too many dates lined up he sends his robot-self out to get fucked in someone else's bed while he's getting fucked here."

"You nailed it," Reeve said, chuckling a little. "A box of condoms a week."

"Value-sized pack."

"Obviously."

Reeve took off his underwear. The light wasn't very strong in here; the sun was mostly set now, and Reeve only had a light in the corner on. So Cloud couldn't exactly see every detail of Reeve's dick, but he crawled forward until he could feel it, and it was solid and warm in his hand, and then there were Reeve's lips, warm on his throat and the side of his face.

As Reeve took out a condom, squinting (cute—did he need reading glasses?) at the size, ribbing and lube information just to be sure, Cloud relaxed against the pillows with the lube that was also in the bag. He gave Reeve a show, just like he'd given one to Cait Sith. Tuesti recognized the situation right away.

Cait had asked Cloud to stroke his cock… done. And Cait had asked Cloud to finger himself. Cloud covered his fingers in lube, working one in circles around his hole, then dipping it in slightly, coating the inside of his sphincter. A bit more lube, and then he sank one finger in, teasing himself.

As one became two Reeve gently stroked his well-shaped cock, neatly framed in dark pubic hair. Cloud made a small noise in his throat, three fingers in his ass now, crooking this way and that as he prepared for Reeve's cock inside him.

Both of them were in on the joke—Reeve cracked a grin first, and then Cloud gave a quiet smile, both remembering how they had been in these same positions before… just a little differently, with Reeve drunk at home and Cloud in a mako reactor. "Since I've got you here and I'm not drooling over you through a screen," Reeve said, "I'm going to make the most of it." He paused, his gaze all heat as it raked Cloud's form, making the young blond shiver. He then added, "I'd really like to have sex with you now."

Cloud struggled not to smile again. Reeve was in some ways so awkward and then endearing because of that awkwardness. Well, Cloud wasn't the best with his words either—and he could see Reeve's hand trembling now, as it gripped the back of Cloud's thighs.

Yeah, he'd really like to have sex with Reeve now too.

Instead of answering out loud Cloud spread his legs more, wrapping them around Reeve's hips. Then it was like Reeve flipped some sort of switch inside. His face was naturally suited to a more serious look; he had tiny crinkles around his eyes and the beginning of some frown lines forming near his mouth and on his forehead. He now looked more intensely than before at Cloud, his mouth turned down, the gears in his head so clearly whirring together like a computer's humming processor.

It happened without much fanfare. Reeve grabbed Cloud's hips, pulled him closer, spread his sticky, slick cheeks, and positioned his lubed cock at Cloud's stretched asshole. Slowly, it went in. A small bit of discomfort as the head slipped in quickly faded; he'd prepared well. Reeve sank in, his balls now resting against the curve of Cloud's ass.

He curled down to kiss Cloud, and his lips and tongue were gentle as anything now. His fingers stroked Cloud's hair off his forehead, soft and kind. He murmured against Cloud's panting mouth, "How do you like it?"

"If you're not gonna move much, deep. If you're gonna fuck me fast, then shallower."

The soreness he sometimes got from deep or too-deep thrusts wasn't always worth the orgasm, Cloud felt—but Reeve was good to go, raising Cloud's hips slightly and fucking into him with some slow, shallow thrusts. He tilted his head: good? Cloud nodded: very.

And Reeve was louder than him—he groaned a bit as his cock disappeared into Cloud. The usual pornstar thing was deep thrusts that had your balls smacking against your partner's taint or whatever the hell, wasn't it? Cloud's Infantry buddies gave him stories of fucking dudes who would prioritize their own pleasure to the point where they'd end up hurting his friends. Reeve was careful to respect Cloud's wishes, only giving Cloud maybe two-thirds of his length but slowly sped up until he was giving it to him fast, and Cloud loved it.

He turned Cloud onto his side, one leg out to the side with the other thigh pointed straight up; he hugged Cloud's leg, fingers grabbing at the meat of his thigh near his knee, and fucked him like that. Reeve's cock was warm… making Cloud feel like he was melting from the inside out. There was no pain, just pleasure, just comfort and safety and a whole lot of fun.

Reeve's face: he looked so full of concentration, but also so… lost in it, kind of—and Cloud had to speak to him to bring him back.

"It's good?" Cloud panted, clenching around Reeve's cock with his inner muscles.

"Oh, Cloud," was the only answer.

(Cloud felt unstoppable.)

Reeve was good at this—he'd managed to angle Cloud's ass up just right to stimulate his prostate and he was considerate, reaching down and fondling Cloud's cock as he fucked him, but he was trembling and Cloud didn't want to let a civilian tire out. "Reeve," he murmured, and then again, when Reeve didn't respond, perhaps thinking it was a moan, "Reeve."

"Mm?" Reeve pulled out and stopped, looking down with concern. His previously groomed hair was a wreck, and he looked more handsome this way.

Cloud climbed to his knees and kissed him. Being close to Tuesti, smelling his mix of minty breath and subtle cologne—that was even better than getting fucked by him, but the other part was good too. "Sit back?" Cloud asked.

They got Reeve to sit against the headboard, pushing the pillows to the side. Cloud straddled his cock and then sank down, all the way down, cocooned in Reeve's arms with the man's lips on his neck and voice in his ear and his hands scrabbling at Cloud's lower back.

Cloud was a member of the Infantry for ShinRa Electric and Power—he could grind on Reeve's lap all damn night before his legs gave out. Cloud could be Sephiroth, and he could be Zack, and, most importantly, he could be sexy in a way that only Cloud Strife could.

Like this Reeve was close enough to touch and kiss—his facial hair tickled Cloud's face. Cloud grinned against Reeve's mouth, moving his hips now, taking Reeve's cock deep at a pace that worked for him, and Reeve just groaned, groaned in response.

A hot blond working himself to orgasm on your cock had to be pretty damn nice.

Cloud tended to be quiet during sex but seeing just how wrecked Reeve was made him speak up. So powerful. "Have you thought about this?" He murmured, quiet and Nibel accented, into Reeve's ear.

"You have no idea," Reeve answered. He pulled his face back, previously tucked into Cloud's neck, to survey all of Cloud, to take the whole sight in. Cloud leant back, exposing more of himself. Sometimes he felt kind of inadequate compared to the guys who had more muscle in the Infantry, but compared to Reeve Cloud's body was pretty defined indeed. It was the appreciative look Reeve gave him that sent Cloud over the edge—Reeve pumped his dick through it.

Cloud's orgasm left him boneless and gasping on Reeve's cock but he soldiered (SOLDIERed?) on anyway, bouncing on Reeve as fast as was comfortable for him, saying something incoherent about Reeve fucking his ass until he came in it, until he was spent.

Reeve understood what Cloud was trying to get across. He grabbed Cloud's jaw, not painfully, just firmly, and kissed him hard, murmuring between kisses that he sure as hell was going to fuck Cloud's pretty ass until he came in it, that he was going to use Cloud's asshole for his own pleasure, that he was so glad this beautiful young man was giving him this chance.

When Reeve came he did not move; he stilled in Cloud, his breath gushing hot and wet on the side of Cloud's neck. His arms gripped Cloud tight, and he gave tiny gasps each time his cock spurted semen inside his blond friend. Cloud held him in return, grinning through his exhaustion. Cloud's sweaty hair was all in his eyes and his legs trembled but it was okay—it was more than okay, it was awesome.

Reeve slowly pulled out (considerate) and as he carefully removed the condom Cloud rolled to the edge of the bed and stood up, his legs really like jelly now. "If I don't clean up right now," he rasped, staggering to Reeve's bathroom connected to the bedroom, "I won't do it, I'm wiped out."

Reeve's chuckles chased him into the bathroom. He did his business (Reeve had even set out a packaged toothbrush, in case Cloud decided to stay the night) and came out with a wet, warm washcloth for Reeve too, which he handed over with a suddenly shy smile. He got one back.

Cloud was… a cuddler after sex, he really was. Not everyone was. He got back on the bed, his heart rate slowing now, and spooned up behind Reeve who held the covers up for him, pressing his forehead to the middle of the man's back and wrapping an arm around his waist. "This okay?" he asked.

Reeve seemed even more boneless than Cloud. "Mmm," he hummed.

Cloud held the older man for a minute; they listened to each other's breathing and the occasional soft rustle of blankets. Then, Reeve said, "Thank you, Cloud."

"You don't need to thank me," Cloud muttered into Reeve's skin, his eyes closed. "It wasn't a pity fuck or anything. I wanted to. It was fun."

"I understand, but I'm grateful all the same."

Cloud was unsure who fell asleep first. He zoned out, in a soft, warm cocoon, Reeve's warmth right against his head and his knees scooped up behind Reeve's. It was nice to be the big spoon, even if he was littler. He woke up an indeterminable amount of time later as the blankets got pulled off of them both.

Like in a damn horror movie.

Blinking awake, alarmed, Cloud peered down at their feet. Reeve was already sitting up, dislodging Cloud's arm around his waist.

"Ugh, where's my phone," Reeve groaned.

Cait Sith, who hopped up onto the bed, said, "Finally things settle down, eh?"

"Uh… hey, Cait," Cloud said, letting his head fall back down.

"Finally things settle down, eh?" Cait Sith repeated, like a CD that had skipped. Then he sat down by Cloud's knees. Reeve was out of bed now, and rustling around in his dropped clothes. He pulled out his PHS, the big, complicated thing that it was, and tapped the screen furiously for a minute.

Cait Sith froze and fell over onto his side. This one did not have a crown or whiskers. "Sorry, Cloud," Reeve muttered, placing his PHS on the bedside table. "That's a prototype that isn't finished. I was working on it a bit before you came over earlier, and I guess I was so nervous I forgot to turn him off…"

He yawned, big and wide, disheveled as hell. His soft cock drooped between his legs and he stretched. "I forgot to brush my teeth," he murmured, frowning, and went into the bathroom.

Cloud grinned, amused at how sleepy-slow Reeve was. He waited for Reeve to come back, eyeing the frozen Cait through drooping eyes. He wondered how many there were… what the first ones were like, as Reeve developed them. What the AI was like—it seemed Cait Sith could do a couple things on his own without Reeve controlling him, but only a couple.

While Cloud dozed, Reeve returned. He took Cait away someplace and fixed the blankets, carefully covering Cloud in them. Cloud cracked open an eye as Reeve got back into bed. The man looked like he didn't want to disturb him so was carefully arranging himself so he didn't touch Cloud.

Cloud reached out to touch Reeve's arm and pursed his lips in a kissing motion: I'm too tired to say 'kiss me,' but kiss me.

Reeve rolled over on top of Cloud, gently pushing him down with his weight (Reeve couldn't hurt Cloud; Cloud was tough, forged by the Infantry's rigorous training program). He cupped Cloud's face, all minty again, and kissed him.

They made out for a little while, sleepy and soft, rubbing against each other gently but without the intent of taking this further—at least, not right now. Cloud felt like he could have melted into the bed and become part of the mattress and not even notice—he was that zen, that relaxed.

Reeve was talking to him, a little bit, sexy things that made Cloud's sleepy dick twitch between them. There was lots Reeve wanted to do to him, and he detailed some of them, looking tired himself, his eyes closed as he kissed Cloud and murmured against his cheek and mouth, his body warm and soft on top of Cloud's.

Licking Cloud's ass, fucking him awake, Cloud pounding Reeve's ass with Reeve spread out over his own office desk, fingering Cloud in the shower… lots of things, conveyed disjointedly, Reeve sounding drunker and drunker as he said it, falling asleep on top of Cloud. Cloud consented to all of it, showing Reeve how much he liked these ideas by rubbing his leg against Reeve's cock, even though they both knew it wasn't going anywhere.

They fell asleep again, messily intertwined.

Cloud slept soundly, though he did have a fairly erotic dream. Sephiroth was fucking him.

Long hair, green eyes, leather coat, warm hands. Sephiroth. Mmm.

Except Cloud came out of his dream slowly, horny as hell and wriggling where he was, his cock aching, his body lit up from the inside out, his prostate being stimulated. Sephiroth faded, and Cloud gasped, his eyes opening, looking at soft, dark hair. His arms were wrapped around Reeve's neck, and Reeve—Reeve was inside him.

"Oh, god," Cloud breathed, his voice so shaky.

Reeve hummed against his neck. He was mostly still inside Cloud, but he had a hand around Cloud's cock and massaged it gently. Cloud was totally hard and the head was sticky with pre-cum. "You're awake," he whispered, and Reeve's voice was rough with sleep.

Cloud's head dug back into the pillow. As a laugh bubbled up in his throat—he'd consented to this sometime in the middle of the night, and Reeve had actually done it—he moved his hands to cup Reeve's cheeks. So much stubble.

All Cloud could say was "Godddd" again, and that seemed to amuse Reeve.

The man was no Sephiroth, but this wasn't half bad at all.

Reeve started to thrust. It was gentle and slow—behind Reeve's back, Cloud's feet clenched.

The blond couldn't seem to get air; he'd gasp and Reeve's thumb swiping over the slit on the head of his cock would drive that air right back out. Cloud was so relaxed, still partially sleepy, and he couldn't fight his orgasm at all. It rushed over him fast, leaving Reeve's hand sticky and making the older man grin wolfishly.

Reeve said good boy as he pulled out of Cloud and if the blond hadn't just orgasmed a moment ago that would have done it, it really would've.

Reeve jerked off onto Cloud's stomach. He worked his fingers into Reeve's dark hair and held him close, crooning out his delight as Reeve came too, dribbling through his already cum-soaked fingers.

And did they fall back asleep after that? It was too hard to tell—but at some point they talked for a while, making each other laugh as they shaded Heidegger and the upper echelon of the Infantry. Then they were up, and Cloud was in Reeve's clothes, and they were in the kitchen, watching Reeve's 'Reeve Robot' attempt to make them breakfast.

Reeve showed him his laptop screen, where he had a complicated looking script for how to crack eggs correctly and how long to toast, well, toast.

"This is incredibly lazy," Cloud noted.

Reeve winked at him, and it was charming on this sex-mussed nerd who tinkered with robots for fun. "I'll have you know it took several hours to figure out how to get Cait to figure out some of this stuff."

The robot came over and gave them plates of scrambled eggs… the shells of those eggs included. Reeve glowered at the plate and started typing on his laptop. "Looks like it's going to take a few more," he muttered.

Cloud grinned, standing and pushing the Reeve-robot to sit down at the table. His head tipped back horrifically on his neck, separating at a hinge. The chest cavity opened, and out popped a Cait Sith, who sat himself at the fourth seat at the table. "If you think you're so smart, laddie, then you make 'em," Cait huffed.

Cloud just nodded, and Reeve's typing paused for a long moment so he could laugh.

Just the epilogue left! Thanks for reading.