Pairings: CloudSephCloud is the main one, with some mentions of the following: ZackAeris, TifaBarret, YuffieVincent, and CidShera. Anything but CloudSephCloud can be ignored. If you like Cloud and Sephiroth together, you'll probably like this!
Warnings: Cross-dressing, and detailed kissing. Homophobes may now leave- will not accept flames because of pairing. YAOI YAOI YAOI YAOI consider yourself warned.
The Dance- Part 1 of 11
Cloud sighed, picking at his clothes and attempting to keep the material smooth.
'Not the worst idea for a costume, but...' Cloud thought shutting his eyes tightly. 'How did I let myself get suckered into this!'
Thinking back now, Cloud couldn't believe he had been stupid enough to make that bet with Tifa, Yuffie, and Aeris three weeks ago in the classroom.
Flashback
"Cloud, why don't you just ignore him?" Tifa asked, wincing in sympathy as Cloud touched a bruise on his cheek.
"You shouldn't get into fights like this." Aeris said, concern evident on her face.
"You try it." Cloud growled. "He was just asking for a fight that time. Tell him to be tolerant. It wasn't my fault."
"Oh yeah?" Yuffie asked, walking up to her friends just in time to catch the ending of the conversation. "You couldn't ignore Sephiroth for a week if you tried!"
"I could ignore him for a week. Want to make it a bet?" Cloud asked, confident that his self-control was good enough, his willpower strong enough to ignore the silver-haired man for a week.
"Sure!" Yuffie said instantly. "But if you can't ignore Sephiroth for a week- um... you'll..." Yuffie seemed at a loss, unsure of what Cloud's punishment should be if he couldn't do it.
"You have to let us pick out your Halloween costume and go to the school dance dressed in it." Aeris said, the gears turning in her mind. She smiled softly, making eye contact with Tifa and Yuffie. Some silent conversation passed between the three, Tifa and Yuffie breaking into identical evil grins.
This should have warned Cloud, but he ignored it.
"Deal." he said, putting his hand out to seal the bet. He shook hands with his female friends just as the bell rang, sending the girls scurrying back to their seats. Cloud simply stayed sitting, already in his rightful desk.
"That wasn't a very wise idea, Cloud." Vincent told him, sliding into his seat beside Cloud's.
"What do you mean?" Cloud asked. "What's the worst they can pick?"
"You'd be surprised." Vincent said cryptically, not offering any more information.
End Flashback
'And he was right.' Cloud thought, looking down at his outfit. It was light blue, flowing down to just below his knees, with knee-high white socks and small black shoes with heels. The sleeves were puffy and thankfully short, with a lacy collar. A blonde wig rested on top of his head, a black bandanna holding it in place. A white apron completed the outfit.
In short, Cloud was dressed as Alice in Wonderland.
'At least they didn't make me wear any makeup.' Cloud thought, grimacing. He still wanted to kick himself for making the bet in the first place- had it been anyone but Sephiroth, he could have done it. Hell, he could have ignored anyone else for a month, but against Sephiroth he hadn't lasted the full seven days.
It wasn't like Sephiroth was really annoying or mocked him often. It wasn't like Sephiroth stalked him or picked a fight with him for no reason.
It was because Sephiroth was Sephiroth that Cloud was unable to ignore him.
Sephiroth's hair seemed to taunt him, begging to be touched and brushed through, even though Cloud knew there probably would be no tangles. Sephiroth's glorious green eyes seemed to mock him, begging him to come over towards Sephiroth, drawing him in. Sephiroth's lips begged to be kissed- thoroughly. Sephiroth's body screamed to be held.
Cloud couldn't ignore Sephiroth because everything about the man called to him.
The intelligent sparkle of those green eyes, the fluidity and grace of that body's motions... it drove him crazy. That voice, deep and unintentionally seductive, even when Sephiroth was angry, sent shivers down Cloud's spine. The calm, cool collectedness and pride with which Sephiroth held himself was irresistable.
Knowing that his crush on the other wouldn't be appreciated or reciprocated, Cloud decided to hide it. In the darkness of the back of his mind, he kept that secret as the infautuation grew and grew until it had been too much to contain. Panicking, Cloud had decided that he had to hide his emotions by masking them, disguising them, rather than hiding them away. So that no one would suspect his love for Sephiroth, he had pretended to hate the man with a passion, verbally sparring as well as physically fighting. He had been so afraid of anyone finding out that he had kept up the facade all the time, only letting his true feelings show late at night when he was at home and absolutely sure that he was alone.
A week hadn't seemed that difficult at first, but Cloud's willpower had exponentially decreased until day six, when he had finally responded to a comment that the silver-haired man had said, control breaking down and he had verbally fought with Sephiroth in the middle of class. He might have been able to cover it up had not Yuffie been in that class. He had earned himself a detention and had lost the bet.
'I never should have agreed.' Cloud thought, hands clenching into fists around the material of his dress. Aeris had only been too happy when Yuffie had gloated about Cloud losing the bet. She had told Cloud that his costume was Alice in Wonderland, and that she, Tifa, and Yuffie would go with him to help pick it out. She had also extended a ticket for the dance towards him, saying that she had already taken the liberty of buying him a ticket.
Cloud had groaned in defeat, but had taken the ticket admist the laughter of his other friends.
'They picked this just to embarass me.' Cloud thought angrily. Once he had found out what his costume was, he had devoted himself to making himself into a believeable girl- he didn't want anyone at school knowing that he had dressed as a girl, and the easiest way to do that was to make sure no one suspected that 'she' was a guy.
He had sworn his friends to silence, though Barret and Cid looked like they were going to have fun blackmailing him for it later.
Cloud glanced around the gym. He had chosen a spot in a corner so he could a) hopefully not be noticed by anyone, and b) see the entire gym. Sephiroth attended alomst all the dances, and that was the last person Cloud wanted to see when he was dressed as a girl. With his luck Sephiroth would figure out who he was right away and hold it over Cloud's head for the rest of his life.
'That, and...' Cloud thought, swallowing in sudden discomfort. '... he always brings his girlfriend with him.' Sephiroth was extremely popular, and had a girl on his arm for every dance. Cloud had never liked it, and so had stayed away from the dances to try and avoid seeing Sephiroth with someone.
"Excuse me?" a deep, seductive voice asked, approaching him from the front. Cloud almost choked.
'The Irony Gods sure do love me, don't they...' Cloud thought, glancing at the approaching figure and suddenly having a hard time remembering to breathe.
Sephiroth approached him, clad in black leather. Tight black leather.
Sephiroth wore no shirt, but wore a long trenchcoat that almost covered his flawless chest. Two belts cris-crossed the bare skin, hiding even more of the pale perfection, teasing Cloud's eyes. Small belts acted as fasteners for the trenchcoat, but the only one done up was the one at Sephiroth's navel, allowing people to see the loose pants tucked into heavy leather boots that came up to Sephiroth's knees. Buckles fastened these on as well. Shoulder guards had been put on each shoulder. The trenchcoat also had a high collar, blocking most of Sephiroth's neck from view, and long sleeves. Sephiroth wore a thick metal bracelet on each wrist and leather gloves.
Cloud swallowed, drinking in the sight before him.
"Miss?" Sephiroth said smoothly, stepping closer to Cloud. Cloud almost jumped as Sephiroth drew nearer, startled out of his admiration of the man.
"Y-Yes?" Cloud asked, confused. 'What is he doing here? Oh, shit, does he recognize me!'
"What are you doing here by yourself? Do you not care for dancing?" Sephiroth asked, tone polite but curious. Cloud realized that the silver-haired man actually didn't recognize him and silently thanked whatever god was listening.
"I- uh, not really." Cloud stammered, adopting a light falsetto and hoping his voice was feminine enough. "My friends brought me here." he added, feeling his cheeks grow hot. He was blushing, stammering- he winced. Not good. He probably seemed like bumbling idiot.
"Perhaps you'll allow me to change your mind?" Sephiroth asked, smirking lightly as he bent neatly in half, taking Cloud's hand and kissing it lightly. "Would you like to dance?" Cloud knew his face must be ten shades redder, feeling as though all the blood in his body had decided to hang out in his cheeks. Sephiroth stood back up, smirk still firmly in place.
"Are you always this much of a gentleman or am I special?" he asked, lightly teasing and trying to hold back nervous laughter.
"Believe me, you're very special." Sephiroth said. Cloud felt his heart flutter.
'Okay, he definately doesn't recognize me. He'd never speak to me like this...' The thought caused a slight frown to appear on his face, but Cloud willed it away. 'If he doesn't know it's me... well, he never has to know.'
"I'd love to dance with you." he heard himself say, allowing Sephiroth to lead him to the dance floor as a slow song came on.
End Part 1
So, what do we think? Bad idea or good? I already have this thing written out, but I need to be convinced it's worth posting first...
Anyways, I'll probably be posting the next chapter this upcoming weekend or next week. See you then!