She stares out the window, taking in the scenery. She doesn't care much for the gray skies in a rain, though she doesn't really mind the rain itself.

He loves it. She knows he's probably sitting in front of a window somewhere, watching it fall down from the sky.

Lau Jimin twitters in her ear. Cloud turns from the window and walks to the chair sitting by her bed.

Why does she care what Marian Cross is doing? She holds no feelings for him, not in the romantic sense. She respects him as a fellow General and comrade in the holy war where they are naught but sacrifices to those above them. Cloud will admit Cross is a great Innocence wielder, and somewhat of a good man, but nothing more.

He's asked her so many times to come to his room, have a glass of wine with him. She's taken him up on that offer numerous times, as many times as she's refused him, going to that room. It always goes the same way; they have a few glasses, Cross slowly moves closer and closer to her, his long red hair brushing against her cheek. He always asks her the same question.

Why won't you sleep with me, Cloud?

You know exactly why. You are my comrade and nothing more. It's always been this way between us.

I don't want it to be that way. I want to…get to know you better.

Not tonight, Cloud always replies. Maybe next time.

She knows it drives Cross insane. He's so used to having women just melt and let him have his way with them. He can't stand the fact that Cloud seems to be the one woman that can resist his good looks and charm.

The truth is she'd fallen to his charms long ago. She tries to deny it, but something about the man with the long red hair makes her want to throw herself into his arms. She knows he's vulgar, lecherous, and lazy. She also knows he can be noble, kind, and caring.

And Cloud knows Cross is waiting. He's made it clear since the day they met.

She hears a knock at her door and smirks to herself.

--

He lights his cigarette with a trembling hand. Damn, he thinks. I must be losing my touch.

Why does this mere woman do this to him? Cross swears inwardly as he waits for Cloud's reply.

The only other woman who could do this to him was Anita. He doesn't want to think about her now. Too much pain.

He'd been her first. She'd been so much younger than him; ten years to be exact. Anita had been one of his greatest lovers, a natural. That much was certain…

Cross shakes the thoughts from his mind as he puts out his cigarette.

His hand is still trembling slightly.

This time, this time, I'm going to get what I want, he says to himself.

Marian Cross always gets what he wants.

He takes the bottle of wine from the cabinet and two glasses. Cloud's favorite, and one of his most expensive wines.

She has good taste. Another reason he wants to bed her so badly. He's been keeping a list of reasons for years now.

A knock at the door. His hear jumps for a moment before retuning back to normal again. The messenger gives Cross Cloud's reply, bows, and leaves.

She accepts.

He knows this time she'll give in. He'll make sure of that…

--

Cloud walks down the hall to his room and opens the door. She doesn't even bother to knock anymore; he's always ready for her arrival. Cross hands a glass to her as she takes her usual seat, confirming the routine of it all.

They have a few glasses.

He moves closer. She takes a sip of her wine, acting like she doesn't notice him. Lau Jimin leaps from her shoulder and onto the windowsill, chattering and clicking his teeth.

Cloud reaches over and runs her hands through Cross' hair. This surprises him; she's never touched him before. She finds it smooth and well-kept. This much is expected from him.

She decides tonight is going to be a night full of surprises for him.

She gets up out of her own chair and sits on Cross' knees, spreading her legs.

"What's up with you tonight? You're being rather friendly. Not that I have a problem with it," Cross says with a smirk, taking a drink of his wine.

"I figured you wouldn't have any objections." Cloud's soft hand caresses his face. He closes his eyes, thinking how much this feels like heaven. Cross feels her finger slip under his mask, pulling it free from his face. He remembers he doesn't want her to see and reaches for her hand.

"It can't be that bad. I'm scarred too, you know." Cloud pulls it away and sees the lines gouged in his face, his cloudy eye that can't see anything.

He thinks himself ugly. He thinks she'll run away.

But Cloud Nine is not scared away that easily. She sets the mask on the table beside the chair.

"Do they hurt?" she asks, running her hands over the left side of his face.

"Sometimes," he replies. "But it's usually just the memories that come with it that hurt."

"Mine too." Cross returns the favor, his gloved fingers lightly tracing the scars on her face. He brings his face close to hers for a kiss, and to his pleasure, she lets him. Her lips taste of sweet wine, and he loves it.

Cloud tugs at the bottom of Cross' shirt.

"I want to see why all those women squeal over you."

"Well, you're kind of looking in the wrong place, but okay then." He pulled it off. Cloud moved her hands over his muscled shoulders and back.

"I'm impressed. And here I thought you just sat around smoking and drinking all day."

"Well, I do fight lots of Akuma too,. And they say that sex is the best exercise, if you know what I mean." She presses her chest against his, nuzzling his neck. He kisses her neck.

He just wants to throw her on the bed, rip all of her clothes off, and shag her senseless. That's what he's done with pretty much every other woman he's met, so why not her?

Well, the way things are going at the moment, he just might get to.

They kiss a few more times, each time longer than the last. She runs her lips against his jaw, to his ear and whispers, "Maybe next time."

Cloud gets up from Cross's chair.

"What, you get me all worked up and you're just going to leave me like this? That's hardly fair," he says with a pout.

"Well, life isn't fair, Marian. Good night." Lau Jimin jumps onto her shoulder and they leave his room, returning to her own.

She smiles to herself, remembering the moments they've just shared. He wants her even more now. She can feel it in the desperate way he kissed her, in the way she could feel him hungering after her.

Cloud loves making Cross wait.

--

"Damn woman. Why can't she just let me make love to her? Geez, now I'm going to have to go find some cheap whore to get this out of my system. Damn." Cross pulled his shirt and coat on. He walks into town, rents a cheap motel room and a blonde for the night.

She isn't as good as he thought Cloud would be. Not as pretty either.

He stares out the window. The rain has cleared away and a full moon shines bright in the sky.

Damn it all to hell.

He puts out his cigarette, not even half smoked and takes a deep drink of the whiskey sitting beside the bed. He's starting to get a bit drunk, but he knows now amount of alcohol will make the memories of that earlier evening go away.

Cross wonders what she's doing now. He doesn't have romantic feelings for Cloud. He wants to conquer her, to make her scream his name loud and clear.

His tongue moves over his lips. They no longer taste of the wine. They taste of cheap whiskey and cigarette smoke.

Cross gets up out of the bed, feeling disgusted with himself for some reason. He climbs into the shower, trying to wash the smell off of him, trying to wash the taste out of his mouth.

He turns off the shower and squeezes the water out of his hair, looking up at the white ceiling.

Cross can't go on like this much longer. .

He has to find some way to get that woman between the sheets with him.

--

A/N: Hope it's okay. This is my first attempt at writing a somewhat sensual scene, so I apologize if it isn't very good. Reviews are greatly appreciated!