NOTE: This story was inspired by "Unwound" by Scifiroots, and picks up right after that one ends. I recommend reading it first if you haven't:

h*t*t*p*:*/*/*w*w*w*.*fanfiction*.*n*e*t*/*s*/*8583394*/*1*/*Unwound (Remove the ***, of course. Silly, website hating links!)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything below save the plot, and I make no money off of this.

ShinRa digs weren't the most spectacular to be found, but Zack counted himself lucky that as a SOLDIER he had a small suite to himself. It was only a studio with a tiny kitchenette and even more miniscule bathroom, but it was all his. A fact Zack thanked Gaia for as he fumbled to lock the door behind them, before turning to face the teenager on the single bed shoved into the far corner, the only available seating the shoebox sized room offered. Cloud seemed incredibly small hunched over on the edge of his mattress, staring up at him through blonde bangs, his-wait, her doll-like face traced with shyness and full bottom lip caught between straight white teeth with nerves. Zack did his best to paste on reassuring smile #4, the same one he'd used to use on his mother to convince her he was, in fact, definitely not up to no good. Skipping over to the bed Zack seated himself with gusto, making the mattress bounce as he wriggled his way up to where the bed met the corner of the room. Once there Zack tucked his right side against one wall and leaned against the other wall at the head of the bed with legs outstretched and his lone pillow shoved behind him to pad the small of his back. Still smiling at his bashful friend, he patted the sheets beside him with one large hand, a wordless gesture to draw Cloud closer. The cadet obliged only halfway, sliding up the bed till he-she was level with Zack's knee and turning herself to face him, drawing her knees up to her chin and hugging her legs like she was trying to hide.

"Sooooo..." Zack started, awkwardly trying to coax his friend out of his-dammit, her shell. "About the boob thing..."

"It was easier." The words seemed to fly out of Could's mouth almost without her permission and she snapped her mouth shut after with an audible click, a light flush starting to work its way across her pale cheeks. She didn't break eye contact though, and the fidgeting was at a minimum so Zack considered it safe to proceed.

"Easier? You gotta explain that one to me, kid, cause I'd think it would be a lot harder to hide the fact that you're lacking the dangly bits, if you catch my drift." Could flush deepened at Zack's words but she replied anyways.

"It was... difficult, in Nibleheim. Being the only bastard kid, I mean. Being a girl made it worse, cause only boys were supposed to do certain chores and stuff. But things had to get done, and Mom couldn't do everything alone so when I got older I started picking up the slack. The other kids made fun of me for it, told me I was a failure as a girl; that I was practically a boy. The adults agreed, figuring I must've been born wrong or something. After a while I started dressing like one, acting like one. I figured, if I was going to be the crazy Strife girl that thought she was a boy, then that's exactly what they'd get. It was easier to move about in boy's clothes anyways, and they were cheaper to make. When I got older we couldn't afford, um" and here she hesitated, the flush that had faded while she was talking returned full force, "girly underclothes anyways, so I just started binding my chest with rags. Eventually I decided to get out of there and figured; what did I have to lose by joining the army? So here I am." Zack blinked for a moment in the silence considering.

"Makes sense I guess. Bet it hurts though right, I mean, being all squished up like that." Zack pushed his chest out, pressing both splayed hands to his pectorals firmly in a pantomime of the bindings to illustrate his point. Mostly recovered from her blush, Cloud just shrugged.

"I'm pretty used to it, doesn't bother me so much. Besides, they're kinda small anyways." Zack grinned wider, latching on to the last sentence.

"You're kinda small, Spikey. Any bigger and you'd be too front heavy to balance. Can you imagine it, just falling over onto your face all the time?"

"Have I told you yet today that I hate your guts?" Cloud grimaced as she spoke, as if to emphasize her hatred of one Lieutenant Fair's abdominal innards. Ignoring her, Zack plowed on.

"Still though! It's a crying shame to keep those perfect specimens all tied down like that. Countless young men are wandering around deprived of excellent spank bank material right now, I'll have you know. Myself included!" Zack's wicked leer had Cloud scowling and shoving at his shoulder, pressing his torso tighter into the corner. The playful teasing had its intended effect though, Cloud was slowly relaxing, body uncurling to sit cross-legged on the bed, her bent left knee resting over Zack's outstretched left knee. The warm point of contact between them suddenly took on a different meaning to Zack, now that he could see the subtle curve of Cloud's unbound chest only partially disguised by the baggy shirt. So caught up in trying to map the exact shape of the flesh beneath the fabric, he wasn't even really aware of speaking until he realized his lips were moving.

"Can I touch them now?" Unlike his previous queries, which were mostly in jest, this one was serious, and Zack's voice went deeper for it, husky with desire. Cloud seemed to notice the difference too, face reddening once again even as her scowl sharpened, voice thick with sarcasm as she replied.

"Well gee Romeo, if you're gonna come at them like you did before, with your index finger jabbing away like I'm your TV remote, or CD player or the microwave or something, then get lost!"

"No jabbing here, I promise, Happy Hands only!" Raising his hands in classic 'I'm unarmed' pose and wiggling is fingers in the air, Zack put on reassuring smile #7, used specifically to convince cute girls he was harmless. Usually this resulted in swooning and a veritable deluge of phone numbers, however there was something to be said for long-term exposure building resistance to his unique charms, because Cloud only rolled her eyes and snorted.

"Happy Hands? Seriously Zack, this is how you convince all your girlfriends to let you grope them?"

"So you're saying that you're my girlfriend?" Zack's statement was accompanied with his most suggestive of eyebrow waggles. Cloud spluttered in rage, red as a tomato before spitting back a reply.

"No, you jerk!"

"But I can grope you right? You said so right?"

"I did not!"

"But you didn't say no!" Cloud opened her mouth to protest then snapped it shut as she seemed to realize that he was right, for all her complaining she hadn't actually said no. They stared at each other in silence for a long moment, Zack's face eager and open, Cloud's veiled, jaw clenched tight. When she came to her decision is was sudden and precise, and with a quick nod to herself she jerked her shirt off and tossed it to the floor with brisk, artless movements. Tipping her chin up defiantly Cloud placed her palms on the bed behind her hips and leaned back, bracing her weight on her hands and making her lithe torso stretch ever so invitingly. For a second Zack could do nothing but drink her in, the attractive pink in her cheeks offset by her short golden hair, her eyes dark and heavy-lidded. Her slim shoulders gave way to long pale arms with subtly defined muscle tone, her collarbones sharp beneath her smooth skin. As he'd figured, her breasts were indeed perfect; the exact shape and weight to compliment her petite frame without overwhelming it, and topped with pretty pink nipples, which were already tightening with a combination of the cool air and his hungry gaze. Beneath that her stomach lay flat and tempting where it met waistband, her tiny navel a treasure all its own and seriously, holy mother of Ifrit how did Zack never see this before? How could he have ever gazed at her exquisite cheekbones and delicate hands and ever thought, 'this is a boy'?

Losing control of himself for the second time that afternoon, Zack found his body moving forward, rearing up over Cloud onto his knees. The girl let out a small squeak of surprise at the sudden movement, leaning back to regain distance a little too quickly and only managing to lose her balance and flatten her back to the mattress. She looked even more enticing laid out like that on his forest green sheets; her rapid breathes making her glorious cleavage rise and fall. Wasting no more time, Zack leaned over her, shifting his knees to tangle their legs together and supporting his weight on his left hand planted by her shoulder, while his right slid from Cloud's knee up the outside of her thigh, over her hip, along her waist and ribs until he was cupping her left breast. Sliding his thumb gently over the peaked nipple, Zack watched as the girl beneath him sighed a little and fidgeted in place, seemingly torn between squirming away in embarrassment or pushing closer. Enthralled Zack repeated the motion, eyes darkening with lust as Clouds sweet lips parted on a tiny little gasp.

Taking the small noise as permission, Zack let himself go to town, gently kneading one breast than the next, memorizing the way they filled his hands, and what kind of touches drew out further vocalizations from the girl. Soft caresses earned him more of the sighing sounds, while gentle pinches to her nipples coaxed out little hitches in her breathing. However, it wasn't until he slid his hands under her shoulder blades and leaned down, kissing each mound before teasing them one at a time with lips, tongue and teeth that he was rewarded with a proper moan, even if she did her best to choke it off. Smiling against her skin, Zack laid one more wet, loving kiss against her sternum before levering himself up and sitting back on his heels to survey his work.

Cloud looked debauched panting in pleasure and spread out on Zack's unmade bed, her hands above her head and clutching at the sheets there. She peered up at Zack through dark lashes, lips red and plump from being bitten. When she spoke, her voice was lower than he thought he'd ever heard it.

"Why did you stop?" Zack felt himself falter a little under the intense scrutiny. Swallowing past a sudden lump in his throat he replied.

"You didn't agree to more." Cloud seemed to ponder that for a second, eyes going distant as she turned the idea over in her head. The moment lasted just long enough that Zack was debating climbing off the bed and finding her shirt for her when she sprang into action. Using his surprise against him the same way he had previously done to her, she flipped them, pinning him on his back with her hands on his wrists by his ears, and straddling his hips. Although SOLDIER strength meant he could have easily dislodged her he stayed exactly as he was, paralyzed in equal parts by shock and arousal. He could feel the heat of her core against his groin, and the erection that had been flagging a minute before with his indecision sprang back to life in such a way that she had to have felt it, although her poker face showed no sign beneath the ever-present blush.

"Turnaround's fair play Zackary." she practically snarled, bending forward until her face was so close to his ear he could feel her warm breath against it. "That shirt? It comes off now." With that last sentence she sat back, releasing his wrists and shifting more of her weight onto his lap, the motion rubbing against his sex in such a way that he couldn't fight the whimper from escaping. She seemed amused by that, kneeling above him with a little smirk on her lips like some kind of sex goddess. Having his hips immobilized as they were meant he was forced to shimmy a little to pull his shirt off, the fabric catching and dragging awkwardly at the sheets beneath him. He finally succeeded though and threw it to the floor next to Cloud's. Returning his attention to the beauty above him, he let himself relax, arms at his side in submission, waiting to see what she'd do next.

Cloud appeared unsure of herself briefly, a quick glimpse of hesitation flashing in her eyes, like she was wondering how everything had come down to this. Zack was again wondering if he should back off, offer to get up and end things when Cloud raise her hand. Careful, diminutive fingertips traced a line from the hollow at his throat down the center of his chest, over cut abdominals and down the trail of fine hairs until they met his waistband, right near the apex of Cloud's own thighs where she hovered above him. Zack didn't even try to stop the noise that worked its way free that time, almost dizzy with want for the ethereal blonde above him. He could feel his breath catching as those fingers ran the same path in reverse, a little firmer and more confident this time. Cloud didn't stop at his throat now, instead her hand continued up to cup Zack's jaw, her thumb siding across his cheek in a gesture that seemed more intimate than any they'd made yet. Their eyes caught and held; multitudes of unspoken words passing effortlessly between them.

Slowly, slowly, like a victim of inescapable gravity, Cloud lowered herself to Zack, pressing their bodies together from navels to noses as, for the first time, their lips finally met.