#ff7 fanfiction
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ffvii jealousy headcanons 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
✧˖*°࿐ includes cloud strife, zack fair, sephiroth, reno, genesis rhapsodos, and angeal hewley
┊ ˚➶ notes ｡˚ 🎼
just a little something to satisfy you guys while i continue working on my requests!! already did a dmc one so might as well do a ffvii one too lol
┊ ˚➶ warnings ｡˚ 🎼
jealousy (obviously), some possessiveness, intended lowercase, like one bullet point about post-nibelheim sephiroth, just a couple of guys who love the reader??, lmk if i missed anything !! 🎀
. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄
. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ 𝓒LOUD — 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
❥ cloud is the type of person who will swear up and down that he doesn’t get jealous, but truth be told, he does. however, he doesn’t recognize it as jealousy at first.
❥ although, he definitely tries to shove his feelings down once he realizes that he’s somewhat upset. cloud won’t upright and confess that he’s jealous or go up to you when he sees someone flirting with you.
❥ cloud’s pretty understanding if you needed space or if you were just talking with someone else, he’s not gonna immediately resort to his insecurity.
❥ but once it’s a reoccurring experience, or if they know what they’re doing— or worse, if they’re actively flirting with you or touching you, then he’ll definitely start to get a little jealous.
❥ instead of actively confronting you or getting up in the flirt’s face, he’ll only watch afar at first. he’ll observe the conversation, the light touches, checking to see if you look uncomfortable or not.
❥ when it begins to become too much though, cloud’ll come up to you, saying something along the lines of how he needs you or needs your help and that it’s so urgent that you have to come with him asap.
❥ if you even insinuate that he got jealous though, he’ll deny it to the moon and back and say that it never happened. he may act like he doesn’t care, but don’t let it fool you. cloud cares about you way too much to let you be slobbered over at a bar by a disrespectful dude.
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. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ 𝓩ACK — 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
❥ i feel like zack’s semi into pda? as long as he’s not around the firsts or anybody important, especially angeal, then he just can’t wait to show you off. he can’t help it, poor boy loves you too much 😭 so because of the somewhat pda, i dont see a lot of people trying to flirt with you— especially knowing that your boyfriends a SOLDIER.
❥ i dont think he’d even notice at first, too busy talking to you to even notice that theres someone who has your attention also. i cant see anybody really trying to flirt with you though, zack’s like that one small dog who keeps yapping at your feet when you get to close to its owner.
❥ zack is very vocal!! if the person interrupts your conversation, he will blatantly call them out on it. he’d narrow his eyes at them and just say, “hello, i was talking to them??” because who interrupts people like that?? plain rude!!
❥ saw this in another post and i totally agree with it, zack’ll joke and joke with underlying messages behind these said ‘jokes’ and definitely has the mindset of, “what can they offer when you have me???” he just doesn’t see how they catch your attention or why they’re talking to you while hes sitting right there??
❥ will bend over backwards just for your attention, he will pout otherwise if he doesn’t get your full undivided attention after his attempts.
❥ will probably annoy the person after you’re gone by either passive-aggressively interrogating them or ranting about how in love he is with you. he’s like the cartoons where they hold their chin in their palm with heart eyes as they look up all dreamy with a giant thought bubble that’s just you. he can’t help it, he just loves you too much (ᗒᗣᗕ)՞!!1!1!
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. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ 𝓢EPHIROTH — 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
❥ for pre nibelheim (because i miss soft and not crazy sephiroth), i cant see him getting all that much jealous? i guess he’d get more so protective if he sees someone all up on you— but otherwise, he’s pretty laid back about it. he puts a lot of his faith in you entrusting that you won’t break it, so i cant see him going crazy over it.
❥ i think sephiroth’s mature enough to not cause a scene even if he was jealous, though. he wouldn’t be petty or actively try to keep you away from anybody pre nibelheim, although he finds it amusing how they try to flirt with you.
❥ he especially has to have trust in you considering he’s a first class!! unless you are also a SOLDIER or you’re associated with shinra, you guys will spend semi-large gaps of times apart. he doesn’t think you’d betray him like that though, he’s mature enough to have a conversation if he’s really worried.
❥ sephiroth has his moments of insecurity, but usually when he’s off duty— he’ll be with you. i’m just imagining sitting at a bar with sephiroth as he’s literally right beside you while this persons trying to slide up next to you lol. i also don’t think sephiroth gets jealous because he knows his worth and know he can be intimidating when he wants to be!! even just his teasing makes people quiver in their fuckin boots lmao. i doubt anybody would wanna mess with a first class SOLDIER who’s fit and over 5’11” / 180cm.
❥ after they either get intimidated or realize their advances aren’t working and that you’re happily in a relationship with sephiroth and leave, he’ll chuckle to himself as he thinks aloud about how silly it was to even attempt to get with you, knowing who you’re with. on the off chance that he’s feeling a little possessive or something, he’s not one for pda but he might just give you a kiss after they leave and a quick murmur of amusement due to their foolishness.
❥ now!! post-nibelheim!! you’re not even gonna be out of his sight enough to be hit on considering he’s kinda like.. a war criminal in a sense 😭. he’s much more possessive in his little silly criminally existentially crisis insane arc, never letting you leave alone or even go out in public that often. he’s much more obsessed with you after his break, so if he finds someone even making advances on you?? ooh, boy.
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. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ 𝓡ENO — 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
❥ reno is one weird little dude, let me tell you that. every time i think of reno, i think of a cat. with a suit. suit cat.
❥ reno does get jealous a lot of the time, even if he is usually all up on you anyways. he still is a turk and also has to spend some time away from you, leading to overlapping thoughts of you while he’s away, maybe not even just possessive but also about if something happened to you. nothing could cure these thoughts better than a little phone sex, though.
❥ i’d like to think reno’s into pda as long as he’s not at work, poor rude having to witness wet kisses on your cheek with a lazy arm slung across your shoulder ever day. so i can’t really imagine anybody trying a bunch of stuff with you when usually— reno’s not too far behind.
❥ if reno happens to be not right next to you and he’s just doing his own thing and he happens to GLANCE AT YOU? AND HE SEES SOMEONE HITTING ON YOU?? instant slide next to you.
❥ he’s petty enough to start calling you all these pet names while he’s sitting next to you, wrapping his arm around you while he’s sizing the flirt up. he’ll look them up and down with a hard stare and maybe throw some passive aggressive comments every once in a while.
❥ he’ll probably make them uncomfortable (unless they wanna square up, because knowing reno, he might just charge if the person reciprocates his belligerent comments) so by the time they already leave, reno’s already whining against you as he asks what that was all about, acting all clueless afterwards. but you can tell just from the tone that laces his voice that he knows what he’s doing lol.
❥ he’s just a petty guy, maybe not so much possessive because i mean you can go out wherever you want wearing whatever you want (maybe after a small quickie at home if it’s something revealing), he can fend for you. he swears he’s your knight in shining armor no matter how much he teases you lmfao
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. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ 𝓐NGEAL — 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
❥ now here’s the real knight in shining armor™!!!! angeal is your savior if you’re ever in an uncomfortable situation, although he doesn’t really get jealous at all— he’s just very observant of you.
❥ angeal has a whole thing about how in a relationship you must have faith and he’s very comfortable with both you and himself. he’s happy in your relationship and he is secure with himself!! if zack ever sees you two together and he’s like “(」°ロ°) 」??”, bombarding him with questions as usual, then i can just see angeal giving zack a talk on how to treat women and the gentleman way of approach— although zack is very respectful, it’s just in angeals nature to lecture.
❥ he won’t think anything of it when someone you know sits with you, you guys usually know each others relatives and friends well enough to trust them. but he’s a little iffy when a random stranger starts chatting you up.
❥ angeal obviously trusts you!! again, unless you’re a SOLDIER (which he wouldn’t prefer only because he worries about your well being), then you guys will have to spend some time apart. he has a lot of faith in you and will always write you when he’s away, letting you know he’s always thinking of you while you’re apart.
❥ if anything, he’ll save you if he notices you’re uncomfortable or something along those lines. he’ll swiftly say he needs your for something and apologizes to the person out of courtesy that he interrupted your guys’ conversation, but oh it’s so urgent, we must retreat!! and i must hold you hand in hand while we run off and do totally boring SOLDIER duties!!
❥ omfg then he pulls you aside and asks if you’re okay and ugh i just want him so bad. like sephiroth, he’ll also explain how foolish it was to even hit on you when you’re clearly happily in a relationship with him. you two’ll walk along back to hq (?) or whatever while you talk about how odd the encounter was.
❥ so in conclusion !! angeal is a gentleman and doesn’t get jealous / protective unless he thinks you’re in trouble or you’re clearly uncomfortable. angeal hewley to the rescue!!!
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. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ 𝓖ENESIS — 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
❥ this dramatic bitch.
❥ genesis is so petty that he’ll probably consider the possibility that you’re flirting back? and then proceed to ignore you or leaving you off with some esoteric poetry while he tends to his duties. he is first class, after all.
❥ if he’s sitting right next to you though, and he hears that you’re not flirting with them. he’s petty enough like reno where he’ll suddenly be throwing out all these dramatic pet names and throw longing glances towards you, except he won’t even spare a glance towards the other person— simply only paying attention to you.
❥ id consider genesis a jealous person, but i do think that most of it strikes a protective instinct within him. he does understand that he’s also a first class SOLDIER meaning he’ll have to trust you, but he has way too much time on his hands to think. also like angeal where he’ll write you as much as he can— except he’ll send you mindless poems he writes or favored quotes of LOVELESS.
❥ in the case that you leave to go to the bathroom or any sort of occasion, genesis would probably scare the other person or make them feel uncomfortable as well. but when you return and they’re gone, he’ll act so clueless. all, “whatever do you mean, dearest?”
❥ another instance where i don’t think anybody would try anything with you. like angeal and sephiroth, genesis is a first class SOLDIER. everybody knows these dudes are the real shit (well, mainly only sephiroths talked about, but it applies to genesis and angeal too!!) so hes all smug parading you around as he side eyes every person who gawks at you. of course he knows you’re beautiful, but your beauty is too much for these fools to comprehend. so yes, he must glare at every single of them.
❥ and yes, also like his companions, he will jeer and whine about how silly it was to try that with you when you two are alone. i can even see genesis pulling a cloud and just whisking you away claiming you need to do something and then act like nothing happened afterwards. either that, or he’ll overdo it and claim to be your angel— no in between.
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Word Count: 4k (and some change)
Summary: Reno is forced to go on vacation after getting pretty beat up on a mission. He takes advantage of his time off to visit the Honeybee Inn, where he becomes enamored by one of the waitresses.
Warnings: fem!reader, shinra counts as a warning, mentions of sex work (more implied than explicit i think), alcohol, kissing, over all pretty tame
A/N: This is part one! I know for sure there will be a second part, but I'm not sure if there will be more than two parts yet. I didn't even anticipate it being two parts, but it just kept getting longer!
Reno heard whispers about the Honeybee Inn for as long as he could remember. Especially once he started working for Shinra. Even the most button-down workers couldn’t resist heading down to Sector 6 to check out the shows.
“It’s the perfect place for a guy to unwind,” he’d heard some middle manager say in the cafeteria one day.
Pft. As if Turks have time for that kind of fun.
His luck changed when he found himself a little beat up after a mission, and Tseng had ordered him to take a vacation. There were many things for a young, scrappy guy like Reno to get into. He tossed around the option of heading to Costa Del Sol to hang out with the cute girls on the beach, or maybe even going to the Golden Saucer for some flashy fun. Then, he remembered the excited whispers surrounding the Honeybee Inn. He’d heard it can be hard to get into, but he was confident he could throw his status as a Turk around to get in, at least for a show. If it sucked, he figures he’d still have time to actually do something fun on his vacation.
After a couple of days of mostly sleeping and ordering takeout, he headed down to Wall Market to see what all the fuss was about. He’d been here a few times for some missions, but he’d never been afforded the luxury of leisure time down there.
There’s a crowd around the door, people trying to buy tickets or even just get a peek inside. Reno wonders if it’s truly that big of a deal or if people are just buying into the hype. He’s seen firsthand how easy it is for the masses to be swallowed up by something wrapped in shiny drapings and presented with the right flair. Hell, Shinra’s success depended on people succumbing to a bit of dazzle…Enough so that they’ll look the other way from the atrocities committed by the company.
Now isn’t the time to get moral.
He pushes those thoughts aside and shoves through the crowd. He finds himself stopped by a security guard. If the guy up front wearing a bowtie with no shirt and an antenna headband could be called that. Reno was pretty sure he could take him in a fight, but he had to remind himself to calm down.
“Come on, you wouldn’t say no to Shinra,” he says to the guard with a sly grin as he flashes his badge. The guard's eyes go wide and he swallows hard before moving aside.
“Right this way sir,” the guard says and points him in the direction of the front desk. Reno is confident as he glides across the pristinely waxed floors to the desk. He leans on the desk and flashes a charming grin to the girl wearing a honeybee uniform.
“One ticket to the show, please,” he says.
“I’m sorry sir, we’re all full for the evening and…”
“Uh, maybe we should talk to Andrea,” the guard butts in, and gives the girl a glance trying to indicate that Reno is someone who should get a ticket.
“Andrea is getting ready for the show,” the girl persists.
“I’m sure he’ll want to know who is here.”
Reno realizes they think he’s here on business. It’s a little annoying that everyone assumes that just because he’s a Turk, but he also sees the benefit to it in this situation. The ticket girl nods slowly as the guard leans over to whisper something in her ear.
“I’ll be right back, sir,” she says to Reno before going through a curtain.
Reno looks around the lobby a little bit and peaks through the doors leading into the main bar. He sees the stage, vacant right now except for a couple of Honeybees practicing their steps for the performance tonight. He sees one girl wiping off tables. Her smile is bright and infectious when one of the girls on stage asks her what she thinks of their moves. He doesn’t have time to watch much longer before the ticket girl comes downstairs again.
“Sir, follow me, please,” she says sweetly.
Reno follows her upstairs. There are a few rooms closed off with ‘Do Not Disturb’ signs on the door. He imagined the illicit activities going on inside but did his best to seem disinterested. Then, she leads him up another flight of stairs into an opulently decorated dressing room. Some of the girls are gathered around getting ready, adjusting their costumes and applying makeup. A few of them coo at him flirtatiously, but before he can really enjoy the attention the ticket girl is leading him into a room off to the side with the nameplate “Andrea” on the door.
She opens the door and ushers him inside. A man sits at a vanity, applying eyeliner meticulously.
“Have a seat, Mr. Sinclair,” the man says. “I’ll be with you after I’ve made myself beautiful…Or should I say, more beautiful?”
“Lookin’ pretty good to me,” Reno says with a cheeky grin before sitting down on the chaise lounge.
“Ah, flattery. I didn’t know Turks carried that in their arsenal,” the man chuckles, then turns around in his chair. “I’m Andrea Rhodea, but I’m sure you knew that already.”
“Yeah, I had a hint or two,” Reno confirms. “I’m Reno Sinclair, but I’m sure you knew that too.”
“Mhm,” Andrea stands up and pulls on his waistcoat. “So, what does Turk want here?”
“Nothing crazy. Just enjoying my vacation,” Reno shrugs.
“I didn’t know Turks got those.”
“Well, we don’t often. So you can see why I’d want to make the best of it.”
“And the Honeybee Inn certainly is making the best of it,” Andrea boasts as he walks over to Reno. “You can sit in the VIP section. It has the best view, and is by invite only.”
“And what do get from inviting me?”
“Maybe a favor, if I ever need it,” Andrea smirks. Then, he snaps his fingers. A Honeybee runs in, the same one with the pretty smile he saw earlier.
You smile up at Reno, “I’ll show you to your seat sir.”
Reno’s smile widens, “Please do.”
As you grab his arm, he feels his cheeks heat up a bit and he follows you obediently as you lead him out of Andrea’s dressing room. He keeps looking down at you, trying to figure you out. You seem so sweet and innocent, yet you work in a place like this.
There’s no tragic backstory for how you ended up at the Honeybee Inn. However, sometimes you weave sad tales to interested customers to get better tips. You grew up in the Sector 5 slums, and had a relatively nice childhood despite living in poverty. The big dream was Loveless.
Oh, how you longed to take the stage in a role within that masterpiece.
But living costs gil, and one of the best ways to earn it in your opinion was at the Honeybee Inn. Andrea was a pretty kind boss compared to some other jobs you’d worked around the slums to save up for the move topside. If you fluttered your eyelashes and flirted just right, the people that came in here were willing to tip pretty nicely. Some of the girls were ambitious enough to offer further entertainment in one of the private rooms. While you respected their drive and ingenuity, you weren’t brave enough to go that far.
As you guide Reno to the table at the very front, you put on your best carefree vibe. You have him sit down at the table and he leans back as you sit beside him. You caress his chest playfully.
“The VIP section comes with your choice of a personal attendant for the evening, Mr. Sinclair,” you say sweetly.
“Just call me Reno,” he blushes and bites his lip. “And uh…Are you one of the options, pretty girl?”
“As it turns out I am!” you say cheerfully and lean closer. “Would you like for me to tend to you for the evening?”
“Yeah, I think I’d like that a lot.”
——
Despite his effort to play it cool, you can see a little nervousness in him. He’s different from most guys you’ve tended to in the VIP section. He likes the attention, but he’s not pushy about it. He’s not being as much of a pervert as most guys, even though his eyes do stay pretty well focused on your fishnet-clad legs.
“Then, I’m all yours for the evening, Reno!” you say sweetly and lean against him. “Should I get you a drink?”
“Yes please,” he purrs and watches as you stand up. His eyes are fixed on the graceful sway of your hips as you walk to the bar to get him a drink. He notices you don’t ask what he wants, but he trusts you to order something good.
You talk to the bartender and one of the other girls comes up to you.
“Got a VIP tonight?” she asks as she orders herself a shot to unwind before the show begins. Already people are starting to file in, and Honeybees are buzzing around to keep them entertained.
“Yeah, he seems nice actually. I think it’ll be an easy night,” you smile.
“Be careful, I heard he’s a Turk,” she whispers.
“Oh?” you raise your brow.
“Yeah, but I mean it just means he can afford to tip well,” she says before downing her shot.
You watch her saunter away to deal with some of her tables. Before you have a chance to ruminate on what she’s said, your drink is placed on the bar. You try to shift back into work mode as you grab the drink. Reno’s eyes meet yours as he watches you come back, trying to play off the fact that he’d been staring at your ass while you were bent over the bar. You flash him a flirty smile as you slide into the booth beside him and set the drink on the table. You know this costume does wonders for your curves. It’s often been one of your greatest assets at this job, but has also been the cause of many issues too when creeps thought just because you were wearing the uniform that your body was for sale too.
“So, how are you enjoying your visit?” you ask as you lean against his side.
“It’s…Enticing, I suppose,” he smirks at you.
Deep down, Reno finds the whole thing a little bit frivolous. Wall Market in general rubbed him the wrong way. This place was thriving with gil made off the backs of those in the surrounding sectors trying to escape the sadness and mundanity of their lives. Then, of course, he had to remind himself of his place in the world. Shinra was worse by far, and he was another cog in their machine.
“Don’t worry, it gets better when the show starts,” you say and snuggle against his chest.
Deep down you both know you’re buttering him up for a good tip, but Reno can’t help thinking how good it feels to have someone’s warmth against him. He almost feels like a shy teen when he drapes his arm around your shoulder. You keep him busy with light conversation, teasing him a little for how important he looks in his suit.
Finally, the music starts playing. You sit up and clap your hands excitedly as you draw his attention to the stage. As the girl’s start dancing, preparing to introduce Andrea, he watches for just a bit before his eyes are back on you. The way your eyes light up and your body sways to the music he realizes how badly you want to be onstage. Your feet instinctively tap along with the steps of the dances being performed.
You really come alive when the cue comes for you to jump on the table. As you do, Reno’s eyes are glued to you. He watches your body move to the music, but more than anything he notices how your eyes are lit up with pure happiness. When this portion of the performance ends, you sit back down beside him. You lean against his side and hold his hand as Andrea make his entrance and steals the show. Reno isn’t even intrested in what’s going on. He’s just completely enamored with you. For the first time in so long he wants to get to know someone, and maybe to be known in return.
The music slowly comes to an end as the dancers perform their final steps and then take a bow. The curtain comes down, then rises a few minutes later to the house band playing atmospheric music.
“Well, I suppose that’s that,” you say softly and kiss his cheek.
“Can I walk you home?” he asks hopefully.
“I’ve got to help clean up,” you explain as other honeybees start dutifully cleaning tables and sweeping the floors.
“I can wait,” he insists. “I’ve got all the time in the world!”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a jiff!” you smile before bouncing away from him. When you return, you’ve changed into a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. The difference to him is astounding. You look like one of those cute college girls he sees sometimes in the city. Innocent and sweet and eyes full of hope.
You help clean up the rest of the tables before going to the bar to collect your tips for the night. He fishes some gil out of his pocket and doesn’t even bother to count it. He just hands it over to you as soon as you’re close to him.
“Oh! Reno, this is way too much!”
“No it isn’t,” he chuckles as he stands up. “It’s not enough.”
He reaches down to take your hand as he leads you out of the inn. You’re still arguing about the tip he gave you until you head out the door, and then you go quiet mostly out of the necessity of your surroundings.
“I’m this way,” you lead him toward the shabby apartment building you call home.
For a while, the two of you stand outside talking. It’s just innocent conversation, trying to get to know one another better. He holds some back due to his job but tries to impress you with some hints that he sees a lot of adventure. Throughout the conversation, you feel him getting closer to you. His eyes dart to your lips, wondering if they taste as sweet and juicy as they look. He stops himself from kissing you because he’s unsure how you’d feel about him doing such a thing. He has a fear that maybe even now you’re just humoring him since he’d been so nice to you tonight.
“Well, I better get some sleep,” you say sadly. Reno nods weakly.
“Yeah, I gotta head home too.”
You both hesitate for a moment before you finally take the plunge. You stand up on your tiptoes and kiss him quickly. It’s nothing more than a little peck on the lips, but it’s enough to make Reno feel tingly all over. His mind spins just enough for him to bravely lean back in for another, deeper kiss. You’re both blushing when he pulls away again.
“Do you think maybe I could see you again?” he asks, rubbing the back of his neck to appear nonchalant.
“You know where to find me,” you giggle before kissing his cheek. “Good night, Reno.”
“G’night,” he says dreamily as he watches you unlock the door and slip into your apartment. He stares at the door for a moment before shaking off the sudden coldness of the night that didn’t seem so present before.
——
“Go on a trip or something,” Rude says over the phone.
Reno is pacing his apartment, trying to work off his anxious energy. He can hear the humming of a helicopter on the other line, and he knows Rude is on his way somewhere exciting even as they speak. His body tingles with anticipation, but he knows there’s not a target for it.
“Goin’ on a trip alone is boring,” Reno groans. “Why can’t I just come back to work?”
“Because Tseng says so,” Rude reminds him.
“Maybe I could talk to Rufus?”
“And have Tseng set you on paperwork duty for a month as punishment?”
“Fuck,” Reno growls. “You’re right.”
“Why don’t you head to Costa Del Sol? You love all the girls in bikinis!”
“Hmph, that’s true…But…”
He doesn’t know how to express it to Rude. It sounds crazy even in his own mind. The longing that he’d locked away for so long suddenly came rushing back the second you’d pressed your glossy lips to his. He can still taste the cherry flavor of your lip gloss, and the smell tickles his nostrils. The next day he’d had to resist the urge to run right back to your apartment.
“But?” Rude pulls him from his thoughts.
“I dunno, I guess I just don’t want to be alone.”
Rude is taken aback by Reno’s sudden vulnerablity. He knew it was there, but Reno hid it well. To hear him express the feelings was surprising even after all their time working together.
“Listen, buddy, I—” Rude breaks out. “Oh shit, I gotta go.”
Reno doesn’t even get to say goodbye the call cuts out. He continues pacing long after he’s tossed his phone to the side, and then he gets an idea. He checks the time and realizes he can probably catch you before your shift starts. He throws his suit on even more sloppily than usual before running out of the apartment. On the way, he makes all of the arrangements over the phone to get the two of you to Costa Del Sol, including borrowing a helicopter so the two of you could avoid all the ferry travel.
——
He’s running up the stairs to your apartment, taking two at a time, just as you’re coming out the door. You’re still dressed casually, but your makeup and hair is all done up for work. He practically throws himself at you, grabbing your hands as he catches his breath.
“Come to Costa Del Sol with me!” he practically yells.
“Uh, is that a question or a demand?” you chuckle softly.
“A request?” he tries, and seeing your frown he put on his puppy dog eyes. “A plea?”
“Reno, I can’t just drift away to Costa Del Sol. I don’t have any money, I have to work…I just—”
“I’ll pay you!”
“Reno!” you gasp.
“No, no! Not like that!” he waves his hands in front of his chest. “No, I just meant like…Don’t worry about the money! I’m paying for the trip, I’ll help pay your bills if you need me to because I know this is crazy.”
“But we just met. I don’t understand.”
Reno sighs and places his hands on your shoulders, “I know, I know. But I like you a lot, and it’s been so long since I met anyone like you.”
“So you just want to scoop me away on a vacation?”
“Yes,” he sighs. “I just don’t want to go alone, and I want to get to know you better. I’m scared I won’t get the chance if I wait.”
“Okay,” you concede. “But I swear if this is some horrible trick!”
“It’s not! I promise! I’ll even book separate rooms if you want!”
——
It’s a whirlwind, but you shouldn’t be surprised considering how he’d arrived at your apartment. After packing a suitcase and calling a surprisingly understanding Andrea to tell him the news, you’re whisked away top side. You could’ve spent the whole day just staring at the immaculately designed city. You find yourself fascinated by seeing how the other half lives, but Reno doesn’t give you much time to take it all in.
“There’s better to come, I promise,” he tells you as he guides you to Shinra HQ.
You’ve never felt so out of place in your life as you did walking on those pristine waxed floors. Reno keeps his hand protectively on your lower back as you make your way up to the helipad. He wants to sign out one of the helicopters so he can fly you there, but the worker kindly informs him he can’t do that since he’s off-duty. Instead, he’ll have to let a pilot fly the two of you there. He considers making a fuss and calling Tseng or Rufus for clearance, but seeing you holding his hand excitedly he doesn’t want to ruin the day.
“Alright, alright, we’ll wait,” he concedes. He guides you to the nearby lounge to wait for a pilot to become available.
“So, you work here?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“You must be pretty high up on the totem pole to be able to use a helicopter.”
“I wouldn’t put it that way, but I do have some perks.”
The way you’re looking at him with such awe in your eyes makes him worried about what you’d think if he told you the truth. Almost everyone is scared at the mention of his job title because of all the secrets Turks know and their reputation for doing things a little more brutally than the average soldier is allowed. Instead, he distracts you with flirty comments and a kiss on your cheek. At one point President Shinra himself comes to the lounge for a drink, and you’re shaking from the nerves because he must know you don’t belong here. Instead, the President nods curtly before leaving the lounge.
“Wow…I thought he’d be…”
“Taller?” Reno jokes.
“I mean I was going to say more handsome,” you giggle. “All of the photos and TV appearances…”
“They’re doctored,” Reno shrugs. “Don’t tell anyone though.”
“My lips are sealed,” you giggle.
Somehow it feels like it takes simultaneously forever and an instant before you arrive at Costa Del Sol. The sun is bright and you’ve never seen such a blue sky before. The harsh metal of the plates was the only sky you’d ever seen before this day.
“Wow! It’s beautiful!” you gasp as you look around. Many people are hovering about, enjoying their vacations. The waves crash on the shore as the smell of sea salt fills the air.
“Yeah, it’s pretty nice,” he smiles, enjoying your reaction more than the sight of Costa Del Sol itself.
“Come on, we can head to the hotel first and then check out whatever you want,” he promises before getting your suitcase from you. The two of you head towards the fanciest hotel.
Once inside, he approaches the desk and true to his earlier word he requests two rooms.
“Oh, I apologize sir, but we only have one room available at this time,” the desk attendant says as he looks over his computer monitor. Reno looks at you shyly.
“Want to try somewhere else?” he asks. “Or I can sleep on the sofa?”
“There is a pull-out sofa bed available in the room, and it’s quite cozy!”
You consider your options for a moment, then you kiss Reno’s cheek softly.
“I think one room will do just fine.”
Reno is surprised by your answer but feels a warm rush of excitement in the pit of his stomach. He confirms you’ll take the room available. He tells you to go ahead and check things out while he signs the paperwork. Mostly just so you don’t hear the price of the room. Someone comes to get your bags and begins leading you towards the room. You skip along happily, obviously having the time of your life.
“First couple vacation?” the desk attendant asks as he helps Reno through the paperwork.
“Oh…Uh, yeah.”
“I hope you have a pleasant time. Payment will be due at check-out.”
“Thanks, man.”
Reno takes the keys and trails along to where you’d disappeared to moments before. When he enters the room, he finds you scurrying about checking out every last detail of the room.
“This is amazing,” you gasp as you skip over to the window and look outside at the ocean view.
“Yeah, it’s pretty great,” he smiles as he sets his bag down on the floor. “So, what should we do first?”
#reno sinclair x reader#reno x reader#reno ff7 x reader#ff7 fanfiction#ff7 x reader#🌟written in the stars
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This is possibly (probably) opening myself up to another wave of pain. So I'm begging you to be gentle...
But Do Angeal and Sephiroth ever find out that Genesis cried over annoying them? Did zack notice that Genesis had been crying? Did they apologise? I need to know!!
Also I hope you're doing well!
(Continued from this post) Okay!! Let's do this >:)
-⏤★⏤-
Zack stands before Sephiroth and Angeal as he chronicles the afternoon he had spent with Genesis two days prior. With each word invoked, different expressions stretch across their faces, ranging from bewilderment to shock. He would’ve opened up to them sooner, but Zack wanted to wait and see whether Genesis would say something first.
He didn’t. For the past two days, any time Zack had seen the infamous trio together, Genesis had been right beside Angeal and Sephiroth. His smile was forced, his words were careful, and every step he took was as calculated as his newfound sense of self-awareness—like Genesis was trying his hardest to step over stray bombs.
"Seriously, guys," Zack insists. He presses his back against the closed door of Sephiroth’s office, where he has cornered them. "Genesis isn't doing well. He didn’t explicitly say anything that day, but it was clear he had been crying.”
Sephiroth raises an eyebrow, his usual stoic demeanor showing a hint of surprise.
“And yesterday he finally told me what’s been going on,” Zack continues, rubbing his crossed arms in a self-soothing gesture, “he…says he feels like a bother.”
Angeal huffs. "And how do you know he's not just having one of his dramatic moments?"
Zack leans against the wall, not taking kindly to “dramatic moments” and whatever Angeal is trying to insinuate.
"Because he told me. He feels like nothing he says or does matters at the end of the day, that you guys have the same image of him in your head, that he’s this—this—” Zack shakes his head. “This annoying weight that you put up with.”
Angeal exchanges a glance with Sephiroth, a silent, shared question passing between them. "Why would he confide in you, Zack? I’m not trying to be rude, but I didn’t think he liked you very much.”
Zack composes that part of him that knows not to lash out. He’s standing before his two superiors, after all. “What's the name of his new book?”
Sephiroth and Angeal look at each other, their expressions incredulous.
Angeal shrugs. “I don't know what you—”
“—Because Genesis can name every single plant in your office, pick out your coffee order, and tell you what issue’s been badgering your mind lately.
The click of Angeal’s teeth as he clamps his mouth shut is Zack's cue to turn to Sephiroth.
“And you. He admires you so much, he can go into detail about every single one of your conquests. And he loves you so hard as a friend that he can remember what things to avoid teasing you over so he never crosses the line with you.”
Sephiroth looks down. Angeal looked away. Zack unglues himself from the door and steps forward.
“I know I’m not perfect. I talk too much, I’m impulsive, I have a tendency to bite off more than I can chew, and I get that I’m all over the place sometimes.” He pauses. “And if the people who I admire the most in this world—you two—ever use those as reasons to ignore me, then I think I’d just—” Zack chokes on his words, feeling hot tears spill down his cheeks.
“I’d just die,” he whispers. When he looks up again, Angeal is rubbing his own face with eyes that are getting glassier by the minute. Sephiroth is still looking down, contemplative.
Zack is undeterred. “If you can’t stand him anymore, fine. But you need to tell him that—”
“That’s not the case,” Sephiroth says quietly, quickly.
“Well, it sure seems like it,” Zack snaps. “If you can’t stand him anymore, fine,” he repeats, slower this time. “But you need to make that clear to him now.” Zack’s clenched fists tremble at his side. He lets out a shaking breath. “It’s painful enough watching you guys be jerks. I don’t want to continue to see him miserable too.”
Angeal shakes his head, still unable to meet Zack’s eyes. “Genesis is our friend, Zack. It’s hard to explain to an outside perspective, but we do care for him—”
“Then fucking act like it,” Zack spits.
This time both Angeal and Sephiroth snap their heads up, looking At Zack as if he has just drenched them with a bucket of cold water. Zack feels his cheeks hit up and regret pool at the pit of his stomach, yet he’s unrelenting. He heaves his shoulders, looking at both men with the same type of conviction Angeal always claims he lacks.
“You can punish me if you want.” He hangs his head. “I probably deserve it, but…” Zack shrugs. “It’s what I thought you should hear.”
The silence in the office is loud, with the only discernable sounds being the whir of the air conditioner and the soft hum of life right outside the door. An uncomfortable tension hangs in the air. Angeal and Sephiroth exchange a meaningful glance.
Zack shuffles his feet, acutely aware of the possible punishment coming his way. The seconds stretch into an eternity, but he endures it, thinking of Genesis’s well-being—something he never expected to care so much about.
Sephiroth breaks the silence. “Thank you, Zack,” he says, his voice strained. “Your honesty is appreciated.”
Angeal offers a small, almost imperceptible smile. “Go on, Zack. We need some time to discuss this. We'll handle it from here.”
Zack hesitates for a moment, then nods. He turns to leave the office, and when the heavy door closes behind him, the gravity of the conversation lingers like a weighted cloak over his shoulders.
-
Genesis sits at the booth by the tall glass windows, their usual seat in the dining hall. A bowl of hot soup lies untouched in front of him. The aroma of fresh food fills the air, doing nothing to Genesis other than strengthening the nausea that digs into his stomach. The often lively atmosphere feels heavy as he waits for Sephiroth and Angeal.
He closes the pages of his mystery novel with a soft sigh. Now officially done with the book, a sense of emptiness settles in, like it always does when a thrilling story reaches its end.
His thoughts wander to the plot, and the revelation that, in the end, the husband was the murderer. He had unraveled the mystery before the final page, a small victory that ended up being the highlight of his…week, really.
Genesis slumps in his seat, the triumph short-lived. He yearns to share the excitement of the book’s end with Sephiroth and Angeal and boast about his achievement. A knot tightens in his chest. Unfortunately, the fear of sounding annoying held him back.
His melancholy momentarily hushes when Sephiroth and Angeal approach. Surprisingly, they take their seats on either side of him, leaving the opposite side of the booth empty as they squeeze Genesis between them. Genesis can only mutter a confused “huh?” as their trays clatter atop the table.
Angeal flashes him a genuine, bright smile that Genesis swears he hasn’t seen in months. “Hey!” he nudges him. “Did you hear about Sergeant Stevens? Apparently, Heidegger barred him from interacting with Scarlet on suspicion that she’s using him for another purpose.”
Genesis is taken aback—not by the gossip, but by the topic coming from Angeal. “Um…no, I haven’t heard anything about that.”
“Oh, it’s quite the scandal,” Sephiroth adds, offering Genesis a small smile. “But not a bigger scandal than the newest addition to the Sector 8 theater’s production of Loveless.”
Genesis is flummoxed. He feels his heart sink, heat rapidly rising to his face.
“Oh?” Angeal leans over. “What happened?”
Sephiroth pokes the roast beef with his fork, shrugging. “Based on what this week’s issue of Dramatica Magazine chronicles, the actress Eliza Moffit refuses to cooperate with Director Henry Fray unless he changes her lines to cater to a younger, more contemporary audience.”
Genesis feels the initial signs of tears coming in, complete with a sharp pain in his nose and a throat that continues to close up by the minute.
Angeal hums. “I heard about that. Apparently, her insistence on changing Minerva’s lines has caused a strain in the relations between the Loveless Theatre and the scholars who study the epic. Remember Carl Madden?”
Sephiroth nods. “The professor whose paper on the play’s use of Soliloquy Genesis annihilated online last year.”
Genesis feels the tears spill from his eyes, hot and washing away the last trace of a smile from his face.
“Him!” Angeal snaps. “He’s threatening legal action against Miss Moffit.”
“Quite the scandal,” Sephiroth says.
“Isn’t it?”
“What do you think, Genesis?”
Genesis sniffs. “Um…” He quickly wipes away a tear. “C-Could you please stop making fun of me? I get it, I don’t need—whatever this is. I get it. I see your point already.”
Angeal’s smile fades quicker than the fried rice on his plate has cooled. “Making fun of you? Gen, we’re not—hey, are you crying?” Now noticing the tears, he softly places a hand on Genesis’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
Sephiroth follows suit, gently laying his hand on Genesis’s other shoulder. He looks concerned, watching another tear roll down his friend’s cheek. He frowns. “Is there something that we can help with?”
Genesis shakes his head, sniffling as he reaches up to wipe away more tears. “I understand that you find my endless prattling annoying and tiresome. I’m trying my best to change.”
Had the sound of Angeal and Sephiroth’s hearts being sliced into two been any louder, the other side of the world would’ve heard it. They exchange anxious looks.
Angeal lightly shakes Genesis’s shoulder. “Gen,” he says softly, as if talking to a child. “Can you look at me please?”
Genesis reluctantly raises his head.
Gen, we're not making fun of you. What gave you that idea?”
“We're genuinely interested in what you have to say,” Sephiroth adds. “We want to know how you're feeling.”
Genesis sniffs, his tears momentarily interrupted by confusion. "But... you were talking about…and I thought—"
Angeal interrupts him with a soft chuckle. “We were trying to lighten the mood, not mock you. You've seemed so down lately, and we haven’t been the most attentive friends to you.”
A tinge of embarrassment colors Genesis's cheeks. He wipes away the remaining tears and sniffles again. "I... I misunderstood. I’m sorry.”
Sephiroth squeezes Genesis's shoulder reassuringly. “You’re not annoying, nor are you tiresome in any way. If I did not have you in my life, I’m certain I would’ve…” Sephiroth pauses, thinking hard. “....Chewed off my own foot by now.”
The humorous analogy works. Genesis lets out a dry laugh, then looks at Sephiroth.
Sephiroth hesitates, looking past Genesis at Angeal. “Every time I act annoyed with you, I thought I was playing my part in a joke we were all in on.”
Angeal nods. “We didn’t realize that by ignoring you, we were hurting your feelings.”
“Nor were we aware that you had feelings,” Sephiroth adds quietly.
“Seph!” Angeal snaps, reaching behind Genesis and slapping the back of Sephiroth’s head.
Genesis laughs a little more.
Angeal groans. “Our point is, you’re important to us. And we don’t want you dimming your shine just to appease people. Don’t ever do that.”
“Ever,” Sephiroth agrees with a singular, arched eyebrow. “Do you understand how boring our lives would be without you in it?”
“Or how bored Sephiroth would be without someone to keep him in line,” Angeal grins.
Sephiroth rolls his eyes, huffing.
Genesis manages a weak smile, feeling both grateful and vulnerable. "I appreciate that. I just... I thought I was becoming a nuisance.”
Sephiroth slips his hand from Genesis’s shoulder, crossing his arms as his focus veers to the glimmering city outside. He hesitates, “even if the morrow is barren of promises…”
Angeal and Genesis both look up, the former smiling before continuing the line. “Nothing shall forestall my return.”
Sephiroth nods, smiling. “To become the dew that quenches the land.”
“To spare the sands, the seas, the skies,” Angeal says, squeezing Genesis’s shoulder.
Genesis looks down at his lap, unable to contain his smile as warmth spreads through him. “I offer thee this silent sacrifice,” he says, huffing. “So you two have been listening to me.”
Angeal sinks down, resting his head on Genesis’s shoulder and sighing. “More like, you’ve beaten it into our heads.”
Sephiroth does the same, bracing his head on Genesis’s other shoulder—and yawning. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Genesis can’t believe his ears. Not only had they listened, but absorbed his words into the fabric of their friendship.
The weight of the loneliness that had crushed him before lifts, replaced by the light, reassuring presence of his two friends.
He leans into the shared warmth, feeling a genuine sense of belonging as he closes his eyes.
Everything feels perfect.
Well—almost perfect. He wouldn’t be Genesis Rhapsodos if he didn’t strive to get the last word in
“Gentlemen,” he mutters, “this is why people think we're a throuple."
Laughter erupts from the three of them.
#ff7#ffvii#final fantasy 7#sephiroth#ffvii crisis core#genesis rhapsodos#final fantasy vii#zack fair#ff7 crisis core#crisis core#writing#genesis rhapsodos headcanons#ff7 fanfiction
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It is absolutely tragic that there is no Yandere Zack Fair tag on AO3! How can this be!?!? Someone (meaning me) should change that IMMEDIATELY! 😱😱😱
Must I do everything myself around here? *huffs impatiently*
I literally have SO MANY clack/zakkura fanfic ideas where Zack is kinda like a closet yandere who simps hard for his blonde bestie and has been searching for him for a long time. And it's not the abusive type yandere but like the psychotically protective, somewhat stalkery 'i will end anyone who hurts you' type of yandere.
I started writing it in like 2022 and dropped it, and now I'm interested in writing it again. I'm already three chapters in, and it's soo juicy and painful lmao! The rough synopsis is that Tifa and Aerith fall in love and get married, and it totally breaks Clouds heart because he was very in love with Tifa. Before the wedding, Cloud kind of disappears from the group for about five years and gets into a very toxic relationship with someone who completely takes advantage of his heartbreak and deteriorating mental state.
Then, years later, Cloud gets invited to the wedding and forces himself to go and be happy for his old friends. He puts on a front because he cares for both Tifa and Aerith and only wants their happiness.
But then.... Zack and Cloud meet again at the wedding for the first time in five years. Before Cloud left, Zack and him got into a heated argument, and then Cloud pulled another one of his disappearing acts. Zack had been looking for Cloud for a while, but realized that Cloud didn't want to be found and decided to leave him alone, against his own better judgment.
The real kicker that gets this plot going, is that at the wedding Zack observes Cloud's every movement like a hawk, taking in every detail with increasing worry. Zack notices that Cloud's lost a ton of weight, is covered in wounds and scars that Cloud quickly dismisses as 'mercenary work', that Cloud speaks numbly with a voice that is more monotone and withdrawn than Zack has ever heard, as if Cloud has completely checked out and lost the light in his blue eyes. The worst of all, when Cloud moves to take a glass of champagne Aerith offers him, Zack can see the wounds on his arm and neck, covered with bandages. Those marks are not those caused by fiends, but by a human.
And after the wedding, Zack decides that if Cloud won't take care of himself and treat himself right, then Zack will do it for him. He proceeds to infiltrate Cloud's life and turn it upside down. Oooh, drama! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
It's very much a dramatic hurt/comfort fic with lots of sensual tension, spice, and fluffy lovey dovey scenes. Just with a yandere zack hehehe!!! 😈
If you're interested in this fic idea, lemme know so I can let you know when I post it on AO3. :))))
#yandere zack fair#ff7 fanfiction#ff7 rebirth#ff7 remake#cloud strife#zack fair#clack#zakkura#zack x cloud#FF7 AO3#zack x cloud fanfiction#clack fanfiction#zakkura fanfiction#final fantasy 7 fanfiction#ff7 fandom
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2023 Shinra Holiday Party Prompts
Shinra Holiday Party is an annual Final Fantasy VII event to celebrate the winter holidays with our favorite Shinra Personnel, be it Turks, SOLDIERs, or board members! Here is this winter's prompt list. Hopefully they inspire something fun!
✨ 🎁 ❄️ ✨ 💡 ✨ 🍪 🍷 ✨
Dec 15 || Day 1. Gift exchange, peaceful, decorate.
Dec 16 || Day 2. Snowing in the tropics, freezing, moonlight.
Dec 17 || Day 3. Snowed in, coming home, baking.
Dec 18 || Day 4. Mistletoe, snowball, cider (or eggnog or mulled wine).
Dec 19 || Day 5. Gloves, winter in Icicle, sparkling lights.
Dec 20 || Day 6. Hogging the blankets, forgotten trinkets, traditions.
Dec 21 || Day 7. Office party, solstice, confession.
✨ 🎁 ❄️ ✨ 💡 ✨ 🍪 🍷 ✨
Reminders: Any time frame is acceptable! So, pre-canon, Ever Crisis, Before Crisis, Crisis Core, Original Game, Remake, Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, or post-canon fics are all welcome!
Prompts may be done in any order or combination.
Works must be tagged with the #2023shinraholidayparty tag (or @shinraholidayparty must be pinged) to be featured on the event blog.
[ Directory | Rules | FAQ | Ask | AO3 ]
#2023shinraholidayparty#admin post#please signal boost#Final Fantasy 7#Final Fantasy VII#FF7#FFVII#Writing prompts#ff7 fanfiction#Shinra#SOLDIER#Reeve Tuesti#lazard deusericus#Scarlet FF7#Heidegger#Rufus Shinra#Professor Hojo#Palmer FF7#Sephiroth#Genesis Rhapsodos#Angeal Hewley#Zack Fair#Tseng of the Turks#Rude of the Turks#Reno of the Turks#Elena of the Turks#Veld of the Turks#Verdot of the Turks#Before Crisis#Crisis Core
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The first preview of Chasing Shadows, the sequel to Halcyon Days 🌸
If you haven't read Halcyon Days yet, you can find it below. Please mind the tags 💐
#ao3#author#ao3 fanfic#fanfic#writing#final fantasy vii#final fantasy vii remake#final fantasy 7#ff7 fanfiction#ff7 fanfic#ff7r fanfiction#ff7 rebirth#ff7#ff7 remake#ffvii rebirth#ffvii remake#ffvii#ff7r#ff7 fic#cloud strife#tifa lockhart#cloud x tifa#cloti#zack x aerith#zerith#kunsel x cissnei#ff7 halcyon days#ff7 chasing shadows
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Making Bets With the Devil
I'm feeling spicy and I'm posting the first chapter despite having only written half the fic. This is my year of choosing chaos I suppose.
#el writes#ff7 fanfiction#final fantasy vii fanfiction#reeve tuesti#rufus shinra#tseng#reeve tuesti/rufus shinra#rufus shinra/reeve tuesti
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Reassemble
Homecoming - Chapter 5 (Previous Chapters)
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Zack Fair x Aerith Gainsborough (Zerith)
Rated: T
.....
Chapter Summary: While setting up his bed for the foreseeable future, Zack and Aerith finally have a chance to air out some dirty laundry.
.......
The room, while filled with the sounds of the cleaning, the sink running, soft clank of metal cutlery on ceramic dishes and the occasional splash as Elmyra scrubbed them clean, the two women remained uncharacteristically silent.
Which was odd considering the mother and daughter duo were usually filling the air with easy light-hearted chatter at this time of day.
Stories from Elmyra's occasional afternoons in the doctor's clinic helping patients or something peculiar that occurred during grocery shopping would be told. Afterwards, Aerith would regale her mom with tales of all the interesting people she'd encounter during her flower selling topside at Loveless Avenue or funny mishaps and misadventures of the adorable (and quite cheeky) children at the Leaf House.
Typically a fun bonding moment between them as the lights above the plate dimmed and the city of Midgar quieted down for the evening ahead. A reassuring habit that formed naturally over the years, easing them into a comfortable sense of familiarity to finish off the day before retiring for bed to start it all over again tomorrow. This was usually their time to simply be together and share stories and relax in the familial presence while they cleaned up the after dinner mess…but tonight was drastically different.
The silence dragged on with the events from this particular evening playing on loop in the stifling quiet atmosphere.
Haunted by the absent, yet somehow not, glassy look in Cloud's unnaturally bright half-lidded gaze as well as the forced smile constantly plastered on Zack's face while his expressive eyes remained darkened by unseen shadows both adding to the cacophony of anxiety that surrounded them.
Yet, mostly, it was Zack's words that hovered over the suspenseful atmosphere most.
Footnotes of an untold story dredged in more violence and terror neither of the women could possibly begin to fully comprehend. A torment that Zack and Cloud were forced to endure these past five years while the world went on around (and without) them. A story dredged in betrayal, grief, pain and misery they somehow survived yet Zack was not fully willing to disclose even as it obviously ate him up inside until he was a hollow shell of his exuberant former self.
All of his inner agony masked behind his easy (yet painfully broken) smile, yet all the hurt he endured was physically etched into the new faint scars across the tapestry of his tanned skin. White, thin scars that were a bit too precise to be from any battle with human or fiend, all these tells combined with new age lines at the corners of his lips and dark shadows bruising heavily underneath agitated blue eyes showcased more than words ever could.
Neither Aerith nor Elmyra could imagine just how drastically their lives would have shifted since they had cleaned up after breakfast this morning…
Who knew cleaning two sets of extra plates, cutlery and glasses could change so much?
Aerith found herself processing the bits and pieces of Zack's story from the little he told her here and earlier at the church. While she wanted desperately to know more, seeing the exhaustion weighing her dark-haired SOLDIER down kept her lips sealed tight. She would never push him but if she didn't know what was exactly wrong, she felt as if she couldn't help and not knowing how to ease his pain was suffocating.
For so many years she desperately waited, wanting nothing more than to see Zack again. Praying and wishing for the day he'd walk back into her life, to see him push through those heavy church doors and wrapped back into her arms where he belonged.
…And he did.
Yet the Zack that came back to her was so inexplicably broken in a way she couldn't understand, and while she couldn't be happier to have him here with her, Aerith didn't know how she could help him.
...And that was killing her.
Almost on autopilot, Aerith finished placing all the leftovers in separate tupperware and placed them in neat stacks in the fridge. Once done, she brushed by her mom to access the lower cabinet drawers to grab a dry cloth in order to help with the dishes when she felt her mom's hip nudge her own.
The Flower Girl jolted from the sudden contact, "Yeah?" Aerith asked, clearing her throat when her voice broke slightly at the single word.
Elmyra's face was neutral even if her eyes were red-rimmed and troubled. It appears Aerith wasn't the only one struggling with everything that happened tonight. Her mom's yellow gloved hands still submerged in the sudsy water and mindlessly washing another pot as she turned to Aerith and flashed her a painfully gentle smile.
"It'll all be okay, honey. We're going to do everything we can to help them. I promise." Elmyra stated firmly, spoken with an assurance as if she was trying to convince both her daughter as well as herself.
A half sigh, half sob she quickly stifled left Aerith's throat as she bent down to finally retrieve a towel. Pursing her lips as she carefully grabbed a wet dish on the rack and began drying it with a bit too much gusto before replying, "I know we will… It's just…" her words trailed off in uncertainty before she finished with a simple, "Thanks, mom."
Aerith had only dried three dishes before Elmyra's hands suddenly went still in the water.
Glancing over, she noticed her mom's lips were set in a firm purse and she was staring out over the darkened garden through the window behind the sink. A distant look in her eyes told Aerith that her mind was focused elsewhere outside the monotony of chores.
"Mom?" Aerith asked.
Elmyra glanced over at her for a moment before replying, "I just remembered something. There's only one twin bed in the guest bedroom, isn't there?"
The Flower Girl's eyebrows furrowed at the sudden chance in atmosphere and the question itself, "…Yes." she answered anyway.
A sudden soft chuckle laced the older woman's lips as she flashed Aerith a coy expression, "Well, you don't want your boyfriend sleeping on the cold hard floor do you?"
Aerith's cheeks went scarlet before Elmyra shook her head with a bemused smile, "No. I mean, there's that rolled up mattress in your closet he can use." she clarified, giving her daughter a look before continuing, "I could finish up down here. Why don't you go help Zackary set that up before he ends up passing out on the floor?"
"I-I could help you finish up here first."
Elmyra's lips curled into a patient yet exasperated expression, "Just go, honey. Don't let Zackary have a terrible nights sleep just so you can help me dry the dishes." The smile slipped from her mom's lips for a moment, "That boy has been through enough today; he deserves a good night's rest, don't you think?"
Aerith nodded, fighting the burning behind her eyes at the warmth of her mother's smile and the unspoken words of acceptance. "Thank you, mom."
"You're welcome, my flower. Now get going before he falls asleep on the floor. If memory serves me right, I distinctly remember that boy easily falling asleep sitting up at the dinner table a few years ago so don't give him the chance to sleep uncomfortably now," Elmyra bumped her hip against her daughter's once more before turning back to the dishes she'd been neglecting. There was a tiredness in her mom's eyes but the small smile upon her lips was genuine; blonde and grey bun bobbing gently as she continued her work at the sink.
Smiling so big it hurt her cheeks, Aerith quickly gave her mom a side hug before she left the room. Her happy, light footsteps soon leading through the dining room than up the staircase before fading out of hearing range.
When all was silent in the kitchen once again, Elmyra smiled softly to herself.
Yeah, it would all be alright.
Aerith brushed the slight dampness from her palms on her dress as she approached the guest room. She was worried that Zack may have already fallen asleep but as she got closer, Aerith heard Zack's muffled voice speaking in a low gentle tone that thankfully indicated he was still awake.
Gathering up her nerve, Aerith took a calming breath, lifted her hand and knocked twice on the door.
Before she could even fully draw her hand away, Zack had opened the door and was standing in front of her. Bright curious blue eyes and an easy smile on his face that didn't quite mask the utter exhaustion in his gait and the purple bruises under his bottom lashes.
Aerith opened her mouth to speak yet a sudden shyness washed over her out of nowhere as he stood so tall and handsome, and he smelt so good…
Probably sensing her discomfort, Zack broke the ice. "Hey," he uttered softly.
"Hey! What are you doing?" Aerith asked, face burning slightly as she had trouble meeting his eyes. Dammit! She wasn't that shy teenager Zack knew all those years ago yet his presence was bringing that side of her back it seemed.
"I, uh, just finished putting Cloud to bed…" Zack gestured lazily to the blonde lying on the only bed in the room; blonde Chocobo-like tresses poking out amidst the pile of soft blankets and pillows. It really was so incredibly sweet and admirable how well Zack was taking care of his Mako-poisoned friend. How rare of a friend Zack was to go so far for those he held dear.
Aerith smiled at how Zack had taken the time to even tuck Cloud in the bedding, "That's good. I'm glad he's finally getting some rest."
"Yeah, me too. He was out as soon as his head hit the pillows," Zack chuckled, "I was actually about to turn in myself. So… uh, what's up? I-Is everything alright?"
Clearing her throat and steeling her resolve, Aerith smiled up at him, "Everything's fine but I really hope you weren't planning on sleeping on the floor," she stated coyly, ignoring the intense blush most likely staining the apples of her cheeks as she stared up at him. Had he always been this tall?
Zack's response was immediate with wide eyes and coral staining his cheeks, "Well, kinda, yeah."
Aerith flashed him a thunderous expression complete with an irked pout.
"What?" Zack floundered, nervously scratching the back of his head, "It's a twin bed and I'm over six feet tall! It would be cramped even if it was just me! Let alone sharing with Cloud. That kid is a damn blanket hog I'll have you know!"
Seeing Zack's animated expressions brought a sudden warmth to her chest she hadn't felt in awhile. Sure, he may be quieter and more reserved than the Zack that left all those years ago, but his boyish charm was still as evident as ever.
Feeling she tormented him enough, Aerith giggled and smiled sweetly. "I actually have a different solution for that. There's a thick folded mat in my room that you can use. I would have brought it out to you but I have trouble moving that dresser in the closet, so I need a strong SOLDIER to help me get it out."
A flash of something dark passed over Zack's expression, but before she could decipher the meaning, Zack's smile brightened "Really?" he replied, "Damn, that would be great. I'd appreciate it."
"No problem." Aerith replied before stalling near the door where he flashed her a curious look. In a sudden moment of bravery, Aerith reached out to gently grasp his much larger hand in her own. The electricity that shivered along her arm at the mere touch of their skin meeting had her quickly turning her face away from his bewildered expression so he didn't see how her cheeks positively burned at the simple contact. "Come on, it's right in here."
It was a short trip, mere yards away, but feeling his warm hand in hers calmed the frantic beating of her heart and the rise of panic she'd felt whenever he left her side. A sudden, inexplicable anxiety that rose in her chest, that if he merely left her sight, he would simply disappear forever…
Zack didn't seem to mind the contact whatsoever. He seemed to relish in the touch, his hand eagerly grasped her own; easily intertwining their fingers as he followed her to her bedroom which was past the bathroom and down the hall. A room he hadn't been inside for five years and the mere thought of that made Aerith's tummy flip dangerously.
Opening her bedroom door with her free hand, the Flower Girl hid her nervousness to lead him inside the dimly lit bedroom. After flicking on the light, Aerith gently tugged at his hand to lead him into the center of her bedroom before she exclaimed with grand gesture of her arm, "Welcome back to Casa del Aerith!"
Zack chuckled at that, a sound that caused a shiver that echoed from where their hands were still clasped together straight down to her toes.
"Nice. Looks pretty much how I remember…" he commented softly in remembrance. Mako bright eyes looking around at the space they used to spend so much time together all those years ago. It almost felt like a different lifetime but Aerith wouldn't change anything about it for the world.
Not allowing him to reminisce on their past too long, Aerith gently pulled at their clasped hands to bring him back to the present and towards her closet.
Zack followed faithfully at her heels as they approached and once by the door, he reluctantly released her hand as she pointed toward the rolled-up gray mattress leaning against the wall in the back of the closet. Zack smiled sweetly before he gently broke away from her, "So, that's the one?"
"Yep," she nodded, moving slightly out of the way as Zack worked to move the heavy dresser in her storage closet to the side.
With his back turned toward her, Aerith finally let out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding. Hands folded as if in prayer against her chest yet she still couldn't fully relax. Feeling nervous over his presence and hating it because Zack had just returned to her and instead of overwhelming giddiness, she just felt downright shy now.
Being around him made her feel like she was 16 years old all over again…
"...Hey. I uh, I wanted to say it earlier, but... um, I'm sorry," Zack's sudden voice came to her closer than she was expecting.
Aerith jumped slightly, seeing that while he had already pulled aside the heavy wooden desk with ease and was moving a few smaller pieces of wooden paneling to safely reach the mattress while she'd been staring out into space and lost in her own damn head.
Zack's words finally dawned on her a second later and she asked in genuine bewilderment, "…For what?"
The black-haired SOLDIER's cheeks were flushed as he looked down at his bare feet before clarifying, "…For earlier, ya know," he scratched the back of his head again, the cute nervous habit still remaining after all this time, "After I got out of the shower…" his voice trailed off and Aerith was happy he wasn't looking at her to see how red her cheeks got at the sudden reminder of that.
Seems she wasn't the only one still thinking about that...
Biting her lip, she responded, "Why would you be sorry?" she let out a soft laugh, "I was the one who barged in! If anyone should apologize for that, it should be me."
"Nah. I'm a SOLDIER - well, ex-SOLDIER. Point is, I should have better reflexes than that poor attempt at catching the clothes you threw at my face or at the very least, I should have bothered to lock the damn door," he explained. The shy smile and coral staining his cheeks as well as the tips of his ears eased the dull tightness and anxiety in her chest.
Zack always had that effect on her…she was so happy that never changed.
"It's okay. I'm sorry about throwing them by the way! I shouldn't have, I was just…" Aerith let out a breath, a nervous giggle escaping before she continued, "You surprised me is all. I should have knocked." Aerith bit her lip before glancing up at him through thick lashes, "And besides, it's nothing I haven't seen before, right?"
"Right," Zack chuckled softly, the sound warm and rich and his body heat so close had her shivering as he finally removed the folded up mattress from the closet. He placed the bundle on the ground where it stayed leaning up against the wall before Zack closed the small distance between them. The intimacy of his mere presence had her finally feel brave enough to look up into his perfect face and gorgeous blue eyes she'd missed so damn much.
"...But, it has been five years. That's a long time. Truthfully, I didn't even know if you'd still want to be with me, let alone being naked in front of you that soon - even if it was an accident," he laughed thickly, his fingertips brushing against her arm in a shy caress that had her entire body tingle from the sensation. "I'm sorry, Aerith…" the apology sounded like it was for everything left unsaid, none of which were the one thing he was actually verbally apologizing for.
The five year gap between them felt smaller than ever right now, like suddenly, no time had passed between them at all.
Aerith's heart thundered against her sternum when she felt him begin to pull away. His nervousness evident in his flushed cheeks and faltering gaze and she wanted it to abolish it completely so she prolonged the contact by reaching out to grasp at his retreating hand.
"Don't be," she whispered brokenly, squeezing his hand tightly. Her eyes boring into his own to showcase and push away at least some of the burdens on his shoulders. Wanting nothing more than to absolve him of what he believed were faults of his own when he was innocent in the circumstances that lead to all the years they'd lost between them. She wanted nothing more than to help him heal...
Zack peered back into her eyes. The weight he was carrying was immense; a strain and burden perched heavily on his shoulders yet they dropped slightly as he seen the forgiveness, acceptance and hopefully the unconditional love she still carried for him showcased in her meadow green eyes.
It must have, for the sigh that left his lips sounded so relieved, "...Thank you, Aerith. For everything…"
Aerith smiled up at him; eyes never leaving his own as she squeezed his hand tightly before pressing them both to her fiercely pounding heart. "Thank you, Zack, for coming back to me…"
Zack chuckled, a shy sweet smirk on his lips as he peered down at her. For a long time, he remained silent before he stated, "Hey, I was right ya know…"
Green eyed widened at the sudden words, the last Cetra flushing red to the roots of her hair to the tips of her toes when she realized how close his face had gotten to hers. His warmth and scent surrounding her like a drug induced haze. Aerith flashed him a teasing smile to hopefully cover up her sudden bashfulness, "I don't know if I believe that, " she giggled, "What are you supposedly right about?"
Instead of a verbal answer, Zack pulled one of his hands away from her before he brushed it teasingly along the flare of her hip. Large fingers ever so gently pinching the fabric of her dress as he gave it a soft tug to pull her even closer where she could feel the warmth of his skin even through all the layers of clothes as well as his soft breath caressing her face.
"That you look absolutely stunning in pink," he gave her one of those smiles that never failed to make her heart soar. Aerith happily took the hint and slipped in closer, their chests lightly brushing from the proximity.
"Well, you told me to wear it next time I saw you… I wanted to keep that promise - just like you kept yours," Aerith said so tenderly, gazing deeply into Zack's eyes - the most wonderful shade of blue like a perfect cloudless sky…
Yet before she could drown in the color too long or even had a chance to glance at his lips, she watched Zack suddenly pull away. His eyes suddenly closed tight, hiding a large yawn behind the hand he'd pressed to cradle his face before shaking his head when it was over.
A moment passed before the SOLDIER gave her apologetic smile. It was only now she'd forced herself to look at the thick dark bags under his eyes and knew Zack needed his rest and she'd been keeping him away from that.
There was always tomorrow to continue this conversation after all...
Cheeks flushing in embarrassment at not realizing it sooner, Aerith grabbed his hand and stated, "Come on. Let's set up your bed, you must be so exhausted!"
"Yeah, I am," Zack admitted with a boyish nervous blush staining his cheeks. Like herself, he seemed reluctant to pull away from her side yet he did. Turning his back to her, he began to place the large furniture he'd removed back into the closet. While Zack was preoccupied, Aerith took the time to gather some extra linens, thick blanket and a pillow from the chest near her bed. Turning back to him, he was standing patiently by the door with the rolled up mattress in his arms.
The couple silently left her bedroom back towards the guest room.
Afterwards, it was a rather quick process to set up his bed, making sure to do it quietly as to not disturb the slumbering blonde on the bed. Aerith knelt down to finish smoothing out the sheets, she peered up at Zack who was stifling yet another yawn behind his hand. Biting back a huff, Aerith laid out the blanket and fluffed the pillow. She was angry at herself for not realizing how obviously exhausted Zack had been the whole time, his seemingly endless energy quickly waning.
"There, that should do it," Aerith announced quietly, a slight bounce in her step as she stood back up to take in the bed he'd be sleeping for the foreseeable future. She'd have to ask her mom about looking into getting an actual one soon…
Zack stretched his arms above his head before they dangled like limp noodles by his side, he looked ready to fall asleep standing up. "Thank you so much, Aerith. I really appreciate everything you and your mom are doing. I really can't thank you enough."
Aerith brushed it off with a soft wave of her hand, "It's no trouble at all. Promise." she reassured him, reaching out to rub at his tense thickly muscled shoulders.
Zack looked as if he wanted to say more but instead just whispered, "You're the best."
"Yeah, I know," she teased, patting his shoulders before reluctantly pulling away to head back to the doorway to exit the room. "Now get some sleep, alright?"
"Sounds good…" his blue eyes peered at her. Zack hesitated for only a second before he closed the distance between them. Once in front of her, he slowly reached out to gently cup her face in his large warm hands, his thumb brushing a tender stroke on the apple of her cheek. After the slightest big of hesitation, he leaned down to place a ghost of a kiss where his thumb just vacated. Yet before she could respond or register the action fully, he pulled away. "Goodnight, Aerith," he whispered, the smile curling his lips was so painfully tender and soft.
The place where his fingers and mouth brushed burned heavily; her cheeks stained with blush yet a shy smile easily accentuated her lips, "...Goodnight, Zack." she replied in a breathy whisper before he gently closed the door behind him.
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Hi! Fellow Shinra fan! :)
I'd love a fic with Reeve and/or Rufus. Maybe them late night working on projects for Edge? (Together. Maybe begrudgingly, but also appreciative of the other's skill and competence.)
Hah, okay, so funny story. I spent literal years trying to make Rufus/Reeve a serious ship in this fandom. So so many years. I don't want to talk about how many years. I blame The Conscience of the King for sticking in my head so thoroughly (you can find that here [http://www.midgar.net/king/] if you've never heard of or read it, but word of warning, it's so old that it's literally text files uploaded to a website; this thing was distributed via email rings back in the late 90s; needless to say, it does NOT take in any extended canon, only OG stuff). Over the years, of course, I've taken most of them down in favor of my more general Turk-fic, but just. My first love, okay? It was always Rufus/Reeve. XD
Now, I realize you didn't expressly ask for Rufus/Reeve, but uh. Here's what you're getting: my trademarked ambiguous relationship style thing. In my favorite time period, which is ambiguously before the start of the original game. Mostly because WRO Reeve breaks my heart.
Prompted from this post. Still taking prompts! If you'd rather do a ship/character + number prompt or a symbol for a headcanon, I'm still doing those too.
In These Deep City Lights
Word count: 1274 words.
Content Notes: Eh. Ambiguous relationship.
Characters: Rufus Shinra and Reeve Tuesti.
Summary: Reeve finds Rufus looking over one of the Midgar models.
Most people who wanted to look at a model of Midgar went to Memorial Hall on the 60th floor. It was, after all, the most impressive of the models of Midgar, with the oversized Shinra Tower in the middle and the model reactors that flared on schedule for their secondary burn process. But it wasn't Reeve's favorite of the models. That honor went to the one on 34. She was a smaller model, and her reactors didn't have the fancy show mechanics that the 60th floor did, but her pieces were moveable. In the middle of the night, he usually had the model to himself.
That was precisely why seeing someone standing in the room surprised him. They hadn't turned on the overhead lights, and instead, they appeared to be inspecting the model purely in the light from the city itself, pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Reeve had done that himself more times than he cared to count, and he watched the figure through the frosted glass that separated the model from the rest of the office for a few minutes before he finally went to the door.
He opened it to find Rufus leaning over the model, fingers sliding across the tops of the buildings in Upper Eight. Reeve noticed immediately that several of the buildings were missing, and he spotted them arranged on the table to the side of the model nearest the windows. It took him a moment, but his eyes widened as he realized that they were laid out almost identically to the last proposal for Sector Six that he'd sent the President.
He cleared his throat, but Rufus didn't jump. He didn't even look up. He simply made a low sound and moved another building from Sector Eight to the mocked-up representation of Six. He studied it for another moment, and then he finally looked over at Reeve.
"Vice President," Reeve said, and he took another step into the room, letting the door shut behind him. Under the weight of those blue eyes, that felt like a mistake.
"Reeve," Rufus murmured, and he looked back at his collection of buildings.
"I wasn't aware that you came down here," Reeve finally said, breaking the silence. He crossed the room and picked up one of the buildings, turning it over between his fingers.
He watched as Rufus studied the model, eyes intent and focused, as though he could simply will Midgar into existence— compliance— with his gaze alone. He spoke after a few minutes, voice measured and even, "Only when I need to see one of your proposals."
Reeve set the building he'd picked up back down where it went in Sector Four. He supposed it made sense that Rufus would review the proposal— he was the Vice President, and despite the President's attempts to keep the position as something in name only, Rufus had done his damnedest to carve out some degree of control— but he was surprised by how seriously Rufus was taking it.
Especially when they both knew that the President himself would never approve the expenditure to rebuild Six. There had been one chance to build Six, and when it collapsed during construction, it had taken all possibility of Midgar ever being completed with it.
"Is there anything you had concerns about?" Reeve asked instead.
Rufus straightened up, and he brushed his hair back from his face with a careless motion as he met Reeve's gaze. "You've spent a lot of time on this one," he said instead of answering Reeve's question.
Or maybe it was the answer to Reeve's question. He wasn't sure.
He couldn't look away from Rufus though.
"Clearly," Reeve replied, his voice low as he nodded toward the mock-up, "so have you."
A small smile touched the corner of Rufus' mouth, and he stepped in closer to Reeve, far closer than he had to in order to pick up the factory model from Four that Reeve still had his fingers on. Reeve pulled his hand back, yielding the piece to him, and Rufus' smile widened, eyes gleaming in the relative darkness of the room. "I admire that dedication." He turned the factory over in his hand, and then he held it up between their faces. "You've skewed the sector too heavily to production, however."
Reeve's lips parted, and he reached up to take the factory from Rufus. "My proposal—"
"Is bait," Rufus finished for him, raising an eyebrow. Then he waved a hand toward the mock-up just beside him, turning to look at it once more. "You skewed it toward things that make money because you know exactly what would catch the President's attention."
"It didn't work," Reeve pointed out after a second. "Your father won't authorize the construction."
"My father will not be the one to complete my city." There was a steel in Rufus' voice that caught Reeve's attention, and he smiled faintly at that possessive tone. He set the factory back down in Four where it went once more.
"Your city?" he asked, and Rufus' eyes cut over to him, impossibly blue given how little light was actually in the room.
Rufus tilted his head slightly. "Do you think otherwise?"
"No, of course not, sir," Reeve said immediately, dropping his gaze to the mock-up of Six that Rufus was still facing.
Rufus studied him for a long, quiet moment. "You're supposed to say 'yes.'"
Reeve looked up at him sharply, watching the way the smile on Rufus' face looked a little less practiced, a little more real. He hesitated, replaying what he'd said, and his eyes closed briefly as a faint laugh escaped him. "You're right," he said softly. "My duty is to serve the President's vision."
"Indeed," Rufus murmured. Then he motioned toward the layout for Sector Six. "Redo the proposal. Focus on housing this time."
Reeve hesitated. "You know that will never—"
"The President's vision will change eventually."
Reeve’s breath caught in his throat briefly. On the surface, that was an innocuous enough statement, but standing in that room, awash in the glow of Midgar herself, with the way Rufus was looking at him...
Rufus wasn't just the Vice President, after all. One day—
Rufus' hand closed on Reeve's tie— red tie, Shinra red because that's what the President gifted him every year for Yule — and he adjusted it carefully. When his fingers smoothed over the silk, the touch was soft, gentle.
Reeve wasn't sure how long they stood there, watching one another, Midgar the only silent witness to the moment between them. Then Reeve nodded slowly.
"I'll redo the proposal," he said softly, and there was no mistaking the momentary triumph that lit Rufus' eyes.
"Good. I'll review it personally once it's finished." Rufus' hand dropped away from Reeve's tie then. "For now, go home." He didn't wait to see if Reeve did as instructed. Instead, he turned to look out at the city in the darkness.
Reeve wasn't sure he'd ever been dismissed from one of his own floors in the Tower. He glanced past Rufus, toward the model parts scattered across the table, but before he could ask the question, Rufus waved a hand.
"I'll clean up before I leave."
Reeve nodded. "Very well," he said and he lingered for only a heartbeat more before he turned and left. When the door shut behind him, Reeve glanced back, watching the way Rufus was silhouetted in the lights, figure blurry in the frosted glass that separated the model room from the rest of the office.
He wasn't sure he'd ever been dismissed from one of his own floors in the Tower, but he supposed if anyone could do it, it was Rufus Shinra.
One day, the man would rule the world.
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For Quiet-Shadow, who asked for Barret & Yuffie -- Preparing for a Teenage Daughter
Barret’s head hurts.
Barret’s head hurts, and his ears are ringing, and he swears, if that ninja says one more stupid joke or yells another stupid insult, he’s going to toss her off the mountain and gleefully count every ridge she hits on the way down.
Barret sighs.
No, he won’t actually do that, but if it gives him a moment of peace, he’s tempted. Yuffie is loud and obnoxious. She never stops talking. She’s definitely hiding something.
Yes, she saved their asses a few times. And yes, she’s very skilled for someone her age. But gods, she is loud, and Barret’s getting too old for this.
“You look exhausted,” Tifa says. She sounds like she’s laughing at him, but the only thing on her face is that secretive, shy smile she carries.
Think she’s a big tough woman, Tifa does. And tough she is. Tough as nails, punches like a tank, and takes down things ten times her size without breaking a sweat. She’s got a gentle heart and a sweet soul, though, and this world just isn’t made for a sweet soul anymore.
Barret will do whatever he can to help her keep it though. World needs more of them, more people like Tifa.
“Long climb,” Barret says as he trudges along in Yuffie’s wake. He’ll take age and experience over youth any day of the week, but fuck, he could use a drop of that youthful energy right about now.
He hasn’t climbed this mountain in years. He didn’t think he’d be climbing it again so soon.
“Right. It’s the climb,” Tifa says, and that smile’s louder in her voice now. She’s got that teasing edge, and Barret just knows she’s about to say some fool thing that’ll get under his skin. “It’s not at all our newest, most energetic friend.”
Barret sighs. “She’s useful in a fight, and we could keep on saying no, but she’d be lurking around. Merc made the right choice in keeping her where we can see her but…”
“But she’s just a kid?” Tifa says.
“Something like that,” Barret says, right as Yuffie springs up into a tree and shades her eyes with her hand, squinting up the mountain.
“Hurry up, people!” she hollers loud enough to echo off the rocks and scare off a clump of birds resting their wings for a minute. “The mat– the robed guys are climbing faster than you!”
Tifa hides a giggle in her hand, like Barret can’t see it. “Marlene will be that age soon enough, you know.”
“She will not!” Barret says, whirling on her. “My sweet little Marlene may be that age, but she’ll never act like that.”
“Oh, she will,” Tifa says. She tucks her hands behind her back and skips ahead, only to look back over her shoulder. “All teenage girls do. You’ll just have to think of this as practice.”
Barret shakes his head. No, not his sweet little girl. She’s always going to be kind and generous and polite. She won’t make a ruckus or put herself in danger, or run around the world barely dressed without anyone to watch her back.
Absolutely not.
“Hey!” Yuffie hollers, her hands cupped around her neck.
A vein in Barret’s neck starts to pulse. “Lower your voice!” he hisses at her. He stomps over to the tree and glares up into the spindly branches. “You want every monster and fiend and ShinRa goon to hear you?”
“Pfft. I’m not scared.” Leaves rain down before Yuffie drops out of the tree with an exaggerated landing. She grins. “Hah. Nailed it.”
“It’s not about being scared,” Barret grinds out. “I thought ninjas were supposed to be stealthy?”
Yuffie beams and gives him a thumbs up. “We are where it counts!”
“Practice,” Tifa sings as she strides past, and Barret’s eyebrow twitches again. Tifa’s barely older than Yuffie. She’s a better example for Marlene anyway.
Not this ruffian.
“Well, it counts right now,” Barret says. “Zip your trap and get going. We got a job to do.”
Yuffine plants her hands on her hips and gives him an exaggerated frown that Barret swears echoes Marlene last week when she didn’t want to eat her peas. “You’re not the boss of me.” She pushes her nose to the air. “Keep that up and I’ll let the Bloatfish get you.”
“I don’t need your help!” Barret snaps as Yuffie skips away, hurrying to catch up to Tifa.
She spins and sticks her tongue out at him. “Nyah!”
Barret growls. “You little–”
Yuffie promptly trips on a rock and falls on her ass. Probably would’ve tumbled right off the edge of the cliff if Tifa hadn’t grabbed her arm. “Ow! I’m blaming you, Barret!”
No. No way. His sweet, precious baby girl is never going to meet Yuffie, and she’s never going to turn into a teenager. Nope. She’s going to stay Daddy’s Little Angel her whole life.
Marlene’s not allowed to grow up.
That’s all there is to it.
“You should probably watch where you’re going,” Tifa admonishes as she hauls Yuffie up and checks her over for any real injuries.
“A ninja always knows where she’s going,” Yuffie declares as she dusts off her shorts. “That was just, uh, a check of your reflexes. That’s right. I was checking to see how quick you are.”
“Sure you were,” Tifa says, not that Yuffie sticks around to hear it. She’s bounding further up the trail between one blink and the next, before she abruptly veers toward a wall and takes out that stupid piece of chalk for another pointless drawing.
“So the others don’t get lost,” she says as she graffitis Mount Corel at every available opportunity.
Barret sighs and trudges along after them. His head hurts, and his ears are ringing, and one day, his baby girl is going to grow up into one of those things.
Life just ain't fair.
***
#Barret Wallace#Tifa Lockhart#Yuffie Kisaragi#FF7 fanfiction#flash fiction fills#draco writes#draco writes fanfic#unedited fic
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Twilla's Fandom/Writeblr Blog Introduction!!! ✨✨✨
Hello my fellow nerdlings, my name is Twilla and this is my new multi-fandom/fanfiction inspiration blog. I'm currently looking for active fanfiction and general fandom blogs to follow and interact with! I would really appreciate it if you could like or reblog this so I can follow you and we can chat about our favorite fandoms and ships. ♡
A LITTLE ABOUT ME
I'm a sassy bisexual woman-child who LIVES for reading and writing both original fiction and fanfiction stories. For those of you that don't know me, my former blog was lovelyladyventress, which was mainly a FF7 blog. The few fandoms I love enough to write fanfiction about are as follows: My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and Final Fantasy 7.
MY ABSOLUTE FAVORITE SHIPS
My Hero Academia
OTP(S): Tie between ShigaDeku🖤 & DabiHawks💙
Other Ships: BakuDeku❤️, Tododeku❤️, Dekubowl❤️, EndHawks, TsuChako, TogaChako, KacChako, KamiJirou
Jujutsu Kaisen
OTP(S): Tie between SukuIta🧡 & SukuFushi💚
Other Ships: Yuujibowl❤️, ChosoIta❤️(NOT AS BLOOD-RELATED BROTHERS), Yuuji x Naoaya, GoYuu, SukuFushi, NobaMaki, GojoHime, YutaMaki, MechaMiwa
Final Fantasy 7
OTP: SefiKura❤
Zakkura❤️, ASGZC❤️, Strifehart, Cloti, Zerith
THEMES, TROPES, AND CONTENT I WRITE
exploring human relationships: platonic, familial, and romantic
hurt/comfort that rips your heart out of your chest and then gently tucks it into bed, all safe, happy, and warm.
enemies to lovers, rivals to lovers, friends to lovers
sensuality, intimacy, slow burn romance, spicy scenes
soulmates, souls bonds, magical ties, and mental links that are usually tied to main enemy (sefikura, sukuita, shigadeku)
identity, self-discovery, personal journeys, character growth
experiencing, overcoming, and healing from trauma
If any of above sounds appealing to you, give me a follow and lets chat! ❤️❤️❤️
#active jjk blogs#active mha blogs#active ff7 blogs#fanfiction community#fanfiction writers#fanfiction writeblr#active fanfiction blogs#zakkura#sefikura#bakudeku#shigadeku#tododeku#sukuita#itafushi#chosoita#ao3 writer#mha fanfiction#ff7 fanfiction#jjk fanfiction#fanfiction blog
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Hi! So, for the request, i was wondering if you could do sfw and nsfw (if u want, ofc) headcanons like you did for Vergil, but for Cloud Strife? It’d be super nice if you could, but no problem if u don’t like the request !!
cloud strife (n)sfw hc’s 𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪
┊ ˚➶ notes ｡˚ 🎼
i haven’t recovered from crisis core, guys.
┊ ˚➶ warnings ｡˚ 🎼
spoilers and mentions of crisis core and advent children, mentions of the massage scene in ffvii remake 😭😭, nsfw will be labeled and put in a separate section of headcanons, intended lowercase, lmk if i missed anything, love 💕!!
. ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄ . ˚◞♡ ⃗ *ೃ༄
❥ so!!
❥ let me just start by saying that when you start dating cloud, you must know what you’re getting into— and by that, i mean that he’s super emotionally constipated and is often frazzled with his memory (depending on which arc we’re in).
❥ i think you’d have more luck with a more receptive response if you met him during cc or somewhat before, for instance— being childhood friends with him like tifa was. i think after the events of cc / during ac is where it gets more difficult to get him to open up.
❥ for love language, in terms of giving, i think cloud performs acts of service to show his love. he absolutely sucks with words but small things he does are his subtle ways of showing you he loves you without being able to say it. like walking you home or making you coffee when he notices that you’ve stayed up the night before.
❥ clouds very observant, so while you were at your desk working on whatever you were doing, he came home a little late to see you slaving away at your desk. he didn’t say much, if anything maybe a, “you’re up?” before he goes to sleep. but that morning he makes sure to wake up extra early to make you some coffee.
❥ or maybe, when you guys are hanging out at seventh heaven or something, he’ll walk you home. his excuse is that it’s not safe in the slums to walk home by yourself.. and while that is true, he just really wants to make sure you’re safe. he’ll act like he’s bothered by your small talk, but will still continue to respond.
❥ another thing i might consider for cloud is gift giving. he’d probably bring you something back from the other sectors if hes on a mission or something.
❥ with receiving love languages, i think it’d take him some time to be open to it but words of affirmation always manages to tint his cheeks a little pink.
❥ he can’t help it?? he’s just like a old pitbull that craves pets every so once in awhile. he’s the dog that’ll lay at your feet with a big sigh as you gentle rub behind his ears, even though he’ll literally walk away five minutes later as if he wasn’t clinging onto you.
❥ due to hectic and erratic schedule of his job, he also cherishes the quality time that you two have while you can. even if this is before he’s a merc, maybe perhaps when he’s still a shinra infantryman, he still revels in the moments you two spend alone. anything could happen, and he’s grateful for every moment he spends with you, especially after the events of cc.
❥ he can be the wisest dude ever and then malfunction right afterwards. this is also stemmed from his interaction with jessie in ffvii remake where he says that survival is a matter of luck and skill, and you can’t rely on luck— to which jessie agrees. then he literally doesn’t know what to say afterwards. it’s like a.. 35/65 chance of these moments. just agree with him or compliment his thoughts and that’ll be enough to shut him up for a few minutes!!!
❥ as for dates!! i read @silverflqmes’s dating headcanons for agzsc (by the way??? amazing??? go follow them rn!1!1!1) and they mentioned how they could see cloud taking you out on his motorcycle to the outskirts and let me tell you I AGREE. cloud is obviously not a people person, so i also think he’d prefer to go to a small clearing or somewhere quiet where only the two of you would be seen. after all the chaos of his job, he likes a little quiet time.
❥ i don’t think cloud would like to have you involved in his work, and if you were, he’d at least spend a lot of time sparring with you or training with you to help teach you defense. he overthinks a lot, so he’s always thought about something happening while he’s away. “you need to be able to protect yourself when i’m not there.” he always says. cloud may not be a very.. responsive— teacher but you’ll definitely learn something nonetheless!!
❥ don’t let cloud’s bluntness fool you!! he may be dry but he does care for you!!! you may not realize it but you could ask for almost anything from him and he’d oblige for free, and we all know cloud, he’s just doin stuff for the pay. oh it’s 250 gil? nah keep it he’ll get it for you dwdw pookie.
｡ﾟ•┈୨♡୧┈ ｡ﾟ
NSFW BELOW ꨄ︎
❥ let me just get smth off my chest, okay???
❥ i am a firm rider on the virgin/inexperienced!cloud train.
❥ and no it’s not just because this is lowkey self indulgent, i just don’t really think cloud ever took much of an interest with pursuing sexual and romantic relationships like that.
❥ i can’t see cloud doing anything wild either? i think he’s pretty vanilla for the most part besides maybe a small praise kink or something like that. just you telling him how good he feels or how good he’s making you feel is like an instant uplifter for him.
❥ guys.. that deluxe massage scene.. stays rent free in my brain..
❥ yeah those noises in that scene also apply to the bedroom, too.
❥ pace definitely depends on his mood!! if you guys are both tired or just don’t feel like going super fast, then cloud will take more of a slow pace, maybe even occasionally teasing you. but if he’s perhaps a little jealous, albeit how much he tries to assure you that he doesn’t, then he will literally drill into you. good luck 😭.
❥ cloud doesn’t have a very high libido, but he still savors the moments when you guys do get intimate. that’s why he likes to go slow— so that you both can really cherish this moment. even if he’s super awkward and unsure of what to do with himself.
❥ cloud’s definitely pretty average in terms of girth, maybe a little bit more lengthier? he’s very sensitive though, so be careful!!!
❥ you def are gonna have to show cloud what makes you feel good and what to do in these moments considering his inexperience. cloud’s a quick learner though, so he should pick up on it pretty fast.
❥ he’s very observant, and on days when he’s focused on giving you pleasure, he makes sure to take notice of all your expressions and noises.
❥ i need to be contained holy crap
#final fantasy 7 rebirth#ff7 x reader#ffvii x reader#ff7 fanfiction#ffvii fanfiction#ffvii remake#ffvii cloud#ffvii rebirth#ff7 rebirth#final fantasy vii x reader#final fantasy 7 x reader#final fantasy x reader#final fantasy fanfiction#final fantasy cloud#final fantasy vii#ffvii cloud strife#cloud strife#cloud strife x reader#cloud x reader#ODOTTIE *･῾ ᵎ⌇ ⁺◦ 💘 ✧.*#kiss kiss
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With all the excitement surrounding the big reveal we'd like to remind everyone that we're just three days away from Vincent Valentine Week 2023!
Prompts
12/17: Ice, snow, bitter
12/18: Wool, bells, adorn
12/19: Gift, candle, alpine
12/20: Ornament, memories, night
12/21: Cider, fire, warmth
12/22: Fruit, garland, spirit
12/23: Lights, festival, solstice
Rules:
⚰️SFW and NSFW content is allowed, however you must tag sensitive content appropriately
⚰️Traced, plagiarized and AI works will not be accepted or reblogged
⚰️Tag #vincentweek2023 to be featured
⚰️Work must be Vincent Valentine centric
⚰️Vincent must be recognizable as a character
⚰️You can swap the order of prompts, but not the prompts themselves
⚰️AUs, OCs and collabs are welcome
⚰️Ships are permitted
⚰️You are not obligated to finish the entire week nor do every prompt
Our friends:
@sephesisweek
@shinraholidayparty
#ff7#final fantasy vii#final fantasy 7#final fantasy series#vincent valentine#fan week#ff7r#valentine#compilation of final fantasy vii#dirge of cerberus#ff7 fanfiction#ff7 fanart#ff7 rebirth#ffvii#ffvii rebirth
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So how did the Firsts setting Lazard up on a date go? You mentioned it in an old post, and I'm curious.
Malicious Non-Compliance
wc: 3291
desc: The boys set Lazard up on a date and just have to tag along—in disguise, that is.
n: I used this as a prompt, I hope you don't mind me answering like this!
Zack kept both of his legs propped up on the chair, bracing his chin in the crook of his joint knees. A wad of fanned-out cards between his fingers met his attention. He sniffed, scrunching his eyebrows together.
“Think, Zack, think!” He muttered to himself.
The audible frustration stretched the smile on his opponent’s face. Sephiroth kept his cards facing him with one hand, using the other to drum his fingers on the table, a rhythmic reminder that time did indeed pass in the Corporate Archives, no matter what the stubbornly broken clock on the table told them.
Zack groaned softly, snapping his head up to meet Sephiroth’s expectant flick of his eyebrow.
“Got any twos?” Zack asked.
Sephiroth shook his head. “Go fish.”
Angeal slammed his hand down on the table. “WE’RE PLAYING UNO!”
His outburst was bombarded with a wave of shushes from the nearby tables. Angeal tossed his cards, letting them scatter across the table before splaying his hands in surrender.
“I give up,” he said.
Zack and Sephiroth’s boyish laughter and subsequent high-five marked the moment the Arcive doors squeaked open, letting in a pair of boots that marched purposefully across the floor, kicking the tail of a long coat as they headed straight toward the table.
Genesis was enraged, and one did not need a magical looking-glass to discern that. The red blotched on his cheeks matched the fiery hue of his tousled hair as he plunked himself on the empty seat beside Zack.
“Good evening to you too, Commander.” Angeal smiled.
Genesis’ eyes were unblinking and grave as they glared at him. He crossed his arms, opening his mouth purposefully, in a way that told all three men that they were to be subjected to an avalanche of words.
“Lazard needs a life!” He declared suddenly. “One that doesn’t involve us and certainly has nothing to do with this company!”
“And you came to this conclusion how?” Sephiroth asked.
Genesis replied with an annoyed “tch!” as he turned away from him. “He’s not letting me go to LS8!”
Zack leaned towards Sephiroth’s right. “What’s LS8?” he whispered.
“Some Loveless thing,” Sephiroth shook his head.
Genesis snapped his head toward them, steam practically billowing from his nostrils.
“It’s not some Loveless thing!” he spat. “It’s the Loveless thing. It’s the biggest event of the year. All of this year’s cast members are going to be there, and there will be a screening for the new documentary, and everyone who’s anyone will be there!”
“And you’re not going?” Zack asked.
“I can't go!” Genesis moaned. “Lazard's keeping me from it because of—” he mimicked quotation marks with his fingers, “—my tendency to act improperly and embarrass the company through alcohol-fueled displays.”
Angeal's lips were crooked as he swaged his head from side to side. “He kinda has a point, Gen. You, alcohol and these Loveless parties are usually a recipe for disaster.”
“Maybe!” Genesis parried. “But he has no right to keep me from them! I'm an adult and a commanding officer, I can make my own decisions!”
Zack slumped back in his seat. “You do have a point about Lazard needing a life, though. The man works too much. He needs to have some fun once in a while.”
“I can't argue with that,” Sephiroth signed. “I frequently cross paths with him at odd hours of the morning. Sometimes it's three AM and he's up working.”
Angeal jerked his head back. “What are you doing up at three AM?”
Sephiroth froze. “....Things.”
“Ooh, ominous!” Zack piped up.
“Not it's not!” Genesis snapped. “He just has insomnia and likes to prowl around the building like a wraith!”
Sephiroth looked pleased. “Which you would know because you also have the tendency to galavant about the building at odd hours.”
Zack raised his hand. “Can confirm. I've seen Genesis break into the training room at 2 AM once!”
Genesis grazed with him a mocking look. “Puppy, why were you stalking me at 2 AM?”
Zack pouted. “Kunsel told me you teach secret materia classes and the meetings are in the middle of the night.”
“Gossip and hearsay,” Genesis replied coolly.
“Am I the only one who sleeps around here!?” Angeal snapped.
He began gathering the strewn cards on the table, neatly stacking them together. “But you guys are right. We should do something about it. Give him a break, you know?”
Genesis stretched his back into an arch. “What he really needs is a date. One night with a pretty girl and he'll soften like butter under the sun.”
Angeal considered. “It would be nice to know he has someone.”
“Yeah!” Zack bounced his legs beneath the table—much like a dog wagging its tail. “Can you imagine if Lazard had a girlfriend? He'd let us get away with all sorts of stuff because he'd be too happy to care!”
Sephiroth looked apprehensive. “This doesn't sound right. I believe the right term for this is meddling?”
Genesis rolled his eyes. “It's not meddling if we just introduce him to a woman and let fate weave its tapestry.”
“Alright,” Sephiroth braced his head on his palms. “Who?”
Angeal had known his best friend long enough to know that Genesis' unsettling grin was the calm before any storm.
The redhead crossed his legs, looking off to the side.
“Don't worry. I have someone in mind.”
Director Lazard sits in his office the next day with a chip on his shoulder and a stack of bullshitted Second Class mission reports by his side. He's tempted to chalk up the incompetence to the typical end-of-the-year slog.
But the colorful text on the mission report in his hand at that moment made it impossible.
He sighed, placing the document down and reaching over for his notepad, where he proceeded to jot down a few words.
“Note to self,” he wrote, “confiscate Zack's crayons.”
The glass doors of his office slid open, giving way to Genesis' pompous and irrepressible vibrancy that morning. He marched in with a smile on his face.
“Director, you're going to love me!”
Lazard didn't bother looking up from his writing. “Flattered as I am by your advances, Genesis, I prefer the company of women.”
“Tch!” Genesis pooped himself down on the opposite chair. “Funny you should say that! Do you perhaps know Meg from Urban Development?”
Lazard slid his glasses back onto his nose bridge. “Reeve's assistant.”
“Yeah, her! We got to chatting yesterday, and she couldn't help but mention how charming, sophisticated, and attractive she finds you.”
Lazard's immediate slack jaw was a promising response to Genesis. He found satisfaction in the way the director was rendered speechless by the prospect, his cheeks blotted with red.
“Did she…really say that?”
Genesis nodded eagerly. “She did! So I've taken the liberty of setting you up on a date tonight. You're welcome.”
Lazard frowned. “Tonight? Oh, no. Tonight won't do. I've got too much to do. Some files in the data room have gone missing and I'm the one who must see to it.”
Genesis swung his legs over the arm of the chair, leaning back with a purposefully dramatic and drawn-out sigh.
“What a shame. Oh well, I suppose Rufus will be happy to hear that.”
“Rufus?” Lazard echoed. “Shinra?
“Him,” Genesis folded his arms across his chest. “I hear he's got the eyes for Meg. He's been dying to take her out, but she's been waiting for you to ask her instead. A tragedy, I say. A modern-day soap opera plot. Ah well, I suppose she'll have to settle for the Vice President instead.”
Genesis' crooked tactic worked like a charm.
Lazard chewed his bottom lip, his eyebrows scrunching together in a way that told Genesis that the older man was seriously pondering over it.
“I can…I can postpone a task—just this once!” he added quickly. “It would be rude to cancel a date, after all.”
Genesis stood up at once, so pleased it oozed from every pore on his grinning face. “Good! I'll make sure to email you the details in a bit. Have fun tonight, Director!”
Genesis left the office, stepping out in the hallway and pulling his phone out. “And this is the part where I tell Sephiroth I told you so—OW!”
An object hit him right in the eye. His hand shot up to cover it, the other eye furiously searching for the source of the attack. A lone, purple crayon rolled by his feet.
He turned to see an ongoing scuffle between Angeal and Zack down the hallway. Angeal tried his best to wrestle away a box of scented crayons from Zack's grasp.
“Let go!” Zack whined. “I promise I won't use them anymore!”
“No!” Angeal yelled back. “Not until you tell me where the blueberry-scented one is!”
Zack let himself go limp in Angeal's grasp, his face reddening as he avoided the other man's eyes entirely.
“Did you eat it, Zack!? You ate it, didn't you!?”
Zack squeezed his eyes shut. “You can't prove anything!”
“OH MY GOD!”
Genesis rolled his eyes, choosing to walk away instead of witnessing their debacle.
The Cinnamon Veil was an upscale restaurant in the glitzy area of Sector Seven. The sidewalk outside the bustling establishment was heaving with people, overtaken by a line that wrapped around the building.
Couples stood with their arms linked, common people bedecked themselves in finery and their best clothes, and amidst the excitable crowd ...Was Angeal wearing a fake mustache.
“I gotta admit,” he said, stroking the faux facial hair pensively. “When I previously imagined my Friday night, being married to Genesis was not in my plans.”
Beside him, Genesis adjusted his pencil skirt. His large sunglasses teased the vibrant eye makeup beneath, which complimented his rosy lips.
“Oh, hush!” Genesis smoothed his hair. “And put your arms around me, we’re supposed to be a couple!”
“And what do I do?” Sephiroth’s voice cut in.
Behind them, Sephiroth had been forced into a black T-shirt of a heavy metal band he did not know, eyeliner that stung his waterlines, along with jewelry and fake piercings. A pair of aqua-blue contacts concealed his infamous eyes.
“You’re already doing your part, darling.” Genesis placed his sunglasses on his head. “You’re our rebellious, teenage son. Now stand there and act displeased with our family outing.”
Sephiroth crossed his arms, frowning pointedly. “Understood.”
Angeal and Genesis turned around, looking for any sign of Lazard and Reeve’s assistant, Meg.
Sephiroth piped up again.
“I'm a homosexual.”
Angeal and Genesis snapped back around on cue.
Sephiroth shrugged.
“What? My research tells me that a child revealing their sexual orientation to their parental figures causes a strain in their relationship. It can’t get more rebellious than that.”
“Seph,” Angeal huffed. “Were you dropped on your head as a baby?”
“Yes, several times.”
Angeal and Genesis elected not to respond, slowly turning back around again. Angeal spotted a head of sandy blond hair a few spaces ahead of them.
“Look!” He pointed. “There he is!”
Lazard looked positively radiant as he and Meg talked. Genesis marveled at how stunning of a pair they made, thanking no one but himself for the brilliant start to a courtship, of course. The conversation flowed naturally, and none of them had ever seen Lazard so at ease.
“Aren’t I a genius?” Genesis sighed. “You’ll see. Soon enough, Lazard will be out of our hair and you’ll all be praising me.”
Angeal scratched his fake mustache. “If everything goes smoothly, that is.”
“I want to be held,” Sephiroth said suddenly.
Angeal and Genesis whipped back around.
Sephiroth was unbothered. “I've never had parents before,” he said. “I don’t know how to act.”
Once they were inside the restaurant, they were ushered to their table. Genesis had made sure to book one right across from Lazard and Meg’s, giving them the most optimal view of their date.
“I don’t know about this, Gen,” Angeal muttered, settling into his seat. “Spying makes me uncomfortable. We’re invading his privacy.”
“No,” Genesis corrected him. “We’re making sure Lazard doesn’t blow his chance at love.”
“May I have ice cream for dinner?” Sephiroth asked, thumbing through the menu.
“You can have ice cream for dessert.” Angeal rubbed his temples. “Where’s the waiter?”
As if on cue, a waiter—literally—slid in from their left, his polished shoes squeaking on the floor as he posed.
“Right here!” He flashed them a winning grin.
One curious fact about The Cinnamon Veil was that all of their waiters were required to wear a tawny mask as a part of their uniform—hence the veil. And yet, even a mask was no efficient cover for Zack’s notorious, black spikes and the telling glow of Mako eyes.
“Zack!?” All three of them sputtered in unison.
The Second looked pleased, proudly showing off his vest and bowtie. He placed the pen to his notepad and cleared his throat.
“I’m Zack and I’ll be your server tonight. Can I get you started on the seared scallops? The sole meunière? Or perhaps some ice cream for the kid!”
Genesis’ lips were pressed into a thin line. “What are you doing?” he scolded. “You’re going to ruin everything!”
Zack pouted. “No, I’m not! And F.Y.I., it was mega rude of you to not invite me along.”
Genesis sunk into his seat. “That’s because this is an undercover affair and you’re the poster boy of conspicuity.”
Angeal gestured toward Sephiroth. “Oh, because emo Sephiroth is pure stealth.”
“It’s not a phase, father,” Sephiroth shot back.
Angeal pulled a face.
Zack tucked his pen in the pocket of his apron. “Look, I’m just here to make sure Lazard's date goes well. I want him to be happy just as much as you three, ‘kay? Plus, I hit the jackpot. I’m their server!”
Genesis sat up straight, the color returning to his face. “Oh! What did he order?
Zack replied with a grimace. “Garlic-fried rice.”
“What?” Genesis slapped his hand on the table. “Oh! That man has no game whatsoever! How is he expected to kiss her good night when his breath smells like garlic!?”
Zack held up a hand. “Don’t worry, I took care of it. I switched his order with someone else’s, so I’ll bring him something else. You know how Lazard it! He hates conflict, so he’ll force himself to eat it.”
Zack opened his notepad. “But anyway. What are you guys having?”
Sephiroth looked back down at the menu. “What do you recommend?
“Well, I think—” Zack snapped his head toward another table mid-sentence. “Oh! I gotta jet! I’ll see you in a bit!”
Zack ran off toward another table and began taking their order instead. Angeal sighed, watching his student from across the dining room. He shook his head.
“It’s as if his attention span dwindles by the day. He should be glad he’s a SOLDIER. Real-world jobs are not meant for him.”
Something about his friend’s words struck something in Genesis. The redhead snapped his head towards him, frowning pointedly as he looked from Angeal to Zack scurrying back into the kitchen.
“Goddess, ‘Geal, you’re so harsh with him. He’s doing his best, you know.”
Angeal shrugged, turning back around. “I know, and I am proud of him. But I want him to reach his full potential and I think he lacks the focus it takes to reach it.”
Meanwhile, Sephiroth was the only one who noticed Zack sail out of the kitchen again, this time with Lazard and Meg’s orders ready. He had limited knowledge about the culinary arts, but he did know shrimp pasta when he saw it.
And he also knew how much Lazard detested shrimp.
Sephiroth uncrossed his arms, sitting up. “Um, gentlemen?”
The urgency in Sephiroth’s voice, just like his words, went unnoticed by his friends.
“Yeah,” Genesis continued. “But sometimes it comes off as you not having faith in him.”
“I do have faith in him,” Angeal pressed, clearly annoyed. “If anything, you’re the one who thinks he’s just some Second Class runt who follows us around.”
Sephiroth couldn’t look away from the car crash unfolding right before his eyes. Zack served Lazard and his date their meals, the former looking quite displeased with his order. But it was just like Zack had said, he wasn’t the confrontational type.
“Mother?” Sephiroth tried. “Father?”
Angeal and Genesis ignored him.
“Not true!” Genesis replied, his tone getting more heated by the second. “I adore Zack!”
“Hmm.” Angeal rolled his eyes. “Just like you adore Sephiroth.”
Genesis faked an overdramatic gasp which he emphasized by placing a hand over his heart. “How dare you accuse me of disliking my own child!?”
Meanwhile, Sephiroth watched as Lazard took one bite of his food, then violently spit it back out—right in Meg’s face. Lazard began coughing and spitting food all over the place. Meg’s face was befouled by the bits of shrimp and rice. Her mouth was hanging open in disbelief.
Sephiroth turned back around.
“Gentlemen, I am begging for one second of your attention.”
“NOT NOW!” Genesis snapped at him.
“A-HA!” Angeal pointed an accusatory finger at him. “SEE? NO WONDER I'M THE ONE HE COMES TO WHEN HE'S UPSET, GENESIS! YOU’RE A BITCH!”
“I BEG YOUR PARDON!?” Genesis stood up, making Angeal rise to his feet as well. “TAKING CARE OF HIM IS A JOINT EFFORT, ANGEAL! DON’T UNDERMINE MY PARENTING!”
Meanwhile, Lazard and Megan were actively arguing. Zack tried to work the middle-man role in vain, failing at calming either of them down.
“Our plan is going down the drain here, men,” Sephiroth said.
They continued to ignore him.
“PARENT HIM?” Angeal laughed. “YOU’RE BARELY HIS FRIEND. ALL YOU TWO DO IS ARGUE BECAUSE YOU PICK FIGHTS!”
Genesis grabbed his coat. “WELL, IF WE’RE SUCH A BURDEN TO YOU, ANGEAL, MAYBE WE SHOULD JUST PACK OUR THINGS AND LEAVE!”
Angeal slammed his fist on the table. “YOU’RE NOT GOING TO LEAVE! I WANT A DIVORCE!”
Sephiroth watched helplessly as Lazard ripped away Zack’s mask.
“Oh dear,” Sephiroth whispered.
Sephiroth had heard about the six stages of grief before, and he was almost certain each of them became etched onto Lazard’s face in the span of a single second. Zack awkwardly smiled and waved, which only served as a catalyst to redden the older man’s face and propel his rage.
Sephiroth was nonplussed. “Hm. It appears that, as the youths say, all hell has broken loose.”
Angeal and Genesis persisted in dragging out their squabble.
“MY MOTHER WARNED ME ABOUT YOU!” Genesis shot back. “YOU KNOW WHAT? SINCE YOU’RE THE BETTER PARENT, KEEP HIM! I’M BETTER OFF ON MY OWN ANYWAY!”
Angeal gasped. “YOU CYNICAL ASSHOLE! YOU WON’T EVEN FIGHT FOR CUSTODY? HOW SELFISH CAN YOU BE?”
Sephiroth flinched once Meg grabbed her drink. She threw it in Lazard’s face before promptly walking off. Then Lazard and Zack began to argue, the former grabbing him by the neck and beginning to shake him.
“I might be witnessing a murder,” Sephiroth said.
“I DON’T NEED THIS!” Genesis screamed. “I’M LEAVING! I’M DONE!”
Angeal grabbed his coat. “YEAH, WELL SO AM I!”
Angeal and Genesis went their opposite ways, leaving Sephiroth to watch the fight escalate by the second. He would’ve been more motivated to step in if Zack were in any real danger. But the sight of Lazard thwacking Zack with his own apron was far too entertaining to intervene.
He wondered if Angeal and Genesis were watching.
Sephiroth turned around.
“...”
“Mother?”
“...”
“Father?”
“...”
The sounds of Zack getting disciplined in the background persisted (“Ow! I didn’t know!” Thwack! “Director! I swear I didn’t mean to!” Thwack! “Ow!”) Sephiroth slumped down in his seat, disgruntled.
He crossed his arms over his chest.
“This is just like real life.”
#ff7#ffvii#final fantasy 7#sephiroth#ffvii crisis core#genesis rhapsodos#final fantasy vii#angeal hewley#ff7r#ff7 crisis core#ff7cc#writing#ff7 fic#ff7 fanfiction#zack fair
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Starbucks Write Night 06.23.23
Tonight was a tame one.
Characters: Yazoo & Aerith
Prompt: Arranged Marriage: Royalty
Though dutiful, neither Yazoo Valentine nor Aerith Faremis were blind followers of their parents’ wishes, no matter how beneficial to the empires they would be. They had each requested, in their own ways, to meet their intended. The monarchs agreed, deciding to host a ball to celebrate the coming union of the two kingdoms.
“Mother I…I will be fine,” Yazoo pressed, lifting his mother’s hands from his lapels and gently lowering them to her sides, “I have a valet for a reason.”
“Your valet is an unmarried man who I very much doubt has ever courted a young lady,” Marie sighed, gown rustling as she circled him, adjusting the ribbon that held his hair in place at the nape of his neck, “he doesn’t know what they want to see.”
At his other side, his father gave him a silent once over, a man of few words, and afterwards his eyes followed his wife, flitting and fretting about his son’s appearance.
“The man dresses gentlemen for a living,” he reminded her, “Yazoo is fine.”
“He dresses me for a living,” the prince corrected, “and I’ve never been short on the attentions of young ladies.”
Conceding, the queen stepped back, wringing her hands. They were right. Still, she hadn’t seen Gast and Ifalna in nearly two decades. While they had all remained allies—friends even—neither had seen their respective children firsthand and Marie did not wish to disappoint, especially with this being her first foray into the marriage market as a Mama.
“What if she doesn’t like him?” She whispered, pulling her husband’s arm close as they walked down the corridor, making their way to the ballroom to be announced.
“She’ll like him,” Vincent replied, adding with a mutter, “he’s likable.”
It wasn’t that he thought badly of the other three, but of the three children they had, Yazoo was the most diplomatic, the friendliest despite his initially quiet nature.
The least violent.
A few steps behind his parents, Yazoo kept quiet as he so often did, pretending not to hear what they were whispering about him. He knew he had been a tactical choice and he took a slight offense at the idea that Aerith may not be warm to him and not the other way around.
What if she were ugly? Yazoo was not above pretending he didn’t care about such matters. What if she was uneducated or simple? Like his father, he didn’t speak much, but he did converse when he had something to say or when a topic was of particular interest to him.
Worse yet, what if she was like his mother, and spoke too much?
He thought about how boring it would be to have a wife, a princess who bowed to his every whim, a docile mouse of a woman who might jump at his touch. There were plenty of those at court, bending over backwards to please him in the name of loyalty or admiration.
He was a prince. He always got what he want. Nothing was a challenge.
But when he walked into the ballroom, as the party lowered themselves to the royal family, he saw her. She wasn’t kneeling, much (he noticed) to the distress of her parents, not as low as the partygoers, but respectfully prostrate.
She had found her way onto a decorative flower cart, using it as leverage as she hugged one of the marble columns, watching him with a delighted curiosity as he processed into the event. She didn’t make herself known otherwise and the gown, hair, and jewels all perfectly in place suggested she wasn’t trying to make a rebellious statement, but a playful one.
Yazoo was not so bold, but he smiled ever so slightly as he locked eyes before returning his focus to the thrones before him where he was set to perch until he could escape.
She would not be boring.
Characters: Cloud & Tifa
Prompt: TURK AU
A file came across Cloud’s desk, hand delivered by Rude. When the taller man didn’t step away, Cloud looked up, an annoyed scowl across his face.
“Can I help you?”
Rude pushed the folder closer, not saying anything but encouraging Cloud to open it, which he did, with an annoyed huff. What he saw surprised him and he sat back in his chair, staring at the photo of his childhood best friend.
Did Rude know the connection they had? He didn’t have any particular reason to know, but then again, they were TURKs. It was their job to know everything about everyone.
The objective was to simply observe and report, so Cloud tossed the file back onto the stack he was already sifting through and spun his chair away slightly.
“That’s your mission, isn’t it? If you’re looking for a partner, I’m not interested.”
Still, Rude didn’t move from the desk.
“I thought you might be…given your history?”
So he did know.
“There’s no history,” Cloud clipped, making a show of pushing the file even further back towards his comrade.
“Inseparable as children is an interesting way to say ‘no history’.”
Why was he pushing this? Rude was the one who made a point of keeping his head down, staying silent and doing his job. He was irritatingly chatty today.
“It’s easy to appear close when there’s like three kids in the whole town,” he replied, brushing it off again. “I doubt she’s up to anything interesting. Enjoy your boredom.”
It wasn’t worth pursuing anymore, so Rude took back the folder and said no more. He had been hoping Strife would be the one to accompany him. He’d independently taken up an interest in Tifa Lockhart, learning about her heritage—and her proximity to Cloud—long before the official request to do so had been issued.
It was Rude’s own misfortune that as much as he frequented this bar of hers, a fondness had grown. He’d allowed it. After all, there was nothing in his job description that said pretty bartenders were off limits.
The paperwork under his arm, however now very clearly stated that the particular bartender he pined for was very much off limits, suspected of involvement with AVALANCHE.
Well wouldn’t luck have it that way. He was 0 for 2.
The problem now…if Tifa really was involved in something sinister, he would have to act against her.
He might have to hurt her.
If Strife would join him…it would be easier. Easier to what, he didn’t know. Easier to look the other way? Easier to sabotage a mission based on personal feelings?
Lowering himself down into his chair, Rude let out a sigh. He’d have to have Reno come. This was the first time he didn’t want to involve Reno and he felt guilty for it, straddling the line of friendship, love, and business all at once.
Was it love? Well maybe he wouldn’t go so far, but he felt strongly enough to keep Reno in the dark about it.
It wasn’t an hour later that a shadow came over his desk, not a particularly large one, but when he looked up, Cloud was there, unsmiling.
“Fine.”
It was all he said, but before he walked away, he swiped up the mission file and Rude felt a weight lift off of his chest. Tifa Lockhart would be safe under their watch, whether she deserved it or not.
#while the prompts weren't wild the activity at starbucks was#always some interesting characters downtown#cloud strife#tifa lockhart#Aerith Gainsborough#rude of the turks#final fantasy vii#ffvii fanfiction#ffvii fanfic#ff7 fanfic#ff7 fanfiction
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Chasing Shadows chapter 1 has been posted! I consider this chapter as more of a prologue, since it eases us back into the characters, plot, and the story so far.
Enjoy! 💐
➡️Fandom: FF7
➡️Rating: T
➡️Ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/chapters/140194330#work_endnotes
➡️FF: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/14347954/1/Chasing-Shadows
#writing#fanfic#ao3#author#ao3 fanfic#cloud strife#ff7 fanfic#ff7 fanfiction#cloti#ff7r#zerith#cissnei#zack x aerith#ff7 remake#ff7#final fantasy vii remake#final fantasy 7#final fantasy rebirth#cloud x tifa#cissnei x kunsel#reno x rude#tseng x elena#fanfic writing#fanfics#fanfiction#archive of our own#ao3 writer
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