~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Chapter Eleven: Melody

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Dude, why are you staring at me like that?" Zack was wearing a very uncomfortable look on his face.

Kunsel was peering at Zack with sharp eyes. "You should know me by now, Zack. I like to know everything, and there's something with you, that you're not telling me." He leaned in closer, but Zack just leaned further back into the leather couch, trying to escape Kunsel's ever intense stare.

"Seriously, there's nothing going on. And seriously, you need to stop looking at me like that." He relaxed as Kunsel eventually obeyed, and just opted for plopping himself down on Zack's couch next to him instead.

Kunsel let out a suspiciously content sigh as he kicked his legs up onto the coffee table, folding his hands behind his head. "It's cool," he chirped, nonchalantly. "I figured it out anyway, right now."

"Right now?"

"Yep," he said, stretching. "I have you all figured out, my friend."

Zack laughed, the tendril of hair that hung in his face swinging across his eyes as he shook his head. "Can't imagine what you could've figured out seein' as there's NOTHING to figure out to begin with." He leaned forward and grabbed a bottle of water off his table and took a short swig of it. "I'm no different than any other time you see me."

"And that's exactly why I know something is up," Kunsel said confidently.
More laughter from Zack, almost spitting out the sip of water he just took into his grinning mouth. "What are you possibly basing this on?"

Kunsel frowned thoughtfully, his hand stroking his narrow chin as he stared off at the front door. "You seemed unusually happy this morning when I spoke with you on the phone."

"Don't I always?"

"Yes, but this morning was different. You just got back from your mission at the Icicle Inn. I heard about what happened to Essai and Sebastian." He looked to Zack, his hazel eyes conveying his condolences, but he tried to keep the conversation lighthearted with his cunning smile. "When you're upset about something, I can always tell because your voice is a lot lower, and about three decibels softer. And when you talk, there's a downward inflection to your words which suggests something is bothering you."

"I'm filing a restraining order against you."

Kunsel laughed heartily, but ignored this comment as he continued. "I know that there's something up. So go on, confess to your ol' pal Kunsel what's making you smile so big." He turned his head, his own smile creeping back across his face, trying to urge Zack into spilling his secret.

Zack just laughed a bit nervously, but tried to play it off as feigned annoyance. "I've got nothing to tell you, Kunsel. There's nothing going on with me."

"You just lost two of your close friends, and you're telling me there's nothing going on behind that smile?"

Zack's eyebrows furrowed as he looked away from Kunsel to the television in front of him. He suddenly felt very guilty for the obvious joy he had been riding on with his growing situation with Cloud, while merely a few days earlier his friends had died in his arms.

Kunsel frowned then, realizing what he had said. "Hey, you don't have to tell me anything, Zack." He reached out and gave him a small punch on the shoulder. "I shouldn't question you."

Zack shook his head. "No, it's okay. I'm...just..." he began, but stopped as Kunsel was leaning towards him in anticipation, as if he had finally cracked Zack's will.

"...Yes?" Kunsel urged.

"Will you give it a rest!?" Zack said, while laughing.

"Zack Fair, you will tell me about this new lady of yours!"

Zack sputtered, refraining from laughing at Kunsel's oblivious accusation that it was a woman that was making him so elated. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Kunsel folded his arms across his chest, shrugging confidently. "Lie to me all you want, Fair. I'm not moving from this spot until you either admit you've got a new girlfriend, or that girl herself shows up knocking on your door wantin' a piece of you."

"You've gotta be kidding me." Zack scoffed, shaking his head.

"One or the other, buddy."

Zack fell silent, chewing on his bottom lip nervously. His eyes fell over Kunsel, who was just leaning back against the couch staring intently into the door as if he were expecting someone to just manifest from his hopes alone and knock on the door.

Kunsel was one of his best friends, but Zack didn't think that he would ever understand or even accept his relationship with Cloud. He'd probably scare Kunsel away, despite their loyalty to each other's friendship. Then again, Zack wasn't even really sure what type of relationship he had with Cloud to begin with. Things were a little unclear. All that he knew was that he was quite content with whatever was going on with the blond boy.

And as if all that intense staring from Kunsel had actually worked, there was a knock at the door.

Kunsel jumped to his feet roughly, thrusting his arm out at the door in the most excited fashion Zack had ever seen him in. "I knew it! Who is she? Is it Aerith again!?"

Zack scowled, heaving himself off the couch angrily at the conveniently timed knock. He stomped over to the door and motioned for Kunsel to sit back down as his hopes were soon to be dashed rather quickly.

"Oh. It's just Cloud," Kunsel said as the door was opened to reveal a disheveled-looking blond on the other side. He plopped back down on the couch with a very, very heavy and defeated sigh.

"S-sorry." Cloud lowered his head, but his eyes were still cast up and looking at Zack worriedly. "I didn't know you had company."

"It's just me, Cloud. C'mon in." Kunsel kicked his leg up onto his knee and leaned back.

"Yeah." Zack narrowed his eyes at Cloud, looking him over. He looked as if he had dressed himself in a rush, as his shirt was caught inside the waist of his pants, and his normally spiky hair was wet and matted into his face. His shoes were even untied. Zack took notice of the civilian clothes he was wearing, and forgot that his liberty had started, as Kunsel mentioned. He was wearing just a simple black t-shirt that greedily clung to his forming muscles in his chest over a pair of dark wash jeans. Zack licked his lips unconsciously at the sight. He hadn't really seen him much in civilian clothes, let alone with his hair dripping wet and plastered against his face.

Zack wondered if this was what Cloud would look like after a long night of passionate sex. He cleared his throat, realizing that he was staring a bit too long and a bit too hungrily at him. He stepped aside and waited for Cloud to enter.

And he did with a nod, and kicked off his white sneakers he wore that were barely broken in, as he didn't get to wear them often. Either that, or Cloud was just being his usual neat-freak self and kept them incredibly clean. And that neat freak placed them so tidily next to Kunsel's boots.

Kunsel frowned at Cloud, who had his eyes glued to the floor in a very sheepish manner. He lifted an eyebrow at him. "Something wrong, Cloud?"

Cloud's head shot up, unaware of the apparently distressed look he wore, and gave a very superficial smile. "N-no sir. I just came by to..." He trailed off, unprepared with an excuse. His face fell immediately.

"What happened?" Zack peered into Cloud's face, frowning at him.

"Nothing, sir." Cloud shook his head, and Zack only rolled his eyes at the lie, and the formality in front of Kunsel.

"I'll tell you what happened." Kunsel stood up and walked to Cloud with his arms still folded against his chest. "Graves and Ratcliff were fighting, weren't they?"

Cloud shook his head quickly, not wanting to rat out his two friends to their superior. He knew they would be in trouble with Kunsel, and possibly lose their liberty, if not more, for getting into a confrontation. "No, sir. They weren't. I just..." Trailed off again, once again unprepared.

"Those idiots are always bickering about something. They must've done something stupid to get you this pissed." Kunsel sighed, walking over to the door as he bent down and gathered up his boots. "I'll go check it out. Don't worry, Cloud, I won't let them know it was you who said anything."

"Kunsel-" Zack began as Cloud stiffened, but Kunsel cut him off.

"Yeah, yeah. Don't worry, Zack. You don't know these two morons as well as I do. I'll find out that something happened, whether or not Cloud says anything anyway. I'm sure one of them is bruised up. Bruises tell all, right Cloud?" He motioned down to the fading love bite Zack had left him on their first night together, and Cloud's hand was slapped to his neck in shock.

"S-sir!" He forgot that his neck was exposed out of uniform.

"It's okay Cloud, at least someone is getting some action around here." He finished tying his boots and he stood, grabbing for the door handle.

Zack frowned at Kunsel angrily, but this just invited rude laughter from the man.

"I will find out about it eventually Zack. I always do, you should know that by now." And he shut the door behind him, his devious laughter fading down the hallway as he left.

Zack let out a very frustrated groan, and pinched his fingers over the bridge of his nose in annoyance. "That freakin' idiot."

"What was that all about, Zack?" Cloud looked up to the irritated man worriedly.

He just shook his head, smiling after his hand was dropped from his face. "Nothing, buddy. Don't worry about it. He's just being weird," he assured, placing his hand on Cloud's shoulder in a brotherly fashion.

Brotherly until he realized that they were alone, and the memory of their kiss from the night before flooded back into his mind. And Cloud must have realized this too, as his face was flushed from behind wet bangs, his lips moistened.

The hand on Cloud's shoulder turned into a gentle rubbing motion, no longer stationery. "Hey," Zack began, his voice low and almost sultry. "You okay?"

Cloud just nodded silently, shifting his body to face Zack fully. "Yeah, they were just...being stupid. It'll blow over." Cloud nodded to himself. "It always does."

"You don't look like you believe what you're saying."

Cloud laughed shortly, and he found himself stepping into Zack's touch even more as it deepened. His eyes closed quickly as Zack's other hand joined in the rubbing on Cloud's other shoulder.

"You're tense," Zack muttered, his eyes watching as Cloud swayed along with the kneading motions on his shoulders. Cloud's tongue darted out and licked his lips. This made Zack purr inaudibly as he took one step closer to the boy, and they were soon bathing in each other's body heat. He arched his fingers up, bringing the taut muscles into his skilled hands, and then slid them down deep along his body. His past lovers always complained to him that his massages were too rough, but Cloud seemed to be enjoying the intensity. He rubbed him for a few minutes, slowly feeling Cloud beginning to melt under his touch.

"They really got you upset, didn't they?" he finally whispered, leaning his head down to Cloud as he spoke.

An unintelligible murmur was Cloud's response as he stood there moving with Zack's rubbing, his eyes closed peacefully on his face. Zack ceased his massage on the boy's shoulders to lean in and give him a kiss on the lips just as Cloud's eyes flew open to see why he had stopped the relaxing touch. He gasped into Zack's mouth as the first image he saw was of the handsome SOLDIER inches away from him.

And those eyes closed once more as Zack continued to kiss him tenderly. Very steady paced, very calm. Each unhurried kiss sent waves of soft feelings into both of them, conveying the bottled up affection they had for each other.

Cloud's heart began to beat hard with each suckling sound of their lips as they moved. He wrapped his arms around the man's body as their kiss began to deepen in a relaxed pace that was both teasing and maddeningly enjoyable.

Zack softened under Cloud's embrace and he let his hands slide up from his shoulders to hold the sides of his face. Zack's muscles twitched slightly as the cold feeling of Cloud's wet hair touched the skin on his hands, and he slid them up further to play with the strands that hung carelessly about. This touch caused Cloud to faintly moan into Zack's mouth, and Zack replied with one of his own. How he just loved to hear this boy make noises. It drove him absolutely nuts, and it showed as his tongue pushed straight into Cloud's open mouth with a sense of hunger and early signs of lust.

Cloud arched his back, almost pulling away from him as he did so, but Zack's firm grasp in his hair held him where he belonged. He relaxed once more, allowing his tongue to push back, meeting that sense of hunger that filled his mouth, with one of his own. This was followed by another subdued moan, and his hands began to roam Zack's broad back.

An inviting feeling, and Zack mimicked this by letting his tongue roam down Cloud's neck.

Cloud threw his head back and leaned backwards. Zack had to slide one hand behind him to keep him from falling while he kept the other hand gripping into his hair. He began to trail wet kisses down the side of Cloud's neck as he faced the ceiling, squirming under his touch.

And Zack could feel the vibrations against his lips as Cloud let out a rather loud moan then.

Zack nipped the flesh in response, a fire being lit in his body by the seductive sound. He began to lustfully quicken his kisses, mixing in a lapping of his tongue across the heated skin, responding with each sound Cloud made with a combination of his own and an onslaught of pecks and suckling. His hand released its grip from the boy's hair as Cloud began to crane his neck to the side to allow access to Zack's advances.

Now Zack's hands were beginning to skim across the boy's shoulders and chest. It was timid at first, easing his touch along with the intensity of their kiss, testing Cloud to see if he would react negatively to his advances like he feared he would. But Zack was reassured when Cloud began to move his hips against Zack's, thrusting into him with a carnal instinct that he couldn't control even if he knew how. This caused Zack to respond by releasing a lustful growl from his throat as he began tugging at the bottom of Cloud's shirt.

"Up," Zack breathed, removing his lips from the boy's neck momentarily to speak. "Arms up."

Cloud obeyed and his vision was blocked by his shirt being removed over his head roughly. It was tossed aside to the coffee table carelessly as Zack began to push back on the boy, urging him to move to the couch.

But Cloud stood there quietly, and Zack pulled his head back to look at him. He had a look of apprehension mixed with a look of need and desire. His cheeks were flushed with uncertainty, and embarrassment.

Zack chuckled at this expression as his eyes darted down to the boy's exposed chest. He looked so frail at the moment as his shoulders were curled inwards as if trying to hide in himself. Zack had seen him without his shirt on during training, but the aura of the situation was different now, the circumstances of his partially nude body taken to a whole new context.

But that uncertain face changed to nothing short of bliss as Zack leaned down, beginning to trail kisses down his neck to his collarbone. He nibbled a bit at the bone and he could feel the boy beginning to weaken in his grasp.

"Sit down," Zack whispered, coaxing the boy to sit on the couch, which he finally did after a few more pecks at his flesh from the man.

Cloud leaned back, his eyes darting across Zack's with piqued interest. But they closed as Zack sat down next to him and swiftly leaned his head in and flicked his tongue across one of Cloud's nipples.

"Z-Zack!" Cloud tried to squirm away, but strong hands gripped each shoulder possessively, holding him there as he continued to swirl his tongue over the raised flesh. He enclosed his mouth around it, pinching it between his teeth, flicking his tongue along it sensually. He released it after a moment of suckling and he sat back, staring down at the boy who was now slouching over to the side mindlessly under his touch.

So Zack gently pushed him down, and Cloud followed his silent command, nestling himself down into the cushions with glazed eyes. He seemed to buck his hips slightly, thrusting into the air as Zack shifted between his legs. He hovered above him for a moment, taking in the boy's expression of unbridled lust.

Cloud's eyebrows were arched, his eyes heavy-lidded, his chest rose and fell with each nervous breath. Zack could tell Cloud was unsure of what was going to happen, but held a look of excitement behind each small whimper he let out into the air as Zack's hands began to move down to the top of his jeans.

As his fingers latched onto the button, he gave Cloud a glance to find that he had a small smile etched at the corners of his mouth.

"Is this okay, Cloud?" Zack said sweetly before he leaned down and began to kiss Cloud's stomach lightly.

Cloud moaned a reply, arching his back into the touch of his lips that began to move south on his body. He gasped as Zack darted his tongue into his navel, and gave a short laugh while writhing.

"S-stop!" He tittered breathlessly, but soon began to moan once more as the tongue did quite the opposite, and circled the navel playfully.

A chuckle escaped Zack's parted mouth. His hands gripped Cloud's waist, trying to hold him down as he wiggled, but this only caused him to react with more suppressed laughter.

"I didn't know you were ticklish," Zack said, delving his tongue into his navel once more.

Cloud bucked his hips, his erection brushing up against Zack's throat teasingly, for both parties involved. This caused Zack to flick the button on his jeans, and they opened. The tongue was removed from the navel and began to trail down towards the top of his jeans.

"W-what are you doing?" Cloud said breathlessly, panicked, as he lifted his head.

Zack smiled up at him, his eyes glowing in a show of assurance. "If you're not comfortable, just tell me. I'll stop immediately."

"B-but what are you doing?" he said again, watching as Zack's hand began to rub his inner thigh.

That was when Zack realized he really must not have known what he was about to do, or maybe there was a small chance he was feigning innocence, just to be cute. Zack laughed at the boy warmly, his teeth flashing that smile. "I'm not really sure myself, but let's see where it goes. Only if it's okay with you." He watched as the boy nodded, shifting against the couch nervously.

The rubbing hand was removed from the thigh and slowly traced over to the bulge in Cloud's pants. He lowered his hand slowly, his eyes darting up to Cloud's face cautiously as he did this. No signs of resistance or fear, so the hand began to rub him gently.

And Cloud's head was lifted from the couch in a gasp, his eyes widening, but then closing, unsure of what to do. This made Zack laugh inaudibly as he planted a few kisses on his lower stomach before unzipping Cloud's jeans slowly.

It came naturally for Cloud then, as he immediately lifted his hips up so Zack could shimmy his pants down to his thighs. He could tell Cloud was becoming bashful as he was slowly undressed, so he decided to keep as much clothing on the boy as possible to ensure his comfort in the new situation.

Zack lowered his head down, his lips brushing up against the fabric of Cloud's boxer-briefs, taking in the scent of laundry soap and the scent of pre-come soaking into the fibers. Zack kissed Cloud's confined erection, his heart beginning to pound in his chest over the realization of his actions. He hoped that he could remember some of the things Ratcliff had told him in the car ride, as he was usually the one receiving a blowjob, and not giving one.

"You okay, Cloud?"

All that was received as a reply were a few rapid and eager nods of a blond head. Zack's hands began to smooth over Cloud's heaving stomach as he kissed his arousal a bit faster now, trying not to laugh as Cloud responded with needy thrusts and sultry whimpers. He finally hooked his fingers under the hem and began tugging.

Cloud was trembling now, and Zack could feel this through the couch as he once more lifted his hips, allowing Zack to expose him fully. Cloud's head suddenly turned to the side, burying his face into the back of the couch in a shamed and embarrassed reaction to Zack's interested response to his member.

Zack found himself licking his lips at the sight of the stiff shaft laying across Cloud's lower stomach in a soft pillow of blond hair. He hesitated at first, but he had seen his past lovers do this for him, and he knew what felt good and what he liked as a man receiving a blowjob.

After a moment of hesitation, Zack's tongue delved in, starting at the base of Cloud's member and trailed upwards to the flesh under the bottom peak of the head.

"Zack!" Cloud said, involuntarily pulling himself away as he lifted his head. "W-what was that!?"

"I believe that was my tongue," he replied, matter-of-factly. Zack grinned as his mouth hovered above Cloud's hot member, and he pushed him back down onto the couch. Slowly and passionately Zack resumed passing his tongue along the flesh as if he were sensually and teasingly licking an ice cream cone.

Cloud just murmured some incoherent words before ultimately choking out another gasp as Zack guided the tip of his member into the hot confines of his mouth. Cloud's head dropped back down onto the couch lifelessly.

Hot; wet; hot; wet. That was all Cloud was able to muster in his mind as Zack's mouth began to slowly bob along his rigid erection.

Zack pressed his lips down against the hot organ, applying a gentle suction as he moved. He kept one hand at the base of Cloud's member while the other began to massage his inner thigh through the jeans that were wrapped around him still. They seemed to be bothering Cloud as he tried to spread his legs farther apart, but didn't voice any displeasure over it, as nothing but lengthy moans escaped his throat.

Zack hummed a reply to the wonderful noises he was making, and smiled with Cloud's member in his mouth. He began to slide his hand in time with his moving head and this caused Cloud to arch against the couch.

"Zack!" he said loudly, his head shaking side to side in time with the heavy breaths being released from his chest. "S-shit..."

Another sultry hum from Zack as he lowered his head completely down onto Cloud, to where his lips and nose were buried in the soft tuft of hair below his stomach. The hand that was on his thigh was removed and he reached down, cupping Cloud's testicles as he began to suck him deeply. He stroked them tenderly, and this caused Cloud to buck his hips with a startled whimper.

Cloud pried open his eyes to view this, attempting to make a mental note, but was soon denied any brain impulses or thought patterns as all of his energy was focused on the unrestrained cries he was emitting into the apartment, and to the unbelievable sensation in his groin.

Zack's hot tongue began to swirl the head in his mouth slowly, as his hand on the shaft stroked him faster. His saliva acted as a heated lubricant on Cloud, and this caused glorious sounds to be sung by the writhing and fidgeting boy as Zack's hand continued to stroke him.

He could feel the muscles in Cloud's thighs around Zack's body tighten, and the member in his mouth beginning to stiffen even more. He could taste the salty flavor of pre-come in his mouth, but he ignored the odd taste as he continued to pleasure the squirming blond beneath him.

"Z-Zack...I'm....I'm..." Cloud couldn't finish his sentence as a combination of moans and cries came from him in a swarm of ecstasy. He began to toss his head frantically as the lust he felt broke down the confining walls of his self inhibitions, and he reached down, shoving his hands deep into Zack's hair.

Zack could feel him attempting to pry him from his member as he began to reach his limit. He uttered cries of protest from his throat, but the deep thrusting of his hips into Zack's mouth negated any verbal plea from the boy.

Breathless cries, heavy moans, fingers squeezing into the hair of the head that moved so hungrily against him. Cloud arched his back on the couch one last time, before his vision was engulfed in a tingling darkness, and the room was filled with an ear-shattering holler.

Zack let out a short and surprised noise as Cloud released into his mouth with multiple shudders. He could feel the pulse of the member in his mouth as he came, and his senses were muddled with the flavor of passion and release. His hand began to slow in time with the dissipating thrusts Cloud was managing through the bliss, and Zack soon removed his mouth from the softening member with an accomplished smile.

Cloud's eyes were quite glazed. He was shuddering violently against the couch in the aftermath, his hands slowly dropping down to his side lifelessly. His hair was still matted against his face, but from sweat now, as it ran teasingly across his flushed skin.

"Za...ck..." he choked out, his eyes blinking lazily.

Zack wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, his stomach turning a bit from the foreign substance, but he ignored it as he crawled up to Cloud, nuzzling his face with his nose.

Cloud turned his head quickly into him, beginning to plant feverish kisses against his lips crookedly through the depleting high he was riding on. He missed Zack's lips a few times as he could no longer keep his head upright, and it slumped off into the back of the couch with the remaining moans that were flowing from him.

Zack chuckled quietly, reaching down and tugging his underwear back up to his waist, as Cloud was finally coming back to his senses and was more than aware of his exposed body.

"Can you talk?" Zack said through a broad smile as he shimmied the jeans back up and buttoned them for him. He was blushing terribly now, and it was rather endearing. Zack began to zip the pants as well, but as his hand brushed against Cloud's member, he reacted with a terrible shudder, followed by a small breathless laugh. Zack pulled his hands away, smiling. "Ticklish again?"

Cloud just shook his head, his hands now covering his face in a bit of shame.

"C'mere," Zack said, his voice a loving tone. He reached down and grabbed Cloud's wrists, tugging on him gently. "Sit up."

He mindlessly obeyed, and Zack could feel his weakened muscles trembling as he did so. He collapsed forward into Zack's chest. "Zack..." he murmured into him.

Amused lips kissed the top of his head as he wrapped his arms around the boy. "Yep," he simply said to the mindless repeat of his name. He caressed Cloud's bare back and it caused Cloud to bury his face against Zack's body.

"Was that okay, Cloud?" Zack muttered into his hair after he kissed him several more times. Cloud's hair was beginning to dry now and it was perking back up into its usual spikes. Zack nuzzled his face into him, breathing in the smell of his shampoo.

"I...uh..." Cloud stammered, his face plastered against Zack's body sheepishly. "T-that...that was...um..."

Zack just smiled at him, smoothing his hands over Cloud's bare shoulders.

"I...think I need to lie down again..."

"Take a nap then," Zack said, pulling back a bit to take in the sated features of the boy in his arms.

"But...what about..." Cloud glanced down to the erection pressing against him from Zack. "...Well..." He blushed furiously, too bashful at that point to mention Zack's arousal verbally.

Zack just laughed at him, lowering him back down onto the couch as he seemed to falter from exhaustion. "Don't worry about me, okay?" He leaned in, catching Cloud's lips with his in the last remaining bit of suggestive lust that flowed through him. Cloud had had enough for one day, he assumed. "Close your eyes, Cloud."

Cloud nodded, and did as he was told. "Will you be here?" he murmured.

Zack waited until he was sure the boy was asleep before he frowned sadly at him. "Sorry, Cloud." He gave one last kiss to the boy on his forehead. "I have to say goodbye."


~*~*~*~*~*~*~


...To be continued in Chapter Twelve: Stay.