Chapter Text
Pins and Needles
At any age, there was always something to fear. As a toddler, the fear of walking and crawling around large furniture had certainly seemed scary at the time. Kindergarten was horrific at first, as were the rest of the school years in a crowd of unknown faces.
Moving was always genuinely nerve wracking, and being the new kid on the block hadn’t always been easy to cope with. Adjustments and growing accustomed to change was the single most difficult journey one could take, and time never changed it.
Puberty and high school were dramatic and scary in their own ways for an omega, but that fear always reached a short reprieve before it started again. Graduation was an enjoyable phase, somewhat associated with tears when parting ways with dear friends. Perhaps they would cross paths again one day, but to embark on one’s unique journey was always significant to the individual and couldn’t ever be shared with and understood collectively.
After weeks of nervously awaiting a reply, Cloud Strife was thrown from a frightened place again into fond joy when he received an acceptance letter from the University of Midgar. Unfortunately, the grand news came to an end when the twenty year old realized it would be rather impossible to make the seven hour commute daily.
It was again time for horrific change when he understood he had to leave his birth town of Nibelheim. Another stage of life significantly marked by moving on, but one he had to journey by himself.
Teary-eyed as his parents, he waved at them both as they stood in the driveway to see him off that morning. Casting what he hoped wasn’t too much of a broken glance at them from the rear-view mirror, he backed out of the street and drove forth with a heavy heart.
The entire night before, his parents had helped him pack, far too supportive and equally concerned. Cloud was their only child, and now, he was on his own, though he assured his mother that he’d call and video chat every night after classes.
Driving faster than he wanted when images of her beautiful face flashed within his mind, Cloud tried to distract himself by fiddling with the radio of his old car. It was technically his father’s, but one he’d given Cloud as a parting gift.
The vehicle smelled distinctly of his parents and their home cooked meals, to which Cloud rolled down a few windows and allowed fresh air to billow inside the tiny space. If he was to drive on for over seven hours, he didn’t wish to do so in tears as he was struck with every connection and reminder of home.
The late summer warmth seeped in, though not immediately assisting with removing and scrubbing away all the familiar, comfortable odors. The process indeed would be gradual and somewhat painful given his extraordinarily close bond and loving relationship with his parents, but he had no other choice. This was all a part of growing up…growing up meant letting some things go.
According to the weather report, some seasonal thunderstorms would be floating in from the West by Tuesday evening, lasting for half the week. Wisely, Cloud had departed on Sunday morning, and he would use the rest of his time indoors unpacking and setting up in the student dorms anyway rather than moping about.
Unable to find a radio station he liked or music to focus on, Cloud instead focused on cautiousness applied to his driving. It was mayhem in the summer season, and today was no different. The roads were congested as he worked his way through mid-afternoon traffic and merged onto the quotidian traffic that would lead him past Modeoheim. Enormous monoliths rose and poked up throughout the steepest edges of the town; quite the generous view to relish. Far into this wondrous season of such growth, there were faint traces and stubborn bits of icy crests embellishing the largest and farthest mountain tops.
Gazing at the snowy tops of the mountains surrounding the icy town, Cloud began feeling a rising, vertiginous lump in his throat as he tried to focus on the road. Of all times to entertain doubts, he vaguely wondered if he’d made the right choice.
There were plenty of other universities around Nibelheim that offered law programs he could’ve applied to and been accepted by. To travel to this distant location was rather uncomfortable, as he was leaving his friends and family behind to live in a new city all on his own. Still, he reminded himself that it wasn’t going to be a forever plan anyway. In a couple months, he would be coming back for holidays, study breaks, and loads of other opportunities for visits.
This was more for his own good to seek independence, regardless of other close universities he could’ve easily applied to.
With a rueful sigh, Cloud leaned forward and turned on the radio once again. According to his GPS, he still had to drive for over five hours just to find shelter. He planned on spending the night in a lousy motel that fit his limited budget, much too drowsy from tossing and turning all night before. The weather didn’t help, as it was hot and humid, almost thirty degrees Celsius. The air conditioning in the old car wasn’t the greatest, but the windows partially rolled down helped, letting the warm wind whip through the car languidly.
Two and a half hours later, Cloud found himself too hungry to keep going. Pulling up at a gas station in the densely populated town of Tail Feather, the temperature here was even higher as he opened his car door and stepped outside. Wincing, he discovered his back had started to cramp from sitting for so long. Softly groaning, he leaned away from the car, enjoying fresh air and stretching before moving to the pump.
Gas prices were always high during the heat of the summer season, and the expenditure on his bills wasn’t helpful for someone starting out on their own. Spending far over ten gil per litre was a true dent in his already dwindling bank account credits. Sucking it up as best as he could, Cloud used some angry force to place the nozzle into the gas tank as he tried to ignore what the bill would look like soon. Filling it all the way was his only option, as much as he hated the crappy gas mileage on the old vehicle.
When the pump eventually clicked off, he returned the nozzle and climbed back into the car. Taking note of the time, he realized it was now getting close to five in the evening. Yearning for a decent meal before he paid in the building up ahead, Cloud pulled out a sandwich and opened a can of soda. Stretching his legs out onto the dashboard, he munched silently before taking a sip from the fizzy drink. Pulling a sickened face since it was clearly ruined due to remaining inside the heated car for a few hours already, Cloud abandoned his bubbling drink and thought of the rest of his trip while finishing his food.
He still had to cross at least two different highways, and the strenuous drive from one town to the other would be extremely tedious, to say the least. Despite the amazing mountain vistas, he seriously found himself wanting to get there faster, however, end of summer congestion on the crowded highways meant many simpletons a few cars ahead would be holding everyone up.
Espying a few individuals already, Cloud watched a small family of four refilling the van gas tank, the energetic children in the back swinging around as they sang loudly. Their exhausted mother refilled the gas tank, the father helping himself to a bag of chips inside the gas station while his eager family waited for his return.
A few other people stopped for gas as well, but Cloud chose to keep to himself when he turned and stared out to the right. He was instantly met with the sight of a tall man leaning against the driver’s door of a crappy, black Sedan. The man was a bit on the pale side, smoking a cigarette as he stared at his own feet with rather aimless ambition presented in his veneer and body language.
Wearing dark combat boots, dark jeans slightly torn and worn out to match with a black, leather jacket that sat down to his long thighs midway, he possessed many unique features and stood out among the regulars at the gas station. Skin smooth and rather bright, he had long, silver hair cascading down to his back, swaying in the light wind. Cloud wasn’t able to get a closer look at him, but the guy was much taller than him, leaner, and rather annoyed.
Perhaps sensitive to being stared at, his head shot up and he looked right at Cloud. Their eyes instantly locked, as though the other male had received a map directly to Cloud’s thoughts.
Swallowing nervously, Cloud only held eye contact for three seconds before he felt scalded. The emerald eyes of the stranger scorched through his azure eyes, sending a churlish, burning sensation into his spine. The back of his skull even ached, leaving Cloud wondering if the other man had somehow burned holes into his bones.
Massaging the back of his head, Cloud gulped again before turning midway about and glancing over a shoulder at his container of pills and heat suppressants. Terror associated with his body reacting to other alphas hadn’t prevented him from being so bold as to apply to live on his own either, and he refused to let it seize control over himself, now.
Courage in tow, he began collecting bread crumbs and his messy wrapper. Gripping it in a clammy fist, he then exited his vehicle, credit card slightly withdrawn from his wallet. Sneakers scraping across the cracked concrete, he held his head down before he realized he was behaving quite submissively.
Passing the other parked cars, though he was far from the stranger glaring at him while smoking away, Cloud wondered how and why this person he didn’t even know exuded so much authority and aggression over him. Truth be told, Cloud hadn’t even seen him since he’d been parked closer to the far right of the parking lot of the gas station. The odd man blended in quite well with the small crowd of tourists, their obvious foibles and nettlesome behavior drowning out his silent demeanor. Even if he were an alpha, these mannerisms were rather disturbing and unbecoming for being out in public…
Discarding those thoughts since they didn’t matter, Cloud waited patiently in line after entering the gas station, doing whatever he could not to peek out at the odd man again. Somehow, every fiber of his being wanted to do that, and he really had to struggle with his bizarre nature just to occupy his mind with other thoughts before it was his turn to pay for gas.
Awkwardly greeting the employee on the other side of the counter, Cloud held his credit card up, ready to swipe it into the Ingenico terminal machine, when the door of the gas station opened.
Bells chiming to signify the accompaniment of feet padding around even drew the attention of the employee forth. Nodding over at someone behind Cloud, his distracted state lasted when Cloud was nudged slightly aside as a warm body brushed against his own.
“Uh, sir?” Laughing more so out of apprehension, the employee grunted, “I’m with a customer right now…if you want to just—”
“My car broke down. Can I make a quick call for a tow truck by any chance?”
Perking up, Cloud shockingly discovered that the aggressive aura had somehow forced him into submission yet again. Unbeknownst to himself, he hadn’t even glanced up to see who’d so rudely shoved him aside. While he normally never hesitated to call out bad manners and fight for his own rights, he had to shut his mouth when his eardrums allowed in the rather eerie, yet mellisonant voice.
Courage diffluent, Cloud repressed a squeak when he caught long, silver hair flowing around the tall, athletic frame of the stranger with piercing, green eyes.
Discombobulated as he was, the employee didn’t dare treat the white-haired male with any shred of discountenance. Aiming to swiftly deracinate a solution, he spoke softly, “Err, sorry sir, we removed our pay phones and I don’t feel comfortable with giving anyone my personal phone.”
Fed up with indolence from the evasive employee, the man with myrtle eyes hissed, “It’s just for a few seconds, Jesus Christ!”
“No can do…sorry.” Finally nodding at Cloud, he tapped the counter and gestured at the card terminal. “Go on.”
Mussitation rose out of the other man, but Cloud even had to conclude that the way he was treated was rather unfair. Sliding his card in and punching his pin number to process the payment, he didn’t even budge as the stranger paced around a few feet away. Mumbling under a strained breath the entire time, he kept up with a diogenic attitude before shaking his head and moving to the door again.
“Enjoy the rest of your day, kid.”
Having failed to hear the parting words, Cloud slowly placed his credit card back into his wallet, eyes tracing the outline of the tall stranger by the door the entire time.
Feeling pity for the guy for some odd reason, while Cloud didn’t trust him to allow the man to use his phone, he decided to be a better, kinder person than the employee of the gas station. Following the tall male with silver hair outside as he spat a thick glob of saliva on the dry pavement, Cloud bit his lower lip, pausing while still thinking of just taking a few more steps to his car.
Tempting as it was to hop in, leaving the stranger to fend for himself and handle his own problems, Cloud had always been encouraged to be nicer and extend a helping hand whenever and wherever he could. The world was already unforgiving and cruel enough, and he personally didn’t want anyone treating him the same way this man had been dealt with.
With one last wayward glance at his vehicle, Cloud threw caution into the wind as he approached the turned back of the stranger.
“Hey.”
Whipping around a bit savagely, the other man froze as he located the source of the gentle voice.
Still scowling menacingly, his tone remained calm and conflicted with his expressions. “What is it?”
Understanding that he had a right to be standoffish with someone new, Cloud didn’t show any resentment as he smiled in what he hoped was a friendly manner.
Breaking the ice quickly, he pointed a thumb at his own car and stated, “I stopped for gas and I don’t mean to be weird but I was wondering if you needed some help with your stuck car?”
Not yet opening himself to the prospect, the stranger muttered, “I just need to make a call, but I think the car is dead either way.”
Smile growing a tad wider for unknown reasons, Cloud nodded and stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Where were you headed anyway? Maybe I can give you a lift.”
“Midgar,” the unknown man rasped, “it’s over six hours away, though, so don’t bother yourself.”
Watching the glowing sun disappearing behind the valleys and mountains, Cloud wondered how it came to be that some people struck gold as far as auspicious and fortuitous fate was concerned.
Snickering, he politely announced, “You’re a lucky guy; I’m heading there myself!”
This new update seemed to settle genuinely well with the other man. Lips slanting and moving up, he broke out into a small grin, appearing years younger instantly as the icy veneer was gone.
“Oh yeah?” Extending an elongated arm out to Cloud, he introduced himself. “Name’s Sephiroth, by the way.”
Exchanging the handshake briskly, Cloud purred, “I’m Cloud.”
Warm as Sephiroth’s hand was, Cloud caught onto the fact that Sephiroth clearly wasn’t too fond of maintaining physical contact. The few signs he gave were loudly and clearly communicated as he turned away and ran a hand through his own long locks.
Wanting to break the weird tension that’d somehow boiled between themselves, Cloud randomly blurted, “I just got accepted into the university there.”
“Cool, what program?”
Not hesitating to push out the truth, Cloud replied, “Law.”
Taken aback and rather impressed as others were each time he divulged this information, Sephiroth whistled, pale brows moving into his bangs.
“Pretty neat.” Though he didn’t need to ask, he still inquired, “You wanna become a lawyer?”
Shrugging, Cloud answered with mild confusion, “Umm, not really sure on that yet, but I think I can start as a paralegal maybe.”
Smiling still, Sephiroth rasped with his hands in his pockets as well, “You’re smart, you’ll figure it out eventually.”
Deciding to continue with the small talk elsewhere, Cloud unlocked and opened the passenger door and waited to see Sephiroth’s reactions.
With full confidence, Sephiroth walked right over to the door and ducked inside. Plopping down in the seat, he wasted no time making himself extremely comfortable and relaxed. Cloud sat in his own seat next, turning on the engine as he smirked at his new companion.
“I’m kinda glad I ran into you,” he began to admit while driving away. Maneuvering away from a U-Haul, he caught the warped look on Sephiroth’s face and clarified, “It would’ve been boring just listening to music and staring out ahead at random shit.”
Assenting, Sephiroth mused, “Yeah, true, but you kids always mess around on your phones anyway. Doubt it’d be that bad.”
When a passing lane presented itself, Cloud stepped on the pedal, feeling the engine roar in protest. He didn’t care though, he needed to get ahead of the camper which was barely doing the speed limit.
Chuckling at what Sephiroth had stated, he repeated, “Kids? I’m twenty, dude.”
Rolling his eyes, his companion echoed, “Yeah. A kid. Point proven.”
“How old are you, then?” Roughly estimating, Cloud still waited with the number preserved internally.
Debating with himself to reveal his age, Sephiroth grinned even wider before he chuckled, “I’ve an idea; if you can guess my age correctly after two shots, I’ll buy you dinner. If you don’t get it, you’re buying us both dinner.”
“Deal!”
Finding Sephiroth to be fun and innovative, Cloud waited for a few seconds, settling and merging with traffic as he caught a sign up ahead alerting drivers to yield to weather conditions due to the summer storm on the way.
Ignoring a car honking away up ahead at another lazy driver, Cloud started his first guess. “Hmm, you’re…” Face scrunching up, he had very little to work with since Sephiroth was rather handsome and still youthful in every way.
Not a single scar or wrinkle tainted his flesh, and he was fit and in good shape to pass off easily for someone in their mid-twenties. That was the initial number Cloud chose to work with, and he inhaled before he laughed on.
“Twenty-five.”
Shaking his head, Sephiroth purred, “One last try.”
“Ugh, really?” Staring him up and down while his hands relaxed on the wheel, Cloud bemoaned, “Was I close?”
Remaining impassive in expressions, Sephiroth portrayed very little in the way of symbolism Cloud could digest. His emerald eyes only focused on Cloud, causing the young man to squirm in his seat when seconds of silence ticked by between them.
Smoothly driving on, ducking to one side to avoid a bright beam of sunlight, Cloud grunted, “Urgh, this is trickier than I thought, but I’m just gonna say you’re…you’re…twenty-eight?”
Slapping a hand over a knee as he doubled over in a bark of a laugh, Sephiroth cackled out in full glee, “You’re generous to say that!”
Knowing he’d lost, Cloud pouted and faced the highway ahead as he snapped, “How old are you? I’ve already lost this one, so just tell me.”
It was seriously grating and impossible to tell with Sephiroth. He’d clearly been blessed with wonderful genetics, appearing handsome enough to seem experienced, though not at all roguish and jaded. His sense of fashion even boosted his aesthetics, leaving little clues in the way of pinning him to a particular age group.
Frustrated as he was, Cloud waited patiently, not noticing Sephiroth’s eyes tracing his body and lingering on his lower torso a bit too long.
Licking his lower lip, Sephiroth’s jaw went slack as he lazily replied, “I’m almost thirty-two.”
It was starting to finally grow dark outside, but despite the lack of light to illuminate his features within the vehicle, the man appeared nowhere near his thirties in the least.
Almost slamming a foot on the brake due to how odd this revelation was, Cloud squeaked as he turned over to face Sephiroth, “What?! You’re that old?!”
Taken aback by this, Sephiroth joked with a tiny frown, “Okay, now that you called me old, you’re definitely buying dessert too.”
Wincing upon hearing back how socially impious and impolite his previous statement had been, Cloud apologized, “Shit, I’m sorry dude, but god damn, I wasn’t even thinking you’d be over twenty-five, really.”
Not minding the small chit chat, Sephiroth tapped a knee with a few fingers and explained, “It’s fine, but I don’t get a lot of people ever able to guess it accurately, so don’t worry, Mr. Paralegal.”
Snorting at the funny nickname he’d been given, Cloud propped a hand up to gingerly scratch his chin before trying to get to know Sephiroth more.
“So, umm, why were you headed into Midgar?”
“Well, I was actually born in the North of Shinra City.” Watching the world spinning by with the sky growing darker by the minute, Sephiroth carried on, “I have a hunting cabin I inherited recently. Looking forward to some good times out in the wilderness.”
Chuckling fondly, Cloud could somehow picture that.
“Nice,” he softly replied. “I assume you’re going hunting before the storm, then?”
“Yeah, well, anything’s open for fair game now that I’ve got a lot of free time on my hands, so we’ll see,” Sephiroth illustrated as he scratched the back of his neck. “Kinda tough to have any sort of plan right now, especially since I’m a guy who lives in the moment and enjoys the spur of the moment.”
Phone vibrating, a notification popped on the screen as it informed Cloud he had no service the further they drove away from major towns.
Leaning to the left and almost touching the inside of the door, Cloud nodded as he assented, “Sounds nice. Wish I was already done school and could just chill.”
“Nah man,” Sephiroth demurred as he scanned the view ahead carefully. “If you have the opportunity to stay in school, stay forever. Trust me, being an adult isn’t great when you have responsibilities, bills, taxes, other shit.”
Not entirely agreeing enough with that, Cloud grabbed his phone, knowing it was no use if he didn’t have a good signal to even text his parents and let them know he was still safe and sound. Relying more on his GPS was wiser anyway, so he turned to toss the phone into the backseat of the car, when he caught something shiny flashing out of his peripheral vision.
“What the?”
With a tiny ‘click’, as he looked back to Sephiroth, instead of finding the older male relaxing in his seat, Cloud was met with the pinpoint, sharp tip of a large hunting knife inches away from prodding right into his left cheek.
The suddenly odd level of discomfort he’d felt before was nothing compared to how terrifying it was to be faced with a dangerous weapon inches away from slicing his skin. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled with massive amounts of unease, but there wasn’t anything he could do when Sephiroth leaned in closer and prodded the knife dangerously closer to his flesh.
Voice low and dangerous, and features not at all even close to how friendly he’d come off seconds ago, the day and night change proved how much of a skilled expert Sephiroth was when it came to dissimulation. To have kept up with such a calm, poised disposition to gain Cloud’s trust as long as he had required great self-control, all of which had slipped away as his graceful mask fell apart and the dead eyes of a vicious monster bore into Cloud’s terrorized ones.
“Listen to me very carefully, Cloud,” Sephiroth icily spoke, making it clear from the get-go that he wasn’t in the mood to repeat himself at all. “Keep driving until I say otherwise. If you dare to try anything funny, I’ll rip out your eyeballs before you can even blink.”
“Huh?” Cloud asked, taken aback by his abrupt statement.
Assuming this had to be a joke and chicanery of sorts, Cloud knew his expression must’ve been just as puzzled as his voice. Twitching under the knife, he felt a wave of anxious dread wash through his body, and as it flowed throughout his system, it numbed his mind and made his heart race when he finally learned that Sephiroth wasn’t joking at all.
Lips curling back in a feral sneer, Sephiroth’s face burned with hidden malice not so easily seen by any eye instinctively. Rather, it was a venomous, creeping feeling one would only be privy to if they were set before him to absorb all of it.
Wolfish and crude in every way, he dug the knife just a bit harder into Cloud’s skin, though it didn’t apply enough pressure to cut the first layer of flesh…yet.
“You’re coming with me, Cloud.”