[Fic] Permission to Touch - FFVII, Zack/Cloud, 2/3
Title: Permission to Touch
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Rating: NC-17
Part length: 6819
Total Length: 23,094

Summary: Thanks to Zack, Cloud has a chance to actually meet his childhood hero, Sephiroth. There's just one small hitch...



The moment Sephiroth had moved past their table, Zack collapsed back into his seat as if his legs had given out on him. Cloud had turned to follow Sephiroth's path away from them, so he was facing his friend again. "Wow. That... he... gods... just... wow, Zack!"

"Yeah, I know," Zack agreed wholeheartedly to Cloud's incoherent babbling. "I've seen him up close a few times before when my unit was under his command, but he never stops being so... so... yeah."

Cloud felt flushed again, and when he put a shaking hand to his cheek he could feel the heat even through his thin gloves. He was acting like a schoolgirl with a crush which, while certainly helpful to his disguise, was not conducive to hiding his interest in men from Zack.

"So was it worth it?" Zack asked, looking at him. Not trusting his voice, Cloud just nodded silently. Had meeting the general been worth the embarrassment of dressing himself up like this? Hades, yes. Absolutely. The man was even more impressive up close.

"Now all we have to do is get through dinner, and then we can make our excuses and leave," Zack said cheerfully, relaxing as he began to recover from speaking with Sephiroth. "From what I hear, the food will be pretty damn good, too."

"It's got to be better than what they serve in the mess," Cloud murmured. "It's certainly guaranteed to be better than field rations!"

Even as he shushed Cloud, Zack was chuckling. "I told you, don't talk about stuff like that! But yeah, I swear you could eat dirt and it would be more appealing than the rations."

"Well, if I'm not supposed to talk about army stuff, what am I going to talk about?" Cloud shrugged slightly and looked down at his lap again. "We can't just sit here and stare at the walls."

"I suppose I could always flirt with you," Zack grinned, his eyes overly bright. Cloud kicked at him and missed, but Zack saw the movement and laughed. "You're so cute when you're ruffled. Maybe I should flirt with you. It'll certainly keep me entertained."

"Zack!" Cheeks flaming, Cloud glared at him. No, he did not want Zack flirting with him, mostly because it would only fan the stupid crush he had on his friend. The last thing he needed was more fodder for fantasies of Zack. Besides, having Zack flirt with him when he knew the older boy was just teasing would only hurt him by driving home the fact that it would never be real.

"Aw, you're no fun," Zack proclaimed. "Well, I suppose I could always regal you with tales of my heroics. That's the traditional thing for a SOLDIER to do when he's wooing a new girl, I'm pretty sure."

"Heroics my ass," Cloud snorted, lips twitching. "I was there for half of them, remember? It's no good telling tall tales to someone who knows the truth." Actually Zack had been pretty heroic on several occasions Cloud could think of, but he also knew his friend wasn't really the type to brag.

"Shot down again," Zack said mournfully, clutching a hand to his heart. "You're a hard lady to please." That earned him another kick, and this time Cloud connected enough to make the older boy wince. "Ow! Hey, wearing those heels should be classified as carrying concealed."

"Stop teasing me, and I'll stop kicking you," Cloud replied pleasantly. "Just because I'm wearing a dress doesn't mean my reactions to being teased have changed."

"You just don't want to... oops." Zack straightened a bit and looked over Cloud's shoulder. "Incoming. Looks like they're getting people to sit down, they must be serving dinner soon."

"Good," Cloud sighed, shifting and tugging at a part of his skirt that was caught beneath his legs. "It may have been worth it, but I really can't wait to get out of this damn dress."

As people made their way over and found their places at the table, Zack smiled and introduced himself and 'Skye' to all of them, and fielded curious questions about the SOLDIER program. The tables seemed to have been arranged so that there was one SOLDIER at each, along with several of the high society. Cloud was smiled at politely and then dismissed as 'just the girlfriend', which was more than okay with him. The less people talked to him, the less he'd have to talk to them in return.

The last glittering and bejewelled couple was just settling down at the table when a man in a dark suit came up and leaned over between Zack and Cloud. "Excuse me, sir," he said to Zack. "You've been requested to join the main table for dinner. Along with your guest, of course." His eyes flicked over Cloud in a look that made Cloud blush despite its brevity, even though Cloud couldn't quite figure out just what emotion had been in the man's eyes. It was the brief glimpse of a gun in a shoulder holster beneath the suit jacket that told him who, or rather what, this man was; a Turk.

"Us? With the brass?" Zack repeated, exchanging a wide-eyed glance with Cloud, and then looking up at the main table. A young blonde man who could only be Rufus Shinra was standing beside the empty chair on the president's right, arguing heatedly with his father. Sephiroth was just walking up the steps to the dais to take his place between Heidigger and the unknown executive. There was another Turk standing just behind the president's seat, offset to one side probably to make room for the one who'd come to fetch Zack and Cloud. Nobody seemed to be paying them much attention. "Are you sure you've got the right people?"

"Quite certain, sir," the man assured him.

"Well... sure, I guess so," Zack agreed uncertainly. Leaning in towards Cloud as he stood and offered the younger boy a hand out of his chair, he murmured, "Who knows, maybe Sephiroth wants to talk more to me. I'm sure as hell not going to say no. Right?"

"Definitely not," Cloud agreed, letting Zack help him up out of the chair. It took him a second to find his balance in the shoes again, and then he nodded and they followed after the Turk towards the high table.

Sephiroth had taken his seat now, but when he glanced at the two of them approaching his face registered mild surprise. Cloud swallowed, confused. If it wasn't Sephiroth who had invited them up, then who was it? Maybe this was a case of mistaken identities after all.

The president and his son were still arguing in heated whispers as they approached, but just before Cloud and Zack would have been in earshot the president made a chopping motion with his hand that caused his son to fall silent immediately. "Enough, Rufus," the man declared in a more normal tone of voice. "Don't think your new title as vice-president gives you any influence over my decisions. I'm still your father, and this is still my company."

"Yes, sir," the young man said stiffly, though Cloud could see he was still seething. He clung to Zack's arm as his friend paused, not sure whether they should continue or hang back to avoid being drawn into what was clearly a family argument.

In the next moment the president had turned his attention to them, clearly dismissing his son from his mind. He gave them a broad, jovial smile that made him look just like his portraits. "Well now! Don't you two make just the prettiest couple. It's my thought that since this is a bash intended to show off you SOLDIERs, I ought to have at least one of you up here for everyone to see. Other than Sephiroth, of course," he gave a big belly laugh that shook his whole body. "But everyone already knows his worth to Shinra and the world. You don't mind joining us, do you lieutenant...?"

Since the man seemed to be waiting for a name, Zack saluted him briefly and replied, "Zack, sir. Of course we don't mind, we'd be honoured. Right, Skye?" He glanced down at Cloud, who nodded fractionally and edged a little closer to Zack. This seemed a little strange, and it was starting to set in that he was about to have dinner with a group of people who, if any of them realized he was a boy, could very well destroy his entire career.

He noticed that Zack hadn't corrected the man about his rank, either. Well, nobody in their right mind argued with President Shinra. Except his son, apparently, who was still standing behind his chair and radiating disapproval at his father. Cloud wondered what in the name of the Ancients the man found so heinous about his father inviting them to sit at the main table. Surely it had something to do with this, it was too much of a coincidence otherwise. Was he that much of a snob?

"Rufus, my boy," the president was continuing, "Why don't you go take their place at the table? Can't deprive our guests of their chance to get a taste of Shinra's elite entirely, can we? I'm sure you'll be an acceptable substitute." His tone was cheerful, but there was an edge of warning in his voice that clearly made his words a command.

Rufus bowed slightly, and released the death grip he'd had on the back of his chair. "Of course, father," he said politely, and none of the anger in his eyes was evident in his voice. Turning, he made his way back along the dais behind the table to the steps at the side.

"I guess we still need another free spot, don't we?" the president said, eying his executives. "Reeve, why don't you go with Rufus, they're all foreigners and they'll probably be full of questions about Midgar's reactors and plate system. And that way Jack... no, sorry, Zack... can sit next to Sephiroth, hey?"

"Of course, sir," the dark-haired executive agreed at once, standing and shoving back his chair. He let Rufus go by and then fell in behind the young blonde. Zack and Cloud moved towards the steps, and as they passed Reeve gave them both an apologetic look that Cloud didn't understand. Moreover, the glance Rufus flicked over him wasn't the haughty disdain he'd expected, but rather a faint look of pity.

Then they were gone, moving towards the table Zack and Cloud had just vacated. Cloud was forced to lean on Zack's arm for balance as they walked up the narrow steps, grateful it was wide enough for them to walk abreast.

Pausing at the chair Reeve had left, Zack pulled it out and then looked uncertainly up the line of people. Cloud had expected everyone would shift to give him a place to sit next to Zack, but the president was smiling and beckoning him. "No point in forcing everyone to move, and I'm more than happy to have a pretty girl on each side," the man said, glancing briefly at Scarlet on his other side and then gesturing again at Rufus' abandoned seat. "Come on, don't be shy. I don't bite."

He laughed as if that was a joke he'd just come up with, and Heidigger, Palmer and Scarlet all laughed with him. Sephiroth's face had gone completely blank, a polite mask as if he were standing at inspection, and Hojo seemed to be ignoring the entire proceedings. Cloud glanced at Zack, who shrugged helplessly. What could they do? Nobody said 'no' to the president.

Hesitantly Cloud made his way up to the empty place setting, and another of the wait staff came up to hold it and push it in for him as he sat down. He thanked the man softly, turning nervous eyes on the president and wondering what he was supposed to do now.

"Well? What are we waiting for?" the president asked, clapping his hands. "Let's eat."

Servants began bringing out the dishes of the banquet, serving the head table first and then fanning out through the rest of the room. Cloud watched with his heart in his throat as a waiter placed a bowl of soup in front of him, and he was suddenly painfully aware that there was a lot more silverware on the table than he had any idea what to do with. He was just a backwater mountain boy! He hadn't really been too worried about it when they'd just been down at their assigned table, but now he was sitting next to the man who arguably ran the entire world.

"Dig in now, don't be shy dear," the president encouraged him, picking up the outermost spoon and slurping up a mouthful of the soup. Glancing surreptitiously to the side, Cloud saw that the others had all taken the same spoon, so that was the one he chose as well.

The first sip of the soup actually startled him into speaking, though thankfully some instinct reminded him to try to sound feminine. "It's cold!"

Laughing, the president leaned back in his chair and slapped his knee as if Cloud had said something hilarious. "Bless your heart, dear, of course it is. Never been to a formal banquet before, hmm? That's alright, don't you fret a bit. You just follow my lead, and I'll take good care of you."

There was something about the smile he gave Cloud then that made the boy nervous, though he couldn't have said what it was exactly to save his life. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, going back to sipping more cautiously at his soup. It was kind of weird, eating cold soup. He couldn't imagine why anybody would want to, but nobody else was complaining about the temperature.

As the courses went on, the president continued to chat with Cloud and encourage him to relax. It had exactly the opposite effect, as Cloud's shoulders grew more and more tense and the strain started to give him a headache. He kept glancing over at Zack, who seemed happy enough talking quietly with Sephiroth. Every time he saw the barely contained excitement on his friend's face, Cloud once again resolved not to let his discomfort ruin what was surely a once in a lifetime opportunity for Zack. And so he continued to listen to the president, nodding whenever the man paused for breath and trying to look like he was vaguely interested.

He wasn't, really. Whatever he'd expected the president of Shinra to be like, this wasn't it. The man was a braggart, to put it mildly. All he could seem to talk about was the important decisions that he made, the way he'd changed the world, and how luxurious everything in his life was. Cloud's 'shyness' didn't seem to deter him in the least; if anything, Cloud would have had a hard time of it if he had been inclined to talk much, as the man rarely seemed to take a pause for breath.

The president had a tendency to make expansive gestures with his hands as he talked, and he kept leaning a little closer to Cloud each time he bent over to share some 'secret' in a whisper than surely reached the back of the room. Even so, it wasn't until some time during one of the subtlety courses, when the man casually draped his hand over Cloud's shoulder and squeezed, that Cloud finally clued in to what was going on.

The moment he realized that the president was trying to seduce him, Cloud could have just melted and died of embarrassment. His cheeks flamed and he hastily leaned forward, both to get out from under the man's hand and to reach for his wine glass. There hadn't been any beverages provided except the wine, and Cloud had been too intimidated to ask for anything else. Until now he hadn't touched his glass despite the president repeatedly urging him to try it, but he needed the distraction.

What the hell was he supposed to do now? He'd been a little concerned about a drunken party-goer hitting on him, but he'd never in his wildest dreams imagined that it would be the president of Shinra. He took a couple of quick gulps of the wine just to wet his dry throat. It was every bit as good as the president had been promising, but Cloud wasn't really interested in the quality of it.

He jumped as the hand descended onto his shoulder again, and had to struggle to hide his nervousness as he looked over at the president. "Here now, you're too tense," the president declared, kneading his meaty hand on Cloud's shoulder. His thumb kept trailing down over Cloud's collar bone, and his fingers drifted along Cloud's spine in a way that made him shiver. It wasn't a positive reaction, more like a shudder of disgust, but the man seemed to take it as encouragement. He leaned in even closer, until his alcohol-laden breath washed over Cloud's face and it took an effort not to wrinkle his nose.

"A pretty girl like you deserves to get to enjoy these sorts of things, don't you think?" he asked, and now Cloud was far too aware that the expression on his face was nothing short of a leer. "Wouldn't you like to be able to wear nice dresses and have fancy food all the time?"

As offers went it was more than just clumsy, and Cloud had to wonder if this approach had ever actually worked for the man before. Well, Odin only knew the man wasn't likely to attract anyone with his appearance or sparkling personality, but he was very, very rich. There probably were plenty of girls who would line up to throw themselves at him just for a chance to earn a few pretties or live in the lap of luxury for a while.

Even if he had been a girl, though, Cloud wasn't one of them. And he very much doubted the president would be pleased to realize the pretty 'girl' he was trying to seduce was actually a private in his army. There was just one small problem. As he'd already reminded himself tonight, nobody in their right mind said 'no' to the president.

"Actually, I don't think it's really my sort of thing," he said cautiously, edging away. That put him closer to Heidigger, who was nearly as repulsive as the president, but at least Heidigger was just watching the proceedings with a smirk rather than trying to actively seduce Cloud.

The movement got the president's hand away from his shoulder and neck, but rather than withdrawing it this time the man just trailed it down over Cloud's arm, his fingers playing with the stretch of bare skin between the sleeve and glove. "Well now, I expect that's just because you've never had much chance to get accustomed to it. I've never yet met a girl who didn't love all the parties and baubles and pretties. Hmm?"

Either the man was lying, oblivious, or just had no exposure to women outside of the high society money-grubbers and gold-diggers that attended this sort of party. Cloud could think of a couple of women just off the top of his head who would probably be no more interested in the man's offer than he was. Tifa, for one, and Zack's girlfriend Aerith for another.

Shuddering again, Cloud forced himself to sit still and not jerk away from the touch on his arm. If he angered or offended the man there was no telling what he might do, especially considering how drunk he was. Now Cloud finally understood the looks that Rufus and Reeve had given him as they passed; they must have known what the president had planned. Hades, everyone at the table must have known.

For that matter, Sephiroth had done a pretty good job of keeping Zack distracted. Surely he couldn't be helping the president seduce the 'girlfriend' of one of his own men? Flicking a glance in Zack's direction, Cloud saw the older boy was looking at the president's hand on Cloud's arm with an ugly expression on his face. If Sephiroth was still trying to distract him then he was failing; Zack had noticed, and Zack was Not Happy.

Unfortunately, there also wasn't much Zack could do about it without throwing his entire career away. President Shinra had ultimate authority over everyone in his army, and that included the SOLDIERs. If Cloud upset him or Zack pissed him off, he could ruin Zack's whole life with a snap of his fingers.

"You're far too beautiful to be wasted out among the masses," the president told him in what was probably supposed to be a compliment. "You deserve to be pampered and happy. I can make you very happy... if you'd do the same for me."

"I... I don't think..." Cloud's voice was husky with nerves, which at least helped cover the repulsion that crept in despite his best attempts to remain neutral. He chose his words very carefully. "I don't really think I could be worthy of that sort of, er, pampering. Sir." The president withdrew his hand, and Cloud breathed an internal sigh of relief. Maybe the man was finally getting the signal that Cloud wasn't interested. "But I'm sure there are plenty of women who would eep!"

Cloud actually yelped quietly and jerked in his seat as he felt the wandering hand return; on his thigh this time, stroking his leg and rubbing the soft material of the skirt against his skin. Blanching, Cloud froze in his seat and took tiny, shallow little breaths, afraid to move any more than that lest the man take it as encouragement. The president was inching upwards with each pass of his hand, and if he got much higher then Cloud was going to be in a very large amount of trouble. He threw a desperate look at Zack, pleading 'help me!' with his eyes.

The growl Zack made was probably audible all the way over where Hojo was sitting at the opposite end of the table. If the whiteness of his knuckles was any indication, the fork he had his fist clenched around was never going to be useable again. He started up out of his chair, the mako glow in his violet eyes blazing hotter than Cloud had ever seen it before. "Sir..."

With a look and a brief touch on his arm, Sephiroth stopped Zack from rising any further or saying anything more. Cloud felt sick to his stomach and wondered if the man who had been his hero since he was old enough to walk really was condoning this whole mess.

When Sephiroth turned towards them, however, the polite mask he'd schooled his face into was ruined somewhat by the anger and disgust that showed in his fierce green eyes. "Upon reflection, Mr. President, I do believe you were right after all."

"Right?" The president blinked and looked up at Sephiroth, his hand - thank all the gods that were ever summoned! - stilling on Cloud's thigh still an inch or two from his groin. He seemed to be having trouble shifting mental tracks. "What's that, Sephiroth?"

"As the head of the SOLDIERs here, I should be participating more in the... festivities." Sephiroth said the word like it offended him, but he was obviously making an attempt to placate the president.

"Ah, you're going to dance after all?" the president exclaimed, and Cloud's eyes widened. Sephiroth? Dancing? It just... didn't really compute. He could picture the man doing a blade dance in the Wutai style of combat, but that was about as close as he could get to imagining General Sephiroth dancing.

"It's only fitting that I provide an example for the men," Sephiroth said, tilting his head slightly in acknowledgement. "However, since I am the only SOLDIER who was not required to bring a guest to accompany me... captain, do you mind if I borrow your date for a few minutes?"

Finally realizing exactly what Sephiroth was up to, it was all Cloud could do not to audibly gasp in relief. Zack looked a little dazed, but he shook his head. "No, of course not, sir. If Skye doesn't mind."

"I don't mind!" Cloud blurted out, trying hard not to sound too eager so he wouldn't offend the president. Forget about his earlier statement to Zack that there was no way he was going out on the dance floor; there were worse evils than making an idiot of himself dancing.

Sephiroth stood and took a step past Heidigger to offer Cloud his hand, and Cloud accepted it gratefully and allowed the general to lift him to his feet. The president squeezed his thigh one last time as Cloud stood, and Cloud was grateful the man couldn't see his expression because he couldn't hide his brief flash of disgust and horror.

The president seemed disgruntled, but uncertain how to turn the situation back to his advantage. It was clear that while he officially held Sephiroth's leash, even President Shinra didn't want to cross the Silver General. Now if only he wouldn't lash out at Zack because he'd been thwarted in getting what he so obviously wanted.

"Don't worry," Sephiroth murmured as he led Cloud back down off the dais. Zack reached out and touched Cloud's hand briefly in a silent apology as they passed, and Cloud squeezed his hand back quickly. "I'll make certain there are no reprisals against your boyfriend. I apologize that you had to suffer through that."

"That's okay, sir," Cloud said, his voice shaking with relief. It wasn't hard at all to make it higher and breathier than normal. "I'm just thankful that you rescued me."

Raising an eyebrow, Sephiroth looked down at him. "I only require the men under my command to call me 'sir' at every turn," he said. His voice was almost bland, only faintly amused, but for a panicked moment Cloud wondered if somehow Sephiroth had seen right through him after all.

Then reason reasserted itself. If the general had realized he was a boy, then the president's unwanted attentions would have been the least of Cloud's worries. Obviously Sephiroth had no idea. "I guess it's just that Zack calls you that all the time," he said by way of apology. His hand tightened on the general's arm as they reached the dance floor, and he realized he had a whole new problem. "Um. Si-Sephiroth?" he corrected himself, his voice hardly more than a nervous squeak. "I, uh, don't actually know how to dance."

"It's not a favoured pastime of mine, either, but it's not difficult," Sephiroth assured him quietly. "Just follow my lead."

Nodding, Cloud tried to get his heart to stop pounding so hard he could hear the blood rushing in his ears. Sephiroth turned to face him and took one of his hands, placing the other on his waist. Vaguely remembering the way he'd seen other people do this, Cloud put his other hand on the general's shoulder, though he had to reach up to do it. He'd known Sephiroth was tall, but Cloud barely came up to the shoulder plates on his trademark jacket.

The strings swung into a new melody, and Sephiroth swept him up into the dance. Not quite literally 'sweeping him off his feet', but close. It was a simple enough dance, just a basic waltz, but Cloud concentrated on it fiercely in an effort not to misstep. The last thing he wanted to do was tread on Sephiroth's feet. The height difference made it a bit difficult, but after they'd completed several turns without mishap Cloud slowly started to relax.

Feeling distinctly surreal, he finally decided to just enjoy himself. He could say with a fair amount of certainty that he would never have this opportunity again, so he might as well make the most of it. Up close, he could smell Sephiroth's sharp scent and feel the silky strands of silver hair that sometimes swirled around him on the turns. How many people had ever gotten this close to the general? Not many, he was willing to bet.

This was going to fuel his fantasies for quite some time to come, Cloud realized, but he just couldn't bring himself to be embarrassed by it. Not yet; he was too entranced with the fact that it was happening at all. Thoughts of the president and worries about people realizing he wasn't a girl faded into the background.

It seemed to last forever, and yet when the music wound down and Sephiroth brought them to a halt, it felt as through barely a minute had passed. Cloud was startled to realize that he was flushed and out of breath, and he pressed a hand over his heart to try to keep it from thudding right out of his ribcage as Sephiroth bowed slightly to him.

"As pleasant as that was, I believe you have another claim on your time," the general said, and turned to one side. Cloud followed his gaze, and for the first time realized that Zack was standing right beside them, watching them with the same bemused look he'd had when he first saw Cloud in the dress.

"If you don't mind me cutting in, sir," Zack quipped, flashing the general a brief salute.

"On the contrary, captain. My thanks for letting me steal her away." Sephiroth nodded to acknowledge the salute, and Zack stepped forward to take Cloud's hand as the general backed away.

"A word to the wary, captain," Cloud heard Sephiroth murmur softly to Zack as they passed. "By tomorrow he'll have moved on to the next conquest, but don't let her out of your sight tonight."

"Understood, sir," Zack replied just as quietly, and then Sephiroth had moved on into the crowd and left them together in one corner of the dance floor.

"Your feet up to another dance?" Zack asked him, looking down at Cloud in concern. "He's still watching, I figured it might be a good idea to assert my claim or something." He smiled when Cloud wasn't able to find his voice immediately, and waved his hand in front of the younger boy's face. "Mission control to... Skye. You still in there? Or should I just leave you to your blissful memories? You looked like you were having fun out there."

There was a faint edge in Zack's voice that startled Cloud. On the surface Zack's tone and expression were the same as they always were when he was teasing Cloud, but... something was different. A sharp pang of fear went through Cloud as it occurred to him to wonder just how much his expression might have given away about the way 'hero worship' was virtually synonymous with 'crush' for Cloud where Sephiroth was concerned. Was Zack upset to realize that his best friend might not be entirely straight?

"I can dance," Cloud said uncertainly, not sure if it wouldn't be better to just leave before this night blew up in his face any more than it already had. "The music is slower now."

"Yeah, dinner's mostly over so they're playing the slow dances now," Zack agreed, moving to take Cloud into his arms. It wasn't the same as the formal waltz position Sephiroth had taken; Zack had one hand between Cloud's shoulder blades and the other at the small of his back, and Cloud had a choice between wrapping his arms around the older boy's neck or waist. He chose the neck, and the position left them with a bare few inches between their bodies as Zack started to move them in slow swaying circles.

The heels left Cloud only a few inches shorter than Zack. They should have been more or less face-to-face, but Cloud couldn't bring himself to look any higher than the hollow of Zack's throat. He could feel that his face was still flushed, and Zack's silence was making him increasingly nervous.

"Zack?" he finally worked up the nerve to ask. At almost the same moment, Zack sighed and said, "I'm sorry." Cloud was startled into looking up, and they were left staring at each other for a long moment before Zack shook his head. To Cloud's surprise, the older boy shifted his hand up from Cloud's shoulders to the base of his skull, and urged Cloud to lay his cheek on Zack's shoulder.

An illicit thrill ran through Cloud at the closer contact, and he shivered. He realized the reason for it a moment later when Zack ducked his head and murmured almost directly into his ear. "When I realized what that bastard was up to, it was all I could do not to jump up and punch him. Instead I just sat there like an idiot. I'm sorry, I should have done something sooner."

"What could you have done?" Cloud shrugged, the motion rubbing his shoulders against Zack's chest. His words were whispered into the bend where Zack's neck met his shoulder, and travelled no farther than Zack's voice had. There was no way anybody could overhear them. It meant they didn't have to guard their words, and Cloud didn't have to force his voice higher. "He's the president, Zack. If you'd done anything, he could have ruined you with hardly a thought."

"Still, damn it. I should have... I don't know. Glared him into submission." Zack sounded frustrated, and Cloud could feel the tension in his friend's shoulders beneath his cheek. Zack's fingers threaded absently through Cloud's hair at his neck, making him shiver again.

"It's okay," he assured the older boy. "It wasn't so bad for most of it, just uncomfortable and nerve-wracking. It was only at the end..." he shuddered at the memory and turned his face more into Zack's shoulder.

"What'd he do, anyway?" Zack asked, fingertips rubbing soothingly at Cloud's neck. "I saw the way you jumped, and you sounded like he'd pinched you or something."

Cloud could feel his face getting hot again, and he sighed. He'd blushed more tonight than he usually did in a month. Well, at least it helped his disguise. "He was just... getting a little too close to the truth," he muttered. "Literally."

"He what?" Cloud nearly tripped when Zack stopped moving abruptly, his body gone rigid as he pulled back far enough to look down at Cloud. The look in the older boy's eyes was fury and outrage, mixed with protectiveness and something Cloud almost wanted to call possessiveness. "That son of a bitch," Zack swore, quietly but fervently, glaring at the table where the president was now laughing with Heidigger. "I swear to Bahamut, president or not I am going to rip him a new one..."

"Zack!" Scared his friend was actually serious, Cloud clung to him and kept him from turning and walking off the dance floor. "Zack, stop, it's not that big a deal. Zack! Listen to me!" Cloud shook him, and that at least got the older boy looking at him again instead of the main table. "Contrary to current appearances, I am not actually a helpless girl in need of protecting, remember? I'm fine, everything is okay, and it is not worth your career! It was repulsive, but he didn't actually touch anything worse than my thigh. Sephiroth stopped it before anything really awful happened."

Surprisingly, that earned him a sour look from Zack. "Yeah, he's a real life hero," Zack muttered, and tugged Cloud close again before the blonde could think of anything to say to that oddly bitter statement. "Look, thinking about it is just making me more angry. Let's drop it, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," Cloud agreed, wondering what in the world was going through the older boy's head. There were times, plenty of them, when Cloud wondered about the sanity of Zack's thought processes, but he'd never been left quite this baffled.

So they danced in silence for a while, bodies swaying to the music as Cloud let Zack lead them around the dance floor. They'd darkened the room, leaving the atmosphere as intimate as was possible in a room with several hundred people in it.

Dancing with Sephiroth had been thrilling, but dancing with Zack was exhilarating in an entirely different way. Sephiroth was like a falling star, bright enough to burn if you tried to touch him but fascinating to be close to. Distant, untouchable, even when he had Cloud in his arms. Zack was his best friend, familiar and comfortable, and yet what they were doing now was anything but familiar or comfortable. They'd been this close before, but only momentarily while Zack ruffled his hair or slung an arm over his shoulders.

Closing his eyes, Cloud put his head on Zack's shoulder again, waiting for the older boy to tense or pull away. Instead Zack shifted so he was holding Cloud the same way he had been when they started. Even if it was just for appearances, it was more than Cloud had ever hoped for and more than he knew he'd ever get again.

Far too soon, Zack stopped moving as the music changed to a new song. "We should get the hell out of here," he murmured in Cloud's ear. He didn't immediately move to pull away, though, so Cloud didn't let go yet. He was reluctant for the moment to end, despite the near-disaster the night had been.

Gentle fingers threaded through his hair again, tracing his cheek, and when Zack chuckled the sound rumbled beneath Cloud's ear. "Hey, you didn't fall asleep on me, did you?"

"No, I'm awake," Cloud said, clearing his throat when his voice came out husky. "Yeah, we should probably go." Repressing a sigh, he pulled away and turned to walk off the dance floor.

It was a good thing Zack was still holding him by one hand, because that and the older boy's SOLDIER reflexes let him catch Cloud when he stumbled and nearly fell. Hissing in pain, Cloud leaned against Zack as his state of entranced contentment broke and he realized just how badly his feet were hurting. "Shit! Damn it!" It was all he could do to keep his voice from carrying farther than Zack. Seeing his friend's worried look, he elaborated, "The shoes."

"Oh." Zack winced in sympathy. "Yeah, I guess one dance would have been enough. I should've stopped a while ago. Can you walk?"

"Yeah, I think so," Cloud gritted out through clenched teeth. He'd deliberately blocked out the pain in his feet, because he hadn't wanted to be distracted from dancing with first Sephiroth, then Zack. Now that he'd been reminded of it, though, it was all slamming home at once. "Help me?"

Slipping an arm around Cloud's waist, Zack did his best to support him without making it look like he was actually carrying the younger boy. "Just get to the door, you can take them off once we're out in the hallway," he whispered, and Cloud nodded.

Their bodies brushed with every halting step, hips bumping together in a way that did nothing to help Cloud calm himself. He would have wondered if someone had been stupid enough to turn on the heat in a room with this many people in it, except he knew the heat was entirely internal. Oh yes, this night was going to stay with him in his dreams for a long time to come.

He didn't see Sephiroth again before they reached the door, and there was no way Cloud was looking back at the main table to see if the general had returned to his seat. With his luck, the president would think Cloud was looking for him.

"I can't believe the president picked me out of every girl in the room to hit on," Cloud muttered as they finally passed through the door. "He's got lousy taste in women."

"I dunno," Zack said, giving Cloud that bemused look again. "You do remember what you looked like in the mirror, right? I'd say he's got pretty good taste."

The words shouldn't have made Cloud as pleased as they did. He flushed and said nothing, not trusting his voice. Once they'd turned the first corner, they paused long enough for Cloud to slip the horribly restricting shoes off. He tried a couple of experimental steps, and Zack had to catch him again when he wobbled.

"No good?" Zack asked sympathetically.

"It's better without the shoes, but I think it's going to take a while for them to stop throbbing," Cloud sighed. Zack nodded and wrapped his arm around Cloud's waist again, wordlessly offering his continued support. They started moving again, and Cloud tried to act like it was only pain that made him lean his weight into Zack's solid body.