Archive of Our Own ^beta

The whole thing started with Tifa, of course.

"Cloud," she said, coming out from behind the bar, rag in hand and a serious look on her face, "I have a favor to ask."

"Alright," Cloud said warily.

"It's a little complicated, but please, before you say no, promise me you'll listen to the whole thing?"

He crossed his arms over his chest, puffing out a breath. This wasn't going to be good, whatever it was, especially not when she was starting out so desperate. He didn't want to promise her anything, but it was Tifa. Cloud owed her, a lot. "We'll see."

"You've heard of Lester Galloway, right?"

"Who hasn't?" It was impossible to work in Edge and avoid hearing about him. Cloud didn't take on any jobs that were obviously tied to him—he didn't want to get involved—but the man had half the town in his pockets, one way or another.

Tifa leaned in slightly, her hands clasped in front of her, like she was about to confide a big secret. "I think he's been buying up all the drugstores in town. The price of medicine is skyrocketing, and when people actually manage to get their hands on some, it doesn't always help."

Cloud frowned. "Are you sick?" She should have said something earlier if she needed the help.

"I'm not worried about me," she reassured him. "But the orphanage is really struggling, and I've heard the talk in the bar. People are really suffering, Cloud, and it's only going to get worse."

So this was another one of her passion projects. "It's none of my business."

"Cloud, please," she said, putting a hand on his arm. "You said you'd stay and listen to the whole thing."

Cloud sighed. He hadn't, not really, but. "Keep going."

"I'm not asking you to do anything about it," she reassured him. "At least… not directly. That will be up to Kunsel and me. But I want your help getting information."

He frowned. Kunsel was involved in this?

"What do you want me to do?"

She smiled. "The first part's easy. Get Zack and come back to the bar tomorrow, before it opens. Kunsel's got a plan all worked out." She pouted, than laughed. "And he won't tell me what it is, I have to wait for the presentation like every one else."

"Kunsel put together a presentation?" Cloud repeated. He had sudden visions of Shinra mission meetings, a whole unit of infantrymen sitting in a room waching arrows move on a projection, showing them each stage of the operation and its goal. Ugh. "Tifa—"

"Please, Cloud? You just have to show up, okay? And we'll feed you both afterwards, whatever you want."

He let out a breath. She really was pulling out all the stops. "How early should we come?"

She smiled brightly. "An hour and a half before opening. Thanks, Cloud! You're the best."

- - -

"Alright, gentlemen," Kunsel said crisply, leaning against the bar, fingers folded in front of him. "We're looking for information. Galloway made the mistake of holding a ball in his mansion and inviting everyone in Edge who can afford a car, which means we have the perfect opportunity—"

"For crime?" Zack broke in.

Kunsel sighed. "I was going to say 'for gathering information.'"  

"Crime is more honest," Cloud muttered.

"Crime, huh?" Zack mused, ignoring both of them. "I've never committed a crime before." He actually sounded a little excited.

"Excuse me?" Kunsel asked, his eyebrows rising. “What about—“

"Not on purpose, anyway," Zack amended. "But this crime is for good, right?"

"We'll all be heroes," Kunsel said, his face perfectly straight.

"By committing crime," Cloud reminded them flatly.

Kunsel shrugged. "Hopefully not, but just remember, this man is doing more damage to people than Geostigma ever did." Cloud scowled. Like hell he was, but if Kunsel didn't realize how close the sick had come to rotting away, Cloud wasn't going to tell him. "Trust me,” Kunsel added, in what he apparently thought was a trustworthy voice. “This is just a little sneaking around, looking for incriminating evidence. We won't even be bringing weapons with us." When Cloud didn't say anything, Kunsel cleared his throat and continued his presentation. "As you've probably gathered, we'll be infiltrating Galloway’s ball. I managed to get two tickets for a Mr. and Mrs. Wright—“

"Just two tickets?" Tifa protested. "I thought you said we’d all be going!"

Kunsel blinked at her. "The tickets are for us," he said, sounding off-balance, like he'd thought the 'Mr. and Mrs.' part was pretty clear. "No offense to Cloud, but his face is pretty well known by now, and—" he coughed delicately, "—attending as a couple is strongly encouraged. I’ve made arrangements for Cloud and Zack to be going in as part of the kitchen staff—"

Tifa cut him off. "Get two more tickets,” she instructed. And then, considering, “for a…," she smiled, "—Mr. Steele and Miss Proud. I'll take care of the rest.”

"Er—"

"Tifa," Cloud growled.

"Don't worry," she said with a wink. "I'll make sure no one recognizes you."

Cloud buried his head in his hands. Not this again.

"Ah—if you say so," Kunsel said, a small frown on his face. His eyes flicked from Tifa to Cloud and back again, searching for information. Did that mean Tifa had never told him about that whole—Honeybee Inn thing? He could feel his cheeks heating. "Four tickets it is, then,” Kunsel shrugged.

Tifa smiled, a little dreamily. "Black tie attire?"

"What else?”

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun," she said, eyes sparkling. "You'll have to dress up too, you know."

Kunsel sighed.

“It won’t be that bad. Think how dashing you’ll look in a proper tux.”

"Have you been in the mansion before?" Cloud asked, desperately trying to move the conversation away from what they would all be wearing.

Kunsel shook his head, as relieved as Cloud to have something else to talk about. "No, but I have something almost as good. A contact in the company who built the place. He's getting me blueprints as we speak."

“So where is it exactly?” He was pretty sure he would remember seeing a giant fancy mansion anywhere close to Edge, and the man was an idiot if he thought he could live in Midgar for long.

"The place is miles from Edge. I guess Galloway didn't want to have to look at the people he's screwing over. Apparently he managed to find one of the few places out there that was still green and decided to build his mansion right on top of it." Cloud's fingers clenched. "But Tifa has a friend with a car, so he’ll be our chauffeur for the night.” Kunsel paused, a brief smile touching his lips. “And getaway driver, if needed. He used to be in AVALANCHE, so he should be good under pressure.”

"Did you ever meet Polk, Cloud?" Tifa asked.

The name sounded vaguely familiar. Cloud shrugged. "Don't know. I met a lot of people."

"And then forgot them as soon as you could," Tifa said with a smile, like it was a fond memory. Cloud looked away from it. He'd been an ass back then—more of an ass, anyway—but it also meant he didn’t see their sudden absence after Meteorfall, either. Seeing the cost in Tifa’s eyes had been more than enough.

He shook it off with a scowl. "I'd rather ride my bike.”

Kunsel's eyebrows rose, but before he could do more than open his mouth, Tifa stepped in. "Don't you think that would be a little inconspicuous?" she asked. "Fenrir isn't really black tie attire."

What she meant was, You'll be wearing a dress, Cloud. He sighed, letting his arms fall to his sides in defeat. "Whatever. But if we need a fast escape, Polk had better be there."

Tifa smiled at him mischievously. "We could always steal a milk truck if we have to."

"What?" Zack and Kunsel said in almost one voice.

"You had to be there," Cloud told Zack.

"I'll tell you the story later," Tifa promised. "Cloud's right, though. We should be prepared in case something happens. Where is this mansion, exactly?"

Kunsel pulled out a map, irritatingly prepared to give out information at the drop of a hat, as always. They spent the rest of the meeting talking over the details. It all boiled down to what it had since the beginning: Get proof that Galloway was manipulating the supply of medicine. Buying it, storing it, cutting it, driving the price sky high. The proof had to be somewhere. They just had to find it, ideally without getting caught.

- - -

Tifa pulled him into her bedroom a few hours before the mission started. "No boys allowed," she called out to the living room, where Zack and Kunsel were struggling into the suits, and shut the door behind her.

She had transformed her bedroom into a make up studio. She’d pulled some bright lights into the room, along with two chairs and an entire table full of powders and paints and sponges and paintbrushes. As far as he could tell, Tifa seemed intent on using all of it on Cloud. If she'd already used most of it on herself, he couldn’t really tell looking at her face. She looked good.

At least one of them would. He sighed.

Tifa patted one of the chairs and took the seat opposite it. "Might as well get started," she said cheerfully. After a few minutes of poking at his face, she said, "This is really important, you know. Not just to me, but to everyone in Edge. Thank you for helping us."

Cloud didn't know what to say to that, so instead, he complained, "But why do I have to be in a dress for it?"

"Your face is too well known," she said in a matter-of-fact tone, leaning forward with a brush in hand. "The dress and make up will help hide it." She paused, eyebrows knit in concentration. "Besides, you're too pretty to stay in that uniform of yours forever."

"Pretty?" he objected. "Uniform? What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Don't move," she instructed, sitting back to examine his face. After a moment, she leaned forward again, a smaller brush in hand.

"Pretty?" Cloud tried, his mouth barely moving.

"Mhmm." Her face was straight, too busy concentrating to even laugh at him. "Trust me," she added. "Zack will go crazy over you. Now stop talking or you'll ruin the make up."

Zack will go crazy over you. That was exactly what Cloud was afraid of. What if he didn't like the make up? Or the dress? What if it was too weird? 

Cloud wasn't allowed to talk anymore, though, so instead, he just sat there, brooding, and let Tifa do whatever she wanted to his face. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she finally set aside her tools and sat back. "There," she said, sounding extremely satisfied. "All set."

Cloud swallowed.

"Do you want to look now, or wait until you're in your dress?" Cloud opened his mouth, but before he could say anyhing—he would rather not look at himself at all—Tifa was shaking her head. "We'd better way until after. Stay there," and walked over to her closet, pulling out a dress.

Cloud stared. "That's for me?" It was… really pretty, even Cloud had to admit it. The fabric looked expensive, a dark, dusky blue the color of nightfall, smooth and heavy, with a sheer wrap draped over the top. Only—"Where are the sleeves? Where's the back?"

Tifa smiled, eyes crinkled in amusement. Instead of answering, though, she said, "Alright, strip. Let's get you into your dress, Miss Proud."

They had just finished when someone knocked at the door. "You almost done in there?" Zack asked, cracking it open. Cloud fought the urge to try and cover himself with his hands, but Tifa was already moving to the door, blocking his view. "Kunsel says Polk is ready to pick us up whenever."

"Tell Kunsel we're almost done," Tifa said.

"Okay, but—"

"You'll just have to wait," she told him firmly. "No peeking."

All Cloud could hear was Zack's fading, "Awww," as she shut the door in his face.

Tifa smoothed the dress, readjusting the flimsy wrap a few more times, getting it just right. It turned out it was there for both his arms and his back. It didn't really help him feel any more dressed, though.

"There," she nodded. "Ready?"

He swallowed. Nodded, and turned around to face his own reflection in the mirror.

A total stranger was staring back at him, her eyes wide. Whatever Tifa had done to him had worked. The fabric of the dress clung to his upper body, the bottom sweeping elegantly out, the shape of it somehow giving him curves he didn't have. The delicate sheer wrap softened his angles, hugging his arms and—he turned, trying to look at the back—dipping seductively into the empty space where the back of the dress should have been. And the make up—

There was a weird feeling in his stomach. Tifa had made him beautiful. It looked totally different from what he'd found for that show at the Honeybee Inn. This was—it wasn't just for someone else's entertainment. It wasn't meant to be seen by audience.

Tifa looked at him. "Well?"

Cloud nodded. He wasn't sure he trusted his voice yet.

She smiled at him, eyes warm and reassuring. "Ready to go out there?"

He swallowed. Tried crossing his arms, but the stranger in the mirror looked ungainly and awkward, like someone had shoved Cloud Strife into a dress instead of someone who belonged there, so he put his arms down again. "Ready as I'll ever be."

"You look great," she told him, and cracked the door open. "Your date is ready," she called out.

"About time," Zack said, the sound of his footsteps coming closer. "How long does it take to put on a dress, anyway?"

"A lady never shares," Tifa told him with a wink. "But I think you'll find the wait was worth it."

"Tifa," Cloud growled.

"And," Tifa said, pulling the door open, "here she is. Mr. Steele, may I have the honor of introducing you to Miss Alex Proud?"

She stepped back, lightly pushing Cloud towards the door.

Cloud stopped as soon as Tifa's hands left his back, suddenly shy as a teenager all over again. He stared at the floor, not sure what he might find on Zack's face.

"Holy crap," Zack breathed.

He risked a glance up. Zack's eyes were wide, mouth open. 

Cloud's heart was pounding in his chest, but he made himself say, "Well? Was it worth the wait?"

"I would've waited way longer for this," Zack said, still taking him in. "Hot damn. You look amazing, Cloud. Better than amazing."

Cloud snorted, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

Tifa sighed. "At least try to stay in character tonight?" she begged. "Please? For me?"

"Of course!" Zack said.

"Easy for you to say," Cloud muttered. "You just have to be yourself."

"You'll do great, Cloud!" Zack beamed.

"Miss Alex Proud," Tifa reminded him loudly.

"I can't remember that," Zack protested. "Why not Claudia?"

"Because I am not going as my mother," Cloud snapped.

Zack blinked. "Oh." Scratched the back of his neck. "That's right, huh? Guess I forgot."

Cloud shrugged. "Doesn't matter," he said shortly. He just wanted to get this over with.

"So..."

"Call him Alex," Tifa said firmly. "It's on the ticket."

Zack wasn't listening to her at all, but Cloud didn't really care anymore. "So we're ready?" he prompted.

"All set!" Tifa said brightly. "Polk is taking you two, first, I still need to put on a few finishing touches myself. We'll be right behind you."

Cloud put a hand on his hip. "Ugh. Let's just get this over with."

"Hold on," Tifa said, one finger up. "Let me just—" and came over, adjusting Cloud's hand on his hip slightly, pushing his elbow back. "You're a classy lady now, remember? You can't stand like a mercenary."

Zack was giving him another appreciative look. Cloud almost rolled his eyes, make up for how hard he was blushing, but he didn't want another lecture from Tifa. 

"Just try, okay Cloud?" she said.

Just try. "Okay," he said reluctantly.

"Remember the Honeybees," she added.

"I've been trying to forget."

"It's just for one night," she reminded him, like that made it any better.

"The Honeybees?" Zack repeated. "Huh?"

"You should ask him to dance for you some time," Tifa told him impishly.

"Tifa!"

Zack was looking between the two of them like he was a lost puppy.

"Never mind," Cloud told him firmly. And then, because Tifa had asked nicely, he walked over with as much class as he could, and wrapped a hand around Zack's arm. "Shall we go, Mr. Steele?"

It took him a second to respond. "Y-Yeah," he said, and nodded firmly. "See you there, Tifa!" he called over his shoulder and they headed out the door, to their waiting ride.

It was a limo.
     
- - -

The drive to the mansion took considerably longer than Cloud thought it should. It definitely felt longer. It wasn’t that Polk was a bad driver, but between the anxiety and the curves of the road, Cloud’s stomach was feeling more than a little upset. The sun was already setting by the time Polk finally turned off the main road and onto a small lane hidden in the middle of a small cluster of trees. It wasn’t quite big enough to be called a forest, but it was still more green than Cloud had seen close to Edge in a long time. Thin trees lined the narrow drive in a perfect line. It was hard to see beyond them through the tinted windows of the limo, but it was impossible to miss the sudden clearing that opened to reveal a huge—palace—that rose up in front of them. Each of its big, beautiful windows gleamed with golden light, the manicured lawn strung with enough small twinkling lights to stave off the dark that had been pressing in on them.

It was probably powered by half of Edge’s power supply. Cloud felt even sicker.

Polk opened the door to the limo, and Zack climbed out before Cloud could even try to make a break for it.

“Miss Proud?” Zack said, extending one arm.

Oh. Yeah. Right.

Cloud took the offered hand and stepped out onto a literal red carpet. Shit. He was so out-classed, here, but Zack was still holding his hand, his smile as dazzling as the lights, bright enough to dim the rest of the world, if only for awhile. He swallowed down his nerves, straightened his back, and let Zack escort him down the red carpet towards the small line of guests waiting their turn to gain entry.

The closer they got, the larger the crowd seemed to become, and the more his skin crawled with the feeling of their eyes on him. He resisted the temptation to smooth down his dress or run a hand through his hair—the hair Tifa had spent so long working on. He tried to remember the person in the mirror who had looked back at him, elegant in her formalwear, the way Zack’s jaw had dropped. Tonight, he was Alex Proud, here on the arm of her gorgeous boyfriend. Even if he felt awkward, at the very least, he could try to make Zack look good. He stood up straighter, lifting his head, and gathered his old stone cold merc persona around him like a cloak. If anyone wanted to look, let them. Alex Proud didn’t care.

Thankfully, the line was short enough they made it to the bouncer before his resolve failed him. Zack handed over their invitations, along with their fake IDs, to the well-dressed bouncer guarding the door.

"Mr. Steele and Miss Proud?" He eyed the invitations, scanned a list of names, and made two little checks before waving them forward. "Enjoy your night."

Cloud swallowed his relief and followed Zack's lead. He kept his hand lightly on Zack's arm and his face forward, walking down the red carpet and through the doors.

And they were in.

The mansion was bigger than any building had the right to be. It was aggressively grandiose, big and bright and opulent, everything that Edge wasn't. Gold light spilled from the chandeliers, reflected by the large mirrors lining the hallway and the white arched ceiling. Richly cushioned benches made of actual wood were placed here and there along the hall, along with tables whose sole purpose was to hold random decorative vases. And even with all that stuff, the hall was still grand enough to make Cloud feel very small and insignificant.

"Whoa," Zack breathed, looking around with his eyes wide, not even bothering to try and pretend to fit in with high society. "Look at this place."

Someone came over to see if they had any personal items they wished to store. If only. Cloud really wished he’d been allowed to bring the Fusion Sword. They managed to fend the person off, but only after he politely but firmly showed them where they could find the ballroom.

"Alright,” Cloud muttered as soon as the man had left. “Let's just get this over with."

Zack frowned at him. "What?"

"What do you mean, what?"

"What's got you so pissy?"

"I'm not—!" Cloud stopped. Took a breath. "I just—feel like everyone can see us." Zack didn't get it. "That they can see that we don’t—" who was he kidding, Zack fit in everywhere. "—that I don't belong."

"You look great," Zack told him with the absolute confidence and totally missing the point by a mile. "Seriously. Do you think we should sneak off now or scope the place out? Do you think they’ll have refreshments?"

"Focus,” Cloud told him. He could feel his anxiety rising with every question.

"I am focusing!"

“We should probably look around, get an idea of where things are at. We’ll need to meet up with Ti—Mr. and Mrs. Wright, anyway.” Another pair of guests came in through the doors and were accosted by the staff. “And this isn’t the most discrete place to stand around talking, anyway.”

Zack nodded. “Right!” He hesitated. “Uh, which way did that guy say the ballroom was?”

Cloud shook his head. “Follow me.”

It didn’t take long for them to find the ball. The mansion was big, but so was the main hall, which seemed to have been built specifically for the purpose of leading guests to the biggest, most impressive rooms. The orchestra helped, too. All they had to do was follow the music.

The ballroom was perhaps the biggest, most impressive room in the mansion. There wasn’t so much a snack bar, it turned out, as people wandering around with food and wine on literal silver platters. The room was dimly lit, though, probably for a romantic atmosphere. Fortunately for them, that also meant it was perfect for sneaking away unnoticed.

From what Cloud could tell, almost all rich people thought that they were above everybody else, figuratively and literally. The Shinra bigwigs had always kept their most important documents as high up as their clearance would let them go, and it only made sense Galloway would think the same way. They took the first stairway they came across, and then the stairway after that, and the stairway after that. At some point, he started wondering if it would've been more prudent to check for an elevator, but it was too late now. 

They only ran into one guard along the way who very obediently pointed them in the direction of a bathroom, and then very trustingly moved on, leaving them alone once again.

"He was checking you out!" Zack muttered indignantly as they turned a corner.

Cloud blinked. "What?"

"That guard," Zack repeated. “Was checking you out. Y'know, staring at you. Disrespectfully."

"I know what checking out is,” Cloud muttered.

"Well, you're hot!"

Cloud's cheeks were getting warm again. "Whatever. If it made him believe me and leave us alone…”

Zack smirked. "Oh, it definitely did.” The smirk widened into a grin. “You charmed the socks off of him.”

He absolutely had not, but he knew Zack would never let it go if Cloud tried to argue with him about it. He rubbed at his forehead, trying to forestall an oncoming headache. "Can we just—stop talking about this?"

Zack shrugged. "You’re the boss.”

Cloud’s cheeks were still hot by the time they found the double doors, at the top of an extra fancy staircase—and right across from an elevator.

“This guy has an elevator?” Zack demanded. “In his house?!”

“He’s rich,” Cloud shrugged, “and he has five flights of stairs. Do you really think a rich guy would want to climb that every day to get to—whatever this is?”

“It’d be great for his thighs,” Zack said. He didn’t sound like he was joking.

“He probably has an exercise machine for that,” Cloud pointed out, and then—“Can we focus, here?”

Zack nodded. “You want to find out what’s behind those doors?” He grinned, excited all over again at the prospect of getting to commit heroic crimes.

"Seems like a good place to start.” He moved forward, trying the handle. “Shit.”

"Locked?"

Cloud nodded.

"Stand back," Zack told him.

"You're not going to kick the door down, are you?"

"Of course not! We're supposed to be discreet, right?" Zack was saying this? "I know a trick. Get ready to be impressed."

Cloud rolled his eyes but moved over to let Zack in. He rolled his shoulders and stretched his neck, loosening up, and one hand out, his palm a few inches from the doorknob. The hell was he doing? Practicing some weird karate move?

He frowned, his face a picture of perfect concentration, and took a short breath before letting it out, his mouth moving silently as he cast a spell. Cloud looked at the door, trying to figure out what the hell he was doing. They’d both brought a single materia with them, strictly for self defense if needed, but—

The doorknob paled, a thin sheen of frost blooming over the metal surface, crystallizing into solid ice a few seconds later. There was a sudden, horribly loud crack as the doorframe splintered at the bolt.

"Shit," Cloud hissed.

"Piece of cake," Zack said sounding extremely satisfied. He reached out to grab the doorknob and flinched away as soon as his fingers touched the surface. "It's cold."

Cloud's pulse was hammering in his throat. "What the hell did you just do?"

"Unlocked the door."

"You broke the door," Cloud corrected. "Loudly."

"It wasn't that loud," Zack protested. "And besides, most of the guards will be down at the party."

Cloud huffed out a disapproving breath.

"Did you have a better way to get us in there?" Zack demanded.

"…no."

"Well?" Zack put a hand on one hip. "Are we going in or not?"

"Might as well." He took a breath. "Be ready for a fight, though. If anyone was in there, they'll be ready for us."

"If anyone was in there, I'm pretty sure the guards would be on us now."

He had a point, but he also had a tendency to forget to be cautious. "Just… keep your guard up, okay?"

Zack nodded, giving a determined fist pump.

The knob was still a little fiddly. He braced for a sword to the chest—or a gun to the head—but the room was dark and empty. The narrow shaft of light slanting in through the broken door revealed the office of someone who clearly thought he was very important and wanted everyone else to think so, too. The room was lined with dark wood and rich, thick rugs; tall windows set into the walls, the drapes still partially pulled back with golden rope.

Cloud closed the door, plunging the room into temporary darkness.

"Hey!" Zack protested.

"Guards would be more likely to notice an open door than the cracked frame," Cloud told him, keeping his voice low.

"Oh. Good point." A pause, and a second later, Cloud heard him shuffling over, movements slow and careful.

He was heading for the light switch, Cloud realized a second later. Shit. "Wait!"

Zack froze mid-reach. "Huh?"

Cloud pointed at the windows. A thin, sheer curtain was the only thing between them and the outside. "If someone's out there, they'll see the light go on. Probably even see our silhouettes as we go throug their stuff."

"Oh," Zack said sheepishly. "I didn't think of that."

"You have the flashlights, right?"

Zack patted himself down, and then produced two small flashlights from one of his pockets. He turned one on before tossing the other one over to Cloud.

"Start at the bookcase," Cloud told him. "I'm going to search through the desk."

There wasn't much in the top drawer aside from the normal stuff you'd find in an office: pens and scissors and white out, extra staples, paperclips. No key, though, and no slip of paper stating some obvious crime. He tried the second drawer. "When the hell did you learn to break locks?" he asked, trying to keep his voice low.

Zack stopped, a book in hand, to turn and grin at him. "That was really cool, right?"

He let out a quiet huff of laughter. "It was very cool," he admitted. "I'm impressed. I had no idea you were such a criminal."

"Kunsel showed me," Zack said. Cloud could hear the grin in his voice, still. "Or—I saw him use it once, anyway, I don't think he realized I'd noticed. He was trying to help me get my sword back, back when I was still green."

"You lost it?" He wasn't seeing anything in this drawer, either. The bottom drawer was full of hanging files stuffed with paper, most of it not labeled. Ugh. It was an organizational nightmare.

"Well—see the thing is," Zack started, "you're supposed to have your sword with you at all times. 'This is your sword, it is your life,' you know the drill."

Cloud had heard it before. It was some kind of superstition with the SOLDIERS—you got your weapon and kept it with you at all times, until it became another part of you. He'd never heard the full thing, though. "Okay," he said, flipping through stacks and stacks of financial reports. It was impossible to know if any of it would be worthwhile. He didn't even know what he was looking for.

"So I took it off." Cloud tried to repress a smile. Only Zack. "I was showering, I figured—I mean, who showers with their sword? But some asshole took it, and then took it to Angeal."

"It was in Angeal's office?"

"Yep. And I had to have it for the next day's training mission, or I would really be in hot water."

"So you broke into his office?"

"What? No! Of course not, I'm not stupid." Zack paused, pulling a book out of the bookshelf. "Kunsel broke in."

"Did you just say Kunsel is stupid?"

"Don't tell him," Zack said instantly. The flashlight bobbed a little as he started flipping through the book. Was he—was he holding the flashlight in his mouth? "It's more like Kunsel's so smart he can get away with it." He was definitely holding it in his mouth, based on how hard he was to understand.

"I'm impressed you remembered the technique." Remembered and then did it, with zero training. They were lucky he hadn't shattered the entire wall. But. That was Zack for you. Naturally good at everything.

He made it through the rest of the papers and had started on the other side of the desk when Zack said, "Hey, Cloud. Come look at this."

"You found something?" He turned around, only to find Zack standing at the window in plain sight, peering out. "What are you doing?" he asked in a strangled whisper. "Someone might see you."

"Look," Zack said, his voice weirdly soft, ignoring Cloud completely. "It's Midgar."

Midgar? Midgar didn't exist anymore, a black hole of abandoned, rusting infrastructure with a crater in the middle and a ramshackle town orbiting its edges. Cloud came over, though, to stand by Zack's side and look out into the black night, lit only with the few twinkling strands of lights decorating the yard.

It took him a second to see it. Edge lay on the horizon, its own smudged lights trying to penetrate the darkness. And there, rising behind it, the ominous broken horizon of Midgar jutted black against the night sky.

"I forget it's still there sometimes, you know?" Zack said. "Can you believe humans built all that? A whole plate in the sky."

Cloud couldn't think of anything to say to that, but he couldn't pull himself away, either. Something about seeing it at night way out here stripped it of its common familiarity, like he was seeing it brand new all over again. The wreckage of Shinra, the ending of one world and the beginning of another. "Yeah," he said quietly. "I know what you mean."

Zack put an arm around him, and Cloud closed his eyes, leaning into his side and breathing him in, suddenly overwhelmingly, terribly grateful that Zack was here, alive and his.

They stood there, looking out at the sky together, until slowly the strange newness sobered into reality. They were standing in this opulent mansion built from the tatters of civilization, gilded in other's misfortunes.

"C'mon," he said, feeling sick all over again. "Let's get back to work. Tifa and Kunsel must be here by now."

Zack nodded, but he held on a moment longer before releasing Cloud.

He got back to looking through the desk. The last drawer wouldn't budge, and after a closer look, he realized he'd missed the small but sturdy lock earlier, in the dark. "Zack. Come here."

"Uh huh?"

"You think you can do that blizzard trick on a drawer?"

"Of course!"

"Without getting ice on whatever's inside," Cloud cautioned.

Zack hesitated, glancing over at the cracked door frame. 

"You just have to be careful," Cloud told him. 

He nodded, and said with effortless confidence, "Yeah, you're right! I can do it." Even when Cloud had done his very best to become Zack, taking on his memories and his life, he'd never managed to act like him. He'd been in awe as a fresh recruit, believing absolutely that Zack could do anything he set his mind to. He was SOLDIER First Class, after all, and he looked the part. And now... 

Now, watching him kneel down to work on the lock, so sure of himself and his abilities, that fresh awe welled up in his chest all over again. Zack had been through so much, shot at and then stuffed into not just one but two experimental mako tanks, betrayed by the company he'd given everything to, lied to over and over again. And he still believed in himself, so strongly he made everyone else believe him too.

This time, the bloom of frost was much smaller, tempered by the wood surrounding the lock; the crack of breaking wood and metal much quieter. "Heck yeah!" Zack exulted.

"Does the drawer open?"

"Sure does," Zack told him, tugging on the door. It gave him no resistance, like it was happy to do whatever he asked.

"Alright, let's see what he's got locked up," Cloud said, and moved in to take a closer look.

It was a surprisingly tidy drawer compared to the others. Or maybe a better word would be 'sparse.' Cloud could see a folder, a handful of loose papers, two notebooks, and a photograph of a young child, thrown in with the rest. And, at the very back, a few vials of precious medicine.

"Zack," he whispered, gesturing at the contents. "Do you have your phone? We need a photo of this for proof." Cloud kept the flashlight trained at the back of the drawer, waiting for Zack to pull out his phone.

That done, he started going through the rest. The papers were financial statements, along with a handwritten letter. Telling they weren't in with the rest of the papers. The folder contained photographs, though none of them were as innocent as that first one. Blackmail, then, for sure. One of the notebooks was small, the writing large and flourished and still managing to be almost impossible to read. The larger notebook was a ledger, familiar enough from Cloud's own paperwork that he could identify it immediately. He handed the small notebook over to Zack to look through, and had just started going through the ledger himself when he heard voices approaching. Shit. Guards, probably, and if their patrol took them anywhere near the office, they would notice the door frame.

Cloud put a hand on Zack's arm to get his attention and lifted a finger to his lips: Be quiet. Shoved the ledger into Zack's hands to keep safe and crept as quickly as he could to the door, nudging it shut and praying that the guards weren't close enough to see the motion. Zack joined him a moment later, tucking something into the back of his pants. Cloud shook his head. Walking with a book back there couldn't be comfortable, but at least the long suit jacket would cover how flat his ass would look.

Zack opened his mouth and Cloud shook his head, firmly and a little frantically. Not now, Zack. For once, keep your mouth shut.

They stood in tense silence next to the doors, waiting for the voices to find them. After what felt like an hour, they started getting fainter again. They must've turned a corner.

Zack let out an explosive breath.

"We need to leave," Cloud said, keeping his voice low. "Now."

Zack nodded once, firmly.

"You have the books?"

"As much as I could carry."

"Follow my lead," Cloud ordered, and opened the door, stepping out into the hall and heading away from the direction of the voices. It took everything he had to keep his pace to a casual walk, his eyes forward. His back prickled with the cold air, the low cut doing nothing to keep him warm. It felt like a hundred eyes were watching him, but no one stopped them, and they made it to the main stairway without incident, thank the gods.

He should've known better than to relax, though.

"Hey, you—stop! What are you doing up here?" a rough voice demanded from behind them, just as they made it to the next floor.

"Looking for a bathroom?" Zack tried.

"Stay where you are," the voice instructed. Cloud chanced a quick glance back. The guard was lifting a walkie talkie to his mouth.

"Shit," he hissed.

"Got two sightseers on the top floor," the guard was saying. Cloud wrenched a bracelet off his wrist—"Yeah, a man and his date—" took aim, "—saying they're lookin' for th—" and threw as hard as he could.

The bracelet was made of solid mythril, and Cloud's aim was good. It hit the man square between the eyes, hard enough to knock his head back. Hard enough he dropped the walkie talkie, bending over to clutch at his head.

"Nice throw," Zack said admiringly.

Cloud grabbed his hand and almost yanked him down the stairs, holding tight. They didn't have the time to check the guard. Back up would be coming any minute and neither of them had more than a materia each. "The ballroom," he hissed, running down the stairs as fast as these stupid heels would let him. They needed to lose themselves in a crowd, and fast.

They'd made it to the first floor when they almost literally ran into one of the staff, holding a platter of food.

"Sorry!" Zack called behind them as Cloud dragged him on. "My girlfriend really has to pee—"  Cloud yanked on his arm hard enough he stumbled. "Ow! What the hell?"

"What's wrong with you?" Cloud hissed. He could hear a muffled laugh behind them. He could feel his cheeks burning again. Was there going to be anything about this night that wasn't going to make him blush? "We're supposed to blend in."

"Yeah! And now they think you just got lost trying to pee," Zack said, tone somewhere between wounded and convincing. 

"Yeah. Exactly. No one who attends this a ball like this uses the word pee."

Zack frowned. "What do they say inste—" and cut off abruptly. They could both hear the sound of several guards thundering their way down the staircase. Shit. There were too many there for a simple lost guest call. The question was, had they discovered the guard, or had they discovered the cracked doorframe? Shit shit shit.

Cloud kept his grip on Zack's hand, walking as fast as he dared towards the ballroom. He could hear the guards talking to that poor server.

"Let's go," Cloud said, and slipped into the room. It was a different entrance than the one they'd found before, closer to the back. Their luck was still holding, barely. He edged his way along the side of the room, weaving through the scattered couples. He slowed down as soon as they got a comfortable distance from the door, trying to blend in.

"Do you see Tifa?" Cloud asked, keeping his voice low.

Zack raised his head slightly, tall enough he didn't even have to go up on tip toes to see over everyone. "Not yet," he reported.

"We need to find them," Cloud said urgently. "We're about to have company." The guards had followed into the ballroom, using the same door. Did that mean they were already suspects?

Zack turned to look back, and Cloud groaned internally. He was practically handing the guards their location on a silver platter. But then he took Cloud's other hand, and leaned in, murmuring, "Don't freak out."

"What?!"

"I said," Zack said, lips brushing against Cloud's ear, "not to freak out."

"Just tell me what's happening," Cloud grated.

Zack walked backwards, towards the middle of the room, pulling Cloud with him.

"Zack," Cloud said, trying to keep the panic out of his voice, "where are you going? That's the dance floor. They'll spot us immediately."

Zack smiled at him, eyes crinkling in amusement. "Not if we're dancing."

Cloud's throat closed with panic. "Zack," he hissed or maybe begged. "I can't dance. Everyone will notice—"

"Hey now," Zack said, his voice easy now, like he was soothing a startled chocobo. "I said don't panic, right? Just follow my lead. Don't worry, I'll make us look good."

Cloud swallowed, hard, his heart pounding loud enough in his ears to drown out the beat of whatever song the orchestra was playing. He did his best to follow Zack's lead, to not trip over his own feet, but they kept getting tangled in themselves, his hands at odd angles with wherever they were supposed to be, even though Zack had placed them himself.

"Where did you even learn how to dance?" Cloud muttered, trying to take his attention off the eyes in the crowd, all of them pointed right at him. At them, the tall, handsome man with his weird, awkward partner, whose body was just a little too angular, face just a little too square.

And with each turn, every spin, Cloud caught a glimpse of the guards, witnessing their search in stolen fragments. They were at the perimeter of the ballroom still, at least.

"They made us take a class," Zack said easily, "as soon as we were promoted to SOLDIER."

Cloud stared at him in disbelief, but he was sincere. "Why?" he finally sputtered.

"I asked Angeal, too," Zack nodded. "Apparently First Class had to go to galas and company functions all the time. Shinra didn't want to embarrass them."

Cloud tried to picture Sephiroth at a ball, the Masamune smacking everyone in the leg every time he turned. Or impaling people. It was hard, now, to remember who he'd been before... everything. A hero and a role model, and seemingly sane. "You said when you were promoted to SOLDIER, though, not SOLDIER First Class."

"The rest of us were allowed to attend, if we wanted. Kunsel took a bunch of them. He said it was good practice, but I think he used it to meet cute girls."

Cloud snorted. "Why am I not surprised to learn this about Kunsel," he muttered. "Did you ever go? Did you ever—" his mouth stumbled over the words, "—dance with anyone?"

Zack shrugged, his hand shifting against Cloud's. "I went to a few. It wasn't really my thing."

"Mm." Cloud swallowed, suddenly abruptly aware all over again just what they were doing. Dancing. In the middle of a ballroom, in full view of everyone. Zack's hand hot on his bare back, Cloud's hand in his, big and warm just a little rough. "Could've fooled me. Seems like you know just what to do."

Zack flashed a blinding grin his way, his hand on Cloud's back pulling him in. "Helps I've got someone I want to do it with."

The words settled warm in Cloud's gut, curling hot around his spine. He couldn't think of anyhing to say to that, his head empty of everyting but the sweep of the music, the rhythm of the dance. He tried to glance around the ballroom, trying to find the guards, but the crowd was a blur of black suits and glittering dresses, Zack's hand firm at his back. He couldn't see any guards, couldn't hear any commotion, only the lilting notes of the orchestra moving them around the dance floor. He was lost in Zack's eyes, dark and glittering in the dim light, in the way his mouth curved with pleasure, in the feel of Zack's bare hands against his skin. In the pure confidence Zack had, dancing with his boyfriend who was his girlfriend, and in the way Zack looked at him, hungry and happy and proud, all at once.

Cloud swallowed. Closed his eyes against the dizzying spin of the crowd and leaned in, seeking his solid heat. Let Zack move him around the floor, leading him through the other dances, until the music eventually slowed, the orchestra shifting to another song, and Zack's hands were pulling him away from the floor.

"You okay?" Zack asked quietly.

…okay? Cloud took a breath, his head spinning like they were still wheeling around the ballroom. He felt drunk, his blood rushing hot just beneath his skin, only he hadn't had any alcohol. The room was slowly coming back into focus, the noise of the other guests pressing in on them again. "I'm fine," he lied. "Are those guards still around?"

"Haven't seen them," Zack said, his eyes lifting to scan the crowd. Cloud hadn't seen them, either, but he hadn't been watching, for the last minute, at least. 

"We should—" he cleared his throat, trying to get his voice back to normal, "—go somewhere private. To check out those notebooks," he added hastily. "Make sure they have what we need." He really didn't want to have to go back upstairs, not without the Fusion Sword at his side. 

Zack looked at him, his eyes searching Cloud's face before falling down to his chest. Huh? Was there something—

Oh. Right. The dress. Cloud swallowed, fighting the urge to cross his arms to cover himself.

"Um, right," Zack said, sounding lost. He pulled his eyes up, blinking. "Uh—any ideas?"

"Bathroom?" It should be private, at least, and far away from any chance the guards would find them.

Zack's mouth curved. "Looking for a bathroom for real this time, huh?"

Cloud looked away, unable to keep the smile off his face.

"Sure, don't see why not. Let's go."

A small voice in the back of his head was trying to warn him that a private bathroom would be a bad idea, especially right now, with Zack in this suit. With Cloud's head still spinning from the dance. With the hungry look in Zack's eyes.

They were here on a mission, Cloud reminded himself. Guards were probably still on the lookout for the intruders, and Tifa was depending on them. He couldn't let himself get distracted.

The bathroom was huge, big enough that Cloud almost shut the door again after the initial glance. It didn't help that the door opened to some kind of lounge, complete with thick lush carpeting, a mirror that spread wall-to-wall on one side with an equally long counter, and a fancy chair positioned artfully in front. There was a tall set of drawers set to the side, with a ridiculous bouquet of real flowers set on top in an even more ridiculous vase, and a low, cushioned bench set against the wall with yet another mirror over it, reflecting their reflections back at them. A wall separated the sitting room from the bathroom, which was equally nice, though with significantly less mirrors and seating.

"Holy crap," Zack breathed. "This is bigger than our bedroom!"

"Of course it's going to look bigger," Cloud pointed out. "It doesn't have a bed in it."

"But it could!" Zack wandered over to inspect the weird little waiting room. "I wonder what's in these drawers."

"Who knows? I can't believe there are chandeliers in both rooms."

Zack pulled one of the doors open. "Huh. Towels. Toilet paper—four ply! Is that even a thing?! And—" he closed the door, investigating the drawers next, "—lotion, some kind of powder, um—"

"Zack," Cloud interrupted him. "We have work to do. You still have those notebooks, right?"

"There are condoms in here," Zack said in a stunned voice, totally ignoring him.

"Zack. Focus."

"Don't you want to know what rich guys keep in their bathrooms?"

"Not really."

Zack sighed, closing the door regretfully. "Yeah, okay." He pulled out the two notebooks from under his suit jacket, tossing them on the counter. Cloud picked one up, flipping through. Zack'd had the foresight to fold and stuff the loose paper inside. Nice. 

His main interest right now was the notebook itself, though, so he moved on. It seemed to be an inventory of some sort, organized by seller. The page he'd opened to was about kitchen equipment. He turned to another page—construction material. And another—flowers. Must be where he'd found the flowers for the enormous display on top of the drawers. He breathed through the flash of anger that the man had so little respect for anything that actually managed to grow out here he was actually willing to cut down flowers and then stick them in a dark bathroom. He wondered irrationally what they would have told Aerith.

Whatever. That was why they were here, right? To put an end to this asshole, or at least cut him off from one source of profit. 

He set that notebook aside—maybe Kunsel would find something interesting in it—and picked up the second notebook, the long one. The ledger. At least this was something Cloud knew about, though it would take more than a quick glance to see if there was anything fishy about it. He leaned against the counter and settled in.

Zack picked up the other notebook and started flipping through himself, using one finger to scan down the page, biting at one lip in concentration. They worked in companionable silence for a while, when Zack said, "Hey, Cloud. You ever heard of Wall Market Pharmaceuticals?"

"Wall Market doesn't exist any more," Cloud said automatically, and then frowned. "And who the hell would call themselves pharmaceuticals down there, anyway? It's the slums, not the upper plate."

"Sounds fishy, right? That's what I thought." Zack reached over to show him, the notebook still open to the page in question. "And Kunsel said these guys probably had connections to Wall Market, back in the day. And look." He pointed at the entry. "There's even a phone number!"

Cloud wasn't sure the phone number would do them much good, if the dealer had caller ID, but Kunsel might be able to do something with it, anyway. It was a little unsettling how much information the guy could dig up with only the slimmest of clues.  "I think I saw the name in the ledger somewhere, too. Alright, we should talk to Tifa. Between these two notebooks, we might have what they need."

"Does that mean we can enjoy the rest of the party?"

Cloud snorted, shaking his head. "This isn't exactly my idea of a party."

"What would you call it,then?" Cloud opened his mouth, but before he had a chance to respond, Zack added, "And did you get a look at those refreshments? I don't think I've seen so much food since..." He broke off, considering it. "—ever."

Cloud sighed. "I guess we could try and mingle. We might overhear something important." That was supposed to be Kunsel's job, but they couldn't exactly stay in the bathroom for the rest of the night.

"Can we at least mingle near the food?" He put his hands together in front of him, puppy eyes at the ready. "Please, Cl—" 

"Shh." Cloud cut him off with a gesture. He'd heard someone out in the hallway. It could be anyone, but it could also be a guard.

"—Adams says there was a chick in blue with a tall guy, black hair?"

Shit. It was a guard. Cloud exchanged a long look with Zack.

"Sounds familiar," a different voice said. So there were at least two guards out there—maybe they'd doubled up after what happened to the first one who'd spotted them. "The woman had short blonde hair? Nice ass?"

Cloud stuck his eyes on the floor, ignoring the way his cheeks were burning. "I don't think we should go out there yet," he said, keeping his voice low.

"No kidding," Zack agreed softly. "I'll text Kunsel, let him know what's going on."

He could still hear the guards outside the door, but whatever they were saying, it was too quiet for Cloud to make out. "Good idea but he's probably too busy spying on people to look at his phone."

Zack laughed. "It's Kunsel. He'll see it." He pulled his phone out, frowning at the screening and tapping away. "And he'd say he doesn't spy on people."

Cloud crossed his arms, his reflection mirroring him. "And I'd say he's full of shit." The guard had called him a chick. He looked away, past his reflection's shoulder to the far wall behind him. Did the guards really think he had a nice ass? He felt too big, too awkward moving around in this dress. He'd managed to forget in the dark of the ballroom, the sweep of the music and the warmth of Zack's hands, to be self conscious. But now...

"Sent," Zack said, interrupting his thoughts. "I told him we might need a distraction."

Cloud raised his eyebrows. "Hoo boy." This was going to end in disaster, if Kunsel and Zack were the ones planning it.

"Do you think they're still out there?" Zack nodded at the door, leading out to the hallway.

Cloud shrugged. "Hard to say. I don't want to risk it yet, though."

Zack nodded in glum agreement, leaning back against the counter. "If I'd known we'd get stuck here, I would've snuck some drinks in with us."

Cloud snorted and went back to looking through the ledger. It was weirdly close to how he kept his own accounts for the delivery service. There were still some key differences, of course, but at least it made it easier to look through, checking for anything that might stand out. After a few pages, he slowly started to realize that Zack wasn't looking at the other notebook. He was looking at Cloud, his gaze heavier than the thin fabric of the dress.

"Zack."

"I didn't say anything!" he protested. 

"You didn't have to," Cloud told him. "I know that look. Focus."

"But this is the first time I've seen you in a dress," Zack said, hands protesting his innocence. "I've heard all those stories, you know, Tifa—"

"I know the stories," Cloud grated.

Zack grinned at him, bright and boyish and impossible to stay mad at. Cloud scowled harder, trying desperately to hold onto his anger, but it didn't work. It never did, not against Zack. "It's a good story," Zack told him. He gave Cloud another, long, considering glance. "You should wear dresses more often, you know. You look good."

"Not gonna happen."

"Not even for me?" 

Cloud crossed his arms across his chest, looking away from those damn puppy eyes. "Where would I even wear one?"

Zack shrugged a shoulder. "Around the flat?"

"Why?"

"So I can look at you." His mouth curved up, eyes dark. "And then take it off."

Cloud swallowed, not sure he trusted himself to reply, his cheeks burning. He shifted, all too aware of the way Zack's eyes followed the movement, the way the fabric hugged his body. Very, very aware of the way Zack was slowly pushing himself off the counter and stepping into Cloud's space.

"Zack," Cloud tried.

"Uh huh?" he asked, reaching out, fingers light on Cloud's arm.

"You cannot take this dress off me." His voice sounded more desperate than commanding.
  
"But—"

"I can't put it back on by myself." The words fell out in a panicked rush.

"Oh." Zack stopped, thinking about it. "We could leave it on."

Heat spiked through his gut, sudden and hungry. "No. We—we need to be ready for whatever distraction—"

"You said it yourself.” Zack’s attention, usually distracted and bouncing off of eight different things at once, was now focused solely on Cloud. “Kunsel might not even get the text for hours."

“What if he does?” He was arguing more with himself than with Zack, now, trying desperately to hold onto the thread of the conversation. “If we miss our chance…” They would be in an even worse situation than they were in now.

"If the distraction is as big as you’re worried it’ll be, we'll hear it," Zack said, very reasonably. "And it's Kunsel. He'd text us before he started anything. You know that." His fingers trailed down Cloud’s arm to take his hand.

There was a very good reason that argument made no sense, but Cloud couldn't think of it right now. Not with Zack pulling Cloud's hand up to his mouth and slowly kissing his knuckles one by one.

"Zack," Cloud whispered. "What—" his thoughts were scattering, sliding away every time he tried to focus, "—what are you doing."

Zack looked at him, his eyes bright blue under those dark lashes. It hit him hard enough to take his breath away. “Seducing you.” There was no question in his tone, no thought that maybe it wouldn’t work. Just as confident in this as he was with everything else.

Cloud closed his eyes, swallowing hard. "I—"

"C'mon," Zack said, brushing a strand of Cloud’s hair back so he could lean and and kiss his way along Cloud’s jaw towards his ear. “You want this, too.”

And he did. That was the problem. One of them needed to be a responsible adult, and Zack was not it. Zack was never it.

"What else are we going to do?" Zack pointed out. "Look at those ledgers all night until Kunsel may or may not check his phone?"

Cloud didn't think he could go back to them, not now. Even if he managed, he didn't think he would be able to concentrate. Zack definitely wouldn't. He closed his eyes, breathing, trying to settle down. They were here to help Tifa out. She was counting on them.

Counting on them to get information that could incriminate Galloway, and they already had that. And the guards were on the lookout now–there was no one they’d be able to go back to Galloway’s office now. If these notebooks weren't enough, Tifa would have to figure out some other way to get what she needed. Their part in this was over.

They were just running down the clock now. Cloud took a short, shallow breath, and opened his eyes at the touch of Zack’s hand at the back of his neck, warm and steady.

“You okay?”

Cloud nodded. "Ready to go home and get out of all this.” He gestured at the dress. The make up. The heels.

Zack's mouth curled, his eyes following Cloud’s gesture, taking it all in, slow and savoring. "Guess I gotta enjoy it now, then, huh?”

Cloud had to look away, past Zack’s shoulder at their reflections in the opposing mirror. Zack’s back, even broader and more attractive in the tux. And his own face looking back at him, unrecognizable. The make up Tifa had applied made him look—

"You really like this?" Cloud asked finally, hesitantly. "I feel so… big. Clumsy." Fake. "Like everyone knows I’m pretending to be someone I’m not."

The hand at the back of his neck trailed down, fingertips tracing just inside the edge of his shoulder blades and along the curve of his back, his ass."You look really good," Zack said, and Cloud had to believe him. He was so painfully honest about everything, even things he shouldn't be, and now Zack’s other hand was at his chin, tilting his face so that he had to look him in the eyes. "You're beautiful." He said it without any thought, like he’d already been thinking it. Like it was as much a fact as the sky is blue.

This time, Cloud couldn't look away, even if he wanted to. Not when Zack’s full focus was on him, his eyes such a sincere blue. Couldn't pull back or push him away or do anything but stand there as Zack kissed him, slow and insistent and sweet. Couldn't do anything but lean in to take another kiss from him, Zack's teeth tugging at his lip when he finally pulled away.

Zack breathed. Looked at Cloud for a long, long minute, then grinned. "Here," he said, voice low, breath at his ear and a hand on one shoulder, "Look" and turned Cloud around. 

He didn’t have time to look away, didn’t have time to prepare to see himself reflected in the mirror. The person looking back at him was a stranger and an embarrassment all at the same time. Not that the stranger looked bad–Tifa had done her job well, really well–but it just–it didn’t seem like him. The stranger looked–exposed. Like they were supposed to be charming and elegant and graceful, when Cloud was none of those things. He was an ex-Shinra, ex-mercenary, delivery boy.

He swallowed, eyes sliding away from his own image. 

“No, no,” Zack murmured, wrapping a protective arm over Cloud’s chest, holding him tight, his body warm and solid at his back. “Look.” 

Cloud reluctantly put his eyes back on his reflection, in time to see Zack bend his neck and kiss the side of Cloud’s neck slowly, pausing to lift his gaze and catch Cloud’s eyes. It was impossible to look away from that look, his eyes hungry and bright. Impossible to ignore Zack’s nails dragging lightly across Cloud’s chest, slow and distracting, his skin so aware of every touch. 

Zack’s fingers made their way down Cloud’s side, following the curves of his body, his eyes drinking it all in. Cloud couldn’t pretend Zack was just being polite, couldn’t pretend he didn’t want this. Didn’t want Cloud, here, in this dress.

Cloud took an unsteady breath, drunk from Zack’s attention. Took another, sharper breath as Zack’s hand crossed his hip, stopping just short of the very obvious outline under his dress. 

"See?" he murmured in Cloud's ear. "Even you think you're sexy."

Cloud looked away, but Zack's mouth was right next to his ear. "I've been looking at this all night," he murmured, his hand sliding closer, the fabric of the dress pulling at his skin, drawing his focus. "Waiting.” The word was no more than a breath in his ear. “Wanting."

Cloud swallowed, unable to look away as Zack's hand found his hard-on, as his other hand slid possessively up Cloud’s bare chest, fingers pressing against the base of his throat.

"You look so damn good," Zack breathed, soft against his ear. He was pressing against Cloud’s back, the heat radiating even through his suit, face starting to flush. Cloud could see himself in the mirror, yes, but he could see exactly how much Zack wanted him. 

Cloud needed him, suddenly, now. He turned around, ready to undo the clasps on Zack’s stupid, overly fancy pants, when Zack put a hand down, stopping him. "Wait, wait, I wasn't done."

"With what?" Cloud demanded.

"You," he said simply. "The mirror."

F-fuck. It was enough to short circuit Cloud's brain, just long enough for Zack to kiss him again, slow and lingering. Pulled away, and while Cloud was still recovering, turned him back around, bending his head to kiss Cloud slowly along his jaw and down his neck, holding his gaze the entire time.

And Cloud had to watch it. Had to see his own reactions in the mirror, the way his body responded without thought to Zack’s touch. His teeth biting at his lip, his skin flushed, his hips jerking when Zack’s hand found his cock again. The—the naked want written all over his face, over both their faces. It should've been embarrassing, but instead it just turned him on even more. How helplessly desperate he was. How badly he wanted this.

How he looked when he opened his mouth and said, "Fuck me," his voice low and breathless.

Zack paused, still fucking around with kissing all the skin he could find. There wasn't much of it, not with this damn dress on. "Hmm?"

"Stop messing around," Cloud ordered, "and fuck me."

This time, Cloud got to see it hit him. Zack's eyes in the mirror went wide, his lips parting as he sucked in a sharp breath. "R-really?"

"Yes," Cloud said, trying to enunciate the word as clearly as he could, like that might help get it through Zack's head.

"Here? Now?"

Cloud reached a hand up and back, wrapping his fingers in Zack’s hair and pulling his head in close so he could taste his mouth, pull at his lip. "Now."

Zack sucked in a breath. "Cloud," he breathed, his name a prayer tumbling out of his mouth.  Cloud was already reaching for him again, turning around, hands at the back of his neck and dragging him down into another kiss. 

Zack leaned forward, grabbing Cloud by the legs and lifting him up, fingers digging into thighs, his ass. "Gods, you're so beautiful."

Cloud closed his eyes, swallowing, and held on as the floor seemed to drop out from under him, the world spinning around them. Zack’s arms were an anchor, the only steady thing keeping him up. 

His back hit a wall a second later as Zack pressed into him, leaning forward to take his mouth greedily, now, instead of just teasing. Finally. Cloud ran his fingers through Zack’s hair, tightened them and tugged just a little, pulling a groan from Zack’s throat. 

Cloud shifted, the back of his head hitting the wall. "Fuck me," he instructed.

Zack swallowed, a grin spreading bright over his face, his expression so wide open it hurt to look at. "Yeah," he breathed, “okay,” and tightened his grip, carrying Cloud over to the long vanity counter. He half-dropped him, too impatient to be careful, and bent forward to take another kiss. His other hand was working at his skirt, pushing the fabric up Cloud’s leg, exposing skin. 

"Underwear," Zack breathed. 

Cloud blinked at him.

"You're wearing underwear."

Cloud opened his mouth, but his thoughts weren't really working. It didn't matter, though, because Zack shook his head, reaching down and tugging the underwear to the side, pull Cloud's dick free. He pulled back, eyes appreciative, and bent down, one hand on the counter and the other pushing Cloud’s legs open. Took Cloud into his mouth, warm and wet and close, and Cloud squeezed his eyes shut, his fingers gripping the edge of the counter, holding on as Zack picked up the pace, matching Cloud’s quickening breath. Only— 

"Zack," he said, voice breathless, "wait, don't—"

Zack pulled away, looking up at him, eyebrows arched. Waiting. 

"Do me."

Zack frowned. "Huh? What? Don’t—do you?”

"No, I mean,” he took an impatient breath. “I want you. To fuck me." 

Zack stared at him, eyes widening as the idea hit him. He sucked in a breath. “H-here? You’d let me–?”

“That’s what I’m telling you.” He could feel his heart hammering in his chest, his skin aching to be touched. “Fuck me. Please.” He caught Zack’s eyes, held his gaze, his words deliberate. “Make me feel it.”

Zack inhaled sharply, nodding. And then, face falling, "I–uh, did you, uh, bring any lube?"

Shit. “You’ve gotta be kidding me," Cloud groaned. “Did you see anything in those drawers?” There had to be something in here that they could use, right? 

“Huh?”

“You saw condoms, right?”

Cloud could practically see little exclamation marks go off over Zack’s head. “Oh yeah! Okay, stay there!” and practically ran over to the set of drawers to investigate. It didn’t take him too long. He came back, several little packets in hand. “I thought these were like, alcohol wipes or condiments or something, but Cloud! It’s lube!”

Thank god. Cloud was desperate, but he’d only tried to have sex without lube once and had no intention of repeating the experience. “Give me one.”

“Oh no,” Zack said, holding the lube over his head, out of Cloud’s reach. “That’s not very sexy. I want to do it for you.”

“Zack!”

“Just–hold on,” Zack told him, holding onto the packets with his teeth while he worked at his pants. He didn't bother taking them off, just opened them enough to pull his dick free. He leaned in, wrapping a hand around the back of Cloud’s neck and pulled him into a kiss, his other hand spreading Cloud’s legs apart. “Underwear,” he breathed, and Cloud arched up, letting him slip it down his hips, tug it off his legs and let it fall abandoned on the floor. He shifted back, tearing one of the packets of lube open with his teeth, and slicked Cloud up, starting with one finger. 

Fuck, finally. Cloud let out a little breath, his legs trembling. Almost groaned when Zack moved up to two fingers, barely waiting to see if he’d adjusted. Zack’s eyes were on him, hungry and bright and all too pleased with himself. He was watching Cloud’s face, finding the right rhythm. It was good, oh fuck it was good, but it still wasn’t enough.

“Zack.”

“Ready?” Zack grinned at him, still teasing. He resisted the urge to swear, but Zack must’ve seen it in his face, because he moved back, tearing open another packet of lube. “Okay, okay. Give me a sec,” and slicked his own cock up, taking a breath at the touch of even his own hand. 

“I’m ready,” Cloud told him, not sure he could handle it if Zack asked him even one more time.

Zack paused, giving one last, lingering look at Cloud. At his expensive, elegant dress bunched up around his waist, falling off the back of the counter, at his ass exposed and his dick hard amidst the fabric. “Gods,” Zack breathed appreciatively, leaning forward, and slid in. 

A small noise escaped from Cloud’s throat, even though he’d be trying to be careful. F-fuck.

“You okay?” Zack asked.

“Yeah,” Cloud breathed. “Keep going.”

And he did, finally, even if he started too slowly, so worried about hurting Cloud, just like always. Cloud reached out, desperate enough to drag him in closer and whisper into his mouth, “I want you in your suit.” Kissed him, slow and breathless. “Don’t you want me in this dress?”

Zack shuddered. Cloud could feel his sudden, desperate need, his entire body tensing with it. Could see it in the twist of his face, the pleading concentration of his eyebrows.

"Well?"

"Yes," Zack breathed, "gods, yes, Cloud—"

Cloud arched his hips, trying to take in as much as he could. Let himself lean back, looking up at Zack's face, letting himself get lost in it, in the feel of Zack moving in him, losing a little more control with each thrust. His thoughts scattered, the world narrowing down to nothing more than sensations. The marble counter cold against his ass. Zack hot inside him, one hand wrapping around his dick, stroking him every time he moved. Cloud's eyes squeezed closed, fingers curling uselessly on the smooth countertop, trying to find something to hold onto.

Zack picked up the pace, forcing everything from his head except the feel of this, here, now. Zack, in him and around him, the shape of his name filling Cloud's mouth even as other words fell apart, crumbling against the pressure mounting until he couldn't hold it anymore. He came in a rush, fingers gripping the edge of the counter, teeth biting down hard on his lip, Zack coming a moment later.

They stayed there, breathing together, Cloud bonelessly, blissfully fucked out. Zack was the first to move, slowly pulling out, and the world started to resolve again. They were in a bathroom. In fancy, expensives clothes. Trapped and waiting for a distraction.

Cloud swallowed. He didn’t think he’d be able to summon the energy if Kunsel showed up right now. 

Zack reached up, brushing a strand of hair out of Cloud’s face. He must look like a disaster, dress rumpled, hair a mess. If he was, Zack didn’t show it, though. “You’re beautiful, y’know.” 

Cloud breathed it in. Closed his eyes so he didn’t have to see the love written all over Zack’s face. 

“I mean it,” Zack repeated, unbearably sincere. “You’re so beautiful.” 

Cloud had to look away from that, too. No matter how many times he heard Zack say it, he could never figure out what to say. Never knew how to talk about emotions churning in his chest. “I’m a mess.”

“A hot mess.” He could hear the affectionate grin in Zack’s voice. “C’mon. Let me help you clean up.”

Cloud shook his head. “Take care of yourself first.”

“But–”

“You can help later at home.” he said and Zack brightened. “Just make sure everything’s tucked in, okay?”

“Got it!”

Cloud pushed himself gingerly off the edge of the counter, holding his skirt away from his skin as best he could. The fabric had probably wrinkled already, but he would have to live with that. He wasn’t sure he could live with a stain, too, especially not once Tifa got ahold of him.

“So?” he asked as he shuffled to the actual bathroom. “Any news from Kunsel?”

“Huh? I didn’t hear it.”

“Neither did I,” Cloud said, finally at the counter with the sink, “but we were both a little preoccupied.” The counter was big enough to host not one, but two vases full of flowers. And yet it still didn’t have any paper towels. He groaned. 

“What’s wrong?”

“There’s just …towels,” Cloud called over his shoulder. “Cloth towels.”

“Sounds cozy.”

“I don’t want to mess it up with my–”

“They’re Galloway’s towels,” Zack interrupted, coming into view of the mirror behind Cloud. He was grinning, pants still wide open, and grabbed one of the clean, soft, white towels. “What’s the problem?”

Cloud wasn’t sure how to explain it, but he took the towel Zack offered and started wiping. “Did you check your phone yet?” 

Zack made a face, but he pulled the phone out of his back pants pocket. “Nope, not a th–” and stopped, frowning. “Oh, wait. I can't believe we didn't hear it!” Cloud could. “Kunsel sent a message fourteen minutes ago.”

Shit. “And?” Cloud prompted after a moment of silence. 

"Um—" Zack paused, eyes scanning the screen. "He laughed at us." Cloud rolled his eyes. "Aaand he said he would look for an opportunity and that we should hold tight."

"Great," Cloud muttered. It was strangely weird to know they’d been fucking on the counter for at least fourteen minutes. At least Kunsel'd gotten the message, though. "Any idea how long we'll have to wait?"

"Nope." 

"So any minute now."

"You know Kunsel." Zack shrugged. "If a chance for spying came up, he's gonna take it."

"So hours from now, then." Cloud crossed his arms.

Zack opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, a soft knock came from the door.

Shit. They exchanged a quick look. “Kunsel?” Cloud whispered.

Zack shrugged again, his eyes wide this time. “Beats me.”

Cloud gave a few more wipes with the towel and pulled on his underwear. It’d have to do. “Zip up,” he hissed, turning around to give himself a quick look in the mirror. His dress was definitely rumpled, but there weren’t any stains, and whatever make-up Tifa had used must have been really good quality, everything still perfectly in place. But his hair–

Another knock, a little more insistent this time. Cloud smoothed down the most unruly bits of hair and turned towards the door. Zack was moving towards the door, buttoning himself up again. He'd even managed to tuck his shirt in with minimum bunches.

"Um, we're—I'm a little busy," Zack called, keeping his voice low.

"It's me." Kunsel's voice was low and muffled through the door. "You guys coming, or what?"

Zack cracked the door open, peering out, and then threw it open. "Kunsel!"

He stepped aside, letting Kunsel into the bathroom. Kunsel's eyes swept the room, taking it all in and blinked, his eyebrows slowly climbing. He cleared his throat, and Cloud could actually see him think of a snide joke before deciding against it. "Tell me you got trapped in here for a good reason, at least."

"Yeah!" Zack said enthusiastically. "Take a look!" and grabbed the notebooks, handing them over. "We found some dirt."

"We think," Cloud cautioned. "It looks like an accounting book—"

"With some company called Wall Market Pharmaceuticals," Zack broke in, too excited to keep it in. "There's even a phone number."

Kunsel frowned, lost in thought. "Hm. It could be something." Or it could be nothing, Cloud interpreted. "But it'll have to be enough for now. There are guards everywhere. I don't know what you did to piss them off, but it sure seemed to make a statement."

"Cloud threw his bracelet at a guard," Zack said.

Cloud glared at him. "Thanks."

"…the busted doorframe probably didn't help, either," Zack added thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry, what? You were supposed to be discreet."

"Zack used your lock-breaking technique to get us into the room. It was a lot more discreet than kicking the door down."

Kunsel looked over at Zack, faintly startled. "When did you learn how to do that?"

"Tonight," Zack admitted. "You always made it look so easy!"

As if he hadn't made it look easy himself. "You did a good job," Cloud argued, crossing his arms. "And learned fast. Remember the drawer?"

"Whatever you did," Kunsel said, cutting in and firmly moving on, "the guards noticed. They're still getting organized—Galloway may have his own private security force, but they're not professionals." He shook his head disapprovingly. "We should really get going, though. Before they figure out what they're supposed to be doing."

"You better keep the notebooks," Cloud told him. "This dress doesn't have any damn pockets. I can't hold shit."

Kunsel blinked, looking him up and down. His eyebrows twitched together into an troubled, uncertain frown. He opened his mouth, and hesitated a moment before finally shaking whatever it was off and saying, "Let's go."

"Where's Tifa?" Cloud asked as they headed out.

The side of Kunsel's mouth lifted into a smirk. "Being the distraction."

He was using Tifa? "Excuse me?"

Kunsel paused, his eyes flicking over, one eyebrow raised. Like Cloud was the one being unreasonable, when it was Kunsel's girlfriend he was using. "She's very good at it," Kunsel said evenly. Cloud opened his mouth, but before he could say anything, he added, "And she can take care of herself. You know that, better than most." He laughed, a small grin on his face. "And I think she enjoys it, to be honest. It's probably cathartic after having to deal with all the bozos at the bar."

Cloud had nothing to say to that.

"We're meeting her outside," Kunsel continued, leading them away from the bathrooms, and away from the front doors, unless Cloud had gotten really turned around.

"Where are we going?"

"Out through the staff doors. Figured it'd be a less guarded."

Cloud wasn't so sure, but— "It's your mission," he shrugged.

Kunsel seemed to know where they were going, at least. Good thing, because Cloud was thoroughly lost by the time they got to the door. He'd been picturing something out of a movie—a bustling door near the kitchen with people scurrying in and out. In actuality, it was an unmarked door opening onto a garage the size of a parking lot. It was absolutely crammed full of gleaming, expensive cars, too big to be functional in Edge. Where did these assholes live? Where had they even found these cars?

"So… we're going to steal a car?" Cloud asked.

"No. I already called our getaway driver." Kunsel smiled briefly at some private joke. "He should be here any minute."

Getaway driver. Cloud rolled his eyes. Leave it to Kunsel to be overly secretive, especially when they all knew it was Polk. "I should've brought Fenrir," he muttered.

"That would've been a little obvious, don't you think?"

"And hot," Zack said dreamily. And then, perking up, "Holy crap, Cloud! Do you think—"

"No," Cloud interrupted before he could finish the sentence. He wasn't sure what Zack was about to ask, but he was absolutely sure he didn't want to talk about it in front of Kunsel.

"Remember," Kunsel said, making a valiant effort to keep the conversation on track, "we're trying to keep your identity a secret, right? That thing isn't exactly subtle. And it's—"

"He's."

"—definitely one of a kind."

Cloud held his tongue. It wasn't worth arguing over. Definitely not worth the eventual lecture from Tifa, but he still bristled over anyone thinking of Fenrir as that thing. Fenrir'd saved Cloud's life more times than just about anyone.

They moved to the other side of the garage, some place where they could see out but no one would be able to see them. Cloud crossed his arms, leaning against the wall, and waited, doing his best to ignore the tension in the air. It didn't take more than a few minutes before Tifa joined them, slightly out of breath but not a hair out of place. "Sorry I'm late."

Kunsel smiled at her. "Not at all, babe." Babe. What the hell did Tifa see in him? "Polk's should be here soon." He checked his phone, nodded, and slipped it back in a pocket. "Everything go well?"

"Beautifully," Tifa smiled sweetly. "You wouldn't believe what men will say or do to impress a lady."

Kunsel arched an eyebrow. "Really. You'll have to tell me more about that sometime."
 
She laughed. "They don't tell the truth, honey. You won't get any reliable information out of them through me."

"People always exaggerate, even to a stranger," Kunsel shrugged. "It's just a matter of—" and cut off as a car pulled up, almost as sleek and shiny as the others.

Cloud had never been more relieved to see Polk in his life. He didn't bother to get out and open the doors for them this time. They all scrambled in as fast as they could and he peeled away like they were under heavy fire. Cloud turned around, trying to peer out the back window, but he couldn't see anyone out there.

The entire ride home was almost a letdown after the rest of the evening. There was no chase, no one shooting at them, no one trying to slice their car in half with a giant sword. It was just the five of them in the quiet safety of the car slipping through the night. The darkness pressed against the windows, as solid as a wall, keeping the world out and their conversation contained. Cloud felt himself relax as the others started comparing notes, their voices familiar. There was something oddly comforting about it, the kind of easiness they'd all shared back then, when they were chasing after Sephiroth.

Only this time, Zack was here with him.

Cloud was more than happy to sit back, his motion sickness for once limited to a vague nausea, and let Zack share their story of the night, speaking up here and there to correct him.

"—and Cloud found some stuff in a locked drawer. A notebook, a ledger, some papers—we're not entirely sure what, yet. But there's definitely a few good leads in there."

Tifa turned around in the front seat to smile at Cloud. "Thank you," she said simply, her eyes full of gratitude, louder than her words had been. It tugged at something in his chest. They might not be living together anymore, but he would still do anything to make her happy.

Anything he was capable of, anyway.

He shook his head, looking away from her thanks. "Zack was the one who opened the lock."

She turned her smile on Zack. "Thank you both. Really. We—I owe you. Big time."

"You're a friend!" Zack protested. "Of course you don't owe us." It triggered faint memory, flickering at the back of his mind.

"Two thousand gil," Cloud said flatly.

Tifa looked stricken. "W-what?"

"You heard me." He kept all emotion out of his voice.

"Two thousand—Cloud, what the hell?!" Zack demanded.

Tifa stared at him for a long, long moment before laughing. "Sure, I'll give you two thousand,"' she said easily. "But only if you come help me pick up dirty air filters tomorrow."

Cloud grinned at her. Grinned harder at the confused looks Zack and Kunsel were giving them both. "How about I help at the bar, instead?"

She sat back in her seat happily. "I think we can make that work."

"Actually—" he hesitated, his cheeks slowly starting to warm. "I have something else in mind you could help me with."

She turned around again to look at him, bursting with curiosity. "Oh?"

He shook his head. "I'll tell you later."

She smiled at him. "Just let me know, I'll be happy to do whatever I can."

- - -

It took him two weeks to work up the courage to approach her. Two weeks of putting up with Zack trailing off mid-thought and staring at him, something else clearly on his mind. Two weeks of being surprised to open his closet and find a rumpled dress hanging inside. Two weeks of nerves firing at the first thought of going to talk to her.

But finally they were alone in the bar together, closing up after a slow night. Tonight was the night.

“Kunsel’s still working on thse notebooks you found,” Tifa was saying, scrubbing down the counter. “But he says there’s a goldmine of potenitally incriminating leads in there. Maybe even some evidence itself.”

“Good.” At least it hadn’t all been for nothing.

“He’s moving slowly, he doesn’t want to scare Galloway. I’ll keep you updated.” She paused. “Thank you, again. We could never have done this without you.”

Cloud nodded stiffly, his veins humming with nervous energy. Now or never. He rolled his shoulders, steeling himself. "You still owe me," he said, and winced as soon as the words were out of his mouth. ”Shit. That didn’t come out right. I meant—"

She smiled warmly at him. "I know what you mean. That favor you wanted to ask about, right? I've been waiting for you to ask." She set her rag down, turning to face him, her expression teasing. "So, let's hear it."

Cloud glared down at the floor. Thought about the wrinkled dress, hanging unwearable in his closet. About Zack's expression, seeing him in it for the first time. "Will you—" he crossed his arms, forcing himself to say it, the words coming out flat with tension, "—help me get another dress?"

She clapped her hands together, delighted. "Oh, Cloud! I would love to." She smiled at him, eyes twinkling. "Zack liked it, huh?"

Cloud let out a quiet laugh, mouth curling up at the memory. "Yeah."

"This is going to be so much fun." She was way too excited about this. It made part of him want to back out, shut down, run away, but—only a small part. The rest of him was actually almost excited about it, too.

He puffed out a breath. "Maybe. But—it's a surprise."

Tifa nodded seriously and winked. "My lips are sealed." She took him by the elbow, leaning into him a little. "He's going to love it, Cloud."

"I hope so."

"I know so." She considered. "How does next Wednesday sound?"

He nodded, relieved and more nervous, all at the same time. "Okay." Paused. "…Thanks, Tifa," he said, and meant it.

"Going clothes shopping with you is the only thanks I need," she laughed. "Though if you want to tell me just how head over heels Zack is, that would be good too."

"We'll see." He ducked his head, ready to feel embarrassed. The embarrassment wasn't there, though, only that nervous excitement. A small, strange happiness slowly unfurled in his chest, warm and bright. Zack thought he was hot, and—maybe this was something Cloud could do for him, after everything Zack was always doing for him. And Tifa was ready and willing to help, the best friend he'd always wanted but never deserved.

He'd never really ever believed in happy endings, certainly not his own. But—here, now? He could let himself be happy.