(Cloud Strife x Reader x Rufus Shinra) A Bolt from the Blue

Chapter 6 - Out of the basement and into the bathroom (NSFW)

It must be just over a week now, you wonder to yourself. Thoughts of Rufus, Scarlet and your boss Reeve cross your mind. You wonder if they are missing you at all, if they are worried and are trying their best to find you, or if they do not even notice you are gone.

Thoughts of escape come to the forefront of your mind as they often do. Obviously your weapon and materia had been confiscated but you've sized up each member of Avalanche and concluded you are probably able to hold your own against them all. Maybe not Barret on sheer size or Tifa on friendship or Cloud based on your sparring match when you first met. You find an inappropriate fondness blossoming in your chest as you recall that memory.

Thinking of Cloud, you notice he is taking more shifts so that you would sometimes see him more than once a day. Even if it is not his shift, you hear from the others that he is spending more time in the bar above as you chat to whoever's shift it is.

You cannot pinpoint when exactly it happened, but your time in captivity is now defined by when you are next seeing Cloud. Something is missing unless you feel his presence nearby and you feel most at home when he regards you with those mako eyes.

You know how inapt your feelings are and try to convince yourself that you are capture-bonding from the continuous stress and dependency of being kept against your will. However, each time you manage to talk reason to yourself in Cloud's absence, he would pull you right back by returning with his mere presence.

These conflicted feelings get stronger by the day and become unbearable to the point you almost dread his shifts. To make matters worse, you feel Cloud opening up to you in his awkward timid way, volunteering information about his day and from time to time even asking you questions. More worryingly, you start to feel a part of the group, like friends spending everyday together apart from not being allowed to leave this basement.

One day, your cabin fever takes a turn for the worse and you decide you really need to clear your mind to be able to formulate a plan of escape. Just as this thought crosses your mind, Cloud comes down the pinball machine lift to start his shift. You convince yourself that you are impervious to his relaxed expression and gentle smile as he lays his soft eyes on you for the first time that day. You avert your gaze as if that would help reduce the homely feeling rising up in your chest. Before he can even greet you, you state in a serious tone.

"Please, I want a shower."

"Huh? Oh." Cloud responds not expecting that to be the first thing to come out of your mouth.

"Let me at least have a shower. Please." You say, still avoiding eye contact.

Cloud stands there seemingly lost as to how he should respond or act. You take this chance to look directly at him, eyes wide gazing at him expectantly.

Your look seems to energise him, although maybe catching him off guard even further.

"I'll go get Tifa to help you." He says, turning. You think you catch a hint of disappointment in his tone as he leaves.

"Ok. Stay strong," You mutter to yourself when you are alone once more. A few minutes later Cloud reappears with Tifa in tow.

"I'm sorry I should have offered you a shower ages ago!" Tifa says apologetically.

"It's ok, I should have asked earlier." You reply simply. You stand up without releasing it is the first time on your feet all day. You stumble forward, unable to find your balance. Before you can even react, you feel a strong grip on your left arm and a simultaneous firm grasp onto your outstretched right hand steadying you.

Tifa had turned away to lead you out of the basement when this happened. You see her turn back and with surprise, she stops in the middle of her sentence.

Cloud is holding you upright and you do not know if it is his effect on you or the head rush from standing up too quickly but your legs turn to jelly. Your senses heighten, your skin radiating warmth from where he is touching you. Your gaze follows down your arm and pauses over your joined hands, it continues up his arm up to his shoulder, his neck, his lips, and finally fixes on his dilated eyes. You hear his breath hitch as you stare at one another.

Coming to your senses in less than a second, you jump out of Cloud's grasp and nervously chuckle at Tifa,

"Woah, I nearly face planted when I got up just now, good thing Cloud helped me." You say a little too enthusiastically.

As you mention his name you throw an embarrassed glance at him, mutter a thanks and quickly step towards a stunned Tifa, leaving Cloud in a bit of a daze as he does not follow you both up. Tifa seems to not think much of the incident and returns to her normal self immediately. You marvel at finally being able to go on the pinball lift and Tifa leads you up some rickety wooden stairs to the bathroom at the end of the hallway on the first floor. Tifa suggests you take a bath and teaches you how to turn on the hot water as you find out can be a bit temperamental. She smiles and leaves you as you lock the door behind her with a click.

You decide to make the most of it and opt for the much needed bath instead of a shower. Once the tub is full you take your clothes off eagerly, throwing them on the floor and carefully stepping into the hot water. You fully immerse yourself, immediately feeling better already as you come up for air and then lie there with your nose just above the water. You want the steam to take you away and release you from these confusing feelings you have for Cloud and your new friends.

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You bring your hand up to where Cloud held your arm when you stood up too fast. You can still feel his strong fingers wrapped around your skin, the ghost of his touch still very much alive. You close your eyes and suddenly his firm grip is back on you, his fingers calloused from years of swordsmanship but they feel pleasantly rough against your smooth skin. Your breath quickens as you lie with your back on his front. You settle between his legs and you feel his hands move up to graze your lips with his thumb, then down to your bare chest. You quiver as his fingers start caressing your breasts in turn until your nipples are hard to his touch.

"Hmm..." You hum as you surrender your body to his embrace. His hands travel down to your navel, tracing small circles around your belly button.

"Cloud..." You whisper as his hands move further south but to your surprise he dances over your sex, moving past it completely to run his fingertips tenderly up and down your thighs. The electricity of his touch amps up as his fingers linger at the top of your legs, creeping closer and closer to where you long to be touched. The first contact makes you gasp in surprise. Cloud then traces his finger up and down your sex, slowly building the tension in your already quivering body. He slips a finger inside while still drawing circles on your clitoris with his thumb. The pressure builds in your stomach and Cloud feels your body start to tense up. He takes this as his cue to pick up the pace and with his other hand takes your left breast to gently knead your skin.

In a few seconds your tightly wound body releases, your hips buck upwards further onto his hands and you clench your closed eyes so that darkness engulfs you as you come down from the clouds.

He holds you tight and gives you an endearing kiss on your temple as the sensations dim apart from a lingering pleasant release that roils and oscillates beneath your skin.

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You open your eyes with a start. You nearly fell asleep in the bath. The water is now luke-warm and you wash up quickly and wrap yourself in a thin towel so as to not get a cold. You shiver slightly as you dress and make your way out of the bathroom refreshed. You quietly step along the corridor and down the stairs but stop in your tracks toward the bottom. You hear the familiar voice of Tifa and as you peer round the corner you see she is speaking to Cloud. You are about to step into the room properly when you hear what they are talking about.

"Cloud, I just confessed that I like you. Could you please give me some sort of indication you heard me?" Tifa's voice is dripping in a sense of desperation.

Your eyes widen and your hands shoot up to silently cover the 'o' shape of your mouth from the words you just heard.

You cannot go down and you have nowhere to go up to. In the end you decide to embrace the fact you are stuck halfway down the stairs, listening in on a conversation you guiltily have a vested interest in.