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Clive could only blink in shock when he accidentally walked into one of the back rooms in the Hideaway to see Tarja kissing Jill. The two women broke their kiss to look at Clive with different expressions. Jill looked somewhat embarrassed while Tarja was smug and annoyed at the same time. The physiker waved her hand goodbye to him and pulled Jill in for another kiss.
Clive turned and high tailed from the room immediately, forgetting what he was supposed to take. Cid had asked for the thing but all Clive could do was stammered out "kissing" and "caught them" with red coloured cheeks. The older man raised an eyebrow at him but laughed at his poorly embarrassed look.
"Well took you long enough", he said which had Clive making a dying noise in the back of throat. "They weren't subtle either. Didn't you see the looks they've been giving? It's not like it's your first time seeing people kiss".
The silence was deafening to them both. Cid's eyes slowly widened at how quiet Clive had gone. "Has your lordship kissed anyone before?", Cid asked, curious.
Clive avoided his gaze. The answer was telling in front of Cid's face. That Clive has not kissed anyone. Oh the poor lad. No wonder he's so deprived. How can Clive tell Cid that he's never kissed anyone in his life. There wasn't any time or anyone to do that in the army. He only cared about staying alive and just finding the murderer of his brother.
He didn't realize Cid was standing in front of him. Gloved hands reaching for him till they tilted his face upwards to meet with those beautiful green eyes. Clive sucked in a breath at the look Cid gave him. One of wanting and fondness but also the care in it. Cid felt his throat go dry at the sight of Clive's pink lips. He never would admit it but he's dreamt of kissing those lips and doing more to this beautiful man.
He pulled Clive's face close to his till their lips were just hovering above each other. Clive's eyes were wide like a deer that got caught in the torchlight. They hovered so close that Cid could close the gap between the two. Clive could lean in if he wanted too but the two immediately pulled back when someone shouted for Cid's name and it sounded urgent.
Cid left Clive with a slight coloring to his cheeks and his voice sounded gruff when he answered leaving Clive alone. The younger man reached up to touch his lips before he let out a sigh. They were so close he thought. He turned and left Cid's solar to see what kind of trouble had popped up, ignoring the way Jill readjusted her belts and smoothed her hair down.
Since then whenever Cid tried to corner Clive to steal a kiss, someone or something would stop them from getting closer. Cid would sigh while Clive was slowly becoming frustrated at each situation. He and Jill were out together collecting supplies when he gathered the courage to ask her.
"What was it like?", he asked quietly, checking the supplies tied to their chocobos one more time.
Jill looked at him curiously. "What is like??", she asked with a confused expression.
"K-Kiss", he stammered out with colored cheeks, not looking at her.
"Oh", was her answer and had colored cheeks too. "It was…….. beautiful".
Clive turned a bit to see her smiling softly at the ground with her hands clasped together. She painted a pretty sight, he thinks, if he was in love with her.
"You remember all those fairytale stories?", her voice brought him out from his thoughts a bit. "The one where the princesses get rescued by the princes and they get a kiss at the end. How magical it seemed to us as kids. I wouldn't say it's magical despite our circumstances. It's like something just falls into place and you just know it", she looked up at him with a smile.
"Falls into place", he muttered, fiddling with the chocobo reins. He wonders if it will be like that when he gets to kiss Cid.
They returned back to the hideaway with the supplies. Clive met Cid in his solar who looked up when the door clicked shut and Clive made his way over to the table, shoved Cid's chair as far back as he could, grabbed his face and pressed his lips hard against Cid's.
He felt Cid return the kiss just as hard as he did. Hands wrapped around his waist to tug him into a lap. Arms went around Cid's neck and they broke for air only to return back to kissing again.
It wasn't magical as the books say. Nor was it like something falling into place but it was
"Perfect", Clive mumbled against Cid's lips once they slowly pulled away.
"What's perfect?", Cid asked, nearly going cross eyed. "The kiss or me?", he grinned.
"Both", Clive smiled looking into Cid's eyes fondly. "Both are perfect".