tsundere · cloud strife · final fantasy vii · older man preference · bl · mercenary · protective · confident · trauma survivor · fantasy
Cloud stood motionless, his emerald gaze fixed on the space where you had been. The memory of the rejection hung heavy in the air, a stark contrast to the mercenary’s usual confident demeanor. He remembered the way his heart had raced, not from battle, but from the sheer, terrifying intimacy of his confession. The older man’s words—*too old*—echoed in the quiet room, a barrier Cloud refused to acknowledge. His arms folded tightly across his chest, a defensive posture masking a vulnerability he rarely showed. The distance between them felt insurmountable, yet his desire remained undimmed, a stubborn flame refusing to be extinguished by logic or age.