FF7: Unexpected Side-Effects Part VIII
Fandom: FF7
Title: Unexpected Side-Effects Part VIII
Pairing: eventually Seph/Cloud/Zack
Rating: R
A/N: Thanks to croix_souillees for looking over the porn-that-couldn’t. Also, usual shovel-full of blame on artimusdin : without her, it would have been a porny one shot. No, really.
Summary: In which Zack gives privates a show, Sephiroth contemplates interior decorating, and Cloud gets passed around like a prized chocobo at a chocobo show.
Part VIII
"Oh, you are adorable, aren't you?"
For some reason, Cloud Strife had an odd sense of doom.
"I've been waiting for you, you know. At least it was easy to recognize you, even without Zack's description. You‘re prettier than I thought you would be, though."
His head was in someone's lap. He was pretty sure it was someone's lap.
And was someone petting his head?
"I've been told so much about you. You'll do great things someday. You're already off to a great start. Just think! This is only the beginning."
Yes. His head was in someone's lap, and he was being petted like he was someone's chocobo. His first thought was Zack except he could smell . . . perfume? Was it perfume?
"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll help take care of you now."
And Zack didn't giggle like that. Nobody he knew giggled like that, actually.
"Although it's not like you need too many more people taking care of you. Don't want to make anyone jealous."
Flowers. It wasn't perfume: it was flowers.
And like that, his woozy mind helpfully filled in the gaps.
With a gasp, Cloud opened his eyes and jerked back. Only Aeris' surprisingly strong arms kept him from falling out of her lap. She was leaning down over him, so her big green eyes were only inches away as she reprovingly clicked her tongue. The scolding sound didn't match the laughter in her eyes.
"It's okay, Cloud," she said reassuringly. "You're okay. Even if you are a little pale . . . I thought Zack was kidding about how easily you stressed yourself." Cloud could only stare as she carelessly wiped a golden spike away from his forehead. The beautiful brunette frowned, and Cloud barely fought back a blush. "Zack's not doing a very good job taking care of you, is he?"
Cloud opened his mouth helplessly, only to shut it again when nothing came out. It occurred to him that he was still in her lap, and he tried to sit up.
Only to be pushed back down. "Silly," she scolded him. One slender hand went back to petting his hair. He was barely able to keep himself from telling her that nothing would make it settle down. "You've hit your head. Again. You really need to start taking it a little easier."
Finally, Cloud forced something out. "Aeris?" he asked cautiously. From what Zack had described, he had expected someone sweet and bright and beautiful, not insane.
Of course, she was dating Zack...
Aeris grinned cheerfully. "Of course! And I've heard all about you, don't worry." Her grin dropped again, and Cloud wondered if all girls were this mercurial. "I was expecting to see you sooner, though. I think Zack and I are going to have to have a talk, hiding you from me..." Then the grin was back. "I can't blame him too much, though. If I was a little greedier, I'd want you all to myself, too."
Cloud's head spun. He wondered how much of it was due to the concussion.
She patted his cheek. "Now take it a little slower, all right? I can't hog you to myself too much. Zack's probably going to panic if you don't get back soon."
Take what a little slower? Cloud almost asked before he realized she wanted him to get up. She probably wanted her lap back. Feeling the blush feverishly heat his cheeks, Cloud nodded carefully and eased himself up. His head didn't hurt at all, so he didn't understand her caution. Did she have materia, maybe?
Aeris smiled brilliantly at him, and sitting up, she seemed even prettier to Cloud. Throughout his life, only two women before Aeris had ever struck him as truly beautiful--Tifa and his mother--and the fact that she so quickly joined the list made him realized that it was probably going to be a while before his blush went away. Almost everyone else in Nibelheim had dark complexions. He bet even his dad had a dark complexion. Why did he inherit his mother's paleness?
She leaned over and pecked his cheek quickly before jumping to her feet. She dusted her dress off and offered him a slender hand. It seemed so tiny compared to what he was used to, and he tentatively accepted it, not wanting to seem rude. By Aeris' smile, he knew he made the right choice.
When Cloud was back on his feet, Aeris gestured around him. "So you're finally visiting my church," she said proudly. "I've wanted to show it to you for the longest time. Do you like it?"
Oh yes. He could definitely understand her and Zack staying together for so long. Cloud was actually a little nervous about seeing the pair in the same room. He smiled a little at her before glancing around.
The church itself wasn't too much, an archaic wooden building with a high ceiling and humble, broken pews. It was the flowers in the middle of the church that attracted Cloud's attention the most. Fascinated, he couldn't help wandering closer. They all but glowed in the middle of the church, and he knelt beside them. He slipped off a glove to finger a petal. It was incredibly soft against his finger. For some reason, the flowers reminded him of the flowers high on Nibel Mt., where few villagers dared to travel. No matter the season they could always be found, an oasis of life even in the middle of winter's deadly chill. Cloud couldn't help smiling.
Aeris knelt beside him. "I knew you would like them," she said warmly. "And they like you, too."
xoxoxox
Whereas the first time when Cloud had walked these streets, everyone had been finding other things to look at, now strangers would catch his eye and nod at him. He had no idea if it had to do with the fact that he had been attacked or if it was related to their strange reaction when Aeris jumped into the fray, but he was grateful, nonetheless. The last thing he needed was more enemies. It appeared as if he had enough already.
And he definitely liked having friends. Walking past one alleyway, Cloud blinked at the sight of three men frozen to the side of a building. A familiar piece of red cloth dangled off to one side, and he helplessly shook his head. No guess who was involved there.
He didn't see Vincent on the way back. Cloud wondered what he was up to and promptly wondered if he even wanted to know.
He reached his new room and was moving to unlock the door when Zack's voice stopped him. "Hey, Cloud! Where by Shiva have you been?"
Cloud turned around just in time to be engulfed in a fierce hug. His breath exploded out in a wheeze. He’d have to remind Zack about his SOLDIER-strength. Later.
Zack didn't give him a chance to try now, regardless. He grabbed Cloud's arms and pushed him back enough to get a good look at his face. "You need to stop vanishing like that," he scolded. Zack frowned darkly, tilting his head to examine Cloud from all angles. "Are you pale? You look a little pale. Did something happen?"
Cloud bit his lip, studying Zack's face. He wasn't the only one who looked a little pale. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Are you? Is everything okay?" His eyes widened. "Sephiroth's okay, right?"
All thoughts of meeting Aeris and seeing Vincent's handiwork vanished. Cloud anxiously looked Zack over. He didn't see anything, but there was a lot that wouldn't show, especially if Turks were involved--
Zack rolled his eyes and gently shook Cloud. "I'm fine. You just need to stop vanishing like that, okay? There's too much going on right now." He frowned thoughtfully. "I really should just buy you a leash. I bet you would look great with a collar. A blue one, to match your eyes..."
The color returned to Zack's face as he grinned impishly. A lot more color than that returned to Cloud's. He was beginning to think that he was never going to stop blushing.
Unfortunately, he never got to answer. "Cloud? Cloud Strife? Hey, let go of him!"
The new voice went from curious to outraged, and Zack automatically tightened his grip at the command. However, recognizing the voice, Cloud spun around and broke his grip. "Allen!" he exclaimed, delighted.
At the end of the hall by the stairwell, three privates stood. Each bore the insignia of Cloud's old platoon, and Cloud grinned at the sight. It had been a while, and the way things had been going, he had no idea how much longer it would be until he saw them again.
Actually, on that note, what were privates doing on this floor?
Allen Cognin led the other two down the hall. Jacob Ysir and Kelen Algeron walked closed behind him. Allen stopped several feet away and saluted sharply at Zack, but the formal gesture didn't match the fire in his green eyes. The other two were staring wide-eyed at Cloud, occasionally glancing at Zack’s hands, which were still open at his sides.
"Sir," he said crisply. "We didn't recognize you."
There was something off with his tone. It didn't match his gesture or his words, but Cloud only smiled. It had been a while since he had seen them. He would figure out what it was later, surely.
Behind Cloud, Zack was tense. He needed to interrogate Zack anyway, Cloud decided.
"It has been a while," Zack agreed, his voice cheerful. Cloud glanced curiously at him, but Zack was focused on the three privates. "Hey, we'll talk later, okay, Cloud? Let you meet up with your friends again. When you're done, just swing by Sephiroth's office."
Something was definitely off, but Cloud just smiled and shrugged. It had been a long time since he had seen friends other than Zack . . . did Sephiroth count as a friend? Or Vincent? What about Aeris? Huh. He mentally shook his head. Later. He would worry about all that later.
"Come in," Cloud invited. "You guys want to see my new quarters?"
Jacob grinned and stepped forward, but Allen was faster. He stepped directly in front of Cloud and looked him over. "Probably would be a good idea," he agreed, his tone making Cloud wonder if they were having two separate conversations. Unfortunately, he was getting used to that.
Cloud glanced at Jacob, who was straining trying to look past Cloud and possibly past the closed door, and at Kelen, who looked like he was doing the same thing, just more subtly. He shrugged and turned around, opening his door and gesturing for the three to walk in.
"Sorry it's so bare," he apologized, closing the door behind himself. The desk had a chair, but beyond that, there was only Cloud's bed. He sat in his chair and waved towards the bed. "I just moved in today." He thought for a second. "I only found out that I was moving today, actually."
Both Jacob and Kelen plopped on the mattress, Jacob going so far as to fall back on it and stretch, but Allen remained standing. "What happened, Cloud?" he demanded. "The last we heard you were going to Nibelheim for a mission because they wanted someone familiar with the area. Next thing we know, everyone's completely hush-hush about it. When we came back from our mission, there were rumors flying about you guys. What's going on?"
Oh. Cloud stared at him for a moment. If things were strange from his angle--someone who had actually experienced all of it--he didn't want to imagine it from someone else's perspective. He swallowed and glanced at Jacob and Kelen, but they were only staring curiously at him, too. Jacob was gesturing at him to say something, but Kelen just looked expectantly at him.
"I," he began, only to shut up. Cloud licked his lips and thought for a second. In front of him, Allen crossed his arms over his chest, his expression a little short of a glare. Only a year older than Cloud, he had been a corporal for more than a year longer than Cloud. He was often a leader in the platoon, and he had been the first to take Cloud under his wing. Of course, that had been before Zack had swooped into the scene, but Allen was still protective of Cloud. He was used to be in charge of everything around his platoon's lives.
But what could Cloud tell him now? When he had originally been assigned to the mission, nothing had been really classified beyond "This shouldn't slip to the public." That was before Jenova, before Hojo, before the Turks. He licked his lips again, only aware then of how dry his mouth felt. These were members of his old platoon, his friends, and he had no idea what he could tell them.
"I-I think it's classified," he said helplessly. Allen's eyes narrowed. On the bed, Kelen stilled. Jacob leaned forward as if "classified" meant Cloud could share juicy gossip. "I mean, it wasn't originally, but things happened and..." Cloud shook his head. 'I killed Professor Hojo' probably wouldn't be a good place to start, even if Zack thought it was a great place to break the ice with SOLDIERs. 'Two of my commanding officers grow tentacles when they're stressed' definitely wasn't a good place to start. Or end. Or anything, really.
"Cloud," Allen said, his voice soft, "are you in trouble? What was going on with Zack when we came by?"
Cloud was missing something, he knew he was. He shook his head again. "No, no, I'm not in trouble." I don't think. "Zack was just upset that I kept disappearing or something. You don't need to worry about him."
Allen hummed. Jacob swung his legs so they were dangling off the bed. "But why are you up here now?" he asked curiously. Jacob was several months younger than Cloud, but he looked two years younger. It was a toss-up who acted younger, and everyone in the platoon refused to give Cloud an estimate when he asked. "When we came back, your bunk and locker were cleaned out. Your eyes still look weird but not really weird, so you're not a SOLDIER."
Cloud shrugged weakly. "Ah, I've been promoted? I don't know why. I think it's for security reasons or something. I think the General is still working on the paperwork for it."
Field promotion. For some reason, Cloud remembered his old daydreams about how he would get field promotions granted by Sephiroth himself, and he wanted to laugh about those dreams now. If he only knew...
"There's rumors going around, Cloud," Kelen spoke up. Out of all the troopers in Cloud's ex-platoon, he was the only one who could match Cloud's fair complexion and slender form, which made his deep voice such a shock. "Have you heard anything about 'Sephiroth's Shadow'?"
Cloud blinked at him. "Shadow?" Wait. He tilted his head back and stared thoughtfully at the yellowing ceiling. "Yeah. I think…I think I heard Zack say something like that." He glanced at Kelen again. "What other rumors are there?"
But the other three had gone silent. There was another one of those damned silent conversations going on again. He was really beginning to hate those.
"Don't worry about it, Cloud," Allen said eventually, glancing one last time at Kelen and Jacob. "Look, we came up to this floor seeing if Zack knew where you were. Now that we've found you, you think you have time to come down and see the rest of the platoon? Everyone was pretty worried about you."
Cloud flushed, getting to his feet. He didn't even think-- "Sure," he said quickly. "I have time."
Afterward he would go see Zack and Sephiroth. He had to tell them about those goons.
Just... he would skip over what happened to them afterward.
Even if Zack's expression might be worth it.
He started for the door, only to cringe and spin around. “Oh, yeah, just let me grab my sword.” Zack was going to kill him soon if he kept forgetting it like that.
When he started for the door again, it took him a moment to realize the others weren’t following. He turned to see why, only to see them staring wide-eyed at his sword.
“What?”
xoxoxox
When Cloud returned to his room after meeting with the rest of the platoon, he was more exhausted than when he had the meeting with the president. There was nothing quite like being interrogated by an entire platoon. Not a single one had revealed what those damned rumors were about, and Cloud hadn't had time to build up any type of stash to bribe anyone with. It wasn't like he could use his former methods, anymore.
Cloud shook away the memory of his mother's cookies and strode into his room. He would just take a moment to gather himself up again before he met with Zack and Sephiroth. Then he would sleep. Sleep was--
"Zack?" Cloud exclaimed, alarmed. He clumsily turned on the light before running to the figure beside the bed. A stray tentacle almost cracked him in the head, but he ducked in time and grabbed Zack's arms. Zack's wide eyes met his own as he dragged his friend onto the bed. The older man sprawled awkwardly, his tentacles still flying everywhere. Prone like he was, he was less likely to knock Cloud unconscious with one of them. "Zack, what happened? What's going on?"
Zack stared helplessly at him for a second, and Cloud realized strips of Zack's pants still clung to the tentacles. Definitely not a planned thing then. Unconsciously, Cloud began running a soothing hand over the closest tentacles.
"This is going to make it hard to walk down the hall," Zack commented, the shadows in his eyes belaying his light tone. Cloud didn't stop petting his tentacles.
"Zack..." he said warningly.
Zack shrugged at him, not noticing that most of his tentacles mimicked the motion. Cloud slightly shifted so his legs wouldn’t be tied up. He swallowed a little as several of Zack’s tentacles intertwined with his legs. He had to adjust his stance as the tentacles kept sliding higher.
“Zack,” Cloud repeated, hoping Zack wouldn’t notice the catch in his voice.
Zack didn’t even seem to notice what his tentacles were doing. Even though he was trying to smile, the pinched look never left his face. Because of that, Cloud tried to ignore what his tentacles were doing, too.
“Another group of scientists have vanished, all with known ties to Hojo,” Zack said, and Cloud swallowed. “The remaining scientists have gotten jumpy, especially since the president has given the Turks permission to interrogate them. A couple have even locked themselves deeper in the labs. They’re terrified, and we don’t know why.”
Cloud wanted to scream. Everything was supposed to be so simple now that they were back in Midgar. Why was it only getting worse?
And would those tentacles stop moving, dammit?
“Sephiroth wants the SOLDIERs to check out the lab tomorrow,” Zack continued, the urgency in his voice successfully distracting Cloud from one wandering tentacle. “You were with us in Nibelheim, so Seph wants you there, too. He wants your perspective on it.”
Cloud swallowed for a different reason now. “What?” he croaked.
Zack really had no right to look that earnest while one tentacle was wrapped firmly around Cloud’s upper thigh. “You’re the one who dealt with Jenova in Nibelheim. We need you in there, Cloud.”
Yeah, right. Cloud swallowed again, his mouth completely dry. While he was stumbling for a coherent argument, Zack finally noticed where his tentacles were. Later Cloud would have to lecture him about that whole jumping-back-in-surprise thing when you had about a dozen limbs wrapped around somebody else’s body. Later, as in when he wasn’t being forced to jump along with Zack. With a yelp, they both tumbled to the floor.
Well, Cloud thought wryly after a moment, legs perpendicular to the bed, at least Zack wasn't upset anymore.
Actually, Zack was laughing. True, it was breathless and he wasn't meeting Cloud's eyes, but Cloud really didn't want to meet his eyes, either, so it worked.
"You need a bigger bed," Zack managed to get out after a moment.
Cloud snorted, not moving from the floor. His head was inches away from the wall. He was grateful for the distance. He’d had enough concussions lately. "Would it make a difference?"
Zack didn't pause. "No."
Cloud groaned and Zack laughed again, but it sounded cheerful instead of hysterical, so Cloud counted it as a win. Zack's tentacles were gone, replaced by bare legs hidden only by shreds of fabric. Cloud wasn't sure what to count that as.
The second Zack noticed, he slipped away from Cloud, bending his knees in front of him. Cloud deliberately continued staring at the ceiling.
"Well," Zack said after a moment, the shrug apparent in his voice, "this won't be the first time that I had to get back to my room without pants."
Cloud also noted that he didn't bother asking Cloud to borrow any of his pants. As soon as he stopped noticing the lack of warmth along his side, he would bring himself to be indignant.
For now, though...
He could hear Zack breathing, deep, soothing breaths. Listening to those breaths for a moment, Cloud pushed himself into a sitting position. His legs felt as bare as if he was the one who wasn't wearing pants.
"So," Zack said eventually, as if they hadn't just fallen in a tangle to the floor. Once upon a time, that wouldn't have been nearly as awkward. They would still have been laughing. "You in for tomorrow?"
Cloud raised an eyebrow at him. Zack grinned. Cloud focused on his glowing violet eyes, ignoring the skin bared to him.
He was screwed.
"What time?" he asked, trying not to think of miles of bared flesh, but thinking about Hojo's lab didn't feel any better.
Zack grinned. It stretched awkwardly on his face. "0600, soldier."
Cloud's responding grin felt just as awkward. He told himself to remember Aeris, beautiful, happy, slightly scary Aeris, Zack's girlfriend Aeris. "0600."
Zack's grin softened and became a little more natural, even as he stood and Cloud had to quickly look in the opposite direction. "I'll put on some pants and then update Seph. Get some rest, okay? We'll talk later."
Cloud's grin fell the moment Zack closed the door behind him. He sighed and dropped his head back on the mattress behind him.
"Mama," he murmured. "You never, ever told me there would be days like this."
"Good evening, Commander Fair!"
"Good evening, lieutenant! And you might want to watch out for your subordinates: I think one of them just ran into a wall."
xoxoxox
Cloud didn’t mean to fall asleep. The plan was to clean up while Zack dressed, and then he was going to meet Zack in Sephiroth’s office. The wake-up call was going to come early enough; there was no reason to be unprepared.
Except Cloud fell asleep, fully dressed, boots still on the floor, light still on. He didn’t stir when Zack entered his room, Sephiroth at his heels. He didn’t even notice when Sephiroth loomed over him, a concerned frown on his face, or when Zack sat on the bed. It was only when Zack gently touched his cheek and quietly commanded, “Wake up, Cloud,” that his eyes opened.
For some reason, seeing them both fully dressed surprised him. It wasn’t the reason he jumped, but when he closed his eyes, he was alone in the room. How often could someone enter his room when he was sleeping without waking him up, after all?
Of course these two would be exceptions, though.
“Sorry to wake you up, Cloud,” Zack apologized. To Cloud’s relief, the brunet definitely looked more relaxed than before: definitely more relaxed than Sephiroth, who looked like he had no idea where to sit in Cloud’s room. “But we have to run through this and I didn’t think you wanted to sleep like that, anyway.”
Cloud decided then he might as well permanently be flushed. Would save his blood vessels some effort, he was sure.
Sephiroth finally seemed to decide the desk chair seemed safe and was sitting straight-backed in it, sharp eyes still perusing the room. Cloud wasn’t sure what he was looking for. The room was still embarrassingly bare.
“This should be pretty open and shut,” Zack continued, leaving Sephiroth alone in his little investigation. “We’re only using SOLDIERs for security reasons. Right now, after Nibelheim, you have the security clearance to come with us. Don’t be surprised if you see Turks down there. Just ignore them. If they try to ask you questions, direct them to Sephiroth. For security reasons, always keep a SOLDIER with you. We go in, we talk with the scientists, we do a preliminary search for anything Hojo may have left behind, and we leave.”
As Cloud absorbed this, Sephiroth finally seemed content with his little exploration of the room. “The official briefing will be at 0430 in my office. Bring both your rifle and your sword. As a precaution, materia will be provided to you.”
That caught Cloud’s attention. His eyes snapped up to meet Sephiroth’s solemn gaze. Being allowed both a sword and materia for a mission was all but unheard of for a lowly sergeant, especially one newly promoted.
Of course, it was equally unheard of for a sergeant to have SOLDIER-security clearance.
Cloud nodded, not even attempting to speak. Sephiroth held his gaze, looking like he was studying Cloud like he had studied the room. Cloud wasn’t sure if he could move, unsure if it was Sephiroth or the General in front of him right then.
Then Sephiroth smiled and Cloud knew. “Sleep well. Tomorrow shouldn’t be hard, but it will be long.”
Cloud couldn’t help but smile back. An easy day with Zack and Sephiroth for company the whole time? He was fine with that.
xoxoxox
The storm was loud enough to wake the dead.
Some would say it already had.
It had come out of nowhere, taking everyone by surprise. A maelstrom of ice and wind, it swept over the dead land.
Frozen on his hands and knees, Cloud could only stare at the confusion of white and green below him. He knew what this was, he knew. He had to tell Sephiroth. Sephiroth would understand.
He tried to turn around, but it wasn’t Sephiroth’s green eyes that he saw.
It was cold, dead, grey eyes.
And everything went dark.
Zack/Seph interlude
Part IX
Title: Unexpected Side-Effects Part VIII
Pairing: eventually Seph/Cloud/Zack
Rating: R
A/N: Thanks to croix_souillees for looking over the porn-that-couldn’t. Also, usual shovel-full of blame on artimusdin : without her, it would have been a porny one shot. No, really.
Summary: In which Zack gives privates a show, Sephiroth contemplates interior decorating, and Cloud gets passed around like a prized chocobo at a chocobo show.
Part VIII
"Oh, you are adorable, aren't you?"
For some reason, Cloud Strife had an odd sense of doom.
"I've been waiting for you, you know. At least it was easy to recognize you, even without Zack's description. You‘re prettier than I thought you would be, though."
His head was in someone's lap. He was pretty sure it was someone's lap.
And was someone petting his head?
"I've been told so much about you. You'll do great things someday. You're already off to a great start. Just think! This is only the beginning."
Yes. His head was in someone's lap, and he was being petted like he was someone's chocobo. His first thought was Zack except he could smell . . . perfume? Was it perfume?
"Don't worry, sweetie. I'll help take care of you now."
And Zack didn't giggle like that. Nobody he knew giggled like that, actually.
"Although it's not like you need too many more people taking care of you. Don't want to make anyone jealous."
Flowers. It wasn't perfume: it was flowers.
And like that, his woozy mind helpfully filled in the gaps.
With a gasp, Cloud opened his eyes and jerked back. Only Aeris' surprisingly strong arms kept him from falling out of her lap. She was leaning down over him, so her big green eyes were only inches away as she reprovingly clicked her tongue. The scolding sound didn't match the laughter in her eyes.
"It's okay, Cloud," she said reassuringly. "You're okay. Even if you are a little pale . . . I thought Zack was kidding about how easily you stressed yourself." Cloud could only stare as she carelessly wiped a golden spike away from his forehead. The beautiful brunette frowned, and Cloud barely fought back a blush. "Zack's not doing a very good job taking care of you, is he?"
Cloud opened his mouth helplessly, only to shut it again when nothing came out. It occurred to him that he was still in her lap, and he tried to sit up.
Only to be pushed back down. "Silly," she scolded him. One slender hand went back to petting his hair. He was barely able to keep himself from telling her that nothing would make it settle down. "You've hit your head. Again. You really need to start taking it a little easier."
Finally, Cloud forced something out. "Aeris?" he asked cautiously. From what Zack had described, he had expected someone sweet and bright and beautiful, not insane.
Of course, she was dating Zack...
Aeris grinned cheerfully. "Of course! And I've heard all about you, don't worry." Her grin dropped again, and Cloud wondered if all girls were this mercurial. "I was expecting to see you sooner, though. I think Zack and I are going to have to have a talk, hiding you from me..." Then the grin was back. "I can't blame him too much, though. If I was a little greedier, I'd want you all to myself, too."
Cloud's head spun. He wondered how much of it was due to the concussion.
She patted his cheek. "Now take it a little slower, all right? I can't hog you to myself too much. Zack's probably going to panic if you don't get back soon."
Take what a little slower? Cloud almost asked before he realized she wanted him to get up. She probably wanted her lap back. Feeling the blush feverishly heat his cheeks, Cloud nodded carefully and eased himself up. His head didn't hurt at all, so he didn't understand her caution. Did she have materia, maybe?
Aeris smiled brilliantly at him, and sitting up, she seemed even prettier to Cloud. Throughout his life, only two women before Aeris had ever struck him as truly beautiful--Tifa and his mother--and the fact that she so quickly joined the list made him realized that it was probably going to be a while before his blush went away. Almost everyone else in Nibelheim had dark complexions. He bet even his dad had a dark complexion. Why did he inherit his mother's paleness?
She leaned over and pecked his cheek quickly before jumping to her feet. She dusted her dress off and offered him a slender hand. It seemed so tiny compared to what he was used to, and he tentatively accepted it, not wanting to seem rude. By Aeris' smile, he knew he made the right choice.
When Cloud was back on his feet, Aeris gestured around him. "So you're finally visiting my church," she said proudly. "I've wanted to show it to you for the longest time. Do you like it?"
Oh yes. He could definitely understand her and Zack staying together for so long. Cloud was actually a little nervous about seeing the pair in the same room. He smiled a little at her before glancing around.
The church itself wasn't too much, an archaic wooden building with a high ceiling and humble, broken pews. It was the flowers in the middle of the church that attracted Cloud's attention the most. Fascinated, he couldn't help wandering closer. They all but glowed in the middle of the church, and he knelt beside them. He slipped off a glove to finger a petal. It was incredibly soft against his finger. For some reason, the flowers reminded him of the flowers high on Nibel Mt., where few villagers dared to travel. No matter the season they could always be found, an oasis of life even in the middle of winter's deadly chill. Cloud couldn't help smiling.
Aeris knelt beside him. "I knew you would like them," she said warmly. "And they like you, too."
xoxoxox
Whereas the first time when Cloud had walked these streets, everyone had been finding other things to look at, now strangers would catch his eye and nod at him. He had no idea if it had to do with the fact that he had been attacked or if it was related to their strange reaction when Aeris jumped into the fray, but he was grateful, nonetheless. The last thing he needed was more enemies. It appeared as if he had enough already.
And he definitely liked having friends. Walking past one alleyway, Cloud blinked at the sight of three men frozen to the side of a building. A familiar piece of red cloth dangled off to one side, and he helplessly shook his head. No guess who was involved there.
He didn't see Vincent on the way back. Cloud wondered what he was up to and promptly wondered if he even wanted to know.
He reached his new room and was moving to unlock the door when Zack's voice stopped him. "Hey, Cloud! Where by Shiva have you been?"
Cloud turned around just in time to be engulfed in a fierce hug. His breath exploded out in a wheeze. He’d have to remind Zack about his SOLDIER-strength. Later.
Zack didn't give him a chance to try now, regardless. He grabbed Cloud's arms and pushed him back enough to get a good look at his face. "You need to stop vanishing like that," he scolded. Zack frowned darkly, tilting his head to examine Cloud from all angles. "Are you pale? You look a little pale. Did something happen?"
Cloud bit his lip, studying Zack's face. He wasn't the only one who looked a little pale. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine. Are you? Is everything okay?" His eyes widened. "Sephiroth's okay, right?"
All thoughts of meeting Aeris and seeing Vincent's handiwork vanished. Cloud anxiously looked Zack over. He didn't see anything, but there was a lot that wouldn't show, especially if Turks were involved--
Zack rolled his eyes and gently shook Cloud. "I'm fine. You just need to stop vanishing like that, okay? There's too much going on right now." He frowned thoughtfully. "I really should just buy you a leash. I bet you would look great with a collar. A blue one, to match your eyes..."
The color returned to Zack's face as he grinned impishly. A lot more color than that returned to Cloud's. He was beginning to think that he was never going to stop blushing.
Unfortunately, he never got to answer. "Cloud? Cloud Strife? Hey, let go of him!"
The new voice went from curious to outraged, and Zack automatically tightened his grip at the command. However, recognizing the voice, Cloud spun around and broke his grip. "Allen!" he exclaimed, delighted.
At the end of the hall by the stairwell, three privates stood. Each bore the insignia of Cloud's old platoon, and Cloud grinned at the sight. It had been a while, and the way things had been going, he had no idea how much longer it would be until he saw them again.
Actually, on that note, what were privates doing on this floor?
Allen Cognin led the other two down the hall. Jacob Ysir and Kelen Algeron walked closed behind him. Allen stopped several feet away and saluted sharply at Zack, but the formal gesture didn't match the fire in his green eyes. The other two were staring wide-eyed at Cloud, occasionally glancing at Zack’s hands, which were still open at his sides.
"Sir," he said crisply. "We didn't recognize you."
There was something off with his tone. It didn't match his gesture or his words, but Cloud only smiled. It had been a while since he had seen them. He would figure out what it was later, surely.
Behind Cloud, Zack was tense. He needed to interrogate Zack anyway, Cloud decided.
"It has been a while," Zack agreed, his voice cheerful. Cloud glanced curiously at him, but Zack was focused on the three privates. "Hey, we'll talk later, okay, Cloud? Let you meet up with your friends again. When you're done, just swing by Sephiroth's office."
Something was definitely off, but Cloud just smiled and shrugged. It had been a long time since he had seen friends other than Zack . . . did Sephiroth count as a friend? Or Vincent? What about Aeris? Huh. He mentally shook his head. Later. He would worry about all that later.
"Come in," Cloud invited. "You guys want to see my new quarters?"
Jacob grinned and stepped forward, but Allen was faster. He stepped directly in front of Cloud and looked him over. "Probably would be a good idea," he agreed, his tone making Cloud wonder if they were having two separate conversations. Unfortunately, he was getting used to that.
Cloud glanced at Jacob, who was straining trying to look past Cloud and possibly past the closed door, and at Kelen, who looked like he was doing the same thing, just more subtly. He shrugged and turned around, opening his door and gesturing for the three to walk in.
"Sorry it's so bare," he apologized, closing the door behind himself. The desk had a chair, but beyond that, there was only Cloud's bed. He sat in his chair and waved towards the bed. "I just moved in today." He thought for a second. "I only found out that I was moving today, actually."
Both Jacob and Kelen plopped on the mattress, Jacob going so far as to fall back on it and stretch, but Allen remained standing. "What happened, Cloud?" he demanded. "The last we heard you were going to Nibelheim for a mission because they wanted someone familiar with the area. Next thing we know, everyone's completely hush-hush about it. When we came back from our mission, there were rumors flying about you guys. What's going on?"
Oh. Cloud stared at him for a moment. If things were strange from his angle--someone who had actually experienced all of it--he didn't want to imagine it from someone else's perspective. He swallowed and glanced at Jacob and Kelen, but they were only staring curiously at him, too. Jacob was gesturing at him to say something, but Kelen just looked expectantly at him.
"I," he began, only to shut up. Cloud licked his lips and thought for a second. In front of him, Allen crossed his arms over his chest, his expression a little short of a glare. Only a year older than Cloud, he had been a corporal for more than a year longer than Cloud. He was often a leader in the platoon, and he had been the first to take Cloud under his wing. Of course, that had been before Zack had swooped into the scene, but Allen was still protective of Cloud. He was used to be in charge of everything around his platoon's lives.
But what could Cloud tell him now? When he had originally been assigned to the mission, nothing had been really classified beyond "This shouldn't slip to the public." That was before Jenova, before Hojo, before the Turks. He licked his lips again, only aware then of how dry his mouth felt. These were members of his old platoon, his friends, and he had no idea what he could tell them.
"I-I think it's classified," he said helplessly. Allen's eyes narrowed. On the bed, Kelen stilled. Jacob leaned forward as if "classified" meant Cloud could share juicy gossip. "I mean, it wasn't originally, but things happened and..." Cloud shook his head. 'I killed Professor Hojo' probably wouldn't be a good place to start, even if Zack thought it was a great place to break the ice with SOLDIERs. 'Two of my commanding officers grow tentacles when they're stressed' definitely wasn't a good place to start. Or end. Or anything, really.
"Cloud," Allen said, his voice soft, "are you in trouble? What was going on with Zack when we came by?"
Cloud was missing something, he knew he was. He shook his head again. "No, no, I'm not in trouble." I don't think. "Zack was just upset that I kept disappearing or something. You don't need to worry about him."
Allen hummed. Jacob swung his legs so they were dangling off the bed. "But why are you up here now?" he asked curiously. Jacob was several months younger than Cloud, but he looked two years younger. It was a toss-up who acted younger, and everyone in the platoon refused to give Cloud an estimate when he asked. "When we came back, your bunk and locker were cleaned out. Your eyes still look weird but not really weird, so you're not a SOLDIER."
Cloud shrugged weakly. "Ah, I've been promoted? I don't know why. I think it's for security reasons or something. I think the General is still working on the paperwork for it."
Field promotion. For some reason, Cloud remembered his old daydreams about how he would get field promotions granted by Sephiroth himself, and he wanted to laugh about those dreams now. If he only knew...
"There's rumors going around, Cloud," Kelen spoke up. Out of all the troopers in Cloud's ex-platoon, he was the only one who could match Cloud's fair complexion and slender form, which made his deep voice such a shock. "Have you heard anything about 'Sephiroth's Shadow'?"
Cloud blinked at him. "Shadow?" Wait. He tilted his head back and stared thoughtfully at the yellowing ceiling. "Yeah. I think…I think I heard Zack say something like that." He glanced at Kelen again. "What other rumors are there?"
But the other three had gone silent. There was another one of those damned silent conversations going on again. He was really beginning to hate those.
"Don't worry about it, Cloud," Allen said eventually, glancing one last time at Kelen and Jacob. "Look, we came up to this floor seeing if Zack knew where you were. Now that we've found you, you think you have time to come down and see the rest of the platoon? Everyone was pretty worried about you."
Cloud flushed, getting to his feet. He didn't even think-- "Sure," he said quickly. "I have time."
Afterward he would go see Zack and Sephiroth. He had to tell them about those goons.
Just... he would skip over what happened to them afterward.
Even if Zack's expression might be worth it.
He started for the door, only to cringe and spin around. “Oh, yeah, just let me grab my sword.” Zack was going to kill him soon if he kept forgetting it like that.
When he started for the door again, it took him a moment to realize the others weren’t following. He turned to see why, only to see them staring wide-eyed at his sword.
“What?”
xoxoxox
When Cloud returned to his room after meeting with the rest of the platoon, he was more exhausted than when he had the meeting with the president. There was nothing quite like being interrogated by an entire platoon. Not a single one had revealed what those damned rumors were about, and Cloud hadn't had time to build up any type of stash to bribe anyone with. It wasn't like he could use his former methods, anymore.
Cloud shook away the memory of his mother's cookies and strode into his room. He would just take a moment to gather himself up again before he met with Zack and Sephiroth. Then he would sleep. Sleep was--
"Zack?" Cloud exclaimed, alarmed. He clumsily turned on the light before running to the figure beside the bed. A stray tentacle almost cracked him in the head, but he ducked in time and grabbed Zack's arms. Zack's wide eyes met his own as he dragged his friend onto the bed. The older man sprawled awkwardly, his tentacles still flying everywhere. Prone like he was, he was less likely to knock Cloud unconscious with one of them. "Zack, what happened? What's going on?"
Zack stared helplessly at him for a second, and Cloud realized strips of Zack's pants still clung to the tentacles. Definitely not a planned thing then. Unconsciously, Cloud began running a soothing hand over the closest tentacles.
"This is going to make it hard to walk down the hall," Zack commented, the shadows in his eyes belaying his light tone. Cloud didn't stop petting his tentacles.
"Zack..." he said warningly.
Zack shrugged at him, not noticing that most of his tentacles mimicked the motion. Cloud slightly shifted so his legs wouldn’t be tied up. He swallowed a little as several of Zack’s tentacles intertwined with his legs. He had to adjust his stance as the tentacles kept sliding higher.
“Zack,” Cloud repeated, hoping Zack wouldn’t notice the catch in his voice.
Zack didn’t even seem to notice what his tentacles were doing. Even though he was trying to smile, the pinched look never left his face. Because of that, Cloud tried to ignore what his tentacles were doing, too.
“Another group of scientists have vanished, all with known ties to Hojo,” Zack said, and Cloud swallowed. “The remaining scientists have gotten jumpy, especially since the president has given the Turks permission to interrogate them. A couple have even locked themselves deeper in the labs. They’re terrified, and we don’t know why.”
Cloud wanted to scream. Everything was supposed to be so simple now that they were back in Midgar. Why was it only getting worse?
And would those tentacles stop moving, dammit?
“Sephiroth wants the SOLDIERs to check out the lab tomorrow,” Zack continued, the urgency in his voice successfully distracting Cloud from one wandering tentacle. “You were with us in Nibelheim, so Seph wants you there, too. He wants your perspective on it.”
Cloud swallowed for a different reason now. “What?” he croaked.
Zack really had no right to look that earnest while one tentacle was wrapped firmly around Cloud’s upper thigh. “You’re the one who dealt with Jenova in Nibelheim. We need you in there, Cloud.”
Yeah, right. Cloud swallowed again, his mouth completely dry. While he was stumbling for a coherent argument, Zack finally noticed where his tentacles were. Later Cloud would have to lecture him about that whole jumping-back-in-surprise thing when you had about a dozen limbs wrapped around somebody else’s body. Later, as in when he wasn’t being forced to jump along with Zack. With a yelp, they both tumbled to the floor.
Well, Cloud thought wryly after a moment, legs perpendicular to the bed, at least Zack wasn't upset anymore.
Actually, Zack was laughing. True, it was breathless and he wasn't meeting Cloud's eyes, but Cloud really didn't want to meet his eyes, either, so it worked.
"You need a bigger bed," Zack managed to get out after a moment.
Cloud snorted, not moving from the floor. His head was inches away from the wall. He was grateful for the distance. He’d had enough concussions lately. "Would it make a difference?"
Zack didn't pause. "No."
Cloud groaned and Zack laughed again, but it sounded cheerful instead of hysterical, so Cloud counted it as a win. Zack's tentacles were gone, replaced by bare legs hidden only by shreds of fabric. Cloud wasn't sure what to count that as.
The second Zack noticed, he slipped away from Cloud, bending his knees in front of him. Cloud deliberately continued staring at the ceiling.
"Well," Zack said after a moment, the shrug apparent in his voice, "this won't be the first time that I had to get back to my room without pants."
Cloud also noted that he didn't bother asking Cloud to borrow any of his pants. As soon as he stopped noticing the lack of warmth along his side, he would bring himself to be indignant.
For now, though...
He could hear Zack breathing, deep, soothing breaths. Listening to those breaths for a moment, Cloud pushed himself into a sitting position. His legs felt as bare as if he was the one who wasn't wearing pants.
"So," Zack said eventually, as if they hadn't just fallen in a tangle to the floor. Once upon a time, that wouldn't have been nearly as awkward. They would still have been laughing. "You in for tomorrow?"
Cloud raised an eyebrow at him. Zack grinned. Cloud focused on his glowing violet eyes, ignoring the skin bared to him.
He was screwed.
"What time?" he asked, trying not to think of miles of bared flesh, but thinking about Hojo's lab didn't feel any better.
Zack grinned. It stretched awkwardly on his face. "0600, soldier."
Cloud's responding grin felt just as awkward. He told himself to remember Aeris, beautiful, happy, slightly scary Aeris, Zack's girlfriend Aeris. "0600."
Zack's grin softened and became a little more natural, even as he stood and Cloud had to quickly look in the opposite direction. "I'll put on some pants and then update Seph. Get some rest, okay? We'll talk later."
Cloud's grin fell the moment Zack closed the door behind him. He sighed and dropped his head back on the mattress behind him.
"Mama," he murmured. "You never, ever told me there would be days like this."
"Good evening, Commander Fair!"
"Good evening, lieutenant! And you might want to watch out for your subordinates: I think one of them just ran into a wall."
xoxoxox
Cloud didn’t mean to fall asleep. The plan was to clean up while Zack dressed, and then he was going to meet Zack in Sephiroth’s office. The wake-up call was going to come early enough; there was no reason to be unprepared.
Except Cloud fell asleep, fully dressed, boots still on the floor, light still on. He didn’t stir when Zack entered his room, Sephiroth at his heels. He didn’t even notice when Sephiroth loomed over him, a concerned frown on his face, or when Zack sat on the bed. It was only when Zack gently touched his cheek and quietly commanded, “Wake up, Cloud,” that his eyes opened.
For some reason, seeing them both fully dressed surprised him. It wasn’t the reason he jumped, but when he closed his eyes, he was alone in the room. How often could someone enter his room when he was sleeping without waking him up, after all?
Of course these two would be exceptions, though.
“Sorry to wake you up, Cloud,” Zack apologized. To Cloud’s relief, the brunet definitely looked more relaxed than before: definitely more relaxed than Sephiroth, who looked like he had no idea where to sit in Cloud’s room. “But we have to run through this and I didn’t think you wanted to sleep like that, anyway.”
Cloud decided then he might as well permanently be flushed. Would save his blood vessels some effort, he was sure.
Sephiroth finally seemed to decide the desk chair seemed safe and was sitting straight-backed in it, sharp eyes still perusing the room. Cloud wasn’t sure what he was looking for. The room was still embarrassingly bare.
“This should be pretty open and shut,” Zack continued, leaving Sephiroth alone in his little investigation. “We’re only using SOLDIERs for security reasons. Right now, after Nibelheim, you have the security clearance to come with us. Don’t be surprised if you see Turks down there. Just ignore them. If they try to ask you questions, direct them to Sephiroth. For security reasons, always keep a SOLDIER with you. We go in, we talk with the scientists, we do a preliminary search for anything Hojo may have left behind, and we leave.”
As Cloud absorbed this, Sephiroth finally seemed content with his little exploration of the room. “The official briefing will be at 0430 in my office. Bring both your rifle and your sword. As a precaution, materia will be provided to you.”
That caught Cloud’s attention. His eyes snapped up to meet Sephiroth’s solemn gaze. Being allowed both a sword and materia for a mission was all but unheard of for a lowly sergeant, especially one newly promoted.
Of course, it was equally unheard of for a sergeant to have SOLDIER-security clearance.
Cloud nodded, not even attempting to speak. Sephiroth held his gaze, looking like he was studying Cloud like he had studied the room. Cloud wasn’t sure if he could move, unsure if it was Sephiroth or the General in front of him right then.
Then Sephiroth smiled and Cloud knew. “Sleep well. Tomorrow shouldn’t be hard, but it will be long.”
Cloud couldn’t help but smile back. An easy day with Zack and Sephiroth for company the whole time? He was fine with that.
xoxoxox
The storm was loud enough to wake the dead.
Some would say it already had.
It had come out of nowhere, taking everyone by surprise. A maelstrom of ice and wind, it swept over the dead land.
Frozen on his hands and knees, Cloud could only stare at the confusion of white and green below him. He knew what this was, he knew. He had to tell Sephiroth. Sephiroth would understand.
He tried to turn around, but it wasn’t Sephiroth’s green eyes that he saw.
It was cold, dead, grey eyes.
And everything went dark.
Zack/Seph interlude
Part IX