Redemption

Authors Notes: I'd like to apologize for taking so long to finish this. Some real life issues came up and kind of put me in a chokehold for a while. I hope to be back into the swing of things soon. :3

Chapter 4 - Just a Kid

Out for drinks wasn’t what Cloud had expected. He wasn’t particularly sure what he had in mind, but a crowded cafeteria filled to the brink was not it. Hungry cadets had poured in from training, along with unassigned SOLDIER and Shinra staff. People were crowded throughout the room, eating, chatting, and generally raising a ruckus. It was easily the most people Cloud had been exposed to since he had appeared, and that set him on edge.

Cloud followed Zack to the counter, wary not to bump into anyone as he did so. Those who ran into him despite his efforts drew away quickly after muttering apologies. Despite his diminutive size and gentle appearance, there was an aura around him that set people on edge. His eyes made people even less apt to stick around.

Except Zack, of course.

There wasn’t room for both of them at the crowded till, so Zack ordered for both of them after grilling Cloud on what he wanted. The dark haired SOLDIER seemed totally unbothered by the chaos around him, instead seeming to thrive there. People stopped to greet him, smiled at him or even waved at him from across the room. His ease seemed to offset some of Cloud’s utter jumpiness.

He knew this was going to happen, that he would have problems in large crowds of people. He had become accustomed to very few civilians living around him, only battle hardened soldiers that were ready to face their deaths. There was much guilt flowing through him knowing that the SOLDIER next to him had died due to his incompetence, but knowing that these large packs of people were eventually wiped out caused the guilt to become overpowering.

“You okay Cloud? You’re looking kind of queasy.” Zack said as he pressed the blond’s tray into his hands. Cloud nodded.

“I’m fine. Just need some air.”

“Come on, we’ll go eat in the courtyard, there’s less people there.” Cloud knew that Zack had no problem with the people around them, which meant he was purposefully going to where Cloud would feel most comfortable. The thoughtfulness was not something Cloud was used to.

Though a lot of people had moved outside to enjoy the pleasant weather while they ate, it was far less packed. Still, Zack led them to the edge of the courtyard, settling at one of the most out of the way tables.

The courtyard was really just an oversized balcony off the side of the Shinra building. Grass had been put down along with several trees, the view overlooking Midgar. It wasn’t exactly picnic material, but it was a pleasant change from the Shinra standard.

As they sat down, Cloud’s eyes were drawn to the cliffs he had been at only the night before. Dragging his train of thought from the painful direction it was headed, Cloud let his mind focus on Zack. While watching the man brought back memories just as painful as the others, there was a warmth that radiated from the other man that kept the pain at bay. Zack was still alive, and Cloud would do his damndest to keep it that way.

“So Cloud,” Zack said, breaking Cloud out of his thoughts after a respectable silence. “I haven’t seen you around before. You must be new, ‘cos someone as skilled as you, well, I would have heard of you before.” Zack laughed as he attacked his burger hungrily. Cloud was still quietly drinking the lemonade he had ordered.

Cloud nodded. “I haven’t been here long. Today was my first training mission.”

Zack grinned, setting down his burger to optimize the amount of gestures he used as he spoke. “I remember cadet training being a pain in the ass. Lots of boring classes and not much action, but I guess a little important stuff.” Zack grinned and tapped his temple. “And they drill as much of that into your head as possible.” Cloud nodded quietly, picking at his fries. “You’re in training the entire time you’re in Shinra. Until you hit first class SOLDIER, then you’re pretty much at the top and then you start teaching others stuff, but only if you feel like it.” Zack’s talkativeness balanced Clouds silence.

“So where are you from?”

“Nibelheim.” Cloud answered, unsurprised at the totally blank expression Zack had in return. “It’s a small town in the country.”

Zack grinned, “Ah, a country boy! Well that’d explain it, you don’t get the skill you have beating up training robots or slum rats. Though you don’t really look that rural either.” Cloud caught on to what Zack meant, remembering what the chocobo-man who had given him a ride said. ‘Too clean, too slight. Damn a kid like you wouldn’t last a minute.’ Zack knew that there was more to him then met the eye, so Cloud didn’t feel compelled to defend himself.

“Where are you from?” He already knew, but it seemed the polite thing to ask.

“Gongaga. Another small town, in a forest though, always loved it there.” Zack shared the information happily as he ate.

“So why did you come to Midgar?” Zack was too naïve, too innocent for Midgar and Shinra, he would have been safer staying in the small town that he loved. It had been by chance that Zack had become so wrapped up with everything that had happened, if he had stayed away from it all to begin with...

“To live out my dream! This is the best way to become a hero!” Zack had passed that dream onto him when he had died, leaving a legacy for Cloud had tried, and eventually failed, to continue.

“And you Cloud? Why do you want to be in SOLDIER?” Cloud’s answers were too complicated, so he fell back to the reasons of his past, his first reasons for coming to the city of mako.

“Because of some special people in my life.” Zack tilted his head to the side, curious for Cloud to continue. “My mother, and, a girl that I like.” Cloud nearly winced at the thought of Tifa, but he forced himself not to dwell on it. “I want to be someone they can take pride in.”

They fell into silence for a little longer, and Cloud glanced up to see that Zack was still watching him intently.

“You have the most awesome eyes, Cloud.” Zack finally breathed, leaning up to reach for his soda. “They’re like SOLDIER eyes, only brighter almost.” Zack seemed to think on this for a moment, and Cloud did wince when he asked. “But, you haven’t had any mako treatments?” The brunet trailed off, obviously wanting Cloud to fill in the blanks.

“I don’t remember how, exactly.” Cloud muttered, nervously playing with the straw in his lemonade. “I went exploring in the mountains and came across a pool of mako, a by-product of the reactor. I got too close and ended up passing out. When I woke up it was a couple weeks later, everyone was sure I’d die from mako poisoning.” Cloud shrugged, the lie was the best he could come up with and it left him too much of a victim for someone to press the issue. “My eyes were like this ever since.”

“Mako poisoning huh? That’s pretty dangerous. But you know, Shinra has a lot of scientists and stuff, you could see them, find out what happened and all that.” Zack suggested proudly, taking another bite out of the bare remains of his burger.

“I...could.” Even the fleeting thought of a Shinra laboratory studying him made Cloud feel panicky. “But some things are better left unknown.”

Zack was examining a discoloured patch on his hamburger bun before he tore into it anyways. “Well, that’s your choice, right?” He said cheerfully as he swallowed. “You still were really something on that mission though. You were so together. Battle doesn’t come so easily for most cadets.”

Cloud ducked his head modestly, finishing off his drink. “Well, I still need a lot more training.” That was the truth, his body was so far behind his state of mind it would take a lot of dedication and training to get it caught up again.

“Yeah, that can be hard, especially with the cadet training program being so unwilling to throw you guys out there where you can get some real experience.” Zack thought for a moment. “You know, there’s always the training center. Anyone SOLDIER class and up has access to it, it’s really the best way to train.”

Cloud tilted his head to the side, having a clue where Zack was going with this but not wanting to interrupt and possibly ruin it.

“If you think you could handle it, which you probably could, I’m going to be training there tomorrow night. You could tag along and try it out yourself, see how it works for you?”

Cloud’s eyes widened slightly and he nodded. “That would be amazing.” Being able to kick back and just kill things for extended periods of time, whenever he wanted, sounded like a blessing. When he dropped into battle stance, everything in his mind cleared, and for a while he was free of memories and stress. He wanted more of that. “You don’t have to if you’ll get in trouble, but...wow. Thanks a lot.”

“Nah, it won’t be a problem. We’re friends right?” Cloud’s stunned expression made Zack grin more. “Hey! It’s not like I couldn’t be friends with someone who looks so adorable in an MP uniform, right?”

The rest of their lunch was finished with meaningless chat that made Cloud feel lighter somehow. When they finished and Zack had to leave, Cloud found himself eagerly awaiting the morrow, when he could spend more time with Zack

It had been a long time since Cloud had looked forward to anything.

The day’s events had drained Cloud’s energy miserably, which proved that he hadn’t fully recovered from anything yet. He returned to his dorm earlier then he had originally wanted, but was pleased to find that he didn’t feel near as trapped, near as isolated as he usually did in the small room.

The whispers of the lifestream were hushed, pressed into the background for a while, leaving Cloud with only his own thoughts. After a shower he pulled on a pair of pants and crawled into bed, feeling contemplative.

He was becoming utterly pliant, simply rolling with everything that came his way. It was better to bend than to break, yet Cloud had bent so much he wasn’t sure if he could right himself again. There was too much pain and fear regarding what was lost, but the future was becoming clearer as he focused on it.

Zack Fair was only a third class SOLDIER, which gave Cloud a clue to the time line he had been given. There was a moderate amount of time to stop the shit from hitting the proverbial fan, but he couldn’t afford to lose focus. There was no room for the insanity threatening to creep into his mind. He had been given a wonderful opportunity to train his body for what was to come, and he would have to take full advantage of it. He had to be ready for anything in a very short period of time.

Just what he was going to do, and how he was going to do it escaped him. But he knew that he needed to be stronger in order to deal with everything that he would face.

How much would it take? How much damage would have to be prevented for The Planet to be safe, for his final mission to be completed? What had ultimately killed the planet was what swirled in the lifestream, burning it like poison. Were Shinra’s Mako reactors killing the planet? Surely he wouldn’t be necessary to stop those. It struck Cloud as kind of funny, how they had fought against Shinra for destroying the planet, in comparison to what had been the real threat.

AVALANCHE could be used by The Planet if need be. A sinking feeling washed over Cloud as he thought about the blown reactors, sector seven being crushed by the plate. Would that future be changed? Would he have to end the Shinra regime? As he felt madness slowly creeping into his mind he steeled himself, closing his eyes tightly as he curled himself into a ball beneath the shelter of the bed covers.

No, there wasn’t enough of him left to relive everything. He could only do so much, so the world and his former friends would have to deal with their problems themselves.

He would meet Zack the next night, he would become stronger, and he would remove the biggest threats to The Planets survival. It was easier to focus on those things, easier to concentrate on the bigger picture than sweat the details. Thinking about the meeting with Zack calmed his nerves. The older boy had such a cheerful energy that it wasn’t possible to remain unaffected. He was so naïve, so trusting and willing to help.

So willing to give everything, to save someone else.

Cloud forced his emotions to stay neutral as a feeling of guilt threatened to consume him. Zack never would have died if he had not known Cloud. If he had not been so willing to give everything to save the blond, surely something would be different, surely the brunet wouldn’t have ended up dead. If nothing else, he could have died a respectable death, a death more fitting to the amazing creature he was. Would it be safer to stay away from Zack? If he kept himself out of the picture, Zack would be able to live his life happily, follow his dreams and become the hero he always wanted to be.

But already, Cloud had become attached. He felt lighter when he was with Zack. Perhaps it was selfish of him, but Cloud wasn’t willing to give up that feeling. If Cloud did well enough, everything would go smoothly, and Zack would continue to live out his life happily. Cloud was sure he could touch this part of his old life without contaminating it with what he had become. When the time came, he would leave – and Zack would remain as clueless and innocent as a SOLDIER could possibly be, never knowing what had once happened, or what could have been.

Cloud didn’t feel like thinking any longer, so he finally gave in to his physical exhaustion, and let sleep take over his thoughts.

Several things had gone wrong throughout the next day, yet Cloud had retained a positive outlook by the time he was to meet with Zack. His body had been sorely unforgiving for what Cloud had put it through recently, and because of such he had slept in and missed his first two classes.

Following that, there were two exams that Cloud had completely forgotten about. Despite the fact he knew the material, he was agitated that yet another thing had crept up on him.

There was just enough time to dump his books in his room before he had to run to the training center. Haphazardly he had thrown some basic materia into a fully assembled First Sword. There was no time to consider, but he was confident that whatever graced him during training would be within his ability.

Zack was standing outside of the entrance when Cloud arrived, the sword strapped to his back the only sign he wasn’t loitering there like the teenage hellion he appeared to be. It was hard to think of Zack as his elder when the older boy was so open with his emotions.

Zack waved Cloud over as soon as he caught sight of him, promptly ignoring Cloud’s apologies for keeping him waiting. “Glad you made it, I wasn’t waiting long at all.” He greeted while sliding his card into the training center’s lock.

“Man that thing is even more impressive then the last time I remember seeing it.” Zack said as they entered the training room, causing Cloud to glance back at the sword he had sheathed. “It’s different.”

“All the pieces...” Cloud said quietly, pulling it from its sheath and holding it loosely at his side. “It’s fully assembled with all the pieces together.”

Zack, despite his age and rank, was too curious to resist. He stopped sorting through the VR equipment and scooted over to Cloud to examine the sword closer. Cloud decided he’d probably be just as curious in Zack’s shoes, just more subtle about it.

“Damn you’ve got even more mastered materia in it too.” Zack said with slight awe as he spotted the colourful spheres in the hilt of First Sword. “That’s impressive for a cadet.”

Cloud shrugged it off, deciding not to draw much more attention to it. “So what do you have planned for us?”

Zack caught the gentle call for a subject change, rolling with it. “Basic training will be best to test you out on. Some of these courses are pretty intense, they’d make what we faced in the cave look like the teddy bear picnic.” He laughed. Sensing Cloud’s unworried confidence, he grinned and grabbed two of the VR visors, handing one to Cloud and taking one for himself. Pulling out his PHS, he allowed it to connect to the network, flipping through the VR training options that appeared after he logged on.

“I only have access to a few of the courses anyways, for the more advanced ones...” Zack trailed off and never bothered to continue after he started the training session. He pulled on the visor, and Cloud promptly followed suit.

“At your level this will be good experience, if nothing else.”

The experience he gained throughout normal cadet classes was pitiful at best, so he was glad to take advantage of this opportunity to grind some quick levels. It was far more convenient than sneaking out into Midgar’s outskirts to hunt monsters. The slim pickings there was nothing compared to the large range of monsters the VR training provided.

Cloud tightened his grip on First Sword, slipping into a battle stance as their training session began.

It was late into the evening by the time Zack pulled off the VR visor with a heavy breath. Cloud followed suit shortly after, panting as heavily as Zack was, if not more. Their bodies had been pushed to their limits during the intense training spree, having run far more than just the simple missions Zack had originally planned. Zack’s strength combined with Cloud’s speed and magic ability made them a very capable team, accomplishing every mission they ran.

Zack flopped onto the floor with an exaggerated groan, setting his visor down next to him. “Well, that was harder than anything Angeal’s ever put me through.” He said with a light laugh, though it cut into a wince when he disrupted something very tender in his side.

Absently Cloud cast a cure spell as soon as he noticed the wince, superficially wiping away the other boys aches and pains.

“Thanks.” Zack said, rolling his shoulders, blissfully acknowledging the thoroughness of Cloud’s magic. After training beside it, he was a little more used to Cloud’s uncanny ability with the materia he possessed.

Cloud set his visor down next to Zack, before he straightened and stretched his exhausted muscles. “No Zack, thank you. I really needed this.”

Zack laughed and nodded, waving his hand in dismissal. “You must have popped up at least four levels. I told you the experience would be better.”

“Close to five.” Cloud said, deciding not to clarify that he needed more than just the experience.

“Well make sure you get a lot of rest tonight, and take a hot bath or something. Don’t strain yourself too much, alright?” Cloud nodded and Zack beamed his approval. “You were amazing, though.” Zack said, suddenly scrambling to his feet to stand in front of Cloud. “You can handle yourself fine, and I know you’ll want to do this again but I’m not sure I could take it. So I’ll give you my code, then you can use your handset to access the training center any time you want.”

Cloud dumbly nodded, handing his PHS to Zack when the brunet demanded it, watching as Zack transferred the information. “You’re serious?” Zack nodded, and Cloud couldn’t even find the words to express what he wanted to say. Instead he just smiled. It was an ill-used smile, yet heartbreakingly honest. “Thank you Zack, you have no idea how much it means.”

Zack returned the smile, and was about to say something when his pager went off. He glanced down, and when he saw Hewley printed across the miniature devices screen, he winced. “Dammit, I’m way late.”

Cloud accepted his phone back, watching Zack. “Go, I’ll clean up here.”

Zack bowed his thanks quickly, before he darted to the door.

Cloud broke out of his daze a few minutes after Zack had left, glancing at his phone which was now logged in with Zack’s information. He glanced down at the VR visors on the floor, and after a quick debate he picked one up, thumbing through the new options available to him.

One more run wouldn’t hurt.

Angeal’s words of greeting when Zack entered the apartment were “You’re late.”

Slipping past the larger man, Zack shook his head as the door was closed. “Sorry about that.” Zack apologized, kicking off his shoes and setting down his sword. Angeal nodded at the apology, moving into the apartment’s kitchen.

“I figured you wanted to skip your weekly helping of real food, so I didn’t save anything for you.” The main informed, looking back to meet Zack’s gaze evenly. When the young man wilted at the news, he grinned. “But there are some leftovers in the microwave for you.”

“Awesome, thanks!” Zack perked up, scooting to the microwave to set the food to reheat. “I’m starving. I didn’t mean to run overtime, I was just training and got kind of caught up in it.”

Angeal laughed as he opened the fridge to find something to drink. “Surely you can come up with a better excuse than that.” The alternatives were low, and Angeal made a mental note to do some grocery shopping soon. Picking out one of the few bottles of beer left, Angeal took one out for Zack as well, setting it on the counter beside the microwave.

“No, I’m serious. I was training.” Zack argued, accepting the beer as he pulled his food from the microwave, also taking the cutlery that Angeal set out next to it.

Zack had learned early in his training that Angeal was an excellent cook. The frugal man didn’t like spending money on take out or restaurants, even though he could afford it with a Shinra salary. Instead, he would make his own meals from scratch. Zack dubbed this ‘real food’, unlike anything he had found in Midgar, and even better than his mother’s cooking although he would never tell her that.

After enough whining, Angeal had caved into letting Zack come over every week for supper, something that Zack looked forward to for more reasons than just the food.

After the meal, Zack would stick around. They would talk about various things, play cards, and drink a little before Zack would go home, recharged for the hell that was Angeal’s training program throughout the week.

One such night they did a little more than drink a little, and in their alcoholic haze they had done something that seriously changed the nature of these dinner nights to come, along with their entire relationship in general.

At first Angeal had wanted to cancel these nights all together, draw them back on track to a strictly professional relationship. Zack wouldn’t hear of it, and now, well... Their weekly supper was pretty much expected to be less than professional.

Still, it was Zack who stressed the importance of these suppers, he felt bad for showing up late. Angeal seemed to pick up on this, yet couldn’t help the curiosity that made him want to know what his puppy had been up to.

“It’s not like you to stay focused so long.” Angeal commented lightly, as he led the two of them to the living room. Zack set his food down on the coffee table before slumping into the couch, pleased when Angeal sat down far more gracefully beside him.

“I know, I know.” Zack rolled his eyes, digging into his meal with feverish hunger. “But it is like my training partner.”

“Kunsel?”

“No, Cloud.” Zack answered. He had grabbed his bottle of beer and twisted off the cap, yet when he took a small drink of it he winced. It was an acquired taste that Zack was still in the process of acquiring.

“Training with Cloud?” When Zack nodded, Angeal sighed. He moved to the far end of the couch, lifting up his feet so he was stretched out comfortably next to Zack. “So let me get this straight,” He was unable to hold back his smirk at Zack’s guilty look. “You were late because you were training, no doubt using the VR simulator, with an unauthorized cadet that has barely began his formal training?”

Zack attempted to explain around a forkful of mashed potatoes, but when it came out illegible he swallowed and tried again. “We weren’t doing anything horrible, we were just training! We figured if he couldn’t handle it we wouldn’t do anything advanced. He was more than capable.” He tried to sound determined, yet it ended sheepish.

Angeal didn’t say anything for a short period of time. Zack tensed when he felt magic being cast on him, but immediately relaxed when he realized it was just Scan. “Congrats on level 40.” Angeal said, before he groaned. “I suppose you ran that mission as well?”

Zack didn’t even consider lying. “As soon as we unlocked it.” Angeal remained silent and Zack finally set down his plate, already nearly devoid of food. “I swear, Cloud jumped a bunch of levels. I really think he just needs to train, and I can help him with that, right?”

Angeal understood Zack’s will to help someone grow, as Zack was much the same with him. But Zack’s sudden interest in the odd cadet was worrisome. It was obvious there was something off about Cloud, and Zack’s openness and naivety made him very exploitable, he couldn’t help but feel protective.

“Why the sudden will to help?” Angeal asked, watching Zack as the brunet tried to come up with an answer.

“Dunno, he showed a lot of potential I guess. But there’s just something about him.”

“Something about him, huh? Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” Angeal repeated cryptically, as he relaxed deeper into the sofa.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Zack asked, attempting to take another, feeble, drink of his beer.

“It means he’s odd. He stands apart from the rest of his class, yet things don’t explain themselves and his file doesn’t add up.”

Zack paused, before he made a move. Angeal’s comfortable sprawl across the couch was far too inviting to pass up. Sliding up Angeal’s body lightly, Zack made himself comfortable by wedging himself between the couch and Angeal’s side. If the older man noticed the bony elbow jabbing into his side a few times, he didn’t say anything. Instead he just leaned over to make more room, letting an arm slide underneath the brunet to lock around his waist.

“So why were you snooping through his file?” Zack asked coyly, resting his head against Angeal’s shoulder.

“I wasn’t snooping. I had to turn in a report, remember? I needed to check his statistics to fill it out. I was just curious when I glanced through his record.”

Zack sighed. “Well, I know there’s something strange about him. But I don’t think he’s threatening, I think he’s just an amazing student and we’re just over speculating.”

“He’s an amazing student that’s fifteen years old. He wields a sword that’s nearly twice his size, not to mention completely independent of any Shinra distribution or training. You’ve seen his skill in battle, yet he’s only been in Shinra for a few months, and he didn’t report any formal training before he came here.”

“Well, he’s from the country?”

“You don’t get those stats from beating up malboros.”

Zack hadn’t thought to Scan cloud, but Angeal thought ahead. He had probably scanned all the cadets in the truck before he had even started. Perhaps that’s why Angeal hadn’t been worried about Cloud’s presence in Group A.

“Well, maybe he’s hiding something. But does it matter? He’s on our side, and it’s not like you to be so suspicious.”

Angeal stopped, and after a long silence he sighed. Lifting a hand to his forehead he gently massaged a temple. He knew he was being paranoid, but Cloud set off alarm bells. He was an unknown threat and he didn’t want to take any chances with Zack’s safety. Strife could be nothing unusual, but he highly doubted it.

“I guess I’ve just been on edge the past few days. There have been some things bothering me.”

Zack squirmed around so that he was able to look at Angeal, suddenly all concern. “Things?” Zack asked, before he lowered his head to brush his lips against the older man’s throat.

“Nothing serious.” Angeal shook his head, knowing that Zack was imagining worst case scenarios already. “Just, haven’t been sleeping well.” Zack relaxed visibly, but didn’t stop caressing the tendons in Angeal’s neck with his lips.

“Maybe you’re just not tired enough when you’re going to bed.” Zack offered with a sly grin.

Angeal knew why he wasn’t sleeping well, but it seemed strange to talk about something as silly as dreams. Instead, he allowed his mind to fall to the gutter and follow Zack’s train of thought.

“I bet I could help with that.” Zack said with a wink.

“I was hoping you would.” Angeal grinned. Zack took that as an invitation, and with some awkward movements, slid himself up from Angeal’s side, to lightly straddling the other man’s waist. Angeal’s hands moved of their own accord, running across Zack’s waist, before tucking themselves under the younger man’s shirt, running across the smooth skin below.

That earned a small hiss from Zack, ticklish muscles rippling as he squirmed under those light, teasing hands. Zack’s skin was so sensitive to touch, Angeal gained immense pleasure through teasing touches, watching the boys squirm until he couldn’t take it anymore.

Zack knew well of Angeal’s love to tease him as well. With a smile he lowered himself down, letting his hands slide across the fabric of Angeal’s shirt to rub at a strong chest. Lips found Angeal’s chin, brushing across the stubble line on Angeal’s jaw, before finally lifting and ensnaring Angeal’s lips in a kiss.

When they separated, thoughts of teasing were replaced with those of want and need. Both men were panting, and pants were tighter than usual. The light touches evolved to a flurry of movement. Clothing was dragged away, thrown away from the bodies that were both needy for more contact. When pants were tugged down enough to free aching arousals, Zack was quick to slide his need against Angeal’s, moaning at the pleasure it sparked.

Angeal let Zack act on his own, the boy rubbing eagerly until skin became slick, his weeping member a testament to his furious arousal.

With a moan at the sight, Angeal’s hands found Zack’s hips. Still there was something nagging at him as he pressed himself harder against Zack, and suddenly those hands tightened their grip, preventing Zack from thrusting.

“Zack, I want you to be careful around Cloud.”

Zack’s noise was one of frustration and need, pressing hard into Angeal’s hands to try and regain friction. “Angeal.” He finally hissed, his voice betraying the same fierce desire that Angeal was holding on to. “Now is not the time to be worrying about that.” He whined, leaning down to press his lips against Angeal’s chest.

It didn’t earn him release, instead Angeal squeezed Zack’s hips hard enough to attract the boy’s attention. “I’m serious Zack.” When the younger SOLDIER got the point and stilled his needy movements, Angeal’s hands slid from hips to cheeks, cupping Zack’s face in his hands carefully. Zack responded by leaning forward to rest his sweaty forehead against Angeal’s. “Don’t let your guard down. Even if he isn’t a threat, there’s more to him than he’s letting on, and you don’t want to risk getting caught up in something until you know what it is he’s hiding.”

Zack sighed, closing the bare gap between their lips to press a kiss to Angeal’s. “If it’s so important, then I’ll be careful.” Angeal hummed his approval, and Zack pressed another kiss to those lips. “But he’s a nice kid, polite and sensible. He’s also a great training partner and you’re always bitching about how I don’t train enough.”

Angeal smirked, knowing that the gentle accusation was quite true, and he was completely unapologetic for it. “You don’t have to ignore him, just keep an eye on him.”

When he was sure Zack had gotten the message, Angeal moved. It was a quick switch in position, and before Zack was entirely sure what was going on he had been flipped underneath the older SOLDIER. Reacting, Zack’s legs spread to allow Angeal a more comfortable position over top of him, sliding one up around the other man’s waist to make himself more accessible for oncoming activities.

“Now, pup. Do your job. I want to sleep well tonight.”