Summary: As Cloud mourns the loss of Zack, Sephiroth tries to comfort him, and wonders if an old flame can be rekindled. Crisis Core-ish, obvious revision to canon. Yaoi.
Inspired by the Scorpions song of the same title.. Two-shot, could be longer than that, though. We'll see. :)
Rated T for now, might be upgraded to M later on.
Disclaimer: Square Enix owns all except for my ideas. This is written for fun.
Reports of Zack Fair's death reached Sephiroth's desk quickly; and while the general was saddened to hear of the loss of one of his best SOLDIERS, his heart nearly stopped beating when he realized just who had accompanied Zack on that last fateful mission - cadet Cloud Strife.
Kunsel had been the one to deliver the news about Zack. "Cloud's been hurt, sir," he informed Sephiroth. "Nothing serious, but he's in shock, and is being treated for dehydration and exhaustion." Sephiroth was out of his chair in an instant. "I must see him, Kunsel," he murmured. "If anyone is looking for me...that's where I'll be." Kunsel nodded briefly, and took his leave of Sephiroth.
Cloud, please be okay, Sephiroth thought frantically, as he flew out of his office, and headed down to the infirmary to check on Cloud. He slowed his gait slightly, as he stopped to think for a moment - perhaps Cloud wouldn't even want to see him. Things had ended badly between the two, to say the least; Sephiroth and Cloud had been in a short-lived relationship that had started off quite normally. Eventually, though, Sephiroth's jealousy of Cloud's developing friendship with Zack would serve to destroy the relationship that the general and Cloud had only just begun. Sephiroth frowned as he remembered Cloud's last words to him, before finally breaking it off. "I've done nothing wrong," Cloud had told him, tearful and angry, "except to make a friend. If you can't trust me being alone with a friend, Sephiroth...then we have nothing together. I can't be with someone who doesn't even trust me."
Sephiroth sighed, regretting his suspicious nature. He had trouble trusting anyone, really - but his lover should have had his undying trust. Cloud was right; he'd done nothing wrong. It wasn't really Cloud Sephiroth was worried about though, but Zack. He'd seen the way Zack looked at Cloud, when he thought nobody was watching. It seemed pretty obvious to Sephiroth at least, that Zack had it bad for the young cadet. Naturally, Sephiroth had confronted Zack in a fury as well, accusing him of "fucking my boyfriend." Zack vehemently denied all accustations, and advised Sephiroth to get a grip. Upon which, Sephiroth punched Zack, knocking him out cold.
That had been the last straw for Cloud, and he broke things off with Sephiroth that very day. Sephiroth sighed again. Well, I no longer have to worry about Zack, do I, he thought sadly. What a fool I've been...I hope Cloud can forgive me.
Cloud was still unconscious when the medics brought him in. He and Zack had been hit by enemy fire just north of Gongaga Village, Zack's home. As the enemy fired upon them, Zack used his body to shield the cadet; and had effectively saved Cloud's life, by sacrificing his own. The cadet's injuries were minimal; shrapnel wounds in his leg, arm and back. When Cloud finally woke up in the hospital bed, he screamed aloud. The last thing he remembered seeing, was Zack's face, as he lay in the field dying, and this flashed through Cloud's mind as he came to. Zack needs my help, Cloud thought, confused. Feeling somewhat disoriented, he looked down to see himself confined to a hospital bed, hooked up to various IV's and monitors, and flipped out. Have to get the fuck out of here, he thought desperately. Have to get back to Zack, he needs my help...
Sephiroth walked in at that exact unfortunate moment, as Cloud woke up, thrashing in his bed, fighting with the nurses, and trying to pull IV's out of his arm. "You don't seem to understand!" Cloud shouted deliriously. "Zack is out there on the field, he may be dying, I have to help him!" Two orderlies came running in, to try and restrain Cloud, while one of the nurses readied a tranquilizer shot.
"What is going on here?" Sephiroth demanded icily. One of the orderlies approached him, and, in an almost apologetic tone, asked him to leave. "I'm sorry, General, sir," he said to Sephiroth, "but we need to restrain this patient before he hurts himself. Please, if you could wait outside..."
"I will not," Sephiroth replied, frowning. "Please. Let me talk to him. Give him the shot, if you must, but let me talk to Cloud." The orderly sighed resignedly, and the nurses nodded, grumbling a bit - but nobody present was about to tell General Sephiroth he couldn't do whatever he wanted.
"Sephiroth?" Cloud called weakly. "Is that you?"
"Yes, I'm here, Cloud," he replied, rushing over to Cloud's bedside. "How are you feeling?"
"I don't- I don't know why I'm here, Seph," Cloud stammered, clearly agitated. "I need to find Zack!"
Oh gods, he doesn't know, Sephiroth realized, groaning inwardly. "Cloud? You need this shot that they're giving you, can you just relax enough for that? Please?"
"What is it?" Cloud asked suspiciously, as he leaned on his side, and one of the nurses gingerly moved his hospital nightgown up, and quickly gave him the injection in his posterior.
"It's something to help you sleep, the nurse told him, as she plunged the hypodermic.
"No!" Cloud shouted, swatting the nurse's hand away. "I told you, I have to find Zack!"
"Cloud," Sephiroth said quietly. "Please," he said to the orderlies and nurses gathered around Cloud's bed. "Can you give us a moment alone, please?" Everyone nodded silently, and disbursed quickly.
"What's going on?" Cloud demanded, on the verge of hysterics. "Seph, please...tell me!"
"I am telling you, Cloud," Sephiroth murmured, taking Cloud's hand in his. "Zack...didn't make it, Cloud. I'm so sorry. I just received the report on my desk."
"Oh gods, no," Cloud said tearfully, a broken sob escaping his throat. "No...how did it happen? The last thing I remember...we were running, they were shooting at us - we had taken cover behind a tree - Zack was trying to cover me..."
Sephiroth sighed. It was never easy, delivering this type of news to someone. Usually, he'd be delivering the news to a parent or other loved one - someone he didn't know, or knew only peripherally. But this was not just anyone, this was Cloud. He wondered how much he should be telling Cloud, knowing it would only upset him further.
"He...Zack was shot to death, by your assailants," Sephiroth answered calmly. "I don't know if I should be telling you this, Cloud...seeing as you're so upset..."
"Please, Seph," Cloud begged, crying. He sat upright in the bed, and leaned into Sephiroth's shoulder, weeping. "Please...don't keep anything from me, please tell me..."
"He died trying to save you, Cloud," Sephiroth replied. "He...was a hero. I shall see to it that he receives the president's medal...the highest honor we can bestow on him, posthumously..."
"What good is a fucking medal going to do, he's gone," Cloud wailed. "He's...gone. My friend, my brother...oh gods..." Cloud collapsed, exhausted, into Sephiroth's arms. He shuddered as he sobbed despondently into the general's shoulder.
"It's okay, Cloud," Sephiroth murmured soothingly, hugging Cloud. "Let it all out..." Sephiroth slid himself onto the hospital bed, cradling the sobbing cadet in his arms.
"I'm tired," Cloud sniffled. "Stay with me, Seph? I'm so...so tired. So sad..."
"Of course you are," Sephiroth replied sympathetically. He stroked Cloud's hair, as he felt the cadet relax and go limp in his arms, as the drugs took effect.
"Love you, Seph," Cloud mumbled, as he drifted off to sleep. Sephiroth nearly sat up straight at this admission, but somehow restrained himself, not wanting to rouse a sleepy Cloud.
He couldn't have possibly...meant that, could he? Sephiroth wondered, still feeling a bit astonished. Must be the drugs. There's no way that Cloud...still has feelings for me. Not after what I put him through...
Even so, Sephiroth smiled a bit after hearing those words, drug-induced though they might be. He curled his arms around Cloud protectively, as he began to grow drowsy, and eventually fell asleep, huddled around Cloud in the tiny hospital bed.
