Flint laughed at Cloud's antics, leaning back in his chair on the porch to watch his child fondly run about with the other boys. He saw so much of his Puppy in the boy, making his chest ache. His smile faded some and he looked out at the clouds, wondering if Zack continued looking down at them from his place in the Lifestream.
X
The brown-haired teen gasped and floundered on the wide metal table, yelping softly at the pain in his wrist from the single restraint Hojo placed on him. He let his eyes roll around, gazing about the lab in hopes of locating water at the most. He was hot, sweaty and the injections had gone on all day.
"Are you ready for the next and final shot?"
The scientist strode in again with his last needle, probably going to induce another feverish, almost seizure-like symptom. Flint shuddered lightly at the thought.
"Yes sir," he panted, situating himself on his back.
"After this, I'll call your partner in to take you home and care for you." Hojo said, placing one hand on the teen's abdomen and steadying the needle. He pressed it into left Flint's hip, elliciting a rather loud gasp of pain, making him squirm.
Heat rolled along all of Flint's body, making him sweat more and pant for air. Hojo studied him for a minute before retreating to his office and calling Zack's phone.
The SOLDIER came down to his lab about ten minutes later, entering his office.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Yes," he replied, "I have your partner, Private Vanadder, here in my lab. He - "
"Why do you have him?"
"Let me finish, you dolt." He snapped, glowering at the man. Zack frowned back and closed his mouth. "He's been coming to me for enhanced mako injections, hoping to strengthen his body to handle the SOLDIER occupation."
Zack's mouth opened to question the scientist again, but a scowl silenced him.
"He took his last shot only twenty minutes ago and I'm nearly prepared to let him go home. He, unfortunately, is unable to take proper care of himself and will require your attention." Hojo said, "come over here." He turned on a one-way window, giving Zack a brief look into the lab.
Flint was curling in on himself, the hospital gown he had doned was sticking to his body with sweat. He could almost hear his rasping breaths and bit his lip as the brunette pulled at his restraint in obvious pain.
"My God..." he murmured, then winced as the teen on the table wretched. He didn't bother trying to see what had come up from the male's stomach, but instead turned to look at the brooding scientist. "Let me in there to see him."
"Take him home in about a half hour." He reminded, letting the man into the room. Zack quickly strode over to the metal table, bending over slightly to assess Flint's state.
"Hey," he quietly murmured, running his hand through the sweaty brown locks, "how are you?"
"Shitty," Flint replied with a smile and shaking voice, "do I have bruises?"
Zack recoiled some and searched his partner's body, finding black bruises in the tops of his arms and in his left hip. He nodded with pursed lips.
"Yeah," he said softly, rubbing the panting teen's back slowly, "just a few though."
"We're going home soon?" He asked another question, pulling lightly at the restraint, "I'm so thirsty, Zack."
"Hang on," he murmured, undoing the restraint carefully and going over to a nearby sink. He'd found some tiny paper cups and filled it about three quarters of the way, bringing it to his boyfriend to sip on. "I get to take you home in about twenty minutes." He helped him sit up and supported him.
"Good," Flint replied warily, bringing his arm up to take Zack's hand. The SOLDIER winced at the red marks around his right wrist. "Thanks." He gestured to the empty cup.
"Anytime," Zack pledged, gently wrapping the clammy fingers in his gloved ones.
The next twenty minutes that had passed felt like an hour to Flint, his body still unnaturally hot and his stomach still fairly unhappy. Zack hefted him up easily in those strong SOLDIER arms and carried him out of Hojo's lab. He wound his arms around the teen's shoulders, adding to his damsel-like appearence.
"Wait here," Zack ordered lightly, "I've got to let Angeal know I have to go home."
Flint dug into his partner's pocket, ignoring the slight gasp, and took his cell phone. Zack gave him a look, which he responded with a tired grin.
"I need to call Genesis," he supplied, punching in the numbers to call his own mentor.
"Angeal?" Zack called quietly as he stepped into the 1st's office.
"Yes, Zack?" He looked up semi-tiredly from his stack of papers, "What is it?"
"I need to go home early," he replied, "and I'm going to be absent for two, possibly three days?"
"Why is that?"
"A personal problem," he replied, "Flint."
"He can't solve his own problem?"
"He's recovering from mako-shots," he said softly, piquing his mentor's interest.
"Is that so?"
"Can I please go? He's out in the hall and he might puke again."
"Keep me updated on his recovery, I'll see to it that his scheduel is cleared with Genesis if it's refused."
"Thanks!" Zack flashed his famous grin and darted out into the hall, finding that Flint had staggered over to a pop machine. He was dismally pressing the water-bottle button.
"So..thirsty..." he heard the teen moan longingly to the machine. He didn't bother supressing the chuckle that escaped and walked over to his lover, feeding the machine some gil. He held Flint's wrist from behind and pushed it forwards to press the water button.
The brunette jumped as the machine rumbled and dropped the cool bottle of H2O behind the small door near the bottom. His ravenette retrieved the bottle and carried him up to their small apartment in the ShinRa SOLDIER's quarters.
The bottle was nearly half empty when they'd reached their dorm and Zack unlocked the door. Flint exhaustedly freed himself from Zack's hold, his small feet padding - stumbling - to their shared bed.
X
Zack nuzzled the back of Flint's neck, slowly nosing into his hair to take in his scent. He smiled against the warm strands, almost sure that another 'puppy' reference would be made. After some time, the SOLDIER opened his eyes, then blinked rapidly. There were strands of white and blond before his eyes and he quickly pulled back.
The teen beside him released an unhappy moan at the lack of warmth, rolling over to see what'd happened. Zack's indigo eyes were met with a bright red instead of the hazel irises that he was used to. Before him was indeed Flint, but his features were washed out.
Lightly tanned skin was now an unhealthy pallor, full lips were now chapped and very dry, eyes glossy with drowsiness.
"Flint?"
"Come back here," he murmured softly, "they cranked up the AC."
"Babe," he urged, "I think the mako took it's effect."
"What do you - " his red eyes caught some of the platinum hair dangling in his face and his fingers pulled more to inspect it. "What color are my eyes?"
"Ruby red," Zack answered, gently stroking the hair away, "it's alright, don't panic."
Flint only rolled closer to Zack, his thin fingers curling tightly to his partner's nightshirt. He gave a long sigh, just snuggling his way into the 2nd class SOLDIER's muscular chest and dropped a kiss at the base of his neck.
Zack silently registered the nearly-bloody glisten of mako in those eyes. He'd never seen that red color before and it somewhat startled him. He could see his partner's lifepulse in those eyes, honestly.
"It's just the mako," he mumbled to himself, "let's just...I don't even know. Let's sleep."
"We slept all night, babe."
"What do you want to do then?" Flint grumbled, looking up almost expectantly at the 2nd class man above him.
"Eat, shower," he started, "maybe I can grab a cure spell so we can get rid of the bruises?"
"I guess," the cadet answered lightly, a smile gracing his lips, "what's for breakfast?"
"We could go out, or I could make some omlettes or something."
"You're the man in the relationship, make the decisions," Flint jokingly snapped, kissing the older man's nose.
"Make me a sammich then," Zack grinned.
"Get out of bed and do it your damned self, I'm no woman."
The sable-haired fighter laughed softly, pulling the paled cadet up against him.
"You're an enigma, even to me."
Those new red eyes just rolled.