"Ange, I really think we should get you checked out. It's been two weeks already…." Genesis shouted from the kitchen where he was making his breakfast of poached eggs and spinach. A particularly violent retch caused the auburn-haired warrior to grimace in sympathy as he listened to his lover's body attempt to expel its stomach via mouth.
Angeal answered with a groan. "It's just a stomach bug. It will go away, ugh, eventually." He staggered out of the ensuite bathroom into their bedroom to begin the epic task of dressing but Genesis followed him in.
"Angeal, I think you should take the day off." He stood in front of their wardrobe, forcing Angeal to sit on the bed until his bossy lover decided to move.
"I've got to train the Seconds today Genesis, and my accused paperwork is about to reach the ceiling in my office…" He rubbed his aching forehead as his stomach
"I don't care!" Genesis interrupted. "Zack can come over and make you stay in bed whilst I go and train your Seconds. It won't kill them for one day."
Angeal spared a thought for his poor Seconds. Genesis was a hard taskmaster who probably enjoyed other people's pain a little more than he should.
"You, get back into bed. I'm calling Zack to come babysit you. I'll even be exceedingly benevolent and let him bring that blonde chocobo of a boyfriend of his." He trotted off to the phone to call Zack.
Angeal snorted at 'benevolent'- Genesis and benevolent usually weren't paired together in the same sentence but Angeal wearily did as his lover had ordered. Bed would be a blessing after a week of this bloody stomach bug. Every morning he had woken to unstoppable nausea, but the symptoms usually disappeared by evening only to re-appear violently the next morning. This morning had been no exception.
Genesis stalked back into the room, and glared at Angeal who had not moved from his seat on the bed.
"You're supposed to get in the bed 'Geal, not sit on the side. Here," Genesis grabbed his biceps and hauled upwards, "There we go. Verticality achieved. Now get in the bed and lie down before I tackle you."
Angeal did as his lover ordered and pulled down the covers and crawled under. Genesis had disappeared again but returned to tuck him in and place a bucket at the side of the bed.
"Sleep well, my darling. Zack will let himself in and I'll be back at lunch." Genesis kissed his forehead and left.
Through his haze of sleep Angeal was vaguely aware of Cloud hushing Zack as he talked too loudly, and someone at the door checking on him regularly. He woke properly to find Zack crouched by his bed with a hand on his forehead to check his temperature.
"Puppy I'm fine, really."
"'Geal, you know Genesis will eviscerate me if I don't do what he says, and he said to check your temperature every two hours. And so, I am checking your temperature every two hours."
Zack stood up, his knees cracking on the way up.
"Do you feel like anything?"
Angeal made a face at his student, knowing full well Zack couldn't cook to save his life.
"Hey! Cloud can cook pretty well, you know."
"Actually Puppy, I think I'm going to get up for a bit. I'll have a shower and then I'll make lunch for you and Cloud."
Zack laughed. "Alright, but Cloud and I have already had lunch. It's almost two pm."
Angeal only grunted in reply. Maybe the extra sleep would have gotten rid of this stomach thing.
The intense urge to vomit told him that there was no such luck.
Ambling slowly out of the bedroom freshly showered, Angeal felt a little better. Enough to think about food anyway.
To his surprise Zack was sitting alone on the couch, no blonde chocobo in sight.
Zack craned his head when he noticed his mentor. "Genesis came while you were in the shower. He made you some porridge for when you came out but he had to go back to the office. Come here, I've made you a nest."
Zack had indeed made him a nest on the couch. The long part of their chaise leather couch was covered in warm blanket and one end was heaped a pile of cushions, which looked pretty inviting.
Angeal decided that for once he could be the one being looked after and so he wandered over and curled up in his pile of cushions. Zack quickly spread a big furry rug over the top and went to get his mentor the porridge Genesis had made.
"So where is Cloud?" Angeal enquired when Zack returned with bowl and spoon.
"Oh, he had to go back to study. He's got his first gradings for Third Class coming up pretty soon." Suddenly Zack's face turned serious and he leaned forward.
"Angeal, I was wondering if you could give me some advice."
Angeal looked up and nodded in surprise. Zack didn't often seem so serious.
"Well, it's kinda personal but…. The Third Classes have just been warned about the effects of mako and how it can do weird ass stuff like allowing guys to get pregnant and well," Zack paused, "And now he won't have sex with me because he's afraid of getting pregnant!"
Angeal's world had just crashed around his ears. Zack looked on in concern as all colour drained out of Angeal's face.
"Pregnant?" he murmured weakly.
"Well yeah. They gave my year the same warning. Apparently there have been a few cases of soldiers who have, ahem, 'hooked up' and not used protection and have gotten pregnant. Lazard gave us some science-y shit about it, but it's something to do with a double dose of mako in one body does some crazy shit. Cloud is so afraid, even we use protection that he refuses to let me touch him!"
"Zack get me a bucket right now!" Angeal clamped a hand over his mouth.
Luckily Zack came back in time, and now was rubbing his mentor's back soothingly as the other heaved up the porridge that had barely reached his stomach before leaving again. The heaves began to slow, and then stopped. Zack left to clean out the bucket leaving Angeal to ponder the horrible possibility.
No one had ever mentioned anything about getting pregnant to him or Genesis certainly. He wondered if Sephiroth had even heard anything about it. Shinra must have hushed up those pregnancies very quickly if the Generals hadn't heard about it.
"So Zack, did they say how these Soldiers got pregnant?" Angeal croaked when his student returned with a clean bucket.
Zack sat down gently next to him, and re-arranged the cushions so Angeal could lie down.
"They said that unprotected anal sex between two soldier operatives could lead to the 'receiver' becoming pregnant. Lazard has made sure that every new Soldier knows about it before they have their first mako shots. Didn't you know about this Angeal?"
Angeal grimaced and shook his head. "No, no one has ever mentioned anything like that to me before."
"Wait a minute. If you didn't know…." Zack trailed off, "You're sick in the mornings mostly aren't you? For a week or so now. Oh Gaia Angeal. Have you ever… you know… received?"
Angeal flushed in acute embarrassment.
"Maybe… um, yes. Once. About four weeks ago. After Genesis came back from Wutai." Angeal buried his face in his hands, trying to hide his blush.
Zack chucked lowly. "No, no. Don't worry, I'm not judging. Will it make you feel better if I tell you that Cloud has topped me three times in the last two weeks?"
"Not really, but thanks. I really needed that image." Angeal uncovered his face and grinned weakly at his student. "Really? Blonde chocobo who is about as threatening as a fly?"
"Shut up you." Zack gently punched Angeal's bicep. "Well I think your problem trumps mine. You need to find out if you really are pregnant."
"Well, how am I supposed to do that? I am not going to labs with this. They'll either have me committed or made the latest test subject."
"Oh! I know, I'll run down the chemist and buy you a pregnancy test." Zack got up and grabbed his PHS. "Call me if you need anything before I get back."
Angeal sighed. Zack was hard to stop once he got an idea in his head.
Genesis got back right after Angeal had done the humiliating task of 'urinating on the stick' as instructed by the horrifying pink box.
Angeal quickly left the bathroom and strode out into the living room, only to walk into his partner. Angeal quickly hid the stick behind his back.
"Oh hi Genesis. Good day at work?" Angeal backed slowly towards the bathroom again. He would hide until the result came back after the ten minutes instructed.
"Angeal. What are you hiding behind your back?" Genesis was always to clever for his own good.
"Ahhh, never mind. Oh Gaia, I really have to go have a shower. Right now. I'll be back in a minute."
Genesis watched sceptically as his partner's back disappeared into the bathroom and then turned towards a smirking Zack on the couch.
"Zack, what is going on?" Genesis pinned Zack with a death glare, not appreciating the hint of amusement in Zack's eyes.
Zack spluttered. "Ahhhh, well… I think it would be best if you waited for Angeal to tell you that."
Meanwhile, Angeal was sitting on the covered toilet seat waiting the seemingly endless ten minutes to be up. It was taking an age.
He suddenly realised that Genesis thought he was taking a shower and so as to not raise suspicions he quickly turned the taps on. He was just about to sit back down on the toilet seat when his PHS beeped to indicate the ten minutes were up.
Time slowed as he picked up the taunting little stick.
You didn't have to read the key on the back of the box to work out what a 'plus' sign meant.
Oh Gaia.
Feeling like he was dreaming, Angeal turned off the taps and exited the bathroom. As he entered the living room both Zack and Genesis' heads snapped around to him.
"Once. Just once. One time for Gaia's sake." He muttered repeatedly.
Genesis blinked as his vacant partner shoved a stick of plastic into his hands only to disappear back into their bedroom. He turned it over, and saw a little window with a plus sign on it.
He looked over at Zack quizzically.
Zack glanced at the window, and his eyes went wide. His hands flew to cover his mouth. He blinked once, twice, three times. Seeming to recover, his hands left his mouth and he took a deep breath in.
"Well, congratulations. It looks like you're going to be a dad."
Genesis' face went slack, and his eyes widened comically.
"This. That was…Pregnant?" Genesis spluttered, and gazed in shock down at the little pink plus sign.
"Are you serious? Angeal? Baby?"
And at that point General Genesis Rhapsodos' eyes rolled back in his head and he fainted.