Characters: Zack/Sephiroth

Summary: Sephiroth and Zack in the aftermath of Angeal's death.

The dull slap of booted feet pounded along to the beat of anger in General Sephiroth's mind. He had refused to let grief be at the forefront of his mind, but even the great indifferent SOLDIER's thoughts and actions were influenced by human emotions. Which was the basis of the silver's fury towards Zack Fair.

One task was all he needed of the boy. Just one thing; Bring Angeal home.

How could the younger raven actually have the gall to fail this mission? As Angeal's apprentice and a silver-tongued socialite there was no reason he should have failed. There was no reason- none- that he, Sephiroth, should lose one of the only two things he could honestly claim as his. A low growl escaped from deep in his throat as these thoughts pressed him onward. How dare he…. How dare he…. How dare he….

Sephiroth had already paid a visit to Lazard, demanding to know where Zack was. The director (actually seeming properly intimidated) quickly gave the most likely location- the simulation room, at least that was where reports placed him last.

The room itself was locked for the first time Sephiroth could remember. Along with several confused and annoyed employees of the Science Department milling about the entrance- all of which fled with their tails between their legs when they caught sight of the thunderous look on the General's face. Ignoring the fools that stared from across the room, the male gave one swift kick to the door. The heavy steel bent like paper and swung inward with a protesting moan.

Stomping inside, green mako eyes glared about in search of the raven. Said SOLDIER was spotted in the middle of the simulation chamber. Zack lay motionless on the raised steel, the visual helmet forcing his head to rest at an odd and uncomfortable angle. There were cuts, bruises, and he even had to wonder if the bones were damaged as well. How long had Zack been fighting?

Seeing the younger male in this state forced Sephiroth to calm the irrational emotions and inspect him properly. Just as he had thought, Zack was bruised all the way to the bones. But, perhaps the worst of his appearance were the tracks on his face through the caked blood that seemed to begin at his closed eyes. Foolish boy…. there was no reason for him to be so damaged. Even a fight with Angeal would not have left this much wounded flesh. A small sigh. He could not stay angry. Not at him like this.

The first sensation to return was physical pain- places the month-old 1st didn't realize still existed ached. However, when the second thing to return was his memories of the past few days, how much his body hurt was nothing compared to the hurt in his heart. It just… It just wasn't fair!

Though it caused more aching, a hand clenched around something as he tried to hold back the hot tears. If they fell, Gaia if they fell he knew there would be no stopping himself.

"There is a Potion beside you."

Zack shot up onto his knees, somehow ignoring the immediate need to fall right back down and cry for a different reason.

"Sephiroth?" He croaked out, rubbing at his eye with the butt of his palm a bit. By then awareness was piecing together the facts of where he was. On a bed in a room that, while like his in terms of layout, was bigger and sparse aside from the king-sized bed and a mahogany desk at the other side. Considering who the only other inhabitant currently, and the furnishings, (and the occasional peek Zack had glimpsed) he was in Sephiroth's room. On Sephiroth's bed. While Sephiroth himself leaned against the wall about two feet away. "Why-?"

"Drink the Potion."

Well he couldn't very well disobey a direct order when it was spoken with that flat no-nonsense tone. So being a good pup, Zack picked up the healing concoction and gulped it down. The effect was instant, he could just feel his whole body ease off the pain. Praise whomever had the idea for Potions! He could move now without also the accompanying screaming of nerves being too much, so he attempted to get out of the very comfortable General's bed. He was stopped however, by the feeling of a warm hand on the top of his hair. Blinking curiously, Zack tilted his head back a bit to get a better look at the other male's face- which was, for some reason, turned away and mostly hidden behind long silvery bangs.

"Go back to sleep. You need to finish healing before you attempt to destroy yourself again." His voice sounded so flat and empty. No human emotions seemed taint it. To anyone outside of this room, they would have thought the icy man was turning the thermostat below freezing towards the pup despite allowing him to use the bed. Yet Zack could see him. The posture of Sephiroth clearly stated that he didn't want anyone to see him vulnerable. At least it was clear to Zack that the silver was in just as much emotional turmoil as he was. And who could blame the either of them?

Desperately, the raven latched onto Sephiroth's arm with both of his hands when he tried to pull away. He had so much he wanted to say, but all he was able to say a broken sounding, "I…. I'm so sorry I tried but.. I'm sorry."

Nothing. No response from him. Zack knew the silence wasn't from anger on the silver's part, Sephiroth would not be touching him, or allow Zack to touch him, if he was upset with him. No, it had to be the shared sorrow that had him wordless.

"Apology accepted, now go to sleep Zack." Said puppy lifted his head from where it had fallen forward to once again blink curiously at the elder. Now Sephiroth was looking at him. Again, Zack felt the warmth of his hand as he stroked back unruly black bangs. Green mako held a tired sadness, the eyes of someone who didn't wish to have the sorrow linger longer than absolutely necessary. A nod was the response, lightly so that hand wouldn't be shaken off, and Zack closed aching blue while nuzzling his calming hand.

Perhaps, one wonders why Sephiroth would reach out to a boy he barely knew, and Zack would claim that Sephiroth was just imitating Angeal's tendency to ruffle his hair as a form of comfort. It might have also been that, an understanding of another human being's pain for the first time in his life caused the supposedly cold man to warm up faster to Zack than he would have normally.

Either way, as one lay down on the red/black-dotted white sheets and the other turned to leave to file paperwork for the simulation room, both felt certain that they had their hearts healed, if just a little.