Cloud's knuckles were bruised and bloody, but he ignored the sting of it long enough to raise both middle fingers. "Fuck you too, asswipes!" he yelled, backing out of the dimly lit Sector 8 alleyway.

And right into Sephiroth.

"Cloud. What appears to be the problem here?

Cloud's heart sank, harder and faster than when he'd been cornered the alley in the first place. He could deal with bullies; he was more than used to that. But why did Sephiroth, of all people, have to be the one to see it?

"Nothing, sir. Just a disagreement."

"You can call me Sephiroth when we're off duty, Cloud," Sephiroth reminded him. Cloud reluctantly turned to face him, and Sephiroth's frown deepened. "You're injured."

"I'm okay. It's just a little bruising."

"They attacked you four against one."

Cloud stuck his chin in the air. Yeah, it was four against one, and he'd still held his ground. He'd taken a fair amount of beating, but he'd dished it out as well. His tormentors had come out better off than him, but not by much. And Cloud was still standing. They'd mutually backed off from each other, so he hadn't really won, but it wasn't a loss either.

"Yeah. I'm alright though," he reaffirmed.

Sephiroth placed a hand on Cloud's upper arm and steered him away from the alley, in the direction of the ShinRa building. "I'm taking you to the infirmary."

Cloud baulked. "Sephiroth! I don't need to go to the infirmary."

"You're injured."

"Not badly," Cloud insisted. "It's not worth bothering anyone about, I promise."

"You need to get looked at."

"I really don't."

There was no arguing with Sephiroth, though. He led Cloud through the ShinRa building toward the medical wing despite Cloud's protests. Cloud was relieved to see a familiar head of spiky black hair bobbing towards them down the corridor.

"Zack! Save me."

"There you are, Cloudy! I've been looking all over for you and shit, what happened?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. Tell him I don't need to go to the infirmary."

"He was assaulted by four other ShinRa infantrymen," Sephiroth explained for Zack's benefit. His mouth was set in a hard line.

Zack stood in front of Cloud, visually evaluating the damage. He gingerly touched his fingers against the bruise around Cloud's eye, and Cloud winced. "I think you should go to the infirmary," Zack agreed solemnly.

Cloud huffed out an irritated breath. "I'm not going. I can't afford to have this on my record."

"Your injuries-"

"Can be treated just fine with a potion and a few plasters."

Zack rubbed the back of his neck. Cloud could be damn stubborn when he wanted to be. "Okay. How about a deal?"

"Cloud needs medical attention, Zack," Sephiroth interjected.

"I know, I know. But what if we check him over? On the condition that if we find anything serious, Cloud will agree to go willingly to the infirmary."

Cloud nodded slowly. "I suppose that sounds fair."

Sephiroth was still dubious. "What do we know about performing a medical examination on anyone?"

"Come on, Seph. It's basic first aid. And besides, we've had that kinda stuff done to both of us often enough. It can't be that hard."

"I'm fine anyway," Cloud added.

Sephiroth sighed. "Very well," he agreed, and continued dragging Cloud through into the medical wing.

"H-hey! We agreed I wasn't going to the infirmary!"

"You're not." Sephiroth diverted down a side corridor, lights off and the whole area deserted on a slow Sunday evening. He found an empty examination room that met their needs.

Sephiroth flicked the switch on and the room lit up. "Why don't you sit on that examination table, Cloud?"

"...okay," Cloud said, willing enough to play along. He perched on the edge, the cover sheet crinkling beneath him.

Zack took a seat opposite him in a wheeled office chair from behind the desk. He span it round a few times, just to test it, then stopped and propped his chin on his elbows. "What are you doing, Seph?"

Apparently what Sephiroth was doing was searching through the cupboards with concentrated focus. "He needs antiseptic cream and some bandages."

"Okay, then." Zack swiveled his chair to face Cloud again. "So, you wanna tell me what happened?"

Cloud shrugged. "Just some assholes from a different unit. I was hanging around Sector 8 and took a wrong turn, they must've thought it'd be funny to follow me and play a game of beat up the smallest kid in the army."

"Shit, Cloud."

Cloud's expression turned feral. "They got more than they bargained for."

"At least one of the perpetrators was out of the fight. Two more sustained injuries of around the same severity as Cloud's. They were making a move to retreat as I found them," Sephiroth helpfully expanded for Zack's benefit, his voice still slightly muffled from the midst of his search.

"Hmm. It's still disgusting that they would do something like that in the first place, but... nice work, Cloudy."

"Thanks. I used a couple of the techniques you taught me." Cloud wasn't quite grinning, but that was only because he was making a concentrated effort to stop the smile spreading across his face.

He didn't even mind the bullies or the bruises; he was used to both, and the latter he quite enjoyed having. But he'd done well. He'd held his own against distinctly disadvantageous odds. And the acknowledgement of that was worth everything. Now that he was over the shock of Sephiroth appearing out of nowhere, the post-battle adrenaline and euphoria was starting to get to him.

Sephiroth rose from the cupboards with his arms full of more supplies than necessary, dumping them on the bed next to Cloud. "Take off your shirt," he instructed.

"Huh?"

"I need to see the extent of the damage."

"Oh, right." Cloud fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders to pool on the table behind him. Sephiroth had forgone his usual leather gloves in favour of sterile latex ones, and Cloud almost giggled.

Sephiroth's frown was back again, though. "That bruise on your side..."

It looked bad. Mottled purple-red and visibly swollen, it covered up good half of Cloud's upper left side.

Cloud blinked sheepishly. He hadn't exactly had a chance to examine his injuries himself, after all. This was the first he'd seen of it, and maybe he understood Sephiroth's concern a little better now. "It looks a lot worse than it feels."

Sephiroth sighed and moved in close. Cloud blushed. Close was close, and Sephiroth was standing right between Cloud's parted legs. His hands tangled into Cloud's hair, rubbing against his scalp, combing through those ridiculous spikes.

"Uhm..." Cloud breathed.

"You didn't suffer and blows to the head, did you?"

Cloud shook his head.

"Good. I don't feel any swelling. This, though." He cupped Cloud's face with one hand, thumb stroking over the puffy black eye he was sporting. "This is going to bruise terribly."

"I'll get a cold pack on it," Cloud promised.

Sephiroth nodded and proceeded with the examination. He was good at this. His touches were firm and professional, and Cloud was glad when Sephiroth paid enough attention to the bruised areas to make him wince. It was a good distraction from the fact that Sephiroth was touching him.

The bruised flesh was sore, but there was no sign of any fractures or deeper injury. The worst were Cloud's knuckles. Sephiroth took Cloud's hands in his own. He gently wiped off the blood and dirt, then spread antiseptic cream over the split skin and bandaged each of Cloud's hands in turn. He was so damn nice about it. Cloud was smitten.

He shivered, breath catching, as Sephiroth's hands made their way down his stomach and to his hips.

"Trousers off, too."

Cloud was definitely blushing now. "Is that necessary?"

"If you have bruising on your lower body, yes."

He glanced over to Zack for help, but Zack was just grinning widely at him and clearly not going to make any move to put a stop to the proceedings. He winked at Cloud.

Cloud slowly unfastened his trousers, and Sephiroth smirked. "This isn't a strip-tease, cadet."

Zack let out a choked snigger, and Cloud glowered at him. He finished the job quickly, and then he was sitting on the edge of the examination table in nothing but his boxers and Sephiroth was between his legs.

"Well, this is a nice view," Zack commented.

"Shut up!" Cloud hissed. His mind was going much the same place, and the last thing he needed was Zack's encouragement. Sephiroth was still being professional, so he was going to be professional too, damn it.

Okay. Sephiroth was being mostly professional.

He checked over Cloud's legs with the same firm, flat-handed touches. Two bruises on his right shin, an assortment of four or five on both his thighs, and an ever-so-slightly twisted ankle which Sephiroth put a support on and told Cloud to ice when he got back.

Now that he was content that Cloud was more or less fine, Sephiroth allowed himself to appreciate that he had an adorable, half-naked boy at his disposal. He instructed Cloud to stand up and turn around.

Sephiroth briefly inspected the bruises on Cloud's thighs from behind, then slid his hands up inside Cloud's boxers to cup his ass.

Cloud yelped. "I-I don't think I've got any bruises there, sir!"

Sephiroth chuckled; Cloud's blush was adorable. "It's Sephiroth," he reminded Cloud.

"I don't have any bruises on my ass, Sephiroth."

Sephiroth just smiled and continued to feel up Cloud's ass with the same firm touches he'd been using all along.

Sephiroth's hands were on his ass. Sephiroth's hands were on his ass, and Cloud prayed that he wouldn't be asked to turn around again because there was no way he'd be able to hide the fact that his groin was most definitely stirring in interest.

"Hmm. I believe you are correct, but I would be happier with visual confirmation." Sephiroth was close enough that Cloud could feel the cool caress of his leather coat. His hands were on Cloud's hips, fingers toying with the waistband of Cloud's boxers. "Take these off," he murmured, and this time his tone was far from professional.

Cloud shivered at the rush of lust that ran through him. He had no idea what Sephiroth was playing at, but he wasn't about to disobey a direct order. He took them off.

Sephiroth smiled ferally in approval. "Good boy. Now, why don't you lie down on the bed for me."

"Uhm. I'm naked."

"I see you share Zack's penchant for stating the obvious. On the bed, Cloud."

"Zack, I think your boyfriend is being inappropriate, please help," Cloud said, even as he climbed up and lay on his front on the examination table. There was no real plea in his voice though; he might as well have been asking Zack to pass the salt for all the urgency in it.

"No way, this is great."

"You're such a pervert."

"On your back, please, Cloud," Sephiroth instructed, pointedly ignoring the two men talking about him.

"Why?" Cloud baulked.

"Since we're here, we may as well give you a thorough examination."

Zack interrupted with a choked noise that quickly turned into an outright laugh. "Oh my gods, Seph! Are you serious?!

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're really gonna play doctor? You?"

"Is there a problem?"

Zack's laughter finally died down into chuckling. "Nah. I just didn't expect you of all people to be into that. Go ahead."

"Excuse me," Cloud piped up, but Sephiroth hushed him.

"I though I told you to lie on your back."

Cloud hesitated, then reluctantly turned himself over. He was naked and Sephiroth was there, touching him, paying attention to him, and he was still pumped from his fight and almost-victory. He was half-hard, and his burgeoning arousal was blatantly on display.

Sephiroth smirked, but he was nice enough to say anything that would heighten Cloud's mortification further. "Good boy. Stay still and try to relax."

Relax? Yeah, right. How was he supposed to relax when he was naked in front of two SOLDIERs? One of whom was his best friend and the other who was the General Sephiroth.

"Still," Sephiroth repeated when Cloud fidgeted. He pressed him down with a hand splayed across his chest, which did help with the stillness, but did absolutely nothing for him relaxing.

"Zack, do something useful. Pass me the ECG pads. Second cupboard on the right."

Zack raised his eyebrows and shook his head in bemusement, but he did as he was directed. "So, what, does this make me the good doctor's assistant?"

"No. It makes you the idiot who tagged along and can't even manage simple tasks. I need the sheet of ten blue tabs, don't you pay attention during your medicals?"

"I usually just take a nap through that part," Zack admitted. He located the correct equipment this time and handed it over, then perched himself on the edge of the table next to Cloud. "Hey there, pretty naked boy," he greeted.

"Both of you are morons," Cloud stated, voice deadpan.

Zack smirked. "Well, you seem to be having fun."

Cloud flushed brightly, and was thankfully saved by Sephiroth casually pushing Zack off the examination table.

"Oi!"

"You're distracting him."

"I think you're distracting him," Zack countered, but Sephiroth was already focused on his task.

His touches were a lot less professional now. They were closer to exploratory caresses as Sephiroth ran his hands across Cloud's chest and over his shoulders. It was damn near impossible for Cloud to remain still and not shiver under Sephiroth's touch, but somehow he managed it.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked, a slight quaver in his voice.

Having searched out the perfect positions for them, Sephiroth proceeded to attach the little blue sticky pads to each of Cloud's shoulders and clustered around the left of his chest. The final two went on Cloud's hip bones, and Sephiroth made sure to trail his fingers lightly down Cloud's sides along the way.

"Just a routine ECG," he said, clipping the leads into place.

"Why?" was the more pertinent question.

There was a machine on the stand next to the bed. It was grey and squat and beeped loudly as Sephiroth tapped in his details. He smiled at Cloud, a wicked grin with amusement clear in his eyes. "Why not?"

Cloud really didn't have an answer for that. "Zack," he sighed. "Your boyfriend is weird."

"He's your boyfriend as well, y'know."

Technically, yes. It hadn't been long at all since they'd decided on the arrangement, though. Cloud had shared kisses and touches with Sephiroth and absolutely loved it. They'd both been too reserved to go any further, though, and somehow it still felt... presumptuous, calling Sephiroth his boyfriend. He wasn't sure if Sephiroth was even that interested in him, or if he had only agreed for Zack's benefit.

"Hush, now. Cloud needs to be both still and quiet while the readings are taken."

Zack gave him a bemused look, but Cloud obediently fell silent. The machine whirred into life and spat out a page of indecipherable text. Indecipherable to Cloud, at least, but Sephiroth looked and it and nodded.

"We're ready to begin."

Cloud closed his eyes, doing his best to relax. He felt the soft spill of Sephiroth's hair brush over his shoulders, and then Sephiroth's mouth was on his neck.

Cloud gasped, and a finger was placed against his lips. "Quiet, Cloud." He could feel Sephiroth's smirk against his throat.

Oh. So that was the game. Okay.

Sephiroth's mouth moved down the right-hand side of Cloud's body, leaving hot, open kisses against Cloud's skin. He kissed his hip just below the ECG pad, then moved lower still. Cloud's legs were parted and he had to bite back a whimper as Sephiroth nuzzled at his inner thighs.

He could guess what was coming next, but that didn't stop the shiver of pure pleasure that ran through him when Sephiroth sucked one of Cloud's balls into his mouth.

Quiet. Fuck, he had to stay quiet. Easier said than done when Sephiroth's tongue was playing with each of his balls in turn, teasing him. Sephiroth didn't stop until Cloud was trembling.

"Good, Cloud," he said. He reached up and the machine whirred again. "We usually take these readings in triplicate; this is your first. Shall we see if you can stay quiet for all three?"

Cloud gave a small nod and Sephiroth's head moved back down between his legs.

He was almost completely hard form Sephiroth's actions already. Sephiroth kissed and nibbled along the underside of Cloud's erection, taking just the tip of it into his mouth.

Cloud's eyes went wide and his breath hissed out from between his teeth, but he didn't make a sound.

Sephiroth was giving him a blowjob. Oh, Gaia. The heat of it, the wet suction, the tightness of Sephiroth's lips around Cloud's cock... it was incredible. And the fact that it was Sephiroth doing that to him. Cloud could have died happy right then.

He let Cloud's cock slide out of his mouth. "Very good," he praised, a wicked smirk on his lips. Another whirr from the machine, a few moments for Cloud to catch his breath, and then Sephiroth returned to his task. This time he started by swallowing down Cloud's entire length.

Cloud's hips jumped up, involuntarily thrusting into Sephiroth's mouth. Sephiroth gripped Cloud with both hands and held him down.

Fuck, Cloud wanted to cry out so badly. It was a miracle that he managed not to. His entire world was reduced to Sephiroth's mouth, to delicious wet heat and the tongue that tormented him in the best way possible. The scabbed-over skin on his knuckles cracked open again from how tight he clenched his fists shut. His fingernails were digging into his palms and his teeth buried in his lip, but he was determined that he wouldn't make a sound. He didn't want to disappoint Sephiroth.

Zack wasn't even part of the action, but he was making enough noise for both of them. "Goddamn, Seph," he groaned. He was rubbing himself through his trousers and making no move to disguise what he was doing.

There was barely even a pause the final time. Sephiroth's mouth vanished for the merest moment, then the machine started up again while Sephiroth returned to sucking Cloud. The printer hummed and printed out the last set of results. "All done, Cloud," Sephiroth said, his breath cool against the damp foreskin of Cloud's cock.

Cloud's groan was one of pure relief. He didn't understand how simply being able to make a sound could be pleasurable, but it definitely was. His breath was coming in shuddering gasps. It wouldn't have taken much more of that before...

But Sephiroth wasn't interested in making him orgasm right then, as interesting as it would have been to see how that effected the readout. He allowed Cloud time to get himself back under control. Sephiroth smiled to himself at the stream of low curse words Cloud was gasping under his breath, as if he were making up for lost time.

"Zack," Sephiroth said, methodically disconnecting the leads for the ECG machine. "I have a mission for you."

"Aw. Can't you see I'm trying to get off here?" He was sporting a very noticeable bulge in the front of his combats, which he gestured to pointedly.

Sephiroth shot him a look. "The family clinic for ShinRa employees is just at the end of this corridor. Please go to one of their examination rooms and fetch me the smallest size of pressure cuff available. The ones marked for either 'baby' or 'toddler' should be adequate."

"...I have no idea what's going through your head right now, and I'm not sure I want to know."

"Just do it, Zack."

Zack looked thoroughly bemused, but gave Sephiroth a grin and a mock salute as he left to do as directed.

"What's that for?" Cloud asked, a little out of breath still but mostly having regained his composure.

Sephiroth had an absolutely wicked look in his eye as he answered. "You'll find out. In the meantime, let's get these off you."

The sticky blue pads were sticky indeed. Cloud was already over-stimulated from Sephiroth's oral assault, and he felt the tugs keenly on his sensitive skin as each of them was peeled off. He was left with pretty red marks where each one had been, though they paled into insignificance compared to the rest of his bruising.

"Open," Sephiroth instructed. He had an electronic thermometer in his hand, which he tucked under Cloud's tongue when he obligingly opened his mouth. "Hold that there, please."

Cloud tracked Sephiroth's movements curiously, as best he could while keeping his head in place. Sephiroth pulled a wheeled contraption out of the corner; it was mostly pole to make up the height, with a chunky screen on top and a little wire basket. The basket contained a pressure cuff, Cloud recognised that much.

Sephiroth leant over him and paused. It was more usual to use the left arm for this, but Cloud's left arm was sporting a spectacular bruise. His right arm was somewhat better. Sephiroth attached the cuff to that arm instead.

The thermometer bleeped. Sephiroth took it out of Cloud's mouth and inspected it. "Hm. You seem to be a little bit warm."

"Am I sick?" Cloud asked, a note of teasing in his voice. He was definitely warmed up to this game now.

"Dunno about you, Cloudy, but Seph certainly is," Zack said, announcing his return. "Will this do?" He tossed over a bundle of wiring wrapped up in a smaller version of the pressure cuff.

Sephiroth caught it without even looking. "Thank you, Zack."

"Can I do anything else?" he asked hopefully. The real meaning of the question was more along the lines of 'can I join in'.

"No."

"Pfft. Well, fine."

Sephiroth put the extra cuff in the little basket on the machine for safe-keeping. Cloud eyed it curiously, but was distracted as Sephiroth moved in front of the monitor and pressed the button to start it.

The cuff constricted tight around Cloud's arm, releasing again in tiny, gradual increments. He rather enjoyed the sensation, but maybe that was his not-so-secret bondage kink talking.

"Heart rate is rather high as well," Sephiroth murmured.

"I have no idea why that could be."

Sephiroth took Cloud's still substantial erection in his hand and squeezed. "Don't be cheeky." Of course, that only made his heart rate increase even further.

A few moments longer and the cuff deflated. "Did that hurt at all?" Sephirth asked.

Cloud shook his head. "No. It was tight enough to be a little bit uncomfortable, but it didn't hurt."

"Good." That wicked look was back. Sephiroth took the pressure cuff off Cloud's arm and unplugged it from the machine. He attached the child sized cuff instead.

He gave Cloud's cock a firm stroke, and this time Cloud was free to shudder and groan. Then Sephiroth wrapped the pressure cuff around his erection.

Cloud's eyes went wide. "Sephiroth!"

Zack's eyes were wide as well. "Shiva's tits, Seph," he crowed. "Are you even serious?"

Sephiroth ignored Zack and tilted Cloud's head up to meet his gaze, serious now. "Zack and yourself have both hinted that you enjoy rough treatment and some degree of painplay in sexual situations. You have already experienced the amount of pressure this will exert. If you think it will be too much for you, please say so. I will not be angry with you."

"...Do it," Cloud breathed.

The pressure came on, and it was almost unbearable. It wasn't painful, as such, just... intense. It was the tightest thing he'd ever felt, and around such a sensitive part of his anatomy. Cloud hated it and he loved it and Sephiroth was a fucking genius.

"Sephiroth!" Cloud's voice was a broken cry. His groans turned to whimpers as the cuff deflated, torturously slow. The aftershocks were almost worse, almost painful in the over-sensitive state he'd been left in.

Cloud was harder than ever.

"It is always best to take results in triplicate," Sephiroth stated quietly. He spoke it like a question.

"Oh, gods," Cloud groaned. "Yes."

Twice more, and Cloud was a trembling wreck by the end of it. He couldn't even find the strength to scream anymore. He couldn't even tell if it was pleasure or pain, he just needed more of it.

"Please... Sephiroth, please, I need to come," he begged in a broken whisper.

Sephiroth undid the cuff. Just his touch alone on Cloud's cock was enough to send him into a spasm of pleasure. "Can you last one final test? Stand up and lean over the table, facing the wall."

Cloud wasn't even sure his legs would be able to support him, but he gamely got to his feet and into the position Sephiroth had indicated. He braced himself with his hands on his table, the fact that he could lean against it about the only thing keeping him upright.

He groaned when he felt Sephiroth's fingers press against his hole, slicked with lube.

"Just a prostate exam to finish, Cloud."

Zack groaned on Cloud's behalf. "You're evil, Seph."

Cloud was inclined to agree, but any words he may have had were lost as Sephiroth worked a finger inside him. "Nn-nng!"

He pressed against Cloud's prostate, and Cloud bucked in Sephiroth's grip.

Sephiroth leant over him, his chest pressed against Cloud's back, holding him tight as he writhed. He eased Cloud open and added a second finger. "Are you going to come, Cloud? With my fingers up your ass?"

"Yes," Cloud choked.

"Good boy."

Sephiroth stroked mercilessly against Cloud's prostate, and Cloud cried out. The treatment was rough, more of that pleasure that was almost too much, too good, and it was exactly what Cloud needed. His whole body shuddered with the intensity of his release as he hit his peak.

He senselessly whispered Sephiroth's name like a prayer, over and over, as he came hard.

"Good boy," Sephiroth repeated, stroking Cloud's hair.

Cloud slumped forward, laying his upper body down across the table. He was far too boneless to stand. He was vaguely aware of Sephiroth rubbing his back, and there were words being spoken but he couldn't hear them over his own gasping breaths and the rapid pounding of his heart.

"Cloud? Hey, chocobo-head!"

"Mmn," Cloud acknowledged, far too satisfied to glare at Zack for the nickname this time.

"You coming back to my place with me and Seph?" Both of them were yet to be satisfied, after all, and the bulges tenting in their trousers said they must have been almost painfully hard.

Cloud grinned lazily. The ice had been well and truly broken now. "Oh, hell yeah."