A Twisted Kind of Honour

9 - Getting A Rise From The General By Hikari ni Michita Sora

Story id: 4872897

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Title: A Twisted Kind of Honour
Rating: NC-17
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud, Zack/Aeris (some S/C/Z)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Warning: BRITISH SPELLING! Allusions to rape. M/M scenes. Terrorism.
Chapter: 9/20
Comments: Thank you so much for the kind reviews! It means a lot to get some and I got quite a few a while after posting. The amount of alerts are fantastic, and it's great to know that there are people following this story, even if they don't leave feedback. I assume I'm doing things right if you're not all complaining! Over 10,000 hits now! Thank you so much!

Next chapter involves sex.

For those of you reading on , I would like to point you to my FictionPress: username Medico Della Peste. I will be uploading original works there shortly.

Chapter Nine:

Getting a Rise from the General

"And what does the General's lover want with the leader of AVALANCHE, hm?" Elfé asked, her eyes serious. She was wearing khaki green combat gear, held together with a series of leather straps that probably held in place a scabbard underneath her mantle.

Cloud refused to be daunted. "To pass on information," he said, his eyes flashing brightly. This was the woman who tried to kill Sephiroth and Zack, who had hurt all those innocent people on the plaza that day...

"Oh really?" she looked amused and gestured to Shears. "We better talk about this elsewhere," she said, putting her hands in her pockets as she regarded Cloud. He kept his back ramrod straight, glad that she didn't appear to have any weapons beyond her sword. She wouldn't be able to dodge a bullet at least.

Cloud watched Shears limp in front of him and couldn't help a Reno-esque smirk. He'd managed to defend himself adequately and injure his opponent. He wasn't a greenhorn cadet any more. Shears caught the smirk and growled something under his breath. It seemed he wouldn't directly attack him though, without Elfé's orders. A few other members of AVALANCHE joined them at the door, flanking Elfé.

"Where are we going?" Cloud asked. Elfé shook her head and pushed Cloud in front of her.

"Just keep walking," she growled. It wasn't long before Cloud was lost. He knew he way around certain parts of the Slums, mostly the upper class areas (as upper class as the slums got anyway), but this area was truly a shanty town.

"If you're just going to run me through, you don't need to do something fancy like take me somewhere deserted," Cloud pointed out. Elfé snorted and the party came to a stop. The area was deserted, junk piled up on all sides instead.

"We should put a bullet in your head and leave you as a message to Shinra," she said, baring her teeth as she did so. Cloud got the image of a feral cat and he folded his arms, ignoring the churning sensation in his stomach.

"Not much of a message. Shinra already got me back virtually in a body bag once, they'll not care if terrorists actually manage it this time," he said. Elfé's eyes narrowed.

"You're saying that General Sephiroth wouldn't care?" she asked. Cloud met her eyes, knowing that he had to get this right.

"General Sephiroth...? Oh, he'd care. But you wanted to make a point against Shinra not Sephiroth and there's a difference," Cloud pointed out. Elfé said nothing but Shears stepped forward then.

"Shinra, Sephiroth, SOLDIER... They're all the same," he said. Cloud shrugged.

"I think you'll find there's a difference if you were on the inside, but you're not, are you?" he asked, putting on an air of superiority. "There are just some things you'll never understand."

"And you're offering us that inside look? Why? Found your General dicking his secretary or something?" Shears asked, his eyes intent on Cloud's face. Cloud made himself smirk.

"About a year ago, I was taken hostage in Wutai..." Cloud began, walking closer to Shears. Even though the other was his superior in height and age, he seemed to not want Cloud near him. Cloud tried to channel as much creepy-out-of-his-mind Turk-power as he could.

"Up until that point, I'd loved Shinra. I joined to impress the General, to make the girls in my home town love me, to be everything that the posters say that I could have been," Cloud was surprised that the bitterness in his voice wasn't feigned. He had thought he was over not being a SOLDIER. Perhaps not...

"Instead I got a Wutaian's cock down my throat and a nice little pay-off to keep silent from Shinra," Cloud spat out the words. Shears continued watching impassively, though a few of the others there winced.

"I hate them," Cloud hissed, his eyes narrowing. "So I decided to get back at them the only way I could. I used my friendship with a SOLDIER called Zack Fair to get to the General, and then I sold my soul to get my revenge. I have the General, Shinra's greatest weapon, in my pocket. I have access to all kinds of information just by overhearing snatches of conversation on the phone or by visiting him in his office and glancing over his desk top."

"And when the time comes, I can take him out."

Sephiroth stared at his paperwork. He wasn't getting anything done at all. He didn't know what he was supposed to be even doing. He sighed as he sifted through the pages and was almost relieved when there was a knock at his door. He laid aside the... whatever it was... that he was looking at and called for them to enter.

Rufus stepped in, his ego immediately filling the room. Reno loped in after him, leaning against the wall in a way that seemed completely casual. Sephiroth rolled his eyes and rose to his feet as well.

"Vice-President," he said, bowing slightly. They weren't of directly equivalent rank, but there wasn't much between them. "To what do I owe this honour?"

"Just coming to check up on you, General. I hear that you've been somewhat busy plotting with the Turks recently. I just came to inquire how that was going," he said, his pretty boy features arranged thoughtfully into genuine concern. Sephiroth immediately grew suspicious though. Tseng had told him that no one, absolutely no one, had been told of Cloud's mission beyond the Turks, and Turks kept quiet no matter who was asking.

"It is going well," Sephiroth said, though he wasn't sure it was.

"That's good then," Rufus said, and Sephiroth noticed a flicker of disappointment in his eyes. He glanced at Reno, and saw the red head's displeasure that Rufus was fishing for information. He then noticed Sephiroth watching him and wiped his expression clean, standing a little straighter.

"And how are things going with your pretty blond friend then?" Rufus asked. Sephiroth could tell this was petty revenge and sighed, folding his arms.

"What exactly do you want to hear, Vice President?" he asked, leaning against his desk.

"Oh, I don't know. There are rumours though, rumours that your boyfriend refuses to sleep with you. Is that really true, General? Because most people who have been dating for six weeks, never mind six months, tend to have got a little further..." Rufus' voice was laced with poison and Sephiroth tried not to let it get to him. Even so, Sephiroth had been wondering when Cloud might actually allow him to touch him.

"My personal life is none of your concern," Sephiroth said quietly. Rufus laughed.

"And so it's true. Really, General, you could do better," he pointed out. "Cloud is cute. He has a naïve charm that I'm sure got to you at first, but there are others who would be more understanding-"

"I don't need understanding, thank you, Vice President," Sephiroth cut him off. "I am perfectly aware that my relationship with Cloud is unusual, but I am also aware that your own relationships aren't exactly thought well of by your father. Perhaps I could give you advice on better choices of bed partners too?" Sephiroth let his eyes drift over pointedly to Reno. The red head didn't look angry though, he was grinning from ear to ear.

"That just told you, boss," he said, pushing off the wall and opening the door.

"Come on, you're not going to get a rise from the General that way," he said. He stepped out of the room. Rufus' lip twitched into a snarl and he left the room.

Sephiroth sighed and glanced back down at his paperwork.

"Why does the Vice-President want to know about Cloud so much...?"

"A double agent," Elfé said quietly, leaning against the wall. The tension seemed to have diffused a little and Shears had even backed off. Cloud guessed he must have looked pretty frightening when he'd been talking like that.

"We have no assurances we can trust him. He's too closely tied to Shinra!" Shears said, but Cloud could see from the light in Elfé's eyes that he'd won already. She pitied him, and that was enough. He could use that against her.

"Then we'll test him. We're planning to launch an attack on the Shinra Plaza again next week. It'll be a bigger blast than before, but not enough to smash the support pillar. Still, we're estimating about 50 employees will be killed in the blast, with hundreds more injured," Elfé said. Cloud felt cold, but he nodded slowly. He would have to tell Sephiroth and figure out how to minimise the casualties without making it look like Shinra had been prepared.

"In a week, after the blast, we'll contact you if you pass the test and don't blab to Shinra. If you don't... well... We know who to catch in the next explosion," Elfé's determination was clear. Cloud nodded slowly.

"Alright then."

Zack pushed the door open to Sephiroth's apartment. When he'd heard the General had gone home early, he'd nearly done a double take. Sephiroth just didn't take the day off. Nothing was that important. But something clearly was this time.

Zack took off his boots and called out so that Sephiroth would know he was there. He found Sephiroth sat on his couch, in front of him various papers were spread. He didn't even glance up.

"Something just doesn't add up, Zack," Sephiroth said quietly. "Something to do with the Vice President."

Zack sat next to Sephiroth on the couch. "That why you got out of the office? So no one would know what you were looking into?"

Sephiroth nodded absently, sorting through the papers in front of him. He eventually found the one he was looking for and handed it to Zack. He scanned it, realising it was an order for chemicals that would make explosives. The signature on it was Rufus' and the date was...

"Three days before the attack on the Plaza," Sephiroth confirmed. "What's more, he regularly has funds going from his bank account into another one. It turns out the other one is off-shore and I can't get access to any information."

Zack tried to follow the trail of Sephiroth's thoughts. "You think he's funding AVALANCHE?"

"I think I'm close to proving it," Sephiroth replied. "All this evidence, what would he say when confronted?"

"You've got to be careful. We're talking the Prez's son here," Zack pointed out. Sephiroth sighed and leaned back against the couch.

"I know. Also, with Cloud's mission in AVALANCHE, things are even more complicated if Rufus finds out his true purpose," Sephiroth said quietly. Zack hadn't even thought of that, but it made a certain amount of sense all the same.

"What are we going to do?" Zack asked. Sephiroth rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Nothing. At least not yet," he replied. "I'm worried that, in some way, Rufus has the Turks behind him. Particularly with Reno as his current toy."

"You think Reno will betray Cloud?" Zack pressed. He would quite happily lock Reno away in a room without windows for a lesser reason.

"No. The Turks are loyal to their own above all else," Sephiroth replied. "Reno must have kept silent, that's why Rufus came fishing to me." At that point, Sephiroth's expression darkened and Zack had a suspicion that Rufus had said some other things.

"Can I talk to you, Zack?" Sephiroth said finally. Zack nodded, leaning back on the couch as well, pulling one leg up. He could tell that Sephiroth had something else on his mind as well.

"I'm sorry... it's personal but... You and Aeris... Are you... are you sleeping together yet?" he asked. Zack had to laugh, it wasn't the question he was expecting.

"Hey, a gentlemen never kisses and tells!" he protested, but then seeing that Sephiroth didn't even smile he sobered up.

"Er, well... Yeah... When we get the chance and her mom's out, you know... Why?" Zack asked, knowing that Aeris would kill him if he told anyone. Sephiroth nodded slowly.

"Is it strange that... that myself and Cloud... haven't yet?" he asked. Zack blinked. Oh, wow, how was he meant to answer a question like that? Yes it was strange but at the same time... Cloud...

"Well... I mean... nothing...? Not even a..." Zack couldn't believe he was about to say this in front of Sephiroth. "Not even a hand job or anything?" he asked. Sephiroth looked at him blankly. "Nothing?" The man nodded.

Zack sighed and looked at the floor. He'd thought... He'd thought that, perhaps, Cloud had been healing, what with all the Turks stuff and how he wasn't so jumpy any more. But it seemed that Cloud had filled his life with other things and just... just forgotten Sephiroth entirely.

"I'm not sure how much longer this can continue," Sephiroth said softly. "I think he knows it as well. I enjoy his company, but that my relationship with him is virtually the same as I have with you... It's not the way I imagined it."

Zack remained silent for a long moment, trying to think about what he could say to make it seem better. There wasn't much though. Cloud seemed to have changed recently, grown stronger, but still not strong enough it seemed.

"Have you discussed it with him?" he asked. Sephiroth shook his head.

"It would frighten him," he said softly. Zack frowned. Would it? Or was Cloud, in some way, waiting for it? He couldn't see the blond making the first move on this front.

"Why don't you... why don't you suggest him moving in? He might agree you know. It's a step forward," he suggested. Sephiroth stared at the papers in front of him for a moment.

"You think he'll say yes?" he asked. Zack thought about Cloud, about how protective he was of his apartment, but then about the affection he'd sometimes caught in Cloud's gaze when looking at Sephiroth.

"I think it's worth a shot," Zack conceded. "If not, I mean, you've lost nothing... And if he says no, well, perhaps it's better to just be friends after all."

"I don't want to be friends with him, Zack," Sephiroth's voice sounded dead and Zack resisted the urge to give him a hug.

"I know, Seph, I know."

Cloud was surprised to find a text message from Sephiroth inviting him to dinner. He glanced at the time and realised he wouldn't have time to get changed before he went. He looked down at himself. At least it was still relatively clean, even if it clearly was below-Plate fashion.

His security clearance was questioned so many times on the way up that Cloud began to wish he had got changed. He was going to be just as late anyway. He eventually got to Sephiroth's apartment and knocked at the door, standing there awkwardly.

Sephiroth opened the door and immediately one eyebrow raised. Cloud shrugged apologetically as he stepped inside.

"Sorry, work clothes. I didn't have time to get changed," he said softly. "I should technically be reporting in but I figured it was late enough and I'd burden you with all the details in the morning." He flashed Sephiroth a smile.

Sephiroth gave him a slightly troubled one back. Cloud wasn't sure if it was the clothes that made Sephiroth look so unsure. He didn't think it was that strange.

"Are the red spikes too much?" he asked. Sephiroth just shook his head and ushered Cloud into his dining room. Cloud blinked when he saw candles, and even more when he saw wine. Sephiroth had really gone to a lot of effort, hadn't he?

"What's the occasion?" he asked, turning to look up at Sephiroth. Sephiroth looked down at him and then away quickly.

"Let's eat first," Sephiroth suggested. Cloud immediately grew suspicious. He removed his jacket, sitting down. What was on Sephiroth's mind that he felt it had to be kept until the end...?

Was he breaking up with him?

Cloud felt fear clog his throat. He'd sensed Sephiroth had been a little peeved at him the other day, but he'd honestly thought that it would be all okay...

"Sephiroth?" he said and realised his voice was a little high-pitched with panic. Sephiroth sat down opposite him and poured some wine.

"Yes?" he asked. Cloud couldn't see his face, the candles were in the way and made him light-blind.

"Wh-what... What's this about? I mean..." he looked at the plate in front of him. "It's not bad is it?"

Sephiroth placed the bottle of wine down and stood up, walking around the table to kneel beside Cloud's chair. He slid a hand through Cloud's hair and Cloud forced himself to relax.

"I didn't want to just blurt this out..." he said. Cloud's mind was racing. Why was Sephiroth on his knees? Strange imaginings from his cadet days came back to him, though his more adult brain told him to stop being so stupid.

"Cloud... will you-" Marry?! "-move in with me?"

Cloud blinked. Okay, not the question he'd been expecting, but not far wrong. He met Sephiroth's eyes and tried to quell the fear that rose up from that.

"Can I still keep my apartment?" he asked softly. Sephiroth's expression shuttered.

"N-not like that! I mean... I want to move in... B-but... I want... It's... it's important to have that space..." Cloud wasn't sure how to explain. Sephiroth stood up, but he kept his hand resting on Cloud's shoulder.

"Would a room that is yours alone work?" Sephiroth asked quietly. Cloud thought about it. It wasn't the same. He couldn't run and hide in just a room. There would be no stopping anyone getting in... He tried to breathe and think. Sephiroth... He'd understand, right?

"Just for a while... Can I keep it?" he asked. Sephiroth nodded slowly.

"Thank you."

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