Author's Note: After so much heavy plot I wanted to lighten things back up a bit...

Marken: I had so many things running through my head that I had considered for Seph's last words in that scene but it kept coming back to that one line. Gen's poetic drama would have to wear off on him eventually if they've spent that many years together. My beta readers also about died with the 'as you wish' reference.

Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.

I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and some other side characters are mine.

Enjoy and please R&R.

Chapter 44

Some unknown disturbance partly roused Talin from his deep and dreamless sleep. Mind still groggy and body yet unwilling to move, he remained on his side and listened. The air was cool on his body and he realized he must have kicked the blanket off himself at some point. He knew he was facing the window, but either it was still early or a storm had blown in because he could hardly pick up any light past his closed eyelids.

As was his habit, his hands were resting near his head, close to the small dagger from Lox that he'd tucked between bed and headboard, but he was too slow to reach for it. A large hand caught his wrists while the other pressed over his eyes, pulling him back against a warm, tall figure.

With a gasp, Talin struggled, but it was a vain attempt. Long legs hooked with his and the burn of skin against his back told him that the man was at least shirtless. The cool press of lips to his neck made the Cadet freeze and the shallow breath he took finally gave him a hint of his assailant's identity. Cinnamon and apples. Gen?!

Teeth raked up the sensitive curve of his neck followed by the branding heat of a tongue, and his breath came out as a groan instead of words. The body behind him presses closer as his spine arched from the continued rough attention to his throat, but something deep in Talin's mind whispered a warning past the waves of pleasurable sensation.

The hands on his face and wrists were calloused, as any swordsmen's were, but Gen's were always softer than the others from the lotions he used. These were rough. The long limbs were too long to be Zack and the chest at his back was muscled, but not as much as Angeal... The form behind him shifted again and Talin caught another scent right before he flinched from the feeling of long hair brush against his side and shoulder. Water and the sharp smell he suddenly identified as ozone...

The blood that had been pumping like fire through him turned to ice. Twisting his wrists in the tight grip, yanking his legs against the ones tangled with his, he again struggled as everything snapped into place. Strong enough to restrain him, silent as a shadow, able to enter Gen's apartment, a touch he didn't recognize, and the smell of thunderstorms... "Sep-"

"Shhhhh, easy Cadet..." A shiver raced down Talin's spine when lips brushed his ear as the man spoke. His body relaxed of its own accord, muscles going limp other than the small twitch here and there. The redhead tried to pull away and found himself unable to do more than move a few inches.

What's happening?! Why can't I- The press of another hot kiss against his neck obliterated the thought and Talin felt the chill of fear burn away under the heat of that skilled mouth. The nips and licks to his ear and the sucking bites that were bound to leave marks up and down his throat slowly changed his shivers to tremblings of pleasure.

"That's it, don't be afraid. I'm here to take care of you..." The SOLDIER's deep voice all but purred its approval at Talin's apparent surrender and the hand covering his eyes started to move away. "Keep your eyes closed..." There was a smiling challenge in the request instead of it being an order but the Cadet found himself unable to disobey all the same.

Long fingers trailed down his cheek and neck, tracing some of the bite marks he could still feel stinging his skin before slipping lower. The flick and pinch of one nipple made Talin gasp, his body arching and flinching as fingers danced over his sensitive flesh. His jaw snapped shut after a particularly sharp pinch, catching the side of his tongue painfully and some of the fog of pleasure cleared.

"Genr-" He was cut off by a finger pressed to his lips, the hand having moved lightning quick from his chest to silence him. Not allowed... The thought was his, had been inside his own mind, but somehow it felt foreign.

The hand not holding his wrists was on the move again. Palm flat on his chest, it caressed down, giving one firm rub of a thumb to his abused nipple, before exploring the rest of him. Fingertips followed every dip and rise of his muscles and ran feather-light over each scar they found. Some of them were still too sensitive for even so light a touch and the redhead flinched away, pushing back into the large body behind him.

One such spot was a cluster of bullet scars just above his right hip and, when the General's touch neared it, a strangled whimper escaped his control. The wandering hand froze, fingertip just touching the edge of the area, and Talin tried to think of some way other than words to redirect that touch.

The grip on his wrists tightened fractionally, distracting the redhead for a moment and then the warm pressure of the man's hand covered the patchwork of scars. The shock of so much touch to something so sensitive made Talin buck, but the hand remained firmly in place. The nerve endings screamed at the overstimulation and the teen felt the sting of tears in his still closed eyes.

When the others had wanted to explore his scars, he'd either told them explicitly not to touch this set or blocked them from getting too close. The occasional brush or the irritation of clothing could be mostly ignored against the tender skin, but full contact like this was too much. It wasn't pain, was nothing like the torment of the original injury, but a burning, buzzing agony that left him breathless.

He choked back a sob as his thrashing failed to remove the heavy weight from his hip and Talin fell limp once more against the 1st. The stillness was only broken by his choppy breathing and the Cadet waited, fearful that the hand would move and further irritate the area, but nothing happened. As if glued to his skin, the palm and fingers didn't so much as twitch, but the thumb, high enough on his side to not be touching the scar, slowly started rubbing in slow circles.

The initial shock had subsided and now the discomfort lessened as Talin focused on the sweeping strokes. A quiet murmuring of reassurance at his ear was intermixed with the brush of lips placing light kisses, distracting him further. The tickle of silken hair over his shoulder made the teen realize that the silver SOLDIER had repositioned to lean slightly over him, and then the talented tongue licked a hot, wet line up his neck and circled the shell of his ear.

The reassuring tone of moments ago was replaced by one that burned with need and Talin shivered, unable to do anything but listen. "Someday, I'll know all of you, every inch, and you'll beg me to touch you in places that you've denied to all others." Even with the continued dull ache, the sensual promise stoked the embers of Talin's arousal back to life.

In another too fast to catch motion, the hand over the bullet cluster was gone, pulled away without the smallest scrape of the rough callouses. The Cadet's chin was caught and a bruising kiss stole what was left of the air in his lungs. All that he'd wanted from the kiss in the Void was given to him ten-fold and, although staggered by the intensity, he gave back as best he could, matching fire with fire.

Talin gasped for breath when the General pulled away and, feeling lightheaded from too little air, let his head fall back to the pillow. Again, fingers found his chin but, instead of pulling him up for another kiss, the redhead felt his wet lips traced by one finger before it dipped into his mouth.

Taken aback at the sudden intrusion, the Cadet tried to retreat, but his head only went back an inch before hitting a solid chest. The finger returned, again rubbing along his lips and pushing gently between them while the others landed along his jaw, holding him still. The slow swipe across his closed teeth was odd and his lip curled back instinctually as the digit explored.

The thumb and other fingers pinched his jaw hinge and Talin's mouth opened automatically. As the pressure released, the teen felt a fingertip touch his tongue and resisted the urge to bite it as he pulled his tongue back. It followed his retreat, pressing down and rolling over the slick muscle, encouraging him to take some kind of action.

When Talin remained still, the now wet finger began a slow slide back and forth along the length of his tongue and the Cadet felt a flood of heat as he caught the insinuation. When that long finger was joined by a second, he didn't complain or pull away.

He closed his lips, sucking lightly and flicking his tongue to lick and curl around them as they slid past. Breathing through his nose became insufficient and, letting his jaw fall open, he began panting as every push and pull in and out of his mouth made his blood burn hotter. One push in went deeper, almost touching his throat, and he moaned before relaxing the muscles there as he had with Genesis.

"That's it, good boy." The purr made him groan, the sound cutting off as the fingertips pressed back in past his tongue and soft pallet. When they next pulled out and paused, Talin knew what was coming and took a few quick breaths before holding the last.

The Red Commander had long fingers too, but the General's were undoubtedly longer. The redhead remained motionless as the digits pressed deeper, curling gently to follow the line of his throat, till the last knuckle rested on his teeth. He felt them flex to rub within him and shuddered, his lungs twitching, trying to breathe past the blockage. With a slow press, the fingers cautiously scissored open, spreading his throat ever so slightly, and Talin found he could take very shallow breaths past them.

"Very good, Talin..." Lips pressed to the side of his neck and then, right as his air was cut off once more, the 1st bit him. A deep, sucking bite that made every inch of Talin's painfully neglected length throb for attention.

Unable to struggle for fear of the possible damage and rapidly becoming lightheaded from lack of oxygen, the Cadet did the only thing he could. Trust. With one final spasm as his mind attempted to fight his order, Talin forced himself to go limp and waited as he felt his body start to shut down.

He didn't feel the teeth pull free of his neck but heard the muffle of the SOLDIER's voice. "That's right, Little Phoenix, don't be afraid of me. Trust me to take care of you..." With great care, the fingers were pulled from Talin's throat and he coughed and tried to breathe all at once. Before he could properly fill his lungs, his head was turned to meet another fiery kiss. Mind swimming, the redhead tried to suck in air through his nose to ease the burning in his lungs, but the demanding lips and tongue made it hard to focus.

The slick press of wet fingers at his entrance broke past every distraction. Before either, or both, could push into him, Talin's eyes flew wide, locked with glowing crystal green, and everything collapsed.

…

A shout of shock burst from the Cadet as he sat bolt upright in bed. Covered in sweat, throat dry and scratchy like he'd run a race, and hard as stone in his still belted cargo pants. "FUCK!"

"You rang?" Gen's sing-song voice preceded him into the room after the 1st jumped up from the downstairs entryway. Boots still laced and coat still on, he'd obviously only just arrived home from his morning training session.

"My, my." He taunted as he came closer, "Good dreams? Or are you just that excited to see me?" When Talin looked up, eyes glowing almost neon and molten hot with lust, the SOLDIER's smile switched from teasing, to seductive. "I see," It was a purr, meant to entice, but the younger man didn't need encouragement.

The growl that split the air was almost feral as Talin pounced. Genesis would say that he 'let' the Cadet take him down, that he'd seen the Mako-powered tackle coming, but the result was still the same. The Commander found himself pinned, mouth being claimed so ferociously that their teeth clicked together more than once, all the while the smaller form atop him was grinding their hips together at a desperate pace. Gen didn't mind being dominated, loved being trapped under one or more of his strong lovers, but that wasn't what either of them truly wanted right now.

Unsure of Talin's current frame of mind, the 1st didn't give the teen any warning. One second the young fighter was straddling leather-clad hips, the next he was on his back under them. His grip on Gen's wrists faltered only a fraction in the flip, but the Red Commander had plenty of experience in breaking such restraining holds, both on and off the battlefield, and twisted free.

Instead of fully reversing their positions and capturing Talin's hands, he let much of his weight down onto the Cadet while burying his fingers into the red locks he had such an obsession with. "What a naughty Cadet," The teen's hands pushed under Gen's coat, taking a firm grip on his ass to pull their hips together once more, and groaned at the renewed contact. The harsh nip to Talin's lip was a reprimand, "Very naughty."

"Gen!" The gasp of his name sounded pained, more than just the minor hurt of that little love bite, and he pushed his hips down against his young lover, giving him the friction he sought. Thankfully, the teen's head was cradled in his hands, otherwise, Talin would have smacked his skull against the floor as he arched into the pleasurable sensations.

Unable to resist the delectably presented neck, the 1st leaned in and licked his way down its length before sucking a deep bruise into the skin just below Talin's collarbone. The moans that vibrated the lean throat under his lips as he worked made the Commander's erection strain against the leather of his pants.

Lifting his head, Genesis looked down into jade eyes that swam with lust. "What do you need, Little Bird? Tell me." If Talin wanted a slap on the ass and a hand job, he'd do it and then hunt down Angeal or Zack. He was more than a little relieved when the Cadet's legs wrapped around his hips.

"I need more." The hands that had been on the SOLDIER's ass released their grip and slid up the man's sides. "I need everything." Brushing over Genesis' chest, nails dragging over each clothed nipple as they passed, Talin's hands came to mirror his lovers, digging deep into auburn hair. "No more games, Gen." The Cadet pushed himself up till their lips almost touched, their eyes both glowed unearthly bright. "I need you."

Neither wanted to look away or close their eyes during the passionate kiss that followed such a statement. Nor did they break the eye or lip lock as the 1st lifted Talin from the floor to move to the bed. There was no haze of nightmares or lack of certainty in the Cadet's eyes, no hint that he wasn't in his right mind as he made this choice.

Genesis had been waiting. Talin had been in his apartment, in his arms, in his bed, under him or on him nearly every night, but still, he'd waited for the Little Phoenix to rise and meet him. At last, he'd finally emerged, wings spread wide enveloped them both in flames and, together, they would soar. About time!

Not wanting to waste another second, Gen leaned them down onto the soft bed, his hands already working the clasps and buckles of Talin's clothes as they continued to devour each other. It only took the teen a moment before his hands were working over the Commander's clothing and a race began, one Talin was determined to win but had no hope of doing so. He'd only been in his cargos and a loose shirt when he went to sleep whereas the SOLDIER had a jacket, boots, shirt, and leather pants that were hard to get out of at the best of times.

The jacket came off easy, having the added bonus of blocking Gen from using his hands for a moment as he shed the long sleeves. Next, Talin had undone the heavy belts and cross straps, throwing them to the floor as his own hands were forced from their task by the removal of his shirt.

The redhead's attempt to go back to stripping Gen's clothing was neatly dodged when the smirking 1st pulled away, yanking off Talin's already unbuckled cargo pants and boxers in one swift movement. He expected to be allowed to continue once they were gone, but Genesis had other plans. Hands caught naked thighs as the Red Commander crawled over his young lover, pushing them up and open before dropping down to swallow the dripping length that was pleading for attention.

Talin's world went white before everything crashed back down. The hot mouth and wet tongue worked over his flesh like he was a treat to be savored and enjoyed, but it was all too slow. His hands dug deep into auburn hair, trying to force the man to go faster, lick him harder, do more. Anything to ease the buildup that was slowly eroding his sanity, but Genesis wouldn't budge.

One arm across his hips kept them thoroughly pinned to the bed and the other hand was wrapped around the base of his cock, keeping it still but also preventing him from reaching release. Unable to do more than gasp, moan, and growl his impatience, Talin's hands fisted tightly in the SOLDIER's hair as he writhed. If he'd been able to think past his blinding need, he would have laughed at the realization of just why Gen always ended up with such wild sex hair, the man was a damn tease.

Teasing he may be, but the fiery 1st would never leave a job half done, and his maddeningly slow actions were serving a dual purpose. The length in his mouth had been desperate for attention, but Talin had needed to calm down a little or else everything would have been over far too soon. Now, as the poor Cadet lay panting but not as close to the edge as before, Gen released his restraining grip on his lover's cock.

Talin bucked, trying again to get more, but the arm across his hips remained locked in place. The fingers that had prevented the redhead from orgasming returned, slicked with oil, and they trailed down to his entrance to prod the already twitching ring. The moan that spilled from Talin's mouth as the first finger pushed in was lude, and the Commander had to fight his own need to keep from going faster.

He carefully hooked the finger, curling it and rubbing just inside to play with the sensitive opening, enjoying the sounds that kept coming from the Cadet. With his mouth working at that slow pace, meant only to keep his lover wanting more, the SOLDIER slipped another finger in and pushed both as deep as they'd go.

Talin was going mad. His hands had left Gen's head when the first finger pushed against him and now they were tangled in the bedding as he drowned in the sensation. Everything was too much and not enough. The fingers that were working him open danced around his prostate, always so close but never touching it as they slipped by. He wanted nothing more than to ride those fingers, hard and fast, or take fistfuls of auburn hair and slam deep into Gen's mouth and throat till he came hard enough to think straight again.

The sudden, shocking lack of stimulation left Talin breathless. The fingers within him had been pulled free at the same time his cock had been released from the hot prison of Genesis' mouth, leaving him stunned, and the 1st had been counting on it. Before the redhead could think to bemoan the loss of either, the Commander leaned up and gave a rough thrust of his already slicked length deep into the tight heat. His first push grazed Talin's prostate and the next, not a moment later, slammed into it.

The scream from the young fighter was half pleasure, half surprise as he was given no time to adjust before a hard, fast pace was set. Gen had wanted to go slower, to drag this out, but now all he wanted, was to see Talin lose it. The expression of rapturous pleasure mixed with that twinge of almost pain as his lover came, had become a drug to the Red Commander. Even if he'd have to delay his own gratification a bit longer, it'd be worth it to see his Cadet fall apart for him.

Hands under his hips held Talin up off the bed to meet Gen's every thrust and he could do nothing but clutch the sheets and enjoy the delicious pounding. The discomfort had evaporated when his prostate had become the aim of the length diving into him and now there was only pleasure.

"Gen- ahh Gen!" A hand was around his length and, for a moment, Talin thought he was going to be denied again. The growl that had started in his throat at the thought abruptly became a choked cry. Cock slick with precum, the hand slid effortlessly along him, pumping with each hard slam of hips. Teal eyes watched the transformation of the face below him as the Cadet was pushed right up to the edge...

Jade eyes snapped shut, the body under Genesis spasmed, convulsing around him, and the ecstasy that both craved flooded Talin as the SOLDIER continued to push into him. Wave after wave crashed over the redhead, prolonged by the thrusts that eased to a gentle roll of hips as he came slowly down from the high.

Talin could hardly breathe as his mind and body continued to buzz from the powerful orgasm. Genesis was laying over him, propped up as to not crush him into the bed but still letting his weight be felt. When the teen opened his eyes, all he saw was a burning green-blue glow before lips were gently pressed to his, and he let them slip closed again.

The Cadet loved the way Gen kissed. A passionate, sometimes sloppy, dance of lips that always told him exactly what the man was feeling and, right now, the 1st was barely restraining his need. Another shudder of aftershock shook Talin, and his breath caught at the feeling of the thick, hard length still buried deep within him.

The twitch of muscles around the Commander and the little gasp of realization that he hadn't finished yet, made Genesis smile wickedly as he leaned back up. His change of position shifted his erection, making it push at a different angle and Talin groaned, body so sensitive after just coming that even that little rub made him squirm.

"Gen, I can't. I just-" A finger at the redhead's lips silenced him as the SOLDIER pressed his head back to the bed.

"Don't worry, Love. I know just what you need..."