Whew, this one took a while, but important stuff happens! Uh, not necessarily good. Anyone still with me? Bueller?

Whether or no, we shall proceed. The Fanfic Gods must be appeased, here is my newest offering. Kiddies, hit the Back button, please. Sexual situations ahead.

Squeenix owns. These characters and my soul, at this point.

WITH THE DEAD
Chapter 16

The village of Maloro was one Zack had never heard of before Dagan introduced him to it, the charming town that bordered the lord's estate and that he served as the acknowledged master of. Zack wasn't surprised, considering how small the village was, and that it seemed like a place from an earlier era, all old-fashioned, timber and thatch-roofed cottages and shops. Even the residents' style of dress was unfamiliar, more akin to something the boy had seen in old photographs.

Zack had been first taken to Maloro his second evening with Dagan, and smiled politely and laughed nervously as he was introduced to small groups and individuals proudly as "my grandson Zack, who's visiting me." The teenager had some experience being showed off from when he'd been a sort of wunderkind in the SOLDIER program, and he was a naturally friendly and personable young man, so he was able to briefly speak to some of the strangers without much difficulty. Though he found it weird how deferential they were to Dagan, even bowing, and Zack was even more uncomfortable when some of them bowed to him as well, and called him "young master" or "my lord."

"It's just Zack, really," the teenager tried to say, but they still looked at him with just a slightly dimmer version of the awe/fear they directed toward Dagan. The latter seem unfazed and used to his subjects' worship, and completely at ease as he led Zack down the cobblestone streets, making introductions, guiding him in and out of quaint little shops where he usually made small purchases with a purse of gold coins. Zack quickly declined the many times Dagan tried to buy something for him – a sword-sharpening stone, a tunic similar to what the lord usually wore, candy, et cetera.

The village was charming and the air green-scented from the nearby forest, so Zack soon relaxed and took in the sights, though something continued to prick at him like a pin in his clothes – the same people who looked intimidated by Dagan, when the lord didn't appear to notice, regarded Zack with what the boy could swear was worry or pity. He wondered if these simple people knew what their master actually was, if they thought he was a future victim being toyed with before being drained of blood. Whatever it was, Zack was relieved when Dagan announced it was time to return home.

The third week of Zack's visit, Dagan had excitedly informed him, included the night of Maloro's annual carnival, a merry tradition that celebrated the village being founded long ago, and seeing this excitement, Zack didn't feel he could refuse to go even if he was sure he wanted to. Just after sundown, the boy let himself be led by a hand down to the little town, and he felt a bit better almost at once at the sight.

Rows of paper lanterns lined the streets, bows and ribbons adorned the lampposts and business signs, and a small, rustic-looking band was playing a catchy folk music from the little village square. The once-somber residents now were animated, chatting loudly in groups, dashing from one attraction to another, some even dancing in pairs and trios. The whole place was a thousand times more welcoming this night, and Zack found himself actually glad they had come. When he saw the first booth they came to, the row of water-guns laying on the counter made him smile.

"Hey, I'm really good at this game!"

Looking happy, Dagan dropped some coins into the owner's palm, grabbed one of the weapons and clumsily tried to spin it gunslinger-style. "Let's see if your aim is as good as your talk," he laughed.

The object was to see who could fill up their balloon with water until it popped, and true to his word, Zack won, though only by a second or two. He graciously congratulated his grandsire on almost beating him, and selected a stuffed coeurl as his prize. Dagan proved more adept at the next game, or was just lucky, sinking three balls in the high-placed basket to Zack's two. The lord also chose a coeurl toy, joking to Zack that they had twins now.

The evening went on pleasantly, as the pair made their way through the carnival and tried their luck at each attraction. Zack, athlete that he was, beat his grandsire at most of them, and gave away all his prizes but the coeurl to children they passed by, whose faces lit up as they energetically thanked the kind stranger, before being hurried away by their parents. Each time, Zack's good mood was not ruined, but was slightly jostled by the expression on the mothers' and fathers' faces. That look of…was it in fact concern? Pity? Both?

When they had seen almost everything and took a break to hear the band finish up, Dagan disappeared for a few moments and returned with two paper cups, passing one to Zack. He explained as Zack curiously sniffed the burgundy liquid inside.

"They call it vin, a wine made locally. It's the greatest source of profit for the village, and I'm told this was an especially good crop year."

It smelled good, kind of fruity, and Zack took a sip, and then made a soft noise of surprise at how good it was. Not noticing how intently Dagan was watching him, the boy drank it faster than the elder vampire quaffed his own. Several minutes later, the band finished their last song with a flourish of the fiddler's bow, and everyone cheered enthusiastically. As Dagan clapped slowly, and Zack did so more quickly, the former noticed with approval that the boy was swaying just slightly. SOLDIER reflexes were keeping him on his feet, but there was no doubt, Zack was feeling the effects of the vin, which he had not been told was much stronger than it tasted.

Moving gracefully, Dagan stepped behind Zack, slipped an arm around his waist, and held him steady just as Zack's knees began to wobble. "Are you all right, little one?"

"Yeah, I think so…I mean, yeah…" The teenager sounded a bit confused, but thankfully not frightened.

"The carnival's about over, I think I should get you home. Did you have fun?"

"Yeah!" Zack said cheerfully. "Thank you. It was really cool. Are we gonna fly?"

"Yes, but first we need to get out of sight. Let me help you."

agzagzagz

Zack had never thought to ask his sires or anyone else if alcohol affected vampires, but now he had his answer. Whether he was a lightweight because he was a newborn or had been as a human too (he had only tried alcohol once prior, and only a little bit) was uncertain, but even the single serving he'd been given had him feeling slightly dizzy and a sort of artificial, relaxed happiness. Smiling rather vaguely, he was never afterward sure if Dagan walked him to his bedroom or carried him; it seemed the boy blinked, and they were on the bed, the elder pulling him onto his lap and guiding him to the usual vein.

Dagan was old for their kind, and though he hunted alone, he obviously kept himself in good enough shape to feed Zack the way he always did, which was encouraging the boy to take as much as he wanted. Zack always took as much as he felt he needed and tried to get the whole business done quickly and as impersonally as possible. But Zack couldn't deny that drinking blood, familiar, family blood, was extremely pleasurable, and tonight, between his slight intoxication, how good it felt to feed, and the blood's source caressing him and pouring love into him, it was different this time.

The first obvious change Dagan noticed was that Zack was drinking slowly, sipping almost. For once, to the elder's delight, Zack was taking the time to register and absorb the pleasure of this intimate act. Equally overjoying the elder was the realization that the teenager was not stiffening or shifting awkwardly beneath the hands carding his hair and rubbing his back, but moving with them in a clear acceptance of the touch. Touch had always been Zack's favorite sense, he must have been missing "good" touching since leaving Angeal and Genesis, and now with lowered inhibitions he was practically snuggling with the man who had once terrified him.

Dagan was not a man to waste opportunity. As he sensed Zack start to slow down, he added a trickier element to the infusion of love, that of arousal. He wasn't sure it would work on one of Zack's strength, but perhaps, since his mind was already cloudy…success. Almost as soon as the newborn detached his mouth, early, from broken skin, he was breathing unsteadily, slightly heavy. Dagan drew the boy's head back a bit, then forward to capture his lips. Instead of freezing as he had with previous kisses, Zack made a soft questioning noise, but opened his mouth and let the invading tongue guide his own. He only vaguely sensed that, without disturbing the kiss somehow, Dagan was removing all his clothing.

Zack blinked as though trying to wake himself as he was slowly settled down onto the bed and Dagan moved to straddle his legs. He hardened as soon as he was touched there, and came after only a few unconscious thrusts into the cupping hand. Then Dagan was leaning over him, taking into his own mouth the heavy breaths Zack was letting out, kissing gently but passionately, stroking the now-flaccid organ still and continuing the stream of arousal, enough to make Zack kiss back with apparent willingness, but probably the boy was unaware he was being manipulated.

Good boy.

Any reaction Zack might've had to the praise was preempted as Dagan circled and stroked a nipple with his free hand. The elder had learned as quickly as Angeal and Genesis how sensitive Zack was there, and sure enough, his back arched slightly, and the cry he emitted – so surprised, so innocent, so young – gave Dagan an immediate hard-on. But he was more focused on Zack's organ still being kneaded by his sticky fingers, and it too started to stiffen. Once it was almost fully erect, Dagan moved that hand to stroke Zack's inner thigh, subtly nudging his legs apart.

Those eyes…

They were almost otherworldly, on a planet where blue eyes of any kind were rare, but Dagan had never seen this pale a shade before, striking even before mako and later transformation made them glow brighter.

somehow water and fire all at once.

Zack heard the broadcast thought and in the back of his mind filed it away with all the other many compliments he'd received about his eyes, but beyond that, the boy was having trouble forming and holding onto any thoughts that were not purely sensory, mostly a confusing jumble of I want to stop and I need more. When the hand masturbating him halted, Zack at first thought, with some relief, that Dagan would just kiss him for a while, and the newborn a bit guiltily didn't mind that so much right now, as it was comforting and one of tamer things they ever did together.

The kissing did go on for a few minutes, but then Dagan drew back just a little, looking intently into Zack's partly closed eyes. He wanted to see if and how they would change as he lifted Zack's leg a bit to bend it at the knee, then made as if to burrow it beneath the boy. Zack absently expected the same squeezing as had been done before, to stimulate him on the inside…but instead, the fingers sticky and slick with semen gently touched his opening, faintly brushing in an almost circular motion, as though giving Zack time to realize what was about to happen, for his face to display a more awake fear than Dagan had expected.

"N-No, please…"

"Ssh." Dagan kissed his forehead at the same time as he pushed calm, just to be extra sure Zack was too weak to fight him. "I promise, I'll be gentle."

"G-Grand-sire…"

"You need this, little one." A dose of arousal. "It's not healthy for you to go without it too long. This, too, is a grand-sire's duty. Let me take care of you."

"But…"

"Your papas wouldn't want you to deny what you need," Dagan whispered in Zack's ear, as one finger finally breached the little hole, beginning to sweep the sides and the nerves there, and wore an unseen grin as Zack moaned. "Remember how good they make you feel here…and here…think about them if it helps. Angeal's veiny thickness touching every millimeter inside you, Genesis's length pounding your sweet spot with every thrust."

"Ohhh…nnnn…"

Playing into the fantasy – Zack had closed his eyes – Dagan put his index and middle finger side by side and plunged them in together, rubbing the silky walls just forcefully enough without being rough. Zack came just from this, it was a pretty long one, and all through it Dagan continued the motion, and kissed and nuzzled away the flood of saltwater dripping down Zack's face. Both of them knew they were principally tears of relief.

"Ohhh…Gaia…nnnn…"

Three fingers now, intentionally avoiding the prostate but still giving Zack what he needed, what he had been aching in the withdrawal from – being filled in this tender place, being fucked as he was used to Angeal and Genesis doing multiple times every day. "Show me, little one," Dagan murmured, and somehow Zack knew exactly what he was asking. Disarmed by the continuous, intense pleasure, Zack opened his mind and let the elder see and feel from his point of view the former SOLDIERs all over the boy, caressing, feeding, sucking, fucking, fucking each other as they played with the smaller body between them, Angeal clearly getting off on his and Zack's "Daddy" game.

I'm not surprised, little one. I saw him in your memories, and you in his. He wanted you from very young, I'm surprised his honor allowed it. But I don't blame him, I would've taken you sooner than he did.

Zack was spared all but the briefest confusion prompted by that when two fingers closed around his prostate and began to rub it firmly. The boy let out almost a howl of ecstasy and need, barely registering that he was coming again. Not letting up, Dagan took a rose-hued nipple into his mouth, broke the skin around it and sucked the blood, massaging the bud roughly with his tongue. When he'd drunk only a little, he sat back, pulled Zack to him with his free arm, and with his fingers still exploring the hot, pulsing hole, he guided the boy to his own neck.

Zack was shivering; Dagan sent a pulse of warm through him, but the boy still didn't latch on, instead mentally, without words, intimating to the grand-sire that he couldn't feed while he was being so stimulated. Regretfully, for both of them, Dagan withdrew his hand, with the other hand cupped the back of Zack's head, and put him in the feeding position. For the first time, taking in a fair amount of blood didn't make the boy sleepy and contented. When he had finished, Dagan was pleased to see and feel him still trembling, his thoughts jumbled and flying every which way, but shards of them were flashes of his sires on top of him, close behind him.

The somehow-still-innocent boy didn't have the presence of mind or logic to express what was agitating him, but Dagan knew. He embraced Zack, caressed him all over, lips following his hands.

I know what you need, little one. Ssh, I'll make it all better.

The lord hadn't been planning to do this yet, as part of his strategy to move slowly with Zack where physical intimacy was concerned. The plan for today was to get the boy to accept fingers inside him and basically leave it at that, hopefully leave him wanting more in spite of himself, of his constant objection that only Genesis and Angeal were allowed to do that. But Dagan was never one to waste an opportunity, and he sensed the struggle beneath Zack's forced-upon-him arousal. Both the boy's mind and his body were going mad from the lack of penetration he'd been experiencing since his arrival, his newborn body needed it desperately, and with just a little gentle prodding, Dagan thought he could get Zack to accept it.

He intentionally drew back from kissing before Zack was ready, intentionally moved hands all over him to tease the most sensitive spots. When he lifted Zack's legs up to wrap around him, the boy took in a deep, shaky breath and looked frightened, but didn't say anything. He blinked slowly as a wave of love poured through him, then several more times as a comforting, faint heat started in his toes and spread upward, like memories of Gongagan summer, of his favorite childhood quilt his grandmother had made, and Zack visibly relaxed, even faintly smiled before his expression went neutral and slightly sleepy.

Dagan smiled affectionately down at him. The warmth trick apparently never failed with the boy, as something that he missed from being human; vampires were never actually uncomfortably cold or hot, but remained cool, except right after ingesting warm blood. As Zack only ever drank lukewarm blood, he rarely got to feel this sensation, and definitely nothing like this strong.

Dagan positioned himself, the tip of his cock touching the place it wanted so much to go. He leaned over Zack, stroked the sweet face where need was battling with refusal. Let me make you feel better, little one. Before Zack could say yes, no, or both, Dagan was slowly pressing his semen-slicked length inside. The newborn's mouth opened, and only a soft gasping sound came out, but Dagan watched his expression for pain, and found very little, only a very brief wince, followed by a quick roll of the bright eyes.

Subtly probing the boy's mind (the metaphorical doors to it were swinging open and closed in his confusion), Dagan saw memories of Angeal and Genesis fucking Zack, and though thinking of them was bringing up in the boy a want to refuse this, the need he had of this intimate act was stronger, this being filled and touched everywhere inside by someone who was gently wiping his tears and filling him with love. Once fully sheathed, Dagan made sure he was putting as much pressure as possible against the prostate, and slipped his arms around Zack to hug the teenager who had always lived for affectionate touch.

Carefully, Dagan opened his mind a bit, with all his secrets and plans cloaked, and let Zack wander perplexedly in to see pieces of his mind-labyrinth, where there were images of the boy everywhere, and for good measure some of Angeal and Genesis. The idea was to remind Zack that he was the key to bringing peace and reconciliation to the immortal family, all while broadcasting into the boy nothing, seemingly, but good intentions and genuine love. Another pulse of arousal, a calculated thrust, and…

Zack moaned, and without realizing it tightened his legs around Dagan for a moment. The elder thrust again, hitting his target perfectly, and Zack's head fell back, more tears escaping his closed eyes and his sigh and expression ones of intense relief.

Good boy, good baby…

One hand holding Zack's hip, the other beneath his neck and holding him up a little, Dagan began to rock in and out of him in a rolling motion, careful to cause no pain (Gaia and the gods, he's so tight) and with calculated, continuous jabs to the prostate, he had Zack either stiffening, coming, or recovering at all times. The act and the emotional exertion of what was going on was exhausting to the slightly-drunk teenager, and Zack was unable to do anything more than unconsciously shift up a bit to meet some of the thrusts.

Even so, Dagan thought to himself he'd never enjoyed sex so much before, and felt a private, wicked glee at the thought of having Zack to do this to for eternity. How clever of Angeal and Genesis to transform the child at such a young age, so they would have something so innocent and youthful and beautiful forever. Or…they thought they would. Of course, Dagan kept this stream of thought deeply cloaked, his communication to Zack only the purest of intentions, expressions of love for his sons and grandson, of imagining the four of them a close-knit, happy family.

It wasn't clear how much of this Zack was picking up, his mind was so muddled and overcome with pleasure. Vampires in general could last sexually much longer than humans, and Dagan even more so than many others, and during the long coupling (perhaps an hour), the newborn actually fell lightly asleep a few times, even as his body was continually engorging, releasing, and beginning the cycle again. Each time he would wake with a little confusion, remembering at once, being newly infused with ecstasy and reassured by the smiling face above him and the steady stream of love.

Dagan could have gone for even longer, but finally he decided Zack had probably had as much as he could take without discomfort (physically and otherwise), and besides, for some reason he very badly wanted to release inside the boy. Letting the boy begin one last orgasm, with a cry of satisfaction the elder shot his seed into Zack, angling to get it as deeply inside as he could. Zack's own final climax lasted several minutes, and during it Dagan decreased the fake warmth slowly to wean Zack off of it comfortably, and softly kissed the boy's face and neck while murmuring words of comfort.

agzagzagz

"That one's my favorite."

"Babe, you realize that's the fifth one you've said that about."

Genesis tilted his head back imperiously, a leftover gesture from his privileged childhood. "Not my fault the brat somehow is more photogenic even than me."

"He was…is," Angeal corrected himself quickly.

True, the photos spread out over the couple's bed were lovely ones, partly due to the photographer's skill, but mostly a result of the subject. Sephiroth's beauty was almost inhuman, it always had been, even in the childhood these pictures reached back to. The only real change, other than his height, over the years had been his gradual warming to his best friends, the photographed perfect posture that became less rigid and more relaxed from one photo to the next.

"Why are you always taking pictures?" Sephiroth used to ask. Because of now, Seph. Because I knew that one day, they'd be all we have left of you.

Genesis nodded, having heard the thought, but grabbed and squeezed Angeal's hand. "At least we can keep up with him through the news. It's unreliable, sure, but when they get him on camera…"

"Then it hurts even more, doesn't it?" Angeal finished quietly.

Genesis shifted to kiss him, a long, slow kiss meant to comfort them both. The fussing, doting, mothering sort of care he lavished on Zack had been created and perfected on none other than the famous Silver SOLDIER himself, who had tolerated the practice although he'd found it a bit confusing. Admittedly, Sephiroth hadn't been used to affection of any kind, even Angeal's more subtle kind, by the time he met his two best friends, and that only made Genesis coo over him more.

ShinRa and SOLDIER gladly accepted Genesis and Angeal after seeing what they were capable of, even when the couple demurred or outright refused to disclose much of their past – they tolerated mako well and were incredible fighters, SOLDIER was a young program that needed bodies, that was that. More than that, the model SOLDIER they were creating out of an inhumanly strong, fast, skilled little boy needed people to spar with that he, even in the beginnings of his sword-training, couldn't easily injure or kill. Genesis and Angeal were happy to practice with him for hours, as Sephiroth didn't tire any more easily than they did, and in the time they spent with the boy, both grew to love him like their own.

Years pass by fast, especially for immortals, and in almost no time Sephiroth was becoming a young adult – and hardly seemed to age, which helped disguise Genesis's and Angeal's own unchanging features. The general, as he became, came to see his surrogate parents more as equals, friends, though they were no match for him with a sword and never really had been except in the very beginning. The three of them were unbeatable together in battle, and off the field they were the best of friends, and Genesis and Angeal correctly credited themselves for Sephiroth's empathy, kindness, and gentleness – though these were traits not many people got to witness.

"Oh Gaia, I remember that one," Genesis laughed, pointing to a photo of Sephiroth standing against a wall, a red sword stuck in the wall beside him, the blade just grazing his arm and cutting his jacket sleeve, the general looking down at the injury with a blank expression. "And of course, when I make a mistake, you have to take a photo. Meanie."

"I took a photo for proof of how minor the injury was," Angeal argued with a chuckle. "To show Hojo if he yelled at us about damaging his specimen or some such nonsense. Plus, that expression was just classic Seph."

"The madman never did like our apple-on-the-head-sword-spearing game," Genesis said, wrinkling his nose. "I would suggest we go eat him, but he probably tastes pretty foul."

Angeal nodded agreement with a grimace.

"Ooh, remember this one?"

Angeal did, with a laugh, though it was a generic-seeming shot of Sephiroth looking as he often did – faintly perplexed. Genesis had taken this photo; he remembered the occasion, the image was a little shakier than Angeal's steady hand, and only Genesis would've thought to take a picture of this moment.

"Leave it to ShinRa scientists to not explain the facts of life to the one person on Gaia everyone and their pet monkey lusts after," Genesis grumbled, shaking his head hard enough to send auburn locks swinging. "Do you think we explained it well enough?"

"I don't think you did. I mean, really. 'Tab A into Slot C'?"

"He always understood things better technically," Genesis argued, though smiling playfully. "Besides, you filled in the emotional, relationship-y gaps pretty well. And I think Seph picked up a lot just from being around us. Enough, I hope…"

"…for him to have a relationship one day," Angeal finished stating their long-shared wish. "Seriously, I bet he's with that trooper. The number of times we conspired to have them cross paths, the googly-eyes they made at each other…"

"Then let's hope that cute little blond thing isn't as shy as he seemed. Seph on his own might never make the first move. Ah, there they are."

Genesis had gotten to a slightly blurry picture – one he'd taken himself – of Sephiroth on a visit to the troopers' training facilities, where Strife, as the most promising, had been selected by Angeal to speak for his unit to the general. The boy had been nervous, was clearly a bit flushed in the photo, but brave, swallowing his apprehension, speaking intelligently to the Silver SOLDIER, and before and after this picture had been taken, the two could hardly keep their eyes off each other.

The vampire couple had delighted in scheming to have the two of them cross paths, making sure Cloud was chosen to run errands to and near Sephiroth's office, changing mission plans to include the boy on cases that involved the general, and once "accidentally" locking them in Sephiroth's office for almost half an hour by breaking his key in the door. By the time a tech had gotten the door open, Cloud's smile toward his superior officer was one of familiar warmth, no longer starry-eyed worship.

"Do you think he's okay, 'Gealy?"

"We put all the strength we had into him, and he had so much to begin with. He's got to be."

"And what about…?"

The other name engraved in their hearts was too hard, in this moment, to say. Angeal moved languidly across the bed and enveloped Genesis in his arms, squeezing tighter and tighter till the shaking stopped and the redhead let out a breath.

"One more week, babe."

"Then never again."

"Then never again."

To be continued.