New chapter, if anyone is reading! Let's check in on poor Zack and see how he's doing. Just indulge me for one moment…

Important Author Note, directed toward anonymous reviewer:

Thank you for your review, and for being concerned both about the story's content and about me. I have updated the story description in a way that I hope reassures you; you are very kind to care about readers potentially being triggered by my content. As for your concern about me…I have suffered psychological trauma, but nothing remotely sexual. I suppose that would make sense, considering the themes I write about, but it truly is simply that my skills seem to lie in writing darker content. (Also, live for comfort, and that requires hurt.) I'm grateful for your concern, but I assure you, I'm okay.

WITH THE DEAD
Chapter 19

It was dark still when Zack slowly awoke, despite it being around noon according to the clock. During the day, his windows' blackout curtains completely kept the sunlight out, and at nightfall Angeal or Genesis always drew them open to let in moon and starlight.

He was comfortably sandwiched between his sires, always a happy place to be, facing Genesis, frowning a bit to see dried reddish tear stains on the handsome, sleeping face. A familiar, calloused hand was running up and down his side, and Zack eagerly (carefully, though) turned over to find Angeal smiling at him. The serious-but-warm eyes were slightly bloodshot. The sire understood at once when he saw the boy's face fall.

"I'm all right, baby Puppy. Are you?"

Zack managed a dimmer version of his usual smile, knowing how reassured his old teacher was by it. "I am now, yeah. Did you guys…?"

Fierce rage flashed in the sire's expression a micro-second before he pushed it down to look tenderly and apologetically at his offspring. "We did. I – "

"Don't say sorry. If it wasn't my fault, it definitely wasn't yours. He…fooled all of us, I guess."

"He's very good at that." Without thinking, Angeal's side-stroking hand slid under the boy's shirt to touch the skin directly.

A second or two later, Zack gasped, his eyes rolled back, and his hips thrust forward a few times. Angeal had no time to do anything but thank Gaia by the time it was over, but then as the boy caught his breath he was pulled close to his parent, and Zack at once slid his own hand beneath Angeal's shirt, almost shuddering at the touch of his skin-covered muscle, his want of it so long suppressed it almost felt new.

Zack pushed rather clumsily at the cloth, and Angeal understood and deftly removed his T-shirt almost without sitting up at all, and Zack gently pounced, explored his abdomen and chest with his nose and mouth while he was hugged and petted. Angeal and Genesis had earlier agreed that the physical aspect of their relationship with Zack would resume when the boy wanted it to and go as far and as fast as Zack alone indicated he wanted. Both of them wanted him very badly, but had been appalled and sickened to see what Dagan had put the boy through, and there was no telling which way Zack would deal with that – whether he would need time before he wanted sex or whether he'd want it right away to remind himself what it was supposed to be like.

It seemed Zack had made his choice, Angeal thought with relief as the boy tongued his nipples. He wasn't as sensitive here as Genesis, but it felt good, and it definitely turned him on to look down and see his beautiful lover sucking on one of them. Zack, without stopping, grabbed the hand caressing his side and resolutely placed it on his ass, prompting Angeal to gently squeeze and mentally ask, Are you sure?

Please…touch me.

Old rule follows, right now even more than usually. Repeat it to me.

I can stop you whenever I need to. Please…

Angeal was satisfied, though also keeping a mental eye on Zack's thoughts for any fear or panic as he urged him to lay back down. He slowly slipped the newborn's pajamas off, kissed his lips, then patiently moved down the body in a trail of kisses, and this time he was right on time for the next orgasm, laving the much-missed organ with his tongue and swallowing down the sweet fluid. Only the sire's impressive control kept him from his own release when he moved up to look into dazed, aroused blue eyes that blinked at him with intentional coyness.

Daddy…

What does my baby want? Angeal cupped his face with one hand, almost swore with desire when Zack took in and began to suck his thumb. Anything you want.

I need you. Inside, please.

Are you absolutely - ?

Please.

"Okay, baby Puppy."

It seemed only a second passed before the lubricant was in his hand, then put aside by a slickened hand, and the sire's fingers were carefully disappearing one by one into their favorite place. He mentally put pressure around Zack's organ just so as to keep him from coming again yet, checked to make sure Zack was pleased with that – he was – and began to play with him inside. The boy was tight and narrow, always would be thanks to mako and the effects of vampirism, the silky walls a delight to tease and stroke, but nothing compared to the way Zack would thrust, writhe, and moan when his prostate was rubbed.

The boy's erection bobbed slightly as he rolled his hips against the invading hand, and Angeal caught it with his lips a few times to kiss and lick off a few drops of escaped fluid. Zack groaned, rolling his hips in time with the probing fingers.

In, in, please.

Angeal made quick work of his own shorts, slickened himself, and was positioned, it seemed, in a single second. Before he could ask again, Zack smiled, a real, genuine Zack-smile, and said, "I'm sure."

Gods, I missed you so much, Puppy.

Zack's response to that was lost in a moan as Angeal began to slide inside, a tight fit as always but the smaller body eagerly relaxing and opening to welcome him. It took the careful sire only a couple minutes to work his entire length in, and when he had, Zack exhaled with what seemed to be deep relief, and reached up to cup Angeal's face with his soft hand. Angeal smiled into the sweet-smelling palm before bending down to kiss Zack, a long, slow kiss as he began to thrust, smiling himself and almost laughing with happiness as he swallowed the boy's ecstatic cries.

Angeal released the hold on Zack's member just in time for them to come together, several minutes later. As they unnecessarily caught their breath, instead of laying down, Angeal gathered Zack up into his arms and sat back, protectively holding the smaller body against his own broad form. Zack happily snuggled back, nuzzling the muscular chest. Funny, when the boy had been human he'd been held like this many times, but it was only after his own transformation that he realized – Angeal didn't have a heartbeat, hadn't in all the time Zack had known him. The teenager felt happy to think the man wanted to hug him so much that he was willing to take the risk of him realizing this oddity and questioning it.

But then, as Angeal had indicated more than once, he had always intended Zack to become one of them. Maybe he had even been doing it on purpose…

"Baby Puppy?" The deep voice was as gentle as always when it spoke those heart-warming words.

Zack stretched up a bit to steal a kiss. "I'm good. Really good."

"Can't you sense it, 'Gealy? And who wouldn't be happy in the same bed as me, after all?"

Zack laughed and withdrew from Angeal, a bit reluctantly, to kiss Genesis too and return his slightly-too-tight hug. As much as Zack appreciated the care he was being given, he felt he was similarly obligated to reassure his beloved parents.

Genesis pressed his face to Zack's neck and throat, groaning just a bit dramatically. "I swear, we need to bottle your scent. Every vampire on Gaia will buy it, probably humans too, we'd get so rich. Well, richer. Goddess, I missed this smell."

Zack indulgently tolerated being huffed for a minute or two before wiggling away to look at Genesis's face. There was his lovely sire, as much a vision of autumn beauty as ever, but Zack was perceptive, enough to catch a memory of rage and heartache in his cornflower-blue eyes. Without meaning to, Zack mentally pushed, causing Genesis to almost topple backwards, both physically and psychically.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Gen! I didn't mean to."

The redhead laughed it off, quickly regaining his seat and his prized dignity, then pulling Zack to rest against him. "Did you see that, 'Gealy? The brat strolled through my shields like they were nothing. Wasn't even trying."

Angeal smiled, but the expression was tight, not indicating much happiness at all. He slid across the wide bed to his family, cocooning Zack warmly and safely between his fathers, and instinctively their four hands found familiar places on his body to soothingly caress.

"Why did you peek in, baby cub?"

"I'm sorry. I just wondered if you were okay, because in your eyes…I was afraid you guys aren't okay and are just pretending to be," Zack let out in a rushed babble, "and I'm not sure what to do or how to help, I don't want you guys to feel sad."

"Puppy." Angeal softly took the boy's chin in hand, his brown eyes full of simple, boundless love. "Gen and I, to be honest, were very, very upset about what we saw in your memories. But we have you back now, for good. We're as happy as anyone could ever be."

"Absolutely," Genesis said softly, running his manicured fingers through Zack's hair. "Only thing that will make me close to this happy will be the day I remove Dagan's organs one by one in alphabetical order, and, well, I'm still thinking up an appropriate death for his friend."

Zack started, just barely perceptibly. To his own surprise, he had almost forgotten about Geraint altogether. Though the night he'd met him was a very bad memory, it had, after all, been only the one encounter, unlike Dagan who he'd been constantly exposed to. As always expected of Zack, his concern jumped over himself and went right toward a friend.

"He's really powerful," the boy said unsteadily, pressing himself now to Genesis for comfort, who hugged him tightly. "I know I resisted his hypnosis somehow, I don't know how, but I could sense it, he's really, really strong. Do you think…Seph…?"

"Is Seph in danger, cub?" Genesis murmured between kissing Zack's head. "That what you're asking?"

"Uh-huh." The idea of his singular, secretly-warm friend (who he missed terribly at times) being hurt by those cold hands made Zack feel faintly nauseated. He at once felt a little better as Angeal began to soothingly stroke his bare sides.

"Even with our vampiric strength, Pup, Gen and I were never able to beat Seph even when he was a teenager. You only ever saw him training, so I think you'd be surprised to see Sephiroth fighting at full power. I don't think any vampire is a match for him, even if they got past ShinRa's security measures and the Turks who guard him whenever he's off ShinRa grounds."

"I wish we could warn him, though." Seph. A tear or two ran down Zack's cheeks at the memory of silver eyes, a faint smile, the contrast of unrivaled, inhuman beauty with an air of loneliness and isolation. I miss him so much.

"We miss him too, baby cub," Genesis said softly, stroking handfuls of sleek, spiky black hair. "We basically helped raise Seph, damn near thought of him as our own, gave him the love he'd never had before in the cold sterility of those labs. Don't worry. As I said, Dagan's accomplice will be eliminated as well. We won't even give him the chance to get near Seph."

"I have to tell the Council about everything, huh?"

"They'll want to look through your memory as we did," Angeal answered, "but I'm sure they will have vocal questions as well. I know, baby Puppy. It will be embarrassing to talk about. Try to keep in mind that – "

"It's worth it to never have to see him again," Zack finished, with a nod. "But what if he tells them that…"

"What, baby cub?"

"…I didn't fight."

"You said no," Genesis said, softly and with audible pain. "More than once. Even if you hadn't, it was crystal clear that you were being manipulated. Just the fact that he muffled our connection to you and replaced it with one to him would earn him a severe reprimand and loss of unsupervised visitation. Baby cub, no one is going to blame you or think you asked for any of it. However exceptional, you are a newborn and he threw every one of his tricks at every one of your weaknesses."

Angeal was nodding as his mate spoke. "At the very least, they will dissolve any right of custody he has to you. They may even strip him of his position as clan head. Hell, centuries ago, similar crimes would warrant execution. But whatever they do, he is going to die."

"But," Zack began in a rather small voice, "then you'd get in trouble, wouldn't you?"

"I'd be called before the Council and asked to account for what I'd done. But there's a great deal of legal precedent among our kind concerning murders committed in defense of one's family. It was stated plainly by him in your memory, he never wanted a happy family reunion, he was planning to take you from us permanently. At the most, the Council would wink at me and issue a halfhearted lecture on the importance of respecting our laws."

"I hate him…but…"

Angeal pulled Zack into the familiar seat of his lap and stroked the back of his neck, looked with adoration into the crystal-blue eyes. "You never have to excuse your kindness, baby Puppy. You will never be in trouble for it. It's one of the many things Gen and I love about you. I know. You hate hating anyone."

"It's like…I think I'm more mad at him for upsetting you guys than what he did to me. I know that's stupid."

"Don't use that word," Angeal said automatically, wrapping his arms around the boy. "It's not. It's very you."

"And we worship you," Genesis said quietly, soft hands stroking Zack's sides again.

The boy's breath rate increased just noticeably, and he rubbed his face and damp lips against Angeal's bare shoulder, beginning to shift in a way the sires easily recognized. Genesis barely managed to get his hand between Zack's legs before he was coming, and the parents shared a smile of relief over Zack's head to see that the boy seemed very nearly back to his old self.

Gen?

What do you want, baby cub?

The outgoing teenager had only ever been shy about bedroom matters. He cutely hid his face against Angeal in response, something both sires found incredibly adorable. Genesis knew the answer already, but grinned and began to tickle the newborn's sides with his manicured fingers.

"No!" Zack laughed, squirming. "No tickling!"

"Tell me what you want and I'll stop," the redhead sang, though he kept the touches light as he knew Zack really didn't like being tickled.

You know!

I do indeed, but I'm an old perv who wants to hear you say it.

Defiantly, Zack sent him a mental picture instead, an imagining of the sire fucking him against Angeal's chest. He had found a sneaky way to disobey, but Genesis, after all, had always valued a certain amount of rebellion, even, apparently, in his own child. He stretched to grab the lubricant Angeal had put aside, and moved to press his body against Zack's.

"With pleasure," he whispered in a sultry voice that almost made Zack come once more. He held off, though with the knowledge that Genesis could easily make him go all over again.

It felt so good, resting against Angeal's wall of familiar, muscled safety, those broad arms holding him, the stubbled chin rustling against his hair, their members rubbing lightly against each other, while Genesis's fingers carefully opened Zack up, doing more than they really needed to considering he was still relaxed from earlier. Letting Genesis comfort himself by exploring this familiar and well-loved place, Zack took this time to latch onto Angeal's neck, bite and take a few swallows.

Blood, Zack had learned, doesn't really taste like something in itself – it was more like the giver's nature flavored it somehow. Genesis's had a hint of heat and spiciness to it, like something added to an exotic food, while Angeal's made him think of greenness, a fresh taste like something the man would grow in his garden. Both, like all blood, tasted like life, like something powerful and strength-giving. Now Zack did feel increased energy fill him as the fluid ran down his throat, though he knew it was not just the blood, but the love he felt both sires constantly pouring into him.

Penetrating Zack was like sliding into some hot, exquisite oil; his insides were as perfectly smooth as his flawless skin. Genesis worked his shaft in all the way, hands rubbing not quite gently as they held the boy's little waist, and his mouth worked hungrily against Zack's neck for a few moments before gently breaking the skin. If asked what Zack's blood tasted like, neither sire would be able to quite answer – it didn't taste like anything except the most delicious thing one could imagine, not like its vaguely-floral scent, but not like anything else either. As usual, Genesis only allowed himself a few swallows, then switched to kissing the fair skin as he rhythmically thrusted.

Zack came three times, Genesis holding himself back each time, though between the clenching and how much the boy turned him on, it was difficult. By the arrival of the fourth, the elder allowed himself to release, and it was more than worth the wait; sex with Zack always was, especially after delaying climax a few times. He filled Zack up with what felt like liters of semen, and while unnecessarily catching his breath (old habit), noticed the newborn wasn't moving except for soft exhaled breaths.

Angeal, holding the sleeping boy against his chest, smiled at his slightly-flushed partner. "You haven't lost your touch."

"Are you saying sex with me is boring?"

Angeal rolled his eyes. "Check him, will you?"

Genesis closed his eyes. After what felt like eternity, he smiled, though a tear quickly slipped out of each of his eyes.

"His dreams are soft, like they used to be."

"Tell me when he's deep enough to risk moving, and we'll clean him up."

Genesis nodded. It looked like he wanted to say more, but hesitated.

"Babe, what is it?"

"I was just thinking…do you think he's okay? Really? Or will there always be a 'used to be'?"

Angeal reached out to wipe away one of the tears. "People change, Gen. Things change, not always for the better. But we're strong. He's strong."

The redhead nodded, but still looked unhappy. "You used to say that whenever I expressed worry for Seph."

"We'll protect him too. We're strong," Angeal repeated, in a more certain voice.

"What we have is strong," Genesis agreed, edging forward to kiss his partner over their slumbering child.

agzagzagz

The few days following Zack's return home were happy ones, as all three knew they would be, but the boy's experiences while away tinged everything with sorrow or with anger, depending on which member of the family you looked into. What had been intended as celebration was instead a careful, too careful in Zack's opinion, easing of him back into his old routine and his real family.

As usual, sex was not one of the problems. Zack accepted and sought out touch and intercourse as much as he ever had, and if one only looked there, one might think the boy had shaken off Dagan quickly and almost completely. But outside his bed and his fathers', the boy was often shaky, sometimes looked briefly ill or haunted before a hug or loving touch brought out his usual sunbeam smile.

Genesis, as he often did, deferred to Angeal's judgment, and the younger sire remembered how in SOLDIER, training and physical exertion had been the answer to so many of his subordinates' problems. Therefore, he started up Zack's training again, more completely than they'd ever done as a vampire family, racing Zack, sparring unarmed, and of course letting the newborn's natural skill with his sword distract him.

Watching his student get reacquainted with his blade, the way Zack smiled like his old, cocky self, warmed Angeal's heart while he pretended to be inspecting the famous Buster Sword. He thought the newborn looked a touch paler than he should, but after all, Zack had been naturally fair, he was a vampire, and he was outside under a full moon. Even Angeal's own healthily-tanned hide looked whiter than usual right now.

"As soon as you're ready, Pup."

"You'll be eating your words soon, old man," Zack teased, using an old, playful insult that all this time had been truer than he'd ever guessed while mortal.

Genesis was seated nearby on a bench that handy Angeal had carved out of a tree trunk years ago as an anniversary present. Usually he enjoyed the sight of Angeal fighting or training, imagining from experience what the scene would look like were Angeal naked, but today his blue-eyed gaze was locked pretty steadily on Zack. Watching for any slip of the feet, any mistaken move of a wrist. Genesis wasn't sure exactly what he was waiting for, and whether it was good or bad, but he knew the anticipation of something was killing him.

"Remember to keep your feet moving," Angeal called, as Zack rushed him with sword flying.

The former teacher blocked easily enough, but grinned, as he always did when Zack put in effort and made him work to defend himself. "Excellent, keep going," Angeal praised, and the boy smiled just a moment before his (adorable) serious expression took over, as he focused on finding an opening and Angeal meeting every thrust just in time. Angeal as a swordsman was hard if not impossible to beat, except for Genesis and Sephiroth, but Zack was young, spontaneous, and overflowing with raw talent. It would likely be a close fight.

Genesis watched with expert eyes, and when the opponents seemed to settle into a rhythm, the redhead let his mind wander a bit. Are we doing the right thing? Distracting the cub? Should we have made him talk about it, for practice if nothing else?

The two sires had made the difficult decision very quickly that they would give Zack at least a few days at home to heal and calm before reporting Dagan's abuse to the Council. It wasn't as though any evidence they had was ephemeral; the lord's crimes and his friend's were plain as day and unarguable in Zack's memory, and Angeal and Genesis were hoping that a short while of being surrounded by nothing but love would give Zack the strength he'd need to go before the Council. Genesis had no doubt the case would be judged in their favor, but understood the process would be hard on Zack, especially as the boy had expressed fear of the men before.

A movement, or rather, a sudden stillness of his baby's lithe frame made Genesis jump to his feet without thinking. Zack dropped his sword, looked suddenly petrified, and his entire body was shaking. The sires quickly closed the distance between themselves and Zack, but stopped short when Zack stepped away from them, seeming to do so instinctively.

Angeal acted on his own instinct, pushing a little – and encouraging Genesis to do the same – to see inside of Zack's mind, and the couple's four fists clenched to hear a hated voice speaking in Zack's head, horrible in its fake pleasantness.

Are you readjusting well, little one? Please remember, you always have a home here, if Genesis becomes angry or Angeal makes you uncomfortable.

The look on Zack's face made Genesis and Angeal shove their fury aside, as quickly as if they'd agreed to do so. Neither had ever seen Zack Fair, a former star of the SOLDIER program, look so much like a lost, traumatized, terrified child. Genesis acted while Angeal was still recovering, barging into his offspring's head as he only would in an emergency, and used some of Zack's own power to block the boy's mind from everyone but himself and Angeal.

As soon as he was sure the voice was gone, Zack looked relieved, but somehow no better, and he swayed a bit where he stood. Angeal quickly scooped him up, one hand beneath him holding him off the ground, the other arm around him securely. He gently turned from side to side, rocking in this way Zack sometimes allowed himself when he really needed comfort, and Genesis also came close and soothingly rubbed the boy's back. Angeal caught Genesis's eye, and the latter nodded sadly in agreement. They could delay going to the Council and finishing their association with Dagan no longer.

To be continued.

Kind of short, but I haven't updated in a while. Hope it was okay!