Kind of amazed I've been able to work on this at all. My head is so filled with FFXV lately that it's become more real to me than my own life. Yay for autistic special interests.

Anyone still with me here? All right then. Bad touches ahead, yadda, but no fear, we're in the home stretch. I expect the next chapter to be the last. I've been writing this story for WAY longer than I thought, and I guess it's time. I'm sad about it, though.

And Gaia only knows how I'm going to keep Genesis placated without it. He's currently handcuffed to my FFXV portal, refusing to come away till I pair him with "either Prince Emo or the Jaunty-Hat Man, come on, I'm even giving you choices here!"

Anyway, let's check on Zack.

WITH THE DEAD
Chapter 23

"No need to worry," Geraint said airily, patting Zack's head a few times. "He's perfectly fine, just sedated. Since I had to take the sedative from dear old Mal by force, I don't quite know how it works or how long he'll be out. But as I said, no need to worry. I would never harm him."

Tears had begun to stream down Zack's face, leaving faint red streaks that Dagan gently wiped away with a sympathetic noise. "Please…I'll do anything you want, both of you. Please let him go, you don't know him, he doesn't deserve this, he's so nice, people just don't know…"

"Child," Geraint began in a faux-sweet, patronizing tone as he started to walk away toward the sleeper, "just as you don't seem to realize your grand-sire's love for you, you seem to misunderstand my intentions. I'm not going to hurt your ethereal friend. I'm going to give him eternal life and power beyond even his current abilities."

"He wouldn't want to live forever," Zack continued to plead, and continued to fight the arms that held him with a mixture of firmness and gentleness. "Please, I'll do anything!"

Success, perhaps – Geraint turned back around and approached Zack again, looking down from his unusual height (He's even taller than Seph, Zack thought absently), and smiled. "Perhaps the baby needs attention more right now than the general does?"

Zack felt like his stomach was sinking into his feet, but he didn't hesitate more than a second before slowly nodding. He knew, vaguely, what he was agreeing to – to do whatever it took with this monster to keep him away from Sephiroth. A hero at heart, a friend no matter the cost, Zack was prepared to do what he felt he had to, but he couldn't hide how miserable and afraid he was.

Maybe that's why Geraint said "Awww" in what was meant to be sympathy as he took Zack's wet face in his large, cool hands. "Dagan and I are brothers in our hearts and our tastes, so I suppose that makes me a sort of great-uncle to you, child. And children should be indulged whenever possible."

Removing one hand to do so, Geraint unfastened his trousers and reached inside. As he pulled it out, he slowly drew Zack's face closer. For a moment, Zack felt like his whole body had seized up, but quickly he heard a voice in his head, not his own but one he trusted, reminding him from his memory that he could be strong, and he had to be. The boy took a quick deep breath, opened his mouth, and closed his eyes.

As he began to suck the already-hard organ, Zack decided at once he would not pretend this was Angeal or Genesis. He loved doing this act with his sires, when they were patient enough to allow themselves to finish in his mouth; he loved the feel of both of them, the taste, the sounds he caused them to make. He would not pretend this was anything but what it was, a disgusting thing that nonetheless had to be done. In the back of his mind, Zack was hopeful that his fathers would find him quickly. He had no doubt they wouldn't rest till they did.

"Lovely," Geraint moaned, "how lovely you are, a natural…"

The gods, even amidst such horror, can grant some small mercies; it was over in just minutes, and despite finding the taste unpleasant, Zack swallowed it all, reminding himself he had to keep this man happy, and more importantly, distracted. Dagan unknowingly aided in this, as he almost immediately began to stroke Zack between his legs, and casually, as though he were petting a dog or watering a plant, Geraint crouched down and let his hand join his friend's.

Keep them distracted, Zack, the boy reminded himself. He let his head fall back on Dagan's shoulder, and let out a soft moan. Again, Dagan unknowingly helped his effort, this time by pushing arousal and warmth into the teenager at the same time. Without even meaning to, Zack began to thrust into the cupping and stroking. Humming with satisfaction, Dagan moved so that one arm encircled Zack and the other hand rested on his hip, guiding him to undulate into Geraint's manipulating.

Geraint was keeping his massaging slow, watching the boy's beautiful face with obvious hunger. After a few minutes, he sensed Zack was close, and all but tore his pajama pants down past his waist, and locked his mouth around the erect organ.

It wasn't a mouth Zack knew or wanted, but it was skilled, the tongue wrapping and lapping at his length, the intermittent suction. It had him moaning without having to feign, shaking from the physical pleasure, and would've urged him to thrust harder had Dagan's grasp not kept the motions shallow. Geraint didn't rush, seeming to enjoy forcing this on Zack, but finally began to suck hard, and eagerly drank down every drop that the boy let out.

Leaning back against Dagan, Zack closed his eyes for a few seconds while he came down from the high of orgasm. When he opened them, he found Geraint staring at him, and couldn't tell from the vampire's expression what he was thinking or feeling.

"Such a clever little thing. Clever enough to pretend my hypnosis worked, that you didn't remember anything, and you're being clever now, aren't you?"

Geraint stroked the teenager's cheek with his long, cold fingers, then let his hand drift downward to encircle the slender neck with them. Zack stiffened, expecting the grip to tighten in anger or warning, but that didn't happen. Geraint merely ghosted his fingertips over the pale skin beneath which there had once been a pulse. The lord smiled, but it was not a kind smile.

"You think I don't know what you're doing, child? Trying to keep me distracted from my prize? I'm touched by your devotion to your friend. Dagan, when I have him transformed, we should have our babies play together. Wouldn't that be exquisite?"

"I must admit, it would be, though of course I'm loathe to let anyone else touch him."

Swallowing back sobs, unable to prevent the tears, Zack also couldn't keep his horror at this suggestion out of his eyes and face. The boy found Sephiroth as gorgeous as everyone else did, but once they had become friends, all traces of Zack's initial crush had faded, and now he felt as one might at the suggestion of having sex with a sibling, or a close cousin. He just didn't think of Sephiroth like that anymore, aside from not wanting to be intimate with anyone but Genesis and Angeal.

"Oh, baby doesn't like that idea?" Geraint asked in a faux-sweet tone. "I think you'll change your mind once you see him as a newborn, craving contact, needing to be touched and fucked. Hasn't every SOLDIER wished for a chance at Sephiroth?"

"He…he's my friend. He's like family," Zack managed to get out in barely more than a whisper.

"So sweet. But surely, Zack, you know by now the level of intimacy that exists within vampiric families. Anyway, this way you don't have to be away from your friend ever again. Haven't you missed him?"

"Yes." Zack's voice came out a little bit stronger. "Yes, I have."

With a wide parting smile, Geraint stood up to his full height and turned to approach Sephiroth again. Of course, Zack tried to go after him – though exactly how he would stop him, the boy wasn't sure – but Dagan held him back, securing the teenager on his lap with a murmured, "Relax, little one, and watch. So few have gotten to see anything like this."

Energy exhausted for the moment, Zack ceased struggling, and though he wanted to yell threats, pleas, bargains, anything, he felt so choked up that not a single word would come out, only soft sobs and more tears that Dagan gently brushed away with a sympathetic sound.

Geraint seemed to have, for now, forgotten his observers, was half-sitting, half-leaning on the bed to stare down at the famous Silver SOLDIER. After about a minute had passed, he set to work, moving efficiently but slowly enough to savor the process. Geraint began by carefully, with some difficulty, getting the unconscious body out of its black coat, tossing the garment onto the other side of the bed. Next he went to work on the belts crisscrossing the general's torso, making short work of them and indulgently allowing himself a break to run his hands over the inhumanly perfect, muscled chest and stomach.

"How does he feel, old friend?" Dagan called out companionably.

"Incredible. Like satin draped over steel."

It took some willpower to wrench his hands off the smooth skin, but Geraint was eager for what was next. Slowly, he unfastened the black pants, quickly sliding them down and off, grabbing the socks on his way. He had to stop then, had to stare with his jaw ajar at the feast laid out before him, this body that was so perfect, it was almost hard to believe it was real. Sephiroth was built like the ideal-body statues of ancient civilizations, with flawless pale skin and, thanks to the effects of mako, not a single hair on him other than his eyebrows, long eyelashes, and of course his famous waterfall of silver mane. Even the room's artificial light seemed to celebrate this unrivaled beauty as it played over Sephiroth's limbs and muscles.

And between the slender-but-rock-hard legs, well, there was the proof that the famous Masamune (which was propped against one of the room's walls) was not compensating for anything. Sephiroth was not inhumanly big, but he was certainly well-endowed, and because of his all-over smoothness, every glorious inch of his cock could be seen.

Geraint suddenly felt frozen, and quickly examining this reaction, he was annoyed to find himself thinking he was not worthy of this. He pushed these thoughts roughly aside, and when he placed his hands on the tiny waist and stroked the skin there, he reminded himself that of all the many vampires who wanted Sephiroth, he was the one who'd been smart and brave and lucky enough to claim him.

Of course he was worthy. And his reward would be this ethereal creature as his own offspring, with whom he'd have 50 years to mold Sephiroth into whatever he wanted. He would use this time of confusion and dependence to either gain the legend's love or at least get him firmly into a submissive, obedient role. Geraint smiled, not caring that the grin was so wide it hurt his cheeks. Finally, what he wanted more than anything was his.

Barely hearing Zack's weeping and Dagan's words of comfort, deafened by the rush of blood in his ears, Geraint began to leisurely explore the still body with his hands, running them up and down Sephiroth's sides, over the rippled abdomen, up and down the slender legs, picking up one of the general's own hands and marveling at its uncalloused softness.

And there was the fairest part of them all, the angelic face, now slightly frowning, that Geraint cupped, caressed, before inching down to card through the silken threads of silver hair. Rumor had it that this hair never knotted, and feeling it now, Geraint believed that. He put his nose into the mass of silver strands and inhaled the sweet scent of magnolia. Shuddering with want, moving faster now, Geraint put his exploring hands back on the upper body, and bent down to press his lips to Sephiroth's.

Meanwhile, a short distance away…

"Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Dagan whispered into Zack's ear. "Not quite human."

Zack still couldn't get his voice to work, but his mind was screaming. He is human! He didn't choose what he looks like, and he doesn't deserve this. Seph, please, wake up. You're human, I know, you hate being gaped at, and more than anything else you hate being treated like an object. I'm so sorry, I'm sorry I couldn't prevent this…Angeal, Gen…

But it was no use. Zack's connection to his parents hadn't been replaced by Dagan again, but the elder vampire was sort of muffling it, not letting any communication in or out. Every effort to get out of these strong arms was failing, and Zack couldn't think what else to do other than pray his sires would get here soon.

Blinking tears away as quickly as he could, Zack saw through the water in his eyes that Geraint was beginning to jerk Sephiroth off, and the boy forced a wail of protest out of his uncooperative mouth. Dagan reacted to this by beginning the same intimate action on Zack, and to the teenager's horror, he hardened quickly, and hated himself for it, because he knew it was at least partly because he couldn't take his eyes off Sephiroth. True, he had no romantic feelings toward the general, but it seemed to be impossible to see him nude and not get turned on, despite the wrongness of this whole situation.

Sephiroth remained deeply asleep and still, though a few times during this he made a very soft, indecipherable sound, his mouth remaining closed. He was slow to make erect, and it took Geraint several patient minutes to get the organ fully hard and ready for more intense stroking. Aside from the little noises, Sephiroth's only noticeable reaction to this manipulation was that his breathing sped up a bit, just barely enough to hear and to make his god-like chest go up and down.

"Very good," Geraint whispered, as though his prey could hear him, and would want to. "Good…"

His other hand exploring the chest, stomach and waist that were now exposed, the vampire lord stared unblinking at Sephiroth's face as he jerked him off. No color had risen to flush the pale cheeks, no sign that the legend was anywhere close to consciousness, except another barely-perceptible sigh after a few minutes. Zack, meanwhile, was trying to gather his strength to struggle again, but it was hard to concentrate at all with Dagan stroking him, on top of the unwanted arousal that had been pushed into the boy.

To someone, to no one, to the gods or himself, Zack's muffled mental voice cried out in desperation. I need to stop him! How can I stop him!

To his shock, a voice, its speaker unknown if it was not himself, answered. Gain his trust.

Zack didn't question or delay, or have to think more than a moment of what to do. Slowly, he put one of his hands over the one between his legs and moved with it. He barely had to force out a moan of pleasure, because this did physically feel good, however little he wanted it. Dagan hummed happily, and squeezed the boy with his other arm.

"Good, little one. See, now we're all enjoying ourselves, that's the very nature of our kind. You see how gentle my friend is being with yours? All you and Sephiroth have to do is obey us as your sires, and we'll give you anything you want."

"Yes, Grand-sire."

Zack felt terrible looking at Sephiroth in his current state, but he had to hang onto his arousal to convince Dagan he had surrendered, and it was like a cheat in one of his video games – the sight of the general nude was perhaps universally appealing, which just made the boy pity his loner friend all the more. But Zack couldn't help a gasp when Geraint, sensing Sephiroth was finally close, ducked his head down and took the large erection into his mouth, and was quickly swallowing with hums of approval.

"How is he?" Dagan asked when it was over.

"As good as your little one, if you can believe it."

"I'm not sure I do."

"Well, since you've been so – "

A loud chime, followed by two more, shorter ones, sounded faintly. Geraint, who had been cut off by the noise, frowned.

"That's Mal's ring. Either he's seen reason and is delivering more sedative, or he's here to quarrel with me again. Fine timing he has."

"I'll deal with him, since Zack has decided to be good."

Dagan rose, gently setting Zack back down in his place, and cupped the boy's chin to raise his face. The teenager forced a smile.

"Keep stroking, but don't finish without me, hmm? I'll be right back."

"Yes, Grand-sire."

Zack convincingly accepted the parting kiss, and obediently kept touching himself while Dagan left the room and shut the door behind him. Only when Geraint's full attention went back to exploring Sephiroth did Zack stop, and slowly move his hand upward, somehow knowing exactly what to do though he had no idea what the outcome would be.

"Now, child," Geraint said, sounding immensely satisfied and excited as he briefly stroked Sephiroth's hair and then eased himself to standing, "that was worth the wait, the years I longed for him, and you enjoyed it too, didn't you?"

Trick him. But Zack didn't need the voice.

"Y-Yes," the boy said innocently, sadly, "y-yes, sir."

"Are you being good? Still touching yourself as Dag told you to?"

"Yes, sir. Oh…"

The groan was half an accident or more, but it worked in his favor. In an instant, Geraint was crouching before him, and the sudden proximity made Zack gasp and slightly recoil. The lord smiled, reached out to cup the boy's chin. In response to the want in Geraint's stare, Zack blinked cutely and innocently.

"Good baby. Keep going. Gods, your scent…"

An opening. Zack tilted his head to one side, extending a clear invitation. With a soft growl and no thought of waiting to ask Dagan's permission, Geraint put his arms around Zack, pulled the boy to rest against his chest, and tilted his head a little further before sinking his teeth into the soft white neck.

It would've been easy to get lost in the hazy pleasure of being drunk from, but Zack kept his head clear somehow. He let this man he loathed taste him and stroke him all over so the boy could get his shaking fingers up to Wyrm's locket, and he got it open just as Geraint was finishing and going in for a kiss. Instead of a pliant victim, the lord found defiance in Zack's rainwater-blue eyes in the second before a specter appeared out of thin air between the two bodies, knocking Geraint back as it stood to defend Zack.

Zack, not having known what to expect, was strangely calm as Geraint yelled in fear and scrambled back, but then, Zack from behind couldn't see the ghost's face, so perhaps its expression was menacing. It certainly first stood, then moved toward the elder vampire in a way that suggested it wanted to fight, and it was solid enough to see the multiple weapons it carried. Briefly Zack was surprised to see the sword, dagger and bow, and was unsure why he felt this before realization hit him like a brick wall.

"…Galen?"

The specter looked over its shoulder, and the handsome, familiar face gave Zack a reassuring smile, while its voice telepathically said to him, Be at ease, child, he'll not harm you again.

Its, his, attention then snapped back to the terrified vampire on the floor who was stumbling to his feet and fleeing the room shouting for help. When Geraint was gone, his cries becoming quieter as he fled further away, the ghost's menacing posture relaxed, and when it turned to Zack, the imposing warrior had reverted to the gentle healer, the second of their kind who had once cautioned his love what a dangerous thing it was they carried.

"Th-Thank you."

The ghost had a lovely, gentle smile, an expression he no doubt had given to the many he had pulled back from the brink of death. Help is coming.

"I know," Zack answered, because somehow he did.

The apparition's fond smile didn't waver as it faded, wisping away into a stream of mist that poured back into the locket, which then shut on its own. Zack took a deep breath, forced his hands to stop shaking, and considered his next move. Try to wake Sephiroth? Look for a way out? Wait for rescue? He didn't have long to think before the door was opening. Tense, fearing Dagan or Geraint, wishing desperately for Angeal and Genesis, Zack waited…and it was none of them.

The one who hurried inside and closed the door behind him was young, Zack's own mortal age if not younger, a very pretty boy with spiky blond hair wearing a Shinra uniform. Before Zack could put a name to the familiar face, the boy smiled grimly.

"Zack Fair, right?"

To be concluded.