A "Random Final Fantasy 7 Yaoi Pairing Generator" crackfic. Vaguely Zack x Rufus.
Materia
Zack stalked out of the elevator into the wide, well-lit 69th floor hallway, fists clenched.
"'Rufus ShinRa needs a research assistant, and you need to keep occupied until you heal,'" he muttered bitterly, mimicking Sephiroth's deep voice.
He had broken his sword arm during his last mission. In the confusion of battle, with adrenaline numbing him, he'd assumed it was just a sprain and had cast Cure before diving back in to the brawl. The doctor in the infirmary had thrown a fit about that.
"You have to set the bone first!"
Like he had time, with snarling monsters thirsting to have his blood dripping from their jaws, to put his sword down and set a bone. In the end they'd had to re-break it and let it heal naturally. Even with his accelerated healing, he was stuck here for at least two weeks.
So to keep him from going stir crazy, Sephiroth had sent him to babysit the President's son. Apparently the spoiled brat had some pet project to work on, probably to keep him out of the older executives' hair. He rapped sharply on the polished mahogany door.
"Come in," a young voice called, sounding vaguely irritated.
Zack grit his teeth as he opened the door. The kid could waste company resources by requisitioning a soldier to help him with his homework if he wanted, but he'd better be grateful...
Zack blinked slowly as he took in the young man behind the massive desk in the exact center of the room.
Or gorgeous, he thought. Gorgeous works too. He shut his jaw with a snap, looking around the large office as he regained his composure.
"Nice room," he said. It was; carpeted in deep crimson, with cream colored walls and expensive looking gold light fixtures. It was probably real gold, Zack thought. To his left was a plush, beige suede sofa, above which hung the SinRa logo in red, framed in more of the dark mahogany. There was a small flowering tree in the back corner of the room, for which the soil alone must have cost more than Zack's monthly paycheck. In the opposite wall– actually, the entire opposite wall– was a window, with an impressive view of the city. On the wall behind Rufus's desk were a few more paintings, and another door.
"Can I help you?" Rufus asked, his tone sharp, hands clenched tightly on top of his desk.
"Ah," Zack said sheepishly, "I'm Zack, Soldier First Class. General Sephiroth said you needed a research assistant."
Rufus's expression cleared. Pushing the stack of forms he'd been working on to the side, he opened a drawer and pulled out a disc.
"I didn't expect him to respond so quickly," Rufus said, loading the disc on his laptop and turning it so Zack could see the display.
"How much do you know about materia?" the Vice President asked, blue eyes intent on Zack, a slight smile flitting across his lips.