Not If You Ignore Me for a Week- Chapter Four: Wednesday
SOLDIER EXAM—Part Two
Disclaimer: Me broke. Me no own wonderful Final Fantasy VII, all belong to Square Enix and their wonderful creators.
Title: Not If You Ignore Me for a Week
Pairing: Zack/Cloud
Genre: Humor/Romance
Rating: PG13-R-ish
Warnings: Yaoi, maybe some language, there is a bit of gore in the beginning, just with the mutant creature.
Author's Note: Here's Chapter Four of 'Not If You Ignore Me for a Week', hope ya'll like it so far! Alright, now it's time for the final battle with Cloud and the secret new monster. How will he fare? What will be the judges decision? Will Zack ever stop annoying Cloud?
Dedicated to my wonderful beta, OmniStrife, author of Zack/Cloud story, Collide.
RECAP
… Cloud looked up at the guards who were now pulling a giant black cage on wheels towards him. He gulped and tightened his hands, stomach muscles bunching and twitching in anticipation. 'I can do this. Just like I can ignore Zack. Let's just hope it's not another pus-covered freak.'
The yanked on the black tarp and Zack's eyes widened at the same time a scream escaped the cage. "Of all the monsters… fuck."…
Of all the monsters that they could bring out, they had to haul out the one wolf that liked to eat every sheep in the pasture. Fenrir, a dark-colored wolf with dripping fangs that liked to stab poor unsuspecting victims. This monster had been Sephiroth's challenge.
Cloud was lucky. He got a weaker version. Shinra had mutated Fenrir so he was rotting. And when you rot, you grow weaker… and weaker. This version was maybe on half the power or less of the one Sephiroth had fought, but it was still the strongest they still had alive.
"You can do it Cloud! If you lose I'll never talk to you again!" Zack called, smiling at the amused look Sephiroth sent him.
"As if you could ever stay quiet," he said, shaking his head at his friend.
Cloud watched those glowing blue eyes, so much like the Mako glow he saw in Zack and Sephiroth's eyes. The guards latched hooks onto the sides of the cages and ran off, pulling on the chains, watching as the cage fell apart and the smell of rot came with the gust of wind. He stuffed the cloth pieces further into his nose and readied himself, feeling the toll of the day weighing on his shoulders heavily. His muscles screamed in protest after being squashed by the over-grown garden snake and all he wanted was a shower.
A nice hot shower with Zack, maybe… His treacherous thoughts ventured. He shook his head with a blush and readied his sword in front of him, waiting for the Fenrir to attack. The giant wolf snarled, throwing his massive jaws around before it jumped up into the air, off the hard metal of the cage and landed right in front of Cloud, fangs dripping with something that looked like poison.
Cloud gulped. He doubted Zack had any phoenix downs on him, let alone one of the other judges. He locked eyes with the beast and there was a stare-down until Cloud struck, landing a straight hit onto the beasts forehead. All he received in return was a snarl and a look of stupidity. "You can do it Cloud! Hit it just a little harder!"
Well… that didn't work as well as it was meant to… Cloud gulped at the look and the next thing he knew he was caught in Fenrir's teeth and being thrown into a nearby tree. He groaned and swung his sword next to his body, shoving it down the beasts throat.
"That was perfect Cloud! Do it again!" Fenrir screamed and Cloud shot to cover his head as the jaws opened and he was shaken out. He rolled twice before coming to a stop and looked over, frantically searching for his lightweight buster sword. Then he saw Fenrir thrashing its head and his sword sticking out of its monstrous jaws. (Zack yelled in dismay at that. "How could you do that to my precious creation! I made that for you… you cretin!")
He blinked, mouth gaping open and then shot foreword, running towards the beast and lunging back into his mouth, ignoring the rotting tongue that was running along his body as he fought for a grip on the hilt. "Ignore the tongue! Keep going! Take this as practice for when you kiss me!" When his leather glove slipped off the hilt a second time, he ripped it off and grasped the hilt, trying to pull it from the back of its throat. He braced his feet against the back molars and tugged, falling backwards and ripping the side of his pants, leaving a deep and bloody gash on his arm.
"Aren't… Fenrir poisonous?" Zack asked Sephiroth, turning to him. Sephiroth nodded slowly. "Oh…" Zack turned back to Cloud and cupped his hands around his mouth. "Come on Cloud! Fight hard and kick this guys' ass so we can go home and get you a nice shower where I promise not to molest you!"
"Stop lying to the boy, Zachary," Sephiroth chided him.
Cloud flushed, this time not from embarrassment and wondered why he started to feel so hot. He ripped off the torn flags from his pant leg and wondered why he wasn't more modest with the face that he was shirtless and wearing parts with only one pant leg. Fenrir snarled, blood dripping from the wound in his throat and charged Cloud, ready to swipe with those long and dangerous claws. Cloud jumped past him and landed another hit on his shoulder, before running past him and trying to stab it into his underbelly. Where a layer of bone protected his whole stomach. "Well… that wasn't too bright Cloud."
"Damn," Cloud cursed and barely rolled out of the way as Fenrir dropped to its stomach, intending to squash the recruit. He jumped up and sank his sword into its side where it was only protected by a fairly thin layer of rot. He wondered in the back of his mind when Zack was going to stop shouting the praises and encouragements. They were slightly annoying.
- - - - - - -
"What do you think of him, Doctor?" Sergeant O'Reily asked Hojo who had his face pressed against the glass, practically salivating at the sight of Cloud.
"He would do wonders for the experiments I would have," Hojo said, a tinge of sadistic amusement to his voice. He watched as Cloud narrowly missed yet another swipe from a dangerous claw. "But, he is strong. Zack must have been teaching him a few things."
"Zack has… taken an interest in the boy," O'Reily said and looked towards President Shinra who was scratching his beard slightly. "Mr. President?" He turned to O'Reily. "What do you think of him? Remember, we are the judges here."
"I'm surprised he got here this quick. And it appears as if Zack did nothing to help. His Sword hardly looks touched," Itachi scoffed next to him.
"As if you know what a touched sword looks like." The President glared and went back to looking down at Cloud who landed a hit on the tail, chopping it off efficiently.
"He puts on quite a show, that he does. Most would never play like this and almost no one would dive back down the beasts' throat to retrieve his sword. Let's see how this ends up. He finishes in five minutes; I vote First Class treatment for him. If he can survive the experiments."
"Sounds like a plan," Hojo said, a sick and twisted smile appearing on his face. O'Reily looked towards the battlefield where Cloud was now bent over on one knee, spewing up whatever was left of his lunch. Fenrir seemed to be stumbling, missing balance without his tail there to help him.
"Five minutes, Cloud," O'Reily said and crossed his arms. "Let's see if you can do this, kid."
- - - - - - -
"The poison is affecting him," Sephiroth commented, one hand holding tightly onto Zack's shoulder to keep the SOLDIER from running off and trying to help his blonde companion. "Stop. If you had been listening, you would have heard that the President just placed a five-minute bet on Cloud. If he can do it, he's First Class."
Zack stilled, but didn't like it. "What does the poison do to him? If it includes death I'm running in there, no matter what you say," Sephiroth smirked.
"Just your basic poison." Zack growled and lunged. "Zachary. GET. OFF. ME."
"Tell me what the hell the poison does!"
"Get off me and I'll think about it!"
"Tell me!"
"Get off!"
Cloud's mind stirred back awake after hearing Zack's shout and turned his head, seeing Zack jumping on Sephiroth and shouting obscenities at the General. He got to his feet with the help of his sword and staggered for a moment, groaning. What the hell… He glared at Fenrir but his vision started to swim and it seemed like Fenrir was staggering, trying to stand.
"No balance…" He mused, seeing the absence of a tail that he didn't quite remember cutting off. He shook his head again and readied his sword, glaring at the monster. Remember what Zack had done to finish off the first creature, he slammed the blade tip into the ground and waited until the beast charged him.
Fenrir gave a loud roar and charged. Cloud grabbed the hilt and ran with it in the ground, holding it with both hands now. When he was within jumping distance he jumped and did a flip, landing on the head and slamming the tip into the top of his head. "Run boy!" Without missing a second of his airborne momentum, he ran with the blade, destroying precious motor functions. He jumped off the end, landing in a crouch with his blade stretched out behind him. "That was beautiful! If I had tear glands I'd use 'em!" Zack shouted, faking wiping away a tear.
As Cloud slowly stood up and turned around to look at Fenrir, he watched the monster collapse with a broken yell, the smell of rot suddenly stronger. He swayed on his feet and felt something wet hit his hand. He looked at his arm and was surprised to see it with a giant gash. It was throbbing painfully and he remembered Zack's poison warning.
He collapsed to his knees and looked up at the glass box, wondering what they thought of the poor and weak little pretty blonde.
"Cloud!" Zack shouted and ran foreword, out of the surprised Sephiroth's fingers. The raven-haired SOLDIER fell to his knees and lifted Cloud's shoulders, laying him on his back. Cloud groaned and covered his eyes. "Cloud, I need to see your eyes," Zack commanded and started to riffle through his pockets, looking for the healing materia he had stuffed somewhere in there.
"Strife?" Sephiroth said, standing above Cloud. His shadow blocked the sun from reaching baby blues and Zack opened his eyes forcefully, looking at the dilated pupils and the white sclera that had a green tint to them.
"Dummy. Just had to get yourself poisoned." Zack held up the materia and concentrated for a moment before a green mist enveloped Cloud and the gash in his arm healed, leaving a long pink scar that would probably never disappear. The tint in his eyes disappeared and Cloud struggled to his feet, tired but no longer felt as if he was going to pass out any second.
"Strife! I had no idea!" O'Reily boasted as he walked down the long steps from the glass container. "Now, head to the building where Sergeant Onroy is waiting to give you the written exam. Then you can leave. General, Colonel," O'Reily gestured to the box after acknowledging Sephiroth and Zack. "Please, join us while we wait for the rest of the recruits."
Cloud begun to limp off towards a jeep that would take him back, slipping the lightweight buster sword back into his harness tiredly. The hard part was over at least. As he slid into the backseat of the jeep his eyes rested on Zack's form and he mildly wondered if Zack had been staring at his bare chest the whole time, even though he was covered in rot.
The jeep started and the guard started to drive off down a road. "Wait!" A voice shouted and the jeep stopped suddenly, waking Cloud up with a bang. He looked around until a form jumped up next to him, wrapping him in their arms.
Zack? Cloud wondered and moved his head from a chest long enough to look up into Mako-enhanced violet eyes. "Hey, Spike." He brushed his lips against Cloud's forehead and the blonde shrank away, turning his head, reminding himself, I'm ignoring him.
Zack couldn't help but to feel a little hurt that Cloud had rejected him like that even thought he knew that Cloud was supposed to be ignoring him. But, at least he hadn't removed his arms from being around him.
"Sir, where would you like to be dropped off?" The guard asked, turning the jeep out of the forest.
"Wherever you drop the kid."
- - - - - - -
Cloud stumbled out of the testing room two hours later, falling asleep on his feet, his lightweight buster sword seeming even too heavy for him at the moment. When he fell, Zack caught him, surprising him.
He waited? Cloud thought and struggled to get up, not wanting to be that close to Zack when his feelings were in a jumble. Zack let him go but stood up with him and kept a hand on the small of his back to make sure he didn't pass out.
"Hey, Cloud, you were really great earlier. The Fenrir was Sephiroth's challenge, too." Cloud looked up at that and Zack continued. "But, he went against the actual thing, not the mutated version you went up against. But of course, he wasn't poisoned either while fighting the bastard."
Cloud fumbled with Zack's shirt that he was wearing. When they had gotten back to the school, Sergeant Onroy wouldn't let Cloud in unless he had a shirt on, which was pretty stupid if Zack thought so. So, Zack just unzipped his in the middle of the class and handed it to Cloud who blushed a bright red and slipped it on, getting two chuckles for how large it was on his body.
"But me? I got a stupid Behemoth." He kicked at the floor and stuffed his hands in his pockets, glaring at the tile. "I chopped off its head as soon as I spotted it, wondering why they gave me an overgrown moth. So they gave me two behemoths at once and when I did the same to them I kicked one of the heads up towards the glass box and yelled at them if that was all they had. Then Sephiroth came down and told me that I was the second person to become a First Class SOLDIER."
Zack opened the door to their room and walked in, unbuckling his harness from around his bare chest and sat it in the corner, taking Clouds' from him and setting it there also. Cloud stumbled past Zack and into the bathroom, ripping off clothes as he went, wanting to get rid of the rot as soon as possible.
Zack settled at the island in the kitchen knowing that his pants had rot and decay on them just from carrying and hugging Cloud since the fight with the first creature. He rested his elbows on the table and settled his head in the palm of his hands, digging his heel into his eyes to see the bright colors.
He sighed. What was he doing, being so nice to Cloud when all he had wanted to do before was just be the best friend by his side? When had that changed into something more? He had always lusted after the kid, ever since he had first seen him pinned up against the wall by that burly guy.
Zack raised his head, eyes crossed. What did Sephiroth do to that guy? He shook his head, Whatever and laid his head back down. Did he love the kid? Yeah, he loved him. He would practically do anything for him! Did he really love the kid? That was a question he didn't know yet. Zack sighed. I know that I really, really like the kid and I always want to be around him. That's why I ditched Seph earlier. Do I love him?
The bathroom opened and Cloud walked out, dressed in a pair of Zack's sweatpants and one of Zack's old black tee-shirts with the logo, Redemption and Revenge, the name of a band he had taken Aerith out to see a few years ago.
She didn't particularly like them.
Cloud sat down on the couch and flicked the television on, content and clean. "Hey, I'm gonna take a shower Cloud," Zack said and like usual, he didn't receive a response. He walked towards the bathroom and sighed as the steam escaped from the closed shower. He loved it when Cloud showered before him and took hot showers.
He climbed in and rested his head against the wall, thinking how adorable Cloud looked in his clothes. Maybe I do love him.
Zack walked out of the shower, pants low on his hips and towel-drying his hair with a blue cotton towel. He was humming a song to himself, violet eyes closed as he sat on the edge of the couch. "Hey Cloud, wanna go spar? Come on, you may have passed SOLDIER but it couldn't hurt could it?" He laughed and turned his head, expecting a glare. Instead he got Cloud sound asleep, face relaxed and he was hugging the yellow chocobo that Zack had gotten for him last Christmas.
Zack smiled and threw the towel onto the kitchen counter. He bent over and picked up Cloud, smiling at the small noise that Cloud made in his sleep. He walked towards his room and gently opened it with a bare toe, making his way through the clutter of paper and clothes scattered around the room.
He set Cloud on the unmade bed and pulled the covers up to his chin. Sitting on the edge of the bed he tentatively reached foreword and brushed his fingers through the blonde spikes slowly. Cloud made a sound of contentment and rubbed the hand slightly with his head.
Zack smiled and did it again. He leaned foreword and leaned down softly, just brushing his lips across Cloud's lightly. "Mmmm…. Zack…" Cloud whispered in his sleep and turned a bit. Zack jumped back as if burned, his heart pounding. When no more sounds or movement came from Cloud, Zack moved foreword and pulled the covers up to his chin. He leaned down and this time kissed Cloud's forehead.
"Night, Cloud," he whispered and walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
Cloud scratched his nose and woke up slightly, the hand on his nose drifting to his lips where he could still feel Zack's lips as if the SOLDIER really had kissed him. But, that had been all a dream, right?
Hmmm… so was it a dream or not? Yeah, yeah, I seem to be getting off the storyline. But, don't worry! Next chapter is definitely going to be something good! Cloud and Zack spending all day together? What is a first class SOLDIER to do?
And to my Reviewers; (15 this time!); Syciara-Lynx, Sekre, Nyoko Iso, tina, yukiislikesnow, animeobsession, Alatus (thanks for the military reminder), Heir to the World, Andrea Roberts (you'll just have to wait and find out...), ali, Seven Positions, shadow (if there are any more spelling mistakes, please tell me), OmniStrife, dragonchild, andFor-Better-.
Thank you!