The moment Zack walked into the courtroom everyone turned. There were gasps, some pointed, some whispered amongst themselves. Some snapped away pictures as Zack made his way to sit behind where Cloud was supposed to sit beside his attorney.
Some anxious minutes later Emilia opened the door, followed by Cloud. They held up the same energy and confidence as last time. This time it was noticed when Cloud turned his head to glance at Zack.
Quickly he returned to focus on his attorney, but the moment of weakness was seen. In that one second there were more cameras going off than the beginning of their introduction.
Unfortunately the trial was pushed back due to Garrett falling sick. This time the date was pushed back two months. Everyone saw the fury on Emilia's face. She rose and walked with an anger in her step. Cloud followed behind her mirroring the same frustration. To everyone's surprise Zack followed behind Cloud on the way out.
Immediately the three were swarmed by the press soon as they left the courtroom. It was so dizzying with all the cameras flashing. Cloud actually had trouble keeping focus, so Emilia slowed down and Zack guided him.
"My client and I won't be answering any questions at this time." Emilia brushed off the media.
"Zack! Can you answer a few questions? Is it true you're in a relationship with Cloud?"
"Sorry, not today." Zack shook his head. Of course having his arm around Cloud's waist didn't go by unnoticed.
Tseng pulls up front in the usual black car. Emilia opens the door and Cloud goes in first, followed by Zack. Emilia slams the door a little harshly.
"At the very least, we gave them a distraction. But I am wondering how long they intend to pull the card that one of them is sick." Emilia breathed in to calm down.
"It might not be fake. When cut off from mako, it makes the body go through withdrawal symptoms." Tseng informs.
"I didn't know that part." Zack frowns.
"It is often left out of the discussion because hardly anyone has been dishonorably discharged." The Turk shrugged.
"What do we do, Em?" By now Cloud felt comfortable enough to use her nickname Rufus so adoringly calls her.
"For now, start playing up the fake relationship. Again you don't have to do anything further than holding hands or going out for lunches. Make them assume that you guys are together and that will be enough to draw away the speculation of you being with Sephiroth."
She turned to Zack with a small smile.
"You did a great good start when we left. If you ever see an opportunity like that again then keep it up."
"Right. I just don't want two certain people to be the cause of my death." He laughed nervously.
"Why? She seems too sweet to kill people." Cloud tilts his head. Tseng actually chuckled.
"It's the sweet ones you have to watch out for. If given the chance, she might make Sephiroth run."
"I don't see that is ever possible?" The blond raised an eyebrow.
"As a sweet lady myself, I can confirm. We're more than meets the eye." Emilia giggled.
"Not to self, don't piss off the sweet ladies." Cloud muttered to himself.
And so they took the advice given and ran with it. They started out slow. Whenever they were out in public they held hands. It felt awkward at first but eventually they got used to it.
Whenever Zack returned from missions that Cloud didn't go on, he made sure to grab two meals from a restaurant. Of course no one knew that the lieutenant actually ate both of them, but it did spark debate who the second one was meant for. And since no paparazzi weren't allowed in Shinra HQ no one could get an answer.
As these actions began to go by noticed by the public, they took it a little further and began to go on "dates". When this started Sephiroth warned them he wanted to hear nothing of it. He didn't want any warnings or talk about it.
When the two abided by this, Sephiroth still couldn't fully escape from the news. The newspapers had them on the headlines. Picking up the general's frustrations Zack avoided him at all costs until the mood passed.
And at one point Sephiroth refused to go further than holding or kissing. The images of his lover going out on "dates" with Zack made him hurt. At first he was furious and thus would lead to rough sex. But as time went on he felt depressed. Which completely destroyed his libido.
Cloud tried spicing things up a bit. But when that didn't work he gave up trying. He felt hurt and defeated that he couldn't please Sephiroth anymore. With this change within him it was immediately noticed by his therapist. But the doctor couldn't get anything out of him.
Hojo took notice of the changes in the reports. He didn't have to speculate what was happening. He had noticed the change in Sephiroth as well and put two and two together. Soon he began to work on specialized cells that created a magnet effect.
Finally Hojo succeeded at the very end of the two month period. Just as things were about to reach the breaking point between Sephiroth and Cloud, Hojo had his plan set in place. He scheduled for them to come in on the same day twenty minutes apart.
After all this has become his favorite private experiment. Hojo wasn't going to allow them to separate when there was so much potential. So many possibilities on what the future held for Cloud to rise in the ranks of SOLDIER.
The first to enter was Sephiroth. And as Hojo expected he was unaware Cloud was to come in. Hojo mixed the mako with Magnet A cells and administered the dose.
"Why am I all the way in the back?" Sephiroth wondered after the injection was given.
"The rest of the rooms are being cleaned at this very moment. After fifteen minutes for any signs of changes and there is none, it will be time to move into one of the special rooms to determine any changes with your strength and speed." Hojo never gave off that he was anxious to see the results.
He had years to gain patience. There was no harm in waiting fifteen minutes. Hojo left Sephiroth alone in the room and made his way to where Cloud was to be brought. And just as predicted Cloud arrived eight minutes early. He had grown accustomed to doing so since he hated these appointments.
So nearly two minutes later Hojo brought Cloud into his assigned room. He procured the dose of mako and Magnet B cells. These were modified S and J Cells so they wouldn't cause any harmful side effects. And at the fifteen minute mark after Sephiroth's dose, Hojo administered the injection within Cloud.
There was an immediate reaction.
"What? What's happening?" Cloud flinched in obvious pain.
"How do you feel?" Hojo watched as Cloud raised a hand to the blond spikes.
"It hurts. But...what? Sephiroth? Sephiroth is here?" Cloud blinks and suddenly the green increased in a dramatic ratio. The original blue color still held, but the green had overtaken around the irises.
And then Cloud moans. He had a starry off look in his eyes. As if he was seeing but his brain wasn't registering that Hojo was standing right in front of him. Hojo smirked as he watched Cloud gets up and leaves, heading for the direction of Sephiroth without even knowing the layout of the labs.
Hojo procured a tablet and watched the security cameras. He grinned as he saw Sephiroth doing the same as Cloud.
When they reunited Cloud jumps into Sephiroth's arms. Practically wrapped his whole body around him. Sephiroth lifts him up to carry him. And their lips clashed in a heated kiss that left them both breathless.
Cloud loses himself. His brain shut off. It didn't matter to him where they were. All he wanted was Sephiroth. Needed him as much as he needed oxygen. It was all so overwhelming and yet felt so right at the same moment.
The blond whimpers as he tries to move his hips in this awkward position. Somehow that gives Sephiroth the realization that they weren't somewhere private. He pulls away from the kiss to focus on walking while carrying Cloud, who but all whined.
"Shhh, you will have me soon. Patience." Sephiroth whispered.
"Please - oh God please!" Cloud gasped out.
Those words gave Sephiroth a rush. To reward the blond for them one hand moved to be placed over the firm ass. Fingers began to tease through the pants uniform. Cloud shudders and moans.
"Keep quiet. Quiet until we get to our room." Sephiroth instructed, and despite the obvious intensity of the hormones flowing through him Cloud manages to only gasp quietly.
When they entered the lobby area Reno looked up.
"Yo, what the hell happened?" The redhead didn't quite know how to process this.
"Follow. You're locking the elevator doors until we reach our floor." Sephiroth snarled, eyes burning brightly.
"But that's - "
"Does it look like he can contain himself right now? My patience is thinning by the second. If some executive sees us, I will kill them." Sephiroth paused to give the most heated death glare Reno ever seen.
The redhead Turk gulps and wordlessly moved to open the elevator doors. When they were inside Reno used his keycard to activate the security procedure that prevents them from opening unless he swipes his keycard again. All the while he bit his lip as he forced himself to watch the numbers drop as he listened to the sounds Cloud was making.
To Reno's growing horror the elevator stopped a few floors above their destination. He could faintly hear people on the other side slightly panicking. Reno flinched when Cloud cried out in frustration.
"Patience." Sephiroth hissed.
Reno was terrified they were about to do it right then and there. And awkwardly he was beginning to feel turned on by all of this. The redhead couldn't help it with the soft whimpers and gasps Cloud made. He wasn't sure if he could keep himself together if they put on a show and not join in even if Sephiroth slits his throat afterwards.
Finally after what felt like an eternity the elevator began to move. Reno had mixed feelings with this. On one hand, Zack didn't have to experience this. Whatever this was. But Reno wished Tseng had been the one. That man can keep a straight face no matter the situation.
The only person to crack Tseng's mask was Rufus. So therefore Tseng would handle this situation without being awkwardly turned on. Reno knew himself pretty well to know he will have very detailed wet dreams for a long time.
Reno tasted blood in his mouth. He released pressure in his bite because of the pain. He carefully made sure not to make any noise as he sucked in his own blood so it wouldn't be noticed.
The elevator dinged for their floor. Reno moved his arm so quickly he slapped the card against the scanner. The elevator doors opened and Sephiroth swiftly walks down the hallway. A few feet away he turns halfway for a glance at Reno. He smirked upon noticing a slight redness around the bottom lip.
"Don't speak a word to anyone of this. And please spread the word I won't be reachable for the rest of the day. Make up whatever excuse you find feasible."
Not trusting how his voice would sound Reno nods. Satisfied of his answer Sephiroth turned and continued down the hallway to his suite. When the doors closed Reno let out a loud gasp as he backs away into a corner.
He visibly shakes as he does his best to calm his own hormones. Reno pulls out his phone as he stumbled to the buttons and pressed his floor.
"What is it now, Reno?" Tseng answered.
"Boss...you gotta check the security cameras of one of the elevators." His voice cracked halfway through.
"What happened?"
"It's Cloud and Sephiroth."
