Author Note: Well I can tell you guys enjoyed that last chapter by the number of views it received. If you liked that, I hope you will like what's coming soon.
Reviewer response:
Talin? Markin? Did you change your name or do I have a new reviewer? Thank you for your review.💗 I know a condom wouldn't normally be necessary in this situation, but I felt that either out of nerves or the small amount of research he did, that Talin would ask. I do so enjoy writing the fluffy parts between these guys and, oh boy, is there fluff to come...
Beta Readers: Pixie, Kiza, and Discord.
I do not own FF7 or any of its characters. Talin, Unit 28, and some other side characters are mine.
Chapter 26
The missions continued for the ever more exhausted SOLDIERs till, at last, the requests for aid ceased. Each mission had been exhausting for the Commanders, but both Angeal and Genesis had come home unscathed with a story or two for the group.
Talin had worried that Zack or Sephiroth would be sent out as well but neither had. Short of the President calling for Sephiroth's involvement, the great General had made it clear that he wasn't to be assigned any more missions while he was mentoring his Cadet.
Harsher training followed Talin's mastery of the basics of dual blade fighting. He found that he took to it like a fish to water but still got his ass kicked nearly every day. Angeal continued instructing him with Materia, helped from time to time by Genesis, and Zack monopolized his hand-to-hand training.
At times, he felt like he had four mentors instead of just one and none of them ever cut him any slack. Even Zack would show him no mercy when they spared, but that was just how he wanted it. He would make SOLDIER on his own merits, not because of his status as his General's trainee or any favoritism.
…
The last week of the quarter was reserved for finals and like all the others, Unit 28 was stressed. Each class had tests on different days, giving them time to prepare, but some had more faith in themselves than others. Talin was glad that half his classes had been cut when Sephiroth took him for mentoring but he still had four finals to take.
One was a rather simple endurance and strength test in their Gym/Conditioning class and the one for Military History was mostly memorization. The two that Talin was unsure about were his classes with Zack and Seph but his final with his mentor was more likely to be exciting rather than stressful.
The Commander's class posed a bit of a problem since they were seeing each other but leave it to Zack to come up with a clever solution. A 2nd Class friend, Lieutenant Kunsel, agreed to proctor both Talin's written test and then be his opponent in a match to evaluate his hand-to-hand skills. Since the 2nd didn't know Talin personally he was the perfect substitute. He also somehow already knew of his friend's relationship with the Cadet, though he wouldn't reveal his sources.
The written test was simple enough and Talin passed with no problems. The hand-to-hand match was more interesting by far. Talin arrived at the 50th-floor training room that night and was greeted by both Zack and Sephiroth along with Kunsel.
Zack was taking the time to review with the other SOLDIER what was covered in the quarter while Sephiroth waited with his mildly anxious trainee. Talin was doing a few stretches on one of the mats when his Mentor knelt down in front of him causing him to pause.
"You remember our rule about tests?" Talin did. They'd had a conversation about it before finals week started.
"Ya, no holding back on tests." To be honest, that's why he was nervous. If it had been one of the 1st's he wouldn't have felt this way, but anyone else? The only saving grace was that it was only hand-to-hand and none of the strikes, throws, or grapples were that dangerous.
"I mean it Talin, I don't want to see you pull your punches today. You're going against someone who can take it..." The General paused and then Talin saw something he normally only saw from Zack. A glint of mischief in those crystal green eyes and a challenging smirk. "Lieutenant Kunsel only knows of you from what he's heard from his sources, but no one outside of the four of us has ever seen you fight at your best..."
"He's expecting the abilities of a Cadet, maybe a bit more?" Sephiroth nodded as he stood and extended a hand to pull Talin to his feet.
"That's right. Let's rectify that assumption, shall we?" The gleam of mischief disappeared as they turned to face the others.
"Ready, Cadet?" Kunsel had made his way over to their sparring mat and was doing a few stretches as well.
"Yes, Sir," From the moment he had been helped up off the floor, the teen had been pulling Mako. The slow trickle of it didn't light him up like a glowstick but enhanced his strength and speed all the same without giving him away. Once both were ready, Zack stepped back and signaled them to begin. The takedown was fast and without mercy.
Poor Kunsel had been warned not to take Talin lightly, but who would expect that explosion of speed from an unenhanced Cadet? One second, he'd been in his ready position, all set to test the newbie, the next he was on the floor trapped like a fly in a web.
Zack couldn't help his laugh at his friend's predicament and called time to the first round. Later, Angeal would hear that it was a hold he had trained Talin on just the week prior that had so stunned the 2nd class SOLDIER.
For the sake of fairness, Zack decided that the first round would be considered practice so the two lined back up and began again. To the amusement of some and chagrin of others, Talin managed to win two of the three matches before Kunsel finally overpowered the teen in the last round.
"Dang, kid," Kunsel grumbled from the mat next to Talin, "I heard rumors but how long are you planning to hide that kind of talent?" The words may have been aimed at the Cadet but Sephiroth knew they were also for him. The truth about his trainee's abilities had been much suppressed and with good reason.
The match over, Talin officially had passed his third final for the quarter and he was released to go work with his Unit. The others had taken advantage of his lack of classes to use him for a study partner or sparring partner as needed and most were reaping the benefits.
Of all the cadets of Unit 28, only Hank and Joey had low scores on their finals. Joey passed by a single point in his Monster Studies class and Hank scraped by with just a passing grade in Military History. Several lamented their scores falling short in one class or another but, with a sigh of relief, none of them would have to repeat any class next quarter.
Talin's 'final' with his General was scheduled for the last day of the quarter. With all the other classes done, most of the cadets were free to relax for the week but Talin was still a bit on edge. He wanted to convince himself that it was just another class, another test, and he would be fine, but Sephiroth could be merciless.
Friday came quickly and, leaving his celebrating comrades in the barracks, Talin grabbed his blades and headed up to meet his Mentor. The walk that he had taken every day for months felt uncommonly long, as did the elevator ride but before he was ready for it, he was already at the training room door watching it slide open.
The lights were on so no sneak attack like he had almost expected. Zack was standing just inside the door holding Angeal's buster sword with a wide smile on his face. With a wink, the playful 1st pointed across the room.
Whispers of sound hit Talin's ears before his eyes caught up with the action. The grind of steel meeting steel, a hiss of air over sharp edges, and the small sounds of exertion as a combatant sprung back into the fray. The three elites of Shin-Ra were sparring again, and this time Talin didn't withhold himself from the fight.
Silently, he drew his blades and shrugged off the harness, tracking the movements of the three 1sts and waiting for his opportunity. With a surge of Mako, the Cadet made a wild lunge into the midst of the heavyweights, his target, his General.
Back to Talin to guard against Genesis, he couldn't have seen the attack coming, but with a flash, Masamune caught and deflected the sneak attack. The ring of their blades was like the bell on a boxing match and the two were off like lightning. Too slow to truly keep up, Talin did his best and used his speed in bursts to evade or spring in at an unexpected angle. But their fight wasn't private. Genesis and Angeal, while more than willing to spar with each other, found more amusement in diving in and out of the student-teacher battle.
It was the most exhilarating fight of the teen's life. Every drop he could safely pull of Mako was alive in his blood like wildfire and his mind was cleared of all other concerns to focus on the here and now. By the end of their game, and it couldn't be called anything but a game, Talin was sweating and fighting to catch his breath.
Collapsing onto the floor, blades loosely held in outstretched hands, he laughed as his three opponents landed to stand over him, each with a satisfied smirk at running their poor cadet raged. Tired to his bones, Talin just lay there, even after the others moved away to get water or to talk with Zack, and his mind drifted. The clarity of his mind during the fight carried over to this peaceful moment and he found himself thinking back on the quarter.
He had been so unsure when he'd arrived at Shin-Ra. About his place in the world, his ability to fit in among so many strangers, his chances of making anything of himself with a deck possibly stacked against him. In the end, a moment of protective rage had changed the course of his life.
He had been pulled from among hundreds, challenged to rise above any obstacle, and given a goal, to become a SOLDIER. His strength and speed had increased, his control over himself was honed, and he had found a weapon that matched him perfectly. To top it all, he'd found a family among his Unit, the affection and support of Angeal and Genesis, steady guidance from Sephiroth, and Zack... Zack had given Talin the first taste of what a relationship could be.
The shifting thoughts mixed with the Cadet's exhaustion and when Seph came back over to check on him, he found the teen dead asleep. Swords were pulled from limp hands and stowed into their sheath before the General gathered his sleeping trainee and carried him over to his apartment.
Sephiroth had been having his own moment of reflection during their match and found himself... more than glad... Happy? Gratified? None felt like the right word to express what he felt at having Talin as his student. Whatever else he felt, pride was also a part of it. His spitfire of a Cadet was shaping up to be an extremely talented and powerful addition to the ranks and, with every day, grew more a friend to himself and the 1sts.
Careful not to wake him, Seph left Talin on the couch and told the others to leave him be. Zack wouldn't be dissuaded however, and snuggled up with the teen while Gen and Angeal followed the General upstairs.
Well away from the sleeping Cadet, Angeal closed the bedroom door behind them before turning to his companions. "So, wanna tell us what's on your mind, Seph?"
The silver 1st had been mulling something over for a few days but none of them had been able to wheedle the subject from him. Now he'd had time to think it over, he knew it would have to be a group discussion.
"When Talin first became my Trainee, I considered him my problem. Anything that would come from training him would be for me to deal with." Sephiroth leaned back into his chair and crossed his arms, displeased with his old way of thinking. "Now, I think I can safely say that Talin is our problem."
"And what problem has our young Cadet created?" Gen couldn't help his smirk as he thought of a few things that could be considered problematic to their beloved General.
"He's becoming one, and we need to figure out what our plan is." When neither caught what he meant, he elaborated. "He's a quick learner and keeps getting stronger and faster with every week that passes. Yes, he became my Trainee because of those qualities, but now other eyes are going to start turning to him, looking for results..." Seph could tell that his words hit their mark when the others relaxed posture became rigid with tension. "So, I ask again. What's our plan?"
…
The week break between quarters was a blessing for the worn-out cadets. Most took the time to travel back home to see loved ones or went on a vacation out of the city, but Talin felt a bit lost. He didn't have family to visit and, as much as he thought about exploring, he couldn't bring himself to leave the city just yet. There was only one place that he wanted to see and he had no idea where it was.
The field had become a phantom image behind his eyes when he closed them. The man he kept meeting had said it was real, but how do you even start hunting for something like that? As a substitute, Talin visited the VR room several times on his week off trying to assuage his longing to find the real thing. It helped, and he wondered if he could find more time to visit the virtual space to just meditate or relax. He was sure things were going to get more stressful soon and he would need it.
With the first quarter of the year over, the number of active cadets fell drastically. Some quit the program due to a change in opinion on what they wanted to do. Others were kicked out for bad grades or poor performance. Most left quietly, rejection letter in one hand and their bag of belongings in the other, but a few caused a scene. One such Cadet had to be hauled out and put on a train by force when he refused to accept his dismissal.
Second quarter classes were announced a few days later and Talin's Unit was in for a surprise. Every afternoon on Fridays, they were now assigned for patrol in Sector 8. Normally, patrol duties didn't start till 3rd quarter but the notes on their transcripts made everything clear.
Due to exemplary performance in the field and high marks for all cadets in 1st Quarter classes, Unit 28 has been assigned to special advanced patrol duties in Sector 8. Cadets will be supervised by the SOLDIER in command every Friday night from 2pm till 8pm.
Some groaned while others were excited for the early chance to start earning some money. Patrol of any sector came with a small payment for each completed shift, and Sector 8 was extra easy. Clean and full of the more well-respected residents, 8 was the quietest patrol you could ask for and crime was more likely to be petty theft than any violent acts. If anything, this was more a chance for them to get used to working a patrol than to actually prevent crime.
The only disadvantage was that Talin wouldn't get to have his Friday afternoon session with the General. When he brought his schedule up to Seph's apartment for dinner with the other 1sts, they decided that the occasional Saturday training session could be arranged. Angeal additionally offered to take him out of the city for Materia training or outdoor sparring on those days if the weather was wasn't too bad.
The rest of his schedule only had two classes that took up his morning hours. Materia and Mako studies started out interesting, till the teacher found out he was part of the class. Professor Boyd had so many questions when he stopped Talin from leaving each day that he almost missed the start of his next class more than once. He was asked to show him his arms, the change when using Mako, his eyes, and so on. Worse were the questions regarding his development while exposed to Mako that bordered on rude even for a curious scientist. It became a habit for one person to hang back and call Talin to hurry up for the next class so he could escape the fixated instructor.
The second class each day was World history. As much as he dreaded having another history class, the Cadet knew he would need it to know more of the places he could be sent as a SOLDIER. It was slow going, with a teacher who liked to get onto long explanations on a minute topic, but it did give him some insight into the world outside of the city.
Sessions with Sephiroth were the only thing that kept him from tearing his hair out. And Zack. Every Friday night after patrol, Talin would meet him for dinner at the Commander's apartment, and what a relief those nights were.
The only thing better than relaxing time with his lover was the intimate time with that lover. They may not have crossed off many more items from Talin's list of firsts, but the ones they did were done thoroughly.
Passionate nights were followed by quiet mornings at one of the SOLDIER's apartments where Talin and Angeal took turns cooking breakfast with the occasional help of the others. As weeks passed, Talin saw a subtle change in the General and Commanders. It was slow, but he began noticing more and more affection between the four.
Sure, they were probably that way normally, but not around him. Not around anyone as far as the Cadet could gather. As much as people knew they were together, not one whisper of "did you see them?" or "I caught X with Y" but now, on an almost daily basis, Talin saw at least one blatant show of affection between them. A kiss on a cheek or lips, a caressing cuddle on the couch, even Sephiroth pulling Angeal to lean against him while they watched the sunset one night.
Talin also felt more at ease. Seeing their easy attentions made him feel better about accepting Zack's and, on more than one occasion, Genesis's. Nothing like what the Red Commander gave to his lovers, but several times the teen found himself scooped up and settled in Gen's lap like a large stuffed toy to be snuggled or suddenly the focus of a fantastic shoulder massage.
Friday nights and Saturday's became the best part of Talin's week, and the added bonus of going out for training was icing on the cake. Even in the rain and mud, Angeal and Sephiroth would take him out for sparring and all three would end up covered nearly head to toe in mud and Mako vapor rainwater. Thankfully there was a vacant guard station between the training ground and the city where they could shower. It would never do to let two of Shin-Ra's finest appear in public looking any less than perfect or so he had been laughingly told by Angeal.
Several weeks into the new quarter, Talin was pounced on by Zack when he came into the man's apartment from his Friday patrol. Arms wrapped around his neck, legs hooked over slim hips, and the teen did his best to hold the sudden weight.
"I found it!" Too tired to do anything else, the Cadet just attempted to keep the overexcited mass of SOLDIER from falling.
"Found what?" Letting them lean back against the closed door, Talin found himself trying not to laugh at the exuberant smile on Zack's face. The 1st really was way too adorable when he was happy.
"I found the perfect gift for Angeal!" With a quick kiss, Zack hopped down and went running back into the apartment. "Remember how I was looking for that special flower? Well, the lady in sector six finally found me the seeds."
Finally free of his boots and blade harness, Talin followed into the bedroom in time to see his lover pull a small wrapped packet out of a box. "What was so special about them again? Was it the color?"
"Yes and no, they're from the town where Angeal and Gen grew up and the flowers are the same color purple as the Banora apples he likes so much." Knowing the older SOLDIER's love of plants, it really was the perfect gift.
Talin had found a gift days ago and, unexpectedly, already gave it to him. He'd bought a small watering can in the shape of a chocobo after seeing Angeal's old one looking like it was about to fall apart. When that worn-out can cracked the very next day, Talin decided to give it to him early.
As such, he had nothing to give Angeal on his birthday and had been trying to think of something, anything, else. Nothing had been forthcoming but Zack's mention of flowers gave him an idea...
…
Since Angeal's birthday was on a Tuesday, they decided to have a birthday breakfast on the Saturday before so the next morning, Talin got up early to go start cooking. They were having breakfast at Seph's apartment that morning and by the time the birthday boy arrived, a delicious smelling feast was ready for them all. Anything he could remember Angeal saying he liked was on the menu from omelets with fresh veggies and cheese to the rarely indulged white chocolate chip pancakes.
The five spent a large portion of the morning at the table talking about everything and nothing while enjoying the food. This time around, it was Genesis's turn to wash dishes but he complained bitterly about it till Zack gave in and helped with the cleanup.
Talin had been trying to think of a good time to give his new gift and found it when he, Angeal, and Seph all moved to the living room. Catching ahold of the dark-haired SOLDIER's sweater, Talin got his attention.
"Hey, Geal, could I steal you for a bit?" Neither saw the quirk of an eyebrow from the General at the tentative question or the small smirk that was quickly hidden behind a cup of coffee.
"Sure, T. What's up?" Talin shook his head and headed towards the door without answering, a small secretive smile tugging at his lip. Without a word he found himself shadowed down the hall, kept his silence at the questioning look in the elevator, and made his way quickly to the VR rooms.
"Ok, Talin, why are we in the VR room?" Angeal said with a laugh as Talin went to the terminal, unable to withhold his questions any longer.
"I wanted to give you something else for your birthday. It isn't really much, but I thought you would like it." Talin said as he turned back to the SOLDIER and pressed enter. Their eyes met in a challenging staring contest as particles flew about, forming the terrain at blinding speed.
Angeal broke the eye contact to look about just as the room lit up with sunlight revealing a wide-open field under a midday sun. Cloudless skies stretched into the distance and all around him, thousands of flowers in full bloom swayed in a light breeze.
"Is this... your field?" He asked quietly, looking out at the beauty that Talin had never been able to fully describe to him. Talin hummed an affirmative and wandered out into the flowers followed slowly by the bigger man.
"I can see why it was so memorable for you." The words were still quiet, as if he was worried about breaking the tranquil feeling of the place. Talin turned back to him with a smile before he flopped down on the ground sending petals into the light breeze. Angeal winced at the thought of the broken flowers till he remembered that they were simulated. He chuckled at himself before following Talin's lead. With more grace than Talin's flop, he lay down at an angle from the Cadet and he turned his head to look over at him.
"Thank you, Talin. I'm sure I'll be using it for meditation as soon as Zack or Genesis pull another prank." They shared a laugh at the duo's known penchant for causing chaos and then fell into an easy silence.
"So, this is where you keep hearing that voice, huh? Did it happen again recently to make you think of this?" Angeal asked as he folded his arms under his head.
"No, nothing recent. The last time was actually back on my first mission." Talin raised his own arms to mirror their positions, their elbows just barely touching.
"Oh? You never told me about that one. Did you get any more answers?" Talin laughed in chagrin.
"Yes and no. It was really short. I asked if this place was important and if it was a real place somewhere. He said yes, it was important to him and it is, or was, a real place." He paused before continuing. "I want to find it 'Geal... I want to lay under the real sun and smell the flowers and find out if I feel the same kind of peace there as I do when I come here in my dreams." The words spilled out before he could decide against them. It was the most he had ever admitted about what this place meant to him but it felt right to tell Angeal. It conveyed just how much Talin was sharing by offering this place to the Commander.
He could feel the SOLDIER looking at him as he spoke and turned, locking eyes again with that deep ocean blue gaze. There was something else in those eyes, something he wasn't able to place... The look was Angeal's normal intense and thoughtful one, but for some reason this time Talin felt his heart skip.
Startled by that reaction, the Cadet turned away to look back up at the sky. His own eyes were too sensitive to the bright light after the gloom of Midgar and he let them close. The warmth of the simulated sunlight relaxed him and with a conscious effort, Talin felt his heartbeat calm down again.
He heard Angeal shift to sit up and then the sun and its warmth were blocked above him. "If that's what you want Talin, I'll help you find it." Talin didn't open his eyes till he heard rustling on either side of his body. When he did, his heart skipped again.
The 1st was leaning over him, hands on the ground just below Talin's elbows. With his arms still folded under his head, he found himself loosely trapped. Heart already pounding again, when they locked eyes this time he couldn't look away.
"We all have things we want in life..." Angeal said quietly. His voice dropped an octave as he leaned down closer and suddenly Talin knew what he had been seeing in those intense eyes. Want.
"Tell me what else you want, Cadet..."
Author Note: Don't kill me! *Runs for life and limb* Make sure to come back next week to see where this goes...
