OoOOoOO

A/N: WARNING: This got a little darker than I meant at the end: very-dub-con/ non-con and implied past non-con; not explicit. I tried to rewrite and it keeps coming back- it explains some things that were otherwise hard to make work.

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Supposition: Hugs are 'good'.

Null Hypothesis: Disproven, statistical power needed.

Further experimentation necessary.

Pilot study complete, results confusing. What part of encounter was 'good'? Likely not location-dependent, but may have been the result of any of a number of possible variables. Initial experiment is clear.

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"Oh, hey, Seph! Did you want to spar?" Zack lowered his sword, panting a bit. He and Kunsel had been trying out their new First strength. The injections since being promoted were really a kick in the teeth. He'd already broken four doornobs, six coffee mugs, jumped into the ceiling doing squats three times and broken who knows how many writing implements. "Seph?" The guy was practically... stalking him. Zack started to sweat for other reasons.

"Zachary... I see you are not alone." Sephiroth's eyes slid over to Kunsel appraisingly.

As if that didn't intensify the creepy-meter by about a hundred times.

"Er, no..." Zack looked over at his buddy... while keeping an eye on the General.

"Hmm. I will have to wait until you are alone." Sephiroth mused, seemingly to himself.

"Uh... sir...? You are really creeping me out." Zack hoped that wouldn't get him skewered. He remembered quite well what had happened to that Cloud guy only a few days before.

"Noted." Sephiroth replied stiffly, then spun on his heel and left.

"What." Zack blinked.

"It's probably one of those times it is better not to ask." Kunsel adjusted his helmet nervously, making sure it was covering the weak points in this neck. "Unless it is about those pictures. I will throw you under the bus on those so quickly you will not be able to deflect it, I swear to Gaia."

Zack turned to his buddy, putting on Puppy Eyes level 2.

"Oh, no, that is not going to work you asshole." Kunsel made a cutting gesture with his hand. "I already had to deal with almost being killed by Cloud. There's only so much my heart can put up with when such high level guys look at me like that, ok?"

Zack rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Well, ok, Kunsel, but seriously- how could I not take those pictures? They were so freaking cute! It was hardly even a conscious decision!"

"I hope you still feel that way in the afterlife." Kunsel retorted.

"Yeah..." Zack thought he probably would.

OOOOOOOooo

Presence of others confounds data. Make sure to assess when subject is alone and/or may need a secondary arm to study for effects of multiple participants and/or observation whilst performing task.

OooOoOOoooo

"Oh, hey, Seph... you know I would never do anything with those pictures, heh, right?" Zack twitched nervously as Sephiroth came up to him. He closed his eyes when his superior rushed him, knowing that he stood no chance and attacking would only get him court-martialed. His brain hysterically babbled that it was self defense, honest... erm.

"Seph, are you hugging me?" Zack asked.

"Yes."

"Oh." Zack cautiously patted Sephiroth on the back. "Er... want to talk about it?" He started to try to peel away. Sephiroth let him go, reluctantly.

"I have nothing I wish to discuss."

Zack blinked. "Ok." Sephiroth moved forward again. "Whoah, um, ok... so... it's really great that you have taken my advice but maybe work on timing?"

Sephiroth's eyebrows pulled together slightly and he stared at Zack like a bug caught in a jar.

"Erm... you know, when it's appropriate and stuff. Because... staring at someone is weird, right?"

"Hmm."

"Ok, so... I'm going to go now." Zack cautiously crept out of the doorway. Why had Sephiroth suddenly glomped him? How weird. Maybe he was on his mako or something. In which case, best to mosey before the impulse flipped aggressive.

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Data partially successful, though giving subject opportunity to escape from experimental conditions can lead to failure. This has been a well-known fact established by many trials on the experimenter.

OoOooOOoooo

"Sephiroth, what!?" Angeal held his arms out in shock, before rolling his eyes. Zack had told him about this. "Ok, here's your hug." He patted Sephiroth awkwardly. Honestly, a grown man acting like a five year old- it was embarrassing. And the behavior was making the lower Soldiers actively avoid their General or get... inappropriate trying to be the next huggee. "Ok, we're done." Angeal peeled Sephiroth off of him. Which proved surprisingly difficult, to the point he heard something pop in his chest and had a feeling he'd just dislocated a rib. "Sephiroth! That hurts! Get off of me!" Angeal flung Sephiroth away angrily. Superior or no, that was just not ok. "You can't just assault people!" He snapped, before spinning and walking away.

OoOOoOOOOo

Hurting of subjects is counter-productive to intended goals. However, reluctance evident. Stemming from hitherto unknown social rule? Limit to type, duration, location or number of encounters as set social norm? Unknown.

OoOOoOooooo

"Genesis."

"Oh, er... hi, Sephiroth. I was uh..." Genesis looked down at the bottle of grape ShinRa-Aid in his hand then back at his General sheepishly. Of course the man had caught him sneaking into his office to steal his stash of electrolyte drinks... Sephiroth was nothing if not good at showing up at the exact right moment. Genesis just hoped the retribution wouldn't be too bad.

Sephiroth took a step forward.

"Ok! Ok!" Genesis put his hands up, wincing as Sephiroth tracked the bottle in his hand. "'The thirsty earth soaks up the rain,/ And drinks and gapes for drink again; /... Should every creature drink but I'?!" The vending machines were down to that fake stuff that tasted (and looked) like goat piss and they don't restock until Monday and all the shops were closed on the weekend unless you went down below the plate and... Genesis dropped the bottle as Sephiroth continued to approach. He felt himself go stiff. Sephiroth couldn't kill him this close, right? Well, not with Masumune, anyway, but probably the stronger man could snap his neck without too much fuss... oh, Goddess.

"We can discuss the drinks." Sephiroth said with an odd look. He was standing no more than four inches from Genesis and practically vibrating.

"Um..." Genesis replied weakly, feeling a bit faint. He didn't even see Sephiroth move until he was swept up against a rock hard chest, with his arms pinned to his sides. Genesis stiffened so much he almost broke his own neck. "Urk!"

"You are not making this very satisfactory." Sephiroth noted, sounding clinical and detached.

Genesis' mind spun. Making what satisfactory!? Was this... the love triangle was clearly a joke, but Sephiroth could be so literal...

"Was it too fast?" Sephiroth asked.

"Yes." Genesis gasped out gratefully. Whatever this was, it was definitely way too fast.

"Hmm." Sephiroth released him.

Genesis backed away, eyeing his superior warily. Sephiroth started to come towards him again, this time quite a bit slower. "No, ok, you know what? Once was enough." Sephiroth stopped and his lip twitched in almost a... pout? What the hell? "Once was definitely enough. More than enough, ever." Genesis babbled, not even quoting anything just so he could be clear. Getting glomped by Sephiroth was definitely the closest he had ever come to pissing his pants.

Sephiroth let his arms drop and stood still as Genesis edged out of the room, only turning his head to track the movement.

"'Our song and feast shall flow... / When the storm has ceased to blow.'" Yes, he will definitely be buying Sephiroth a case of his favorite flavors... Fruit Punch, Lemon Lime, Grape, all the good stuff. Even that light blue one that the Seconds stabbed each other for- Freeze or something. Making his escape, heart pounding, Genesis desperately tried to figure out what that had been about. "My friend, the fates are cruel..."

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Sephiroth frowned at the dropped bottle of hydration supplement, thinking. He was clearly doing something wrong and his experimental evidence was getting to be too hard to distinguish from the noise of social interaction. As per usual. Why he even bothered was a good question and one he had temporarily forgotten after the success with Cloud... or maybe that hadn't been success at all?

He picked up the purple bottle and placed it back in the minifridge, slowly closing the door.

Experimental arm 1b- control against random samplings and exploration of the effects of gender.

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"Seph is acting really oddly." Zack burst out randomly the second he saw Cloud.

"Um... ok?" Cloud finished mixing in the sugar in his coffee and sipped it.

"Well?"

"Why do I have to do something about it?" Cloud asked.

"Because he already tried to kill you and you didn't seem to mind. The rest of us want to live!" Zack gestured wildly. "He's been, like, hugging us all, it's weird. He hurt Angeal doing it, too, and Genesis is mumbling the whole Loveless play to himself and staring off into the air. Kunsel won't even talk to me. It's not right."

Cloud blinked at Zack. Well... this was certainly different. "I'll talk to him, but I am still on vacation."

"One, no you are not, because you are literally working full time for Shinra."

"By using materia to do paperwork and pursuing my dreams to become a fresh-ingredient chef." Cloud pointed out.

"And two! You and Sephiroth are definitely something and he's not listening to anyone else, so you have to. And, you know, try not to almost die again." Zack finished stubbornly.

"Fine." Cloud sipped his coffee and turned back to his report.

"No, I mean, right now! Look!" Zack shoved his PHS underneath Cloud's face. Cloud went cross-eyed looking at it, but once he could comprehend the picture he set the mug down so hard the handle broke off and dark liquid splashed on the table.

"What does he think he is doing? They will eat him alive!" Cloud asked in horror.

"See!"

But Cloud had already darted off by the time Zack pulled his PHS back to his chest. The Silver Elite message boards were alight with a call for some 'contact time' out in the courtyard, complete with the picture in question. There were already over a dozen people surrounding Sephiroth, one in his arms.

"What are you thinking, Seph?" Zack muttered worriedly.

OooooOooo

Sephiroth tried to pry the females off of his person gently enough so as to not break their fragile bodies but was not having much success. They were clinging like limpets to his person, which he supposed was a success, but he was starting to get an odd hot-cold feeling in his chest that seemed a bit too close to the sensation of when Professor Hojo told him it was time for a 'major check up' for his liking.

One of the females started to rub her crotch against his thigh, groaning, whilst another was trying her damndest to pluck off pieces of his clothing. Sephiroth grabbed the gyrating one but it caused her to cry out. He let go of her in surprise but she crumpled down on her own after that, being replaced by two more females. He stiffened at the sensation of a hard something being rubbed against his ass.

Sephiroth was starting to feel extremely uncomfortable when a Sleepel washed over him. He jerked at the sensation, for some reason he didn't want to examine too closely very worried about being below normal capacity in this crowd... but it appeared it was a Sleepel All. The normal humans around him dropped like the low level monsters they were. Sephiroth frowned slightly- humans weren't monsters... what had made him think that?

"Hey, you ok?"

Sephiroth felt himself immediately relax- Cloud was standing there with his sword over his shoulder and a bangle he'd obviously stolen from a Third in this left hand. "I am." Sephiroth replied, stepping over the unconscious bodies, but not taking as much care as he probably should avoiding putting his booted feet where they might cause some damage.

"Are you sure?" Cloud took his elbow gently to help him over the last few, looking up into Sephiroth's eyes with what the General felt was a concerned expression. Sephiroth didn't need the help, but he leaned into the touch regardless.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Sephiroth asked. He hoped Cloud would answer that, actually, since he wasn't sure he was and he was definitely not sure why he would be upset by what had happened. It was a very bizarre set of circumstances and he wasn't sure what the proper way to react was.

"That was..." Cloud looked at him with a frown. "None of them hurt you?"

Sephiroth blinked in surprise. "They would not have been able to."

"I mean..." Cloud stopped, then looked around. Sephiroth followed his gaze and saw the Turks and Thirds who were looking at him in a way that he was not sure he liked. "Let's get out of here for a second, ok?"

Sephiroth nodded and followed along with the arm at his elbow. He hoped that Cloud might keep his hand there but once they were walking Cloud dropped his grip.

Once back in the tower Cloud glared at the first person in an office they came to until the poor woman fled- which admittedly did not take very long.

"They were sexually assaulting you, Sephiroth- are you ok?"

Sephiroth looked down. Was that what that was?

"Sephiroth?" Cloud's arm moved into his field of vision but when Sephiroth looked up the arm dropped.

Sephiroth told himself it was because he needed some control data, but really, it was desperation that made him lunge and grab for Cloud. He felt that hot/cold feeling in his chest become a sort of inward crushing when Cloud evaded him. He gulped around a tight feeling in his throat.

OooOoooOo

Cloud had seen red when he came upon the scene of Thirds and Turks grinning and getting aroused watching Sephiroth be swarmed by the Silver Elite.

"What is wrong with you?!" He growled, ripping the bangle off of the closest Third.

"Hey!" The Soldier protested, until he saw who it was and he gulped and held up his hands instead. "It's not like the General can't handle a group of civilians."

It wasn't about 'handling' anything, Cloud ground his teeth. Clearly, Sephiroth was trying not to hurt anyone and was confused and uncomfortable. Cloud gave up on properly equipping the Sleepel when he saw the one guy start humping Sephiroth like an ill mannered dog and just cast it through his own All, unlinked in a slot in his sword, through his body and past his fist and the bangle to the Sleepel. It was awkward as Hel and probably too heavy or too light for a real fight... and maybe enough to kill a couple people, but Cloud was past caring.

The civilians dropped in their places and Cloud watched Sephiroth closely- the man had obviously felt the spell and Cloud hoped it would not trigger an attack- it was likely after how he had been mobbed.

Sephiroth saw Cloud and looked, if anything, relieved and began making his way over. Cloud helped him when it looked like he was tripping (or deliberately stepping on) more people than one would expect someone so surefooted. Despite Sephiroth not saying he was upset, he definitely looked to be. Cloud got him out of where everyone was leering at him as quickly as he could. He just barely remembered to drop his grip on Sephiroth's arm. Cloud doubted that after all that groping Sephiroth would really care for more touching, even though Cloud would have felt better being about to keep hold, if it would soothe.

When six feet of muscle lunged at him Cloud's heart flipped in his chest and he instinctively dodged. He realized almost immediately that was mistake, though, when Sephiroth just looked... devastated. Not that his face moved much, but it had just... frozen and that slightly insane glint was in his eyes. Or maybe tears? By the Planet... he man looked like he needed a hug.

Oh.

Sephiroth reared back and started to spin around, clearly about to flee.

Cloud felt his heart leap in his throat and he instinctively grabbed at the retreating arm. Sephiroth leaned towards him like he had when Cloud had grabbed him outside and this time it made sense. Towards, not away, as Cloud had been expecting and had unconsciously reacted to as if it was a flinch.

"Ok, come here, I'm sorry." Cloud murmured as he reeled in the stiff arm until he could snag the front of the coat to pull Sephiroth all the way in. "You move like that and someone is going to think you are attacking. But you really wanted this, right?" Cloud folded his arms around Sephiroth's ribs- about as high as he could get, curse his (still) short stature.

Cloud didn't need to wait for the barely audible 'yes' to know he had guessed correctly. Sephiroth melted into the hug, his arms coming up to awkwardly grip the back of Cloud's head and his neck... which was, yeah, a bit alarming as that's how you could kill someone with a sharp twisting motion, but Cloud kept himself relaxed. Sephiroth rewarded him by burying his face into Cloud's hair and knocking his skull with a pointed chin.

Clearly, there needed to be some more practice... and a talk with the others that Sephiroth hadn't been trying to murder them all, he just... wanted to cuddle. Yup. That sounded bizarre even in his head. Cloud wasn't sure how he was going to explain this. Maybe it would be best to get everyone drunk first...

Cloud started to rub his hands up and down Sephiroth's back, soothingly. Sephiroth shifted so his cheek was on top of Cloud's head, one arm dropped to be draped over Cloud's shoulders and gripping his ribs in a way that made him twitch slightly at the tickling sensation, but the arm that wrapped around his back and then curled around his throat distracted him enough he could hold still. Seriously- Sephiroth needed to work on holding someone in a manner other than that conducive to a quick kill.

"Are you going to let me go any time soon?" Cloud asked finally, when the hug was edging into full on cuddle for length and intensity. Apparently, this was going to be a theme. Not that he minded per se, but they were in some poor soul's office who clearly needed to get something done if they were here this late on Sunday.

Sephiroth just tightened his grip, causing flashes of sensation... not entirely sure fear or pleasure... to shoot through Cloud when he felt his neck being wrapped with long, slim fingers. "No." Sephiroth said it like a challenge.

"Ok... it's just an awkward angle." He muttered into where his face was being pressed into a half-clad pectoral.

Sephiroth moved backwards, making Cloud eep as he followed. Their hips came together and Cloud's mind blanked as heat flushed through him. But he eventually realized that Sephiroth had simply sat down on the desk and was now cuddling at a more normal height, his face pressed into the curve of Cloud's neck not his hair.

Ok, so this was nice... but why? "Sephiroth, are you ok? You want to tell me why you don't want to let go?"

"This is already twice. My evidence suggests 'once is enough.'" Sephiroth replied.

Cloud thought fiercely of Hojo in a tiara as lips moved against his neck. "Ah..."

"I can't... can't not have another."

Cloud only heard that because Sephiroth was basically speaking into his ear. But it still took him a while to process. When it did he realized he was going to have to go kick the crap out of at least one if not all of Sephiroth's 'friends'. "Uh, ok, well, that's not true, ok? You can have as many... hugs as you want. From me. You know, as long as we're not... fighting or busy doing something. You know, because two things at once and all that."

Sephiroth pulled back slightly. "Yes?"

"Yes." Cloud replied emphatically.

OoOOoOoooo

"And that is how we ended up sleeping together." Cloud finished.

"Hmm, hmm. Specimen C decreased Project S' aggression and combat abilities with close contact over the course of several nights, multiple hours per session. Data suggests, however, that Project S has not ejaculated since the last recorded sample."

"What the actual Hel, Hojo." Cloud tested his bindings again, but was still feeling the lingering effects of the Stop wouldn't let him break it. He hoped the only reason it had been a successful cast was sheer dumb luck, but that wasn't helping him much. Especially since there was some kind of drip in his arm now causing much the same paralytic effect.

"Specimen C is unsuitable for a vessel due to gender, so such activities would have been null towards Project S-F1/F2, but might have been applicable for filing under Project S alternate mako introduction."

Cloud felt sick. If that was what it sounded like, Hojo was a much fouler, perverted sociopath than Cloud had thought. Which was something he hadn't thought was possible until just now, but led him to horrifying deductions on what Sephiroth's childhood was like and why he was so mentally scarred. He was starting to have flashbacks flicker in the corner of his vision about just how, exactly, Hojo liked to get his samples. Cloud had to swallow down the nausea.

"Specimen C's medical records indicate a recent survival of impalement with cardiac complications. Tolerance must be tested."

Cloud struggled wildly with the restraints. "Jenova, get this asshole under control or you are never getting off this planet."

"What do you know of Jenova!?" Hojo's greasy face was suddenly in front of him. "Does she still speak to you!?"

"Jenova- I am serious as a blizzard in April- get this crazed lunatic off of me!"

"But, Cloud..." Cloud froze. That was not Hojo's voice. Or rather, not just Hojo's voice. "How can you help me if you were trapped by a human so easily?"

"You! You helped him! There is no way he can cast Stop!" Cloud thrashed more- but the bindings were clearly meant for Sephiroth and held.

"And if I did? There are more plans that I can make than just waiting for you."

Cloud screamed.

OOoooooo

A/N: Quotes not from Loveless from, in order "Drinking" by Abraham Crowley, "Ye Mariners of England" by Thomas Campbell

So... had this written weeks ago but I have been trying to sort out if this is where I want to go or not... and seeing as it is a cliffie I will try to not take 6 months to update again. This story, for whatever reason, is both easy and really, really difficult for me to write. :/ Easy to write scenes but hard to figure out the correct order and cull out scenes that don't fit, etc. Sigh.