Warnings: Explicit imaginary sex – kinda, sorta? And Zack's mouth. If you want an abridged version, PM me and I'll send it to you.

Chapter 10. Yell Fire!

They were at the foot of the stairs to the reactor entrance. It had been both a lot quicker than Zack had anticipated and a lot longer.

Worry for his young friend had caused an odd extension in his time sense, as if each second in real time equalled five or more in worry. Cloud was essentially a zombie between them. He walked and he responded to direct remarks but his responses were often weird and had little or no connection to what he'd been asked. The first time he'd done that, Sephiroth had shaken him a little, to try and get a coherent response. The temperature had dropped and Jenova's screechy voice had climbed to ear-popping levels.

They hadn't done that again. Whatever the young soldier was doing to keep Jenova out of their skulls was working so Sephiroth and Zack very carefully fought off a couple bird things and avoided a bomb or two. They'd shielded their young friend with their bodies rather than have him disturbed.

"Are you warm enough?" Cloud asked.

It was the only thing he said voluntarily and he asked it a lot. Luckily, they were able to answer positively because neither of them knew how he would react to a negative answer. The young blond's own body temperature was worryingly high and both the SOLDIERs knew that he was somehow using that heat to combat Psycho Alien Bitch. Sephiroth worried what prolonged exposure to fever-like heat would do to Cloud so he would pick his lover up and run with him when it was safe.

That was the quick part of the journey and Zack knew the Silver General had slowed down so that his SiC could keep pace.

He'd suggested once; that Seph just leave him, take Cloud to the reactor and get rid of Jenova. "Not a chance," was the General's flat reply. He'd just rolled himself around his lover, hooking the boy's right arm over his shoulder so that Zack could maintain his grip and still face in the right direction. It was awkward and uncomfortable and freaking dangerous. Forget monsters, coordinating their legs was a feat worthy of Zack's Advanced Manoeuvres class.

He'd hated that class as a cadet; marching in squares that shift into lines, then into boxes. Boring! Now it had probably saved his life.

He also hated irony, as he'd petulantly informed his CO.

Finally, they were here. There were a lot of steps to climb and Zack was not going to risk tripping over Sephiroth's heels and causing them all to crash to the bottom.

"Hey, Spike. Can you climb the stairs on your own?" he asked his flaked out friend.

"Of course I have slippers you can use," Cloud replied lightly.

Sephiroth just raised an eyebrow dubiously. The corporal's response wasn't encouraging him to believe this would work.

"We'll try one step. If he doesn't raise his foot you can pick him up and carry him," Zack promised, and Sephiroth reluctantly agreed. They took a cautious step toward the stairs and Cloud followed easily. The reached the base of the stair with no incident. A concerned look, a reassuring nod, and the two SOLDIERs stepped onto the first stair. Cloud smoothly echoed them. Another stair. Cloud stepped up with no hesitation. Zack let out a sigh of relief.

They established a rhythm, nothing too fast, just an easy pace, step-stair, step-stair, and aside from an odd comment about getting closer to the fire, Cloud acted as if they were walking over Midgar's paved streets. He even stopped at the exact same moment they did once they reached the top. Zack keyed in the entry code and the massive security door swung slowly open. A quick, anxious glance into the sky above the reactor, just in case Genesis was still hanging around waiting to be an asshole again, then they were in. This time, when the door clanged shut, Zack made sure to engage the locking code. Hopefully that would keep out red-haired psycho former Firsts.

"Can you detect the smell of mothballs, Zack?" Sephiroth asked very hesitantly. They had both been subject to this odd sensory input: stew, wet cloth, apples, and cloves. Zack swore at one point he could smell toasting bread and melting cheese, and now mothballs.

Zack sniffed but couldn't smell anything but stale industrial air and mako. It was colder here than outside though and he was sure he could hear the pseudo-Mommy from hell yelling at them. "No smells but... are you cold, a little?" he didn't want to ask it. He didn't want his feeling confirmed. They hadn't been cold since Cloud had gone all zombie-fied on them.

"I am feeling a little more chilled than before. However, that's to be expected. The reactor isn't heated."

If only Zack could believe that was the cause of their chill, but he really, really didn't think the cold came from the building. He cast a troubled glance at his friend, their protector. Cloud's hair was stuck to his face with sweat; the collar of his uniform was dark with it. His cheeks were brightly rosy, as if he were standing too close to a fire. He sheathed his sword and raised his canteen to dry lips, tipping it carefully so that he didn't pour too much in and drown the little guy. Like the other times he'd done this, Cloud swallowed the liquid down easily, as if he were holding the drink to his own lips; no hesitation, no choking, no awkwardness. It wasn't natural, but it was a fucking good thing, was all Zack could think.

He looked up the long flight of stairs leading to Jenova's chamber. The end was nearly in sight. "Let's get this done."

"Let's hope it's a surprise," Sephiroth commented dryly, only half joking.

The wind was howling outside, slamming the shutters against the walls. The roof beams groaned and the flames in the fireplace flared unpredictably. Blankets had been pushed up against the vulnerable window and braced there. In fact, he'd pulled blankets after blanket out of a storage chest, far more than it could logically hold, so now hangings covered nearly every outside surface adding one more layer of insulation to the building.

It wasn't enough.

Cloud had pulled out a couple braziers and had filled them with charcoal. A flick of thought and Sephiroth's Firaga took them from cold lumps to slow burning warmth almost immediately. Cloud had them huddling on the couch in front of the fire sharing blankets. He had somehow entwined himself around and over the two SOLDIERs, hugging them close, willing them warm.

He wouldn't let her have them.

The two SOLDIERS made their cat-like way up the metal stairs. Despite their size, the only sound was the light tread of their oddly absent companion. Their senses were straining, reaching out, looking for danger. They were very aware that they had their backs to the facility's entrance. Sephiroth would turn occasionally and search the space visually. His genetically manipulated reflexes allowed him to walk backwards up stairs while holding hands more easily than Zack's merely enhanced ones.

The ringing of his PHS broke the silence and, although he wasn't ashamed of it he would never, ever admit that he jumped – just a little. Problem was, Cloud jumped too. The force of Jenova's voice dropped the younger First to his knee. Sephiroth staggered and clutched his head.

"Answer it," Sephiroth commanded as it rang again.

Zack already had it out checking the display. The number made him frown a little in surprise. He put it up to his ear, "Aerith?" His voice, he was proud to note, sounded only a little strained. Sephiroth was murmuring to their friend, reassuring him of their safety. A wave of heat radiated out from their comatose friend. Jenova's assault faded to the background again.

"He did? Okay. Yeah… Nope, I understand," he nodded his head, "Cookies are okay but no pie, alright? We'll never get rid of him if you feed him pie. Nah, no worries… It's always great to hear your voice. Love ya too, doll."

Cloud obviously didn't mind their voices, unlike his negative reaction to the electronic ringing of Zack's PHS. At least, he assumed it was their voices that had reassured Cloud. It hadn't taken the little blond marvel long to rebuild whatever it was he was using to protect them. Jenova was back to being an irritating little buzz in the back of his mind, a faint pressure on his skin. Both were easy to ignore but, after taking a good look at his friend while they put him back on his feet, the effect this was having on Cloud wasn't quite so easy to shove to the back of his mind.

The corporal now had visible drops of sweat running from temple to chin. His colour was okay, a little red – nothing more than deep blush, but he was breathing too fast, his pulse was speeding up and they didn't even need to touch him to feel the heat flowing from him. It was almost like hyperthermia, but not quite. He decided to give him more liquids. As long as he was sweating, he was still, hopefully, going to be all right. Cloud drank down the electrolyte-laced stuff without flinching or slopping, which was good, but still weird since he definitely wasn't here.

Zack updated his CO on his phone conversation as he fed most of his remaining drink to their little protector. "Tseng just paid a visit to Aerith – for cookies, apparently." A raised eyebrow was the General's only comment, "That's what I thought. During their little chat he made sure to tell her that she wouldn't be seeing any of the Turks around because Hojo had left on a month long vacation soon after we were sent to Nibelheim."

"A vacation," disbelief dripped from Sephiroth's voice.

"Hmm," Zack agreed. "She also said that he suggested that she call me and let me know as I would probably be reassured by the news." Zack would be reassured, as it was Hojo was behind the Turks watching the world's last Cetra. They'd never been ordered to retrieve her… yet, and some of Tseng's comments led Zack to believe they wouldn't try very hard if they were ordered, but it was still nice to know that she was safe. Even if they weren't.

"Clever."

"Yup. He's a sneaky bastard," Zack smiled, "Thank Gaia." The smile dropped away. "Still. Hojo." An attack by the creepy doctor could take any shape. It just depended on what purpose Hojo thought it would serve. They'd have to be even more alert, if that was even possible.

Sephiroth sniffed the air, seeking traces of the Professor's slight medicinal smell overlaid with old sweat as the man often forgot to bathe when pursuing one of his theories. There was no taint but unfortunately, that was hardly sufficient proof of the scientist's absence. "I detect nothing," he reported.

"Then let's get on with this – Cloud's not looking so good." Cloud wasn't just hot and sweaty, he was panting - short little, gasps, as if he were fighting for his life. Shit. Zack had enough experience in the field to know what damage could be caused by prolonged fever heat; dehydration was only the start of it. He did not want his friend killing himself to save them.

She was winning.

They'd been doing so well too, then suddenly the shutters had blown off the outside of the cottage. Now ice was creeping in around the window frames and they could almost see their breath in the cold air. Cloud couldn't add another fireplace, it was too late for that, but he had fired up his mother's wood stove and hung more blankets on the walls. He had them all sitting on piled up rugs in front of the fire covered with even more blankets.

It wasn't enough.

The only other thing he could think of to keep warm was to be active but no way was he going to give up the warmth of the blankets. He could think of one activity that took place under blankets.

"We need to have sex," he announced driven by his need to protect his friends into being ruthlessly blunt.

"Is that an order, Corporal?" Sephiroth teased dryly even as Zack rocked away, "Woah!"

The sitting room layout shifted so that, instead of huddling tightly under a mound of heavy coverings, they were nestled under a large tent made of blankets draped over furniture. He made sure there was light shining through the material adding a soft, intimate feel to it. He also made sure the blankets were hooked to the mantel so that they could access the fireplace's heat; after all, they had a larger area to warm up now. "I'm serious. We need to be generating more body heat. So it's dancing or sex."

"I vote for the intercourse." Who knew that that silky baritone could be so gently mocking?

"Sex jokes… from you. Aren't you supposed to be too dignified for that?" Zack said. Cloud recognized the comment for what it was: a delaying tactic, an attempt to deflect the conversation into a path less uncomfortable for the dark-haired First.

"Strip, Zack!" Cloud suited words to action and undid straps and zippers, tossing the unwanted clothes onto the couch. Sephiroth followed easily. Only Zack made no move to get naked with them.

"Guys…" he protested, face red enough to hurt, "this really isn't my thing."

"It doesn't matter for this, Zack. I promise you." Cloud moved closer, grabbing his leg and holding it hard. He had to make his friend understand. "This place, my home, it's a step outside of reality. When you leave, you'll still be you; completely hetero and so, so lucky to have a girl like Aerith waiting for you, but right now, we need to be more than warm and this is all I can think of."

"I dunno." He was starting to get jittery. It didn't help when a completely nude Sephiroth crawled over to sit on the other side of him. His eyes jumped from large blue orbs to cat green slits, "It just seems really weird."

"Consider it an order, Commander, if that helps." Sephiroth slid long fingers up to his SiC's harness and undid it. "This is surely more pleasant than reporting to Hojo in the medical lab."

"Well, yeah, probably." He broke off, yelping, as Cloud's smaller hands went to work on his pants. "Fuck."

"That is the idea – eventually." The General was sliding his spread hands up over Zack's chest forcing the shirt up as he caressed. He stopped when he reached the younger man's shoulders and waited for him to make his decision.

Zack was caught. He wasn't gay, he was absolutely certain of that, but this was Sephiroth pulling his shirt up. What if he found out that his Second-in-Command had a secret crush on him and had for a long time? What if Aerith found out he liked guys – rather one specific guy, would she be able to deal with that? If he'd been involved with any other girl he'd probably jump at the chance to, well, jump Seph's bone, but it was Aerith and she was somehow different. Cloud was right though, it was colder.

"Fuck," Zack repeated, "I don't care if this isn't 'really real'. Not one fucking word of this gets said to Aerith. You got it?" His companions agreed readily; Sephiroth because it wouldn't occur to him to discuss this with her and Cloud because he would do anything to get Zack participating. Besides, the blond corporal understood loyalty.

Sephiroth, never one to be shy, started his seduction right away, licking his way up Zack's chest and over nipples, and along the defined ridge of bone and muscle that made up his SiC's shoulder. Cloud who'd been attacking the belts and zippers of Zack's pants, heard Zack catch his breath and saw him close his eyes in response to the General's playing. He remembered what it had felt like to be under assault by this man. The magic they'd created between them.

He decided the General had the right idea and changed his tactics from necessary speed to leisurely enjoyment. He slid his hands under Zack's hips, circling his fingers over taut flesh before dragging the rough cloth down, down. He pushed them down to long feet. He was grateful that they'd removed their combat boots ages ago, replacing them with warmer, and easier to remove, slippers. He never let his hands lose contact with Zack's skin until he had to grab the pant bottoms to pull them all the way off.

He looked up in time to see the General, his lover, very slowly, very deliberately, lick the large vein pulsing in his best friend's neck then move in with teeth to pull it into those thin, sculpted lips. Zack's face was slack, his mouth open in surprised pleasure. 'Did I look like that?' Cloud wondered. He watched long pale fingers rub down Zack's darker skin and it was beautiful.

Inspired, he used his teeth and his strong fingers to nip and massage, to scratch and sooth, all along the sensitive tendons of Zack's feet and ankles, up the long lean muscles of his calves. He smelled different from Sephiroth, more like rich loam than exotic spice, but they both had the same underlying scent. Cloud figured it was something to do with being SOLDIERs. It was a reassuring scent, familiar yet sexy.

"You taste good, Zack," he said, "and you feel good."

He looked up the long length of his best friend. His gaze caught on Zack's growing erection. It was dark, like his skin tone, but still pale against the black curly hair framing it. Just then Zack let out a helpless moan – Sephiroth had found and was playing with, the sensitive spot where neck met shoulder and the nerves spread out. He was lying alongside Zack's body, pearl against teak, rubbing ever so slightly against the young First's hipbone. Zack gulped for air and his penis swelled and stood a little away from his belly.

Cloud watched enthralled. He wanted to taste it. It was smaller than the General's; he should be able to take that into his mouth. He wanted to know what it was like. Fuck, did he want to try that. His own penis was growing; he could feel himself panting for breath as the eroticism of this situation finally, truly, struck him.

This was waayy fucking better than Tobbin's porn movies!

He crawled up Zack's body, carefully straddling both his leg and Sephiroth's, enjoying the difference in texture and colour – so pretty. He reached a good spot and lowered his hips to rest on heated skin, pressing slightly because it felt so good against his own swollen penis.

"Shit," Zack moaned as Cloud breathed on his erection, which grew a little more with each puff of warm air. "Cloud," he protested despairingly, knowing the blond wouldn't stop and that he would enjoy it despite everything.

"It's alright, Zack. Pretend I'm Aerith, if that helps."

"Yeah, right. Neither one of you feel anything like her."

"I'd rather you knew who was touching you, stroking you, kissing you." Sephiroth was moving down the younger SOLDIERs body as he spoke, forcing Cloud to move over until he was straddling Zack's far side and they were face to face over their friend's fat cock. Sephiroth smiled at him, "I'll show you how it's done, Cloud. Later you can practice on me."

Cloud inhaled sharply, his arousal spiking dramatically. "I'd like that, Sir," he managed to gasp out.

"Oh fuck. I'm toast," Zack whispered.

The trio reached the top of the chamber without incident. The door into Jenova's chamber was, unsurprisingly, locked. The Universal Code, that was supposed to open any door in any remote Shin-Ra facility, also unsurprisingly, didn't work.

"Finesse or brute strength?"

"Cut it open," the General ordered, unwilling to wait the length of time it would take the First to pick the sophisticated lock. He was anticipating the end of this: his skin was tight, his respiration was up

Zack only had one hand to use for his swing instead of his normal two. He shook it out, and bounced on his heels a little – he was feeling tingly and his muscles were tight. Battle adrenaline did that to him, he knew, but this was more intense than normal. He shifted to a position that would allow angle and momentum to help him slice through the metal hinges. A hard kick knocked the heavy door back into the chamber.

Cloud shuddered at the noise. The two SOLDIERs buckled at the strength of Jenova's attack.

"Talk to him," Zack ordered and followed his own command, saying how good he was doing and how proud he was of his young friend. Sephiroth did one better, laying a gentle kiss on flushed lips.

Cloud moaned and heat poured out of him, once again forcing Jenova to retreat.

It was a distinctive kind of moan. One both of the blond's companions had heard before – although only one had been invited to hear it. Zack drew back. "Is that... what I think it is?"

"If you think it sounded like he is in the midst of a sexual experience, then I'd have to say yes," Sephiroth answered.

"Suddenly I'm way more curious about what's going on in that blond head of his than in what Hojo's got planned." Sephiroth, eyes slit in speculation, could only agree. What was going on in his little lover's head?