For several days after their impassioned tryst in the training room, Cloud felt on edge around his classmates, positive that one of them had either seen him and Zack kissing or could see it written all over his face. But the teasing and bullying didn't escalate, and after a while Cloud started to relax. There were the cadets who already thought he was sleeping with Zack in order to rise through the ranks, but there wasn't anything he could do about that. He kept his head down, studied hard, and trained harder.
Zack was busy too, as he and Sephiroth were trying to clean up the mess that had occurred during the mission in the Nibel mountains. Frequently, he was gone for weeks on end, investigating leads on the mysterious Wutaiian ecoterrorist group. The most time he and Cloud had together was a couple hours snatched here and there, and often both of them were too tired to do more than cuddle on Zack's couch and nap. It put both of them in a sour mood.
One such evening, Zack was dozing on his couch and Cloud was leaning against his chest, reading over his notes on materia fusion for a test the next day. Zack's head was tipped back and he was snoring gently, one arm loosely wrapped around Cloud's waist. As pleased as he was to be spending time with his boyfriend, even if Zack was asleep, the snoring was starting to rankle Cloud.
He squirmed around and poked Zack in the side a little. "Zack," he hissed. "You're being annoying."
The SOLDIER stirred, his arm tightening, and his brilliant purple eyes cracked open a little. Still sleepy, he smiled his goofy smile and pulled the smaller boy up so he could nuzzle his neck. "Hi, Spiky," he whispered, pressing a kiss to the sensitive spot under his ear. Cloud's eyes slipped shut and he moaned a little, sliding his hands under Zack's shirt to feel his warm skin and hard muscles. Zack's lips were warm and sweet as they nibbled at his ear, his hands leaving traces of fire as they caressed Cloud's back.
"Zack," Cloud gasped. "I didn't wake you up so we could make out."
"That's just the bonus," Zack told him, moving to mouth his neck.
"Seriously," Cloud managed. "You were snoring and it was annoying. Stop that!" he yelped as Zack bit down, sending shivers through his body. "I have to study."
"Aww," Zack whined, finally retreating, and Cloud almost regretted making him back off.
"I have exams soon," he reminded the SOLDIER. "If I pass, then I'll be an infantryman. Don't you want that? It won't be quite so bad kissing an infantryman as a cadet, right?" He grinned, resting his chin on Zack's chest.
Zack laughed. "True enough. But you're just so cuuuuute!" He latched onto Cloud like a starfish and rolled them off the couch, landing on his back and then flipping them over so he was on top. "So can you study like this?" he asked, nimble fingers inching Cloud's shirt up.
Cloud blushed and shoved at his chest. "Of course not, you giant puppy."
"Hey!"
"If you can call me Chocobo-head, I can call you by your nickname," the boy grumbled, then inhaled a quick breath as Zack moved down to kiss his stomach, next to his belly button. "Zack, come on. Just because you're horny doesn't mean we can do this now."
Zack moved back up to look him in the eye, his grin downright evil now. "I'm horny? What about you, Spiky?" He pressed their groins together, both already hard, and Cloud choked out a gasp. "But you're right. I'll let you study." Abruptly he rolled off of Cloud and pushed himself to his feet, leaving the boy lying flustered and aroused on the ground.
They went back to their previous position on the couch, only Zack was awake now, helping him go over his notes. Cloud tried to concentrate, but his mind kept wandering back to feeling of Zack kissing his stomach. Their busy schedules hadn't allowed them much time to get to know each other physically. He was aching to let Zack touch him below the waist, and from the heated look in Zack's eyes whenever he looked at him, the SOLDIER felt the same way. Jerking off in his bunk at night was no longer cutting it. Hopefully excessive sexual tension never killed anyone, he thought glumly.
As Cloud's exams neared and he got increasingly nervous, Zack was busier than ever, spending more time at his desk than out in the field, which made him antsy. The Turks were working overtime as well, scouting the continent for the terrorist group, but neither they nor SOLDIER had found much. The terrorists seemed almost as though they'd dropped off the face of the Planet.
Sephiroth noticed he was burning out. At least, that's what Zack suspected when his workload suddenly lessened—not by much, but enough that he could still get enough sleep and spend more time with Cloud. And it was just as well, because Cloud was getting more and more anxious about the upcoming tests.
The night before Cloud's exams rolled around and he was a nervous wreck, pacing Zack's living room and alternating between scanning his notes and chewing his fingernails. Zack sat on his couch going through reports until he couldn't stand it anymore.
"Will you sit down, Spiky? Pacing isn't going to help you."
Mumbling an apology, Cloud sat, but he was still jittery, squirming and tapping his feet. Zack groaned.
"Chocobo-head, I promise you, the tests are not that hard. You'll be fine. I was there once too, remember? You're freaking out way too much."
"I'm gonna forget everything, or I'm gonna be sick and have to take them next year, or I'm gonna puke, or—mmf!" Cloud's litany of worries was cut short as Zack tossed his reports on the ground and pounced on him, kissing him thoroughly on the lips. Cloud swallowed his surprise and hungrily kissed him back, welcoming a pleasant distraction from his tangled thoughts.
Zack slid his arms around his waist, lying down on the couch and pulling Cloud on top of him. "Stop me if I go too fast," he murmured against Cloud's mouth before swiping his tongue along his bottom lip. Cloud gave a little gasp and parted his lips, letting Zack's tongue in as he ran his hands over the SOLDIER's arms and shoulders, feeling the hard grooves of his muscles. He rocked hard against Zack's groin, making the older man pull his lips free with a loud moan.
"Cloud," he panted, eyes rolling back as their erections pressed together, sending little shockwaves down to his toes. Zack slid his hands under the cadet's shirt to press against his warm back, feathering touches up and down his spine. Cloud made a contented sound deep in his throat and nuzzled against Zack's neck shyly.
"I don't know what to do," Cloud confessed, hiding his red face.
Zack gave a little chuckle. "You are too cute, Cloudy. You were doing fine. Just do what feels good." He rubbed Cloud's back slowly and gently, making warmth seep into the boy's belly.
Cloud stuck his hands under Zack's SOLDIER uniform to caress his rippling stomach hesitantly, but Zack could tell he was still worrying about tomorrow. Smoothly, the black-haired man switched their positions, laying Cloud down on the couch and hovering over him. "You're so tense, Spiky," he murmured, inching the blonde's shirt up. Cloud gasped and arched his back when Zack's tongue flicked against one of his nipples, and he hardly noticed the man's fingers fumbling with his pants until Zack dragged his fly down and cool air hit his heated flesh.
"Zack," Cloud choked out as the brunet gently rubbed circled into his bare hipbone.
"You need to relax, Spiky," he purred, and any reply Cloud could generate was lost in a moan as Zack licked a stripe up his hardened cock.
"Oh, Gods," he managed to choke out as Zack's lips closed over the head and sucked gently, his hands pressing Cloud's hips into the couch. Ever so slowly, his lips descended, taking Cloud in one inch at a time, making the boy writhe in pleasure, his motion limited by Zack's strong hold. "Fuck, Zack," Cloud whimpered as his boyfriend's lips hit the pale blond nest of pubic hair at the base of his erection. Zack's heated amethyst gaze flickered up to meet Cloud's before his eyes fluttered shut again, mouth moving up and down the boy's length. His tongue pressed flat to the underside, working its way up and down and making Cloud shiver violently.
Zack pulled free with a little pop, letting Cloud catch his breath a bit before moving in again, probing his slit with a practiced tongue. With a pathetic little whine, Cloud arched up, fisting his hands in Zack's dark hair. A growl rumbled deep in the SOLDIER's throat as he took him in again, the vibrations making Cloud's extremities tingle. He was too far gone to be embarrassed about the noises he was making—whimpers, moans, little cries of pleasure—and Zack seemed intent on drawing them all out of him. One of the older man's hands slipped between Cloud's legs, his thumb swiping gently along his balls.
Cloud let out a cry, tugging hard on Zack's hair. "Please," he begged. "Zack, I'm gonna—" The SOLDIER growled again, taking him deep, and Cloud's orgasm hit like the impact of a train, his back stuck in an arch, head pressed hard against the couch cushions, hands clenching and trembling as he felt himself spill down Zack's throat.
Zack swallowed smoothly, licking him clean and moving up to look Cloud in the eye. The smaller boy was panting, his trousers still hanging open and his cheeks pretty and red. "You okay, Chocobo-head?" Zack asked, amused.
"I'm so beyond okay," the blonde managed, unable to do much besides lie there bonelessly. "What 'bout you?" he said suddenly, moving his hands to Zack's pants. Zack kissed him sweetly on the mouth, shifting him a little so the SOLDIER could curl around him like a giant cat.
"Don't worry about that right now," Zack murmured, willing his own hard on to go away.
Cloud looked like he was going to protest, then slumped back. "Can't even move anyway."
"But you're not nervous anymore, right?" Zack asked with a grin, nuzzling the back of his neck.
"Don't feel anything 'cept good," Cloud mumbled, and Zack could tell he was nearly asleep. The SOLDIER set several alarms on his phone and then pulled Cloud closer, loving how their bodies fit together. He buried his face in the boy's hair and breathed in Cloud's scent—something almost like rain—and let sleep take him.
The harsh ringing of Zack's phone alarm woke Cloud the next morning, and disoriented, he nearly fell off the couch but for Zack's arm tightly encircling his waist. His heart sank a little as he remembered his exams and he scrambled to check the time, relieved to see he had plenty of time. Zack stirred a little, kissing the back of his neck sleepily.
"Mornin'," the SOLDIER mumbled, fumbling with his phone to turn off the alarm. Cloud wriggled around in his arms to face him, kissing him good morning shyly. "Mmm," Zack hummed. "You taste gross," he complained.
"Well excuse me, someone gave….did…something…so I fell asleep without brushing my teeth last night," Cloud replied, stumbling over the words as the memories rushed over him. He covered his face with his hands as Zack chuckled.
"Don't give me that Chocobo-head. You weren't so shy when I was blowing you last night."
"Zack!" Cloud squeaked, brick red.
Zack laughed harder. "I'm sorry, I just love to fluster you."
Cloud got to his feet and stretched, pausing when Zack snorted with laughter again. "Spiky, do up your pants unless you want me to jump your bones."
Cloud looked down, and sure enough, his pants were hanging open. He rolled his eyes and buttoned them, still red. "I hate you," he accused.
"Liarrrr," Zack drawled, wriggling on the couch like a child. "Don't you have exams? You should get going."
Cloud took a shaky breath, and Zack smiled at him encouragingly. "Yeah, I'll see you after, right?" He cuddled up to Zack's chest when the man opened his arms and Zack kissed his forehead.
"Yeah, I might be in my office, but most likely I'll be here." He dipped his head down and gave Cloud a long, sweet kiss, with just a hint of tongue so he wouldn't get carried away. Even so, when they parted, Cloud was breathless, his cheeks now flushed with arousal. Zack winced. "Sorry."
Cloud gave him a crooked grin, getting to his feet and surreptitiously rearranging his pants to hide his boner. "It's okay. I'm nervous enough that it'll go down as soon as I walk in the exam room."
Zack smiled and caught his hand as he turned to leave, giving it a squeeze. "Good luck, hey? You'll do great, Spiky. Just relax." He winked, and Cloud rolled his eyes, but Zack caught the tiny grin on his face before he left.
Cloud arrived at his exam classroom with minutes to spare, and barely had time to panic before he was sat down at a desk beside his classmates and handed the written portion of the test. At the instructor's order, he opened the booklet and focused on the first question, swallowing down his nervousness.