The first person Sephiroth slept with had been Genesis. Genesis' troops had come under a surprise attack, the first they'd seen of Wutai's guerilla warfare tactics, and it had been Sephiroth's squadron who had finally come in to bring the situation back in Shinra's favor. Between the brutality and confusion of the scene, Sephiroth almost remembers it all from outside his own body, as if he hadn't even taken part in what had occurred.
Later, when they'd been reviewing the casualties from the battle, Genesis had pushed him to the floor of the tent and fucked him raw. It had been neither pleasure nor pain for him, just sensation. He remembers it in snippets: Genesis' teeth breaking the skin near his shoulder, Genesis calling him a whore when he canted his hips to meet Genesis' thrusts, Genesis burying his head into his shoulder after, breath with enough voice in it that it seemed he almost meant to speak.
Still, the next time Genesis came to him he'd said yes. And the time after that.
It was likely the only secret they'd ever kept from Angeal. Sephiroth half expected Genesis to present it as a victory over a rival, but he stuck to the usual complaints when the three of them were together: Sephiroth had again been credited with Genesis' accomplishments by the media, Sephiroth was socially inept, he lacked the literary knowledge to fully appreciate the masterpiece that was Loveless.
With Zack, Angeal had merely introduced the two in the hopes that it would would be good for his mentee's overall well-being if he had the chance to meet and speak with his hero. He'd honestly planned for that; they'd all recently gotten home after the war in Wutai ended in victory for Shinra, but he still felt he could modify the vaguely inspirational speeches he used to motivate his troops to help Zack out too.
Zack arrived alone, his whole body thrumming with frenetic energy. He made the first move, and after finding Sephiroth receptive, lost the nervous edge. Sephiroth soon understood why Angeal had gifted his student with the title of "puppy". His energy seemed to be in endless supply. During the course of the evening, Zack had good naturedly teased him about his hair, done a horrifically accurate impression of Scarlet's laugh mid-coitus, and insisted the two of them high-five after they were done. (The impression had been the worst; Sephiroth had laughed hard enough that he ended up becoming more relaxed and therefore more aroused, something which Zack noticed and teased him mercilessly for. Not to mention how uncomfortable next day's meeting to discuss new weaponry for the SOLDIER program had been. Enough so that Angeal had come up to him after the meeting to inquire about his health. When he said that he was merely tired, Angeal admitted that "Zack's endless enthusiasm was enough to wear anyone down." Thank goodness that Angeal was no longer looking directly at him as he said that.)
But Zack had been sweet too, and surprisingly attentive. He took his time, and sometimes looked into Sephiroth's eyes with a mixture of bafflement and awe. It was different, but not unwelcome.
But then the news reports had credited him solely for the decisive battle in the war, despite the fact that Sephiroth had been in Squadron B and had therefore little to do with that victory. Later, when a scheduling conflict had prevented him from taking on an assigned mission, he'd recommended Zack as being more than capable of going in his stead. Rumors around the building indicated he'd found the job beneath him, and had instead foisted the job off on Zack. Sephiroth didn't honestly expect that anyone other than Genesis paid any mind to these sorts of things.
It was awhile before he saw Zack again, which was to be expected due to their busy schedules. Zack was quiet, reserved. Tired, perhaps?
"Angeal sent me back here," he said. "He said that it seemed 'beneficial to my well-being' and that we 'probably had a lot more we could talk about'. So I'm here."
"Is there something you wish to discuss?"
"Do I look like I'm here for an 'inspirational speech'? Is that really what you told him we got up to? Like, you said that with a straight face?"
That night was almost enough to make Sephiroth think he had imagined the first. That night Zack could have been anybody else, and it wouldn't have been any more lonely. But it was fine. When Angeal asked if they were getting along all right, Sephiroth always said yes.
Sephiroth arrives at the medical ward just as Zack is being prepped for a CT scan. The staff is insisting he lie down for the procedure, but as they guide his body down, Zack lets out a sound that is just shy of a scream. For a moment he thinks of intervening, but reminds himself this is medically necessary, and that they are only trying to help. They're doctors, not scientists. It's hard to remember that as Zack lets out that same agonized sound again.
A computerized woman's voice is instructing Zack to stay calm, to lie still. Take one full breath in, hold it. Please resume breathing normally. While his efforts hardly seem to match the prompts given, he passes, and the technicians wheel him on back to the emergency room.
"Have they given you any pain medication since you got here?" Sephiroth says once the gurney has stilled, and the oxygen tubing is back in place.
"Oh, wha-? No, not yet. If they do at all. It's not that that bad, really."
"I can get a nurse to come over."
"No! Come on, that guy over there is missing a leg. You don't see him complaining."
"He's in a coma, Zack."
"No, please don't call anyone over. I don't want special treatment, and besides, they're swamped. I didn't think you were actually gonna make it over."
"I just had that morning meeting, but-"
"Did it go okay?"
"As well as any meeting goes when both Scarlet and Heidegger are in the room."
"I'll work on getting his laugh down next. Oh look, you're blushing! I knew you appreciated my skills!"
"Of which you have many, Zack."
The entire room is cramped, and as there's no place to sit, Sephiroth tries to squeeze himself into the space between the bed and the heart rate monitor. The curtain demarcating the end of Zack's space and the start of another presses right up against his back, and when the man in the neighboring bed flings out his arm, his hand slaps right between Sephiroth's shoulder blades.
The noise is at a high enough decibel that it almost feels as if it is a physical entity in and of itself. Angeal would be better here, Sephiroth is sure, and he would know what to say. He is supposed to be back now, but there's no word as to why the mission is taking longer than it should. In all matters now, there is nothing to do but wait.
Author's Note: This is slow building an eventually will get to a true romance. I promise. Though to be honest, I'm not actually sure anyone is reading this, so I'm not sure who I'm making this promise to?
Next part of this story will be from Zack's point of view. Slowly but surely, I'm writing more to this. Though it is the busy season at work, so I consider a couple paragraphs in a week to be an accomplishment. And yes, even the short ones count.