Chapter 17

I hope this chapter makes up to all of you that ever doubted me writing Zack in character, lol. And, to any readers that are sweet enough to review, please be patient for my response, as I will be away for a couple of weeks getting rest and relaxation. But I promise faithfully that any and all reviews will get a reply.

Stephy, I love you, and I'm going to miss not talking with you every day. Hope this in some little way compensates. Mwah.

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Chapter 17

Cloud hadn't really thought about the consequences of leaving the room that he had been confined in for weeks, dressed only in the skimpy outfit the general had tossed at him. All he had thought about was that he was finally getting a chance to scout out his surroundings, to map out any possible escape routes, anything that might help him to get away from his incarceration.

So it was with a gut wrenching feeling of dismay, that he realized obtaining his freedom wasn't going to be as easy as he might have hoped for.

As soon as the general had opened the door, and had stood aside to let Cloud pass through first, the man must have sensed Clouds eagerness to be out of the room, and he had pulled Cloud up sharply by yanking at the chain that connected them, pulling Cloud back around to face him as he snarled a warning message.

"This is a treat for you, boy. A luxury. Don't muck it up. I expect you to be on your best behavior. You know now how to address me, how to stand, walk and kneel. Your lessons have been easy so far, and you've progressed very well, for which I am pleased, hence the little reward. But..."

Here, the general had taken hold of Clouds chin and had tightened his grip on the boy's jaw, forcing his head back unbearably until tears leaked from behind blue closed eyes.

"But..." Sephiroth continued, his fingers biting in cruelly to the flesh he held in his grasp. "I can continue with harsher lessons just as easily, if you fail me today."

Now, paddling along barefoot behind the tall silver haired man, Cloud came to realize that, even as he was looking around trying desperately to discover some avenue of eventual release, others were standing still and staring open mouthed at him as he walked by them, led by the neck on a chain, like a dog.

The first few people that he and the general had passed in the grey tiled, bare walled corridors, had remained silent, acknowledging the general's presence with curt bows or hasty salutes as Sephiroth marched proudly forward, head held high, eyes looking straight to the fore.

Cloud's own head had dipped in shame at his predicament, at his being led around on the end of a leash, and his cheeks had flushed fiery red in embarrassment as he became acutely aware of the eyes boring into the back of his body. He didn't need to look up at the people to know what was catching their interest. It was his nearly exposed ass. He knew he couldn't do anything to cover that, but he did cup his hands and try to hide his barely concealed genitals as best as he could.

The public walk of humiliation seemed to last an eternity for Cloud, and he concentrated his mind on the generals footsteps, trying to listen only to the sharp clicking the man's booted heels made upon the stone floor, rather than the snickers and whispered comments that were being made upon their passing.

Finally, Sephiroth led the way into a large open room, thickly carpeted, the soft fibers giving way a little beneath Clouds feet. The soft springy cushioning was a welcome relief from the cold, hard flagstones he had just walked, and he flexed his toes, enjoying the luxuriousness of it.

The low humming of machines prompted Cloud to raise his head again, and as the general continued to pull at him via the leash, Cloud stared around in amazement.

The room was filled wall to wall with computers, and behind the screen monitor of each one, sat a white coated figure of a male, their fingers busily tapping away at the key pads in front of them. No one paid any attention whatsoever to the passage of Sephiroth and his prisoner, too enwrapped in whatever they were working on to turn and greet them. The general didn't even seem to mind being ignored, his long stride unfaltering.

At the far end of the room, Sephiroth finally stopped and opened a glass panelled door, leading the way towards a desk that was placed in front of a huge open span window that showed the outside world to Cloud for the first time in months.

His heart soared as he finally gazed out upon the clear blueness of a morning sky, the lush greenery of the surrounding forests, and in the far off distance, the shimmering haze of a sun dappled great lake. It all looked so surreal to him, and it wasn't until he felt the pressure of a hand pushing down on his shoulder to make him kneel, that he realised he had been captivated by such a simple scene.

Bowing to Sephiroth's silent order, Cloud tore his eyes away from the window, turning his concentration instead back on the man in charge of him. He knelt passively as he had been shown, his knees slightly open, his hands behind his head.

The general pulled a keyboard towards himself, flicking on the computer screen in front of him, before looking down at the obedient slave. He gave a contented huff of approval that the boy had thus far behaved and remembered his training, and he softened a little.

"You may sit on your ass and fold your hands in your lap," he stated. "I may be here for quite some time."

Without a word, Cloud seated himself in the more comfortable position.

The time seemed to drag so slowly for the blond captive. He was bored, and restless. Occasionally, he would sneak his face around to steal a peek out of the windows, not daring to be caught doing so without permission. He knew how the general hated him moving when he was working. Cloud was expected to sit stone sit. But his muscles began to ache and cramp, and he longed to stretch out his legs. He also needed to pee very badly. He hesitated to ask for permission though. The general was a hard man to read. One day, Cloud could ask for something and be granted it, yet another time, the silver haired man would all but beat him senseless for daring to speak without being spoken to.

Becoming desperate, Cloud started to fidget with the chained metal links that led from his collar. Sephiroth had secured the handled loop of the leash beneath one of the legs of the chair he was sitting upon, meaning that he would have to stand up in order to free the loop and let Cloud rise to use the bathroom. And, noticing the fast and furious way the man was typing on the keys in front of him, Cloud didn't think that now would be a wise time to disturb him.

His hand stole into his groin, and his fingers circled and squeezed his cock tightly in order to try and hold it in. He mentally willed himself to think of something else to take his mind off of his predicament, unconsciously rocking back and forth a little as he fought an inner battle with his body's needs.

There was a sharp rap of knuckles on the door, and after Sephiroth's call to enter a young blonde haired woman poked her head into the room. Her top was low cut and revealing, two rounded half moons breasts clearly on display. Clouds eyes opened wide, all thoughts of needing to pee gone in an instant, as he felt himself twitch in arousal.

"What do you want, Scarlet? State your business, and be gone."

Sephiroth's voice was cold and flat. He obviously was not affected by the young woman's charms. She didn't seem to care though, her eyes lighting up with excitement as she took in the general and the almost naked golden haired boy sat so quietly beside him, her gaze lingering on where Clouds hand was.

"Rufus wants a word. Now. This minute. Pronto. As in, get your sweet fanny moving this very second."

Sephiroth stopped his typing, and looked up at her for the first time.

"Scarlet," he drawled. "Get out of here. Leave. Go. As in, fuck off."

The door slammed.

Fifteen carefully timed minutes went by before Sephiroth stopped typing, switched off his computer, stood up and began heading towards the door.

"Sir...Please..." Cloud dared to call out after him. The pressure inside his guts was starting to become unbearable.

"Don't...Just, don't," the general warned, holding up a hand to stop him from talking any further. "You will just sit there, and you will wait for my return. What you have to say can be dealt with then."

Cloud watched him leave the room in dismay. He really, really needed to empty his bladder. His stomach was aching, and dribbles were escaping out over his fingers.

Taking a look around the room in desperation, his eyes settled on a large potted plant in a corner. It looked like it could do with watering.

He was mid-stream, his flow almost done, when the door suddenly opened again. In shock and horror, Cloud spun around, spilling the last drops of urine on the floor, his heart hammering against his ribs, his eyes large and terrified, as he expected to be confronted by the general standing there. Instead, he was faced with the amused smirking countenance of Sephiroth's first in command, Zack.

Wiping wet fingers dry on his thighs, Cloud tried to explain his behavior, his words choking in his throat.

"I...I..."

"Must have been pretty desperate, to do something as suicidal as pissing in one of the general's prized plant pots," Zack chimed in. His voice carried a hint of laughter to it, and his eyes showed his sympathy for the plight the boy faced upon Sephiroth's return.

Hitting the communicator on the desk top, Zack barked out a command for an assistant to come in and remove the soiled foliage, and to bring in some rags and warm soapy water.

"Well, it's Sephiroth's own fault for leaving you here alone without anyone to grant you permission to use the toilet," Zack drawled, when he saw the incredulous look upon the blond boy's face. "Okay, while the pot is being got rid of, lets do away with the rest of the evidence eh? The smell, and the wet patch. Don't want a massacre on Seph's return now, do we?"

As the offending plant was removed, Zack started throwing the windows open wide, instructing Cloud to clean up the spilt piss from the carpet, and to then wipe his messy hands, leg and cock off with the suds.

As Cloud was finishing rubbing at his hands, Zack stepped forward and took the rag from him, tossing it into the water before reaching for a dry cloth and wiping the boy down. His touch was gentle, kind, and almost seductive.

Cloud raised his eyes and stared speechlessly at the nape of Zack's neck as he was bent over him, drying him. He wondered what it would feel like to have this man's hand upon his cock. But Zack stopped shy of wiping him there, standing back up instead, and kissing Clouds forehead chastely.

"Is that how he left you?" Zack asked, indicating the way Cloud was stood un-tethered by the side of the computer chair.

"No sir. He..."

"I suggest you get back into place as quickly as possible then. I'm sure Sephiroth won't be gone much longer now. He never stays at the meetings till the end. Hears what he has to hear, and then dismisses himself."

Cloud had just the time to sink to his knees and reattach the looped handle of the leash beneath the chair leg, before the general walked in.

Sephiroth stopped with some surprise at seeing the dark haired man move to stand by the open window at his entrance, and his green suspicious eyes immediately went to the boy trembling at his feet, before slowly going back to Zack.

Cloud kept his head down, a red flush of guilt flooding his face. He was scared that if he looked at the general, the man would somehow be able to read his mind about what he had done, and know what had occurred in the room.

"Something happen here that I need to know about?" Sephiroth inquired, an eyebrow quirking.

"Yeah," Zack replied amicably. He knew the general too well to try a blatant out and out lie, so he simply bent the truth. "I came in here, and I kissed your boy. I know, I know...I took advantage. But hey Seph, it's your own fault for leaving such a pretty little thing unattended."

At the scowl he received, Zack gave a soft laugh and headed towards the door.

"And the reason I came by in the first place is because I had to drop off that report you wanted on the mutated materia. You'll find it on your desk. And oh, Seph..." Zack paused in the doorway, his eyes alight with laughter and his face full of smiles. "I got rid of that pissing plant that was in here. Monstrosity, it was..."

"Whatever Zack. Now, let me get on with my work."

Trying to keep the spreading grin off his face, Cloud threw the dark haired man a look of sheer gratitude, and Zack threw him back a wink.