Title: Between Angels and Puppies
Author: Chibi Envy Chan
Pairing: Angeal/Zack, eventual Angeal/Zack/Cloud, Rude/Reno, Sephiroth/?, Genesis/?
Warning: Same as first
This is a gift fic for an awesome writer, Amarissia. Check out her stories. I recommend everything she writes. Much luffs for her.
Cloud hates me after what I put him through or rather will. Zack is currently glaring at me. Angeal looks like he's going to kill someone... Hope it isn't me. As for Genesis, he is quite happy with this chapter. I dunno why.
Disclaimer: Same as first.
Chapter 2: Dumb Apples
"We're finished here," Cloud said hastily as he tried to escape Zack's iron grip. The wandering hand wasn't helping either. He could try to remove it, but it would only draw attention to the act, and he was already mortified at being caught in this compromising position by one of his superiors, and it just had to be the most of insane of the first classes.
The first class paused mid-step and turned around. He wasn't going to miss this golden opportunity since Angeal tended to get in the way, but the commander wasn't here. He couldn't be everywhere. "In that case, I'll make myself at home." Where was the popcorn when he needed it?
"Let's go," Cloud whined. He pulled hard, trying to get his mentor to start moving. With all that muscle, he wasn't too heavy for someone like his size to move.
"No need to hurry, I'm not in a rush," the SOLDIER first said nonchalantly as he meandered to them. He purposely walked as slow as possible without making it seem that way. It also gave him a good view of Fair's hand on Strife's delectable ass.
"Mine," Zack said possessively, causing the older SOLDIER to laugh. He didn't like how the other was looking at Cloud, not one tiny bit. The second class wanted to… he didn't know what, but he knew nothing good came out of trying to beat a first.
"I knew it! Blondie's a definite uke. I mean just look at him. He's the perfect size. Eh, if you need any tips or toys, just come to me. I won't bite unless you ask me to."
Okay, this was getting too weird for him. Zack finally let Cloud have his way. He allowed himself to be dragged to where they kept their belongings after placing down the VR equipment.
"Such a big softie for a seme. I bet he likes it when you play rough with him," the SOLDIER first crooned, laughing when Zack hastily covered the cadet's innocent ears. "You sure know how to pick them, Fair."
The most important thing was to get him out of there before the other SOLDIER corrupted the innocent blue eyed blond. He kept his eyes on the first class in case he needed to distract the guy, giving Cloud a chance to flee.
"You like what you see? I'm sure there is plenty of me to go around." He stepped closer, flexing his impressive muscles.
"That's enough, Tala," Angeal growled. He didn't like anyone messing with his student.
Damn, his fun was ruined again. Tala ran his hand through his unruly bangs. "We were just having a little fun. No one was harmed. I swear I didn't touch either of them."
"Good," Angeal growled again. He deliberately placed himself between the two and Tala. Whoever allowed him into SOLDIER needed to be shot like now. "It had better stay that way."
"The master seme at work, heh."
"Tala," the commander said in his tone he normally used when dealing with the enemy. It meant someone was going to die a painful death. He rarely used that tone except when dealing with the extreme cases of disobedience within their ranks, and that was outside of battle.
Not wanting to die anytime soon, Tala knew when to stop pushing the line. While Angeal was widely known for his abundance in patience (How else would he be able to put up with Zack on a daily basis?), the man had his limits, and Tala wasn't so eager to really test them. He still needed to get laid. Many people were afraid to be with him after that reputation he had gained.
"I'll go do my training." He used his PHS to flip through the different missions. Naturally, he wanted something hard especially the ones where Sephiroth might appear. Of course, he had his reasons for wanting to see that particular program.
"Do that." Angeal was thankful Sephiroth made him leave whenever he was up to something. He never trusted Tala around second class or lower. The guy was more psychotic than Genesis, and that was saying something. He waited until the two departed the room before he gave one last warning look and left.
That guy was creepy and scary. Cloud hoped he'd never see that SOLDIER first again. Wait, that would be impossible. One day, he'd be a first class. That meant learning how to deal with them even if he wanted to run away.
"How are you holding up, Cloudy?" Zack asked once the door closed. He knew Tala could hear him, but Cloud was more important. Plus, Angeal was there. The commander would protect the both of them.
Cloud gave him that pitiful kicked puppy look that made Zack (and Angeal) want to grab him and take him to safety where he'd never be hurt again. He also walked closer to his mentor. If he could, he'd be walking on Zack.
"Don't worry, we'll protect you," the second class said though it was more to assure himself. Ever since that incident over a year ago, he was extremely protective of the young cadet. He'd go through hell and back if it meant keeping Cloud happy. Zack noticed the blond look over at Angeal. Must be wondering whether or not Angeal would protect him. He was like untouchable, but he knew from experience that wasn't true.
"If anyone lays so much as a finger on you without your permission, they are going to pay dearly."
'Promise?" Cloud asked tentatively.
The older SOLDIER nodded his head. He'd lay down his life for any of his SOLDIERs except when they were the culprits. Then all protection was off. He promised not to draw out any pain. For someone he had recently met, he felt inexplicably drawn to the blond cadet. He felt that a long time ago, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
Was it worth it?
"Thank you."
So definitely worth it.
"Hey, you'd definitely tell me if someone's bullying you, right?" Zack asked. He knew Cloud didn't want to be a burden to him and often kept such things to himself. If he only knew how much he worried the second class. There were times where Zack would pace back and forth in his mentor's office, rambling about the dangers lurking out there, real or not. He just couldn't imagine Cloud being able to fend off several people. He was such a cute chocobo and glompable too. It was hard to think of him becoming one of them, a tool of mass destruction and killing. He really didn't want it. The very thought of it made his stomach lurch.
Suddenly, the cadet found his feet to be the most interesting thing in the world. He couldn't make promises. Mom told him if he could not keep a promise, he should not make it in the first place. Cloud didn't understand it at first, but he learned over time, the value of a promise. He didn't want anyone to feel the disappointment he felt on a daily basis. It was painful.
The two older SOLDIERs looked over at each other and frowned. Something had to be done about this. If the horrible students kept ganging up on the promising SOLDIERs, they might have to lower their standards, something neither of them wanted.
By the way Angeal looked at him, it meant he wanted to talk, but not then and there. He needed to talk to Zack alone.
Pretending to be the puppy he was, Zack changed the conversation in favor of a lighter conversation. Plus, he was secretly curious. "Angeal, I thought you were working. What's up?" He knew for a fact his mentor wouldn't ditch work to hang out with them, not if it meant doing their favorite thing.
The first class averted his gaze. Damn, his student's ability to read him. "Seph thought I could use a break. He thinks I work too much." It was close to the truth without revealing his current predicament or rather predicaments.
Something was up. Zack knew it, and as for Cloud, he was off in his own land. "I think you work too hard and most certainly earned a break or two or three. Besides, why would you want to spend your time in a stuff office when you can spend your time with two cuties?"
Angeal let out an exasparated sigh. "Don't be pretentious." However, he would never tell a single soul he agreed with his apprentice. They were too cute for their own good.
"You don't think we're cute?" Cloud unexpectedly asked. Wasn't he supposed to have his head in the clouds? He looked up at Angeal with those big round blue eyes.
"I don't measure people according to their physical appearance," the first class said calmly as he headed back to their apartment. While Zack could have gotten his own place, he preferred staying with his mentor. Angeal originally insisted on the second class having his own place, but when Zack went on his first mission, the first class refused to let his puppy move out. He even pulled in a favor from Sephiroth, who was more than amused by this turn of events that he actually allowed it. Hardly anyone opposed him when he wanted something.
It wasn't worth losing him over a second class SOLDIER. How would this happen? Well, Angeal would leave, taking Zack with him. Of course, that meant Cloud would soon follow, because he could usually be found in the presence of Fair. Now that wouldn't mean anything to the company, seeing as they were all expendable. However, Sephiroth had a long history with Angeal, and most likely be leaving with him. Almost the entire first class would leave, because they were very loyal to the General.
Thus, it was better for everyone if Zack stayed put.
In fact, they insisted he stay put.
Really, they did.
Zack made an odd sound and rolled his eyes. "Sure, you don't. I know for a fact that you-" He was abruptly cut off when his mentor nudged him hard. "You don't have to be so rough... except maybe in the bedroom. I wouldn't mind."
"Get your mind out of the gutter," Angeal said, giving him his usual glare, which had no effect on him. He had become used to it by now that it didn't faze him. Damn. That or the first class was becoming too soft. He certainly hoped it wasn't the case. While he wanted to be casual with his SOLDIERs, his enemies were a different story.
The second class grinned impishly. "You know you don't have to be in denial. A healthy relationship is about being open and honest and all that good stuff."
Now if he could close something, Angeal would be happy. He grabbed his card and slid it through the card reader. "Have you ever heard of a little thing we call privacy?"
"Maybe," Zack sung in a teasing way as he stepped through the door. He didn't even bat an eye at his implications.
"Your homework is to look it up in a dictionary and write a half page report on it."
Zack's jaw dropped. "You have to be kidding. I haven't had to do homework since my cadet days," he wailed pitifully as he clung onto his mentor. "Why must you be so cruel? Tell him, Cloudy."
When silence greeted them, the SOLDIERs turned around to find Cloud mysteriously absent. Where was he?
"Do you think?" Zack gasped as his mind raced through every what if scenario he could think of. His mind went from minor incidents to worst case scenarios. He didn't like either of them. Oh no, his poor little Cloud was out there with the big, bad SOLDIER first classes. He was too cute not to be molested and...
History could repeat itself.
That was not going to happen, not while Zack was around and could do something about it. He wasn't about to let Cloud's innocence be ripped away.
Angeal placed a hand on the shorter SOLDIER, seeing as he couldn't keep still for more than a second. Plus it was obvious to anyone that Zack was stressing out over the absence of his student even if it was only a few minutes. "Take deep breaths and calm down. I'm sure there is a reasonable explanation for this."
Without warning, the younger SOLDIER grabbed his superior and started shaking him as if that would help the situation. "Calm down? My little chocobo could be in their filthy claws! We have to do something, anything."
Gently and calmly as he could Angeal pried off his student. If this happened when Strife left for a few minutes, he couldn't imagine how Zack would react when the blond finally received a mission as a SOLDIER. They'd probably have to tranq him or get Angeal to wrestle him into submission. "Let's trace back our steps. If he had been taken, there would be signs of a struggle, and if not, I promise to do all within my power to find him. Okay?"
The second class took deep breaths. "You're right as always. Let's go!" He promptly headed off in a direction and was quickly turned in the right direction by his mentor. "I meant to do that!"
Sighing, the first class followed the second class down the corridor.
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Outside the first class dorms, Cloud looked at the door, hesitantly shifting his weight. Out of all the times he spent with his mentor, he had never stepped foot inside the first class dorms let alone looked at them. Sure, Zack lived with Angeal, but they always spent their time in the training room, cafeteria, library, and anywhere off ground that Zack saw fit to drag him to. There was even that one place, but the second class assured him everything would be fine so long as they weren't separated.
Most important of all, Cloud wasn't supposed to be here. It was off limits to second class and lower. He was ranked below troopers, which wasn't saying much. After one last look, the cadet turned to leave. He didn't want to cause any trouble.
Not even three steps away from the entrance, the blond found himself face to face with a first class SOLDIER, but not just any first class. Oh no, with Cloud's luck he managed to run into one of the legendary SOLDIERs. Anyone would have used this opportunity to brag or find a way to befriend this guy; however, Cloud wasn't anyone.
He smiled nervously and tried to skirt around him. Sadly, fate was against him as usual.
"Come to see the Great Sephiroth's home? Sorry to disappoint you, kid, he doesn't live here."
Cloud shook his head. He wasn't there to see Sephiroth. It would be a bonus if he actually saw the silver haired SOLDIER in person. Actually he figured he would either faint or do something stupid in front of The General.
"Mute, eh?" The first class rubbed his chin, looking over the blond. He was cute in an innocent, naïve way. It would be fun corrupting him. Oh very fun, indeed. "So you're here to visit a friend?" Once again, he received a no.
If anything, he hated playing these games. It was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If he wasn't stalking Sephiroth (like most cadets) or visiting a friend, then he must have orders, but orders were usually given in the office area, not residential. It was puzzling to say the least.
"So what are your orders?" He wondered if he could join, assuming it was what his dirty little mind conjured up.
Turning his head away, Cloud a faint blush. He hoped his superior wouldn't notice, but fate had other things in mind. "I knew it! Who is it? I promise I tell. Count on it. Now spill and don't leave out any details."
Once again, the first class was met with silence. Tough one, he was. If it wasn't Sephiroth, then it must be another. "Me?" No. "Angeal?" No. "Tala?" Shudder. Definitely no. "Micah?" No. "Wes?" No. "Kurai?" No. "Christian?" No. "Can you give me a hint or something?" No.
This one was a challenge, and he loved challenges. His missions were rather boring as of lately. Couldn't they send a second class rather than waste his time? For example, a few days ago, Sephiroth had asked him to do... paperwork of all things! They knew he hated paperwork with a passion and would gladly use it to start a fire or three. Then The General just had to bring up that incident. He would never look at a bathroom the same way again even if he had to use it badly.
"Come on. I'm not a mind reader, you know."
"Genesis, quit bothering the cadet."
The first class whirled around to see his friend approaching him, the puppy in tow. He held his hands up in a defensive manner. "No need for the third degree. I was just having a friendly conversation with the cadet."
Angeal glared at him while Zack pulled the small blond behind him, using his body as a human shield.
"I swear I didn't touch him. The kid can vouch for me." Genesis looked over to where the cadet was hidden. The blond was small enough to be hidden by the puppy. "Though he's mute. We should get him a notepad or one of those small boards."
"Don't you have duties to attend to?" Angeal made it clear his presence wasn't necessary. He stood stiffly and placed his hand on his hip. "Like that mission report?"
The auburn haired SOLDIER let out an odd noise, having been denied his new favorite toy. "Fine be that way. You're too serious for your own good. Has anyone told you that? I think you need to get laid."
Not far away, Zack clamped a hand over his mouth. He had been saying the same thing over and over, but his mentor never listened. One of these days, he needed to get drunk and then laid.
Oh crap, SOLDIERs especially first classes were hard to get drunk. Scratch that idea. Angeal needed to skip the getting drunk part and go for the getting laid one.
"I think you-" Before he could finish his sentence, Angeal noticed the other first class already entering the dorms. It was easier to keep Zack still than to get something through his head. Once Genesis wasn't being a problem, he turned his attention to the young blond. "Hey cadet, are you okay? Did he hurt you? Or touch you?"
From behind Zack, Cloud peered around him and shook his head. "No, he didn't do either of those. I feel fine. No need to worry about me." He really meant it. After all, he was a lowly cadet. They were the best of the best.
Aw man, they were back to square one again. Maybe they needed to spend more time around each other. The only thing they had in common was Zack. Grinning, the second class planned to make full use of his connections with them.
"What are you plotting?" Angeal said, cautiously stepping forward as if Zack was a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any second.
There was that look. It was pathetic.
But it was so cute.
"Who ever said I was plotting?"
"Because I know you better than that, Puppy." The thought of whapping his student with a rolled up newspaper became very appealing. It wouldn't help either of them as there were enough jokes floating around.
"You wound me." Zack moved his hands over his heart and staggered backwards, being careful not to run over his chocobo. He stopped when he saw his mentor starting to leave. "Wait for us!"
Cloud gasped as he was dragged by the overenthusiastic second class. He tried to squirm away as he really didn't want to get in trouble or Zack either.
"Hey, what's wrong?" the second class asked while he signaled Angeal to slow down.
The cadet hesitated and shuffled around, shifting his weight with unease. "I shouldn't be here. I'm only a cadet."
"Cloud, I am permitting you in here. If anyone has a problem with it, they have to deal with me, and they won't like it." Angeal was serious. If he wanted to bring people over, he'd bring people over especially those who have a good bond with his student. He wasn't going to cut off his puppy from the rest of the world.
"Really?"
The first class nodded his head. "You're special to Zack. He talks about you a lot."
This made the cadet blush. He didn't think he was an interesting subject. "Okay."
"So how about that dinner you promised?" Zack said as he pulled the two behind him.
"Dinner?" Cloud squeaked while being led.
"Of course. It's too early for breakfast and too late for lunch. Maybe we can have a very late lunch and then dinner?"
"Don't be stupid."
"I heard it was contagious," Cloud spoke before he could think about what he said. He wished he could tape his mouth before he blurted out things he shouldn't say in front of his superiors.
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Seconds passed like minutes. Minutes passed like hours. Everything was too slow in his opinion, but then again he could never sit still for more than seven minutes at a time.
As he wanted to entertain his guest, Angeal insisted they order take out and that he paid. He knew Zack would want to help out, but the second class had a hard time saving his money. Only through Cloud was he able to start saving small amounts at a time. His puppy tended to be spontaneous and buy whatever caught his eye. Even though they weren't expensive, they added up over time.
Cloud insisted that they didn't go through all this trouble for him. He could always eat at the cadet cafeteria even though their food tasted worse than moldy bread at times. Plus they had done so much for him. He appreciated their assistance even when he didn't ask for it. They were such thoughtful people.
Both Angeal and Zack assured him they didn't mind. In fact, they were going to order out anyways, because the first class didn't trust Zack in the kitchen. It wasn't that he'd hurt himself, more on the impending death by Zack's cooking. At one point, he tried his student's soup and declared it to be toxic. He even took it down to the labs for analysis where they made it a weapon. Zack never knew what happened to it, and he planned on keeping it that way.
While waiting for the food, they engaged in casual conversation, ranging from the latest news to how Cloud was doing in his classes. Of course, Zack had managed to keep up a one person conversation for about fifteen minutes before he realized Cloud had fallen asleep and Angeal zoned out. Needless to say, he wasn't pleased by it and woken up his little chocobo in a not so nice manner. As for Angeal, he attempted to sneak up on him, however, all he managed to do was to be flipped over the couch.
"He never learns," Angeal said about his student. This earned him a death glare, but he found it to be very adorable on his puppy.
"I think it's his thick skull," Cloud said sleepily. He blinked his eyes a few times only to find Zack pouting on the floor. "Think of it as a natural helmet!"
"Thank the goddess for that. Even if I manage to get a helmet on him, there is no doubt he'd forget to wear it the next time."
"But couldn't we like post it notes all over the place? I mean he can't be that blind."
"This is Zack we're talking about."
"Duly noted."
"Unholy partnership," Zack muttered and glared at the two conspirators until someone knocked on the door.
Angeal excused himself to answer it as it happened to be the delivery guy. He quickly paid him and shut the door before he could figure out who he really was. The last thing he wanted was some fan boy, ruining their bonding moment. Could it really be called that? No, he was hanging out with Zack's friend. That was all.
At least, that was what he kept telling himself.
Having been a SOLDIER for a long time and gone on long missions, Angeal knew the best restaurants and which things to avoid when ordering. He also knew a few of the owners by name. They weren't exactly happy about his affiliation with ShinRa, but they respected him as a human and were more than willing to overlook his employer so long as he didn't cause any trouble.
Cloud, being reticent by nature, allowed Angeal to do all the ordering. He wasn't picky so long as it resembled food and tasted like it too. As far as Zack went, he'd eat almost anything edible except maybe the cafeteria surprises. No one knew what went into them. Many of the cadets and even SOLDIERs took guesses. Some said they were rejected experiments from the labs as they didn't want to waste anything. Others insisted they were the result of scientific development to make them into better SOLDIERs. Hey, if they could eat that, then they should be able to make it in the program.
Once they had eaten their fill, they lounged around on the couches, content with watching whatever was on TV. Zack grabbed the remote before either of his companions could and flipped through the channels. He didn't stay on one for long, finding them boring after a minute or two. After cycling through the channels so many times, Cloud sneaked up behind the younger SOLDIER and stole the remote before scrambling away from Zack.
The second class had barely any time to register the remote not being in his hand and then took a long time for it to fully sink in. Cloud had stolen the remote from him.
This escalated into an all out pillow fight until Angeal separated the two. He even put Zack into a headlock, which caused Cloud to laugh until tears streamed down his face. The second class looked so pathetic it was so funny.
Then Cloud realized it was close to his curfew and excused himself. He wanted to go alone, seeing as they were both home. However, Zack insisted he accompany the blond all the way back to the barracks. Who knew what lurked between here and there? Neither of the SOLDIERs were willing to take that chance.
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Shuffling back to his dorms, Cloud tried not to stare at those manly biceps, but the way Zack flexed them, it was hard to miss. Instead he kept his eyes straight and almost down. Occasionally, he looked up to see if he needed to fight or flee. That was not likely to be the case as he had his own bodyguard if a puppy could be counted as one.
When Cloud saw him for the first time, he just wanted to hide, to sink into the planet and never come out. It was so humiliating. Zack exuded confidence and power. He seemed like a first class, but in reality, he was only a second class. It seemed like yesterday when he met the SOLDIER, albeit, in an awkward situation.
Flashback
Not wanting to be seen, Cloud crept along the edges. It worked in the past as they tended to forget he even existed. He hoped these bullies wouldn't notice him. They preyed upon people who couldn't defend themselves and had never been fair. It was always at least two against one if not more.
Today was no exception.
Their instructor had an emergency to handle, thus, canceled class. The cadets had shuffled out and gathered at the common areas, one of which included their dorm lounge.
Cloud just wanted to go back to his bed and take a short nap. Fate had been against him ever since he was born. As he was about to exit the lounge, he caught the attention of the resident bully. He immediately took off after recognizing the voice, a stampede soon followed him.
Only one thing was on his mind, get to safety. If there were SOLDIERs around, the bullies wouldn't try anything or at least he hoped so. Very few SOLDIERs hung around the cadet dorms. Many of them preferred to stay within their area. He didn't blame them. Cadet equipment was crappy.
Blue eyes quickly scanned the area for the tell tale signs of glowing eyes, a sign of mako. As the seconds passed, he became desperate to find someone, anyone. He thought he had been running towards the heavily trafficked area, but he was wrong. In his haste to get away, he took a wrong turn and was now heading towards a deserted area of the compound.
His thoughts became erratic as he tried to find a way to escape. The sweat poured from him, covering him in a thin sheet. It felt uncomfortable, but it was the last thing on his mind. The thought of fists and kicks bruising him spurred him, but how long could he keep this up?
Every step he took sent jolts up his body. He could feel every movement as if he had been caught in slow animation. Every cell in his body worked until they could no longer handle it. His lungs cried out for oxygen as he pushed himself harder and harder. His muscles protested with each and every movement. He was ready to collapse. The dancing colors didn't help either.
The cadet got his wish.
"What do you know, pretty boy can run," the boss of the bullies laughed derisively from his perch on Cloud's back. He too was covered in sweat, but he didn't let that stop him. For the workout the blond gave, he'd repay it in double, no triple the amount.
"You said it, Boss."
"What are you going to do?"
Cloud fervently prayed they'd lose interest in him and move onto something else. With his energy spent running, he couldn't fight back even though his mind screamed for his body to do something. He felt himself being picked up by the back of his shirt. It choked him for a moment. He didn't have time to react to this. The air rushed out of him as a fist met his unprotected gut.
"We are going to practice our moves. I don't see Strife disagreeing." Another punch landed, and he did nothing except curl up.
The other three voiced their agreements, eager to get their turn. Strife was just too easy, and he never told anyone. Basically, he was the perfect prey, and they loved tormenting him on a daily basis. As long as the injuries could be covered, they were in the clear. The instructors could care less as long as they did as ordered.
With the three of them, they used rock, paper, scissors to decide who went first. It didn't matter to Cloud. They were all going to have their turns using him as a human punching bag. He didn't know how much more of this he could take. If he separated his mind from his body, he wouldn't have to feel the blows. He wouldn't react. It was as if he retreated into his mind.
"Boss, he isn't doing anything," one of the minions complained. It wasn't fun when Strife didn't react.
They needed to do something drastic if they wanted any reaction. The boss motioned them to step away from the curled up Cloud. Once they stood back, he kneeled down so he could get a good hold on the blond. He flipped the smaller cadet onto his back and reached in for his prize.
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So many of you thought it was Sephiroth or Genesis... (snickers) I luffs cliff hangers. Don't you?
Mwuahahahahahaha. I left you on another cliff hanger. I am so evil. (smiles)