Chapter 7: Speakeasy

Cloud moaned, breath hitching as he pressed his palm into Zack's chest, raising himself up and down. His body surrounded that girth as he struggled to maintain the slow pace. He was sore and aching, and yet still not sated as he brought them around for round number five of the morning. He leaned down to claim Zack's lips, gasping as his hips were grabbed and he was flipped around.

They never broke their kiss as Zack pressed his thighs wide, pushing in deeper, and swallowing Cloud's cry as he began to slam over and over again into his prostate. It wasn't enough. Nothing was since that first night since Zack had taken him...had bred him.

"Zack…" he begged, nails digging into firm buttocks, pulling him in deeper. "Please…"

He gasped as teeth bit at his shoulder, and there was an unwritten rule between them that that bite could go no higher. "We have to be careful," Zack cajoled him for what felt like the 50th time. "We don't know enough about this yet Spike." He tilted his chin up, making lust filled blue eyes meet his. "We don't know."

"I don't care," Cloud assured him, knowing what he was implying. He had seen the books in the Wutai laboratory. "Please."

A look of pain came over Zack's features, and before he could stop him, the SOLDIER had pulled out, grabbing for discarded boxers and yanking them over his red and swollen cock. Cloud practically whined as the other pulled away, rubbing his legs together for the stimulation, before coming to his senses and sitting up in bed.

"Zack…" he whispered in apology, pulling the sheet over him as he was still painfully hard. "Come back, just…" The door of the bathroom slamming and the shower turning on told him all he needed to know as he fell back on the bed. ...He hoped it was a cold one.

Zack didn't come out of the bathroom for over and hour, and in that time Cloud had wandered down to get them breakfast. He displayed it like a peace offering when the SOLDIER finally came out. He had gotten scrambled eggs, bacon, bagel, and fresh coffee. Better than he ever ate at Midgar. "Hungry?" he questioned sheepishly, watching the way Zack eyed the food as he dried off his wet spikes. Guilt ran through him as that normally jovial smile was set in a hard line. "You're angry with me."

Violet eyes flickered over to him, hard and unreadable. "I'm frustrated."

Cloud gave a small laugh, motioning to the messed up bed where they hadn't finished. "Yeah...me too."

"I'm frustrated at you!" Zack snapped, looking like he instantly regretted it as he cursed and looked down.

"What?" he asked back, anxiety spiking as he shifted.

"I don't like being this way," Zack finally managed. "I'm in love with you Cloud, I always have been." he said it like it wasn't a world shattering statement. He said it like Cloud wasn't just in love with him. "We've been going nonstop for three weeks. I go out to battle, and come home and fuck you until the sun comes up, but that's all it is to you!" he looked frustrated as he ran his hand through his hair. "It's instinct, and I know that. I know you need an Alpha, but you don't want me, do you?"

"Of course I want you," Cloud murmured, confused as he shook his head. "I don't understand why you suddenly think sex is a bad thing!" his own anger was boiling to the surface. "Because of what your body does? If you haven't noticed getting wet and milking your cock aren't exactly normal, but I don't see you complaining when I…" Cloud was cut off as Zack surged forward, shoving him against the wall almost painfully as he grabbed blond spikes, twisting them to the side.

Cloud's heart pounded in fear as he felt sick with adrenaline as he realized what Zack wanted, screaming just as those teeth closed in on the small gland on his throat, clawing at that perfect face as his nails dug in and he slashed across it.

Blood splattered across the floor as Cloud shoved him away, fear spiking his reason as he panted. "What are you doing?"

The dark haired SOLDIER put a hand to his bleeding face, but he didn't look angry anymore, he looked sad. "You wanted fucked. You didn't want me." Zack turned wounded violet eyes up to him. "We need to figure out what's going on with you, Spike." he sounded so dejected. He sounded broken. Guilt surged through Cloud as he tried to understand why he had stopped Zack. Why had the idea repulsed him so thoroughly? Why did it feel so wrong?

"I love you," he managed. "Zack, it's not just sex." he tentatively walked closer. "It's not." Cloud cautiously stepped into the other's space, getting on his tiptoes as he wrapped his arms around his neck. "I don't know why. I can't tell you why, because I don't know. It's not just sex though. It never was." he met those guarded eyes. "Genesis is an Alpha," he tried. "I've never thought of him like that. It's not just being an Alpha."

Zack searched his face for answers, fingers carding through his blond spikes. "Then who? I can't stop thinking about it. There's someone else."

"There's no one else," Cloud said instantly, lying through his teeth, and using Zack's earlier logic against him. "We don't know what happens when you bite. We just need to find out." Zack gave a shuddering sigh, before relaxing against him and pulling him close into an embrace.

"I'm sorry, Spike," he managed, face buried in his neck, inhaling his scent. "I've been so happy these past few weeks with you here. We have to go back tomorrow, and I'm so scared to have you around other people." He smiled against his neck. "Which I know is instinct. Some weird animalistic gene that got spliced into my DNA." he joked, pulling back as Cloud rolled his eyes.

"You think too little of yourself, Zack," he managed, pulling back and tugging the SOLDIER with him. "Eat breakfast with me, and we'll enjoy one more morning being able to share a room before we're back on the road, and I'm back in the barracks with Reno."

"Who's Reno?" Zack questioned, sitting down at the table. "Is he the annoying redhead that calls you 20 times a day to tell you who he's planning to bang that day?" he mocked.

Cloud snorted, digging into the bacon as he smiled around his bite. "He likes to discuss his options."

Zack rolled his eyes, face lit up in amusement as he bit into his toast. "Oh yeah? More like he's a bit too codependent to be away from you for three weeks."

He took a drink of coffee, snorting at the assumption. "He just doesn't have anyone to go drinking with when I'm not there," he mused. He eyed the scratch marks across that perfect face, taking another sip of coffee as his eyes turned sorrowful. "I'm sorry I scratched you," he managed finally.

Zack glanced up from hooded eyes, a friendly grin still on his face as he stuffed it. "I'm sorry I made you."

Cloud's heart swelled, trying to forget their earlier fight, and why he had stopped Zack when he pressed him up against the wall. He thought about what they were going home to. He missed Reno, and training. Hell, he even missed guard duty. But being back in Midgar was dangerous, because Sephiroth was there. If Zack found out what they had done, what would happen? Would he leave him? Would he cast him away?

"Who are they going to get to replace you out here?" he questioned, wondering if he could be lucky enough to have it be the General.

Zack hummed in his throat, before shrugging. "Who knows? Angeal maybe. He's normally out on these far away missions."

"Angeal?" Cloud questioned, shoveling a bite of eggs.

The other laughed at that. "I keep forgetting you haven't met him." He rolled his shoulders. "He basically trained me. Taught me everything I knew after...you know...what they did to us." He shrugged it off. "He would have loved you...you could have been the new puppy."

"Puppy?" Cloud asked with a grin.

Zack's nose tinted pink at the name, laughing as he waved it off. "Don't start!"

More than a little amused, Cloud got up out of his chair, heading over to Zack as he pushed into his lap. He straddled his waist, wrapping his arms around the other's neck as he leaned down to nuzzle their noses playfully. "My good puppy."

"Oh your puppy?" Zack joked right back, hands coming to his ass and squeezing as he dragged him close. "Think you have the two of us reversed."

"Why?" Cloud questioned, biting his lip as Zack began to move his hips. "You gonna make me bark?" Zack pulled him down to his mouth, kissing him roughly as he lifted up out of the chair. His heels dug into Zack's back, laughing as they both fell back on the bed, before his lips were claimed again. He supposed there was a bit more time before they get on the road.

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Cloud couldn't break away as they were finally back to the barricade bunks. Zack had come to walk him to his room, and when they had found it empty they had decided to consummate his bed...twice. Then the shower...just for good measure.

Zack buried his face in his neck, inhaling as he held him close. "I don't like this."

The blond arched a brow at that, running his hands up the muscled chest. "Oh yeah? Didn't really hear you complaining just a bit ago when you came all over my…" Cloud paused, as if realizing something. "Were you marking me?"

Guilt covered Zack's face, and Cloud instantly regretted the question. "I'm sorry. I just don't want to leave you alone. It's weird...It's creepy and weird and I know that."

Cloud leaned up to press his lips against his cheek. "I don't mind. I can smell like you," he leaned into his ear. "I want to smell like you."

"You can come to my apartment?" Zack suggested, trailing his hands up his back. "My bed is bigger than your bunk."

"I know…" Cloud assured him teasingly. "I've slept in it before."

Zack tilted his head abashedly. "Right, how could I forget when I was out of my mind?"

"I'll forgive you just this once," he promised him.

"My Omega is so benevolent." Cloud's eyes clouded at hearing the term, pupil's dilating as his knees became shaky.

"I don't want you to leave either," he managed, hands trailing up that powerful chest, wanting to stay in bed forever with this man he loved. "But I have training in the morning, and I don't want to get you in trouble."

Zack seemed a little out of it, so Cloud dragged his face down to focus on him. "Sorry," Zack apologized, kissing the top of his head before pulling away. "You just...your smell...when you get aroused."

Cloud blushed at that, shaking his head as he rolled his eyes. "You're not used to it by now?"

"Spike," Zack started with all seriousness. "I don't think I'll ever be used to it."

"Guess that gives you motivation to stick around," he teased, fighting the urge to press back up against the SOLDIER.

"Was that a worry of yours?" Zack laughed. "Are you not aware I'm basically obsessed with you?"

"Now you do have to leave!" Cloud joked, opening the door and pushing on him.

Zack laughed, not budging. "Wait, why?"

"You're embarrassing me!" he managed, a bit too loudly as Zack laughed harder.

"Do you not remember how we just spent the last three weeks?"

"Are you not aware when you should stop talking?" Cloud questioned back, beet red by this point as he pushed harder. "Zaacckkk…" If there was a whine in his voice, well he wasn't going to bring it up.

"Cccllouuudddd…" He mocked right back, sweeping down and stealing a quick kiss. "I'll come find you after training tomorrow."

When Zack finally turned and left it felt like he had been gutted. Of course, he wasn't crazy. He knew it had to do with whatever instincts he had. They were the same ones that urged him to be touching the Alpha every moment they were near each other. It wasn't even as if they hadn't been away from each other. Of course they had gone out to Wutai for separate missions, but he had always fallen asleep wrapped in the Alpha's arms. His Alpha.

Cloud sank down onto the bed, laying back on the hard springy mattress as he turned and clung at the pillow, smiling despite the longing clawing at his belly. This was ridiculous. He couldn't be this happy and needy all at once. They needed to find out what was happening. That meant answers. That meant Sephiroth, and the tests he took. That meant they had to be in the same room again.

The door opened, and Cloud stretched his neck up to see who it was. He immediately sat up as he saw the wannabe Turk walk through. "I don't think I've ever been so happy to see you."

"My presence affects people that way," Reno spoke knowingly, but he was also grinning. "Dude, how did you manage it all that time in that hick village?"

Cloud thought about his nights with Zack, and shrugged nonchalantly. "It wasn't so bad."

"Oh yeah?" Reno mocked. "No need to tell me why. You have SOLDIER sex slave written all over you."

"Nothing happened," Cloud denied, not sure if they were telling anyone. Not sure if Zack would get in trouble since he was a superior officer. However, he knew Reno would never care about something like that.

"Bullshit," The redhead laughed. "But keep your secrets...as long as you'll go out with me tonight?"

"Reno I have class first thing in the morning," Cloud tried, not knowing how far that was going to fly with his bunkmate.

"So do I!" He argued. "You've been gone for three weeks shacking up with some SOLDIER adonis, and you owe me."

"Fine," Cloud relented.

"I've been so lonely!"

"I said fine!" Cloud exclaimed louder, laughing at the relief on Reno's face.

"Knew you'd come to your senses." He reached out, grabbing Cloud's arm and yanking him up. "There's a new martini bar in District 5."

Cloud knitted his eyebrows. "There is?" He hadn't been gone that long. "We've been all over that district. Where at?"

"Someone's basement," Reno said excitedly, leaning down to dig through his trunk as he threw a plain black t-shirt at Cloud's face. "Put that on."

Cloud caught the shirt flying towards him, shrugging out of his fatigues and into it as he stared questionably at his friend. "You want to go all the way to the Slums to drink in someone's basement?" he asked skeptically.

"You make it sound so skivvy!" Reno argued.

"That's because we're going to drink martinis in some Slum basement."

"A Speakeasy!" Reno argued. "Like from back in the days when they didn't allow drinking in Midgar at all. The President was trying to clean up below the plate before they realized that was a lost cause."

"Calling it something cool doesn't make it any less skivvy," Cloud argued under his breath, pulling on jeans and boots. "But fine...we'll go to your creepy basement."

"Speakeasy!" Reno argued again, pulling him out of the room, and Cloud had no doubt in his mind he was going to regret it.

Reno shoved another shot of whiskey across the table as he sunk down next to him, and Cloud reached out to grab it with bleary eyes. He smacked his mouth, trying to focus on the four different glasses, before he shot it back.

The alcohol burned down his throat as the room spun. He fought through the spins, however, and turned the shot over and set it on the table. "I get next round," he slurred, blinking heavily as he considered how he was going to get himself up to the bar.

"Not yet," Reno stopped him, equally as drunk. "You haven't told me what's been going on with you. First you're in the hospital, and then on a mission to Wutai?" He leaned in. "Zack didn't hurt you, did he?" he slurred. "Cause you know I'd," he hiccuped. "I'd kill him."

Cloud looked around at the drapery walls as the music blared. "Don't be an idiot," he managed. "He would never hurt me. I love him...I think."

"You think?" Reno questioned, hiccuping again and covering his mouth like he wanted to puke.

"Zack is everything I've ever wanted," Cloud assured Reno, seeing the redhead's nose curl. "But he's not.." he trailed off, mouth dropping open slightly as he stared beyond Reno's head.

"What?" Reno questioned, spinning around as Cloud pointed.

"Sephiroth," he said slowly, chill going down his spine. "Who's that he's with?" He was with some teenager with slicked back blond hair and a white suit jacket.

Reno followed his line of sight, laughing as he realized who he was seeing. "Dude, that's Rufus Shinra! Do you not know anything?"

"He just seems so scrawny," Cloud said, not able to take his eyes off Sephiroth who was dressed in a black leather jacket and leather pants. His eyes had found his the moment he had come through the door, and the spittle dried up in his mouth as he saw the way the General of Shinra practically sniffed the air.

"I think he's sexy," Reno leaned over. "And rich," he said dreamily, laying his head on Cloud's shoulder. "We could only get so lucky."

"He's all yours, Tiger," Cloud assured him, trapped in Sephiroth's gaze as the General glided over to their table.

"Cloud," that voice purred, and the blond's stomach clenched as he tilted back his chin to look up as Rufus headed to the bar. "You're home."

Cloud nodded dumbly, feeling like he was underwater as that feeling that Zack had managed to quell for the last couple weeks flared back up, making him drown under it.

"I see you scratched the itch," Sephiroth sounded disappointed. He sounded almost angry as he reached out, grabbing his chin and tilting his neck back and forth to check his neck. "But only scratched."

"I'm good at scratching," Cloud said dumbly, wishing beyond anything that he hadn't have taken so many shots before meeting Sephiroth again.

Sephiroth's mouth tilted slightly in a smirk. "I bet your skills are unquestionable, Cloud." Sephiroth's cat like eyes flickered over to Reno. "Go buy the President's brat a drink," He pulled out some gil, tossing it to the other cadet. "Now."

Cloud watched Reno go, only realizing he had been staring at the way the redhead all but hit on the President's son when his chin was dragged back. "Seph...why are you in a skivvy basement?"

A finely sculpted brow was raised at the question. "Babysitting," he said simply. "Why are you in a skivvy basement?"

Cloud gave a bleary smile. "Friendsitting," he joked, noticing how Sephiroth wasn't letting go of his chin. "Did you miss me?" If he had been less drunk he would have realized the absurd horror behind asking such a statement.

"Immensely," Sephiroth countered with, and Cloud blinked, thinking he had misheard. "You seemed to have gotten along just fine, however, I can smell him all over you."

Cloud stared dumbly, cheeks heating as he was called out so easily. "I'm drunk," he managed.

"I know," Sephiroth assured him. "I can smell that on you too." He almost sounded amused, but he was sure he got that part wrong.

"Are you mad at me?" Cloud questioned, not understanding where the rationale for the question had come from.

"Why didn't you let him bite you?" Sephiroth questioned, eyes searching.

"Am I supposed to say I was waiting for you?" Cloud asked, eyes glazing as Sephiroth stepped closer.

"Were you?" The SOLDIER asked, voice stoic and unreadable.

"Did you find out anything from the tests?" Cloud asked instead, causing Sephiroth to frown.

"Avoiding the question?" he asked with impatience.

"I'm good at avoiding." Cloud replied.

"So I've noticed," Sephiroth eyed the stack of overturned glasses. "I'm teaching your class in the morning. I see you won't be at your full potential."

"I'll do just fine," Cloud said stubbornly, feeling like an idiot for not knowing Sephiroth was teaching in the morning. What if he was hungover? What if he made a fool of himself? What if he failed his chances of becoming a SOLDIER?

"Did Genesis tell you what we found?" he questioned, feeling lightheaded as he laid his head down on the table, head tilted up to look at Sephiroth.

"He told me," the General answered slowly, and Cloud actually whined in pleasure as long lithe fingers began to comb through his hair. "You're sensitive."

"You're good at it," Cloud praised, cock twitching in his jeans despite the fact that he was a minute or two away from passing out.

The petting stopped, and Cloud whined again in disapproval, not fighting as an arm pushed itself underneath his legs, and the other hefted up his hip as he was pulled up from the bench and into Sephiroth's arms. Cloud didn't fight as he was held bridal style, snuggling his face into the other's neck, and practically going slack as he inhaled the comfort of his scent.

"Where are we going?" he managed, his mouth moving along Sephiroth's neck as he spoke.

"Back up the plate," Sephiroth responded after a moment, and Cloud felt a mouth press to the top of his head as sleep began to tug at him.

"What about our kids?" Cloud questioned, half asleep.

"Sure they can take care of themselves,"

Cloud hummed, nodding sleepily. "If you're sure."

"I'm sure." Was the last thing he heard before he slipped off to sleep snuggled into Sephiroths' chest.

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