Chapter 19: Adventures in Wallmarket

Sephiroth hadn't been home in almost a week. Cloud was all but in isolation, but even he heard about what had happened. Everyone had. Sephiroth and Zack had gotten into a fight in the middle of a training class. Two SOLDIER First Classes battling it out over a girl. ...His gender had gotten transposed within the rumor mill. Not that it mattered he supposed, what with the fact that his only apparent use in this world was to carry Sephiroth's seed.

He had tried to call Zack. Every call had gone to voicemail, and after the 50th attempt he had taken the hint. It didn't help that they were now staying on the same floor. Cloud was too scared to leave Sephiroth's suite for much besides occasional meals with Reno. What would he say if he saw him? How much hate would be in Zack's eyes when he looked at him?

He didn't know what was going through Sephiroth's head. He didn't answer his phone either. It felt like a punishment. Of course he deserved it, but he hadn't been away from him for this long since they had mated. Especially not when he was…

Cloud's head snapped up to the door as he heard the lock, shifting from his spot on the recliner as he weakly pressed up to sitting. He looked down at himself in horror as he was in an oversized t-shirt and boxers. His hand went to the disaster that was his hair as he tried to ruffle up his spikes, wondering faintly when the last time he showered was.

Blue eyes were locked on the door as it opened to reveal the silver haired general. "Seph," he tried not to let the neediness come through in his voice, but he figured he had probably failed at the amused look he received at the greeting. "Where were you?" Had he left because of him? Did he ruin it with them both? Cloud rubbed at his messy hair again, resisting the urge to smell himself as he sat on the edge of the chair. Sephiroth was in a suit. He frowned at the outfit as Sephiroth loosened the black tie. "What are you wearing?"

Sephiroth scoffed in irritation at the question, slipping off the black suit coat as he toed off his dress shoes and came over. "Does my appearance displease you?" The Alpha frowned at him before reaching out and feeling his forehead. "You're clammy...you look terrible."

Cloud frowned at that, pulling back from the other as he glared at the insult. "I'll go shower."

Sephiroth caught him before he could push up out of the chair, arms wrapping around him as he sank into the leather recliner, dragging him back so he was sitting on his lap, legs hanging over the side as he pressed against the Alpha. "Are you sick?"

He shook his head, instantly calming now that Sephiroth was back as he shifted to get more comfortable. He lay along Sephiroth's side, arms wrapping casually around his waist as he laid his head on his shoulder. "I'm fine. Just tired." He squeezed tighter, not realizing how exhausted he really was as he breathed in Sephiroth's scent. "I was worried you weren't going to come back."

The Alpha scoffed, hand spanning up the back of his shirt to rub at his back. "Why is that?"

"Because…" Cloud frowned, lifting up his head and flinching at the absolute chilled look his mate was giving him.

"Because?" Sephiroth questioned. "Because you jumped Zack like a bitch in heat the second he got off that station? Or is it the fact that you then disappeared for over a day causing me to have to explain to the President of Shinra why I not only had a black eye, but that I had misplaced the Omega that swore to behave in order to keep his boyfriend alive?"

Cloud bit his lip, not ready to give an explanation on why he hadn't gone to the lab after the fight...or for almost a week. Tseng was running interference. "I just wanted to say good-bye to him. As you can see I'm in your apartment."

"Yes, you're here," Sephiroth mused. "I just wish I wasn't."

He flinched at that, eyes narrowing at the other and reacting without thinking as he punched his shoulder. "Don't talk to me like that!" he bit out. "You didn't pick up your phone to even bother to tell me what was going on. I'm not going to apologize for kissing him. I'm not going to apologize for misbehaving, because I'm not your pet to scold." Cloud slid off Sephiroth's lap, knowing he was being a bit irrational right now, but not able to help it as his hands clenched at his sides as Sephiroth stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "I know you want to go on missions...and get out of headquarters. So do I!"

"I was on a mission," Sephiroth murmured. "I was helping the Turks as a favor. It was of a sensitive nature, and so I couldn't have my phone. You're not my pet, which is why I didn't punish you for the kiss. I do feel suffocated in headquarters, and I want this to be over."

"You want what to be over?" Cloud questioned, deflated as Sephiroth had an answer for everything.

Sephiroth glanced up towards the ceiling to where Cloud knew a camera had been installed. "Everything. I want you to be safe." Cloud dropped his eyes, not able to stop the fond smile from coming to his face at the words. Who would have thought the General of Shinra would ever be able to be so sweet?

"Come take a shower with me?" Cloud suggested, still not able to look up as his anxiety ran rampant.

Sephiroth sighed at the invitation. "No," he managed simply, causing Cloud's head to snap back up.

"No?" he asked incredulously. "What do you mean no?"

His mate actually laughed at whatever he saw on his face as he reached up to his neck to undo his tie and unbutton the top button. "It's been six days."

"Yeah Sephiroth," Cloud agreed. "I'm very aware of how long it's been."

"I told you a week," Sephiroth pointed out slowly. "As I said, it's only been six days."

"You told me a week?" Cloud questioned, mouth dropping slightly as he remembered now. Sephiroth told him he wouldn't fuck him for a week if he misbehaved. "It was just a kiss."

"My apologies, should I have specified the terms so you weren't under the impression that kissing someone else is fine?"

Cloud crossed his arms as he glowered at his lover. "How did you even know about it?" he shifted awkwardly. "Did he tell you when he was…"

"Kicking the shit out of me?" Sephiroth supplied helpfully. "No, he didn't tell me." He pulled out his phone, scrolling before hitting play on a video and turning it for Cloud to see.

Blue eyes widened at the video clearly showing him leaping at Zack, his cheeks heating in horror. "Where did you get that?" he demanded.

"I did a favor for the Turks, they did a favor for me." Sephiroth moved the video along to when he had almost collapsed, and Zack had scooped him up. "What happened to you here? You see...I get the kiss. I don't like it, but I understand it. However, that should have been the end of it, shouldn't it have? Yet, he picks you up. Why?"

Cloud's mind ran a mile a minute as he tried to decipher how much Sephiroth might know as his face was the usual mask. He debated what strategy to take now that the alpha was aware that something had happened to him. He could lie...but could they lie to each other? They connected on a cellular level. Sephiroth was going to find out.

"I need to tell you something," Cloud decided on, shifting nervously as he kept glancing around the room to where he knew they were no doubt on camera. "Shower with me?" he asked, pleading with his eyes for his mate to understand, glancing nervously towards the ceiling.

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed in suspicion, nodding slowly as he got up. Long deft fingers began unbuttoning the white shirt, slipping it off of those toned shoulders as he draped it over a chair. "Very well." Cloud became distracted as his eyes glanced down towards the trail of silver leading into the black pants Sephiroth had started to unbutton. "Come here," he commanded, and Cloud tried not to show his eagerness as he eagerly padded forward. Sephiroth reached down, grabbing the hem of Cloud's shirt and dragging it up over his head as Cloud obediently raised up his arms.

Sephiroth leaned down then, wrapping his arms around the small of his back and lifting him up. Cloud gave a helpful push, one leg wrapping around his waist, and sighing in pleasure as the SOLDIER leaned in to claim his lips.

Cloud became lost in the kiss as Sephiroth carried him across the bedroom towards the bathroom, moaning as their tongues entwined and he realized how much he had missed the SOLDIER. He realized how much it upset him when he didn't know if they were fighting. He realized that he had come to rely on Sephiroth more than he had thought possible.

The SOLDIER set him on the sink, pulling away with one last kiss to his lips as he turned to start the steam shower. Shinra really did like to spoil their favorite Alpha. Sephiroth came back over to him, and Cloud lifted up his hips as hands came to the waistband of his boxers before pulling them down and off. "Start talking."

Cloud arched an eyebrow, shifting his legs open as he watched his mate. "You have me naked and you want me to talk?"

"Do you think I haven't seen you naked before?" Sephiroth questioned. "It's an impressive sight, I'll give you that, but you have one more day before you get something like that from me."

He shut his legs, embarrassed at the dismissive tone when he was half hard from just the kiss. "You're being a prick."

"My apologies again, Cloud. Please tell me how you would like for me to behave. One knows I was put on this life to please you despite your own actions." Sephiroth bit out cruelly, slipping down the dress pants.

Cloud dragged his legs up to his chin, arms wrapping around it. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"You did though," Sephiroth pointed out, shaking his head. "I'm aware of my culpability in the situation between the three of us. I know what he thinks of me now, and I know that I stole you from him deliberately. But whatever was between you and him, that's done now. I will not share you."

He hopped down from the sink, grabbing for Sephiroth's hand as he pulled him into the shower. Cloud sighed in pleasure as the waterfall spray fell down upon their heads, and he leaned up to press his lips against Sephiroth's cheek. "I'm sorry."

Aqua green eyes looked down into his, helping him tilt his head back as his spikes flattened down on his head. "Why this time?"

"On that platform. It was wrong of me to kiss him. Wrong for all three of us, and I will work on letting go. But I loved him first...so it's not that easy." His hands traveled up Sephiroth's wet torso, pressing against his chest as he glanced up into his eyes. "Something happened on the platform."

Cloud reached out nervously then as Sephiroth was watching him in suspicion as he dragged his alpha's hand to his stomach. "I almost lost our baby."

He watched a range of emotions travel across Sephiroth's face. Cloud held his breath as shock covered his features, his eyes actually glossing slightly, before they narrowed again in suspicion. "Our...baby?"

He smiled, placing another hand over the one on his stomach. "I confirmed it...well Tseng helped me confirm it. He's maybe not as big of a dick as I previously thought."

"Tseng?" Sephiroth asked in suspicion, his voice far away and almost confused.

"It's a long story, but we can trust him in this. Hojo doesn't know," Cloud pointed out, seeing the way Sephiroth was staring almost disbelievingly down at their combined hands on his belly.

"Our baby?" Sephiroth asked again, and Cloud gave a slight laugh at the far away tone. "Yeah...Are you happy? Is it too much?" He began to babble in his nervousness. "I know we knew something like this could happen, but it's also kind of life changing. Also I know I was basically forced on you in a weird way...and that this puts us in danger. But…"

Sephiroth leaned down, burying his face into Cloud's neck where the mating mark was and shuddering against him as arms came to wrap shakily around him to pull him close. "Your smell has changed."

Cloud smiled at the far away tone in Sephiroth's voice, his fingertips tracing up his spine as he vaguely considered the fact that the hot water was going to run out soon. "Yeah, probably. Are you...Are you okay?"

"You're sick...You almost lost it," Sephiroth seemed to be thinking out loud, voice filled with raw emotion. "If we tell them they'll hurt you...They'll experiment on my mate and child." Arms tightened around him. "If we don't tell them and run...What if something goes wrong?

The blond pulled back to see Sephiroth's face was contorted in pain, not knowing how to read it as he thought he would have been happy. "Sephiroth?"

"Why weren't we using protection?" Sephiroth asked, voice almost panicked. "We knew the stakes. We knew what would happen if it took."

A coldness traveled through his spine then, arms wrapping around his torso as he stepped back out of the spray. "I'm sorry."

The worry clearly going through Sephiroth was interrupted as he stepped away. "No Cloud, I didn't mean it like that." Sephiroth reached for him, but Cloud avoided the arms as he stepped out of the shower and grabbed for a towel.

"You should really stay in longer. Your hair will tangle if you don't wash it," Cloud mumbled, feeling Sephiroth's eyes on him. "I'm not going to stay here in your penthouse to please an old sadistic man." Cloud glanced over at his mate. "So you can help me figure this out and keep it from them, or you can continue to be their experiment."

"Are those my two choices?" Sephiroth questioned, leaning over to shut off the spray. Cloud reached over to turn on the sink in case they were listening. Sephiroth grabbed for a towel to wrap around his hips, stepping closer. "And if we run, and something happens like what happened at the train station, what then?"

"I told you we were able to save the ba—"

"I'm worried about you!" Sephiroth yelled, and Cloud cringed back in shock as he had never heard Sephiroth raise his voice before, let alone express such anger. "Do you have any idea what you mean to me? What it's been like to have you here? I've never had this kind of normal before. I've never done anything with my life other than what they told me to. I studied what they wanted, I killed who they wanted, and I fucked who they wanted me to." Sephiroth shook his head. "Even if you're just another assignment, you make me feel human. You make me feel like maybe I don't have to be alone." He reached up, pressing fingers against his temple. "So I took you from him. I took you, and it was selfish. He would have done better with you. He wouldn't hesitate in taking you away from this place."

Cloud's heart was racing as Sephiroth poured more emotion out than he had ever heard him express before. He was scared, and he was lonely. They were the same. He moved forward, smiling at him as he reached out to entwine their fingers. "You know...If being mated to an amnesia prone science experiment who is a boy but is also somehow having a child is your idea of normal, we really need to help fix your view on the world."

"I adore you," Sephiroth spoke, voice pained as he squeezed his hand. "I can't lose you. We have to tell them."

"Sephiroth…" Cloud tried with a frown.

"It'll kill you. I can feel it. It'll kill you because the universe would not be kind enough to give me a family," Sephiroth surmised, and Cloud realized just how little he had had in this world, despite all Shinra threw at him to keep him happy.

"I hate them for what they did to you," Cloud breathed out. "What they did to us both." He stepped forward, arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him close. "I'm not going to leave you." He realized what Sephiroth must have been going through when he set him off to meet Zack, knowing full well that he still loved him...that he might leave him. He had let him go anyways.

Cloud thought about what they could do to get out of this situation. "Genesis and I found a lab in Wutai, remember? They were researching Omega pregnancy."

Sephiroth's nose curled as disgust came over his face. "You can't be suggesting we join Wutai?"

"Why?" Cloud questioned right back. "You think they're worse than Shinra? But no...that's not what I meant. I just meant, if they had notes, then surely Hojo kept some?" he prodded. "The Nibelheim lab...there was so much research. If that's where I was raised, then there has to be answers there."

"Perhaps not answers we want to know, did you ever consider that?" the SOLDIER questioned. "It didn't end well for us last time we went."

"Didn't it?" Cloud mused, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Prior to Nibelheim, Zack and I were together."

"Yes, you were together as you were sneaking into my room," Sephiroth murmured bitterly.

Guilt ate at him as he shook his head in the face of Sephiroth's ire. "I'm not a good person."

"No," Sephiroth agreed almost instantaneously. "You're not, but that's okay, because I'm not either."

"Can we try it my way?" Cloud asked, ignoring the jipe. "It's not like I'm far along. If we can't figure it out we can go to Hojo, alright?" He cupped both sides of Sephiroth's face as he leaned up. "Please?"

Sephiroth frowned at the plea. "It's a bad idea. It's risky, and you may not like what you find there."

"You'll be there," Cloud pointed out. "You can keep us safe. No risks...if it gets too bad I promise you I won't even put up a fight to go to the 65th floor."

"Swear," Sephiroth bit out, fingers dragging through his wet spikes. "Promise me on the life our baby that when it comes down to it you won't push the issue?"

Cloud knitted his eyebrows, laying their foreheads together as he tried to open up the connection between them so that Sephiroth could feel his sincerity. "Our baby...does it make you happy?"

"Exceedingly so," Sephiroth breathed, and Cloud felt his legs go weak as he was met with a rush of lovedesireneedterror through their bond.

"I promise then," Cloud breathed out, kissing him softly. "I'll listen if you think it's too dangerous." He smiled at him, grabbing his hand to drag him towards the bedroom after grabbing for a brush. "Now come on...I'll brush those tangles out of your hair."

Zack tapped on the bar to order another whiskey. Admittingly, at this point he had probably had too many. Yet, his mother hadn't raised him to be a quitter. He figured at this point he might as well just finish the whole bottle. He upturned his current glass, feeling his head sway as the music in the Wallmarket bar began to lull him. He might have to spend the night down here. He didn't know if he would be able to drive his bike back up to the plate.

Not that he was overly eager to go back to Headquarters. He had another week of R&R before he was sent out on another assignment, and that meant another week of avoiding checking on Cloud. ...Another week of avoiding killing the entire executive floor. He figured the army they ran might frown on that.

It's not that he wasn't willing to die for Cloud. He would in an instant. All he ever wanted was to be a hero. But killing them now before he knew how to help his chocobo butt haired blond would defeat the purpose.

Zack smiled at the pretty brunette bartender who poured him another, raising up the glass as the fresh ice clinked. He had to let him go, didn't he? He had told himself once before that Sephiroth deserved this, but then he hadn't had the strength to walk away. He had gotten back together with Cloud knowing full well it was already over.

Maybe it was part of his masochistic nature? Maybe it was his inability to let go? People broke up. Relationships weren't forever, and that was just a lesson he was going to have to learn. Though, he really wished he couldn't practically feel the omega every time he rubbed the scar on his neck.

It's not as if he hadn't known when he had left for a month what he was coming home to. It's not as if he couldn't hear it in Cloud's tone of voice. However, it had been a long train ride home, and like an idiot, he had let himself hold out hope.

Well, just because he had lost, didn't mean he had to like it. He needed to pick himself up by his bootstraps, and figure out just what was going on with this Omega situation. However, that was future Zack's problem. For the present, there was just booze.

He was distracted from his maudlin musings as someone sank down onto the stool next to him, and he glanced over with a frown as he recognized the spiky red hair. "What are you doing here?" If his voice was slightly slurred, he was going to choose to ignore it.

"Stalking," Reno said easily, eyes glued on an area across the room.

"Stalking?" Zack questioned, mind a little muddled as he went to pour himself a drink, frowning as Reno grabbed the bottle to chug it back instead. "Hey…"

"Trust me, you've had enough," Reno assured him, but he poured Zack another glass anyway. The redhead was dressed in tight ripped black jeans and a red tank top. He looked like any thug you would find working in Corneo's district.

"Are you here on a job?" He had heard how quickly Cloud's friend was rising amongst the ranks. It probably didn't hurt who his cousin was, but rumor has it the brat had a talent for solving problems.

Reno shook his head. "Personal," he motioned with his chin towards the corner.

Zack followed his line of sight to see the room was now filled with Turks surrounding the VIP lounge. "Rufus Shinra?" the SOLDIER questioned, seeing the blond party prince himself surrounded by the beautiful women of Wallmarket that were usually reserved for Don Corneo.

"Yeah," Reno breathed out. "I stole his schedule out of Tseng's office. I'm going to blow him tonight."

Violet eyes blinked a little in shock as he was trying to figure out if he had heard that right. "You're going to…"

"Suck his cock, yeah," Reno assured him. "He's mostly into women, but I've seen him leave with two different guys."

"So when you said stalking, you actually meant stalking?" Zack asked with amusement as he sipped on his drink. "How long have you been doing this?"

"Most of the summer," Reno admitted. "I talked to him once at a bar down here with Cloud, you know when he wasn't a stick in the mud." Reno seemed to realize what he had said, for he made an awkward face. "Sorry, forgot about the whole...situation."

"What did he tell you about it?" Zack asked, because he hated himself, and he clearly wasn't already in enough pain.

"Oh," Reno reached around the bar to grab for a glass, pouring himself a drink. "Not much. He kind of made everyone go crazy for a little bit with his weird smell thing...and when we weren't crazy anymore him and Sephiroth were together. Then well you beat the shit out of Sephiroth earning yourself a massively awesome reputation. That's about it."

"You didn't ask why his smell made you go crazy?" Zack questioned.

Reno shrugged. "Not my business. Tseng told me to not ask questions, and so I figured I shouldn't ask questions."

Zack laughed at that, shaking his head. "Reno, you're going to excel at Shinra."

"Thanks man, I hope so too." He motioned towards the VIP lounge where Rufus was currently doing a line off a skinny blond woman's stomach. "You want to help me with this situation?"

"Like, I hold him down while you suck him into submission?" Zack suggested with a grin as he shook his head. "Think I'll pass."

"No, I just need an excuse to talk to him." Reno's dark eyes blinked in a plea. "You're a First Class. It wouldn't be weird for you to go over there."

"I've never had a reason to talk to the Vice President," Zack pointed out. "Especially not when he's doing coke off a hooker's ass."

Reno looked almost longingly over at the scene. "God he's such a fuck boi. He's entirely my type."

"Noted," Zack laughed. "Cloud wasn't lying when he called you a little.."

"Slutty?" Reno offered, shrugging. "That's fair."

"I was going to say eccentric," Zack corrected.

"Do you think if he does enough coke he'll fuck me?" Reno questioned, moving passed the fact that he was accepting being called a slut. "I don't think I'll be that lucky yet. Baby steps...now come on. No time like the present."

"Wait…" Zack tried, but Reno had already grabbed for his hand and yanked him up off the bar stool and towards the lounge. "This is a terrible idea," he tried. "We can't just march up to Baby Shinra's VIP lounge and offer to suck him off."

"Us?" Reno asked. "You mean you want to do like a group thing...I'm not against it, but I do my best work solo."

Zack laughed. "That's not exactly what I meant," he glanced out of the corner of his eye as Reno positioned them against the wall down the stairs from the lounge. "Does Cloud normally help you with these schemes?"

"Oh yeah," Reno answered. "He's like a magnet for sex. He like releases pheromones or something. I'd always get laid when we went out. This claiming he can't drink situation is irritating. Also apparently he's no longer allowed to leave the plate?"

The SOLDIER swallowed hard as pain lanced its way through his chest at the mention of what was going on with the Omega. "You're very observant when you want to be."

"I am, aren't I?" Reno agreed. "Going to be a natural in the Turks."

"Definitely with that confidence," Zack agreed as he glanced towards the group of Turks surrounding the President's son. "I don't know why I'm doing this...I definitely drank too much."

"Or just enough," Reno pointed out. "Don't get down on yourself. You're doing great."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," he mused, exhaling as he tried to see reason on why he would ever do this, but it seemed more amusing than drinking himself into a depression sleep for the seventh day in a row. Focusing on how amusing it was going to be to see Reno fall all over himself as he attempted to hit on Rufus Shinra, Zack began to walk up the stairs.

He gave his best shit eating grin to the Turks blocking his path. "Mind if I have a word with your boss there? Company business."

"What business?" A dark haired woman asked. Her hair was slicked back into such a tight bun Zack thought her face might get stretched that way.

"Top secret business," he lied, putting a hand to his hip. "Don't you know who I am? I'm a First Class."

"You're just another drunk SOLDIER," she pointed out. "Not that I don't get. If I had your lives I'd drink myself stupid as well. Doesn't mean I'm going to let you speak to the Vice President."

"What if I asked please?" Zack put on his best puppy dog face.

"Oh please?" She asked him. "In that case...still no." Her face was deadpanned as she stared him down, looking around towards the bottom of the stairs. "Is that Reno Sinclair?"

Zack glanced behind him to where Reno was staring up hopefully. "Oh yeah...he's the one I got the information from. Big project from Tseng."

"And he sent you to tell the Vice President?" she asked skeptically.

"Well," Zack motioned down to himself, wobbling on his feet even as he tried to look impressive. "I am a SOLDIER."

"First Class, yeah you mentioned that," she said, rolling her eyes. "Go through, but if I find out you're lying I'll crush you into tiny pieces."

"Well you mam are terrifying," Zack motioned for Reno who practically barreled up the stairs behind him. "Don't worry...I won't give you a reason to crush me."

Reno shoved him forward and he glared over his shoulder, making his way passed what he could only assume was the entire roster of the Honey Bee Inn. "Rufus Shinra?" he asked, the blond aristocrat looking boredly up at him as he threw back a shot of tequila.

"Are you a SOLDIER?" Rufus questioned, looking at his glowing violet eyes.

Zack held out his hand to introduce himself. "Yeah I'm—"

"I don't care," Rufus said dismissively. He poured himself another shot, eyes locked on Zack. "You know...someday very soon I will be in charge, and you...you'll belong to me. Like cattle."

"What a charming way to look at your army," Zack bit out civilly, trying not to let his distaste show on his face.

Rufus shrugged. "I don't mean to insult you. It's just simply your place in life." He reached out, sweeping the sleeve of his expensive leather jacket across the multiple glasses and upturned drugs. "Let me get you a drink."

"I'm really not thirsty," Zack pointed out, noticing out of the corner of his eye how Reno had taken a seat on the Vice President's left and poured himself a glass of whiskey.

"I insist," Rufus murmured, pouring them both a shot. "I recognize you now. I've been briefed all about the Omega Project."

Zack's fists clenched at his side as he bit back the hate he had for everyone in that organization. Instead, he put a fake smile on his face and reached out to take the shot. "Didn't know I was so famous? I'll have to tell Mom and Dad back home that I finally made it."

"Think you'll ever get the chance?" Rufus questioned, pouring another shot. "To go home that is."

"I hope so," Zack managed. "Unless you know something I don't know."

"SOLDIER boy," Rufus motioned to the shot, and Zack obeyed as they took it together. Rufus didn't even cringe from the strength as he leaned down to take another line. "I probably know a lot you don't," he finally managed, rubbing at his nose as he motioned to the seat beside him. "I have someone to introduce you to."

Zack sighed in resignation as he obediently sat where he was told, wondering if he could crush Rufus' eye sockets before his bodyguards got to him. He glowered over at Reno who simply shrugged apologetically before reaching to pour Rufus a shot.

"Your name is Zachary, right?" Rufus asked. "I think I saw your name in the file."

"You can call me Zack," Zack let him know, trying to be polite.

"I probably won't though," Rufus assured him, looking disgusted at even the assumption. He reached over to his right, hand sliding along someone's thigh. Zack followed the line of sight upward towards the man's face, eyes widening slightly at seeing his face.

He looked so much like Sephiroth. A younger version, couldn't have been any older than Cloud. He had silver hair cut to his chin, almost luminescent pale skin, and the same slitted vibrant aqua green eyes as his friend.

"He's pretty, isn't he?" Rufus questioned. "I mean...yours is pretty too if you're into blondes." The Vice President was grinning cruelly. "He got into town a few weeks ago. My father told me I could show him around. Fucking one is really something else."

All forms of polite pretense dropped from Zack's face as his spine stiffened at the implication. Hatred bubbled in his stomach as once more was met with the overwhelming need to kill every person with the Shinra name.

Zack inhaled the air, trying to be subtle, but failing once he caught a scent and the color spread across his sclera.

"Interesting reaction," Rufus glanced over. "Think he likes the way you smell, Kadaj." The aristocrat grinned cruelly, looking back and forth between them. "I'm sure you've figured it out by now, but Kadaj is from Nibelheim too."

,.,.,,.,.,.,.,.,.,.

A/N- Well this grew some plot. I went back and forth on the baby situation, but then looked up a lot of fanart of Sephiroth's adorable children...and I couldn't help myself with giving him a family. I love Reno so much. He's so fun to write, and hopefully you enjoyed this new plotline. Please let me know what you think. I eat up reviews like cookies and they really help me shape the story. Thanks so much for reading!