Chapter 27: A SOLDIER's Madness
Cloud frowned down at the sleeping body, fingers carding through Kadaj's hair as he had finally gotten him to lay down. He considered the fact that the two of them were now in a stranger's room in a town where Shinra would probably be looking for him at any second. He would let him rest for a half hour, and then they needed to get going up the mountain.
He frowned down at the other, not knowing why he felt this innate need to protect him. Instincts—he supposed—just like everything else. Kadaj had called them brothers. Was it possible they could actually be related? Had Hojo spawned an entire army of super human sex dolls?
He laid down beside the other, exploring his face as he tried to find any of the same features when he looked at his own. Was he really family? ...Could he be? Cloud sighed, leaning over as his lips pressed to Kadaj's forehead before slipping out of the bed. He was actually feeling a lot hungrier now that he wasn't rolling along with ocean waves. His fingers swept across the slight bulge on his belly...and it was unfair to feed, what could be the savior of the world, only milkshakes.
...So maybe he was getting a bit full of himself.
Shrugging off his strange thoughts, Cloud padded down the stairs, watching his feet as he considered what he was going to say to Tifa about the Omega currently sleeping in her bed. He cleared his throat, finally deciding to just get it over and done with as he looked up to the girl currently cleaning the bar. However, his eyes caught on the bell over the doorway that signified a new guest.
A guest he knew very well.
Blue eyes widened as his fingers gripped the railing, meeting equally surprised violet eyes as an intense sense of longing went directly to his toes. "Zack." The words were whispered want off his lips as he didn't realize how much he had missed him in the time he had been away. When had he seen him last? ...In his and Sephiroth's apartment? Zack had seen him forced down upon his knees and made to beg for Rufus' benevolence. His last memory of him had been groveling to Shinra.
"Zack!" Cloud repeated, not knowing why he was here, but not able to hold back as he ran down the remaining stairs and flung himself at him. Zack being in Nibelheim could mean a million things. It could mean that they were surrounded by Shinra troops. It could mean that his life was burning down around him, but he didn't care.
His arms wrapped desperately around his neck, burying his face into the crook as he inhaled the Alpha's smell, feeling almost high with it as his nails tightened into those dark spikes. An anxiety he didn't realize he was having quelled at the smell of the Alpha, and Cloud let out a keening whine as he pressed up against him. Sephiroth would be angry. ...Sephiroth would be beyond angry with him, but he had just missed him so much.
"Spike…" Zack's voice was strangled—confused almost. Of course he had to be confused. Of course he had to be angry. Cloud didn't care. He couldn't bring himself to let go. Strong arms slowly rose to wrap around him, and Cloud smiled against his neck at the comfort. "Spike...hey look at me."
Cloud hesitated. He knew once he did he would have to acknowledge his impulsiveness. He would have acknowledge that Zack and him were no longer together...that he was with Sephiroth...that he was having his child.
...If it was even a child growing inside him.
"I'm glad you're okay," he said instead, burrowing, if possible, deeper into that neck as he felt Zack stiffen against him. He knew he was pushing it. He knew any second he would be yanked away. "How bad is it?"
Zack's chest shook slightly at the question, and Cloud sighed in content as lips were pressed against the top of his head. "Bad. It's bad, Spike...but you knew that. You knew exactly what was going to happen when you left Midgar."
Guilt ate at him as he knew. He knew when Rufus had handed him the card to get out of Midgar that it hadn't been out of the goodness of his heart. It was a trap. A trap he had walked directly into. Why? Because he was curious? Because he was bored? Because he could never listen?
"You'd come for me," Cloud spoke out loud, inhaling the Alpha's scent one last time before he forced himself to face reality.
"That we'd come for you." Blue eyes flew open at the sound of the voice, springing back from Zack as if burned as the cold rage in Sephiroth's voice was palpable.
"Seph…" His mate stood in the doorway, and Cloud could see the way his sclera were already glowing in his anger. "I'm sorry." He didn't know what else to say...couldn't put into words the ways he knew he had wronged his mate. He dared not glance over to Zack to see his reaction, keeping his eyes locked with his mate as he didn't know how he would react to him coming closer. "I needed to know."
"You needed to know?" Sephiroth questioned, and he swallowed hard with the anger in his tone. "Tell me more about what you need, Precious…" Sephiroth stalked forward then, not hesitating in grabbing his forearm and yanking him forward. "Give me the pleasure of laying it at your feet!"
"Sephiroth," Zack growled at the treatment. "Calm. Down."
"Calm down?" Sephiroth questioned, eyes still locked with Cloud's as the blond didn't dare glance away. That hand on his arm tightened to an almost painful level as Sephiroth's jaw clenched with his temper. "Why should I be calm? My mate has forced us to become exiled from the one place that can keep him alive. He has disobeyed every order he was given because he was bored!"
"I didn't do it because I was bored!" Cloud's temper always overruled his reason as he glowered at his mate. "I did it to learn the truth about both of us!"
"Is that right?" Sephiroth sneered. "And what exactly did you hope to learn about me? Fears perhaps? Doubts?"
"Don't be an idiot!" Cloud sniped, attempting to yank his arm away from Sephiroth, but the SOLDIER didn't so much as budge.
He was snapped out of his anger as two hands slammed down onto the counter, and his eyes flickered over to Tifa glaring at all of them over the bar. "I don't know what's happening here, and I'm positive I don't want to. But take it out of my father's bar." She pointed accusingly at Sephiroth. "I don't care who you are, mister, you come in here grabbing people like that, and I'm going to call the town guard on you."
Sephiroth's face was a cold mask, not releasing his grip as he stared the girl down. "Don't worry, we were just leaving." He yanked him around by his arm, two arms wrapping around his waist and lifting him up as Cloud kicked at the treatment as he was carried out of the bar.
"What the hell are you doing, you jackass!" Cloud kicked at him, eyes widening as he saw a Shinra helicopter just at the entrance of town. "Put me the fuck down!" Cloud saw Genesis and Reno staring with wide eyes as he was dragged towards the helicopter, but could focus on nothing but his outraged anger as his mate had the audacity to manhandle him. "I'm not leaving!"
"Shut up Cloud," was growled out as Sephiroth didn't even seem phased by his struggling or embarrassment as they headed towards the helicopter.
Cloud bucked back against him, slamming his foot over and over again onto Sephiroth's toes...not that it even made the bastard budge. "Sephiroth!" he pleaded once again, doing all he could to squirm away as his mate's chest began to vibrate in a warning growl. "I can make you if I want to!"
Sephiroth paused on his trek back to the helicopter, leaning down to his ear as the arms around him tightened. "My darling Omega, I'd like to see you try." Sharp teeth grazed against his neck, and Cloud's instincts kicked in as his head fell to the side, fingers gripped Sephiroth's leather clad thighs as his body for the first time realized it was back in the arms of its mate.
"Sephiroth." Cloud stiffened at the sound of that voice, a dark command in it as it shook with fury. Zack. Sephiroth's teeth dragged along his neck at the sound of the voice, and Cloud could feel the cold fury radiating off his mate. "Get your hands off him."
Shit. Cloud stopped putting up any struggle as he tried to reach through their bond...anything to calm his Alpha who was now shaking against him in a need to control himself. He brushed up against Sephiroth's soul, wincing at the pain as Sephiroth turned slowly with him still pressed against his chest to face Zack.
It was like gripping barbed wire.
Zack had his sword drawn, and his eyes were glowing violet as he stared at Sephiroth in utter hatred. "Do you honestly think I'm going to let you man handle him that way?"
Hands wrapped tighter around him, pushing up the sweater he was wearing just enough to reveal his growing midriff. "I don't think it's any of your concern how I choose to handle my disobedient mate."
Zack's eyes flickered down to the revealed skin, narrowing as Sephiroth's hand pressed against his stomach. "He's not your mate. You know that though." Zack's grip tightened on his hilt. "You're spoiled and arrogant, and you don't care who you hurt in your path as long as you get what you want...even if you have to steal it."
Genesis took a step forward, holding out his hand between the two. "Guys...just calm down. You're both just reacting to his smell...You don't want to fight each other."
Sephiroth hummed against his neck, watching Zack with hooded eyes as his hand played with the button on his waistband. "You hear that Cloud...your smell is affecting them. Should we make you smell more?" Lips pressed up against his mating mark and Cloud shuddered against him, squirming in his hold as he realized the deep seeded need he had for his mate. "Do you want me to bite you there?" Sephiroth spoke into his ear, eyes fixed on Zack as the other Alpha had started to growl. "He certainly doesn't sound like he wants that. But he doesn't know you as well as I do...Can't feel you practically purring in want."
"Sephiroth!" Genesis warned, shaking his head back and forth at him, but Cloud couldn't take his eyes off of Zack, even as his hips moved reflexively against Sephiroth—hating himself even more.
"Dude, what the fuck," Reno spoke, and Cloud's eyes flickered over to him as his cheeks stained red with shame at his best friend...his only friend...seeing this. "I don't know the politics behind whatever the fuck is happening between you three, but I do know we don't have time for this. Shinra is going to know exactly where we went. They're going to be coming...and you two tossing your dicks around really isn't helping anything."
Cloud once more attempted to brush up against their bond, wincing when he was practically burned as he tried. Sephiroth was not himself.
Sephiroth was very dangerous.
"What do you want?" Cloud asked softly. "You want to take me back to Shinra?" he asked. "You want our kid to be born in that place? For them to continue to watch us fuck for science?" He attempted to appeal to the rational part of Sephiroth's brain, hand rising up at the same time to try to stop anything Zack might be attempting.
"Did you think I did not have a plan for you?" Sephiroth questioned. "I asked for your patience. I asked for you to not throw yourself at Zack every time you saw him. You gave me neither." One of Sephiroth's hands traveled up, gripping blond spikes as he spun his head to look at him. "The accusal in your tone is palpable, Cloud."
Sephiroth's eyes were glowing...slitted in a way that he recognized from deep within his mate. ...A dark secret hidden within his soul. "We need to go to the reactor. I'll never forgive you if you take me back there without answers."
"You don't want those answers," Sephiroth replied, nails elongating as Cloud winced at the way they dug into his scalp. "Tell your puppy to back down. He doesn't want what he thinks he does either."
"Try me," Zack spoke back, shifting his stance to be ready to attack.
Sephiroth chuckled against his neck, inhaling one more time before shoving him away. "Oh well...might as well indulge him."
He was shoved out of Sephiroth's arms at the same time as the Masamune was withdrawn. "Stop!"
His plea fell on deaf ears as the sound of metal clashing happened almost instantaneously with Sephiroth shoving him away. They were so fast. So strong. Cloud watched with wide eyes as they seemed to practically fly through the air as their swords clashed over and over in a cascade of sparks beneath them.
Cloud couldn't take his eyes off of them as he slowly moved to where Genesis had crossed his arms as he watched them with a frown. "Can't you stop them?"
Zack landed on top of the water tower in the middle of town, holding his sword with both hands as Sephiroth slammed down onto him as they crashed through the balcony surrounding the tower. ...It didn't even slow them down as they pushed through the wooden scraps, moving at an inhuman speed as their swords clashed back and forth.
Genesis glanced over at him, and Cloud could see the disgust on his features. "You want me to stop them?" He motioned to the sky as Zack slashed across Sephiroth's shoulder. "This is because of you. You stop them." He shook his head as Sephiroth's sword slashed along Zack's side. "Honestly, all of this for a piece of tail."
"Missed you too, Gen," Cloud managed. "Why's Reno here?"
Genesis glanced across the way where Reno was watching the fight with wide eyes. "I have my theories. Needless to say...I was assuming this fight wouldn't happen. But you had to go and rub your stink all over Zack."
Cloud glowered. "I'm not in heat. I don't smell."
"Sure you don't, princess," Genesis murmured. "It's not heat...it's something else. Something sweeter...primal...messy. I imagine it has to do with that slight swell to your stomach, but I'm not an expert on Omega fertility." He motioned to the fight. "Go on...prove your worth being the cause of a rebellion."
"He's not himself," Cloud spoke, tracking Sephiroth's movements as he didn't know if he would be willing to listen. Besides...his Alpha command had never worked on his mate.
"No," Genesis agreed. "He's not. Do something about this anyways before he kills him." He knew that Genesis wasn't referring to Sephiroth losing the fight, and that became more apparent the more blood Zack dripped from the wound in his side.
Cloud stepped forward, anger overcoming him as he considered how stupid the two of them were to fight over him. He wasn't worth it. He would never be worth their admiration, and certainly not their blood. He twisted the bangle on his wrist as the materia there began to glow as lightning struck between the two.
"The both of you just stop!" Cloud cried, coming to stand between them. "You're being idiots! Do you seriously think that everyone in this hick town isn't recording the two of you fight? They probably already knew we were here, but they definitely know now." He pointed towards the mountains. "We need to go now! Not when the two of you are through with your pissing contest."
Sephiroth watched him, slowly sheathing his sword. "We're not going."
"Try and stop me, Seph," Cloud managed, sneer on his face as he stared his mate down. "I pissed you off. I get that, but I'm right in this. There's answers that I need...that we need." He motioned around to the entire group. "That we all need. Now come with me, or go home and wait for me to come home to you."
"You act like you could just waltz back into headquarters," Sephiroth spoke, eyes narrowed as he clearly considered his options.
"He could," Zack answered. "He's growing their savior. He's more protected than any of us."
"He's right," Cloud agreed, ignoring the sick feeling at the words as his hand went to his stomach. "They won't kill us until the baby is born. We have options, and so if you won't go with me Seph...go home." He then turned to Zack, giving him a forlorn expression as guilt once more ate at his bones. "I don't need you to fight my battles for me. You don't need to be hurt because of me anymore than you already have been. If you can't be civil to my mate, then you can go home too."
Zack sighed, sheathing his sword on his back as he rubbed at his eyes in frustration, other hand going to heal the wound on his side. "I'll take you up to the mountain. I daresay he's not going to let you go alone, but I won't let you go with him."
"He wouldn't hurt me, Zack," Cloud rebuked in anger at the slight against his mate, not knowing why the words sounded so false on his tongue. "Kadaj knows the way. We can all go."
"No," Sephiroth spoke, voice a thin mask of anger. "We can't. We need a diversion." The Alpha turned to Reno. "You need to take the helicopter away from here. Let them track you."
"You mean put a giant target on my back?" Reno asked, voice appalled. "No fucking way."
"I am the General of Shinra, and as such your superior. I'm telling you to do this as an order." Sephiroth's voice was ice. "I dare not consider the possibility of you disobeying."
Reno gave a curt nod, obviously knowing better than to argue with a direct order. "For how long? How long should I give this idiocy before circling back?"
Sephiroth glanced towards the mountains, eyes calculating. "Two days. It'll take at least a day to get up the mountain. If you can buy us some time we can get my stubborn Omega the answers he so desperately craves."
"This is all so stupid," Reno murmured. "But fine. I'll lead them away from you." The redhead glanced towards Zack. "You're being an idiot…" Cloud frowned at the familiarity in that tone as he saw Zack glance away. "And you…" He turned to him. "What are you doing Cloud? I don't even recognize you anymore."
He didn't recognize himself most of the time.
"Be careful, Reno." It was the only thing he could say in reply as the shame swirled in his stomach.
The Turk seemed to hesitate with himself, glancing back and forth from Cloud to the helicopter, seeming to give in as he rushed forward. Cloud met him halfway, clinging to his best friend as the other hugged him, and Cloud's eyes knitted slightly at a familiar scent that seemed to be etched into his skin. "Don't be stupid, okay?" Reno leaned into his ear. "Don't let him hurt you." The Turk pulled away, winking at Zack before he took off running towards the helicopter.
He frowned at the assumption, not liking the way everyone spoke of Sephiroth. He didn't like the way he had seen his own mate. That wasn't him. Sephiroth was kind. He wouldn't hurt him. He would do anything for him. They were wrong. He would show them just how wrong they were if they managed to make it through all of this alive.
Cloud walked over to Sephiroth then, coming to stand in front of him as he once more twisted his bangle to heal the wound dripping from his shoulder. He watched him for just a moment, before reaching up as he pulled his mate in for an embrace. They were wrong. He had been wrong when he had doubts. He had been wrong when he felt the barbed wire encasing his soul.
Sephiroth pulled him close then, and Cloud let out an exhale of relief as he buried his face in the Alpha's neck, inhaling his scent. They were wrong. "I'm going to grab Kadaj, and then we're going to the reactor."
"Cloud," Sephiroth spoke as he turned away, grabbing his arm and spinning him back around towards him. "I'm sorry," he breathed out, leaning down to give him his first kiss in weeks. He melted into his mate, sighing as he leaned up on his toes to deepen the kiss, hands fisting in those silver locks and not caring that everyone was watching...that Zack was watching.
They were wrong.
They were wrong about Sephiroth.
,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.,.
A/N- Heading up the mountain...Almost to the reactor. It's really hard to write the dynamic between those three. Harder still knowing what I have to write. Thanks for reading!