A/N: The continuing story of the one-shot that will not end. Thank you all so much for supporting this story, and I hope you enjoy the continuation! As always, this story is dedicated and first-and-foremost for Tomowowo, who is a GODDESS of the sefikura fandom. Make sure to check out her amazing work on Tumblr (link in my profile) or as bunny-boss on deviantart!
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or any related titles. Please remember to support the official releases whenever possible!

Chapter 4

It was only two weeks after coming home to find Sephiroth injured in his bed that Cloud returned to his apartment to find a note on the door that read 'Living Quarters Reassignment' at the top. He tried to swipe his key card, but someone had already reprogrammed the electric lock. Cloud bit his lip, running a hand through his sweat-crusted hair. He'd really been looking forward to a nice, quiet shower. Setting up a new apartment was not what he had in mind for a pleasant afternoon.

He grabbed the taped paper off the door and headed towards the room it listed, trying not to fiddle with the high-waisted belt he still hadn't gotten used to. The fact that he was a Third-Class Soldier hadn't quite sunken in yet. Though the Mako certainly had. He'd nearly broken his bed getting up that morning when he jumped as the alarm went off. He had left a significant dent in the wall. Maybe that was why they were changing his room assignment...

Cloud reached room 534 without trouble. He hesitated outside, glancing around the hallway. There were not many doors—they must have been big apartments— but every door had two sets of names on it.

Roommates. They'd given him a roommate. He swallowed at the two blank plates where his name and someone else's would go. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad. Maybe it would be one of the guys in training who didn't think like a tank and hate his guts.

Cloud swiped his keycard. The door swung open slowly, showing him a bright, empty apartment. From the doorway he could see big windows with pale curtains that let the light through, and a couch sitting in the living room before them, still covered in shiny plastic. The floors were unblemished wood, and there was a small nightstand in the hallway that led from the door to the room. There was already a keycard sitting on it. His roommate was already here. Cloud took a deep breath. He could do this. He could deal with a roommate. Sure, he'd just gotten used to having some private space again, and this basically killed all his daydreams of sneaking Sephiroth into his room, but he could handle it. He was a Soldier after all. He would not have a panic attack at something as small as a new roommate. He stepped forwards, swinging the door shut behind himself.

"Um," He called, placing his key-card carefully on the table where the other card was resting. "Hello?"

"Cloudy!" Zack dashed around the corner of the living room and scooped him up into a hug. "Did you stay late at training again? I've been setting up for ages!"

"Zack?" Cloud spluttered, pushing back out of the hug and finding it easier to get free of Zack's fond grip than it ever had been before. "What are you doing here? Are you friends with my new roommate?"

"Oh Cloudy," Zack said fondly, reaching out to ruffle Cloud's hair. "You're so dim. I already chose my bedroom, so go pick yours, and we'll make the THIRD bedroom the guest room! This place is awesome!"

"You're—" Cloud started, staring at his friend.

"Trust me," Zack said with a huge grin. "Help me set up. You'll see why I'm a genius later. I'll get us pizza for dinner!"

"You're my roommate?" Cloud wheezed as Zack bounced around the corner again, a delighted laugh floating behind him.

"Come on, student!" Zack called back. "I'm your boss, so you have to help me get everything ready! And figure out how to put my new bed together!"

The evening was hectic. Cloud barely had time to figure out the barest details. Zack had decided that a happy Cloud meant a more successful student. Then he had decided that more Sephiroth time made a happier Cloud. So he had come to the conclusion that Cloud needed to live somewhere where Sephiroth could appear at any moment without anyone being the least bit suspicious.

"And since everyone already knows Seph and I are best friends," Zack said, as though he weren't holding their enormous sofa off the floor in his arms, trying to pick the perfect place to leave it, "I figure he can just pop by here any time and you two can make out while I watch the news or something!"

"Zack!" Cloud complained.

"What? Come on. Surely you guys have made out by now!"

"Knock it off!" Cloud objected. "And put the sofa down! It's fine there!"

He never would have admitted it out loud, but he knew Zack was already aware of how his heart was hammering in excitement and delight. No more stolen moments in the empty hallways. Or, at least, a new option in addition to that. Sephiroth could visit him at home, and no one would even think he was the one being visited.

Zack laughed as he put the sofa down in the middle of their reasonably spacious living room and flopped onto it. He hummed as he settled in the cushions, a smile of delight on his face. Cloud let out a breath, wondering if Zack was finally ready to take a break from setting up the apartment. Then the doorbell went off and the so-called puppy sprang for the door just like his namesake.

"I hope you don't mind." Rumbled a familiar voice from the doorway. "I met the delivery person coming to your room and took care of your pizza's cost."

Cloud lifted his head, abandoning his weary head shaking to jog towards the entry way. He burst into a sunny smile when he saw Sephiroth standing there, his head tilted to one side and a faint smirk on his lips, three pizza boxes balanced in one hand as though he'd been delivering pizza all his life.

"Did you tip the kid?" Zack asked, cocking his head to one side as he stepped out of the doorway.

"She was not a kid." Sephiroth sighed, stepping into the apartment. "She was roughly thirty four at a guess."

"Is that a no?"

"I gave her fifty gil." Sephiroth said with an eyeroll. "Put your righteousness back in your pocket."

"Sephiroth?" Cloud questioned awkwardly, tired of waiting to be acknowledged.

Any annoyance he might have felt vanished when Sephiroth looked over at him and his face shifted. His expression melted into a warm, quiet smile, and his eyes narrowed in pleasure at the sight of him.

"Cloud." He murmured, setting the pizza down in Zack's arms and moving over to him.

Cloud lept gratefully into his arms, squeezing him tightly as Zack laughed where he'd been left, stranded with a trio of pizza boxes precariously balanced in his arms. Sephiroth held Cloud off the ground as though he weighed nothing at all.

"I hope you like your new home." The man whispered into his ear.

"It's perfect." Cloud whispered, clinging as tightly as he could. "It's absolutely perfect."

"Um, guys, I'm all for the hugging and stuff, but does anyone mind if I start in on the pizza?"

Sephiroth gave the softest of chuckles, setting Cloud back on his feet and tossing his head lightly to send his hair back into place. Cloud straightened his uniform and cleared his throat. It had been too long since he'd gotten to squeeze Sephiroth as tightly as he liked. He glanced up at him once more, taking in the calm shine of Sephiroth's eyes. They tracked the world around him with sharp accuracy, and Cloud tried not to worry about how that had come to pass.

"What do you think?" Sephiroth asked, looking down to Cloud.

"I think we can do pizza." Cloud responded with a smile, leaning against Sephiroth.

"Awesome!" Zack cried. "Pizza party! Let's set up in the living room, the dining room chairs haven't shown up yet!"

"Charming." Sephiroth chuckled. He sounded like he meant it.

Cloud hooked his arm through his boyfriend's, following Zack into the living room. He heard Sephiroth's phone chirp, but the man seemed to content to pull it out with his left hand and let Cloud continue holding onto his right.

But when he opened it, he froze in place, so abruptly that Cloud almost wrenched his shoulder on the next step. He looked up at the suddenly frosty look on Sephiroth's face.

"Are you okay?" Cloud asked softly.

"I'm sorry." Sephiroth said blankly. "I'm afraid I'll have to join you both for pizza another time."

"What?" Zack asked, turning from where he was setting the pizzas down with a frown. "Come on, Seph, we haven't seen you in ages! What's so important that they're paging you and not me?"

"Business." Sephiroth unwound his arm from Cloud's, bending and pressing a kiss to his forehead. "I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you both."

"Just take care, okay?" Cloud asked softly, standing still where he'd been left, his hand still halfway extended towards Sephiroth.

He'd seen that look on Sephiroth's face before. It reminded him of the pale scars on the man's inner forearm, carving the dim outlines of letters and numbers where Sephiroth had pulled metal implants free of his flesh. He swallowed hard, watching Sephiroth nod his agreement.

"Gods damn it, Sephiroth." Zack said, his good cheer momentarily abandoned. "Would you just tell me what the hell is going on?"

"I will." Sephiroth replied emptily. "Soon."

He turned and left the apartment without another word, leaving Cloud and Zack watching the closed door for a long while after.

"Damn." Zack muttered. "I don't know what goes through that man's mind. Doesn't he know he can say no to that stupid phone sometimes?"

"I'm not sure he can, Zack." Cloud whispered. "I think he would if he could."

"Shit." Zack cursed, the word earnest and sharp.

Cloud jerked in surprise at the harsh word from his usually sweet friend, and looked over at him.

"Are you that mad?" Cloud asked softly.

"Am I mad?" Zack repeated, looking over at him. "He foists half his missions on me, he runs out on the smallest gatherings, he never tells me what's going on, and when I DO get to see him, half the time he's being a hard-ass cold-hearted bastard like something shut him down."

"Zack he—"

"I'm not mad, Spike." The First interrupted. "I am scared as hell."

They stared at each other for a while, then Cloud gave a little nod of understanding and approval.

"So what do we do?" He asked his teacher and new roommate. "Pretend we didn't notice? Hope things get better again?"

Zack shook his head. "I'm not risking it."

Cloud looked up at him and saw that strict, harsh look on his face that he got when he thought of the past. He walked over, putting a hand on Zack's shoulder, giving him a little shake in the hopes of grounding him in reality.

"I'll help." He said firmly. "If we're working together, I'm sure we can get him to fess up about what's going on."

"And get him out of whatever it is." Zack agreed. "I've seen him when he gets back after things like this, smelling like blood and worn to the bone. Whatever's happening to him, I want to stop it."

"Agreed." Cloud said firmly, not mentioning the metal arm pieces, and the soft confessional words. He'd promised, after all. He'd promised not to tell. He hadn't promised not to help Zack find out for himself.

"Pizza first." Zack said after a moment. "It helps me think. Then I'll make some calls."

"What about me?"

"You," Zack pointed, "Are going to eat pizza. Then tomorrow you are going to train harder than ever, because we never know what we're going to need to go up against."

Cloud nodded resolutely, sitting by the pizza boxes. Zack sat next to him, opening one up and tearing into his first piece as though he were taking all his aggression out on the slice. Cloud followed suit, devouring the cheesy goodness with none of the joy it usually brought.

"Cloud."

He lifted his head, looking at the suddenly solemn-again Zack.

"If it comes down to it, which do you care about more. Sephiroth, or your career?"

Cloud hesitated, looking down at his pizza. He licked a spot of sauce off the corner of his lips, thinking of his new life. His strength, his promotion—it was all he'd wanted when he set out from Nibelheim. He was finally someone. People knew his name, and a lot of them didn't hate him anymore, even if they weren't exactly friends.

But his heart ached at the very question, and his gut twisted at the moments it took him to consider it. He shook his head quickly, casting aside the thoughts of responsibility and the contracts he'd signed.

"Sephiroth." He said firmly and softly. "If it comes down to it. And if that was some kind of test and you report me or something…"

"Don't be silly, Spike." Zack said, tilting his head and giving a half smile. "I would have answered the same way."

They ate the rest of their pizza in silence, but Cloud's heartbeat never slowed down again. Somewhere in the building, he was certain Sephiroth was in trouble. And he could do nothing to stop it. Not yet, at any rate.

Cloud yanked on his boot with a sharp pull and tore out of the locker room. He'd gotten caught up thinking about Sephiroth after his training session with Zack, and had lost track of time while he showered. Now he was about to be late to his tactics class, and he'd been trying to get there early to give the teacher a good impression. After all, it was taught by a Second Class Soldier, and Cloud wanted to be the sort of person who was wanted on the team.

He paused when he ran out into the hall to find Zack still there. He was facing a man in a Turk suit—Cloud thought he recognized him as one of the guards at the end of Sephiroth's hall he'd run across that one night, but he wasn't sure. Foxy blue eyes lifted to him, narrowed in what looked like challenge and amusement. Stark red tattoos mirrored their curve over sharp cheekbones. Zack shifted, following the Turk's gaze, and grinned, waving Cloud over.

Cloud hesitated. Turks had 'bad news' written all over them. But if this was one of Zack's friends, he'd be doing his teacher a serious disservice by turning him down. He swallowed, rolled his shoulders back, and walked over to join them.

"Reno, this is Cloud," Zack said, smiling warmly and shifting his stance just a little in a way that changed his discussion from two people to three without any pomp and circumstance. "Cloud, Reno No-Last-Name."

"You gotta stop introducing me like that, yo," Reno groused. He stuck a hand out to Cloud, and after a moment Cloud's manners caught up to reality and he shook it.

"Reno's going to be lending us a hand with our little 'situation' if you get my drift!" Zack said happily, clapping the redhead on the shoulder.

"Sorry," Cloud murmured as apology for the delay in shaking the Turk's hand. "I didn't realize our backup was going to be a Turk."

"Lucky for us, Reno is bored and his sensible partner is out of town," Zack snickered. "He's the best backup we could ask for—nearly as skilled as Tseng without a Shinra-shaped stick up his ass."

Cloud tensed as Reno's eyes narrowed on Zack, but the foxy Turk broke the moment of tension with a deceptively bright and delighted laugh.

"Moron," Reno scolded. "He hears you talkin' like that we're both in trouble."

"Anyway," Zack said, waving Reno's concerns away. "He's agreed to let us know when Sephiroth vanishes wherever he goes and help us create a distraction. Most of the distraction is my job, of course, but Reno here will be making sure there are no cameras watching when you go catch up to our boy. Perfect, right?"

"And what will we owe you?" Cloud asked Reno suspiciously.

"Free of charge, yo," Reno drawled. "Your buddy here has a deal with our crew, so this one's on the house."

"A deal?" Cloud repeated, turning a suspicious look to Zack.

"Weren't you on your way to training?" Zack replied, instantly dodging the inquiry.

Cloud would have argued with him about it, but he really was running late for class. He barely breathed an apology before he ran for it.

He made it just before the lecture started, and blamed it on Zack. The teacher laughed and agreed that it was just like the good-old puppy to keep a student late just to make him run to class. Cloud sagged into his seat, and tried not to think of what sort of deals his friend and mentor might have been making with the Turks.

Waiting was harder than anything he'd experienced in training. Not telling Sephiroth was even harder. The man made excuses to pass him frequently, and they would share secret glances. Cloud tried to hide his nerves when they exchanged looks. It was easy to smile—being noticed by Sephiroth always filled Cloud with joy. It was harder to keep that smile from decaying into concern.

In the end, it only took two days before the call came in. Cloud was almost asleep, staring up at the ceiling, when his phone chimed. He lifted it, staring at the unrecognized number. It flashed the numbers for a moment, then, somehow, the display changed to read 'ANSWER IDIOT.' He answered.

"Yo," A voice he only barely recognized said. "We're moving. Get your ass dressed and get down to basement level three. I'll call you once you're there and tell you how to get down to your boyfriend without getting caught by Professor Creepy."

"Professor…?" Cloud rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"He's with Hojo, yo." Reno drawled. "Zack's making his move to distract the Prof, but you're gunna have to book it if you want to get down in time to take advantage of that."

"Shit." Cloud cursed, jumping out of bed and pulling on that day's uniform, still splayed on the ground from when he discarded it in a hurry earlier that night. "I'm on my way."

He had never cursed his combat boots so fervently. He struggled with the laces, eventually just knotting them both and shoving their trailing ends into the tops of his boots, hoping that his pants would cover them enough to hide his haste.

The wait for an elevator had never seemed longer. His mind was skipping, repeating the same things over and over. It whispered 'it's time, he's there' incessantly, over and over. He wiped the sleep from his eyes as the elevator 'ding'ed its arrival. His phone buzzed as he pressed the seldom-used button for 'B3', and he answered without hesitation.

"I'm on my way," he said briskly, assuming it was Reno. "Where do I go?"

"Once you get to basement three, you need to take the hallway to the left and avoid the screaming. Zack's got Hojo all tied up and frustrated, but it won't last forever."

"And where's Sephiroth inside?"

"Once you get around that corner, I don't have eyes on you." Reno replied, his voice almost serious, for him. "It ought to be a straight shot, but I can't guarantee it. Hojo doesn't allow us Turks to have cameras in his little hideaway, and the President likes him better than us, so what he says goes."

Cloud shivered, startled by how much that unnerved him. He didn't trust Turks, after all. Having one watching him shouldn't have been comforting. But it was not a nice thought to know that he was going into those labs after Sephiroth alone. Not when Zack and Reno were taking it so seriously.

He heard the yelling before the elevator actually reached its floor. The doors slid open without a sound, and Cloud wondered if that was Reno's doing, or if the doors never chimed below the main lobby. He'd never been in one of the basements before. He turned left, trying not to listen too closely to the screaming. But it was hard to ignore. It seemed to be coming from just around the corner to the right of him.

"—In the middle of important testing, and you barge in here for this?"

"President's orders, professor." Zack's voice was as calm and cheery as if he'd been having a chat with an old friend. "Thought you'd rather get it done now than during normal hours of operation, you know? You're a busy guy after all."

"If you weren't such a valuable test subject against my creatures." The furious voice muttered.

Cloud slipped through the swinging doors labeled with "Lab 3" before he could hear more. Inside, it was dark and quiet. A far cry from the ringing yells of the antechamber, which seemed to circle around the central column through which the elevator ran. Cloud blinked, trying to talk his eyes into adjusting to the gloom from the electric fluorescent lighting that was so normal in most of the building.

He walked through the hallway, past empty, dark exam rooms. The hum of machinery was pervasive in the background, but Cloud couldn't tell where it was coming from. He stepped carefully, knowing that his fear was probably unfounded, but afraid none the less. The lab felt unnatural. It felt , he realized suddenly, like the Nibelheim Mansion at home. He'd walked on its grounds once, and had been convinced there were ghosts all around him. This hallway held the same, ugly, uncomfortable feeling.

He saw a light down the hall and sped up, walking into a well-lit office. Glancing around at the desk covered in notebooks and scrawled notes, he grimaced a little. There was a strange smell in the room that reminded him of the layers of sickness covered with sterilization that had filled the doctors offices of his childhood. He cast his eyes around the room. In one wall, an incongruous window showed a different lit room beyond.

Cloud gasped the moment his eyes landed on the figure in the next room. He dropped all thoughts of haunted buildings and childhood doctors. He sprinted through the office into the adjoining lab, leaving the door gaping open behind him, riveted and horrified by what was within.

Sephiroth was hunched over a rigid support that held him curled over it on his knees. Straps held him in place, though he showed no signs of fighting against them. Needles protruded from his back, some sort of fluid being pushed into his spinal cord at intervals through the slender dark hoses connected to them. Cloud choked, moving forward quickly towards him, dropping to his knees nearby.

"Cloud," Sephiroth whispered, without turning his head to look at him. "You should not be here."

"What is he—" Cloud rasped. "What is he doing to you?"

"Calm down," Sephiroth said as Cloud inched around to inspect his face, finding his eyes calm and composed despite the pain he had to be in. "You need to go, Cloud. I need you to leave this place."

"Seph!" Cloud choked. "I have to get you free, I—"

"You will do no such thing," Sephiroth reprimanded with a cold strength in his words. "You will turn around and go. Quickly. Whatever distraction drew him away will not last long."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Cloud asked softly. "Why didn't you tell me he was doing this to you?"

"You know why," Sephiroth replied calmly. "It puts you in danger."

"Me," Cloud hissed. "I'm not the one in danger here, Sephiroth! You're—I'm not leaving you here." Cloud insisted, touching his fingers to Sephiroth's sweat-drenched brow.

"You are," Sephiroth replied, not moving under his touch. "Cloud, you are. You cannot unhook me without paralyzing me. Only Hojo can. I need you to leave me here. If you are still here when he returns, then we will both be his prisoners, and that is an unacceptable cost."

"Seph, you can't ask me to-"

"I am not asking you," Sephiroth whispered. "I am telling you. Cut your losses. Go. I will come to you the moment I am free to. I will let you and Zachary help however you can. But you must go now. Right now. You must say not a word, you must make sure no one sees you on your way out, and you must promise me that you will tell no one."

"You're hurt," Cloud whispered in weak protest.

"I will be more hurt if he takes you from me," Sephiroth replied, lifting his bright, pained eyes to Cloud. His breath was shaking in his lungs. "Go, Cloud. Now."

"As soon as you can?" Cloud whispered, blinking back tears.

"As soon as I can." Sephiroth agreed, his voice barely a breath.

Cloud leaned down, pressing a gentle kiss to his lover's lips. Then he pressed their foreheads together lightly, briefly, taking care not to shift Sephiroth an inch, in case he hurt him accidentally.

"Please be alright," Cloud whispered to him, willing the universe to bend to his will on that point, if nothing else.

"I will come home to you," Sephiroth promised. "Please. Go."

Cloud pulled away from him, keeping his eyes on the man he loved as long as he could, watching Sephiroth. He memorized the ugly view of the beautiful man's bowed back, the tubes protruding from the needles jammed into his spine, the soft tremble of his pale skin against the cold air.

He closed the door between them and ran from the office. He didn't want to, but he knew he was short on time. There was only so long even a Turk like Reno and a Soldier like Zack could distract Hojo. He slowed his run to a near-silent creep the moment he heard how loud his own footsteps echoed in the hall. He was just in time to hear someone step through the swinging doors, storming towards him. He cast about a moment, then stepped into one of the empty, open exam rooms, stepping around to hide behind the open door, pressing his back against the wall. He hoped desperately he'd been fast enough to avoid detection, but part of him wanted Hojo to find him. At least then he might manage to get a punch in on the bastard. It seemed to take forever for Hojo to come closer. Cloud had forgotten how enhanced he was—how much sooner he heard things like footsteps coming than he'd used to.

Cloud closed his eyes, ducking further into the corner as the steps grew closer still. He squeezed his hands into fists anxiously. He shouldn't have worried. Hojo stormed past him, muttering to himself, utterly distracted. He sounded furious. Cloud's heartbeat hammered in his chest with fear for Sephiroth. The impotence of being unable to help made his stomach twist.

He reached the elevator without incident, and wanted to cry. He met Zack right then and there, still waiting for the doors to open as the elevator reached them.

"No luck?" Zack asked, looking strained and worried.

Cloud shook his head slowly, tucking his chin in shame. "He doesn't want saving." He whispered in reply.

Zack let out a slow breath, pulling out his phone. The sound of his thumb against the keys filled the empty air around the two friends as they stepped onto the elevator. Cloud pressed the button for their floor while Zack wrote.

"You're pale." Zack said softly once he'd finished his message. "Was he bad?"

Cloud shook his head slowly. "I can't talk about it." He clenched his eyes shut, torn between wanting to brand the image of Sephiroth's pain in his mind and wanting to erase it. "He promised he would explain everything when he came over tonight."

"Cloud." Zack said bleakly, watching him with uncharacteristically dark eyes. "You should know by now. Sephiroth lies to get what he thinks he thinks he needs sometimes."

"I know." Cloud whispered, lifting his hands to cover his face. "I know, Zack…"

They didn't speak the rest of the trip home. They walked into the apartment together, and Zack wandered into the kitchen immediately, even as Cloud flopped onto the sofa, staring at his hands and his poorly tied shoes without actually seeing them. When Zack returned and shoved a soda into his hands, Cloud took it without question.

"He's not an easy guy to care about." Zack said, his voice rough and as unhappy as Cloud had ever heard it.

"I'm starting to get that." Cloud whispered, cracking open the sugary drink and taking a swig as though it were a shot of alcohol.

"He's selfish and cruel." Zack said with venom. "And there are days I wish I didn't give two shits about him."

"Is there a 'but' coming?" Cloud asked, glancing over at Zack with faint worry.

"I don't know." The First replied with a huff. "It's hard to tell. Some days I'm filled with excuses for him. He's been hurt, he's been abandoned, he's been alone. No one can be normal who grew up in Shinra. Other days, I really wish I hated him."

"Come on, Zack." Cloud sighed. "It's not his fault Hojo's messing with him… You should have heard him in there… He was really worried I'd get caught."

"Because it would be dangerous for you, or because of how it would affect him?" Zack asked with a chill in his voice.

Cloud chewed on his lip, uncomfortable with Zack so cold and harsh beside him. He shook his head slowly.

"Both, I think." He replied quietly. "Zack, he was… He was really hurt."

Zack let out a slow breath, lowering his head. "Yeah." He muttered after a moment. "I know. I believe you… I'm sorry, Spike, I need some time to clear my head. I love Seph, I do. He's as good a friend as he can be. It's just tiring sometimes."

"What happened between you two?" Cloud asked softly, turning to Zack with furrowed brows. "You get so angry at him sometimes. And for things like this… He didn't do anything wrong, did he?"

"He never tells anyone anything." Zack said sharply, standing off the sofa and putting down his drink to pace. "He just does as he pleases and expects everyone else to fall in line."

"Well, he is the General." Cloud offered weakly.

"And I'm supposed to be his friend!" Zack snapped, stopping where he was pacing to glare at Cloud.

Cloud flinched, and watched as the rage on Zack's face vanished, replaced by empathy and regret.

"Sorry, Spike." He whispered. "There was some bad blood between us before. I'm still working on forgiving him, I guess."

"It's okay." Cloud said, shaking his head. "You're my friend. I want to know what's bothering you. Just… Be nice when he comes tonight, okay? Give him a while to recover before going into it?"

"You got it." Zack agreed. "Why don't we get things ready for him to spend the night. You set up some tea and stuff, maybe change your sheets if they're gross, and I'll go grab some clothes for him from his place."

"Yeah," Cloud breathed, nodding slowly and setting down the cold can, wiping the beads of moisture that had gathered on his palm off on his pants. "Yeah, that sounds smart."

"Of course it's smart. I'm smart most of the time!" Zack said, recovering his grin and lifting a finger. "Come on. We're Soldiers, not thinkers. We'll do better doing stuff than sitting around worrying."

Cloud cracked a grin for him and stood up with a nod. He tried to ignore the way his hands were shaking and sweating, and the stiffness of tension in his thighs and back. He tried to unclench his teeth, but he couldn't seem to figure out how to get his jaw to relax.

The moment Zack was gone to grab Sephiroth's things, Cloud sat down on the sofa again and put his head in his hands. He needed to put new sheets on the bed for Sephiroth, but he couldn't find the energy to do it. He was lost in anxiety. What if Sephiroth didn't show up at all? What if he couldn't? His warning about paralysis floated through Cloud's mind, and his stomach almost rebelled at the thought. Blindness had not treated Sephiroth kindly. What would happen to him if he was immobilized?

The door opened and Cloud jumped to his feet, turning to explain to Zack why he'd just been sitting around. His eyes met the weary form of Sephiroth instead. The silver haired man leaned back against the door, closing it with his shoulder and resting against it for a moment, his head tilted back and breathing slowly. Even from where he stood, Cloud could see the stiff muscles and tendons of his neck work as he swallowed.

"Sephiroth?" He moved towards the man, his hands outstretched carefully.

Bright green eyes flickered open and fixated on him. Sephiroth let out a slow breath, lowering his head and reaching out to take Cloud's hands in one of his own, giving them a brief squeeze.

"Don't look so worried." He rumbled.

"How can I not?" Cloud squeezed Sephiroth's grip in return. "Can you walk alright? You should sit down…"

"Is Zachary here?" Sephiroth asked, his eyes squinted again, as though they were hurting him once more.

Cloud shook his head. "He went upstairs to get some of your clothes. We were hoping you'd spend the night."

"Is the sleepover party penance for missing pizza night?" Sephiroth asked, a pleasantly socialite smile on his face.

"Sephiroth," Cloud whispered. "Please don't joke right now."

The smile slid slowly off Sephiroth's face, leaving him looking tired and a little lost. He shifted uneasily, still leaning on the door, even as he held Cloud's hands steadily.

"I think you're right that I should sit down." He said at last, his eyes falling closed. "I'll accept your invitation for now, at least."

"Do you need to lean on me?" Cloud offered softly and seriously.

Sephiroth snorted, and cracked a smile. Cloud sighed at him, but didn't scold this time. The crooked smirk looked truer than the smile he'd used last time, and Cloud could deal with a little stung pride if it provided Sephiroth some relief.

"How's your back?" He asked softly as Sephiroth stepped off the door, walking towards the living room without releasing Cloud's hand.

"It's fine." Sephiroth said blankly before he paused in place, shaking his head twice, as though trying to escape something. "No. That's not true. I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Cloud said quickly, watching Sephiroth's lips tighten at the corners and his brow furrow. "Come sit down, okay?"

Sephiroth let himself be lead to the sofa and sat down slowly and stiffly. Cloud paused, watching him, then leaned forward to give him a soft, slow kiss. Sephiroth's mouth tasted like blood and mako, but Cloud didn't mention it. For a moment, the lips under his were stiff from discomfort, but then they slowly relaxed into the touch. Cloud pulled back to let Sephiroth breathe out slowly.

"Do you need any first aid?" He asked, pushing Sephiroth's bangs back behind his ear so that he could see his face better.

"I don't think so." Sephiroth murmured. "But it does… It does burn."

"Painkillers don't work, right?" Cloud said, frowning to himself. "Will you let me see? Maybe I can help."

Sephiroth glanced over at him, looking uncertain. His brows were lowered, and his lips were tight at the corners. Cloud watched him struggle internally, and started to regret asking at the look of tension on Sephiroth's face.

"Just—" Sephiroth finally bit out through clenched teeth. "Just be gentle."

"Of course!" Cloud's brows twisted and he shifted his hand to cup Sephiroth's cheek, feeling his jaw clenched tight under his hand. "I wouldn't ask except that I'm scared. You looked so hurt.."

"It was just an experiment." Sephiroth replied, his voice strained.

"How often do they happen?" Cloud shook his head. "How often do you go? Is that what you keep getting paged for?"

"Cloud." Sephiroth whispered. "I know I promised to answer all your questions, but can it wait just a little while?"

Cloud took one look at the wan, stressed look on Sephiroth's face and let out a breath, releasing his questions. He stroked a hand up through Sephiroth's hair, cupping the back of his head to touch their foreheads together.

"Of course." He whispered. "Will you take your shirt off for me, please?"

"I would prefer if you just cut it off me." Sephiroth sighed. "It's just one of my casual ones, not a uniform. No great loss, and I would prefer not to...Contort. In any way."

Cloud gave a serious nod and fetched the scissors. He returned to find Sephiroth lying face down over the sofa, his legs bent to keep himself from being too long for the sofa. Cloud crouched by his head, brushing his hair out of his face and giving him a small smile. Sephiroth blinked at him from where he was pillowed on his arms, and gave a try at returning it.

They met in a brief, soft kiss, and Cloud touched their heads together lightly, keeping the scissors well out of the way as he rested his free hand over Sephiroth's hair.

"I'm so glad you're home." He whispered, pressing a kiss to Sephiroth's cheek.

He sat up slowly, looking over the shirt Sephiroth was wearing before nodding to himself. He carefully pulled his lover's hair out of the way, then lifted the collar of Sephiroth's shirt, cutting down the length of it with slow, methodical movements. The mottled bruises were instantly apparently beneath the white shirt. Specks of dry blood dotted where the tubes had connected, and Sephiroth's back was an agonizing display of purple bruises circling around where his spine had been impaled. Cloud winced at the series of four circles, and carefully rested his hand on the back of Sephiroth's shoulder, which seemed to be free of the effects.

"What the hell was this for?" He asked softly.

"Something to do with spinal fluid and my nervous system." The General replied, his voice muffled from having his face turned into the sofa. "I've stopped paying much attention to the specifics."

"Does this happen every time?" Cloud asked softly.

Sephiroth grunted what sounded like a negative, and Cloud sighed at the inarticulate response.

"You said it was burning, right?" he asked, rubbing the bruise-free spot on Sephiroth's shoulder. "Think some cold water might help?"

"I don't think I can handle the shower or sitting in the bath right now." Green eyes squinted back at him as Sephiroth turned his head. "I will wait it out."

"I wasn't going to make you move." Cloud corrected, shaking his head a little. "I was thinking maybe a damp towel? I could wet it with cold water. It might help a little."

Sephiroth looked hesitant, but eventually nodded his assent, turning his face back into the sofa. Cloud heard him sigh something along the lines of 'worth a try.' He took it as confirmation and squeezed Sephiroth's bicep lightly in affection before going to fetch what he needed.

It didn't take long to fetch the towel and wet it down with cold water. He made sure his weary boyfriend knew when he was about to place it over his skin, and moved as slowly as he could to make sure he caused no pain. From the low, relieved moan Sephiroth released into the sofa, he shouldn't have worried.

"Better?" He asked unnecessarily.

"Feels good." Sephiroth agreed. He let that statement hang in the air a moment before he spoke again. "Why did you come, Cloud?"

"You kept running off." Cloud whispered. "Kept acting strange. Zack and I got a little scared so we decided…"

"To stalk me?" Sephiroth cracked an eye open to study Cloud.

"No." Cloud muttered. "More like we hired a Turk to stalk you."

He caught a glimpse of Sephiroth's teeth as the General favored him with a brief grin. "I'm a bad influence on you."

"More like Zack's a bad influence on both of us." Cloud teased back, even as he pulled a strand of Sephiroth's hair free from the towel.

The fell into silence for a while, and Cloud was happy to let it stretch. Sephiroth seemed calm, and as much as he wanted answers he was more than happy to sit at his boyfriend's side and watch him breathe for a while. He found himself stroking his fingers slowly through Sephiroth's hair, his fingertips brushing his scalp.

By the time Zack actually returned, Sephiroth was half-asleep, his eyes lidded and glowing softly in what Cloud hoped was contentment and not discomfort. He barely shifted at all when Zack opened the door.

"Oh good." Zack sighed, closing the door behind himself. "You're here." He wandered over, frowning at the way Sephiroth and Cloud were arranged. "Not healed yet?"

"It's working on it." Sephiroth sighed. "They were deep injections, and it takes my spinal column a lot of energy to heal itself."

"Ugh, gods!" Zack's face twisted in distaste. "That fucker is stepping way outside his bounds."

Sephiroth shifted to cut a look up at Zack. "Pot, meet kettle."

"Yeah, but I'm only breaking rules that don't hurt anything." Zack said, waving a hand. "If you got called out to battle tonight, what the hell would you do? Limp menacingly towards the enemy? Ever since Nibelheim you've been less functional. And not just because of your eyes. What changed, Sephiroth? Why are you going down there all the time?"

Sephiroth let out a slow breath, and Cloud touched a hand to his shoulder. The Silver-haired man started to sit up, his face tight in concentration.

"Hey, woah, stay down, man." Zack argued, moving the rest of the way over and crouching next to him.

"I don't like lying down and talking." Sephiroth replied, still halfway through pushing himself up.

"I know." Zack said, dropping to sit at Cloud's side by Sephiroth's head. "You can't read people without watching their faces." He turned to Cloud with a half-smile. "That's why he was such an asshole when he was blind, you know."

Sephiroth didn't bother objecting. He dropped back to the sofa's surface and gazed at them out of weary eyes. Cloud brushed his fingers lightly through Sephiroth's hair again. The huddle was as awkward as it was intimate

"So." Zack said after a moment. "What changed?"

"How do you mean?" Sephiroth's voice was low and hesitant.

"You've been going down there for years." Zack said mildly, waving a hand. "I always figured it was for the same sort of thing I did for him. Fight some monsters, listen to him mutter about it, maybe do some strength testing. But if he's been calling you down there every time you vanish and show up all grumpy, then it's happening pretty damn often. And there's no doubt that he's not just having you fight."

Sephiroth was silent a moment, his eyes resting on Zack's face with an assessing look.

"I'm getting your sofa wet." He commented after a moment.

"It's fine." Cloud said before Zack could get annoyed ast Sephiroth's non-response. "We're more interested in you than the sofa."

"Come on, Seph." Zack said after a moment. "You promised Cloud, right?"

Cloud lifted his chin a little as Sephiroth's eyes slid over to study him. He met that gaze, his look expectant in return. He wanted to trust Sephiroth. He wanted to believe that the man had meant every word. Sephiroth drew in a slow breath, and Cloud clenched his free hand tightly, hoping to hear an explanation.

"I did promise." Sephiroth said after a long moment. "Him and you both. But I'm afraid I do not have many answers myself yet. You are right, Zack. It has changed."

"Since what happened with your eyes?" Zack asked propping his chin on his fist. He looked slightly surprised, and cast Cloud an appraising look, as though re-thinking something.

"Since the mission itself." Sephiroth replied blearily. "He has always been… Thorough. But since Nibelheim, he has grown—" He trailed off with a soft sigh.

"Sadistic?" Cloud offered after a second.

"A good enough word." Sephiroth replied in assent. "He is frustrated. Angry, even. But he has never made a secret of what failings he saw in me before. Aside from scolding me for saving you rather than completing the mission, he has said nothing about where I have failed. Nothing about what I've done to deserve this."

"Well, first things first, you don't deserve it." Zack said, lifting an authoritative finger. "And second things second, he's always been crazy. He probably just lost it. We'll go to the president, talk to him, get him to see—"

"Hojo is not crazy." Sephiroth said, his voice a low, fierce growl.

"He's not?" Cloud asked, lifting a corner of the towel to check on Sephiroth's back. He watched one of the puncture wounds shift as it slowly healed closed, and quickly put the towel back, averting his eyes from the unsettling sight.

"Not at all." Sephiroth said softly. "Madness is containable. Deniable. Hojo is a genius. His experimental designs may not always be clear to those watching from outside his head, but his results are undeniable. After all, I am one of them."

His voice grew breathy as he spoke, and he eventually trailed, off, his back rising and falling with his every breath.

"But you said he's being irrational now." Zack said after a moment.

"Usually I am privy to some of what he is thinking." Sephiroth replied. "Now, his disappointment is a mystery. I only know that it has to do with the mission in Nibelheim."

"There's no excuse for this, though." Cloud whispers. "Why does he touch you at all? Is this about what you told me? About Shinra owning you?"

"I was created on their payroll." Sephiroth replied with a sigh. "As a company asset, if I was a success. Which I was and continue to be, if you had any doubt. Hojo is in charge of making sure I remain the scientific triumph I have always been. He's the one who created me in the first place after all."

The three of them fell silent for a moment. Cloud felt like he ought to object. Hojo, create Sephiroth? It seemed impossible. Worse than impossible—it seemed like an internalized lie. The same sort of mantra that had told him he was weak since he was small, that had told him he was useless, that had told him he was unwanted… But he did not dare object. Sephiroth was in his body and mind, and Cloud was not. He couldn't object to the words, even though he wanted to. And from the look on Zack's face, he was in the same boat.

"What can we do right now?" Zack asked after letting the silence sit a long while.

"I need sleep." Sephiroth whispered.

"The couch is a little short for you." Cloud said softly. "Can you make it to my bed?"

"I made it here to the apartment, didn't I?" Sephiroth replied softly.

"Come on, buddy." Zack said, offering Sephiroth a hand. "Let's get you some rest, then."

Sephiroth eyed Zack's hand, glancing up at him. Then he shook his head a little and pushed himself up without assistance. Cloud caught the damp towel as it fell, stepping back as Sephiroth straightened. The tall General cracked his neck as he stood, his eyes half-closed and deceptively calm.

Cloud was watching as Zack slowly withdrew his offered hand and shoved it into his pocket. He watched him take a slow breath and let it out, calming himself down firmly before summoning a calm smile.

"Why don't you two go settle in?" He offered. "I'll see if I can wrangle you some time off in the morning, Seph."

"Thank you, Zachary." Sephiroth said, blinking and turning to Zack with what looked like surprise on his face. It was hard to tell, exactly. Sephiroth's expressions came out as though they'd been filtered and strained till they were nearly invisible by the time they reached his face. "I would very much appreciate that."

"Heh." Zack's smile turned more true. "Sure. What are friends for?"

Cloud cast his roommate and mentor a worried look as Sephiroth moved stiffly towards the bedroom.

'Stay with him.' Zack mouthed, pressing his hands together in request.

'Always.' Cloud mouthed in reply with a firm nod.

Sephiroth lay down stiffly, face down on Cloud's bed, and Cloud was careful to sit lightly on its side so he wouldn't shift him too much.

"One day you have to sleep over when you're not hurt." Cloud whispered, only halfway joking.

"I would like that very much."

He sounded half asleep already, and Cloud stroked a hand over his exposed tricep as Sephiroth pillowed his head on his own folded arms.

"Want your towel?" Cloud offered weakly.

"Yes." Sephiroth replied, turning his head so he could look up at Cloud with his cheek pillowed on his arms.

Cloud gently pulled the mass of his hair out of the way, setting the towel down to do so. The silver strands clung in slender coils and rivers to Sephiroth's damp back. Cloud tried to look at them instead of the ugly bruised places. He paused before he lay the towel down, though, staring at the marks on Sephiroth's back. Beneath Sephiroth's pale skin dark veins were twisting from the epicenter of each puncture. Cloud bit his lip, his stomach twisting as he watched the dark veins for just a moment before laying the wet towel over Sephiroth's back again, hiding them from view. He instantly tried to convince himself he had not seen those dark streams within his boyfriend moving like living things.

"Cloud?" Sephiroth was watching him. "What's wrong."

"I just don't like seeing you hurt." Cloud answered truthfully. "It feels wrong… I always kind of thought you were untouchable. But ever since the mission it seems like one thing after another."

"Don't get used to it." Sephiroth rumbled. "True randomness comes in clumps and patterns. What most people think of as random is nothing but a series of evenly spaced events. You simply became close to me during a particularly violent time in the chaotic nature of the world."

"Will you keep going to him?" Cloud asked after a moment, shifting further onto the bed, leaving his feet off it since they were still encased in boots.

"Yes." Sephiroth replied, blinking slowly at Cloud.

"I want you to tell me when you're going." He clenched his hands in his lap, wishing he could demand that Sephiroth stay at his side, and keep himself safe, but knowing that was asking more than he dared. "Even if I can't help. I want to know when you're in trouble. When you're hurt."

Sephiroth's visible eye narrowed, his pupil widening and constricting as he thought. Then he let out a slow breath, closing his eyes altogether.

"If I can." He murmured.

"Promise me." Cloud demanded softly, touching Sephiroth's shoulder to make sure he had his attention.

"Or what?" Sephiroth asked with a chill in his voice, squinting up at him. "You'll leave?"

Cloud pulled back, startled by the response. He floundered, blinking, unsure how to respond to that. He swallowed, his lips tightening in misery and stress.

"No." He whispered. "I won't leave. I won't make any threats, Sephiroth. I'm not holding anything hostage. I just want you to promise me that you'll let me know when you're going to be in danger. Is that so much to ask?"

Green eyes that seemed even less human than usual glared up at him for a long moment more before Sephiroth sighed, his pale lips parting as he gave a weary shake of his head.

"Sometimes I will be unable to." He whispered. "I will be surrounded by executives, or otherwise unable to communicate freely. But if I have the option, I promise I will let you know."

"Thank you." Cloud whispered, letting out a sigh of breath with the words, feeling a weight lift off his chest. "Thank you, Sephiroth."

"Lie with me a while." Sephiroth shifted, and Cloud rubbed his shoulder gently as he moved, hoping to ease his discomfort at least a little.

He kicked off his badly tied boots and turned to lie on his side, facing Sephiroth. For a moment, he closed the distance between them and they kissed, the touch of their lips soft and fleeting. Sephiroth's pale lips were cracked with dehydration and his reaction to the kiss was terribly subdued compared to his usual enthusiasm. By the time the kiss broke, he already seemed to be falling asleep. Cloud shifted just a little, pressing their foreheads together as they lay side by side, listening to one another breathe.

"Don't ever go down there again." Sephiroth whispered into the silence between them. "If I ever hear you've entered the labs again, I will kick you out of the program without a thought. I want you to achieve your dreams, and I want you at my side, but your safety is more important. Do you understand?"

"No need for threats." Cloud muttered, pulling back to meet his eyes. "I won't go down there again so long as you hold up your end of the deal."

Sephiroth watched him a long while, as though assessing his words. From so close, Cloud could see the miniscule pinprick scars in his sclera from whatever had been done to restore his eyesight. Then the scars were obstructed as Sephiroth closed his eyes and nodded his understanding.

"Get some sleep, okay?" Cloud whispered, reaching up a hand to brush his fingers over Sephiroth's har. "We can talk tomorrow."

"Good night, Cloud." Sephiroth whispered after a moment.

"Good night, Sephiroth." Cloud replied.

He watched as Sephiroth went limp slowly, one tense muscle at a time. His chest ached at the sight of him, so tired and hurt. The image of his calm green eyes as he was held in place with needles going straight into his spinal column would not leave Cloud alone. He closed his eyes, trying to envision Sephiroth as he should be, tall and calm and with that faint gleam of pleasure and relaxation in his eyes. It was achingly hard to hold onto that image in comparison to the times he'd seen him hurt. He caught a breath at the very thought, opening his eyes to look down at Sephiroth's face, relaxed and still in sleep.

"I love you so much." He whispered down to the sleeping man, brushing the strands of silver bangs out from where they were dangling before his lips. "Please, please be okay."