ardwynna | Fic: Suspicious Activity

Title: Suspicious Activity
Fandom: FFVII Crisis Core
Characters: Genesis/Sephiroth/Cloud, Angeal/Zack.
Rating: R
Word Count: 1903
Previous parts: Battle Plans | Special Assignment | Deep Cover | Code Word | Prisoner of War

Angeal was never anyone's first pick for covert ops. He was large-framed and well-muscled. His fighting style was head-on and direct. He didn't go out of his way to stand out but he didn't blend in either. He simply wasn't the type for the job. But Angeal had been handling Genesis long enough to know his way around some situations. He began with a favor.

“Gen, why don't you come over for dinner this weekend? I haven't cooked you something special in a long time.”

“Hm? Sorry, 'geal, honey, can't. I've got plans.”

“You do?” Angeal blinked. Genesis had barely looked up from his report.

“Mm, yeah, Sephiroth and I have this... thing to take care of.”

Angeal frowned. “Off the clock?”

Genesis smirked slightly, still not looking up. “Why, yes, Ange, dear. Besides, aren't you and your puppy still doing all that intense training.”

Angeal had to wonder if he had only imagined the tone of that final word. “The pup's improved remarkably. Are you and Sephiroth sparring regularly now?” It was better than brawling.

“What?” Genesis did look up then, but just for a moment. “No, Angeal, we fight enough on the job as it is, don't you think?”

“So you're not fighting with him, then?” Angeal was not sure what to make of that.

“Angeal,” Genesis chided, “why would you even think such a thing?”

“The last time I left you two alone together after hours it made the eleven o'clock news.”

“Oh, that.” Genesis rolled his eyes. “It was his turn to bottom and he was being difficult. But anyway, no, we've worked something out. And I promise if we make the news this time, we'll remember to wear our pants.”

Angeal looked unconvinced.

“It's okay, Angeal,” Genesis said, waving him off. “Go play with your puppy. Sephiroth and I are big boys now. We don't need a nanny.”

“Really.”

“Well, you haven't seen the Turks racing for tranquilizer cannons recently, have you?”

Angeal had to allow it. “But are you certain they aren't just slipping drugs into your food.”

“We're not fighting, Angeal,” Genesis said calmly, his smile a touch more relaxed than usual, his eyes bright and oddly distant. Angeal felt a sudden pang of memory, of a lithe young boy beneath the arch of an apple tree.

“Gen?” His voice almost cracked. That boy had practically disappeared on coming to Midgar.

Genesis appeared to shake himself out of reverie. “It'll be fine, Angeal. I promise you we're not doing anything injurious to each other and we wouldn't dream of interrupting your pup's training schedule. He's quite promising.”

“So you two are...”

“Perfectly fine without you for a weekend, Angeal. Seriously.” Genesis rolled his eyes.

“Alright, then,” Angeal allowed, “if you're sure.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“He's getting curious,” Genesis said, plopping down onto the couch to remove his boots. “Consider his interested piqued.”

“Good,” Sephiroth mumbled past the thermometer in his mouth. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders and a cold cloth on his head.

“Sephiroth, are you sick?”

“Not one word, General!” A nurse came out from the bathroom with a cup of candy-colored pills. “And you, don't encourage him.”

Genesis froze, taking in the white high heels, the slim pencil skirt, the furious glare on the nurse's pretty face and the little cap, precariously perched on spiky hair. The nurse ignored him, coming over to take Sephiroth's blood pressure. Sephiroth tried to resist, crossing his arms tightly under the blanket but the nurse wasn't having it.

“Give me your arm, General, or else you'll get the shot again!”

Sephiroth made a show of reluctantly offering his arm for the cuff.

“Good Goddess on a stick, Sephiroth.” Genesis's face twisted.

“Hey,” Sephiroth mumbled out of the side of his mouth, “you have your fetishes and I have mine. OW!”

“I said quiet!” the nurse snapped. “Do you want your sponge bath or not?”

“I want it! I'll be good, I promise,” Sephiroth said meekly, whimpering as the nurse inflated the cuff extra tight.

Genesis took his boots up and made to slink out the door. “You are sick, Seph, seriously.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“So,” Angeal began, “how was your weekend?”

“It was... acceptable,” Sephiroth said, “as I assume yours was, as well.”

“Well....” Angeal resisted the urge to loosen his collar. “It was fine.”

“Is the pup much improved?” Sephiroth asked, able to keep the least bit of archness out of his voice.

“He needs more discipline,” Angeal grumbled. “He's improved, generally, but he finds his little ways to be impertinent.”

“Really? I wouldn't think your methods would allow that.”

“Yes, well, it's seems he's become used to me.” Angeal sighed.

“What, is he not taking you seriously anymore?” Sephiroth was beginning to have an inkling where this was going.

“I'm afraid he's grown on me,” Angeal admitted. “I can't bring myself to be too harsh on him and he knows it.”

“Ah, that is a hazard of mentorship,” Sephiroth allowed. “Or so I've heard.”

“I've been thinking, maybe the pup needs a solid reminder that this is SOLDIER.” Angeal almost succeeded in being completely casual about it. “Something to let him know that other people depend on his obedience to the larger structure.”

“Oh?”

“He needs to experience training... at other hands, I think. Keep him on his toes, help him adapt, that sort of thing.”

“Ah.” Sephiroth was resolved to remain dense. He sheathed his sword, straightened his coat and made to leave. “I do wish you the best in finding a suitable tutor for the purpose. I hate to cut this short but I promised Genesis a session. Good luck, Angeal!” He was grinning as he walked away.

-.-.-.-.-.-

“He's hinting very heavily,” Sephiroth announced at the door. “Something about the puppy needing more hands in the hands-on part of the his training.”

“So he's trying to make it sound legit?” Genesis asked from where he knelt on the floor.

“It would seem that way and what are you doing?”

Genesis looked up, paintbrush in hand. “I'm making fondue, of course. Would you like some?”

Sephiroth tilted his head at the scene. Yes, Genesis did have a fondue pot at his side, apparently with chocolate in it. A large fruit platter lay just beyond that. The most baffling thing, perhaps, was Cloud spread out on the floor, breathing heavily, and nude but for the swirls of melted chocolate Genesis was painting on him. Sephiroth blinked. “That looks messy.”

“We put towels down,” Genesis said, waving him off. “Come. Have some.” He picked up a slice of kiwi and trailed it down Cloud's body, dipping it into the pool of chocolate in the young man's navel. Cloud hissed and trembled, struggling not to move. Genesis placed half the kiwi slice into his mouth and leaned over Cloud, sharing the fruit with him.

Sephiroth slid around to better observe the scene. “That chocolate's not too hot for you, is it, Cloud?” Cloud, cheeks flushed, eyes glistening, did not answer.

Genesis smiled, taking up the paintbrush again. “He's not allowed to speak, Sephiroth, not unless it's an emergency.” Cloud squirmed as the brush reached a sensitive spot over his hip. “Or move either,” Genesis emphasized, tapping three chocolate dots onto Cloud's stomach, moving closer to the boy's groin before turning for more fruit.

Cloud whimpered, tendons tightening as he fought not to move. Sephiroth squirmed on his behalf. Genesis hummed to himself, smiling as his fingers hovered over slices of cantaloupe. Then, there came a quiet whisper.

“Strawberry.”

Genesis turned. “Cloud?”

“Strawberry.”

Genesis's mouth fell open, then shut again. He leaned back on his heels, looking disappointed. “I'm sorry. Is it too much?”

“Hm?” Cloud blinked at him. “What? Oh, no, not 'Stop' strawberry. I want a strawberry.”

Sephiroth stifled a snort. “You're breaking the rules, Cloud.”

“Meh,” Cloud said, then gasped as Genesis ran a chilled strawberry down his neck. “Spank me later.”

-.-.-.-.-.-.-

“So, how'd it go?” Zack bounced up in his seat.

“Not on the furniture, puppy,” Angeal said automatically.

Zack sat down, chastened but eager. “Are they coming over?” he asked. Angeal sank down onto the couch. He looked tired. Zack automatically slid to the floor and rubbed a cheek against Angeal's knee.

“I'm not sure.” Angeal frowned at a spot in the floor. “Sephiroth doesn't quite seem to be getting the message and Genesis isn't too interested, which is beyond strange because he's been curious about you all along.”

Zack peered up at Angeal. “So... they don't want to share and share alike anymore?” He tried not to sound too disappointed.

“Nothing so definite.” Angeal scratched his beard. It was time for a shave and trim. He would have liked to have Zack do it but the kid was still too excitable for Angeal to be entirely comfortable with the idea. “They seem... busy somehow. Taken up with something else besides minding my business.” He ruffled Zack's hair. “Come to think of it, Genesis hasn't made any of his usual remarks regarding us for a while now and he and Sephiroth have been really quiet together lately.”

“Quiet?”

Angeal sighed. “I should be grateful, I guess, if they've finally learned how to keep each other company without setting the place on fire, and finally leaving me be for more than half a minute besides.”

He stood and stretched and went over to the window, Zack at his heels. Angeal frowned at the smoggy rat maze below. “I don't like this.”

Zack looked down with him. “Yeah, Midgar is kind of grimy sometimes.”

“No, pup, this. The situation.” Angeal's eyes narrowed. “They're up to something. I don't know what it is, but I know something's going on.”

Zack shrugged, always willing to believe the best of people. “Maybe they really have learned how not to fight.” Angeal snorted. Zack rubbed his cheek on Angeal's shoulder. “Come on, 'geal, you sure it's all that sneaky? Or are you just jealous that they left you out?”

Angeal froze. “I suppose it's possible there's a little of that.” He sighed and slouched a little. “They're the closest friends I've ever had and I feel like I haven't seen them in months.”

“You haven't,” Zack put in. “I mean, not like you used to, you know, before me.”

Angeal turned. Zack was staring down at his shoes. “Hey.” Angeal cupped the boy's chin and turned his head up. “Hey, don't you go thinking this is on you. If they've found other ways to occupy themselves it's my fault for neglecting them in the first place.”

Zack swallowed. His voice was faint when he spoke. “What if when you go back, they don't want me?”

Angeal swept him up in a big bear hug. “No, puppy, it won't be like that.”

“But-”

“No 'buts'.” He set Zack down to cup the boy's face in both hands. “If for some incomprehensible, utterly illogical reason they really don't want to add somebody as wonderful as you to the things we do together, then they can keep doing whatever it is they've been doing without the two of us.”

Zack collapsed against Angeal's chest, soaking in the comfort of the hug and affirmation both. Angeal held him close for a long time.

“Angeal?” Zack said after a while, voice muffled in Angeal's shirt.

“Yes, pup?”

“You still want to know what they're up to, don't you?”

Fic: Suspicious Activity

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