#cloudzack

 “Has anyone else noticed that the puppy seems to have picked up a protégé of his own,” Genesis asks. Nodding over to where Zack is talking to a blonde Cadet.

Yes, Angeal had noticed that Zack seemed to spend a lot of time with that specific Cadet. And, yes, he had figured that it was probably some form of mentoring going on.

If anything, he was proud of Zack for it.

“An omega protégé,” Genesis adds. “One he seems awfully affectionate with.”

Sure enough, Zack turns and clings to the blonde cadet. Face pressed so close he could be scenting the other omega if those watching didn’t know better.

“What are you getting at?” Sephiroth asks, clearly wanting to get to the point of the conversation. Likely so he can leave.

“Do you suppose they spend their heats together?” Genesis asks.

“Now you’re just being crude,” Angeal says. Just because Zack is affectionate with the Cadet doesn’t mean anything. Zack is affectionate with everyone – something Angeal would have chalked up to him being an omega if he didn’t know better.

“Come now ‘Geal, you know omegas are more open with others of their designation than those outside it. And it would be unsafe for the adorable blonde to spend his heats in the cadets’ quarters.”

Angeal may concede both those points. Still.

“Even if he does have his heats in Zack’s apartment, that doesn’t mean anything happens between them.”

“Maybe,” Genesis says but Angeal has known him for too long to think he’s conceded the point. “But Zack likes to help people however he can – do you really think he would let another omega suffer a heat alone when he could help? Sephiroth – what do you think?”

Sephiroth just grunts. And Angeal has known him long enough to know it means that he doesn’t want to take part in the conversation, but is considering what is being said.

“Of course neither could give each other what they really want,” Genesis says, apparently just continuing on without a real response. “They can do a lot but they aren’t the alpha, nor can provide the knot, they really need. That they are begging for.”

“Stop being crass.” Angeal won’t remind them that there is a market of devices designed to solve the exact problem of omegas lacking alphas for their heats. It feels too much to lowering to Genesis’ level. Or perhaps, giving him ideas.

“I’m not,” Genesis says, all mock-offence. “What I am talking about is a beautiful part of the natural world and something that should be given the appropriate praise.”

“And you’re the alpha to give it that praise?” Sephiroth asks, joining into the conversation again. There’s something about his expression and tone that Angeal can’t quiet read.

Going by Genesis’ expression, he reads it as a challenge and honestly this has gone on long enough without the two of them firing up by a completely fictional scenario.

“Oh, it’s good to be home,” Zack says, his muscles finally relaxing at the scent of his and Cloud’s apartment.

Relaxing at the mixed scent of them both the fills the space. Although, now it mostly just smells of Cloud. A reminder that it’s not just a proper bed that Zack has been craving something shocking for the last few days.

“Cloud!” Zack calls because Cloud should be home by this point in the day. “I’m home!”

There isn’t an immediate thudding of footsteps, but honestly Zack wouldn’t expect it. Cloud isn’t like that – both in temperate generally and from a definitive conscious effort not to appear a clingy omega. Not that anyone really had any doubts about that – Zack’s the clingy one of the two of them.

Still, there’s no sound of footsteps at all.

Which is a bit odd. It’s too early for Cloud to have likely gone to bed.

“Spike?” Zack calls, putting his pack down and going into the bedroom. Confirming that the bedroom is empty and Cloud hadn’t gone to bed yet.

Zack sticks his head out of the room to check the main bathroom of the apartment. The door of that open, so the room also empty.

“Huh.” So Cloud wasn’t home yet.

Well that just means Zack can unpack his stuff before Cloud gets back.

Of course it’s as he has that thought that the front door opens. Cloud walking in with a bag of shopping, obviously lost in his own thoughts.

Cloud’s nose twitches in the cute way it does when noticing a new scent. A second later he apparently realises whose it is.

“Zack?” Cloud asks, his eyes darting to where Zack is. “You’re home?”

“Yep, called in a favour to get an earlier flight scheduled and- off.”

Cloud knocks the wind out of Zack in how hard he tackles into him. But Zack isn’t going to complain as Cloud’s face presses against his neck. Blonde spikes tickling his nose as Cloud takes in his scent.

“Missed this,” Cloud mutters against Zack’s neck.

Zack smiles at it, wrapping his arms around his mate and pressing his face into Cloud’s hair.

“I missed this too, you have no idea Spike.”

Gods Zack hated longer missions when the marks of bonding started to threaten to wear off from time. But it’s not like he can exactly say no to all of them.

“We should probably move this to the couch,” Zack says after they stand there just taking in each other’s scents to calm down the worst of the needing itch for each other. It is easier to properly scent each other somewhere they can settle for a couple of hours if wanted.

“Not to the bed?” Cloud asks with a teasing smile. And, sure, that would be an effective way to make sure they both smelt of each other.

“Don’t tempt me Spike. I think I’d pass out as soon as I touched the sheets. Don’t wanna’ do that ‘till I smell like you again.” And made sure Cloud smells like him.

“Alright,” Cloud says.

Zack wraps his arms tighter around Cloud’s hips to bounce his mate up. Grinning when Cloud laughs and wraps his legs around him. Sure, Zack’s too tired for anything too strenuous but he’ll always have the energy to show off how well he can carry his mate.

The rumbling purr Cloud gives at it makes it worth any protests Zack’s tired muscles give.

They make it to the couch easily – Zack dropping Cloud onto it and collapsing on top of him in an undignified heap.

“Zack – you’re heavy,” Cloud protests from under him.

“Huh? Oh right.” Zack rolls them over. His back sinking into the soft couch, Cloud a warm weight on him.

“You know I was joking,” Cloud says, burying his face into Zack’s chest like he’s embarrassed about it.

“Well now you’re on top you might as well take over the scenting, yeah?” Zack says, shifting so one of his arms is propping up his head. The other resting comfortably on Cloud’s ass.

“Lazy alpha,” Cloud grumbles, but they both know he really doesn’t mind.

“Tired alpha,” Zack corrects with a yawn.

Cloud sighs but shimmies up to better press his face against Zack’s neck. The movement rubbing and pressing against Zack in all the right places to make him wish he had more energy to get them smelling of each other in the way only sex can give.

Maybe in the morning.

Cloud settles again with his face buried into the crook of Zack’s next. His hair once again tickling as Zack’s face as he nuzzles against the scent-gland on Zack’s neck. And Zack just let’s himself relax into it.

“You have no idea how much I missed this,” Zack says. The hand he had on Cloud’s ass moving up and under his mate’s shirt to rest against the bare skin of Cloud’s back. “How many times I thought of just saying fuck it to the mission and just coming home.”

He’s babbling, really, but it’s partially true. There had been some nights when the itch of missing his mate go so strong he started to question why the hell he was even there in the first place.

“I did too,” Cloud says, muffled against Zack’s neck.

Zack doesn’t really have much to say to it – he figured Cloud would be feeling the same for all the omega tried not to let it show.

“I’m home now though,” Zack says, bringing the hand he’s not resting on to comb through Cloud’s hair. “And should be for at least a couple weeks.”

The rumbling purrs start up again from Cloud. And Zack knows it isn’t put on like some omegas do when trying to get an alpha sweet on them. The first time Zack ever having heard it being nearly a month after they moved in together after over half a year of dating. A sound that only comes out when Cloud truly is content.

Zack feels content as well. The warmth of his mate above him and the gentle, slow, scenting between them the most relaxing feeling he’s ever experienced.

Zack feels himself starting to drift off at it all.

“We should head to bed.”

“I though you said you were too tired for that,” Cloud asks, his head resting against the peak of Zack’s chest. Blue eyes staring up. And Zack so wishes he wasn’t too tired but he is.

“Maybe in the morning we can.” It’s not like Zack’s expected anywhere until the lunch-time next day anyway with his expected arrival being 2AM. “But for now I mean for us to sleep.”

“Right,” Cloud says with a yawn.

“So you gonna’ get up Spike?” Zack asks when Cloud doesn’t move for a solid minute.

Cloud hums. Nuzzling against Zack’s neck one last time before pulling himself up and off the couch.

The move to the bed is fairly quick. Despite the want to keep scenting each other the call of sleep is strong.

They collapse on the bed similarly to how they were on the couch. Zack resting between Cloud’s thighs, their legs tangled together, as his nuzzles against Cloud’s neck to take in the omega’s scent.