Chapter Text
The sterile air of Shinra’s medical wing did little to soothe Cloud’s racing heart. The faint hum of fluorescent lights overhead mixed with the muffled clatter of distant footsteps, reminding him of the inescapable reality he now faced.
Cloud Strife wasn’t like other omegas—at least, not outwardly. Omegas weren’t supposed to dream of being in SOLDIER. They were delicate, soft, and obedient—traits Shinra drilled into every lower-ranked cadet’s skull. No omega had ever stepped foot into the elite unit. It was unheard of. And yet, here he was, a wiry blond from Nibelheim, standing in the heart of Shinra Tower’s halls, dressed in the standard cadet uniform.
It wasn’t easy to get this far. From the moment he stepped into the cadet recruitment line, Cloud knew he was playing with fire. He’d passed the written tests, excelled in his physical trials through sheer determination, and kept his head down when others whispered doubts about his small frame.
But the real threat came during his first physical check-up.
He remembered the examination room vividly stark white walls, the air so cold it pricked at his skin. A Shinra medical officer, faceless now in his memory, had stood over him, noting down results from the machines hooked up to Cloud’s lean arm. The suppressants had worked well until then—no scent, no readings beyond those of a low-ranked beta. But when the blood test results came back, Cloud saw the flicker of recognition in the doctor’s eyes.
“Well, now… isn’t this interesting?” the man had said, voice laced with faint amusement as he studied the data on his clipboard. “We’ve got an omega among our cadets.”
Cloud’s blood had run cold. He opened his mouth to argue, to deny, but the doctor silenced him with a look. “You’re clever, though. The suppressants masked you well. If I didn’t have this equipment, I might have thought you were a particularly scrawny beta.” He’d leaned closer then, smirking. “Why would an omega sign up for SOLDIER? You know what happens to your kind here.”
Cloud had gritted his teeth and spat back the words which pushed him through thick and thin in the company. “I’m not like other omegas.”
The doctor chuckled, unconvinced, but he didn’t stop Cloud. Instead, he wrote something onto the form and stamped it. “Shinra loves to study exceptions, kid. You might just make this interesting...You will be provided with suppressants, and you're allowed to bring your own. Other than that,...”, the officer had eyed him up, "you're on your own against them." By that he meant the Alphas around him and Cloud felt a rush of mixed anger and shame at the officer's words.
"Do feel free to stop by in case you need additional suppressants...It would be terrible to have the elites rutting simultaneously because of this." The older man had mocked him before letting him on his way.
From that day on, Cloud knew Shinra was watching him. The suppressants were his lifeline, his shield against every curious eye and dangerous alpha in the barracks. Without them, his scent would betray him, his heats would leave him vulnerable. He couldn’t afford to be weak. Not here.
But even with the pills, Cloud had never truly escaped suspicion. He saw how the alphas glanced at him when he trained too close, how their nostrils flared ever so slightly when sweat dampened his shirt and broke through the suppressant barrier.
Delicious. That’s what he’d overheard one of them say, the word sharp and cutting as it echoed down the empty hall. That omega’s delicious, even when he tries to hide it.
Cloud had thrown himself harder into training after that, desperate to prove he was more than what his biology dictated. But Shinra hadn’t forgotten.
And now here he was, standing before Professor Hojo like a rat cornered in a lab. Now he remembered, this was the same man who had analyzed him before.
“Cloud Strife,” Professor Hojo intoned from across the room, his sharp gaze dissecting him like a specimen under glass. The man’s voice alone was enough to make Cloud’s skin crawl. “The 'delicious-looking' omega who thinks he belongs among alphas.”
Cloud stiffened, his fists curling tightly at his sides. He’d heard it all before, whispered behind his back in the barracks, muttered under the breath of superior officers who thought he didn’t hear. He knew what they saw—his smaller build, the delicate features, the golden hair that refused to behave, the faint scent he tried so hard to hide. To every SOLDIER, Cloud was temptation wrapped in denial.
But Cloud worked to avoid that. He’d relied on suppressants for years, drowning his scent in bitter chemicals until he was little more than a ghost of what he should have been. His heats had been irregular since he was a teen, stunted and subdued under the influence of the pills he took religiously. He wore his blandness like armor, a shield against every curious gaze that lingered too long.
It was supposed to make him invisible. But his defiance hadn’t gone unnoticed. From the first physical examination, Shinra’s medical staff knew what he was. No number of suppressants could completely hide his omega biology from the company’s advanced technology. And while Shinra had tolerated his presence in the cadet program, his nature had made him a curiosity—a specimen to be poked and prodded, but never truly accepted.
Professor Hojo drawled closer, his sharp eyes gleaming with a predatory satisfaction. “I must admit, I didn’t expect you to last this long. Most omegas, if foolish enough to apply, would have been flushed out of the program months ago. But here you are.”
Cloud said nothing, his jaw clenched tight as he stared at the floor.
“You’ve been selected for an… important task,” Hojo continued, his smirk widening as he tapped a finger against his clipboard. “Sephiroth’s rut is approaching, and his compatibility tests indicate you are the ideal omega to see him through it.”
Cloud’s head snapped up, his stomach lurching. “What?”
The General. Shinra’s perfect warrior. An alpha who stood far above all others, untouchable and unapproachable. Cloud had seen him only a handful of times—on the training grounds, at briefings—but the man’s presence was impossible to ignore. Alphas naturally exuded dominance, but Sephiroth was something else. He was a force.
And now Shinra wants me to…
“No.” The word slipped out before Cloud could stop it. His head snapped up, his blue eyes meeting Hojo’s with his characteristic fire. “I’m not doing that.”
And Shinra thinks I’m compatible with him.
Hojo’s smirk widened, cold and predatory, his sharp eyes gleaming like those of a vulture. “Your compliance isn’t optional, Strife. Consider it an honor. Or would you rather we revoke your precious suppressants and let nature take its course?" His voice could be heard clearly, almost too clearly next to Cloud's now buzzing ears, "Maybe then you'd talk differently, hm?"
Cloud froze. He hated how easily Hojo had manipulated his weak spot, the weapon that could strip away every ounce of control he’d fought to maintain over the years.
Hojo stepped closer, voice low and cruel. “Sephiroth’s rut requires stability. You, omega, will provide it. And don’t delude yourself—you are replaceable. If you break, we’ll simply find another.”
A quiet dread settled in Cloud’s chest, sinking like a stone. Cloud wanted to scream, to lash out, but his training held him back. His breath came in shallow gasps as Hojo scribbled something on his clipboard.
His blue eyes shot daggers at the older man, as he nearly hissed in anger, "Not all omegas break over such simple things as intercourse, professor."
"Ah, I see the confusion,” Hojo said mockingly, tilting his head. “Allow me to explain. General Sephiroth is not your typical alpha. You’re aware of his enhancements, I presume?”
Cloud’s mind spun. Of course, he was aware—everyone knew Sephiroth wasn’t like the rest of them. Enhanced with Mako and who knew what else in the hands of Hojo, the General was in a league of his own. But what did that have to do with—
“His enhancements amplify every natural alpha trait,” Hojo explained, pacing slowly in front of Cloud. “A normal alpha’s presence triggers a basic biological response in omegas. Things like increased heart rate, heightened sensitivity, submissive instincts. But Sephiroth?”
Hojo’s grin grew sharper. “Sephiroth’s presence does all of that—and more. Your kind can’t help but respond to him.”
Cloud glared, his fists clenching at his sides. “I’ve been around him before, and I—”
“You resisted,” Hojo interrupted, his tone dripping with mockery. “Because of your precious suppressants, yes. But even with those, you still reacted, didn’t you? That sense of unease when he entered the room? The way your instincts screamed at you to submit? That was your body responding to his dominance. He simply hadn’t focused on you.”
Cloud’s throat felt dry, the words caught somewhere between disbelief and outrage.
“Allow me to elaborate,” Hojo continued, clearly enjoying himself. “A normal alpha triggers a subtle spike in an omega’s adrenaline, making your senses sharper. Sephiroth? He’ll overwhelm your nervous system entirely." He listed, while slightly leaning against his desk, his head leaned downwards as he spoke, "If other alphas generally release pheromones to entice. Sephiroth’s pheromones are potent enough to drown your suppressants. As for the compulsion to seek safety or submission- In his presence, you’ll find that even your defiance crumbles under the weight of his instincts. And then there’s the heat induction.”
Cloud’s stomach sank.
“Ah, yes,” Hojo said, his grin widening further, as if he was receiving a twisted sense of satisfaction at horrifying the boy, “Normal alphas can nudge an omega into an early heat with prolonged proximity, but Sephiroth’s presence alone can send omegas spiraling into full-blown heat within hours. Even the most disciplined omegas have been reduced to mindless creatures in his presence. And you, Strife?” Hojo chuckled, shaking his head. “You’ll be no exception. You should embrace the fact that he’ll overwhelm you. Drown you and reduce you to nothing.”
“I’m not doing this,” Cloud snapped, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.
“Oh, but you will,” Hojo said, stepping closer, his eyes gleaming with malice. “Blankly because you don’t have a choice. Shinra has invested far too much in our General to allow his rut to disrupt operations. And you on the other hand, are expendable, omega.”
Cloud gritted his teeth, his breath coming in shallow gasps as the weight of Hojo’s words pressed down on him.
“This is for the good of Shinra,” Hojo said coldly, leaning in just enough that Cloud could smell the sterile stench of his lab coat. “And don’t worry—we’ll ensure you’re... well-prepared. Consider that your suppressants are no longer necessary, you will be accompanied by beta guards while your body stabilizes to the absence of the suppressants, saving you the pain of alphas parading around you once your scent is better presented”
Cloud froze, his heart hammering in his chest. “You can’t—”
“I can. And I will.” Hojo straightened, adjusting his glasses with a smirk. “Consider this your new assignment, Cadet Strife. You are to serve the General, to ensure his needs are met, and to stabilize him during his rut. Fail, and you’ll wish we’d simply disposed of you.” he added simply, the corners of his lips turning downwards as the conversation was finished.
Cloud wanted to defy him, to protect his rights and himself, but his body basically belonged to the company and an order was an order. He could not defy the contract but had signed himself and if words of him being an omega got out...Much worse could happen to him before anyone or even the law could defend him. His breath came in shallow gasps as Hojo scribbled something on his clipboard.
“You’ll be escorted to the General’s quarters in two days, take this time to prepare and ground yourself” Hojo said, dismissing him with a wave of his hand. “Do try not to embarrass yourself, won’t you?”
Cloud’s fists trembled at his sides; his teeth gritted so hard his jaw ached. But he nodded stiffly, because he knew there was no way out of this. Not here. Not under Shinra’s watchful eye.
The sterile air of the medical wing faded as the two, armed escorts led Cloud back through the labyrinthine halls of Shinra Tower. Their boots clicked in unison against the polished floor, their silence a sharp contrast to the chaos spiraling in Cloud's mind. His chest felt tight, every breath shallow as the weight of Hojo’s words sank deeper into his bones.
You’ll serve the General. You’ll stabilize him during his rut.
Cloud’s fists clenched at his sides, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to fight, to run—but he knew there was no escape. Shinra owned him.
The elevator doors slid open, revealing a hall to connected to the few private chambers they had reserved for their guests, or more realistically said- prisoners with a higher status than the ones dumped in the labs. One of the guards pressed a card against the electronic lock of a sliding door, which opened to reveal a small but comfortable one room apartment with a few commodities. The other guard nudged him forward, his expression impassive.
“You have two days to prepare,” the man said flatly, stepping back into the elevator as Cloud shuffled into the corridor. “Do not leave your room until summoned. Your meals will be provided, along with other necessities.”
The door shut with a cold hiss, leaving Cloud standing alone.
Cloud spent the next few hours in a haze, his thoughts racing as he familiarized with the reinforced apartment deep within Shinra Tower. His mind was spinning with every word Hojo had uttered, every taunt and threat that lingered like a poison in his veins.
Sephiroth’s omega.
That’s what they wanted him to be. A role that didn’t belong to someone like him, a scrappy omega from the outskirts of nowhere.
The SOLDIER barracks had always been a warzone for him. He’d been careful, so careful, to take his suppressants, to train harder than anyone else, to mask his scent in layers of soap and sweat. And yet… they knew. Every now and then, when his suppressants were late or when stress pulled at the seams of his control, alphas would linger around him like wolves, their gazes heavy with something primal.
Cloud gritted his teeth as he walked in circles in his new room. He hated the way they looked at him—like he was a thing, a prize to be claimed.
I won't be a damn omega to them, he told himself bitterly. I’m a cadet. I’m SOLDIER material.
Cloud sank onto the edge of the bed in the corner, staring blankly at the ceiling. The adrenaline that had carried him this far finally began to ebb, leaving him with nothing but the crushing weight of what was to come.
Two days. Two days until he was locked in a room with Sephiroth—Sephiroth—to endure something he’d spent his entire life avoiding.
He hated it. Hated Shinra, hated Hojo, hated himself for not fighting harder. But beneath the suffocating anger and fear, something else simmered—a spark of something he didn’t want to name.
Guilt.
Cloud buried his face in his hands, his cheeks burning as memories surfaced unbidden.
He’d been just a teenager when he first saw Sephiroth, long before he’d even joined Shinra.
Cloud had always felt different, even before he understood why. His quiet, reserved nature set him apart from the other boys in the village. He hadn’t known then, not exactly, but there was always an undercurrent of something… unusual about him. Something that had been buried deep within, waiting to surface when the time was right.
The Silver Haired general had visited Nibelheim as part of some mission, his arrival turning the quiet mountain town into a flurry of excitement and cheering. Sephiroth, still a young man who radiated power and grace, as though he were a force of nature rather than a mere soldier. Cloud, barely a teenager at the time, had watched him from a distance. He had always admired the SOLDIER—seemingly untouchable, perfect in every way. But on that day, Cloud- being one of the many people that swarmed the SOLDIER, had made the mistake of accidentally looking directly into Sephiroth’s eyes.
The moment their gazes met, something shifted within Cloud. It was as though the air had thickened, and the world had narrowed down to just the two of them. His body reacted almost immediately. A warm rush surged through him, his pulse quickening, a strange heat pooling in his abdomen. He had no idea what was happening, but the sensation felt overwhelming, foreign, and far too intense for his teenage mind to comprehend.
He quickly averted his eyes, his heart pounding in his chest, but the damage had already been done. By the time he got home that evening, his body had started to respond in ways he couldn’t control. The heat surged within him—unnatural, burning, something he had no way of stopping.
It was his mother, Claudia, who found him that night, trembling in his bed, drenched in sweat, his breath shallow and erratic. She had known, of course. Claudia had always been keenly aware of her son’s true nature, even before he did.
"Cloud," she had whispered gently, sitting beside him on the edge of his bed. "It’s alright. You’re going through your first heat."
Cloud had felt the blush spread across his cheeks. He’d never spoken about his true nature, not even to his mother. It wasn’t something he had been ready to face, but in that moment, he felt a strange relief.
His mother’s presence was comforting, steadying. "I know it’s overwhelming," she continued, brushing his damp hair from his forehead, her touch soft but firm. "It’s a part of you. Just breathe. You’re safe here, Cloud."
She had stayed with him through the night, helping him through the worst of it—guiding him through the strange sensations, the overwhelming emotions. Claudia had talked him through his heat, explained what he was feeling, and reassured him that it wasn’t something to fear, even if it felt completely foreign and frightening at the time.
"I’ll always be here," she had said softly, her voice full of love and understanding. "You’re not alone, Cloud. No matter what happens, you’re my son. And we’ll face this together."
It was in those moments of vulnerability, with his mother’s gentle care, that Cloud began to understand what it meant to be an omega. His body had betrayed him, but his mother’s steady voice had guided him through the storm, showing him that it didn’t make him weak. It didn’t make him less.
That memory, though distant, stayed with him as he grew older, especially in moments like this. As he found himself face-to-face with Sephiroth, the man who had unknowingly triggered that first heat years ago. It wasn’t just the physical aspect of it; it was the realization that everything had changed, that his body would never be the same again.
His mother’s wisdom had stuck with him, the way she had reassured him that being an omega wasn’t something to fear. That even though the world outside might view him as different, it didn’t diminish his worth. Cloud had carried that lesson with him—perhaps more than he even realized—helping him endure, especially now.
Even as his body reacted to Sephiroth’s random presence, as the ache in his core stirred once again, Cloud could almost hear his mother’s voice in his head. It's going to be okay, Cloud.
And now, years later, he was going to be actually close to Sephiroth. Too close.
His hands clenched in his lap as shame bloomed in his chest. He hated himself for the part of him that felt almost… happy. For the part of him that wanted to be near Sephiroth, even if it was under these awful circumstances.
It wasn’t fair.
Cloud leaned back against the wall, staring up at the ceiling. The suppressants were still in his system, muting the worst of his instincts, but he could feel them beginning to waver. The thought of being in Sephiroth’s presence for an extended time—without any chemical barrier—made his skin prickle with unease. Hojo’s words echoed in his mind, a cruel reminder of just how little control he’d have.
He’ll overwhelm you. Drown you. Reduce you to nothing.
And yet, beneath the fear, there was a flicker of anticipation he couldn’t extinguish. The boy who had idolized Sephiroth, who had dreamed of being worthy of his notice, still lingered somewhere deep inside him.
Cloud squeezed his eyes shut, willing the thoughts away. This wasn’t some fantasy. This was real, and it was going to break him, if he let it.
The next two days passed in agonizing limbo. Shinra had stripped him of his regular training schedule, leaving him confined to his room with nothing but his thoughts. Meals were delivered by silent guards, their eyes averted as if they couldn’t bear to look at him.
Cloud spent most of the time pacing, restless and anxious. He had already used the small shower room connected to the apartment a few times as well in an attempt to relax his thoughts. He tried to distract himself with exercises too—pushups, sit-ups, anything to burn through the nervous energy—but his mind always circled back to the same place.
Sephiroth.
He couldn’t stop imagining what it would be like. The General’s commanding voice, the way he carried himself with effortless dominance, the sharp green glow of his Mako-infused eyes. Cloud had seen alphas before, trained alongside them, but Sephiroth was different. He wasn’t just an alpha—he was the alpha.
And soon, Cloud would be alone with him, with nothing to shield himself from the sheer force of Sephiroth’s presence.
The thought terrified him. And, shamefully, it thrilled him too.
Cloud hated himself for it the more he thought about it.
By the time the summons came, Cloud felt like he was unraveling. The suppressants had been gradually leaving his system, and the absence was like a slow-burning ache in the back of his mind. He could feel his instincts stirring, raw and unguarded, making his skin hypersensitive and his thoughts harder to control.
When the guards arrived at his door, he was ready—but only because he had no choice.
“Cadet Strife,” one of them said, his tone curt. “Follow us.”
Cloud swallowed hard, his heart pounding as he stepped into the hall. The walk to Sephiroth’s quarters was a blur, his pulse drowning out the sound of their footsteps. By the time they reached the reinforced door, his hands were trembling.
-The walk to the chamber was unnerving. Every echo of his boots against the cold floors felt heavier than the last, as if Shinra itself was dragging him toward his fate. But before Cloud reached the reinforced doors that would seal him inside with him, his escorts stopped abruptly.
“This way,” one of the guards said, opening a smaller side door Cloud hadn’t noticed. He gave Cloud a sharp nudge when he hesitated.
Inside was a small, sterile preparation room. Cloud froze as his eyes landed on the single beta medical officer standing beside a table, her face softer and kinder than any Shinra employee he’d seen all week. She offered him a small, almost apologetic smile.
“Cadet Strife,” she greeted gently. “I’m here to ensure you’re prepared.”
Cloud stared at the table, his stomach twisting as he took in the items neatly arranged atop it. A black leather collar sat at the center, its metal buckle gleaming faintly under the light. Beside it was a bottle of lube, a few sealed packs of supplements, and two small injector devices filled with clear liquid.
“What is this?” Cloud muttered, his voice tight as he looked back at her.
The beta met his gaze steadily, her hands resting lightly on the table. “Protection.”
“Protection,” Cloud repeated hollowly. His eyes flickered back to the collar.
“It’s a precaution,” she said, her voice gentle but firm. “The collar will prevent him from marking you.”
Cloud swallowed hard. Marking. The word sent a shiver through him. In a rut, an alpha’s instincts were razor-sharp, fixated entirely on mating. And Sephiroth wasn’t just an alpha—he was enhanced, primal in ways that made this whole thing even more dangerous.
She continued as if reading his thoughts. “The collar’s lined with a suppressant formula. It’ll dull any attempts at a permanent bond, even if—” She hesitated, her expression softening. “Even if he bites.”
Cloud flinched, the edges of her words scraping against his nerves like nails.
“And this,” she said, picking up the bottle of lube, “is to help you stay comfortable. I reviewed your file—you’re young and healthy. You might not need it, but it’s better to have it on hand.”
Cloud’s cheeks burned as he looked away. He wanted to scream that he didn’t need any of this, that he wasn’t going to let this happen to him—but they both knew better.
She set the bottle down and picked up one of the injectors, holding it carefully between her fingers. “This is a fertility suppressant,” she said. “It’s stronger than the usual supplements, and it’ll ensure you don’t conceive. It’s Shinra-approved. Standard for situations like this.”
Cloud blinked at her. Situations like this. As if this was some routine event, like being assigned to clean the training yard.
“It’s also non-negotiable,” she added softly. “I’ll need to inject you now.”
Cloud felt sick, his stomach churning as he stared at the small device in her hand. The beta was kind, far kinder than Hojo or any of the guards, but it didn’t make this feel any less like a violation. He nodded stiffly, turning his head away as she pressed the injector to his arm. There was a soft hiss, and then it was done.
“This one,” she said, holding up the second injector, “is a hormonal stabilizer. It’ll keep your body from spiraling too far into heat. You’ll still feel it, of course, but this will keep you… grounded.”
Cloud stared at her. “Grounded.”
“It’s the best I can offer,” she said quietly, pressing the injector to his other arm. “Sephiroth’s pheromones are overwhelmingly powerful. Without this, you might…” She trailed off, shaking her head. “It’s better this way.”
Cloud felt like he was suffocating. He looked down at the collar again, its presence on the table almost mocking him.
“Put it on,” she said softly, sliding the collar toward him. “You’ll need it.”
Cloud hesitated, his hand trembling slightly as he reached for it. The leather was smooth and cold against his skin. He unbuckled it slowly, staring at the inside where faint traces of suppressants had been worked into the material.
“It’s just temporary,” the beta added, as if that would make it better.
Cloud forced himself to nod and fastened the collar around his neck. The leather fit snugly, the buckle clicking into place with a finality that made his heart sink.
“Good,” she murmured, stepping back to give him space. “The guards will take you to the chamber now.”
Cloud stood there for a moment, staring down at the table with the lube and the empty injectors, bile rising in his throat.
“Cloud,” the beta said gently, drawing his attention back to her. Her expression softened, and for a fleeting moment, she almost looked like someone he could trust. “You’ll get through this. You’re strong—I can see that."
Cloud swallowed thickly as he grabbed the small box and bottle of lube, forcing a shaky breath into his lungs. “Doesn’t feel like it.”
She gave him a small, sad smile. “Strength isn’t always about fighting back. Sometimes it’s about surviving.”