"I hate Christmas," Sephiroth muttered to himself darkly as the bell rang for the end of the working day in the ShinRa building.

Everywhere around him were strung glittering strings of silver and gold; lights blinked on and off from the tangled webs of wires twisted in the corridors, on the doorframes, windows, glinting off the metallic surfaces in kaleidoscopes of colour that dazzled Sephiroth's narrowed eyes.

"Why is it all so sparkly?" he grumbled angrily, blinded momentarily by a malicious twinkle in his eyes as he stepped out of the door. Brushing aside the trailing wires from in front of his face, he continued through the sparkling corridors towards the lifts, where he could escape back to his own rooms, blessedly free of bloody decorations!

The lift pinged and he entered, his mood not improved by the jingling seasonal music trickling from the speakers inside. Balling his hands into fists, he forced himself not to rip them from their sockets and kept calm.

Lifestream, I'll need to be damn calm for later…

The lift arrived mercifully soon afterwards and he escaped gratefully from the oppressively cheery box into the smaller corridor of the SOLDIER First-Class floor. As he shook his head, ridding it of the last chimes of the song, a figure appeared from a door further up the passageway, saw him, and approached.

"Seph!" a voice called cheerily. Sephiroth started a little and looked around, then noticed Genesis making his way towards him, festooned with twinkling baubles and tinsel. The silver-haired SOLDIER's heart beat a little faster at the sight of his lover, and a small smile crept over his lips.

"What on Gaia do you think you look like, Gen?" he asked teasingly as he drew the other into his arms momentarily, planting a light kiss on his lips. Genesis grinned and draped a string of tinsel around Sephiroth's neck, drawing him backwards to the nearest wall.

"What do you think I look like?" the redhead replied with another grin, not giving Sephiroth time to reply before covering his lips with his own. After letting Genesis have his way for a nice while, Sephiroth gently pushed him off and straightened his clothes as Genesis did the same, a wry smile creeping onto his face.

"So you're going to get ready now?" the redhead asked mischievously, trailing a strand of tinsel around his own neck and twirling it in Sephiroth's direction. The silver-haired SOLDIER batted it aside as he pushed off from the wall.

"I suppose I'd better," he said, resigning himself to his fate.

Why Genesis insisted on them appearing at the annual ShinRa Christmas party, he would never be able to fathom. The event was a complete waste of time and effort; though there were many attendants, there was always a lot of pressure on the First-Classes to set an example to the lower SOLDIERs of how to "have fun responsibly".

Though this year Sephiroth had a feeling Genesis would ignore that particular warning.

It didn't look right. The collar was fine; similar to his normal leather coat, the black material swept up and then down his neck in a flowing wave, the white of his shirt contrasting like snow on ebony.

The shirt, that was all right too; white silk that fitted his lean frame neatly, the black jacket was precisely buttoned over it, forming a perfect diamond of glowing white on his chest.

Yes everything, elementally, was fine; it just didn't look right somehow. Squinting at his reflection in the full-length mirror, Sephiroth tried to work out what was wrong, gave up, and shrugged. Maybe he just wasn't used to the image of himself in a suit, so infrequently did he wear them.

Hmph.

There was a knock on the door.

"Are you ready yet?" Genesis' voice was impatient and tinged with excitement. "Hurry up or they'll start without us!"

"And what a shame that would be," Sephiroth muttered to himself, turning away from the mirror as he made his way to the door.

"I heard that," rang out the voice from behind the door, and Sephiroth opened it to see Genesis sticking his tongue out mock-angrily. Affecting an offended expression, he folded his arms and leaned against the side of the door frame.

"Anyone would think you didn't want to go!" he exclaimed, earning a sardonic smile from Sephiroth as he nudged his way past. Genesis grinned and hooked his arm through Sephiroth's casually.

"I'll be there," he said reassuringly. Sephiroth snorted.

"That's what I'm worried about," he replied with a sideways look at the redhead. "Why do we have to go to this ridiculous event anyway? It's a waste of time… we could so easily be doing other things…"

Genesis elbowed him and pulled them faster along the corridor. "Fine, I'll make it up to you afterwards," he said impatiently. "But for now, let's hurry up! We'll miss the drink…"

Sephiroth obeyed at the promise of alcohol. "I'm going to need it…"

Well, this isn't that bad really…

Sephiroth surveyed the room from his supine position on a sofa at the side of the room, eyes narrowed against the flashing decorative lights, a large empty glass cradled in one hand.

Angeal and Lazard had long since retired to find themselves a cosy niche to spend the night in; that Second-Class with the black hair – Zack, wasn't his name? – was busy with a blond infantryman in the corner, and everyone else was either busy themselves or insensible with drink.

The night had passed oddly swiftly, flying in a blur of vague conversations, dodging clumps of staring ShinRa employees and finally coming to rest in this delightful seat, cunningly stolen from a blushing female secretary who seemed disappointed that Sephiroth had wanted nothing more with her than to steal her spot in the crowded room.

Too bad for her; this is my spot now.

He vaguely wondered where Genesis had disappeared to and a thought of what he would do if the redhead had found someone more obliging to spend the night with crossed his mind, and a vague plan of getting up to look for him began to formulate in his hazy mind. If he's gone and…

But the thought was never completed as a hand covered his eyes from behind and a mouth covered his momentarily, with a whisper of:

"Guess who?"

As the taste of Genesis filled his mouth along with the sweetness of alcohol, Sephiroth smiled to himself and, reaching up pulled Genesis over the back of the sofa and into his lap.

"I do wonder," he murmured back, kissing Genesis again. The redhead grinned and motioned with his eyes upwards; Sephiroth followed his gaze to the cheerful sprig of mistletoe glistening in Genesis' other hand.

The redhead smirked. "See, can't you feel the Christmas spirit… rising in you?"

Sephiroth plucked the offending plant from Genesis' fingers and flicked it away. "You know as well as I that you don't need plants to make me do this…" He kissed Genesis again, long and deep, their surroundings forgotten in the moment. When he pulled away, Genesis followed him but met only a restraining finger on his lips.

"You said you'd make it up to me," Sephiroth reminded him, eyes predator-like. "So you will…back at your place, I think." He smirked and stood, lifting a protesting Genesis over his shoulder in a fireman's lift, barely staggering under the weight.

"What do you think you're doing Seph?!" Genesis complained, weakly batting Sephiroth's back with his fists.

A token resistance.

"Why, I'm going to have my own Christmas party," he smirked, making his way swiftly towards their rooms. "And guess what? You're invited…"

[MERRY XMAS ALL hohoho and all that jazz :D]