Sephiroth wanted to be angry. He really, truly did want to be angry at Zack. If anybody else had done what Zack had done, Sephiroth had no doubt that he would be able to develop a full and glorious rage with very little effort. Zack, however, had this almost magical ability to smile in such a way that made it much harder to get angry, and impossible to stay that way. What had Angeal's puppy done to entice such a response? Searched through Sephiroth's personal files and discovered his birthday, and right now in his office was a very large box wrapped up in bright pink paper with an orange bow.
And thrown all of his very important paperwork into the waste bin "in honour of the occasion".
"So are you going to open your present?" Zack asked, eagerly, his mako blue eyes shining with barely disguised eagerness.
Sephiroth sighed and reached forward to tug loose the bow. The ribbon untied, the sides of the box fell open, revealing a small, blonde cadet with eyes that reminded the general of the ocean off of the Wutai coast.
The poor cadet was wearing another ribbon, even larger than the first orange one, and deep red. It was around the boy's waist and the only thing he was wearing.
"Happy Birthday, my friends," Zack exclaimed happily.
"Zackary," Sephiroth growled in warning. He'd better get an explanation, and fast.
"See Seph, it's Cloud's eighteenth birthday today, and he's wanted to meet you for a while, and he's a friend of mine, so I figured that for his birthday, he'd get to meet you. Now, it's your birthday today too, and while I know you aren't into casual relationships, I also know you need a good lay. Like I say, Cloud is my friend. You are also my friend. As an almost unbiased third party, I'm advising you to get together," Zack explained with a smile.
Sidling towards the door, he added over his shoulder "I've told your secretary that you'll be taking today off Seph, and I made up a mission so that Cloud would not be required at training today, so don't sweat it and have some fun."
Sephiroth wanted to be angry at his second in command. He really did, but the blonde – Cloud, Zack had called him – was blushing, and in the face of such an adorable blush, it was difficult to maintain anger at the now absent puppy.
"It's good to meet you Cloud," Sephiroth said, as gently as he could. "Though I think Zackary could have arranged this better."
"Yes, General," agreed Cloud quietly, his blush deepening so that it almost matched the bow that covered him, which he tugged at a little to cover him better.
Sephiroth smiled. "Nevertheless, he argues a very good case," he almost whispered, moving closer to the younger man and leaning down so that he was breathing in his ear. One leather-covered hand tugged at the red velvet ribbon, the other sliding around the pale waist gently, pulling Cloud closer.
"Yes, General," Cloud answered, his breath now coming shorter.
"You may call me Sephiroth, Cloud," the general murmured into the blonde's neck as he nibbled there, leaving faint teeth marks that would disappear shortly, only to be replaced by even more.
Cloud let out a shaky breath, almost a sigh except for the hitch that came when Sephiroth laved at his earlobe.
"I think we should lie down for this, don't you Cloud?" Sephiroth suggested, moving back slightly to indicate the couch he had behind the door.
Mutely, knees shaking as he went, Cloud stumbled over to the couch, collapsing onto it when he reached it. At a touch to his hip, he breathed out a single word, the only thing that was certain in his suddenly addled mind, the name of the one who, with such light touches, had burned away any semblance of coherent thought.
"Sephiroth..."