Lab Angel: When I come home from work, I'm always reminded that I'm home, simply because of the sounds and smells of the house I live in. It's amazing what that thought can do to you if you've had a particularly bad day, a couple of days ago was one such day for me, I was near crying when I got home but the smell of dinner cooking on the oven and the sound of my nieces and nephews laughing, fighting and arguing for some reason made me smile.
This is a Sephiroth/Cloud fic, just a light fluffy AU, where Sephiroth has had a horrible day and comes home to see that Home is more than a place we live. Written from Sephiroth's POV, the characters are going to be sooo OOC.
Disclaimer: I own nothing I just use them when I see fit and here I saw fit.
Home
The Shinra Electric Company has been running me ragged for the last few months, there's been talk of the company going under, President Shinra has no way of keeping the company from going under. He is an old mad with old ideals, there has been much talk of him letting his son take over the company, Rufus Shinra could possibly bring us into a new century, help us keep the company alive. That's the hope the others had when they went on strike, what hadn't been expected was that old man Shinra would fire every employee that had gone on strike. The effect of such an action had been instantaneous, those of us that had been working doubles were suddenly working triple shifts, sometimes not being able to go home until the late hours of the morning. Such a schedule has been my burden for four months now, it has been hard on myself, my mate and our brothers and sisters.
Now I sit at my desk looking over reports, inquiries, and other such documents that have been sent to the department. I had gone through stack after stack for the last several hours, yet it doesn't seem to have depleted in the least, I sigh as another stack is placed at the corner of my desk. I look up at Kunsel who shakes his head apologetically, another sigh escapes and I give a forgiving smile.
"Kunsel, go home, you have a wife that's due any day now don't you?" I ask rubbing the bridge of my nose looking up at the man from where I sat.
"Yes, sir I do, I'm worried that she's not getting enough sleep and that she waits up for me to come home, even if it's the late hours of the night." He explains with shame.
"Go home, if I need anything I'll get it myself. You go home to that wife of yours, take the next few days off and spend them with her." I say nodding when he gives me a questioning stare.
"Thank you sir, I still have something's I need to finish but I'll go home right after." I nod as he turns and leaves my office, another hour goes by if the clock on the book shelf along the wall is any indicator, the intercom on my desk goes off and I answer the phone.
"Sephiroth, head of Customer Relations, what can I do for this evening?" I say automatically.
"Heya Seph, 'Geal wanted to call and make sure you weren't wasting away, he would never admit but that's why he's got me." I smile at the voice on the other end of the line. "So you still alive? I need to tell 'Geal and Gen something, they tend to worry about you without noticing." The voice hesitated a moment. "Cloud's been worried too, he's got it in his head that you don't even come home. Can't blame the kid, you come home after he's gone to sleep and leave before he wakes up, Seph we're all worried about you." I smile again at the strain I hear in the usually excited voice.
"I'm okay Zack, if I can get this stack of papers done I should be home before you all go to sleep." I smile again when I hear the message relayed to whoever is on his side. "Hoping before dinner, but that might be pushing it." I sigh again as I look at the twenty plus sheets of paper that Kunsel had dropped off before he left. "I won't promise that though, I will promise to be home before you all go to sleep." I hear a rustle on the other end of the line meaning the phone is exchanging hands.
"Love?" I give a small sigh at the sound of my lover's voice.
"Hey Cloud, how you doing?" I ask just wanting him to talk and not stop.
"I would be better if I saw you every now and then." He jokes, but there's a slight quiver in his voice.
"I'm sorry babe, I promise once they get every thing settled again I'll take a vacation and we can go to Costa Del Sol, or somewhere else."
"Yea, I would like that, anything to spend more time with you. I want you home Sephiroth, I don't like that I never see you, that you're never home..."
"I know love, I hate not being home." Rubbing the bridge of my nose again, a thud loud enough I had to pull the phone away from my ear sounded.
"Sorry, I'm making dinner now, dropped the phone."
"What's for dinner?" I ask, wondering what could make Cloud drop the phone when we've spoken hundreds of times while he was cooking, I grab the stack of papers wanting to be done with it.
"One of your favorites, mashed potatoes and roast beef. Aside from that I'm also trying to get dessert done, just a simple yellow cake with chocolate icing." He sounds happy, Cloud always was happiest in the kitchens. "Should I put a slice of cake away with your dinner?" He asks, pulling me from my concentration on the document in front of me.
"I would love that." I smile and turn my attention back to the slip of paper.
"You're looking at a report right now aren't you?"
"Yea, I want to get this done and get home to just hold you."
"It feels like it's been so long since you held me."
"Just keep talking Cloud, it'll help the time pass for me."
"Denzel got into a fight at school, he was defending Marlene, apparently there has been a problem with bullies and they're only now telling Gen about it." I continued to focus on the report while listening to Cloud talk about small things that had great importance to him.
"I'm on the last report, thanks love, I'll be home soon." I say before I hang up the phone, Cloud knows I'm not one to say good bye. Just as I finished tidying up my desk for morning the doors burst open to Reno walking in at a brisk pace. "What's going on Reno?" I ask fearing the worst.
"The heads of the departments are to report to President Shinra immediately, a meeting is to take place once everyone is there."
"Reno." I growl at the man, he turned tail and ran, with a sigh I headed up to the board room. When I arrived I knew immediately that this meeting was going to be hours long, growling again I take up my usual seat at the end of the table closest to the door. The meeting started and I couldn't give a damn about what was being said, it wasn't until Rufus Shinra stepped forward that I realized the old man was stepping aside and letting his son take over the company. He went around and shook everyones hands, then told us we were free to leave and take the weekend off, there was some shouting and I just stood and left. Arriving home I see that the lights are still on, walking past the living room window I see that they are all still sitting at the dinner table, laughing and talking.
I look at my watch and see that only twenty minutes had passed between when I hung up the phone with Cloud to when I left the building. Still in slight shock I walk in the door, where everyone stops and looks at me. Denzel and Marlene from where they sat on the floor doing a puzzle, arguing which piece goes where; Cloud, Zack, Angeal and Gensis looking up from the table where they were drinking what smelt like tea, the smells of roast and cake still hung thick in the air and I smile. Waving Cloud over to me I take him into a hug, holding him tight enough to bruise, it isn't until I feel a hand on my shoulder that I release my mate.
"You're home early." Gensis stood beside Angeal, who had clasped my shoulder.
"What happened?" Angeal asked, arm around Zack where it usually is.
"Rufus Shinra took over the company, told us to go home and take the weekend off." I say smiling at my brothers.
"Sephiroth? You're home already?" I look up at my sisters, who had just come from down the hall.
"Yea... I'm home."
Lab Angel: I know it was too short, it was a little too corny, but I still liked it. Well, please review and let me know what you think of this little... I don't know what to call it.
