Title: Soldier's first meeting
Author: Enide Dear
Rating: cute
Pairing: Soldier 4-some…
A/N: I didn't dare go all the way to General Fluffy, but...
**
Introducing new, promising First Class Recruits to ShinRa's famous war hero was always a risky business. Angeal and Genesis were both very impressive figures, talented, strong, handsome – but they were in essence human. There were something about Sephiroth that just weren't and people reacted very differently to this, even those hand-picked as possible new candidates for First Class. Most went absolutely jelly-legged with nervousness when those inhuman eyes fixed on them, some had been known to lose bladder control and a few, very few, had on some far-forgotten and very ill-conceived instinct attack the General.
On the whole, Sephiroth preferred the last category which was at least not so damn embarrassing and didn't leave stains on his carpet. At least not since he started to take care throwing them out the window instead of impaling them on Masamune, of course.
So he was a bit on edge, and a bit resigned as well, when Angeal told him he'd come over with his latest catch. At least it was Angeal's find, which probably meant he'd been chosen due to having some talents in fighting, tactics and spirit and not just having a fine ass, a pretty face and a completely empty head the way Genesis picked them.
Probably.
Of course, with Angeal's brood there was a significantly higher risk of being attacked, but you couldn't get everything in life, apparently.
He sighed and got up as Angeal knocked and stepped into his office, barely paying attention to the wild haired thing bouncing around the other First Class Soldier. He couldn't really be bothered with learning names until he knew they were someone who was likely to stay around for more than a few weeks until in particularly Genesis got bored with them and kicked them out of bed.
"Sephiroth, this is Zackary Fair." Angeal nodded at his prodigy, who, Sephiroth had to notice, did share at least two of Genesis favorite features. The empty head remained to be seen. "Also known as the Puppy."
"Nice to meet you," he said, reaching out his hand to shake the boys, hoping to be able to push him two steps back should he start soiling the carpet. It was Angeal's puppy; he could deal with the stains.
The most amazing violet eyes he'd ever seen shone up at Sephiroth as the boy took his hand in a surprisingly firm grip. Sephiroth almost blinked in surprise as the boy's undeterred grin grew wider when he saw the vertically slitted pupils.
"Aw, you look just like a kitty-kitty!" He smiled.
Sephiroth's jaw didn't drop. It never did. That was just a strange shadow playing tricks on the surveillance camera, no matter what the Turks' said.
Angeal gave a sound that might have been a cough or a laugh or simply a squawk as he lounged for his Puppy before Sephiroth threw him out the window, but Sephiroth neatly body tackled the other First Class Soldier aside. Angeal went flying over the carpet.
"Kitty-kitty?" He said mildly.
"I promise never to call you that in public if you keep the Puppy-thing under lid." Zack still grinned cheekily and despite himself, Sephiroth felt a funny, bubbling inside.
"What about him?" He inclined his head at Angeal who was picking himself up from the carpet with a look somewhere between horror and shock.
"Well," Zack frowned. "I haven't figured out a good nick-name for him yet. I was thinking of Pooches. Something dog-like, anyway."
Sephiroth couldn't help it; he burst out laughing for perhaps the first time in his life. Zack grinned. Angeal stared.
"You know, Puppy, I think this will be the beginning of a wonderful friendship." He managed.
"I hope so, General Kitty."