The alarm must have gone off at least twenty-five times in the past four hours. Sephiroth still hadn't got out of bed. He had no motivation to. Eventually though the noise hurt his ears and he slammed the snooze button on the alarm clock, pushing his messy bangs from his face. He glanced at the time. 13:42. Another morning slept away. Not that he had the emotion to care.

Why did he continue to hold out? Was he still holding onto a snatch of hope? He pondered as he slipped into his clothes and sorted his appearance so he looked at least presentable, then left his apartment.

The streets of Sector 4 of Midgar were as dull and drab as they ever were in his mind. He kept his head bowed slightly to keep his gaze away from people. He found it too hard to look at anyone with emotions. At first he'd tried to put on a front, but he couldn't keep it up. Wandering aimlessly through the streets did little for him other than give him a chance to breathe in the smoggy air.

Meanwhile, Cloud was taking a walk himself. Tifa had told him to buy a few things from one of the shops in Sector 4. He hummed to himself as he walked, looking around for the shop he was after. As he walked, a brief flash of silver caught his eye. He felt drawn to it, but he shook his head and tried not to think about it.

Sephiroth looked up just as Cloud glanced across, and the moment their eyes met, though only brief, the former General felt as if something had exploded inside him. The colours of the world seemed to dazzle him. He felt the first stirrings of emotion. Real, genuine emotions. He felt alive. That blonde he'd caught the eye of... he had to be the one who had given him everything back. He pushed through a crowd of people to follow the blonde, as if his life depended on it.

Cloud was unaware that he was being followed and he headed into the shop to buy the things that Tifa had asked for, yet now he was distracted. Those eyes he'd met... those green cat-like eyes... he wanted to see them again. Wanted to see their owner. He paid for the groceries and left the shop, only to be pulled by a pair of strong arms towards a warm, hard, muscled chest. The blonde squeaked in his throat and dropped the bag of groceries, looking up. And there he saw those eyes he'd wanted to see again, though he couldn't explain why.

"I... uhh..." Cloud was lost for words, but in these arms he felt safe, though he barely knew the man holding him... or did he know more than he thought?

"You..." Sephiroth began, his voice a soft purr. The blonde was instantly captivated, wanting to hear that voice again. "You saved me."

Cloud blinked confused blue eyes. The two had only just met! How could he have saved him? "...I don't understand... how... did I save you?"

"I can't explain it all now... but in time I will." The silver-haired man tilted Cloud's chin up with a finger and kissed him firmly on the lips. Cloud should have probably backed off but he couldn't find the will to resist, nor did he want to. He melted into the kiss and his eyes slipped closed. It felt as if sparks were crackling between the two. Sephiroth slowly, albeit reluctantly, pulled away and released his hold on Cloud. "You look like you have something to do. You should go."

The blonde hesitated before picking up the bag of groceries. "Will I see you again?" The words came out before he could swallow them. He looked to where Sephiroth had been, and found he was already gone. Cloud shook his head and blinked. What had just happened? He walked back to 7th Heaven, though he found he was dragging his feet.

"You took a little longer than I thought. Was there trouble?" Tifa asked as Cloud entered the bar, handing the bag of groceries to her. It took him a moment to gather his thoughts. Could he tell her about that brief exchange? Though the two were childhood friends, she mightn't understand.

"Just... a queue." Cloud quickly headed upstairs to his room and flopped down on the bed, hugging his pillow in his arms. His thoughts were whirling. Too much at once. He thought about that brief moment where he'd been in Sephiroth's arms and thought about how he'd felt as if he'd been almost completely mended in that short time.

I know you're thinking about me. The voice was an alluring sound in Cloud's mind. He nearly jumped even though he recognised it. Sephiroth's voice in his mind... how was that possible?

"Are you... reading my mind?" Cloud gasped, clutching the pillow to his chest. He tried to close off his mind but he couldn't. Tears unconsciously formed in his eyes, almost as if part of him didn't want to shut Sephiroth out, but the man had invaded his privacy.

Our minds are connected now. You and I are as one... Again, the words didn't make much sense to Cloud, but he couldn't find it in his heart to doubt them. Why was he suddenly unable to set boundaries when Sephiroth contacted him? That man had flipped his world completely upside down and he didn't know how to turn it back upright.

"Why are you doing this to me? What's so special about me?"

You saved me. The same explanation Cloud had heard from Sephiroth's lips. It still confused him.

"From what though?" The blonde shouted the words, but he slumped down to the bed. He heard Tifa rushing into the room and checking on him. He ushered her out, not really wanting to explain to her. She reluctantly left and headed back downstairs.

From a bleak existence. An existence of no colour and no emotion. You gave it all back... I don't know how, but you did. Cloud felt his heart lurch. He'd saved Sephiroth from all that? Just by a brief exchange of glances? How was that even possible? Perhaps he'd have to find the answers later.

"I... gave you your life back?" Cloud's voice was quiet. He didn't want to bring Tifa back up here. He heard Sephiroth chuckle mentally in his mind, the sound causing little crackles of electricity to spark in his body.

You did. You gave me everything back, Cloud. I thought that I was doomed to live a cold existence forever. The blonde felt an odd stirring in his body as Sephiroth spoke his name in his mind. He then remembered back to his times when they were both working for the Shinra Electric Power Company... how he'd looked up to this man and aspired to be like him. And then he remembered the two had never ever made eye contact during that time. Reminiscing, are we?

Cloud was broken from his reverie and he blinked. "Just... yeah." He rubbed his spiky hair and sighed. "Will we... you know, see each other again...?" His voice drifted off as he started to fall asleep, weary from thought.

We will. Very soon...