"I feel ill. Go without me."

But that's the first time Adrian's been sick. He better be alright while I'm not there. I'll check on him after I'm done training and then I'll buy the food for this week. I wonder what he wants. Cloud was worried about Adrian. It was true; Adrian had the immune system to dream for. He had never been ill before. Hopefully it wasn't anything serious.

While Cloud made his way to the training room, Adrian lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. The kiss between the man he liked and his roommate just lingered in the room. He wasn't feeling ill physically but even the thought made Adrian cringe. Just when his eyes began to well, the time was almost twenty past ten which meant that the mail should have been delivered. Adrian slipped on some old slippers and left the room. It felt good to be rid of the atmosphere in there but it was cold in the hallway. He shuffled down to the post boxes and unlocked his; it contained a few letters. There was one from his brother in Costa del Sol, another from an ex-girlfriend and one from Shinra. He skimmed over the personal ones first. His brother was having a great time in the sun and was going to take another two month holiday there again at the end of this year. His ex, Cissnei, was bragging about dating a First Class SOLDIER. Apparently, they went to a big dinner together and she got to meet Sephiroth. That was something Adrian hadn't done but Cloud was probably going to if he continued being so close to Zack.

Adrian slammed the metal door to his post box and dropped the letters. "JUST STOP! OF COURSE NOTHING GOOD IS GOING TO HAPPEN IF I JUST SIT HERE ALL DAY!" he yelled, sweats forming on his forehead. He crouched down to pick up the letters and sat on the floor while he opened the one from Shinra. From it, he only paid attention to two details on the piece of paper.

Dispatch date: 22nd March

Location: Base 3, Wutai

All of the recent missions had been to Base 3 and only a couple of the people Adrian knew that were dispatched there had come back. "The 22nd? That's the week after next, right?" Adrian mumbled while his hands started to shake. He was nervous. He was only a trainee, why did he have to go?

A tall man with long silver hair entered the room; Adrian didn't notice, he just stayed there with his letters scattered on the floor. The stranger picked up the letter from Cissnei as he saw his name on it. After he gave a slight smile, he bent down near Adrian and asked "Is this yours?" Adrian jumped at the sound of the deep voice and turned around, grabbing the letter. He picked up the other two and stood up. "Why are you crying?" the man asked with a look of concern on his face.

"Just leave me alone! I never asked for your help!" Adrian screamed at the man and ran down the corridor. The pieces of paper were screwed up in Adrian's hand due to the force being applied to them. Wait. Was that...Sephiroth? It's too late to say sorry now. He probably doesn't care anyway. He reached the apartment and slammed the letters onto the bed. Adrian lay on top of them, hoping that somehow, they didn't exist.

Adrian didn't realise that he had been asleep until he looked at the clock: 3:10. But then he heard a strange noise. Zack was strolling down the hallway and stopped outside the door. He bent down and pushed an invitation under it, which made a scraping sound. Adrian stood up and walked to the door. He opened it but no one was outside so he picked up the paper and read it.

Cloud, you said that you'd come so here are the details. Sorry it's such late notice and that I can't pick you up but meet me by the fountain outside, okay? Sorry that our costumes are simple as well. Just suits and Kabuki masks! From Zack

Adrian opened up the invitation; it was for a masked costume party. "If Cloud doesn't see this, then he can't go. It's simple." Adrian stated to himself while walking out the door. He made his way swiftly down to the training rooms. Inside one were two Second Class SOLDIERS arguing about which materia each one was going to use but Adrian took this chance to take a 'Stop' materia. Luckily, he wasn't seen but Cloud was back by the time Adrian reached their room. "Hey..." he said to the blonde with his arms behind his back, hiding the materia.

"Hi Adrian. Are you okay now? Have you seen an invitation of some sort? I can't find it." Cloud replied, smiling. His mask was on the bed, along with his outfit which was a black suit. Before Cloud could stand up, Adrian used the materia. He put on Cloud's suit quickly and grabbed the mask.

"Yeah. I have seen it." Adrian turned his back on the frozen blonde male and left the room. Sorry Cloud.

As Adrian neared the building with fountains outside, he could see a figure in a Kabuki mask. "Cloud? Is that you?" Zack's voice asked. Adrian replied with a nod and followed him inside. It was warm and filled with people inside the big hall. The lights from the ceiling were glittering over the dance floor and tables.

I need to get him alone and then I can tell him.

Adrian grabbed Zack's hand and pulled him into the male toilets. It was only a single cubicle so they would be alone. "Hey, Cloud. If you wanted us to be alone, you could have just said. I wouldn't mind." Zack said with humour in his voice while he took his mask off. Adrian wasn't sure of what to do so he pushed Zack to the floor and used the materia. Zack's head was propped against the wall and Adrian was sat, leaning over him. He took off his mask and showed his face.

"Zack, I know you don't like me much but please give me a chance. I'm in love with you but for some absurd reason, you're with Cloud. Please, love me instead." Adrian pleaded but Zack didn't say anything in reply so the trainee moved his lips closer to his teacher's.

Sorry it took a week longer than expected but I was busier than expected. It'll probably be a while before I update again so I'll let you know now. There will only be one more chapter to this fan fiction so thank you for reading it!

-Ima :3