I was off in my own world, locked up in my memories again. Probably not the best idea when walking down an alley alone at night but that's what I was doing.

It honestly seemed like an ok alley. Nice and clean and empty. I was wrong.

About halfway through someone came up behind me, jerking my hands behind my back, pressing a cold knife against my throat. "I want your gill, any electronics and jewlery." the voice was male, I kinda guessed that before they spoke though.

"All I have is gill, and very little of it." I tried not to move.

He shoved me to the ground, trailing the knife down my arm as I fell.

I clutched my arm, feeling the blood trickle down my arm and through my fingers. Standing was impossible, I was loosing blood too quickly through the long gash. Things were starting to go dark, and I welcomed it. I almost passed out, but then a kick to the ribs woke me back up. I doubled over on the ground, coughing up blood.

All I could do was lay there as the man beat the shit out of me. I figured the whole thing would end with my death. The darkness took me before then, freeing me of the pain.

I woke in the air. I was moving fast but I couldn't see anything. My eyes were swollen shut. "Let me...let me go." I struggled feebly.

"Relax Cloud. You need to save your strength."

I knew that voice. It had tortured me for years. "S..Sephiroth? How did you...?"

"I was out walking. Now hush."

I passed out shortly after.

When I woke up again I was in a dimly lit room. Thankfully the swelling had gone from my eyes and I could see, though the dim lighting didn't help any. I tried to remember what had happened but my memory was fuzzy. I did remember flying with..."Sephiroth?"

I heard a shuffling in the corner. I looked that way but couldn't really see anything. "It's about time you woke. Can you sit up? I couldn't fix you up very well."

I pushed myself up, almost falling back down from the screaming from, well, everything.

My shirt was trashed, completely in shreds.I sat as still as I could as Sephiroth cleaned the wounds and bandaged them. "Nothings broken thankfully. You'll live but I want you to stay here tonight"

I went to get up, planning to go stay in Daj's room. Sephiroth pushed me back down gently. "I said stay here."

I looked at him in shock. "But...with you?"

"I want to make sure you really are ok. I think I took care of everything but I don't have medic training so I need to keep an eye on you."

"Well, ok I guess I can bunk on the couch." I went to go lay down over there.

Sephiroth set a hand on my shoulder, gently stopping me. "No way. We can't risk any additional injuries. Look, the bed is big enough for us both to fit without having to touch at all."

I looked away, shocked, nervous, and embaressed. We laid down, each of us on the opposite sides of the bed.

That night I dreamt that I was back in the alley with that guy. He was beating the shit out of me, but I was wide awake unlike what had happened. I was screaming, yelping, whimpering and crying. It wasn't a dream, it was my worst nightmare.

I woke up to Sephiroth holding me, trying to wake me up. "Cloud wake up. Come on, please wake up."

I rested my head on his shoulder, taking comfort from his closeness. He must have realized I was awake because he leaned away from me a bit. "You were yelping and whimpering in your sleep. Reliving the attack I'm guessing?"

I nodded, glad he hadn't moved away too much. "I should've been able to stop him. Vincent was right. I am weak."

"There was nothing you could have done Cloud. You aren't weak."

"You could have stopped him."

"I'm also about 2 feet taller than you, plus I'ved had official SOLDIER training. They wouldn't have standed a chance against me. You just have to work harder is all. I promise I'll work harder to make sure no one can ever hurt you again. That's my job." he smiled at me.

He was trying to make me laugh, and that alone made me smile. "Yeah I guess it is. Thanks."

"No problem."

"So...why were you out wandering around at that time of night?"

"Just thinking. Yazoo and Kadaj were just saying a bunch of stuff and I need to get away to think. That's all."

"Your brothers were picking on you?" I found it hard to believe.

"Not really. Just being annoying."

"What were they saying?"

"Just stupid crap, don't worry about it. You should go back to sleep, you need your rest." he pulled away and moved back to his side of the bed.

I laid back down, tweo thoughts running through my head.

I woke up the next morning to Sephiroth trying to slip out of the bed without waking me. "You don't have to be careful Sephiroth I'm already up."

He sighed and looked at me. "How are you feeling? Much pain?"

"Not too bad. Look, about last night..."

"That doesn't leave this room, got it?"

I nodded even though I was going to talk to Daj about it regardless.

I wouldn't let anyone touch me except Sephiroth. I even hugged him right in front of Daj. Daj drug me off shortly after.

"So you won't let me, your best friend, touch you, but you're all for letting Sephiroth, your frieking enemy?"

"Long story Daj. On my home last night, I was attacked. Sephiroth is the one who found me and fixed me up. He's the one who brought me here."

Daj looked shocked. "Where'd you sleep?"

"In his bed."

"Where'd he sleep?"

"In his bed."

"Kinky."

"Screw you." I glared at my friend.

"Sorry, couldn't resist." he laughed. "So what else happened last night?"

"Not much. We talked after he had to wake me up from a nightmare."

"What about?"

"Just stuff. What were you and Yazoo giving him crap about?"

"I don't know about Yazoo but I was saying that I think he likes you."

"I think he does too. When I woke up he was holding me. It was..."

"Nice?"

"I was going to say different but that works too."

"YOu two would be cute together."

"Shut up." I felt my face go red.

"You like him." Daj said it so matter- of-factly that I had to deny it.

"What? No."

"Do too."

"No way."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Y..yes."

"Reeaallyy?"

"Maybe. I don't know."

"Ha! I win!"

"Fuck off."

"Have you tried talking to him?"

"Not going to happen."

"Oh come on. Go for it."

"No."

"Fine." Daj looked slightly sad.

"Look can we just go train?"

"Depends. How bad are you?"

"Crap. Right. We can go see Zack instead."

Daj's face brightened instantly. "OH! Big news. Don't kill me k? Zack asked me out!"

"Nice. Can we go now? We can talk on the way." I drug Daj out of the house and down to Zacks.