Bleeeehhh, hate being grounded!!
When Sephiroth heard that Cloud was actually going on the mission he was a bit surprised. He didn't actually believe Zack was actually going to do it.
"Now, what did I tell you guys about going out in Miss Merewether's garden?" Sephiroth asked the youths in front of him. He had just finished redoing Sarah's braid.
"Well, I just wanted a flower," the girl turned to look at him innocently. "She didn't have to go and grab me by my hair and drag me from there. My but really hurts," she said rubbing her behind.
"Now listen Sarah, all of you actually, that lady is very old and mean. So please stay away, sooner or later she is going o have a heart attack and die. So give the poor woman space, don't worry, she will be gone before you know it, and you can have all the flowers you want," He assured them.
"Yes Mister Sephiroth," they said in unison.
"But why not just make her die sooner," one boy dared to say. 'Oh he had to open his mouth'
"What did I tell you about speaking like that," Sephiroth pointed at him.
"It's true."
"I am going to wash your mouth with soap, do you hear me Mathew," he said actually holding the bar of soap that was always placed on the desk to intimidate the children. It actually worked well…sometimes.
"Man you just hate me," he said crossing his arms, looking to them side.
Sephiroth could not understand the boy. "Oh, do not go there with me young man," he held his hand up to prevent him from saying anything more. He couldn't stand it when the boy said that to him. He could never hate the kids.
These kids were second graders. When Zack had proposed the job to him, he was going to refuse it. He then realized the benefits of it. He remembered taking this job, to deal with avoiding stress. He was getting good at it too. He was beginning to learn that nothing is solved with cursing, or beating up somebody. He couldn't even hit the kids; he could lose points like that.
But what he actually liked about it was that these kids weren't being taught about war, or weapons, or anything violent. He realized it was better like this. He didn't even think they knew a thing about mako, only its name. They were actually being taught real math, real history, and not only Shinra or Midgar history, but of the whole continent.
It was also quite convenient for him because the classes were held in the Shinra building. The classes were only three hours and four days a week in the afternoons. And boy, did he do a good job. He didn't even need to wear his standard uniform. The kids loved him and he loved them, that was all there was to it.
"Hey mister, you do seem kind of excited today though," one of the students said.
"I guess I am," he smiled. He was wondering if Zack were to talk to the boy. The day he first bumped into him was kind of awkward. Then the two weeks after, he had not spoken to him, only looked out of the window spotting the boy, training with his partner. 'He is so beau-,'
Before he could finish his thoughts, his eyes had widened when a bunch of crayons were thrown his way, missing him by an inch, crashing on the wall behind him.
"Who the fuck threw that??"
Cloud was surprised he was being sent on a mission. 'Are they allowed to do that? Isn't it a bit too soon?' He was being sent along with another grunt, a Turk, and a SOLDIER first class. He was a bit surprised a Turk was going. 'Its must be important', he thought.
The place they were going to was Modeoheim. He had heard of it. It snowed there a lot, kind of like the Nibelheim Mountains. He thought it wouldn't be that bad.
Though it was an unfortunate landing due to an idiot, wanting to learn how to fly a helicopter. They had crashed. And his eyes widened when he saw who it was that had crashed their ride. It was the boy from the train. He had seen him on his first day.
They walked up the snowy mountain and Cloud felt pretty good. The walk made him think of those times in Nibelheim.
"At least someone's keeping up," the boy snapped Cloud out of his daydreaming.
"Well, im a country boy too," Cloud replied at the man beside him.
"From where," Zack asked interested.
"Nibelheim," Cloud said and felt taken a back as he heard the older man laugh at him. "How about you?"
"Me? Gongaga," Cloud chuckled a little. 'What kind of name is that' he thought. "Hey what's so funny about that? You know Gongaga?"
"No but its such a back water name," Cloud told him.
"Ditto Nibelheim," Zack shot back turning round to keep walking.
"Like you've been there," Cloud felt a bit irritated.
"I haven't, but there's a reactor there, right?" Cloud stopped in is tracks and nodded, thinking about it. How he hated it.
"A mako reactor outside Midgar usually means…," Zack began, Cloud was going to finish thee sentence and they both ended up saying it at the same time, "nothing else out there".
Cloud and Zack looked at each other for a few seconds before they both burst out laughing. Zack looked down the mountain for Tseng.
"Good news Tseng! Me and …," he turned to look at Cloud questioningly. Cloud smiled and took off his helmet.
"Cloud," he told him.
Zack smiled back, "With me and Cloud, there's nothing to be scared of at all!!"
"Sure, ill leave it to you two," Tseng said as he saw the both of them turn and kept on up the mountain.
The whole deal of the mission was to sneak into Modeoheim. There was talk of a man named Hollander there, who had stolen some type of weapon. It was going well at first until Cloud was attacked by a man he didn't get a good look at. Though he swore he a saw a feathery wing come out of the man's back. After that he didn't remember much except Zack waking him up. Tseng had gotten hurt too. Then after a few hours they made I back to a helicopter that was waiting for them to take them back to Midgar.
He saw Zack walk up to them, though he looked really gloomy and sad. But he also noticed the new sword he had strapped to his back. It was huge. He sat with him at the back of the helicopter.
"Are you alright Zack," he asked him worriedly. Zack looked at him with a solemn face. It then returned to his usual cheerful one. "Yeah, don't worry baby, im fine."
Cloud tilted his head to the side, "Baby?" he repeated.
Zack chuckled, "Sorry, its just you remind me of someone," he told Cloud as he pet is hand; he picked it up and brought it to his lips, kissing it softly.
Cloud smiled sweetly at him, "Okay Zack," he told him. 'Boy people from Shinra sure are weird', he thought.
The trip back to Midgar was nice. He talked to Zack a bit and felt like he could trust him. Zack talked about his girlfriend Aerith and thought she sounded like a nice girl. He even told Zack about Tifa and how he thought she had a crush on him. Though Cloud wasn't much interested in her. Cloud thought silently about Tifa. She was very adventurous and he blushed, thinking about that time they had snuck in the Shinra Mansion.
"Ill show you mine, if you show me yours," she whispered in his ear. No one really went to the mansion since it didn't actually belong to them, but it was always empty so it wasn't a problem of what they did or didn't do. Though Cloud had refused her 'proposal' and told her they were too young for that type of thing, it would also seem awkward. He thought of Tifa as a friend. Tifa understood and left him alone, a bit disappointed that Cloud refused, she had no choice but to walk back home.
They had finally made it back to Midgar. Zack grew quite find of Cloud, and thought he was the most adorable thing in the world. Well, second to Aerith of course.
"So what do you think about the General?" Zack just had to ask him.
Cloud stayed quiet for a moment. Zack expected the usual answer from every cadet. Wanting to be like him, him being their idol. Though was surprised by Clouds answer.
"He is a very strange man," Cloud began, "he is the kind of guy who I would hate to be stuck in a room with. Like I had this run-in with him on my second day in Shinra, I was gonna apologize and he just put his finger on my mouth. I swear to god, he a weirdo. I have a feeling I will be seeing more of him in the future. I saw him looking straight at me when I was training one time. His office is a like right next to the training field. Like I said he's weird," Cloud blew a bubble with his gum and it popped, Cloud putting it in his mouth again. He just kept nodding, thinking about what he said.
Zack had his mouth open a bit in surprise. 'Man, Sephiroth has got to hear this', Zack thought excitedly. He couldn't wait to go to the man and tell him what the blonde thought of him.
"Don't ell me your one of those fans that has a shrine of the guy Zack," Cloud stopped chewing his gum and looked up at Zack in disbelief.
"No man, no…I just like asking the newbie's about him. All of them have the same answer, it's just rare to find someone who thinks differently about him," Zack said waving his hands in front of the boy.
"Oh, I see," Cloud smiled up at him.
"But you know, he isn't such a bad guy," Zack told him, "and he's my friend, so I would know".
"Your friends with him?" Cloud asked.
"Yeah, I am a first you know," Zack reminded him. "I see the guy everyday".
"That's nice, I bet now going to tell him all about what I said, aren't you," Cloud laughed a bit.
"Maybe," Zack teased.
He was almost out of breath running up to the Generals office. He had said goodbye to Cloud, and waited till the boy left to his dorm. When he was out of sight he sprinted towards the Generals office. He had taken the stairs and halfway there he almost killed himself, wondering why he didn't take the second elevator.
He finally made it, saying hello to Lissele, and opening Sephiroth's office door and he tripped on his own shoelace landing face first one the tile floor.
"Way to make an entry Zack," Sephiroth didn't even look up; he just kept on with his paper work.
"Ow…," Zack rubbed his head, feeling a bump forming.
"So how was the mission," Sephiroth asked.
"Zack looked down,"Not so well".
"I heard what happened, im sorry about Angeal, Zack," he told him, not wanting to look at the boy, it was obvious he was frowning, "though I see he left you a momento", he told him spotting the sword.
"Naw, its okay," Zack said scratching his head. He had to change the subject.
Zack wiggled his brows, his eyes in turned to slits, as he daringly sat on the Generals desk leaning over to him. He was chewing his gum loudly.
"Where the hell did you get that," Sephiroth asked him.
"Who else but from little Cloud," he winked at him.
Sephiroth now put his pen down and folded his hands. "So you actually talked to him," Sephiroth was now interested.
"Yup"
"How is he?"
"Man he is so cute and adorable," Zack smiled at the older man, "I just wanted to eat him up, I kissed his hand to see how he would react to that, he just gave me this smile that made my legs turn to jelly," he told him, remembering that moment.
"You kissed his hand," Sephiroth asked his eyes widening a bit.
"What's wrong with that, its no big deal? Though I don't think he goes the other way. Something about him just told me that, or maybe im not sure, he just looked neutral, like he wasn't interested in that kind of thing," Zack told him, already expecting Sephiroth's reaction.
"Oh, I see," Sephiroth looked down
"Don't lose hope now, Seph," Zack said, "I mean give him time, just don't act weird around him," Zack chuckled.
"What do you mean weird?" Sephiroth asked him.
"Well, Cloud told me he thought you were a strange person, when I asked him what he thought of you," Zack explained, "he said he would hate to be stuck in the same room as you. He also told me about the little run in you had with him," Zack chuckled.
"He thinks im strange, and he told you about that time, I bumped into him…great," Sephiroth said looking down once more, "I will never be able to look at his face again."
"Hey man listen, don't get down yet, I have a plan," Zack smirked at Sephiroth.
What plan could Zack be thinking of, find out in the next chapter. Muahahaha….
