Title: Sephiroth's Mistress

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud

Rating: T?

Warnings: Yaoi, humor

Disclaimer: Characters and settings belong to Square Enix.

Author's note: Heh. I said "a dash of Zack" but it's obvious now that it wasn't exactly a "dash" per se. -shrugs- Oh well.

Part Nine:

OoOoO

Zack was one of those people who loved to sleep in late. Having the chance to be all snuggled down in a mound of blankets after an amazingly difficult mission was something that the SOLDIER First looked forward to beyond many other pleasures. So it was a strange thing to find the single bed across from a certain sleeping blonde empty.

Running a hand through his dark locks, Zack stood yawning ready to leave the dorm room. He paused only a moment to glance back at the half dozen youths still deeply asleep, before leaving with a smirk.

He'd planned on doing this as soon as he had heard the news. It wasn't as if it wouldn't be expected of him. How could Zack of all people resist? They were foolish if they even wishfully thought that he would do that. Letting out a chuckle in the deserted corridor, Zack allowed a full-blown grin spread across his face as he went over what he had hastily planned.

It had been quite the shock (even more so than Zack's early rising) to the SOLDIER First to come back from a regular patrol and monster control mission and hear such rumors. People all over the Shinra compound were whispering about it. The news was like wildfire in its spread from person to person. What with the man involved, it was little wonder.

Who could blame them when Sephiroth was seen with a woman? Even Zack couldn't hold it against all of those nasty gossipers. Still, he also couldn't help the small feeling of hurt that Seph hadn't mentioned anything about any sort of romantic interest, much less a woman that he'd take out shopping. That was when he had decided, during his hasty unpacking, that he would find out more about this woman of Sephiroth's.

So it was with quick wit and a rather devilish streak that Zack made his plan. Rising early was merely Phase One.

OoOoO

By nature, Sephiroth could always be found rather early prepared for the entire day he had before him. But after his day spent wholly on shopping and with an amazingly energetic blonde, it came as no surprise that he wasn't up at his usual Gaea forbidden hour. It was the sole reason that his quarters were able to be intruded upon. Any other time, there wasn't a chance for any uninvited individual to sneak in.

His intruder smiled a Cheshire Cat's (1) grin as he slipped in unnoticed and crept around the large bed on the softest of steps. He knew better than most what the consequences for what he was doing would be—if he were caught that is. Okay, so in the end he did mean to get caught, but at least not in the act of what he was currently doing. The smile widened ever so slightly as he spied in the shadows a group of shopping bags. Time to see what this woman of yours is into wearing, Sephy-poo. The intruder almost laughed aloud at his own thought before reaching towards the pile.

It was then that he noticed a dark something stuffed inconspicuously under the bed. He gave a quick glance at the bed's sleeping occupant. Then the interloper grabbed the item without further thought.

It's…it's a…NIGHTIE!?! With a tumbling motion the trespasser toppled forward.

And that was how Sephiroth awoke that morning.

OoOoO

"So explain to me one more time what you were doing this morning, Zack?" Deft fingers pinched the bridge of his nose as a headache began at his temples.

"Well," Zack paused, rubbing the back of his neck, "I don't suppose you'd just take lookin' around, huh?"

Sephiroth gave the SOLDIER a very pointed look before the spiky dark haired man continued.

"Truthfully, I was snooping, okay? I just wanted to see what this girl of yours was like. I figured your room would be a great place to start. Never thought I'd find nighties lying around, but what can I say."

"Zack…"

"You don't have to tell me. I've already learned my lesson as far as prying goes—"

"You'll have to promise." Sephiroth spoke in a bare whisper.

"Promise?"

"To not tell anyone what you're about to hear."

Zack quirked an eyebrow in question but, without a moment's delay said, "Of course I promise."

OoOoO

Cloud had dressed in his off-duty clothes rising well after the other cadets in his unit seeing as how his "President assigned mission" warranted his break from classes and training. He'd risen with the thought of seeing Sephiroth and maybe having a late breakfast with him. A slight blush had dusted his cheeks at the somewhat bold thought.

Still he figured that asking couldn't really hurt much. They'd have to endure one another's presence a lot more that just breakfast when they left in a few days for Wutai, at least that's what he kept telling himself as he found himself standing before the door of Shinra's general.

Taking deep, steadying breaths, Cloud raised his hand to knock, when the door whipped open. Zack's grinning face took in Cloud's rather startled one. Blue eyes blinked a few times as the surprise wore off and the blonde cadet found himself returning Zack's smile with a smaller one of his own.

"Hiya, Cloud. Looks like you slept well," Zack said as he ushered the slight cadet in. "You have no idea what Sephiroth, here, and I have been talking about all morning."

From the chair across the room, Cloud glimpsed a slightly guilty and possibly embarrassed looking Sephiroth as Zack continued to ramble on about having gotten up early to have a good little chat with his friend. The silver haired man seemed uneasy about something or another and Cloud wondered at what that something was. As far as he knew, everything concerning their plan to visit Wutai was going fine. Turning back to the dark haired SOLDIER First, Cloud decided to ask about it later.

"..and you see that's when he told me," Zack finished with that same large grin covering his face from ear to ear.

"Told you? Told you what?" Cloud asked, his brows crinkled (cutely if you asked Sephiroth) in confusion.

Zack gave an indulgent look, knowing that he hadn't been listened to. "Sephiroth told me about you being his fiancé for his trip to Wutai."

The two members of SOLDIER watched as this sunk in and the meaning behind it finally was realized. Cloud's pale cheeks flamed dark pink, his embarrassment at having been found out causing Zack to poorly stifle a laugh.

"And?" Cloud managed to ask in a valiant attempt at a whisper.

Giving a quick shrug, Zack said with far too much peppiness than Cloud thought necessary, "I was just telling him that he and his fiancé are going to have to show off being all lovey-dovey to be believable. And that would mean that you two would have to start making out and getting caught at it."

Cloud missed the almost Scarlet-like evil look in Zack's eyes. Sephiroth barely caught Cloud before he hit the ground and darkness consumed the little blonde's sight.

OoOoO

(1) The Cheshire Cat: Ya know? From "Alice in Wonderland"?

Author's ending note: I just wanted to have a bit more Zack too. Then I thought, "Hey, it'd be funny if Zack were in on the whole thing and put forth a few ideas." That's how this chapter came to be.

Next chapter: I'm such a tease, I know. But at least I'm thinking there might be the beginnings of a make out session in the next chapter. Right?