"Was it Sephiroth?"

Cloud glanced up from his book to find Zack perched on the footstool to his left, leaning forward eagerly awaiting his answer. The blonde frowned in confusion.

"Was what Sephiroth?"

Zack leaned forwards further, seriously beginning to encroach of his friends personal bubble "You know... your husband"

It took a few moments before the words registered. Then the storm hit.

"ARE YOU COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR MIND!?"

The raven haired SOLDIER tumbled off the footstool and onto the carpet, surprised by the violent reaction. From the look on the blondes face you'd think Zack had just asked him if he wanted a bucket of slugs for dinner. He hadn't thought it was that unreasonable a guess. In fact it made total sense!

1. Cloud and Seph knew each other well in the future. Of that Zack was sure, Cloud just seemed too familiar with the guy for it not to be true.

2. He refused to tell anyone who his husband was and seemed convinced that, that person would never love him as he was now, in his teenage body, which would make sense because he might understandably feel like the strongest of all the SOLDIER's would see a cadet as inferior.

3. Whatever relationship Cloud had with Seph he was very closed off about, like talking about it was upsetting for him. Once again very understandable if he thought they would never be together again.

4. On top of that, all the Intel Zack had gathered on the cadet when they first met had revealed he definitely had a crush on the General at one point. Granted that was the pre time travelling Cloud but it was enough to show he was at least attracted to the man.

It was totally fair to assume they had been married. Zack was sure of it. Picking himself up he went through his tick list again, even with the others reaction he couldn't see any flaw in his logic.

"I ... I just thought... you know cos you seem to know him pretty well and I know you liked him...the other cadets told me about how you used to crush on him big time ...and ... well he told me he likes you too ...so you know..."

At the reminder of his boyhood crush Cloud paled "That was the other me, the younger teenage me, I hadn't even met him, it was just a crush and not even a proper one it was just hero worship and ...wait what?" The blonde sucked in a gulp of air as his friends last statement finally registered.

Somewhere inside of him the teenage part of Clouds soul was doing back flips, only slightly offset by the adult part which was retching in horror.

Outwardly he just wound up looking dazed. "What do you mean he likes me?"

Zack had to fight to hold in his grin He knew it! Clearly the blonde wasn't ready to fess up yet but he had totally guessed right! aww but he thinks his love is out of reach now.

Time to restore his hope.

"Yeah, he really likes you. I mean you did come back in time and save him and his friends and well ... everyone. That's pretty amazing Cloud"

He ignored the younger mans mutter of 'not intentionally' and carried on "From the contact he's had with you so far he knows you're smart and fun and nice and of course I've told him all about how awesome you are... and you don't stare at him with that goofy obsessed way so many people do."

Cloud snorted at that, he'd gotten over his goofy obsessed phase with Sephiroth a long time ago, around about the time his hometown was burning down around him in fact.

"...plus his thinks you're really cute"

Clouds adult half was ready to throttle his teen half.

He thinks I'm cute!

SHUT UP! Shut up, shut up. This is Sephiroth! The monster who tried to ruin my life. Who tried to destroy everything I loved for no reason other than that I loved it.

No it isn't. His younger self reasoned. That Sephiroth doesn't exist here. He never will.

Because things have changed.

This is the original Sephiroth. The sane one. The hero.

My hero.

Fuck

Cloud found himself struck dumb by that realisation.

He had already know it of course.

Had known that the Sephiroth here was not the crazy lunatic he had fought for so long. But even with that knowledge he had never been able to reconcile the man he'd briefly encountered in this time with the Hero he had once worshiped as a boy.

He thinks I'm cute

This is just bizarre

For so long Sephiroth had been nothing but a hated enemy to him. A dead enemy. One he was happy to forget.

This epiphany was terrifying. The hero he once adored...and he was the hero, not the monster, not here, not him... he knew who Cloud was, he liked him!

Cloud had joined the army for that man, devoted years of his life to emulating him, to being a hero too. He had succeeded, but at great cost. In succeeding his own hero had fallen, they had never stood equal, never been friends.

He likes me.

No, don't do this Strife. Don't even think about it. Think about Reno. Think about your husband, its him you love, not some crazed lunatic... even if he's not currently crazed. You do not like Sephiroth that way, you are not 16 anymore. Well technically you are but that's not the point.

Clouds mind drifted to memories of the future, of days spent with his husband and the life they lived together. Green eyes invaded his mind. Not the harsh green of mako. Soft green, like fresh grass. Flecked with hazel and blue. Eyes that shone with love and crinkled with laughter at the edges.

Zack stared in wonder at the flood of emotions that washed over his friends face. The blond had been staring blankly into space for about five minutes now and his troubled look had finally melted into a content smile. With some regret the dark haired First finally decided to snap him out of it and clicked his fingers in front of blue eyes until they focused on him once again, ignoring the look of irritation he received for the interruption.

"Um...you ok?"

With a start Cloud finally realised what he had been doing and blushed, running a hand through the back of his hair in embarrassment. "Yeah, Yeah I'm fine. You want some pizza? I want some pizza. Let's get pizza"

Cloud quickly rushed to the kitchen to grab the take out menu and a few moments away from his friend to collect himself. This day had been way too much.

In the living room Zack watched his friends retreat with a grin before grabbing his cell and sending a quick message 'Gen we were right. Need to set them up. Will call later to discuss.'

"Is meat feast ok with you"

Zack shoved the phone back into his pocket still grinning widely.

"Sounds great man, make sure you get the stuffed crust"