"C'mon! It's just going to be the …" Elena counted on her fingers. Rude, Reno, Rufus, Tseng, and herself. Five! That's right, five. "It's going to be five people joining you over at your apartment."

Sephiroth sighed. "And why does it have to be my apartment? Why can't it be someone like Reno's apartment? He's better set up for functions of the nature."

"Well, Reno's apartment is so small that all of us couldn't fit in well. Plus it stinks. You don't want to go into Reno's apartment, trust me. I know yours is big. You're a SOLDIER and you're a general, so I know your quarters are MUCH bigger. C'mon, what could it hurt?"

Sephiroth sat his pen down and eyed the blonde one. He knew everything that it could hurt. His apartment was very sparsely furnished with a modern look. He kept the central cooling on most of the time, so it was a very sanitary 60 degrees at all times. It was much like a hospital…or a laboratory setting. Hey, he was used to it, so why not? "I don't have enough furniture for everyone to sit."

"So we'll buy folding chairs. Come on, Reno's been looking forward to this!" Well, Reno didn't really know about it, but what he didn't know until the last minute wouldn't hurt him, right? "You need to have a little fun, general. It's not going to kill you unless you drink too much."

"That's true, and I can never drink too much." Not that he'd had all that much to drink lately. He knew that it was well overdue for some fun. Ever since his two best friends had gone over to the other side, he had immersed himself in work, trying to forget. It was probably high time for him to have some fun, but did he really want them there at his apartment? "You're going to trash my apartment and I really don't appreciate that."

"So after we're all sober, we'll help you clean up. I can work a mean mop, I swear." She leaned over the desk and batted her eyes at him. "Come on, Sephy! You HAVE to do this. Reno…think about Reno… Ooh! You could even order HIM to clean up! Isn't that enticing?"

Yes, yes it was. It intrigued Sephiroth that it was as enticing as it was, but he wanted to…he wanted to have them all over simply for the fact he could watch the redhead bend over and pick up garbage. Sephiroth decided he was going to find himself a good psychiatrist and go religiously. In the meantime, however… "Fine. You Turks and one President shall come over to my home tomorrow evening at five."

"Good, good! We have a system with this, see. Each of us brings two bottles. That way we have some left over for next time. It's great isn't it?"

Sephiroth perked a well-arched brow. "I have a feeling that you were introduced to the idea and it's not native to your understanding?"

"Well, they teach you how to be a Turk. You're not one from birth, so I guess you're right. Whatever. I think I fit in pretty well. Anyway, see you tomorrow!" She waved at the general and bounced out.

Sephiroth slowly shook his head. "…You fit in well alright. You manipulate better than most, though." He sighed and got absorbed in his paperwork once more, unable to stop thinking about a redhead in street clothing. He pulled out his phone book and started flipping through the P's in irritation.

***

"I 'unno 'bout this Leney. Sephiroth actually agreed to the shit, yo?" He blew some smoke out into the air as he leaned against the building. He would've been smoking indoors, but the last time Rufus had caught him, he'd lost about three days worth of paycheck. "He don't seem the type to just drop things and drink with normal folks."

Elena gave him a look. "Normal? Reno, have you fallen and bumped your head? Come on now. SOLDIERs and Turks aren't that different. We both kill things, we both follow Rufus, and we both know that some things in this company are a crock of bullshit. I think you need to stand up and have fun with Sephiroth. He doesn't have many people anymore, and you might be really important to him sooner or later. You spend a lot of time together…so I figure…hey, why not?"

Reno thought about that and sighed. Well, he had been thinking an awful lot about Sephiroth the past few days, and he had secretly wondered what it would be like to actually become his friend. Maybe it was time? He didn't know. "Guess it couldn't hurt nothin'. Y'know he don't decorate, right?"

"He told me. We're going to take some folding chairs. I've already talked to Rufus about it and he's got some lined up already, those nice padded ones that we take when he's going on one of those outside events?"

"Yeah, I know the ones." He flicked the cigarette butt down and ground it under his heel. "What'cha got in this, Leney? Why're ya tryin' t'push me and Sephiroth together?"

Elena fidgeted with her sleeve, trying to figure that out herself. Reno was annoying. He was always either gluing something to her desk, stapling something to her ceiling, or locking her out of her own office. She didn't know why…but… She felt compelled. "Because you're family and I want to make sure that you're happy. Turks don't have a very long lifespan, and I figure that we should be happy with what little bit of life that we have, even as we're giving it to the corporates."

Reno thought about that for a moment and nodded. He was satisfied with the answer, even though he felt awkward about it. Family… He supposed they were family. They hid one another's secrets, always covered for a fellow Turk, and they all had the task of taking care of Rufus, had ever since he'd entered the company. "I s'pose you're right. Well, count me in, yo. We doin' the booze thing?"

"Yep. Told Sephiroth that we're each bringing two bottles."

"'Kay, I still got a bottle left from last time, yo. I think that'll do with me buyin' another."

"Okay. So…tomorrow at five."

"Got it."

***

Sephiroth didn't look forward to it as much as he thought he would. He was extremely nervous, very hesitant, horribly tempted to call Elena and tell her he had a mission. But Rufus would know it was a lie. He would tell Elena and he would likely offend every one of the Turks, which just wouldn't do. It never did to offend those that were most on one's side when things went wrong. Therefore, Sephiroth was setting up the table and the chairs that had been delivered to his office, eyeing the clock. It was almost five o'clock, and he didn't know just what to expect.

The bell rang at five sharp and he answered it, not too surprised to see that it was Tseng with Elena. He'd always had an idea that they were an item, but it kind of shocked him that they'd arrived together. Elena smiled brightly. "Hi there! You look all nice and presentable…and you wore the same clothes you always do. Seph, don't you EVER change out of those things?"

Sephiroth rolled his eyes. "It's not like I sleep in them. I have several suits. It's easier to wash guts off of leather than anything else."

"Do you own jeans?" She watched Tseng pull the bottles out of the bags that they'd brought. Four bottles, as agreed, two for each person.

"Of course I do, I just rarely wear them anymore. I'm always working, so what's the point of wearing street clothing? I'll just have to change right back into my uniform, so I don't really see the purpose. They're way back in my closet."

"Fine, fine. Ooh, I hear Rufus's car. I bet it's Rude driving… Rufus hardly ever drives anymore."

Tseng rolled his eyes. "Elena, you're high strung. Sit down."

"Oh you be quiet." She stuck her tongue out at him and bounced at the window, pointed. "Yep, that's them! And there's Reno's car! YES!"

Sephiroth felt his heart beating really hard as he heard those words. What a night it was going to be…