Disclaimer: Don't own 'em. Just use 'em. ^_^
Chapter six
Cloud fingered his cut lip gingerly. It would have healed in a few minutes but that didn't mean it didn't /hurt/. Damn, Barret had a mean right hook. And that damn gun-arm. His ribs still ached from their literal run in with it.
Sephiroth had been fit to kill but that would have defeated the whole purpose of coming here. Instead, his green-eyed lover had cold-cocked the black man and tied...well, chained him to a chair.
They had now settled down around the room and was waiting for Barret to wake up. While waiting, Cloud took note of the seating positions. He wasn't sure if they signified anything but habit born of war and training was extremely difficult to break.
Cloud, Sephiroth, Vincent and surprise, surprise Cid were all together at one table. Reno and Tifa were together on his left, by the window. Reeve was sitting near the door and Yuffie had seated herself facing him but slightly behind Barret. Whatever the reason though, it was convenient. He could see everyone and everyone could see everyone else.
Finally Barret woke up. It took a while, but when Tifa finally threatened to gag him, he shut up.
Now all eyes were on Cloud, waiting for their overdue explanation of the tumultuous events which had turned their lives upside down.
Cloud took a deep breath and began to speak. "You guys knew that I was in the Shinra army before as a recruit and I became close friends with Zack. What I didn't tell you was that it was about that same time that I met Sephiroth. Zack had introduced us actually."
Yuffie grinned. "So like, he was playing matchmaker and you guys fell in love at first sight?"
Cloud snorted in laughter and Sephiroth looked slightly embarrassed at that comment.
"Hell no! Zack introduced us out of necessity. Sephiroth hated my guts. Don't let the cold no-nonsense exterior fool you. He's got a handle on some of the most petty tricks I didn't know existed. Until he turned them on me."
"Why?"
Cloud shrugged, then grinned cheekily. His blue eyes sparkled with a light that had nothing to do with Mako and glanced at his lover who was trying to cling to his dignity.
"Jealousy. Zack began to cut the amount of time he spent with Seph to make time to hang with me. Sephiroth found it… unacceptable."
The dumbfounded looks on everyone's faces at the thought of the Great Sephiroth suffering something as mundane as petty friendship jealousy indicated their shock.
Cloud laughed and ducked a playful swat from his lover. "So we were introduced and…"
*Past*
"Now that you know each other could you please stop pulling those pranks on him, Seph?"
Cloud's lifted his head and blurted in shock. "That was /you/?!"
A look that could only be described as acute embarrassment crept and fixed itself firmly on the face of Shinra's top leading General.
Under normal circumstances, Cloud would have been too caught up in his hero worship and natural shyness to have uttered anything. Especially to his idol. But these were /not/ normal circumstances. The pranks Zack had calmly designated guilt to Sephiroth for, had been running him mad and he was now cranky and tired and not a little bit frustrated.
"I DON'T BELIEVE IT! WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM?"
There was a moment of utter silence as both SOLDIERS stared at him eyes wide, jaws slack. No one, /no one/ had ever yelled at Sephiroth. No one dared. But here was this cadet who had just not only yelled, but cursed at him.
Cloud glared at the silver-haired man for a moment before it penetrated into his mind what had just happened.
/Oh no. Tell me that just didn't happen./
But judging from the looks on the two men's faces it did. Cloud suppressed the urge to apologize and hide.
/I did nothing wrong except be a little rude. He… He… I can't imagine where he learnt to short-sheet a bed!/
Cloud groaned and slapped his forehead drawing even stranger looks from his present audience.
"Umm… Hey Cloud you ok, kid?"
Zack's tentative enquiry broke the paralysis on Sephiroth.
"Even if I did have a problem I doubt you'd be able to comprehend it. You might hurt yourself trying."
Ok, SOLDIER or no SOLDIER that meant war. Idol worship flew right out the window then and there.
"Of course I would. I'd have to /lower/ myself to your level after all."
"Huh, you talk back a lot for a mutated chocobo!"
"At least I'm not a stick-up-the-ass prima donna!"
Sephiroth was a tactical genius. Excelled in the art of war and fighting. Known for his imaginative and effective torture techniques. Therefore it was expected that he retaliated with something suitable to his advanced maturity.
"Biii~Daaa!"
Zack felt the gravel of the road dig into his skin as his jaw dropped. Did he just see the great Sephiroth raspberry a cadet?
flash
"Woo-hoo! Wait till I show this to the guys!"
Zack jerked out of his stupor to see his blonde friend waving a polaroid. He realized Cloud must have brought the camera to catch a few sneak pictures of Sephiroth.
/Well, he's got the picture. Wasn't what I thought it would be though./
"You insubordinate little twerp! Give me that!"
Now Cloud was not good at fighting but he was at dodging. Being the town and later barrack's prime target for physical pain made him adept. Added on with his smaller frame it wasn't really a surprise he dodged the silver-haired man's grab.
"Nu-uh! This is payback!"
The next five minutes, Zack was left there to do nothing but stare in bemused silence as Sephiroth chased Cloud around trying to regain the embarrassing photograph.
It finally ended when Cloud was tackled from behind and sat on promptly.
"Hah! Got you, you little pest!"
Cloud squirmed to no avail. The picture was plucked from his fingers and he growled in frustration. But Zack could see some humour in those bright blue eyes. The same humour was also present in Sephiroth's eyes. Zack felt himself relax.
/Looks like they'll be getting along ok./
They were both standing now and grinning.
"You're not bad at dodging Strife. Good reflexes."
"Heh thanks. Lotsa practice. 'specially with Zack around now."
And so time passed and Cloud grew more at ease around the two SOLDIERS. He and Sephiroth would argue constantly but it was friendly banter and teasing. And there were times when Zack rued the day he had introduced them when they began to turn his own pranks back on him.
