"Cloud, you are being tasked on a mission with General Sephiroth. You are to report in exactly one hour."
"Hold up. It's only the next day and I'm already working with him?" Cloud didn't know how to process this order.
On the one hand he was excited. For this meant he gave a lasting impression on the man. The other hand, he was confused. He would request his help this soon? This was fast, even for Cloud.
"He asked for you by name. Apparently you made a good enough impression on him last night." Tseng noticed how Cloud still had trouble processing so he continued. "It is rare for him to actually ask for our help during his specialized missions. So you pulling your little stunt last night has caught his interest."
"Interested in me? Or working with us?"
"I speculate both."
Cloud wished he had known before he stepped into the office, for he had already done his make up for the day. It wasn't anything special, but he wished he could change it into something a little more flattering for his eyes.
He could rush and redo it, but Cloud was always sloppy whenever he had to be rushed. He refused to be sloppy when it came to the General. Which turned out to be a good conversation topic later on during the mission.
"Why do you wear make up?" The general asked once they were ear shot of the recruits.
"I like it. Plus it makes me look good." Cloud shrugged.
"And what is your goal in terms of attracting someone?"
"Nothing? I'm not a whore. I have standards. Otherwise I would have done it a long time ago with Reno or Roche."
Those green eyes studied him. Cloud almost faltered at the scrutiny. However he stubbornly stood his ground.
"I mean for those you want to attract."
"Oh, then I go all out, honey." Cloud flashes a smile.
"Does this include myself?"
Cloud takes a moment to study the man. He took advantage of this moment to admire the handsome features. The silver hair really made those mako green eyes pop. What was more intriguing were the slits for irises.
"General Sephiroth, are you insinuating what I think you are?" He could feel the tug of a smile beginning to form.
"Do you have to ask?" Sephiroth frowns, hating being put on the spot.
"Then I believe you already have your answer, honey." Cloud winks.
Was that a hint of a blush? Cloud was definitely going to mark down today as the best day ever. Very quickly they had to refocus on the mission when Genesis clones showed up.
xXx
Whatever spark there was between them didn't last long after Genesis had some one on one with Sephiroth. Cloud was too out of it to remember much of what was being said. At the time he was more into trying not to pass out in the general's arms. Genesis had done a number on the Turk.
"I'm not losing more men. Cloud, stay with me." Sephiroth said with such conviction that the blonde continued to fight off sleep.
"Is... Is it bad?" He asked.
Cloud had dodged, and yet somehow the rapier still got him. He didn't think much of the wound until his body gave out from under him. That was when Sephiroth paused the sword fight and scooped the Turk into his arms. After this a lot of Cloud's memory is blurry.
He remembers Sephiroth assuring him he will be fine. Although even in his state Cloud sensed that fear in the general. He knew it was bad. And Sephiroth couldn't bring himself to say it out loud.
He also vaguely remembers Tseng applying pressure. Cloud had blinked and in one moment his boss was over him trying to keep him awake as well.
"Stay with me, Cloud." There was the hint of concern in his eyebrows. Enough for the blonde to wonder if he was actually going to make it.
And yet strangely Cloud wasn't feeling scared. He wasn't frightened of the idea. Although a part of him recognized that he should be. He recalled that soon as he landed Reno and Rude helped carry him. He also caught sight of Elena, who was comforting a crying Cissinei.
"Don't... Cry." He tried to speak, voice hoarse.
"Don't speak. Focus on staying awake, we're almost there." Tseng instructed.
But he could feel that he didn't have any strength left. Cloud couldn't fight anymore. The luring call of sleep was too great.
"Sorry boss..." He managed to mumble before he lost consciousness.
A few days later Cloud awoke to flowers and other sorts of gifts. He sorted through them curiously. The yellow and white flowers were signed by Zack. Cissinei got him a teddy bear. And to his horror the sorted chocolates were signed by Roche.
None from Reno or Sephiroth? Then again he figured the general didn't know what to get him, let alone walk into a gift shop without the media following him.
He glanced over and caught sight of the redhead passed out uncomfortably in a chair. Reno might be feeling that later with the way his neck is bending. His back might be worse off, though. In that moment Rude walks in with a cup of coffee. Soon as he realized the blonde was awake he filled him in.
"Reno hasn't left your side this entire time." He said softly. It took Cloud a moment to realize that the man was probably running on very little sleep if any at all.
"How long have I been out?" Cloud wondered as he sits up. His back ached from not moving so much and he felt a slight pain from his side.
"Three days. Zack stayed for the first two, but then he got called out for a mission."
Cloud didn't know what to say. He glanced over at Reno again.
"Boss allowed you guys to stay with me?" He was amazed.
"You gave us all quite the scare. But the catch was we handle as much paperwork from our workload as we can so we don't fall behind."
Oh, that's why Rude was so tired.
"Do you know what my work schedule looks like?" He couldn't help but ask.
"For a while you're not going back into the field until your wound is healed. Until then it looks like you will be the usual guard duty during parties and such."
"Oh. The boring job." Cloud rolled his eyes.
"Don't be like that. You get a kick out of those parties. Besides, I heard that the VP grew concerned about you soon as he heard."
"Really?" Well that was something.
"If you haven't figured this out yet, we're not just the ones with the dirty jobs. We're also the ones constantly guarding and watching over the president and vice president. We are the professionals that the VP trusts the most."
Cloud couldn't help but notice one little detail.
"And the president himself?"
"He trusts us, but he's usually busy over other details of work."
Somehow that wasn't the whole answer, but Cloud left it at that. He was more grateful that he woke up at all.
