Chapter 2

Author's note: After this chapter it's going to start getting a little hot! But for now we have boring old PG-13.

"Print thirty pages."

Cloud decided at that moment that he wasn't sure if he wanted this job. He stood in front of the printer and sighed, grabbing the paper handed to him and lifting the machine lid. He placed the paper down, lined it up appropriately, and looked to the glowing screen. He pressed copy, hoping the gods the printer didn't go crazy right then. The screen took a second before it let him choose the number, and when he pressed for thirty there was a weird groan from within. He prayed then pressed start. The machine whined for a minute, a light shown from under the lid, then it clicked and began to take in paper and print.

"You'll be surprised of how many people can't even do that." Cloud raised an eyebrow and looked to the girl standing next to him, her red hair thrown up in a sloppy bun. After his interview with Lazard he was told to follow this woman for a second interview, as they wanted to make sure he was capable enough to perform the job. Cloud didn't think the training was hard, if anything he felt like he was running an errand for his mother. Given that the printers in Nibelheim were a million years old, Cloud had learned how to deal with shitty printers like this one. Not that he was going to point out they needed an upgrade.

"Hmm." Cloud wasn't sure how to reply to that with words, the red head, whose name he didn't bother to catch, making a wide gesture with a hand. Cloud had come to realize she liked to speak with her hands, as she spent more time moving her hands than actually speaking. Not that he minded, he normally kept some distance from others.

"The one before you asked me where to even find the place to copy the sheet. I swear, sometimes people don't think." Her voice was calming to listen to, though everything else about her was chaos. Her hair, her slightly wrinkled clothes, her heels that made her taller than Cloud himself. She was almost a beast in nature, though her blue eyes were calm as she assessed the blonde. Cloud wondered if maybe it was all a facade, but he also realized being a secretary was probably a pretty awful job. Depending on who you worked under.

"Most people also talk too much during the second interview. You however, don't speak much. Are you shy?" The red head pushed, Cloud shaking his head once. A roll of the eyes was his reply.

"Come on, everybody has their hang up. I for example, hate silence. I don't need to talk to fill it, but I'm constantly making a racket. So, what's your hang up?" Cloud internally realized that this was technically a second interview. The red head did a good job of making him feel comfortable, of making him feel he could tell her whatever. Small things gave it away. The way she stared at him, and assessed his every move. She tilted her head whenever he made an expression, tested his likeliness to avoid contact by closing their gap. Unlike Lazard who was blunt in his questioning, she watched his body language. That thought made him a bit more stiff.

She was willing to go as far as to see how willing he was to speak about personal things in this professional setting. Not that it was super personal, but if he had a hang up or thing he did that proved him to be a bad employee, her inviting attitude would have led people to let it slip without thinking. Cloud held in his sigh, grabbing the papers when the printer was complete. She probably wasn't even actually a secretary. She felt like Turk material. He had dealt with more than he was normally comfortable with over the past few hours.

"Where are we taking these?" He instead asked, the red head narrowing her eyes just slightly before a grin split across her face. Cloud couldn't tell if that was bad or good, so he waited for a response silently.

"Floor forty five, there is a meeting starting shortly there. You will use your black key card to go down. Hand them over to Sharon, she'll take them in." Cloud nodded, fixing the papers more firmly in his grasp, fighting the urge to stare at what they said. For all he knew, they were probably some boring things about budgeting or spending.

"Okay," he replied in kind, pulling out his key card and heading to the printing room doors so he could get to the elevators.

"Also Cloud, you have five minutes to be back here." So that's how they wanted to play. Cloud nodded once again and broke out into a light trot after he exited the doors, making sure the papers didn't fly out of his arms, pressing the button to call the elevator. They were on the fiftieth floor, so it would take him less than a minute to get down, if nobody else got on. He was guessing Sharon would be the receptionist on that floor, or be waiting for him if the time limit meant anything. If the elevator was held up he would need to take the stairs, if he indeed had a full elevator.

The elevator dinged and opened, and Cloud quickly got on. He swiped his card before pressing the button for the forty fifth floor, glancing next to him and seeing black leather. He saw the beginnings of silver hair framing a strong neck, his mouth becoming a little dry. He let his eyes flicker up, catching a glimpse of questioning green.

He kept his eyes forward. He hoped to the gods the man didn't say anything as he tried to ignore his presence, counting to ten in his head as he tried to ignore the heat rising into his cheeks. If there was one thing he knew about elevators, the correct etiquette was silence.

...

Awkward silence.

Cloud prayed the elevator doors would open, looking to the numbers and seeing the number forty four had also been pressed. Was Sephiroth not going to the meeting? Cloud focused his eyes forward again, trying very hard not to be awkward. Though he wasn't some crazy fan girl, the man himself demanded attention. In his photos, in his interviews with the press, his entire appearance demanded attention. It was even more suffocating just standing next to the man. Cloud wanted to look and gape till the awkwardness made him faint. Or some weird shit like that.

The elevator doors opened and Cloud stepped out, clearing his throat before throwing a 'Good morning,' over his shoulder and heading towards the large oval desk sat back against the wall. He felt eyes dig into his back till the doors closed, the thick spell placed on him lifted. He shook it off. The man was fucking intense.

"I have papers for Sharon," Cloud told the receptionist, her tired eyes glancing to him. She stood and took the papers, giving him a quiet nod before walking towards large double doors. Cloud prayed nobody else got on the elevator as he pressed for it to return, trying hard not to fidget as he felt for some reason he was being watched.

The elevator came quickly enough, and Cloud got on. He swiped his card and pressed for the fiftieth floor, closing his eyes once the doors closed. Sephiroth had smelled like vanilla, coffee, and leather, and his smell had filled the elevator. It wasn't overwhelming in nature, and even made Cloud want to roll around in it. Not that it would ever happen.

He didn't sleep with his coworkers.

Cloud sighed.

This was a weird day.

When the doors opened, he opened his eyes and was greeted with the red head standing a few feet from the elevator, looking at her watch.

"Four minutes and twenty seconds. Fastest so far." Cloud stepped out of the elevator with a small frown. Why did it almost sound like she was speaking into a microphone?

"You may go back down to the first floor. We will let you know if you got the job." Cloud nodded, turning away from the red head and heading back to the elevators.

"You never answered my question." Cloud pressed the button before turning back to the red head, crossing his arms over his chest. She gave him a small smile, tilting her head a bit.

"What's your hang up?" Cloud didn't look away as he tried to think of one that wouldn't get him immediately fired, wishing the elevator would hurry up. Saying something like, I sulk at random times felt like a fireable offense for some reason. He finally thought of something, keeping his expression serious as he spoke.

"I snack a lot." Cloud wasn't sure if that was a hang up or not, though since he worked in a bar, it was easier to work and snack rather than eat a steady meal. The red head smiled, shaking her head with a small chuckle.

"I like you. I hope you get hired." Cloud gave her a tiny smile back, the elevator finally arriving.

"Thank you. Have a good day." Cloud entered the elevator and swiped his card, letting the elevator take him down. It stopped ten times as people entered from all floors, getting off on others. Cloud was still alone when he got to the first floor, sighing deeply as he headed to the receptionist. He tried to give back his card, but she refused.

"It stops working in an hour," she explained, waving it away. Cloud nodded, placing it back in his pocket. He walked out of the building into the chilly morning air, taking in a deep breath. The train ride home was dull, and by the time he got off and saw Seventh Heaven, all he wanted was sleep. Tifa couldn't read his mood.

"Did you get the job!" Cloud was half tempted to say no so she would let him sleep.

"They said they'll call me." The brunette deflated a little bit.

"Doesn't that mean you didn't get it?" Cloud shrugged, heading towards the stairs.

"I wasn't the only candidate. Their trying to find the right fit I guess."

"Oh. Well… Okay." Cloud walked up the stairs, trying to ignore his friends saddened mood. He knew they needed the money, but he wouldn't dwell on it. If he didn't get it, there was always construction. He looked to the clock, sighing again when he realized he would have only four hours before they opened. He forewent a shower and fell into bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

He dreamed of Sephiroth. He dreamed of his vanilla and coffee scent, the smell of his leather and the way he had commanded his attention without even trying. He dreamed of laying in his bed, surrounded by his scent, the sweet and bitter mixing with the scent of sex. Cloud became surrounded by the silver hair, the man moving against him in a way that left him breathless. It was like vines winding around his body, his skin burning with each soft touch and sinful roll of friction.

"Tell me Cloud… What do you want?"

"You."

"Cloud!" The blonde shot awake at his name being called, groaning softly as he pressed himself into the sheets. He felt the boner between him and the bed and tried to will it away, knowing if he didn't arise soon Tifa would barge in. He thought of his grandmother as he slowly got up, taking off his blazer and placing it on the bed. He changed into his more comfortable attire, as a quick glance at the time told him the bar had just opened.

Cloud sighed as he headed downstairs, rubbing sleep from his eyes with a hand.

"What?" he asked, blinking the sleep out of his eyes.

"Congratulations." Cloud looked up at Cissnei's voice, raising an eyebrow. It was weird that the Turk just seemed to be able to blend in. But, congratulations?

"For?"

"You're hired."

Cloud didn't know much about the hiring process, but he knew he shouldn't have happened so quickly.

"I just got interviewed," he pointed out, Cissnei nodding and giving him a small smile.

"You were the only one to pass the second interview." Cloud raised an eyebrow at that, Tifa eyeing them both as she washed cups behind the bar. Cloud didn't know what to say, so Cissnei continued.

"You start tomorrow morning at five am. Your shift will always end at one pm. Unless you are released early." Cloud frowned at the hours, since that would mean he would get off an hour after the bar opened. Which also meant he wouldn't get to actually go to bed till eleven, and then he would need to get up at 2. Tifa saw his inner turmoil, clearing her throat to get their attention.

"I'll hire on somebody else Cloud, we'll have the money to since you got the job." Cloud tilted his head before nodding, seeing the decision already set in Tifa's eyes. She was a stubborn woman.

"Thank you for letting me know." Cissnei gave him another smile before she stepped out of the bar, a small swing in her step. Cloud was starting to wonder if maybe she had won a bet or something. He and the other candidates had been round up by Turk's right?

"How soon do you think you can find a replacement?" Cloud asked, walking behind the counter with Tifa. She took down a bottle of whiskey, pouring some into two shot glasses.

"First, let's toast!" Cloud smiled with a chuckle, grabbing one of the glasses. Tifa pumped hers into the air, Cloud following her example.

"To a new job!" They both swigged back their liquor, Cloud hissing as the liquor burned down his throat.

"I already found a replacement!" Cloud looked to Tifa sharply, wondering how that could even be possible.

"How, I just got word the other day about this job," he pointed out, Tifa pouring them both another shot.

"I met a girl named Yuffie a while back. She's visiting from wutai and was looking for a job." Cloud threw back the second shot, hissing softly.

"Who are you going to be working for anyway?" Tifa asked, Cloud not understanding at first.

"The Shinra company." Tifa giggled as she poured one last celebratory shot.

"No I mean who are you going to be the secretary of?" If Cloud wasn't high off endorphins he would have thought before he spoke.

"Oh, Sephiroth."

"…"

"…"

"Are you serious!" Cloud flinched at the scream, the one old man who never seemed to leave grumbling as he woke up.

"Calm down," Cloud chided, Tifa becoming a ball of motion at the name. Cloud had known she was a huge fan of the army general, and he had hoped he wouldn't have had to tell her who he actually worked for. The last thing he needed was for the brunette to demand him to get an autograph or some shit. He would surely die of embarrassment then.

Cloud knew if he hadn't taken her virginity, the brunette would have waited and sought out Sephiroth to take it. Cloud had only beat him to the punch.

"Is he as handsome in real life?" Tifa asked, Cloud relaxed enough to roll his eyes. He lied.

"I was being interviewed, I didn't see him."

"What does he smell like?"

Vanilla, coffee, and leather. Like a god.

"I don't know Tifa."

"I wonder what he likes…" Tifa started to daze off, Cloud turning away from her to tend to a new customer. They both knew she knew, as she was part of the silver elite. Cloud on the other hand could hardly care…

Well before anyway.

He wondered if the man liked spicy wutainese.