Life as a SOLDIER

Disclaimer: Just think, this is gonna be Cloud's first…

A/N: I'm soo gonna enjoy doing this chapter. Just read on and you'll see what I mean.

Chapter Forty-Five: A Sweet Midwinter Surprise
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Preparations were near completion. The whole group was doing their part in helping get ready for Christmas Day.

"Hey, Mushroom, where do you keep the oil?" asked Barret.

"It's on top shelf in the cupboard next to the fridge," answered Tifa. "And I asked you already to call me Tifa."

"Hey, nicknames are my signs of friendship," said Barret. "I meant no offense by it. Isn't that right, Spikey?" he asked Cloud.

Cloud didn't answer. I don't like being called Spikey…

"Sorry about Cloud. He's a little shy, too," said Tifa. "How's the turkey coming along?"

"It's coming along brilliantly," said Marlene, who was decorating a cake. "I checked it myself a few minutes ago."

"Is it safe for a little kid to check turkeys in hot ovens?" asked Cid dubiously.

"I did it all the time back home. I had to play housewife and daughter to my dad. I'm an excellent cook, even though my new dad won't let me near the stove," said Marlene, pretending to cast an annoyed look at Barret.

"Just call me the overprotective father," smiled Barret.

"Uh-huh…" said Cid slowly.

Sephiroth entered the kitchen with a bag of supplies. "I managed to buy some good stuff for cooking with," he announced.

"Good, bring 'em over here," said Barret, patting the counter next to the stove.

Sephiroth set the bag onto the counter and walked over to Cloud and Tifa. "How are the dishes coming along?"

"We've washed half of them," said Tifa. "They should be done by the time food is done."

"Good, seeing as dinner is almost ready," said Barret.

"Anyway…the tree's kinda empty," said Tifa, drying a plate off. "We need more presents to fill it up."

"And let me guess… You want me, Cloud, and Zack to go present shopping," guessed Sephiroth.

"Right on."

"But I can't stop washing these dishes," said Cloud worryingly. "I don't want to leave you with all the work…"

"Hey, the presents are more important then the dishes," said Tifa. "Really, you three should get going. Cid and I will handle the rest."

Cid bumped his head against the wall in surprise of hearing his name. "Ouch," he said, rubbing his head. "I'm coming, Tifa…"

Cloud blinked and followed Sephiroth out to the front of the bar. "Where could we go shopping? Everywhere would be full, wouldn't it?"

"Eh, we'll see when we get their," answered Sephiroth. "Hey, Zack, we're leaving now!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Really? But we just got here!" some crashing was heard, and Zack hurried down the stairs. "But I was decorating the upstairs! We can't leave yet! Let's stay for breakfast! I mean dinner! For Christmas!"

"We are staying, Zack!" said Cloud hurriedly. "It's just that Tifa wants us to go Christmas shopping so the Christmas Tree isn't so empty."

"Oh, okay then!" said Zack cheerfully. "Let's go then!"

The three of them bundled up into warm jackets, scarves, and boots. "Well… where to first?" asked Cloud.

All three of them stood there for a few minutes, deciding what to get for everyone. Maybe I'll get everyone a blanket or something… thought Zack.

Maybe I'll get everyone something…cute. Or whatever, thought Cloud.

Maybe I'll get Cloud a collar… thought Sephiroth with a smirk to himself.

The three stood there for a few more minutes, then hurriedly rushed to various stores to buy Christmas presents for everyone.

After a long day of preparation…

It was finally Christmas Day! After spending all of Christmas Eve cleaning and cooking and getting everything ready, all was ready to go.

"PRESENTS!!" yelled Cid, stampeding downstairs.

"YAY!!!" yelled Marlene, running down after him.

"Uhm… isn't it generally the youngest who get excited for presents first?" asked Barret, coming downstairs with a cup of coffee.

Tifa and Aeris followed Barret. "What a beautiful Christmas morning," said Aeris cheerfully. Tifa just half-groaned in agreement, drinking some hot chocolate.

Zack came down after, half-dragging-half-leading a tired Cloud downstairs with him, humming Christmas songs cheerfully. "Tis the season to be jolly, falalalalalalala!"

Cloud rubbed his eyes. "Why do we have to get up soo early on Christmas…?"

Sephiroth came trudging down after them, heaving a huge yawn. "I barely got any sleep last night…"

"Come on, you all complaining too much!" said Cid, picking up one the presents and giving it a shake.. "The earlier you get up, the better the presents are!"

"How does our sleeping patterns affect the presents?" asked Tifa groggily.

"It's a magical thing. You mortals wouldn't understand," said Marlene.

"Yeah, whatever…" muttered Sephiroth.

Everyone gathered around the Christmas Tree, gathering their presents and opening them. (for the sake of saving time and space here, I'll go through Cloud's presents only.)

As everyone else opened their presents, Cloud opened the first one, a present from Marlene. "Aaw…how cute. She gave me a Moogle doll…" Cloud smiled and set the doll on his lap, opening the next present, one from Cid. "Uhm…an old shirt…?" asked Cloud to himself, unfolding the shirt. It appeared to be a light blue T-shirt with the words "SOUTH OF THE BORDER FOREVER!!" written on it. "Wow…thanks…" he set it down on top of the Moogle doll and opens the next present, which was a small parcel from Aeris. "Flower seeds…?" he asked, reading the note. "I'll plant these sure…" he smiled and set it down on top of the T-shirt, opening Tifa's present next. "Oh..! A framed photo of me, her, and her father… I forgot she had that cute blue dress…" he smiled fondly at the photo and set it down, opening Barret's present next. "A Chocobo doll…?" Cloud felt confused for a second, then realized it. "Ah…! Marlene gives the Moogle, Barret gives the Chocobo. Got it." he sets the Chocobo doll down and opens the next present, Sephiroth's present. "…?! A collar…?" Cloud held it up curiously. It was a simple collar, one designed not for animals or Chocobo, but for people. "Why would Sephy give me something like this…?" he stared at it for a few seconds, then sets it with the rest of the gifts. "Ah..! Zack's gift…!" he opened it and pulled out a… "Ooh…! A little dolly… of me…?!" Cloud felt himself go red a little, and he hugged the doll close. "He made his for me…?"

Christmas music played in the background, and Cloud felt himself get lost amidst his own fantasy realm…

"Cloud? Hey, earth to Cloud!" called Marlene, waving a paper fan in front of Cloud's face.

"Wha….?" asked Cloud dreamily, still holding the dolly of himself.

"Uh… we're heading for Aeris's church now?" asked Marlene. "For Christmas Mass and hopeful prayers if you're not Christian?"

"…Oh! Right!" Cloud hurriedly stood up, still holding the dolly. "Is everyone else ahead of me?"

"Yeah, they asked me to wait here for you."

"Ah-ah! I'm sorry! Let's go!" Cloud rushed out of the bar to the church, Marlene rushing behind him.

"Wait for me!"

Cloud and Marlene made it to the church, and Cloud looked around in surprise. There were plenty of people here. "People…people come to this church?"

"I guess they do," said Marlene. "I'm new here."

"Right…sorry. Where are we sitting?"

"Over here," answered Marlene, taking Cloud towards the middle rows. "I got our daydreaming straggler," she announced quietly.

"Good," whispered Tifa. "Now we can pray and wish for a good upcoming new year."

Cloud sad down next to Sephiroth. "I wonder what I should pray for this year…" he pondered to himself.

I know exactly what I want, thought Sephiroth, glancing down at Cloud.

Aeris had been walking amongst the people in the church, handing them flower seeds. She handed the last of them to an elderly couple, and dusted her hands off, sitting next to Zack. "I feel like I've scattered the seeds of tomorrow," she said. "It's a wonderful feeling…"

"This truly is the most wonderful time of the year," agreed Zack. "I've already made my midwinter wish."

"I made mine," said Cid. "I hope it comes true."

"Any wish and dream can come true," said Aeris with a smile. "It depends on how bad you want it, and how hard you work for it."

"But that's so hard," sighed Cid. "Why can a fairy or something just wave a magic wand and make it happen?"

"Cause they'll give you exactly what you want," said Zack. "According to Aeris, you ought to be very careful what you wish for."

"I guess…" said Cid slowly.

Cloud listened to the conversation, and looked down at the floor. I know what I want to wish for…but how can I make it come true…? I'm pretty sure I work hard enough for it… Maybe Cid's right, there should be a fairy or something that waves a magic wand and makes wishes come true…

A few hours later…

Everyone walked back to the bar. "Now we can have dinner!" announced Tifa. "Everybody, sit down and dig in!"

"Yay!" cheered the group, and they all sat down at the dinner table and ate and enjoyed their Christmas dinner. A warm atmosphere filled the air as everyone chatted while Christmas music played in the background.

Sephiroth, however, hardly paid attention to it. He kept his eyes on Cloud. I made my midwinter wish…and I know exactly how to make it come true…

"Hey, who took the last turkey leg?" asked Cid. "I was saving it for me."

"Were you?" asked Tifa, a turkey leg in her hand. "So sorry about that, Cid."

"Meanie…"

"I'm stuffed!" said Barret. "I'm ready to call it a night!"

"Me too!" said Marlene.

"I'm a bit tired myself," said Aeris.

"Lets get some sleep then," said Zack.

Everyone nodded agreement and got up to go upstairs. Except for Sephiroth. As Cloud was about to follow them, he reached forward and grabbed Cloud's wrist. "Wait, Cloud," he hissed. "Come with me really quick."

"Come with you?" asked Cloud. "What do you mean? I'm tired…"

"It's just really quick," said Sephiroth. "And don't question me, just come on. I'm your personal trainer after all, and you need to build your immunity to cold."

"…all right," said Cloud with a resigned sigh, letting himself be dragged out by Sephiroth.

They walked down a snowy street, not talking for a few minutes. Then Sephiroth said, "I bet your wondering why I gave you a collar, aren't you?"

"Huh? Well, I…guess I was a bit curious about that…" said Cloud. "Why did you give me a collar for Christmas?"

Sephiroth looked up at the sky. "There's something I want…"

"Something you want?" repeated Cloud. "Like what?"

"…Cloud, do you really like snow so much?"

"Yes, I do," answered Cloud, looking up in confusion at Sephiroth. "Why are you asking weird questions like these? Is something on your mind?"

"Yes…something is," said Sephiroth. They had arrived at the town square, where an enormous Christmas Tree stood, decorated by the people of Midgar. Sephiroth watched the Christmas lights for a few seconds, then looked down at Cloud. "You know, Cloud, I… I think you should give up on Zack."

"Eh?! Give up on Zack?!" yelled Cloud. He looked around and said more quietly, "I don't want to give up on him yet…not when I think I still have a chance."

"A chance at what? It's obvious how Zack feels for you. Don't you know how he sees you?"

Cloud sighed sadly, looking at the ground. "I…feel like I can change how he feels for me… One day, he'll smile upon me like a…like a…"

"Were you going to say 'like a lover'?" asked Sephiroth in a teasing way.

Cloud blushed and shook his head. "No, no, I--I wasn't going to say that!"

"Then why didn't you finish the sentence?"

"…I-I'm getting cold!" stammered Cloud. "I'm heading back now!"

"Oh, fine, then. We'll go together," said Sephiroth, following Cloud back to the bar. "I'll tell you about the collar when we go back to Shinra."

"Fine by me," muttered Cloud, jamming his hands in his pockets.

A few minutes later, they got back to the bar. Now's my chance, thought Sephiroth, looking upward. "Oh!" he cried, tripping over his feet onto Cloud.

"Awa!" yelped Cloud. "You're squishing me, get off!"

"So sorry," said Sephiroth, not sounding sorry at all as he helped himself and Cloud up. "I must have tripped over my own feet."

"That's all right," said Cloud, rubbing his face. He tried to take a step forward, but something stopped him. "Huh? Why can't I move?"

"That's odd…unless…" Sephiroth looked up. "Oh…look at that, Cloud. We're under the mistletoe."

…?! We are?! Cloud looked upward, and saw that indeed he and Sephiroth were standing under one of Aeris's magic mistletoe.

"We can't move until the kiss has been performed," said Sephiroth matter-of-factly. "My, my, my…"

Cloud looked down, feeling himself blush. I--I don't like Sephy's tone… he blushed even deeper. Did…Sephy plan this?!? He wants to steal my first kiss?!

"Cloud, haven't I told you once before to not hide your face from me?" With a smile, Sephiroth took Cloud's face by the chin and lifted Cloud's face up so Cloud could look up into Sephiroth's eyes. "You…have nice eyes. Don't hide them from the world."

"…" Cloud found himself staring up into the green of Sephiroth's eyes. "Se-Sephy…"

Without warning, Sephiroth bent closer to Cloud and kissed him. He held himself there for about a minute or two before he slowly pulled away. "Good night, Cloud," said Sephiroth, releasing Cloud's face and heading upstairs.

Cloud stood rooted on the spot for a few seconds, feeling his heart pound wildly inside him. "Oh…my…goodness…" he gasped, slumping against a wall. He put a hand to his lips. "Sephy…you…sure can…" he slid down the wall. "Wow…you sure can kiss…" he laid his head against the wall, a sense of dizziness overcoming him. "I feel so…dizzy… Did Sephy do something…?" Cloud fainted dead away against the wall.

Sephiroth had stood at the top of the stairs and heard that. Oh, Cloud, that was only the beginning… Much, much more will come, just you wait. He had grabbed something from the table and stuffed in under his shirt. You will be mine, Cloud…one way or another…
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D Wow… I feel pretty dizzy myself…
Mario: For goodness sake…
Nana: She's gonna faint.
Sesshomaru: Somebody catch her!
Yami: Don't worry, I'll catch her! Hold her in my arms! -attempts to catch Fairy Red-
-slips through Yami's arms to the floor-
Yami: …sorry.
Mario: I guess we have to sign off this chapter.
Chikara: I guess..
Mario: Well… all together now…
Muses: Thank you for reading this chapter! See you later! And don't forget to review! Bye!