ATTENTION: The end of the previous chapter has been re-written. You might wanna check it out. :P

A/N Okay, so a lot of this chapter is made up of Sephiroth and Cloud getting to know eachother, so there's a ton of talking. I apologize if it gets too boring for you. xD I'll admit, this was a bit rushed, but if I hadn't finished it when I did, it never would have gotten done. So, here you are! Enjoy(:

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

When Cloud had disappeared right before their eyes, Reno and Zack didn't know what to do.

"Should we go in there?" Reno whispered, breaking the shocked silence between them.

Zack swallowed and tried to find his voice. "I don't know," he finally managed. "M-maybe the guy just wants to talk to him?"

"Maybe... But what if he's so pissed that he just wants to kill us?" Reno grabbed Zack's arm, "We can't let him kill Cloud!"

Zack stared at the house in horror, images of poor, little, frightened Cloud, bleeding and bruised in some guy's basement popping up in his head. They'd be screwed if they went in there and Cloud was fine; if they were recognized, they'd probably have the cops called on them. On the other hand, if Cloud was getting murdered, it'd be all their fault. Everything was so messed up... "I don't know what to do!"

Reno turned to Zack and grabbed his shoulders, looking at him seriously. "How 'bout this; if we hear screaming, we'll go after him. But if it's quiet, yo, we'll wait a little then go knock and ask for our friend back. Sound good?"

"...I guess so," Zack hesitantly agreed. He didn't like the idea of Cloud being all alone in that freak's house. "You think he's okay?"

"Probably," Reno nodded, praying hard that it was true. "I mean, this guy ain't no killer or anything...is he?"

"I hope not," Zack said quietly. "You, uh...remember his name?"

"Started with an 'H' or somethin', didn't it?" Reno replied distractedly, staring at the house and listening for anything that might indicate that Cloud was dying.

"Sounded something like...Hobo?" Pffft, that's not a name...gah, focus, Zack! "But nevermind that. Listen for any suspicious sounds."

Reno nodded and did just that. "Right."

x_X_x_X_x

Excitement coursed though both males' bodies as Sephiroth and Cloud exited the house and stepped out onto the dewy, cool grass. It was a clear, beautiful night, the absence of clouds making it so that the moon could shine at it's utmost brightest. Good, Sephiroth thought as he closed the door behind him. Zack and Reno would be able to get a clear view of what was happening.

Cloud threw a quick glance over his shoulder at Sephiroth, finding the reassurance he seeked when the man sent him an encouraging wink. Cloud flashed a quick smile and nodded once, signaling that he was ready. Sephiroth nodded back and made the first move.

Cloud's scream broke the calm quiet of the night and hurt Sephiroth's ears a little, but it was worth it. As Sephiroth wrestled the blonde to the ground, the sound of two teenage voices and rapid footfall met their ears, causing both to crack a quick, involuntary smile. They were again serious after a fleeting moment and Cloud made sure to put on his most convincing act. Another scream pierced the silence, but was cut short as Sephiroth's hand covered the boy's mouth, muffling the sound.

"Cloud!"

Sephiroth watched as Cloud's eyes immediately shot to his friends and loud, desperate cries sounded from his throat. The silver-haired man straddled Cloud's waist and wrapped the fingers of his free hand around the teen's throat, cutting of the frenzied cries with a sudden pressure that hopefully wouldn't hurt Cloud. The loud cries stopped abruptly with an exaggerated, choking noise that sounded way too real. Sephiroth loosened his grip slightly just in case, but Cloud seemed to be perfectly fine. A good actor, then? We'll see...

Sephiroth looked up from Cloud's struggling form beneath him to glare at the two teens who were fast approaching. Before they could reach them, Sephiroth growled lowly and snarled the words, "Take another step, and I'll break his neck."

That had the two young men stopping in their tracks, only a couple yards away from them. Cloud widened his eyes in feigned horror and looked to his friends pleadingly, whining pitifully behind Sephiroth's palm. To deepen the threat, Sephiroth tightened his fingers around Cloud's neck, earning another fake gag.

"He gets what he deserves," Sephiroth growled dangerously, glaring down at Cloud's terribly frightened face.

"But, he doesn't deserve it!" Zack bravely defended. He fumbled for words, anything that might save his friend. "I-it's all my fault!"

"Cloud's got nothing to do with it!" Reno said, taking a defensive stance. "Let him go."

A sadistic smile curved Sephiroth's lips at that. "I don't think so," he commented and further tightened his grip around Cloud's throat, forcing a breathless grunt from the blonde. It was all planned though, and Sephiroth was careful to ensure that Cloud really wasn't in any pain. Zack and Reno however, didn't know this. Sephiroth smirked when he noticed their trembling. "He's already taken the blame upon himself."

In a moment of pure desperation, Zack swallowed his fear and lunged forward, determined to save his friend. Luckily for Sephiroth, he had been half-expecting an attack of some sort and wasn't too caught off-guard by Zack's sudden advance. He was knocked off of Cloud and hit the ground beside him, the black-haired teen on top of him.

Cloud gasped as Sephiroth released him, finally able to take in a full breath of air. He massaged his throat and looked to his redheaded friend. "Reno!" he cried, scrambling to his feet and running to him. Reno enveloped him in a tight, safe hug, squeezing him in relief. Cloud clung to him and buried his face in his shoulder, hiding a triumphant smile. This is actually working! Cloud looked back to where Sephiroth and Zack were and called out Zack's name.

"Let's get outta here!" Reno shouted to the raven-haired teen, grabbing Cloud's hand and tugging him away from the two.

Zack didn't need to be told twice. He got to his feet and ran after his friends, not bothering to look back. Sephiroth sneered after them, "angry" that his "victims" had gotten away. But when Cloud looked back at him with a beaming grin, Sephiroth couldn't help but smile, too. He watched the three teens haul-ass out of his yard and laughed quietly.

"Good work, Cloud."

x_X_x_X_x

"That," Reno panted, one arm wrapped around his stomach. "Fuckin' sucked!"

"Yeah," Zack agreed breathlessly, falling to his knees and breathing heavily. They had stopped running when they reached an empty street, using the sidewalk as a place to catch their breath. Zack's gaze swung to Cloud, who was sprawled out on the ground in exhaustion and staring up at the stars. The black-haired teen reached out and laid a hand on Cloud's leg, asking concernedly, "You okay, buddy?"

Those bright blue eyes looked down from the stars to focus on Zack. Cloud pulled himself into a sitting position and nodded tiredly, laying his hand over Zack's and squeezing. "Yeah, I'm alright. He didn't hurt me."

"What didhe do?" Reno asked, taking a seat on the cold pavement as well. "I mean, you were in the house for a while, yo..."

Cloud just shook his head, staring at the ground. "I don't want to talk. Let's just forget about it."

Zack and Reno exchanged a knowing glance and decided to drop the subject. They could talk later. "Yeah, alright." Zack rose to his feet. "You guys wanna crash at my place tonight?"

"Sure," Reno said while Cloud nodded, standing as well. "Lead the way, yo."

x_X_x_X_x

Cloud woke with a groan the next morning, yanking the blanket up over his head to block out the too-bright sunlight. Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Cloud brought his wrist up before his face and checked the time on his watch. I should probably get up. Regretfully, Cloud slid the blanket off of himself and sat up, looking around tiredly. Zack and Reno were still asleep on the floor, snoring softly.

Zack's pillow lay forgotten as the two teens shared Reno's, limbs entagled. Cloud grinned and had to cover his mouth to stifle a giggle, debating on whether or not he should take a picture. He then decided, why the fuck not? and pulled out his cell phone.

He snapped a quick photo and re-pocketed his phone, snickering quietly to himself. Guess we scared 'em a little too much. Cloud rose from the couch, grabbing his pillow first, and kneeled down beside his sleeping friends. The pillow he held was slammed against Zack's butt, earning an unhappy groan from him.

"Wake up, man," Cloud said with another whack to Zack's ass. "You're committing faggotry."

"Huh?" Zack blinked a few times, then registered the fact that his arms were wound around Reno's torso and vice versa. With a high- pitched squeak, Zack quickly let go and crawled back a few feet. Reno only mumbled something unintelligible and turned away from them, still asleep. Zack looked at Cloud apologetically. "...I'm sorry you had to see that."

"Me too," Cloud laughed, hitting Zack over the head with his pillow.

Zack groaned and grabbed his own pillow to shield his face with. "Promise not to tell anyone?"

"What, that you and Reno cuddled? No prob."

"Hey!" Zack pouted, smacking Cloud with his pillow. "I was asleep!"

Cloud laughed and whacked Zack one last time before dropping his pillow. "No worries, your secret's safe with me."

The raven-haired teen sighed and threw his pillow at Reno's head, waking the redhead. Reno groaned and turned to face them, scowling at the rude awakening.

"Rise and shine, beautiful!" Cloud chimed with a bright smile, throwing his pillow at him, as well. "It's noon."

x_X_x_X_x

Later that day, after Cloud had returned home with a promise to Zack that he'd visit again soon, the blonde stood in his bedroom, half-naked and pulling on a pair of jeans. It was almost time for him to leave and meet up with Sephiroth, so he hurried to change into the rest of his clothes. A warm hoodie was grabbed on his way out and pulled on while he headed down the staircase.

He heard the TV on in the living room and headed in that direction to say goodbye to his mother. He approached from behind the couch and leaned over the back of it to look at her. She was tired again, laying down with a blanket wrapped around her. Cloud reached down and stroked some blonde hair out of her face. "Hey, mom."

She responded by lifting a hand to his and gently squeezing it. Cloud smiled and squeezed back. "I'm gonna head out again, alright? I'll be back in a couple hours."

She turned her head to look up at him, a questioning look on her face. He explained simply, "Just goin' to a friend's house for a bit."

Seemingly pleased, she laid her head back down with a nod, kissing his hand before letting go. He smiled warmly and bent down to kiss her cheek, saying softly, "I love you, too, mom. I'll be back later."

Pointing to her cell phone that rested on the coffee table, his mother glanced up at him again. He nodded and said, "Yeah, I'll text if anything changes. I'll keep my phone on, text whenever you want."

With another nod and small smile, she waved her hand, dismissing him. Cloud smoothed his hand over her hair before straightening up and walking over to the door. "Bye, mom!" he called over his shoulder, though he knew there'd be no answer. Then, he left.

About ten minutes and four blocks later, Cloud found himself standing before Sephiroth's old, utterly creepy house. He briefly wondered why such a young-looking man would want to live in such a crappy worn-down house. Maybe he doesn't want to, he mused to himself, stepping up the creaking stairs.

Memories came back to him of the previous night, causing him to crack a smile. It's so different, now. He knocked this time, figuring that the man had probably heard far more bell chimes than he'd ever desired to. The wait was short, as Sephiroth came to the door rather quickly. Cloud was greeted with a charming smile and a friendly, "Hello, again."

"Hi," Cloud greeted back with a little wave. To his surprise, he didn't feel any nervousness, only a faint eagerness to speak with the man.

Sephiroth glanced around their surroundings for a moment, taking in the bright sunshine and cool air. He missed nice weather like this... He looked back to Cloud and tilted his head at him. "Would you like to go somewhere?"

The question was unexpected, but not unwelcome. Cloud shrugged and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Sure. Where to?"

Sephiroth leaned against the doorframe and thought for a moment. He didn't go many places, but there was one spot he frequented more than others. "A coffee shop?" he suggested.

Cloud nodded his spiky head with a smile, "Sounds good."

Sephiroth returned the smile and and stepped out onto the porch, closing the squeaky door behind him carefully. As they headed down the steps together and onto the driveway, Sephiroth elaborated, "There's one not too far from here. 'Richie's', I think it's called."

"Oh, I've been there," Cloud nodded. "A friend of mine works there."

Sephiroth sent him a side-long glance and smirked. "Mine, too."

"Really?" Cloud asked, sounding interested. "What's his name?

"Genesis Rhapsodos."

Cloud bit the inside of his cheek in thought, but couldn't remember anyone by that name. "Don't think I know that one..."

"He works in the kitchen." Sephiroth looked at the ground as they walked, taking in every little pebble and blade of grass, glad to be away from home again. "And your friend?"

Cloud gazed up at the sky, enjoying the feel of warm sunlight on his face. "Her name's Yuffie."

Sephiroth nodded, remembering that name. "I've heard of her." Genesis loved to complain. "Nice girl?"

"I guess, but she gets kinda annoying...don't tell her I said that."

Sephiroth chuckled and nudged Cloud's arm with his elbow. "Your secret's safe with me."

x_X_x_X_x

"Do you come here often?" Sephiroth questioned as he and and Cloud seated themselves at a table.

"I used to, not so much anymore," Cloud responded as he absently checked his phone for new messages. "I like it, though. And you?"

Sephiroth shook his head, silver hair swaying with the movement. "Not really. I only know it through Genesis." He brought his gaze to the window, observing the people walking by. "Angeal and I sometimes come to visit him when he's working."

"Angeal?"

"Our friend," he clarified. He glanced at Cloud with a small smile. "We're all pretty close."

"Ah." Cloud returned the smile and scanned the shop for a familiar face. He propped his chin up on his hand and let his eyes wander over everything. Soon enough, he spotted familiar black hair and light pink uniform. Yuffie noticed him as well and flashed him a bright smile, then hopped up onto the bar counter and slid off the other side to come greet them. Cloud caught Sephiroth's eye and inclined his head towards her. "There's Yuffie."

The smiling teen bounced up to them with an excited exclamation of, "Cloud! Good to see you!"

"Hey, Yuffie," he greeted warmly, returning a quick hug. After pulling back, he gestured towards Sephiroth, introducing them. "Yuffie, this is Sephiroth, a friend of mine."

As soon as she saw him, her features lit up in recognition. "Oh, I've seen you before!" she announced with enthusiasm. "You're good friends with Genesis, right?"

Nodding in affirmation, Sephiroth smiled kindly at her. "It is very nice to meet you, Yuffie." He could see why Cloud found her as annoying. Her bubbly, loud attitude could get on anybody's nerves after a while.

She grinned at him, sending back a cheerful, "You, too!" She put her hands on her hips and glanced around the small restaurant.

"Busy day?" Cloud asked her, taking in the amount of customers. The place didn't seem very crowded.

She shook her head. "Not really. Only around noon did the place get kinda full, but other than that, business has been pretty slow."

Sephiroth smirked. "Genesis should be happy, then." His friend hated it when there were more than five customers at a time. Luckily for him, there were only a few people inhabiting the place, so Genesis shouldn't be too busy.

"Believe me, he is," Yuffie laughed, then became slightly serious as she remembered something. "Oh, that reminds me. He's been asking if anyone's seen you around lately."

One silver brow lifted at that. "Oh?"

She nodded. "Mm-hm. Says he doesn't see you much anymore."

Sephiroth looked over to where the entrance to the kitchen was. "I should probably go say hello, then..."

Cloud smiled understandingly and said, "Go ahead. I'll order us something."

"Thank you." Sephiroth rose from his seat and tipped his head to them, "Please, excuse me."

Both teens looked after the silver-haired man as he departed and sneaked past the kitchen's entrance, unnoticed. Yuffie then occupied Sephiroth's empty seat, looking at Cloud seriously. "Okay. What's up with that?"

Cloud blinked innocently at her. "What?"

"You and him!" she clarified, lightly smacking him on the forehead as if it were obvious. "How did you two meet?"

"Oh, that," Cloud said, sitting back in his seat. He failed to think of a way to quickly explain everything to her, so instead just settled for, "It's...a long story."

Yuffie sighed, but didn't press. "Fine, tell me later." A mischievous glint appeared in her eyes as she casually asked, "So...you two on a date?"

"No!" Cloud quickly denied, fighting a blush. "We're just...talking."

The ebony-haired teen smirked and slowly leaned back, unconvinced. "Riiiiight..."

"I'm serious!" Cloud persisted, cheeks burning. "We only met yesterday."

Yuffie studied his face seriously for a moment, searching for any signs that might indicate Cloud was hiding something from her. Finding none, she resignedly shook her head. "Alright, we'll talk later." The young waitress leaned across the table to jab a finger into Cloud's chest. "And I expect to hear the full story, Strife!"

Cloud nodded and folded his hands in his lap. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." Yuffie leaned back in her seat. "Do you...want it to be a date?"

"Yuffie!"

"Well, I'm just curious!" The short-haired teen crossed her arms over her chest and gave him a pointed look. "He's hot, so why not go for him?"

Cloud buried his face in his hands to hide his reddening cheeks, mumbling, "Whatever. Just ask me what I'll have."

Visibly brightening, the waitress beamed her usual smile and snatched a little notebook and pen out of her pocket. "So," she began, winking at Cloud. "What can I get for ya?"

A few minutes later, Sephiroth emerged from behind the kitchen doors, staying low and keeping an eye out for the manager. His eyes flitted back to where Cloud lounged, the blonde's blue eyes trained on something beyond the window while a steaming cup of coffee warmed his hands. A smile tugged at the corners of Sephiroth's lips as he straightened and strode back over to their table.

A cup of coffee waited there for him as well, steam rising from the heated liquid it held. A plate of hot French fries lay in the middle, looking salty and delicious. Slipping silently back into his seat, Sephiroth took the cup into his hands and raised it to his lips. Cloud noticed him then and nodded towards the cup in the other's hands. "Yuffie just brought what you normally get here. Is that alright?"

"That's fine," Sephiroth nodded, setting the glass back down. "Thank you."

"No problem," Cloud returned with a smile, looking back to the window.

After a few silent moments, Sephiroth smirked and conversationally began, "So, how was your night?"

The blonde chuckled and carefully set down his cup. "Just wonderful, actually. Can't say the same for my friends, though," he added with a little laugh.

Sephiroth laughed, as well. "And why's that?"

Cloud reached into his pants pocket for his cell phone. "They were pretty shaken up. We scared 'em good."

Sephiroth peered at the screen of Cloud's cell phone as it was held in front of his face. He had to stifle his laughter with his hand as he recognized the boys in the picture to be none other than his his teenage terrorizors, clinging to eachother in their sleep. "Wonderful," he chuckled. "Great work, Cloud."

"You, too." Cloud snapped his phone shut and laid it on the table, then picked up his coffee again. "I don't think they'll be bothering you anymore."

"Good," Sephiroth sighed, relieved. "My uncle will be glad to hear that."

Confused, Cloud furrowed his brow. "Your uncle?"

"Mm-hm." Sephiroth sat his cup back down. "I live with him. The house is his."

"Ohhh!" Cloud exclaimed with wide eyes, realizing something. "That's probably why they were doing it, then. They hate your uncle!"

Sephiroth gave a short, humorless laugh at that. "I'm not surprised." He said his next words with a grimace. "Hojo isn't exactly a...pleasant man."

"No kiddin'," Cloud sympathized, leaning back and studying Sephiroth's face. "Why do you live with him?"

"I can't afford a place of my own, yet," Sephiroth explained, propping his chin up on his knuckles. "I've lived with him all my life."

"...No parents?" Cloud carefully asked. When Sephiroth merely shook his head, Cloud dared to question further. "What happened to them?" He knew it was pretty personal, but he was curious.

"I'm not quite sure," Sephiroth admitted, gazing out the window with a wistful expression. "My uncle tells me that my mother died shortly after giving birth to me. A few months later, my father disappeared. Nobody knows what happened to him."

Cloud was more than a little shocked. "I'm...so sorry to hear that," he said numbly. He couldn't imagine growing up without a parent. A despised uncle was certainly no substitute, either.

Sephiroth looked back to Cloud with a small smile and shake of his head. "Don't be," he said earnestly, wrapping his fingers around the warm glass of his coffee cup. "I'm fine with how things are."

Cloud gave a weak smile back and decided to change the subject. "Was your uncle there last night?" He didn't recall seeing him...

"No, he's out of town for the weekend," Sephiroth informed him with a shake of his silver head. "He'll be returning on Tuesday."

Cloud nodded and grabbed for a few fries, saying, "So, you're basically stuck there until you can move out."

"Until I'm able to afford an apartment, yes," Sephiroth sighed. He briefly wondered why he was telling the young blonde all this, but soon decided it didn't matter. Talking with Cloud was...nice and he felt he could speak freely with him. "In exchange for allowing me to live there, I work for him."

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "What do you do?"

"For him?" Sephiroth averted his gaze from Cloud's and shrugged. "Anything he asks of me."

Cloud waited for Sephiroth to say more, but the silver-haired man only
stared silently out the window, expressionless. Cloud hummed in apprehension and grabbed for another fry. "Interesting."

Sephiroth smiled and set down his cup. "So," he began, leaning against the chair's backrest and tilting his head at Cloud. "I've told you my story; let's hear yours."

Nothing's free in this world...Cloud stuffed his hands into sweatshirt's pockets and shrugged. "Not much to tell, really. I was born in a town called Nibelheim, but I've lived here all my life."

"Your parents are from there?"

"My mom is." Cloud winced slightly as he added, "I, uh...don't know who my father is and apparently, neither does she."

Sephiroth nodded understandingly. "I am sorry to hear that."

Cloud waved his hand dismissively. "It's no problem." He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table, a slight frown on his face as he added, "I just wish she had someone other than me, you know?"

Cloud grabbed a sugar packet and carefully tore it open. "She's a little...unstable." At Sephiroth's concerned glance, he quickly assured him, "Nothing too serious, though. It's just better for her if I'm around."

Unstable?Sephiroth watched as Cloud dumped the sugar into his coffee with a quick movement. He nodded, "I see." Sephiroth suspected this was a sensitive subject and decided to change it. "Are you in school?" he then asked.

Cloud nodded as he stirred his coffee. "Mm-hm, senior in high school."

Sephiroth nodded and thoughtfully gazed out the window again. Curiously, he asked, "Do you...enjoy school?"

Cloud shrugged, "Not really. But then again, who does?" Cloud sipped at his coffee, then asked, "What about you?"

Sephiroth glanced at him with a smirk. "What about me?"

"Do you enjoy school?"

Sephiroth frowned in thought. "I...don't know," he admitted quietly. "I've never been to one."

Cloud's eyebrows lifted at that. "Seriously?" No wonder I've never seen him before.

Sephiroth nodded and rested his elbows on the table, propping his chin up on his knuckles. "My uncle's been homeschooling me all these years."

"...Damn." Cloud gave a sympathetic wince. "That's gotta suck."

Sephiroth chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "It's all I know. And I don't mind, I've learned all I needed to."

"You've finished school then?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, about two years ago."

"...How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

Cloud's jaw dropped slightly. "Wow," he breathed. "You look older."

A smirk passed Sephiroth's lips, the statement a familiar one. "I've heard that before."

"I'll bet," Cloud said, pulling his foot up onto the chair and resting his arm on his knee. "I'm seventeen."

Sephiroth's smirk widened as he said, "You look younger."

With a sigh, Cloud hung his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "And I've heard that..."

"Not that it's a bad thing," Sephiroth continued, trading his smirk for a soft smile. "You're..." he tilted his head as he tried to think of the right word. "Innocent-looking."

Cloud scoffed, "And that's a good thing?"

Sephiroth nodded. "I think so."

Cloud shrugged and munched on a couple fries, mumbling resignedly, "If you say so."

Sephiroth's smile did not falter, nor did it fade as the day progressed. The little blonde's constant chatter eased his mind off of the usual, less than pleasant topics his thoughts normally centered around. Cloud's carefree presence did that to him, lightening his mood to the point of actually being happy. Yes, there was something strangely amazing about Cloud Strife and Sephiroth was interested to find out what. For now though, he was content to just sit back and talk with the blonde.

x_X_x_X_x

The afternoon had passed into late evening by the time Cloud and Sephiroth exited the shop. The sinking sun cast a bright, warmly glowing hue over the quiet town, bathing the two young men in a soft orange light as they walked. Side-by-side, they headed back towards the suburbs.

"You know," Sephiroth said slowly, breaking the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. A smirk appeared on his lips as he nudged Cloud's shoulder. "I owe you."

Cloud looked up at him with a questioning look. "For?"

"For helping me scare your friends away," he clarified. "I said I'd reward you."

Cloud immediately tried to decline, feeling that the man had already paid him enough just by spending time with him. He shook his head negatively, "Don't worry about it-"

"I said I would," Sephiroth gently interrupted, holding up a hand. "So I will."

Cloud didn't argue, only sighed good-naturedly and shook his head. "Alright. What did you have in mind?"

"What would you like?"

Cloud couldn't stop his blush as he dared to answer with, "I'd, um...really like to see you again..."

Sephiroth's expression turned into one of pleasant surprise as he heard the timid response. "That can be arranged," he said with a smile.

Cloud gave a lopsided smile back, then averted his gaze to the sidewalk again. Sephiroth watched the blonde out of the corner of his eye, a strange, pleasant emotion surging through him at the idea of being able to see him again. Sephiroth enjoyed Cloud's company more than any other stranger he'd met before, and couldn't deny the fact that he liked him. A new friend, perhaps? He certainly hoped so.

X~x~X

A/N Long and boring, right? xD The next chapters should have more interesting, fun stuff happening, so stay tuned. ;)

PS. I might have to change the title and summary of this story, so watch out for that. I apologize in advance for any future confusion.

PPS. I also might re-write or edit this chapter, so if it disappears, it's probably just under construction.

Review please!(: