"I... I didn't know dancing was something I had to know... To join Soldier..."

Zack laughed and ruffled up his young friend's hair, which he protested by backing away and trying to fix it. "Hey kid, just relax and enjoy yourself tonight. There's going to be music, food, and at least one lovely lady that I know of, with more to come I'm sure." The young man looked at his feet nervously. Zack put his arm around his neck in a playful headlock. "Look, if you want to get into Soldier so badly, then there's two things you need to learn. First: Is to grow a backbone."

"What?" He struggled to get free.

"You heard me. You're not leaving here tonight until you approach at least one young lady and ask her to dance. And that's non-negotiable."

"And the second?" His voice was muffled, still locked in place.

"You need to stop being so damn serious all the time. You're starting to remind me of you-know-who. This is more for my own sanity than anything else."

The young man finally managed to force his way out of Zack's casual hold. His eyes darted around nervously as he began to pace, fixing his hair once more. He stopped when he saw a woman in a red dress across the room.

"M-maybe I'll ask her," he stammered out, thinking that maybe he could get Zack off his case for the rest of the evening.

"Hrmm, I wouldn't if I were you. See, that blonde beauty is Scarlet, head of the Shinra weapons research something-or-other. She's pretty nasty, and I'm quite sure she hasn't had all her shots." He spied Elena across the room trying to strangle Reno with a tie. The tie, and Reno, protesting loudly. "Now see her, maybe you could ask her to dance with you."

"She looks like she's with someone..."

"With Reno? Not in this lifetime. But she's young, quiet, nervous, blonde... You two are perfect for each other. Isn't that right Cloudy?" He gave him a playful nudge.

"Don't call me that," Cloud said.

"See? Backbone! We're learning already." Zack gave him a good slap on the back that threw him forward and made him stagger. "Now go ask her to dance already, I'm going to test the punch."

I couldn't help it, my legs were starting to cramp up from scaling so many stairs. We were halfway, maybe, up the staircase when I finally was forced to stop and catch my breath. Sephiroth kindly stopped and waited for me, an expression of amusement slightly crossing his features. I began to notice that he was a master of subtle facial expressions much like Tseng, hiding his feelings to everyone except to those that knew him well. His 'amused' look was a slight twinge of one eyebrow. I henceforth dubbed such expressions as 'Sephy-isms' in my mind.

"Sorry," I said. "My legs feel like they're about to fall off. I just need a minute."

He crossed his arms and locked his eyes with mine, then managed a small chuckle. "How are you going to dance like that?"

Without warning and before I could protest, he scooped me up and began climbing the stairs again with me in his arms. "Heeeyy!" I struggled, complaining loudly, my tiny fists beating harmlessly on his chest. "I can walk on my own!"

"But you just said your legs felt like they were going to fall off."

"Yeah, but what if you get tired too? Then we'll never get away from these stupid endless stairs of doom."

"How much do you weigh?"

"What?"

"How heavy are you?"

"Not that heavy, thank you." I scrunched up my nose in annoyance, but he was perfectly oblivious to how offensive what he was asking could be. Typical.

"No, no, I mean weight in pounds."

"About eighty-five, and I'll have you know that's normal for someone my height..."

"I carry at least three of you up these 'stupid endless stairs of doom', as you have so christened them, at least three nights a week."

"Seriously? I didn't know Zack was so chubby." I giggled at the thought of Sephy rolling him up the stairs.

"He's about two hundred and sixty-five, but the kid is all muscle. Eighteen and built like a truck."

"Hmmm, and how much do you weigh then?"

"... That's classified."

"Oh come on! How could that be classified? I told you how much I weigh, now you tell me."

"It's just complicated to explain."

"Wait, you're not anorexic or anything... Are you?"

"What? No." Sephy-ism of mild surprise.

"Fine, tell you what: You tell me how much you weigh, and I'll tell you something about me." I displayed one of my better mischevious smirks.

"... Is this your big secret?"

"No, something else. Curious?"

"No."

"Yeeesss you are."

"No, I'm not." Slight annoyance.

"You so are."

"You really want to know that badly?"

"Mmhmm."

"Fine. I weigh a hundred and thirty-five pounds."

"Really?" He nodded. "Only?" Same response. "That would make you really skinny."

"I know, and before you ask, carrying Zack up these stairs doesn't tire me at all. In fact, I could probably throw him bodily with even less difficulty. So no, it's not a matter of me lacking in muscle mass."

"Oh. Well, that is kinda weird..."

"Your turn now."

"Huh?"

"You said you would tell me something about yourself, if I told you my weight."

"I knew you were curious."

"No, I'm quite not, I'm just hoping it will distract you from asking more uncomfortable questions." A playful smile tugged at his face for the shortest moment, if you blinked you'd miss it.

"Alright, fine then. I hate water."

"How do you mean 'hate'?"

"I can't swim. Never learned how to, and I'm afraid if I ever tried I would drown."

"Fear of drowning?"

"No... More like a fear of sinking. Not being able to pull myself away... Not being strong enough to live up to the task." I noticed the look on his face and kind of half-smiled. He was caught between listening and trying to think of a way to respond. "You don't have to say anything. It's just something about me."

He shook his head. "No, I... I just realized something myself."

"Oh? What's that, if you don't mind telling?"

"I have nothing to fear."