Collision

Late in the evening Sephiroth walked up the stairs towards the apartment Vincent had bought in Draculina's name, feeling tired and headachy. It was early October and over a year since he'd last been allowed time off. Since Genesis and Angeal's defection his workload had more than doubled but at long last he, Zack and Cloud had managed to finish off the backed-up paperwork. Not that the Silver General had actually seen much of Zack in the past six months; they'd not done more than hurry past eachother in corridors since the invasion of Midgar by Genesis' forces back in April.

Cloud was progressing exceptionally well within SOLDIER: the blond had already been recommended for promotion by four other first-classes who had gone on missions with him as well as by the ever-elusive Veld. That recommendation was worth as much as the other four put together but also a source of considerable suspicion. Or it would have been had anyone other than Director Lazard and Sephiroth himself knew about it. As the chocobo-haired teen's mentor the Silver General was not allowed to push for his student's promotion but he knew Cloud was ready for it. More than ready: the third-class won all spars against his fellow third-classes and two out of three fights against second-classes. The blond was a natural swordsman with a highly variable combat style and a knack for Materia, any Materia. He could even give Sephiroth a run for his money and sometimes scored fatal hits on the Silver General in spars.

Considering how much ShinRa's only remaining General had on his mind it wasn't altogether unsurprising that he's failed to notice the subtle signs indicating that Valentine was at home and entertaining company as Draculina. The faint sounds that drifted through the well-insulated walls –undetectable to all save first-class SOLDIERs– for instance, as well as the fact that the ageless Turk did not open the front door for him despite the lights being on. Sephiroth however did not consider that anything out of the ordinary might be going on and absent-mindedly let himself into the chic Sector Two flat, shed his coat and sword onto the coffee table and wandered into the kitchen to raid the cupboards for green tea. The SOLDIER had no idea how or why she did it but Valentine always had fresh green tea in the kitchen of wherever she happened to be staying, both this one and the one in the safe house on the edge of the Plate in Sector One. Sephiroth had taken to visiting this apartment whenever he had a late night at the office as it was reasonably near the ShinRa building, had a well-stocked kitchen and a spare bedroom for him to crash in. That his occasional presence here gave credence to the cover story of Draculina being his sister was just a bonus.

It was only after a relaxing cup of warm green liquid that the Silver General became aware that the sounds he'd been hearing and automatically dismissing ever since entering the apartment were actually coming from inside one of the rooms rather than from the neighbours. Considering the nature of said sounds, it appeared that the boyfriend Draculina was rumoured to have did in fact exist.

He blushed at the realisation, dumping his teacup in the sink. While he'd always been intellectually aware that his mother had a sex-life of some kind –considering how much Mako she had in her system it was a given– that did not mean he had ever wanted evidence. It was embarrassing to think of one's parents that way, even if said parent was an ex-Turk with a flair for infiltration and sabotage.

Sephiroth was just about to discreetly make himself scarce when his brain finally recognised the voice of the person Valentine was getting intimate with. Said recognition had him reversing his retreat, snatching Masamune of the coffee table and storming into the master bedroom, irrational fury boiling in his veins.

There was no way that SOLDIER second-class Kunsel could possibly be good enough to date Valentine!


Sephiroth had no idea what happened in between him throwing open the bedroom door and finding himself pinned face-down on the carpet. All he could remember was red and green and a thundering drumming sound. Something fairly serious had to have happened though for Valentine-as-Draculina to get Masamune away from him, dislocate his left wrist and both knees and immobilise him with both hands above his head and his cheek grinding into the carpet.

"Seph? You back yet?" Draculina's Junon accent masked Valentine's Kalm-and-Wutai just as the scent of night-blooming jasmine and absinthe almost hid his mother's usual gunpowder, oil and steel. The heavy scent of sex lingering in the air made him growl and wrinkle his nose in disgust, but the blinding rage did not resurface.

"I hear you," he grumbled. "Let me up."

"Not just yet," Draculina replied cooly. "You just went alpha dragon on my boyfriend; I'd rather not suffer a repeat performance if it can be helped. You are so in the doghouse for this, mister."

"Boyfriend?" the Silver General repeated dangerously, ignoring the sinking feeling in his stomach that suggested his instincts had just twigged how extremely pissed off at him his only parent was right now.

"You know him as Kunsel, SOLDIER second class. You may not inflict or threaten bodily harm of any kind, nor order or suggest others do so on your behalf," came the steely reply from his captor. "If he hurts me I will tear him limb from limb myself. Kunsel, are you okay?"

"I'll live," came the pained and almost flawless Midgar accent of the only SOLDIER above third-class the Silver General had never seen without a helmet. The scent of blood suggested the second-class was injured; not that Sephiroth minded. It was worrying however that he did not remember inflicting the damage. That didn't sit right.

"There's a Restore in the second draw of the bedside cabinet," the incognito Turk said briskly, casually grinding her son's face further into the carpet with an iron grip. Sephiroth could tell his mother was extremely displeased with him for interrupting her private time. The aura of irritation had an undercurrent of malice, suggesting she fully intended to get even. Possibly by siccing one of her less restrained inmates on him.

"You did not tell me it was Kunsel that you were dating," Sephiroth said, unable to express himself in a way that did not sound accusing.

"I didn't want the overprotective Silver General scaring him off because he mistakenly thought Kunsel wasn't good enough for me," came the tart reply. "Don't start; he's smart, interesting and fun to be with. I love him for who he is and ultimately do not care what you think in this matter. And if you let this interfere with SOLDIER business I will hunt you down and wreak devastating vengeance. Do you hear me Sephiroth Camael Valentine?"

This was said with such vehement sincerity that Sephiroth was taken aback. Never mind that this was only the second time she'd ever called him by his full name.

"I mean it Seph," Draculina warned him. "If anything I can trace back to you happens to Kunsel I will make it my personal mission to drive you 'round the twist."

"Do you really love him?"

There was a heavy pause and a wistful sigh. "I did say so, didn't I? I truly believe I do. He matters to me."

"Then I promise not to kill him, main him or arrange for him to be killed or maimed, or even suggest that I wouldn't mind seeing him killed or maimed," the Silver General muttered grudgingly into the carpet. "But if he hurts you all bets are off."

"Fair enough, Kunsel conceded from across the room.

"Good." Sephiroth was released and his wrist and knees were set back into place. He was about to try and get up when he was lifted bodily to his feet and propelled out of the door and into the hallway. "Now scram." Masamune was handed to him before the door was slammed in his face.

The Silver General blinked owlishly at the closed door, pinched the bridge of his nose and went to retrieve his coat. He would track down Cloud so he could wind down with his protégé. Well, so he could complain about his mother's taste in boyfriends without spreading it all over Midgar, anyway. Kunsel was barely older than Sephiroth himself was!


Sephiroth finds out about Kunsel and sparks fly. Fortunately for all involved, limbs do not. We also get a glimpse of the Silver General's rarely-seen and terribly dangerous temper.

Camael is a non-biblical archangel, specifically a warlike one who punishes those who go against god. All three generals have vaguely Hebrew names so I maintained the theme. I can give the other two middle names as well, maybe.