"Where are you going?"

"I'm…off to end my life."

"Why would you do that?"

"No one cares about me... Everyone is just using me. If I die, I hope that I wake up and find that this life was only just a dream. I hope to wake up to a better existence."

"…Don't say things like that... If you really do go away and never come back, I'll cry."

"Why would you cry? You don't even know me."

"It just… it isn't true… I care about you. I see you every day. I've been watching you for a long time. I think I might be in love with you."

"What a premature thing to say. You don't know what love is. You're just a child."

"No, I'm not!"

"…Then prove it."

-.-.-.-

The next day during the wee hours of the morning, Cloud Strife awoke lying flat on his stomach on the living room sofa. He groaned, giving a stiff stretch while lingering in the blurry after images of his dream. It was hard for him to distinguish whether it was simply a delusion brought about by his subconscious mind or a distant memory. Either way, these blurry dreams he'd been having always left him with a bittersweet feeling. This was just one of many he had experienced while in deep sleep. It was like they were all fragments, hazy images of a vast puzzle, a puzzle he never cared enough to put together. Some were bits and pieces of muffled conversations, such as the one he just had. He didn't have the patience to decipher them and he could care less about dreams, premonitions, signs, the subconscious and whatnot. It was something Tifa would want to dig deep into, but not him, which was why he never told her about them.

Cloud shifted his position to rest on his side, when a soft hand caressed his shoulder. Taken by surprise, he flinched. "…Tifa?" The voice came out raspy and bewildered.

"What are you doing all the way out here?" His fiancé lowered down to sit on the backing of the couch, looking at him concerned.

The blond stretched slightly before sitting up. "I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you up. You were out cold."

Tifa gave a satisfied grin. "Well, someone gave me quite the work out."

As if embarrassed, he looked away with a half smirk. "…Then I came out here sometime after two and started putting away some unpacked things. I was so on edge... I had to do something, you know?"

She walked around the side of the long furniture and settled next to her boyfriend, placing her fingers on his bare chest. "You're adjusting to a whole new place. It'll take some getting used to. This is a big city compared to the small little backwater town we grew up in. There are a lot of different things, people, and places you're going to have to be exposed to from here on out. It's a lot to take in right now, but I think you will be fine."

Cloud sighed, "Yeah…" He could have sworn that he heard her say that same thing before only with different words. Was he that much of a wimp where he needed the repeated reassurance of his soon to be wife?

Tifa darted her eyes over to where the clock was just above the flat screen TV, smiling when she realized they had some time before the both of them had to prepare for their respective occupations. "You know…" She started, worming her fingers into the tight confines of his boxer briefs, "You never told me what your problem was last night."

He permitted her entry. After four years, he was quite used to her touch, no matter the place she chose to feel him. "Um…well, I was just feeling a little crowded in our new apartment. It isn't that big…and there was just so much going on. I didn't feel like dealing with things anymore."

Her hand stopped as she was confused as to what her boyfriend had to put up with during a party she herself had been the host of. "What things?"

Cloud didn't know quite how to put it. The words came out clumsily and rather impolitely elucidated. "The uh, well….I don't know, Tifa. All of those faggots…"

She abruptly removed her roaming fingers from his lap, even though he was already becoming hard. "They're my friends, Cloud. Why would you call them that? I thought you were okay with gay people."

Images of his experience meeting Sephiroth and the company he brought along with him flooded into his mind. They were recollections that left an unpleasant, bitterness in his mouth. Mortification and shame threatening to rise up and consume him whole, he shook his head, dismissing the disturbing images. "I'm fine so long as they aren't hitting on me and touching me. Last night, I was so disgusted. You have no idea… I just wanted all of your fag—I mean…. I just wanted everyone to leave."

Of course Tifa knew how her friends could be. Zack especially was quite the predator, but after getting to know him she realized how harmless he was. Fair had even come on to her when they first met despite how young she was. Looking back on it now, it hadn't been serious at all. With the SOLDIER's short attention span, he often went after girls and lost interest quickly. Being bisexual, that didn't exclude male conquests. Tifa could easily see Zack harmlessly pursuing her straight lover. "Can't you take a compliment? They must have just thought you were cute. That is just how some gay guys are, especially Zack. I always talk about you and they probably just felt familiarized by the conversations I've had with them about you, that's all."

Cloud became completely silent a second or two before letting her know his thoughts on the matter. "…You know what? You have no right to talk to them about me! I don't know what you've been telling them, but they have this idea that it's ok to get all up close and friendly. It's really gross how they just flaunt themselves like everyone loves and accepts their lifestyle. It's sick." That famed General everyone seemed to be so in love with was worst of all. "And that Sephiroth… There's just something about him I can't stand."

Tifa crossed her arms with a pouty expression, at odds of whose side to take; her best friends' or her bigot fiancé's. "Cloud…"

He sighed, feeling guilty about how he talked about the people she cared about. "Look, I'm sorry… I hope that I didn't ruin your entire night."

Her mood soon changed when there was mention of the prior night. All she could recall at first was the time they spent rolling in the sheets. "Not so much….I think things turned out pretty well. Don't you agree?" She massaged the palm of her hand in his lap again, teasing him.

"Y…yeah, I guess so." He awkwardly removed her fingers from his lower body. "Look, I gotta get ready to go. I have to be at the ShinRa building before the sun comes up." Cloud stood up before bending down to give her a peck on her unprepared lips.

-.-.-.-

After going through the painstaking process of checking in and getting a tour of the vast establishment around five thirty in the morning, he was beginning to get hungry. He was told that breakfast was at six and wanted to know what his girlfriend was thinking when she decided to throw a late night party the day before he was scheduled to visit the ShinRa building bright and early. It was a good thing he wasn't a big fan of sleeping through the night. He never received more than six hours of sleep and still managed to function normally each day, although on occasion he could get ornery.

The tough looking SOLDIER 3nd Class who had given him a tour, considerately informed him where the mess hall was before leaving him, so Cloud was on his own from there on out for a while. Upon his arrival, he already felt lost. That is, he knew where he was due to the overpowering smell of coffee and food, but he didn't know where to start. There was a smorgasbord full of the most delicious looking dishes and foods Cloud had ever seen. By the back of the dining hall was a narrow, dark pathway some men entered in, some men leaving with a large plate in hand or a bag. There was an empty dessert stand a distance away from him as well. He was beginning to wonder if he was in the right place. The place he was in looked nothing like a cafeteria. More like a busy restaurant where all the guests helped themselves.

And that was when he set eyes on a tall man with long silver hair, dressed in all leather. Without having to see his full profile, Cloud knew exactly who it was. "Shit…" Instinctively, the blond turned around so that the man couldn't see his face. In doing so, he had bumped right into another.

"Cloud?"

Strife almost didn't recognize the other, "I'm sorry, I…" When he made out who the person was, he recognized them and lightened up, greeting him with a forced smile. "Uh, hey!"

The professionally dressed man held out his hand. "Lazard, Director of SOLDIER. I'm sure you have forgotten my name since last night." The Director smiled, letting the new recruit know that he was a friend in this overflowing realm of infantrymen and SOLDIERs he didn't know.

The cadet shook his gloved hand, feeling a superior air coming from the Director.

"Is everything alright? Finding things here fine?" Lazard asked, concerned due to his somewhat close affiliation with his friends Sephiroth and Tifa. Since neither were around, he wanted to ensure that Cloud was getting along okay.

"Yeah, I was just about to leave. I don't know if I can afford any of this food and it's pretty crowded in here. I was just going to grab a bagel and sit outside somewhere."

The Director furrowed his brows in worry. "Oh no, you don't have to do that! We have a table, so you can sit with us. And the buffet is free, Cloud. You're fine. Everything else is a bit pricy but only because it's better quality food." He spoke of the deserts and the little room in the back where mostly 2nd and 1st Class SOLDIERs got their meals.

"…what do you mean?"

"All of the food is great quality, but you have to pay for the gourmet dishes, specially ordered and prepared food like vegan, organic, gluten free, vegetarian, low fat… But that's usually what the SOLDIERs go for since they have the money to blow. We all eat pretty well here. I guess it's because you never know when you're going to meet your end on the field." Lazard explained casually.

Cloud had to check to see if the man had truly meant what he said. "What?" Although he had a pretty good idea of what he was signing up for, the thought of dying on duty still sent chills up and down his spine. It was quite a harsh reality.

"Hahaha! Don't worry. We take so many precautions to avoid that from happening. I mean there are potions, elixirs, phoenix downs, spells. It's quite rare that men here go down for good. But ShinRa Corp. makes sure that while their men are alive, they do enjoy excellent meals and eat their fill every day. Come, grab a plate and sit with us." He insisted with a personable, warm grin.

"Okay… Okay, I will." Feeling compelled to take his superior up on his hospitality, Cloud had gotten two waffles made fresh and dressed them in butter, whipped cream, strawberries and syrup before following Lazard to the table him and his friends sat. Angeal, Reno, and Zack were there talking amongst themselves with a variety of different dishes set in front of them. They got silent when the blond showed up.

Cloud made sure to sit across from Zack rather than next to him.

Oddly, at first, the conversation wasn't bad or uncomfortable at all. His breakfast was amazing and he had completely forgotten that he ever saw Sephiroth's mug. At ease with his company, Cloud carried on, merrily engaging in their talks about the military. "I don't know, guys. Honestly, I feel like a late bloomer, joining the service so late in the game. I'm already twenty-one and you guys joined when you were in your teens. At this rate, I'm not going to make 1st until I'm an old man."

Angeal was the first to comment, "The worst thing you could do is curse yourself with words like that when you haven't even started basic training yet. Who knows? You might have a knack for fighting and get promoted fairly quickly."

Cloud had a negative retort. "That's unlikely… I mean, Zack made 1st when he was eighteen and joined when he was even younger than that. It took him over four years to get where he is today."

The veteran SOLDIER 1st Class refused to let the young man get any further in his pity party. "But what you don't know is that Zack used to be a restless puppy who could never understand the meaning of discipline and hard work. He had a serious case of ADHD and it didn't start to settle down until his first month as 2nd Class."

"Angeal…." Fair mumbled, embarrassed.

"If you are focused, I believe you will make it to SOLDIER in a good year. Especially with how advanced they are now with mako injections and simulation training. Things are a lot better off now than when Zack was just starting out." Angeal reinforced with a positive tone. Still, he wanted the new recruit to remain aware of another possible outcome. "…But remember, Cloud, not everyone makes it all the way to 1st, especially in such a short period of time. Only an elite few of us have and you'd be doing well financially and in ranking if you made it to 2nd. Unless you become crippled, there's no doubt in my mind that you won't make it. There certainly are plenty of 2nds in your age bracket. You should also take it into account that Sephiroth, Genesis and I are all in our early thirties. Zack is an exception."

After listening to everything his senior had to say, Cloud realized that whether he like it or not, the odds were in his favor. "Wow… I guess it may not take me too long to get where I want to be after all. Getting promoted to 2nd doesn't sound so bad at all, but that's not going to stop me from pushing myself to go even further…" If he made it to at least 2nd by the time he was twenty four, then he could buy Tifa the nice house that she deserved or even a big size condo. They could have their wedding with that sort of accumulative positive income coming in month after month.

"Anyway…" Zack was sure to chime in. "You should hit me up sometime for some one-on-one training. I can teach you The Zack Fair Special Technique!"

Reno chuckled, while guzzling some coffee. He nearly choked.

Angeal raised an eyebrow. "What technique is that?"

Cloud was also very doubtful of the youngest SOLDIER 1st Class's skills. "I don't know… We're so close in age. Are you sure you have enough experience to instruct me?"

Since Zack was young and known for being a hyperactive wannabe hero with the attention span of a puppy, no one ever really took him seriously, though he was in fact a competent fighter who could get the job done. Fair had even bested Sephiroth ONCE. "Well, if you're not comfortable with me, Sephiroth…" He pointed to the man he spoke of. "…has a training class. You guys really connected the other night…remember?" He said with a hint of a suggestive tone. Since the General wasn't the type to kiss and tell, he had no inkling of what happened that night in the closet. He simply had a feeling that the two had gotten better acquainted what with the amount of chemistry they had. "You seem to be comfortable with him, AND he has plenty of experience…"

There Sephiroth was, taking it upon himself to walk right up to him… "Hello, Cloud." The General greeted energetically, particularly pleased to see the blond at their table.

Cloud was not so pleased, "Hi…." He had a welcoming expression all the same.

Zack prattled on, clueless to how the blond's liveliness had plummeted. "It's for men here who are brave enough to be taught and instructed by him personally. It could really help improve your fighting style and skills. And yeah, I wasn't so lucky to have had access to that when I was younger either."

Angeal nudged his dimwitted apprentice, sending him a greatly displeased glare. "You had me, remember?"

"Oops… Yeah, how could I forget?" Zack covered for himself. Luckily, Angeal had soon gotten over it.

Like the night before, Sephiroth took a seat beside Cloud. Without a plate or drink in hand, he addressed the blond, capturing his entire attention and focus. "So, Cloud, how do you like ShinRa headquarters?"

"It's phenomenal. Really, it is…" Somehow, he simply couldn't look away from those emerald eyes. He instantly forgot why he abhorred this man so much.

Angeal turned to look at Zack to insight amusement. There were times both him and Zack shared the same opinions of what was comical and laughter worthy and what was not. The manner in which Cloud spoke to Sephiroth compared to everyone else was hilarious in both their eyes. The country boy even gazed at the man differently. Angeal and Zack both snickered to one another.

"Will you be coming to my training class?" Sephiroth inquired.

"Yes." Cloud answered obediently, without so much as thinking before he spoke.

"That means I can teach you right at the very beginning so that you will have perfect form. I usually teach in a group, but I can instruct you privately so that you can have the most invigorating experience."

Zack and Angeal wanted to fall out onto the floor laughing until their stomachs hurt. Even then, they couldn't keep a straight face. They knew how predatory Sephiroth was and Cloud was just falling right into the palm of his hand. They knew that everything the seasoned General did and said was scientifically guaranteed to capture both the young man's attention and his affection. The manner in which Sephiroth positioned his body was even done on purpose. His shoulders were turned slightly toward the blond when glancing in his direction rather than look at him head on to physically refrain from coming on too strong. He would gaze at Cloud with unwavering eyes and look only in his eyes. His smile never left his face….

Feeling a tad bit exposed and favored amongst the other men, Cloud looked down and shook his head. "No….you shouldn't have to put aside time to instruct me. I know you must have so many more important things to do as the General…" He turned him down politely.

"I think you're one of those important things I could be doing." Answered Sephiroth much too quickly for anyone to be comfortable with.

Feeling as though the conversation was getting a tad too bold and explicit, Reno cut in cursing, "Oh fuck… Shit, it's getting kinda late." He leaned over the table before pushing himself up and standing.

Angeal followed his example. "Yeah, Zack and I have to go train."

"Yeah, I'm just gonna tag along with Angeal." Zack added. "So, Cloud, good luck with your training. I hope you get promoted faster than I did, and uh…I believe you have found exactly what you need to do that." He winked before leaving with Angeal and Reno.

Cloud glanced shyly at Sephiroth before facing the brunette and the rest of their leaving company. "Thanks Zack. Bye guys."

Lazard got up too, "It's good to see you Cloud. I have work obligations as well. Will you be alright from here?"

"Yes, I'm fine." Cloud gave the Director half a smile.

"Of course he will be alright." Sephiroth interrupted assertively.

Lazard nodded before frowning bizarrely at the General. He soon left their side and made his exit as well.

"You're fine, right?" The General asked.

Cloud nodded, "Yes. Yes, I'm perfect."

"I hope I didn't offend you last night."

"No…No, you didn't offend me." Cloud smiled, feeling his heart leap into his throat, thinking it more than bold of the man to even bring it up. He wished to leave the thought deeply submerged within the untouched chasms of his mind. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm not…." He shook his head and shrugged. There was no way he could look into the other male's eyes comfortably and tell him that he didn't enjoy caressing him the other night and that he was a positively straight man. He couldn't lie to those eyes, the eyes that he couldn't look away from no matter how hard he tried. "I'm not…!" Cloud felt frustrated and humored by his own actions at the same time. Telling a man something shouldn't have been so difficult.

"Quite used to the city yet?" Sephiroth finished for him with a gentle, kind expression.

At this point, Cloud didn't even know what he had been trying to say. He was absolutely dumbstruck. All he could do was return the smile the General sent him, like a reflection in a mirror. After seconds more of staring at the man's white teeth, Cloud looked down, knowing that if he broke their locked gaze, he could speak again. "I have to go now." He shook his head, forcing himself to remember all the important things in his life again. "I haven't called Tifa yet. She's probably wondering how I am. If I can't catch her here in the building today, I should at least call her and tell her that I'm making out okay."

"It's still very early, Cloud." The gay man informed, a bit annoyed at the mention of Tifa.

"That's even better. You know how needy girls are. She will be thrilled to hear from me. It's better that I do it now than wait till late…" That was when he picked up on the inaccuracy of his words. Since Sephiroth was interested in men, than he probably didn't know how girls were. He felt so silly for saying such a thing…

Sephiroth wrapped his strong fingers around the blond's arm and gave him a firm squeeze before stroking him. "Don't be so tense. Relax, Cloud it's only seven."

Somehow, the heated sensations Cloud felt on his arm were the other touched him had gone straight to the center of his lap. "I know, but I need to let her know that I thought of her, so that she doesn't have to worry, okay?" Rather than smiling like he had been since they began talking, he sent him a firm, serious look. When he was around him, his body might as well have been split in two, each part doing something of its own accord, something opposing the other. One half of him was thrilled to be in this man's powerful presence and even his hormones were helpless against his soothing company and irresistible charm. The other half felt compelled to think of Tifa, of their home, their bright future and get as far away from this man as he possibly could before Sephiroth demolished all of his hopes and dreams in one fell swoop.

Cloud knew, in the back of his mind, that Sephiroth might have the power to corrupt and destroy him if he didn't take the necessary precautions and distance himself from him as quickly as he could. Simply being in the same room was too much to bear, too close, too dangerous. Yet he was seated next to him, like the fated night they met, his presence energetically making his entire body go hot and his head jumbled with ideas and thoughts he was mortified to accept. His own feelings defied his own actions because even as he sat there with a defiant expression, mentioning his current lover as though he thought only of her, his lower body was stirring so unbearably that the confines of his pants had become painful. At such a time when his body was beyond his control, he needed those heated and excited sensations to vanish at that moment more than ever. "I just….I have to show her that I care."

Sephiroth sighed, looking down briefly in thought. "….I respect that. How about I walk you out?" The older man generously offered, glancing at the blond.

Cloud nodded and he had somehow managed to cover himself while making his way out of the place. Once they were both out in the quiet hall, he turned to the taller man. "Thank you."

The General looked down at his subordinate with slight amusement. "…For what, insisting that I walk you out while you have that hard-on?"

"Um…." Cloud looked down, humiliated. "This is embarrassing."

The man had a true smile of enjoyment. "You still have a hard time controlling your hormones. I think it's sexy…"

It simply wasn't physically possible for him to look up at the General without experiencing an increase in discomfort. He didn't know how another man could have such an effect on him. Cheeks turning flushed, he fumbled with the front of his pants to try and see if he could make his excitement less noticeable.

Sephiroth only stared silent and observing before speaking in his deep commanding tone. "Are you busy tonight? Would you like to come to Vortex?"

"What's Vortex?" Cloud locked onto those cat-like eyes again after finding the courage.

"It's a club me and my friends like to go to on our nights off when we are on standby from missions and the like. Sometimes we just like to go out, have fun and let loose while we have the opportunity."

The blond looked back down again, feeling a bad premonition. "No thanks, actually…"

The General still sported his arrogant smile. "Alright then. Let me know if you change your mind." It was as if he knew he was going to get what he wanted in the end. Sephiroth reacted in the same way as if Cloud had accepted his invitation.

Cloud, on the other hand, hadn't picked up on his overconfidence.

-.-.-.-

Later that evening when Cloud had the freedom to roam the building on his own, he went down to the lobby at the front desk where he found his fiancé laughing and engaging in friendly banter with another female receptionist. Both were dressed in neatly fitting black skirt suits. Tifa lit up when she saw her lover coming up to where they were stationed. "Hey!" She exclaimed, "How are things so far? I see they haven't given you a uniform to wear yet. …Must be a slow day?"

"They don't plan on putting me to work here until a week from now when my basic training starts. Until then, they told me to make the best of the free time I do have now. Today they gave me the 3rd degree. They asked me a bunch of questions, had me sign things, wavers, contracts, insurance papers, and even write a will. Then, they conducted some tests… I'm probably missing a few other things I went through, but it was a painstaking process and right now I'm just relieved it's all over and done with for the day. I don't know if I'll be off the hook tomorrow either...but we'll see." Cloud leaned the side of his hip against the slab of granite separating him from his lover, mentally exhausted. The military was quite serious business. It took all that he had to undergo that day to realize that.

Tifa wrinkled her pouty lips in worry. "I'm sorry, Cloud…." In that moment she realized that she hadn't yet introduced him to the woman beside her, the one she worked alongside with almost every day. "Oh, Cloud, this is Yuffie. She's a colleague of mine and also a great friend."

Again, the congenial woman was introducing him to another one of the people that she knew. Sure, it put his mind at ease to know that Tifa was mostly surrounded by people who loved her, but it also reminded him of that fact that he was still finding himself, still getting used to the big city and establishing mere acquaintances. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Yuffie." He politely greeted, shaking her hand.

Yuffie blushed with a sideways grin on her childlike face as Cloud had her hand in his. The man was oblivious to her blushing response.

He ran his fingers through blond spikes. "Tifa, I came here to talk to you about something."

"Is everything okay?" She asked, taking on a worried look.

"Yeah, it's just that… Sephiroth asked me if I wanted to go out with him and his friends later tonight. I would, but when I thought about it, I realized that I should be spending time with you as much as possible since I won't really be able to in a week. I have to undergo nine weeks of intensive training with no home visits and I know I need to be with you while I have the chance…" Cloud explained quite anxiously.

"Did you and Sephiroth manage to patch things up?" It was a rather laid back response her lover hadn't seen coming.

"Yeah, you could say that..."

"Then go! Please! Go out and make friends. Have a good time before training. We have the next couple of nights to be together! Plus, you and I have the rest of our lives to spend time with each other. I want you to be more outgoing and independent from me. That was what moving out here was about too, you know. I don't want to be the only person you spend time with. Go, PLEASE go out with them!" The beautiful brunette, insisted energetically from behind the desk.

Cloud didn't know how he felt about it. "No, I should be with you. We just moved here and I need to be with you tonight—"

"Cloud….Go." was all that she said.

There was no accepting her answer. "Why don't you come with me?"

"I have to work late and besides, he invited you, not me. Just go out with them. It's probably a guys scene anyway. I wouldn't fit in."

Cloud couldn't help but wonder how she could automatically assume that he would fit in anywhere he went with Sephiroth. However, in the end, he had no other choice but to comply with her firm orders. She left him with no other choice. "…alright."

When the blond had left his fiancé, leaving her and Yuffie alone at the front desk, the short haired younger girl turned to her after pretending that she hadn't overheard their conversation. "As fine as he is, you're letting him go out alone?" Yuffie asked in immense disbelief.

"I'm making him go. He doesn't know many people. He's kind of a loner. The city is a huge change for him. I'm hoping the locals will rub off on him and he'll become more social. As wonderful of a lover as he is, I don't want him to be up under me his whole adult life. This will be good for him. Besides, I trust him. We trust each other. I also believe that being around Sephiroth will be good for him."

-.-.-.-

Before confirming the plans with Sephiroth, I called Tifa one more time just to make sure. Maybe my guilty conscience was making me act so paranoid and uncertain. I wanted to make sure that she genuinely wanted me to go out and I wanted her to know that I didn't need to go, nor did I have much of a desire to go. I checked back with her giving her that impression because I myself would actually rather go out in public with Sephiroth than go home to her and I didn't want her to know. I even mentioned the whole gay thing to her again, insisting that I still wasn't comfortable with it, when in reality I couldn't be more in awe of it. Of course, she replied telling me how harmless all her friends were and that Sephiroth is just being so nice to me because he doesn't want me to feel left out. Yeah, right…. Tifa has this sweet innocent impression that Sephiroth thinks I'm some kind of reclusive, shy, inexperienced boy from the country side who just wants to fit in in the big city. And it's all because she has no knowledge of that night. She hasn't seen the way he looks at me. She hasn't seen how close he positions himself next to my body whenever we are near each other, the way he smiles as if he knows…he just knows he's going to get what he wants from me and that there is no doubt in his mind that I'm already his. Tifa has no idea about the kiss... She knows nothing… And I don't count on telling her.

Cloud walked into the club with the man by his side. There was one thing he noticed instantly upon entering the sea of people, flashing lights and thumping music. "There are only men here…"

"Yes, Vortex is an all men's club." Sephiroth took the younger male by the shoulder and led him inside. They went past all of the people toward the back of the establishment where a few familiar faces lay. Beyond the bar and dance floor were tables and private booths where you had to climb a considerable amount of stairs to reach the platform that overlooked the whole club. At one booth all the way in the far left corner were his friends.

"Hi." Cloud greeted everyone.

They all returned him with a rather confused greeting, but he was welcome nonetheless. Only Zack looked at him with amusement. "So the blond bombshell joins us yet again."

This wasn't what Cloud had expected from the brunette SOLDIER. If Tifa's words had held any validity to them, then the man would have lost interest in him already, but still he fixed his deep azure eyes laden with great desire on him. "…Sephiroth invited me." Cloud sat down sandwiched between Sephiroth and Fair because that was the only space left in the booth.

"I thought Cloud would like it here." said the General with a hint of playful scorn in his voice.

"Very funny, General." murmured a not so amused Angeal.

The silver haired man only smirked and handed the blond a tall glass of a brown alcoholic beverage filled to the brim with large chunks of ice.

Zack however, had shortly lost interest in the blond and was soon looking around frantically as though at odds with what to look at and what to do, or rather, who to do. "Oh my god... There are so many hot guys here." It was as everyone always said about the restless SOLDIER. He was quick to go after any man he felt even mildly attracted to. In this large vicinity full of gay males, he felt overwhelmed. "H-Hi…" He said to a man making eye contact with him, who had walked all the way to their table.

"Hi." The man responded. Then, he immediately dove in for a kiss with Reno.

The red haired Turk pulled the male closer, deepening the kiss. When it was over, he got up. "I'm gonna go to the bathroom. I'll be back later." That was code for: [I'm going to fuck some guy's brains out who I barely know. Be back when it's over.]

Zack leaned over on the table, with a sour, discouraged look on his face.

Angeal patted him on the back.

"I don't get it…." Zack whined. "I mean, what does Reno have that I don't have?"

Lazard answered stoically, "It has to do with his attitude."

Cloud was ardently listening in and looking at them talk as though it pained him to miss a word...

"I've got attitude." Zack retorted.

Then Sephiroth gave his opinion, "That isn't what he meant. Lazard was saying that it's because of his confidence."

Angeal nodded, "I agree."

Zack had to disagree. "No, it's because he's so dumb and dumb people are too dumb to be insecure."

"Zack!" Angeal scolded. "Be nice..."

"It's confidence. I'm telling you it's because of the size of his cock." Lazard further explained. "That's where most of a man's confidence lay."

Cloud's light sky blue eyes widened as he gawked at the supposedly professional man make such a lewd statement. He then heard Sephiroth chuckle under his breath. Was this how all gay men talked amongst themselves? If so, he knew that he didn't belong there. He simply couldn't relate and frankly did not want to mention any man's penis regardless of the size. Even so, he remained put, observing further. It was all so new and foreign to his mind, therefore he dare not look away.

Despite his own accusations, Zack appeared to be too dumb to understand. "I don't get it. What do you mean his cock?"

"Reno has the best cock in Midgar and he knows it." The blond haired Director stated.

Sephiroth coughed loudly, outwardly in disagreement.

Rude was slowly nodding, "…probably among the top 5. It is a…very nice size and shape."

"Yup, it's long with perfect contours. Not too thick." Lazard seemed to have a particularly detailed explanation of the man's body part and wasn't shy in making such a statement in the presence of his romantic partner, Tseng.

"Yeah, but is it circumcised?" Tseng, who was quiet before, inquired. He had a look that insinuated that he wouldn't be impressed with a male genital that wasn't circumcised.

"What does a wutanese guy care? Your kind never get cut." Zack went off at the mouth before thinking.

Angeal folded his arms and lowered his head in mortification. Sometimes, his protégé's choice of words were downright rude, in which case being around him became unbearable.

Tseng scowled before his lover answered. "My baby just happens to be very much circumcised, thank you." Lazard placed his hand under the table on top of the long black haired man's lap. Tseng didn't respond and simply continued to frown at Fair.

"Does a circumcised dick automatically mean you're going to get laid more? Wait, who here is circumcised?" Zack, who was not circumcised frantically asked in a panic.

Lazard, Sephiroth, and Tseng all raised their hand. Rude meekly positioned his hand in the air, then his other, claiming that it was on Reno's behalf.

"Fuck…" The only other uncircumcised guy, besides Angeal, cursed before locking onto Cloud. "Well, at least you and me have one thing in common for sure."

Whether he had gotten his foreskin chopped off or not, Cloud refused to let these men in on his personal business. He didn't know if it would end up circulating out there in the world of gossiping gay men.

"But, damn, all of you guys do have sex way more. Maybe I should go for the big snip? Yes? No?" Zack was mentally weighing out the pros and cons.

"No, Zack. Just...shut up." reprimanded Angeal, who also sent the unruly puppy an annoyed glare. "You're getting on everyone's nerves and I think you're making Cloud uncomfortable. If you want to score so badly then I will take you home tonight myself."

The young SOLDIER's only reaction to the older man's offer was a look of disbelief. Then, he got quiet. For the first time that night, he had nothing to say. You could see it in his shift in behavior that he was quite powerless in the face of Angeal's sexual proposal. The man had a certain prowess over him. If there was one sure fire, effective way to put Zack in his place, it was with sex. When sex with his mentor was dangled in front of him, he morphed into this obedient, well behaved canine that would do anything, even sit still in silence, for that chance. Angeal knew that it was because he was the young man's first. He was Zack's first in most things which made him special, which was a thought that made Angeal feel good to have such power over him.

"Looks like someone's happy…" Director Lazard announced, when peering over at the particularly noticeable bulge in Zack's pants. The SOLDIER trousers did nothing to hide an erection.

Cloud turned to Sephiroth suddenly. "You know, I think I'm just going to go get some air..." Though he had been sitting next to Zack, he could care less what state his pants were in. He instantly stood up, fixing his eyes in the opposite direction.

"Is everything alright?" The General worriedly looked over the other.

"Yes, I'm fine. Thanks." Without wasting a moment, Cloud shuffled down the steps and into swarm of gyrating body parts, vibrating beat tones, lights and colors.

Angeal turned to his silver haired colleague with an accusatory look, "You know he's not coming back, right?"

A low chuckled grumbled from the depths of the General's throat as he took a sip of the untouched drink he had set before Cloud. "I do not expect him to." He leaned backing, smirking triumphantly as though he had foreseen the boy's reaction and intended for him to act as such.

Angeal leaned forward. "Why in the world did you bring him out here in the first place?"

Sephiroth did not answer. Instead, his grin grew sinister.

His overbearing friend came to his own conclusion. "Don't tell me you're trying to turn him into a flaming fag, because that just isn't going to work. I'm surprised at you! Go find someone else to sleep with, or are you that bored and hard up for a challenge?"

"You have the wrong impression. I am not trying to turn him into anything that isn't already a part of him." The General spoke in a serious tone.

Angeal refused to side with his friend on this matter. "You're playing with fire, you know that? The boy is about to get married. If you cared about Tifa even a little bit, then you would stop this little sport of yours right now."

The tallest man stood up, towering over all who sat at the table. "...You're mistaken. I'm doing this due to the love that I have for Tifa!" That was when he reached over the table and grabbed Angeal by the shirt, yanking him forward, leaning in so that their noses were inches from colliding. "And this is not a fucking sport to me… Everything that has happened has happened because of necessity! It would only be a sham of a wedding if the two of them…." He paused, his temperament calming down all of a sudden when soon he reverted back to the cool and composed General. "No…. I will see to it myself that the two of them can wed as soon as humanly possible." Sephiroth then released his ferocious grip on the other male's shirt and sauntered away as it nothing had happened.

"I would like to know what he's smoking…" Reno cynically commented, arriving in time to see the General's stunt.

"Shut up, Reno." told a disgruntled Angeal as he smoothed out his shirt in an attempt to fix the area that had been stretched out of shape.

-.-.-.-

Cloud bustled passed the throng of men when a short haired brunette came up from behind him. "Hi there, stud." The stranger said. Cloud answered with a flat out. "No, just no. No, thank you." And with that awkward experience, Cloud pushed his way out of the club and stomped over to the station outside. He boarded the first train home, too humiliated to tell any one of them of his whereabouts or even that he left. After all, he didn't know why he went with Sephiroth in the first place. The man was obviously trying to turn him despite accusing Zack of doing the same thing. Though he kissed the General, he knew that it was a mistake. They could never be together. He had Tifa. He wasn't a homosexual. It was only the lifestyle that fascinated him that made him want to be around Sephiroth and his friends. Being gay wasn't even an option….because if he were to become gay, then he would have far too much to undo…

That night when I went home to Tifa, I went straight to bed. As I lay, holding her in my arms, I felt so completely stupid… I had absolutely no business at all going out with Sephiroth.