A/N: I'll be out of town 4 weeks from now, so it'll be at least 5 weeks before I post the next chapter. I'm going to try to have everything ready by then (8/15), but I might have to push things back a week or two. Thanks everybody for your patience and for all the support and comments! It means a lot to me!
That's it.
Heather was never drinking again, she swears. She doesn't care how hard breakups were without getting sloshed, she was never touching another drop of alcohol. Period. Not if she was going to lose all common sense and spread gossip about the Turks all over the internet. Gossip that could see her thrown into an interrogation room at best or disappearing off the face of Midgar at worst.
Honestly, what was she thinking? The Turks don't police Sephiroth's fanclub? Seriously, Heather? You're smarter than that.
Or at least, she thought she was. But maybe Alex was right, after all. Maybe she really was nothing more than a pretty face.
Heather groans and buries her head in her hands. Now was not the time to be thinking about that asshole. She had more important things to be worrying about, like how she was probably about to die at any second now. Sure, she had deleted all of the messages once she was sober, of course, but that was earlier this morning. The damage was probably already done. She was probably just waiting for her death warrant to be signed at this point.
And yet, she was already two hours into her shift and nothing had happened. No troopers dragging her out of her cheap apartment in the middle of the night, no black suits waiting for her as she scurried through the doors of the Tower this morning. Every little noise still had her jumping, sure, but that might have more to do with the nasty hangover she had.
Maybe she actually was in the clear.
She still wouldn't be touching any more alcohol, though. No siree. Next time, she'd go straight for the chocolate. If she was going to be making more bad choices, at least she'd be sober for them.
"You're gonna make me think you're not happy to see me, yo."
Crap.
She was still on the clock. "My apologies, sir…" But her apology dies on her lips, her blood turning to ice as she looks up and finds the person leaning against the reception desk. The red-headed Turk leaning against the reception desk. "I-I…"
"Huh." The Turk cocks his head to the side, and Heather's not sure what she's more distracted by – the thought that this was it, she was finally about to die, or the bare chest that was half on display in front of her. Damn that breakup and her fluctuating emotions. "You're actually kinda cute. Whaddya say to dinner?"
"I-I… What?"
The red-head just smirks. "Whaddya say to you – " he points his index finger at her – "and me – " then his thumb towards his bare chest (get a grip, Heather) – "grabbing dinner together tonight, just the two of us, yo?"
"I-I…" She blinks, confused, as her poor, abused brain tries to catch up. A Turk wanted to take her out? Why? She was nothing special. Yes, she knows she's easy on the eyes, if her past boyfriends were to be believed, but she was still just a receptionist. Why would a Turk even have reason to talk to her?
ANOTHER ONE!?
Oh.
Right.
So that's what this was, was it? The red-head wasn't actually interested in her. He was just doing his job. Ok… that's fine. She doesn't need the validation of a Turk to know that she's worth something (even if he was smoking hot). So instead of saying yes like she still half wants to (why does she always find herself attracted to the wrong men?), she frowns and narrows her eyes. And, well, if she was going to die that day, at least she could take some small satisfaction in the surprise that flickers over the Turk's otherwise self-assured face. "If you're here to interrogate me or dump me in a body bag, then just grow the balls and do it already."
Heather's not exactly sure what she was expecting (a gun to the head maybe?), but the Turk's eyes flashing dangerously (excitedly?) in response certainly wasn't it. But as it stands, she's far too stunned to do much of anything as he leans in close, that damn smirk still on his face. "You've got a spine on you. I like that."
Cloud had planned to keep his head low and hope that all of this shit would eventually blow over like when he had accidentally straddled Zack. Planned to just pretend like nothing had happened and pray to Gaia that everybody else would do the same. He didn't have it in him to scold Yuffie like he originally intended to. How could he when she was 9 and had only ratted him out because "those dumb-dumbs shoulda knowed there's nobody better than you! …Well, except for me, of course!"? He couldn't fault her for that. Honestly, it was kind of endearing in a 'yup that's Yuffie' sort of way.
He just never would have expected Tifa and Aerith to call him up, distraught that they had invaded his privacy. Something about Vincent reminding them to be careful about what they posted online since Cloud was the one who had to deal with everything.
Aerith in particular had been quite contrite. "I should have known better," she had sniffed, "You said you didn't want to, but I didn't listen."
Cloud had just sighed and told her he wasn't mad at her. Even with all his earlier grouching, he didn't blame her for a thing. Sure, he never wanted to dress up in the first place, but he knew that there was nothing malicious in her intent. She was just excited that he finally remembered. Excited to finally have some fun without having to deal with the recognition that came with his status as Sephiroth's student. She hadn't known they would run into anybody they knew.
Though, perhaps they should have realized that if anything could go wrong, it would if Cloud was involved. It was probably Strife's Law or something.
But his words didn't stop Aerith from sniffling, didn't stop her from lamenting that even if he didn't blame her, she still should have 'respected his wishes'. That it wasn't fair that he had to be the center of all the attention when it was her 'dumb' idea in the first place.
"Aerith," he had said. "You're a teenager. You're allowed to be a little immature from time to time."
"But – "
"No buts. I told you how Yuffie sobbed into my chest and begged us to adopt her, right? This whole time rewind thing has messed with all of us. Even you. You don't need to act like an adult all the time."
"I…" She had swallowed back the lump in her throat. "When did you get so smart?"
"I am technically the older one now, you know."
Her answering laughter was so bright and cheerful that Cloud nearly joined in – this was the Aerith he knew. "Guess that makes Zack the youngest of us then."
"Is that why he still acts like a child?"
But even though he tried to reassure her that he wasn't upset about anything – honestly, he doesn't even know how many times he said he was fine – she still felt the need to promise that she would never ask him to dress up again. "That's a shame," he found himself teasing. "Zack was so looking forward to his own dress. Wanted to know whether you could make him look as cute as me." Sure, all of the attention that came from dressing up was and would be annoying, but it was nothing compared to Hojo.
"Oh Gaia…" Aerith probably hadn't noticed the choked little noise she made, but it was something Cloud relished all the same. "I don't know whether to laugh or cry."
"Well, you're already crying, so you might as well laugh," he had said, a smile on his face even though she couldn't see him. "Besides, this isn't the first time you've talked me into doing something I didn't want to do. I mean, I didn't exactly want to be your bodyguard when I first met you and I definitely didn't want to take part in that play back at the Gold Saucer."
"But you made for such a dashing hero!"
Cloud had snorted. "Not if I had kissed that dragon like I was tempted to."
"Oh, you should have!"
Cloud had joined her in her giggling that time, though he would never admit to it. "How bout this?" he asked between breaths, Aerith humming to show she was listening. "I can be talked into dressing up again, but we never leave the church and you have to cross-dress for me sometime too."
"Oooo, I could be a trooper – "
" – and sneak through the Tower – "
" – just like the good old times! …But wait. Wouldn't Rufus be upset?"
"Even better."
But even though he had come to terms with the cross-dressing, as much as he could at least, he still had every intention of keeping the whole fiasco a secret from his mom. Had every intention of taking that particular memory to the grave, the lie "My day was good, how bout yours?" already on the tip of his tongue. What he didn't account for, though, was his own mother being a member of Sephiroth's fanclub. His own mother knowing all about his time gallivanting about the plate in pretty braids and a stuffed bra.
And she wasn't about to let him dodge that particular conversation.
Great.
So, he had told her the truth. That dressing up wasn't his idea, and he didn't exactly want to do it, but it was all for a friend. A really good friend. But his mom had fallen silent for several long beats then, before sighing, "I'm happy you have friends now, Stormcloud, I really am. But you shouldn't let them walk all over you."
A little bubble of indignation had welled up inside of him at that – first he was too headstrong, and now he's not headstrong enough? Make up your mind… But instead of giving in to the temptation to whine, he had bitten his tongue and swallowed down the frustration. He knew that was probably just the teenager in him again – Aerith wasn't the only one who had problems with immaturity, it would seem. "I'm not letting anybody walk over me, Ma," he had opted for instead. "Aerith just got hurt cause of me and I wanted to cheer her up." If Aerith could die to save him and the planet, then the least he could do was wear a dress to make her happy. It wasn't rocket science (not that he was Cid to even know the difference).
"…You're such a sweet kid – " Cloud wishes he could have bottled up the warmth in her voice and saved it for a rainy day… or more likely, for a day when the memories of Hojo and Sephiroth were just too much to bear – "Just promise me you won't let anybody take advantage of that kindness."
Cloud had groaned – apparently, everybody was overreacting now. "Yes, Maaaaa…."
But even more so than the apologies and his mother's advice, he never would have expected the cafeteria to be eerily silent after training the next day, this time in an entirely different manner than the day before. Honestly, he had assumed he would have to deal with some good-natured ribbing now that the shock had worn off. But once he had finally convinced Rhapsodos to stop the moping and just go call Hewley already, and stepped through the doors of the cadet cafeteria himself, he was met with nothing. No heads-turning, no wolf-whistling, no "I think you missed your calling, Strife!", no nothing. And Cloud's not sure what annoys him more – that they clearly wanted to look, going from the tense set to some of the other cadets' shoulders and the furtive, side-eye glances, or the fact that something was obviously keeping them from looking.
Well, here we go again.
Ignoring the food counter once more (and the cashier who was looking anywhere but at him), he drops into the seat next to Logan with a little less aplomb than he was going for. "What's going on now?" he sighs.
"Hmm?" Logan grunts, his attention flicking to Cloud for the barest of seconds before returning to the sandwich in his hand.
And that should bother Cloud. That or the fact that his roommates had their equipment with them – they didn't have patrol today – but he finds himself much too distracted by a tall, freckled cadet entering the cafeteria. A cadet who turns a bright shade of scarlet the moment his eyes land on Cloud, before letting out a high-pitched "Eep!" and fleeing the room the same way he had entered. "Why is everybody acting weird again? What'd I do this time?"
Colin, the dear, finally takes pity on him, the shorter (yet still taller than Cloud) teen wiping messily at his face, even as Garrett continues to inhale the fries on his (and Logan's) plate. "Everybody in the Tower had to go through mandatory sexual harassment training this morning – " Colin winces at the thought and lowers his eyes back to the table – "a-and they said if we made anybody uncomfortable, we might have to answer to the P-President himself."
Cloud takes a deep breath to try to tamp down on the growing exasperation, but he can already feel his right eye starting to twitch. "Let me guess. Everybody assumes they meant me?" He receives no actual response, but the way Garrett chokes on his fry, his eyes still trained on the metal of the tabletop, is rather telling. "I swear," Cloud growls. "Everybody's making a mountain out of a Mu-hill. It's really not that big of a deal. Yes, I got caught in drag, but so what?" This wasn't the worst off Rufus had seen him. And he certainly didn't want (or need) the man's help, even if it meant he didn't have to deal with any stray comments about his time in a dress. "And for Ifrit's sake, you're allowed to look at me. If Rufus says otherwise, I'll kick his ass."
"Oh, thank Gaia," Garrett breathes, finally lifting his eyes from the table. "I wasn't sure how I was supposed to keep that up."
"Y-You're sure?" Colin asks, showing a great deal more hesitance than Garrett or Logan. Logan, who watches Cloud quietly while finishing the last few bites of his sandwich and pulling his fries away from Garrett's ever-wandering hand.
"It wouldn't be the first time I've kicked Rufus's ass, and I'm sure it won't be the last either." He knows Colin was asking if they really could look at him, but he couldn't help one last jab at Rufus's expense.
And, well, Garrett takes the bait, the teen forgetting all about his disappointment at being denied extra food as he throws his head back to guffaw. "You'd kick his ass even though he made Sephiroth go through that same training?"
"He did not."
"That's certainly the rumor going around," Logan smirks, taking over for their red-headed friend. "They said everybody who worked for Shinra had to participate, and Sephiroth works for Shinra."
"Not to mention everybody saw the way he was looking at you," Garrett chimes in, quite unhelpfully, the teen ignoring Cloud's involuntary spluttering. "I can't imagine they would go through all that trouble for us lowly plebes when Sephiroth had literal stars in his eyes."
"We're not talking about that," is Cloud's no-nonsense response, his face turning a light pink at the reminder – a reaction that had become far too common for his liking.
Garrett shrugs unapologetically. "Fair enough."
"We've gotta get going anyway," Logan adds, cleaning up his side of the table and reaching for his helmet and rifle.
"Get going? But you guys don't have patrol today," Cloud tries to remind them.
But Colin just shrugs glumly. "That's what we said, but Public Security's short-handed what with the trouble in Banora, so our schedules got rearranged to help out here." Colin tries for a smile, though it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "And hey, I don't mind that much if it means those Behemoths stay away from Mideel."
"Wait. Why wasn't my schedule changed, then?"
"Well, everybody knows you're special," Garrett explains as if it were obvious. "And, hey, no stealing our thunder! It's our turn to distinguish ourselves – " he puffs out his chest – "and become superstars too!"
Cloud snorts. "Ok, if that's what they're calling it these days."
"I can't believe Boss-man reamed me out when you're the one that got caught flirtin' with a child!"
"I wasn't f-flirting…"
"Ohhhhh," Reno smirks as if he had just caught his prey in his trap. "So it was dear sweet Tifa that was flirtin' with you, then."
Cloud's surprised at just how red Rude gets at his partner's goading – "N-No… She d-didn't… I-I mean… S-She's 14…" – but he'll have to worry about that (and this talk of Tifa flirting with him) later. He hadn't asked Vincent to bring him to the Turk floor just to listen to the red-head's inane gossiping. No, he had a mission. "Reno, do you have a minute?"
Reno jolts, as if just realizing that he and Rude were no longer alone (to be fair, Cloud and Vincent were quiet), but then that (infuriating) smirk of his returns with a vengeance. "Why, hello there, Blondie! Ya know, I think I like ya better with the braids!"
Cloud twitches, his mouth opening to say that he'd like Reno better with his foot up the man's ass, but he doesn't get the chance. Not when Rude slaps his partner upside the head and scolds him somewhat incredulously, "Did you forget what Tseng said already?"
"Oh, uh…" Reno's smirk twists into something more like a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that, uh… Strife – " he rubs the back of his head awkwardly – "I didn't mean nuthin' by it."
Cloud rolls his eyes. "Whatever. I need to talk to you. Now."
.
.
.
Vincent had been kind enough to draw Rude away – "Spar with me?" – but while Cloud found himself surprisingly concerned for the bald Turk's safety (Vincent probably cared as little for this talk of Tifa flirting with Rude as Cloud did), he was just glad that he didn't have to drag Reno to an empty conference room. He would have if he had to (He didn't want anybody else overhearing their conversation), but he and Vincent had already passed that cocky auburn-haired Turk on their way to Reno and Rude's office, and he really didn't want to have to deal with that again with Reno in tow. Not when he had felt the Turk watching him up until he and Vincent had turned a corner and disappeared from sight. No, he didn't need any more gossip swirling around about him, even if it never found its way off the Turk floor.
"So… Whaddya wanna talk about?" Reno asks, watching as the door to the office clicks shut behind Vincent and Rude.
But Cloud ignores him. Ignores the red-head's buddy-buddy tone and rather uncharacteristic patience, waiting instead until he can no longer hear the sound of footsteps outside the office. And then he strikes. Then, and only then, does he grab the red-head by the lapels of his unbuttoned suit jacket – "This isn't what I had in mind! Not complainin' tho—ow!" – and shove him bodily up against the closed door. "What. in the hell. were you thinking?"
"Oh wow. You're hot when you're mad. No wonder dear ol' Sephy used to rile you up so much." But Reno's mouth clicks shut at that, a wince back on his face as if Rude had smacked him again. "Uh… That is… I mean…"
But if it was frustrating having to talk to Reno in the first place, then it was downright painful watching him struggle to behave. "Look," Cloud sighs, trying not to be too upset by the fact that he has to crane his neck to look at the red-head. "I'm used to your complete lack of filter by now. As long as I can keep threatening to shove you from the plate, I don't really care what you say. Just keep it tame."
"Not a problem, yo!" Reno crows, wiggling into a more comfortable position against the door, his hands hanging limply at his sides, even as Cloud's remain balled in his suit jacket. "Now, what can I do for ya?"
"Why the hell would you spread some Gaia-damn rumor that I was actually an adult?"
"Aww, you don't want our wonderful General to be accused of bein' a pedo, now do ya?"
Cloud so does not turn red at the barb. "I don't care what people think!"
"…Sure, short stack."
"It's the truth!" Cloud growls. "The only thing I care about right now is making sure Sephiroth doesn't fall to Jenova again." He can tell by the way Reno's eyes light up that he's not going to like whatever Reno's about to say. So, he cuts him off instead. "Say anything about me and swords again, and I swear nobody will ever find your body."
The secretary outside Reeve's office doesn't do much to acknowledge Cloud's presence as he approaches. But the calm, almost bored way in which she asks, "Can I help you?" is sign enough that she knew he was there. It's only when she finally lifts her eyes from her computer screen that she realizes who was actually standing in front of her desk. It's only then that she freezes in place, head to toe, her jaw going slack. "Y-You…"
Cloud sighs to himself. Were they really going to do this again? That was the same look he got from the cashier at the cafeteria down the hallway not five minutes ago. "Hi, Miss. Is Director Tuesti in? I was hoping to speak with him."
"I-I…" The secretary blinks dumbly at him. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Director Tuesti is an old family friend." Ugh, it felt so weird calling Reeve by his last name. It certainly didn't roll off the tongue as easily. "I've heard he's been busy lately, so I brought him something to eat," he says, holding up the bag in his hand as proof.
It was a last-minute excuse, honestly. One that saw him changing course abruptly to stop at the 63rd floor cafeteria before returning to Reeve's office. But the secretary seems to buy it anyway. Or at least, she doesn't question him further, the woman pressing a button on her phone, quite dazedly. "Uh… Director? You have a visitor."
"A visitor…?" is the only response the secretary gets before the door to Reeve's office swings open. "Cloud! What are you doing here?"
"Heya, Mr. Reeve." Well, calling him 'mister' sounds all kinds of wrong, too. "You've been holing yourself up in your office and forgetting to eat again, haven't you?" Honestly, it's just a guess, just another excuse to get him past the secretary, but probably an accurate one given the tendencies Reeve had while leading the WRO.
And going from the way Reeve flinches, he knows he's hit the nail on the head. "I have been eating…"
"Cheese and crackers don't count."
Reeve sighs, a good sign that he had given in. "I won't be pulling a fast one on you, will I?"
"Unlikely." Cloud holds the bag out again. "Besides, I got you a sandwich. Pastrami on rye, right?"
Reeve looks touched that Cloud had remembered. "Yes, Cloud…"
.
.
.
"You look really good," Cloud finds himself saying, rather unintentionally. He had meant to keep his thoughts to himself, content to just eat in silence with his friend, but apparently his mouth had other ideas. Reeve did look good, though. "You look… I don't know, healthier. You no longer have all those creases along your brow."
Reeve throws his head back to laugh. "It's amazing what 10 years will do to a man, isn't it?"
"You're telling me," Cloud says. The pout probably doesn't show on his face, but if it does, he thinks he would be entirely justified. It really wasn't fair that he had to be a child again. Though… he supposes he's not the only one in that particular boat. "So… what? Are you honestly happy deferring to Rufus again?" Ok, maybe the pout did show. His nose definitely does scrunch up at the least.
"I know, I know! Believe me, it was a lot for me to get used to, too. I can't tell you the number of times I've forgotten myself and started bossing Reno and Rude around. Old habits die hard, I guess." He sighs, but there's no hint of bitterness on his face. "He's really trying to make things right, you know? Rufus, that is. He's not the same man he used to be." Cloud's pretty sure his pout turns into a disgusted frown at that, but if anything, it just amuses Reeve more. "Yes, yes, I know how it sounds! And, no, you don't have to make that face, Cloud!"
"Alright, fine." Cloud concedes, making a show of rolling his eyes, but schooling his face back into one of indifference all the same. "As long as you know what you're doing."
"Thank you, Cloud." Cloud just offers a grunt in response. "And think about it, Rufus in charge also means less responsibility for me – " Reeve winks at him – "which I'm certainly not complaining about."
"Ha. Fair enough."
"Don't worry. I certainly don't have any problem speaking my mind." Cloud opens his mouth to say he knows, but Reeve beats him to it. "Speaking of which, not that I not happy to see you, but how did you get up here anyway? I thought you promised not to steal Sephiroth's keycard again."
Cloud coughs into his fist – apparently, he wouldn't be pulling a fast one on Reeve, either. "I didn't steal Sephiroth's keycard…"
"No…?"
"…I stole Reno's."
"Cloud…"
"Hey. Reno made a lewd comment the other day about me taking Sephiroth's sword, so really he deserves it."
"He what?" Going from the look on Reeve's face, Cloud's afraid he had woken dad-Reeve. "Ohhh, we're going to have a long chat, Reno and I."
Cloud sighs. "You're overreacting."
"You're a child!"
"I'm an adult, thank you. And I'd prefer it if you still treated me like one."
Reeve groans. "You're 14 years old, Cloud."
"Yes, a 14-year-old with memories of being an adult. I'm no stranger to sex, Reeve. Me and Tifa had quite a lot of it before we broke up." The thought was not one Reeve was prepared for, not with how pink his face gets. And Cloud… well, he's just glad Reeve had already put his sandwich down to talk. Otherwise, he'd be afraid that the man would choke on it. "Sure, I know I don't exactly look like an adult, but I don't look like a child either. And I certainly don't act like one. No wonder Reno's confused." But that's as far as Cloud gets before he comes to a terrible realization. "Wait… Am I really sticking up for Reno?"
"You are," Reeve chuckles, his ire momentarily forgotten. "Alright… You win – " he sighs, defeated – "I'll go easy on him, I promise."
Cloud hesitates for a moment, almost tempted to say heck with it and unleash dad-Reeve after all. But no… that was wrong (shame). And it might get Reeve into trouble anyway. "Don't worry. Reno promised to be good," he hears himself say instead. "Well… good for Reno, that is. So, no punching him like you did with Sephiroth." Honestly, Cloud couldn't care less if Reeve actually did punch Reno, but he figured it would be a good enough way to find out the truth – he had been dying of curiosity since Vincent first mentioned it.
And from the way Reeve's blush deepens, Cloud knows his plan had worked – hook, line, and sinker. "So you did punch Sephiroth."
"I-I…" Reeve stammers in front of him, and Cloud can only imagine that the man is regretting his choice of seating arrangements. If he had opted to sit at his desk instead of next to Cloud on the couch, he could have at least tried to hide his reddening face behind those computer monitors of his. "It was a reflex!"
"Some reflex."
.
.
.
"Something on your mind?"
"Huh?" Cloud turns his attention back to Reeve and away from the door he had been mindlessly staring at, a little ashamed to realize he had zoned out. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you were just glaring at my office door. I figured something must be bothering you." Cloud grimaces at the thought that he had let his mask slip so easily, but he supposes he was around a friend. Perhaps it shouldn't be all that surprising. "I'm happy to lend an ear, if you'd like."
But was he ready to admit what was truly troubling him? Was he ready to know the whole truth, more so than he was yesterday? Honestly, he doesn't think he is, but a little voice in the back of his head tells him that Reeve wouldn't judge him for anything. So, before he has a chance to really think things through, to really second guess himself, he finds himself stumbling through the question that had been plaguing him since he had finally remembered barely a week ago. "I-Is…" he gulps. "Is Sephiroth really trying to be better?"
"Ah, so that's it." Reeve smiles ruefully, as if he wasn't entirely surprised by Cloud's choice of question. "I think to answer that question, you have to understand a thing or two about Sephiroth's past. Sephiroth, you see… Well, he was raised to be a weapon. That was the entire point of his existence. Daily training, lab physicals, an entire board of scientists watching him through a gilded, glass cage. You remember what Hojo was like. Now, imagine being raised by him." Cloud's answering shudder is entirely involuntary. But going from the sad look on Reeve's face, it was entirely expected. "Exactly. Don't get me wrong, I don't believe Sephiroth was tortured, at least not in the same way you were. But I can't imagine he had much of a childhood, either. Especially not when he was fighting on the frontlines at the age of 12."
"12?"
"Is it really that surprising? You know Shinra is no stranger to child soldiers. Zack can't have been that much older than you when he was first deployed."
"Yeah, but…"
"Oh, I know. 12 still seems way too young to me, too." Reeve sighs, hard. "But that was probably the only life Sephiroth ever knew. Honestly, I doubt he had any idea what a real childhood was supposed to be like. Not when he grew up as a ward of Shinra." Cloud balls his hands into the legs of his pants – here he had thought listening to Genesis's story was hard enough. But, no, he was wrong. This, this was just excruciating. "And I doubt he spent much with his peers either – not when they were all either too afraid or too jealous of him. Angeal and Genesis… and to some extent Zack were probably the only friends he ever had." Reeve leans back into the couch and crosses his arms over his chest. "I can only imagine how devastated he must have been when Genesis deserted and Angeal died. How completely alone he must have felt. Sure, Zack was still there, but the Puppy would abandon him sooner or later too, he must have thought."
"H-He…"
But Reeve doesn't give him time to collect his swirling thoughts. "And then he found the lies Hojo left for him. Is it really any surprise that he broke so completely? That he let Jenova pick up the pieces and recraft him as she saw fit?" Cloud swallows back the bile rising in his throat – he thinks he's going to be sick… "He was nothing more than a puppet for Hojo and Jenova, but he still feels personally responsible for everything that happened – Nibelheim, Meteor, Aerith… but most of all, everything he put you through. And that guilt, that's something he has to live with for the rest of his life. I can't imagine that's an easy burden to carry."
"But…" Cloud sniffs, his protest weak and shaky. "But he still was going to pump me full of Jenova cells without saying anything." Honestly, it was probably the only defense Cloud had left now, and he wasn't ready to give it up so easily. He was supposed to hate Sephiroth forever… right?
But Reeve, who had been staring off into space, snaps his head back to Cloud, surprised. "He really said that to you?"
"I…" Cloud shakes his head dumbly. "H-He… He didn't have to."
"Oh, Cloud…" That sad little smile of Reeve's is back, and somehow it's so much harder for Cloud to see it than a couple minutes ago. "Nobody would have done anything without your consent."
"Oh, so you would have told me about the SOLDIER serum?"
"Of course." It rolls so easily off Reeve's tongue that Cloud believes him instantly. "We all insisted that you have a choice, Sephiroth most of all. Sure, we figured you would say yes, since that's just the kind of person you are. And that's why Sephiroth started your training so early. But he wouldn't budge on the stipulation that you could refuse everything, for any reason at all." Reeve brings a hand up to his chin, in thought. "I believe his exact words were, 'How can I claim to be better than Jenova, if I don't give him that choice'."
Cloud takes a ragged breath, his balled-up fists no longer doing anything for his shaking. "Y-You mean…?"
Reeve nods. "We would have told you the truth when you were ready for it." Sighing again, Reeve offers him a half smile, half grimace. "Though, to be completely honest, I didn't want to get you involved at all. I think you've done enough as it is. But Sephiroth is convinced you're the only one capable of stopping him."
Cloud had every intention of slinking his way back to his dorm room and hiding underneath the thin, scratchy blanket on his bed for the rest of the night. Or at least until his heart stopped pounding and Reeve's revelation no longer rendered him a stuttering mess. Whichever came first. But apparently Gaia had other ideas for him. For he hadn't made it more than 10 steps through his mad dash to the elevator (after offering Reeve a strangled goodbye and some cockamamie excuse about needing time to think) when he found himself connecting with something warm and very, very solid.
"Sorry about that – " But the words and his breath are stolen from him when he looks up and realizes who he had actually run into. "S-S-Sephiroth!"
"Cloud… Are you alright?"
From this close, Cloud can finally see what Vincent, Reeve, and Rhapsodos had all been trying to tell him. The bags growing under the man's eyes, the tension in his shoulders, the pinched look seemingly carved into his face. Sephiroth looks terrible.
It probably wasn't anything his fanclub would notice, sure, but Cloud was so much more familiar with the man. He had to be, when a single twitch or quirk of the man's lips could mean the difference between having a building lobbed at him or finding himself impaled on Masamune once more. So, why had it taken him so long to see the changes this time? He should have noticed. "I-I… I'm f-fine."
"I'm glad to hear that." He doesn't look glad… he looks tired. "You have my apologies, Cloud. Genesis tells me I need to remember to eat regularly, but I thought the two of you would be in the SOLDIER cafeteria… I didn't want to impose."
"Rhapsodos is talking to Hewley – " the words tumble from Cloud's mouth, completely unchecked – "and I had b-b-business with Reeve."
"Oh… I see." There's a crease to Sephiroth's brow, as if he realizes that Cloud came here unsupervised, but he doesn't call him out on it. Doesn't scold him for it. Perhaps because Cloud had reacted so hostilely last time. "The President wants to meet later today. Angeal and Zack aren't due back for another several days, at least, but the President wishes to speak more about you-know-what. Apparently, preparations aren't going as planned."
"Y-Yeah, Vincent told me. I-Is it o-ok if I s-skip today, though?" He doesn't think he can handle being near Sephiroth for much longer. Not right now. Not when he couldn't look at the man without blushing like a damn schoolgirl.
But the weighted silence and the sad, glassy green eyes nearly make Cloud change his mind. Nearly convince him to apologize for something, anything that would make Sephiroth smile again. Smile at him again. But then Sephiroth blinks, and the hold on Cloud is broken. He nods, and Cloud's chance to apologize is lost. "…That's fine. I'll let everybody know."
"Uh… g-good. T-Thanks."
"Also…" Sephiroth shifts… nervously (?) in front of him. "I wish to apologize for my behavior yesterday… and for my fanclub. Normally, I try to ignore all of the attention, but I realize you've been put under a lot of scrutiny because of it… Because of me."
Oh. That's right. The fanclub, the cross-dressing. Cloud had almost forgotten about it. Had almost pushed it to the back of his mind – Reeve's words and the truth about Sephiroth seemed far more important at the time. But now, now it's all he can think about. All he can see, even as the words "N-No, i-it's f-fine" fall from his mouth, unbidden. No, he's far too focused on the appreciation that had been on the man's face, the surprise in his not so lifeless eyes, the breath that had caught in his throat.
And the want that had coursed through Cloud's own body.
Oh.
Gaia.
He wanted Sephiroth to look at him like that.
Cloud sucks in a ragged breath at the realization, not noticing the immediate concern that washes over Sephiroth's face. What does he do now? How does he handle this? Aside from blushing more, that is. He has that down. If he thought his face was red before, it's probably nothing compared to right now.
"Cloud, are you ok?" Sephiroth says, halting Cloud's desperate, internal scrambling for a plan of action. Something that would help him gain the upper hand in this quickly deteriorating encounter with Sephiroth. But now he's left to stare wide-eyed up at the man, his own breath stuttering to a stop this time. "Your face is turning red."
He probably would have been fine if Sephiroth had just stood still. Probably would have managed to stumble his way through an excuse, though with his luck, he probably would have mixed up "I-It's kinda h-hot in here" with "Y-You're kinda h-hot". So, perhaps in hindsight, he'll be grateful that Sephiroth reaches a hand out instead. But for now, all he can to do is jerk away, overwhelmed and just a little afraid – even with the whole truth, the Sephiroth he had come to know (like?) and the one he remembers still fight for dominance behind his eyes. The fire still rages in front of him.
No, he needs more time to think. "S-S-Sorry. I-I-I think I n-need some f-f-fresh air."
And he finds himself running from Sephiroth for the second time in two days.
"Hmm…" Scarlet leans back in her plush chair, one finger running idly over the pendant of her necklace. "First the Turks and now Reeve, too? What a busy little Bugaboo you are," she says to the blond kitten on the security footage. "It's just a shame there's no audio. Or a camera in Reeve's office, really." She sighs. "Is it really so hard to get good help?"
"Ngh…" is her footrest's worthless response, the fool squirming beneath her legs. Honestly, how did he expect her to get comfortable like this?
"Now, Ottoman…" She digs the heel of her shoe into the idiot's back. Only lightly, of course. No way was she going to ruin that perfect softness. Not when his was the only back soft enough to cradle her feet – she knows, she had been through so many footrests. "Do you want my feet to swell up?"
"U-Ugh…? N-No! Of course not, M-Madam D-Director!"
"Then why do you keep moving?" She applies pressure to his back, reveling in the way Ottoman – honestly, she doesn't even remember his real name – nearly buckles beneath her.
But, if there was one good thing about the fool, it was that he knew his place. And with a shaky breath, he pushes himself back into a stable position, and finally. holds. still. "You have my s-sincerest apologies, Madam Director."
"Hmm… good." She drops her hand from her necklace, allowing it to cup one of her breasts before trailing sensually down her body. "Ahh… Otto, you should know by now that I'm very generous to the boys I like. You wouldn't want to lose that privilege by being naughty, now would you?" she asks, returning her attention back to the kitten on the screen in front of her.
"U-Uhh…?" He quivers beneath her again, but she just smirks. She knows the effect she has on him. "O-Of course n-not, M-Madam Director!"
"Good. Now hold still."
.
.
.
"Ohh…? What's this?" She thought this was going to be boring – the boy had been in Reeve's office for a good half hour now. But there was the little blond kitten again, scurrying down the hallway like there was no tomorrow. Scurrying straight into Sephiroth.
Looks like she'll be able to test her theory after all.
"Madam Director." Another idiot – Wyland? Wyborne? Honestly, they all look the same to her – leans over her chair, interrupting her at the worst. possible. time. "Prep – "
"Stop." She throws a hand into the air. "Don't you know how to read a room? We've just come to the best part," she says, motioning to the security footage in front of her.
"O-Oh – "
"Shut up." She orders, her eyes never leaving the screen. Never missing the moment the little kitten jolts away – was it something dear old Sephiroth said? – and flies down the hallway once more. "Kya ha ha! What a frightened little kitten you are!" She sighs happily, her hand finding the emerald necklace nestled in her bosom once more. "Trouble in paradise, indeed!"
This was beautiful. It was exquisite. They wouldn't see anything coming. It was just a shame that the President had found out about Deepground and had the place shut down faster than you could say Promised Land.
Coward. He was nothing compared to his predecessor.
"Uhh…"
Scarlet feels her good mood soured by the continued interruption. Once this was all over, Wyborne (or whatever the hell his name was) was getting demoted. Honestly, what was the point of an officer who didn't know how to follow orders? Though… then again, she supposes he was one of Heidegger's. Maybe she shouldn't be so surprised. She had her own men trained so much better than that.
But, first things first – she guesses the idiot was here for a reason. "Report."
"Uhh… Yes, Madam Director. Preparations are complete. What are your orders?"
"Proceed as planned." Obviously. "Nobody will get in our way. Kya ha ha!"
A/N:
- So, there have been a few subtle hints to the fact that Deepground has been taken care of, but I wanted to share my reasoning for that, since I know I haven't exactly expanded on it before. What I'm working with is that most of those with their memories back (Sephiroth, Rufus, etc) remembered around April/May εγλ0000, before Genesis's degradation started in canon (for reference, Cloud started to remember a year later, around April εγλ0001... or rather that's when he started to hear voices of the past (future?)). Then from the timeline I've been looking at, that would have made Rosso ~14/15, Weiss ~13/14, and Nero ~12/13. It also means that Azul hadn't been recruited yet (he doesn't get recruited until March εγλ0001, several months after (and because of) the mass SOLDIER desertion), and Shelke had either only just been kidnapped or hadn't been kidnapped yet, since all I see is she was kidnapped sometime in εγλ0000.
So my thoughts are that Rosso, Weiss, and Nero weren't that strong yet... or rather they weren't as strong as their adult counterparts (I'd also like to think that the torture and the harsh training didn't start until after Genesis's degradation and the mass desertion, so the three were saved the worst of Deepground this time around). Because of this, I figure adult Sephiroth, Angeal, and Genesis shouldn't have had too much trouble subduing them. Vincent had also fought them before (at least their adult counterparts), so he would have given pointers of what to look out for, if not full out helped defeat the three. And since, like I mentioned, I'd like to think that the torture wasn't so bad, wasn't irreparable, that's why in one of the earlier chapters I mentioned that Aerith had helped heal their minds.
- I hadn't meant to have Heather appear again, but I keep getting attached to these OCs of mine.
- Thanks go to Shiary for mentioning Murphy's Law last chapter. You were my inspiration for that Strife's Law line!
- I'm not exactly sure when Zack was born, the timeline I'm looking at just says sometime in εγλ1984. For Aerith, it says February 7th εγλ1985. Then Zack dies late September εγλ0007 and Aerith sometime between December εγλ0007 and January εγλ0008 (though, honestly, I don't understand how the entire events of FF7 could have happened in just one month...). Now, the idea I'm playing with is that Aerith was older than Zack when she died, so, going by Cloud's logic that he's older than Aerith now, that would make Aerith older than Zack. Hence Aerith saying Zack was the youngest.
- I saw an interview (or a transcript of one) where Motomu Toriyama (co-director and scenario designer of the Remake) talked about Scarlet's human footrest. "He's a specially chosen soldier who's assigned to be her footrest and help ensure her feet never get swollen, and who's fittingly enough named "Ottoman". Ottoman's back has a unique cushiony softness to it that Scarlet is quite fond of...". Now, I'm not saying the Ottoman in this chapter is the same one in the Remake, I imagine Scarlet wouldn't hesitate to upgrade if she found another trooper with a softer back. I also am of the opinion that "Ottoman" isn't his actual name, but something that has grown to become his name because that's all Scarlet calls him.
- I'd also like to apologize for how this chapter ends, but if it makes it better (probably not), I had a worse cliffhanger in mind. So, you got a better one, yay?
