Happy Holidays everyone!

This is a bit more of a longer chapter.

Also, I know I'm evil... muahah.

A bit unsure about the rating, since I'm still only hinting, I don't think it's M material yet... (it will be later!) .. Just let me know when you think it's appropriate to change XD

Anyway, enjoy! Review for updates C: and let me know what you think.

Suddenly, I felt a hand under my chin and another arm wrapping around me. When I opened my eyes, I looked exactly into Sephiroth's glowing ones. The color and glow was mesmerizing, I didn't even notice how my eyelids slowly dropped until his face was barely away from mine anymore. Warm lips pressed against mine, the hand from my chin traveling up into my hair. I didn't really know how to respond, until...

... I shot up from my bed, straight into a sitting position.

'Woah, what the hell was that about...' I panted lightly, feeling really hot all of sudden. Talking about hot... I looked down between my legs 'Hum... time for a cold shower...'

I looked at my blushing self in the mirror before entering the cabin.

'Not good...' I closed my eyes and what appeared before them... were glowing green-blue ones. I opened mine again 'No, definitely not good...' and turned the water colder, as if to wash that dream off me. 'I can't let that happen, I can't fall for him...'

My hand rose up to my lips by its own, touching them gently. 'That's how it felt... So warm... and soft...'

Even with the cold water, I felt my body temperature rising again.

'No, no! Bad Cloud! Stop that!' I managed to shake my head semi-free of the silver haired man, proceeding with the usual shower procedure instead.

'I have training in a few hours. Can't start thinking of him that way all of sudden. Beside, it wasn't real...'

I caught myself feeling a tiny bit of disappointment washing over me. Instead of letting it take over, I tried to distract my little spiked head with the eagerness I felt to start my field training. Passing the exam at the end of the semester would allow me to rise to 2nd Rank and therefore get more exciting missions to participate in.

Of course they would get more dangerous as well, but I was really eager nevertheless.

Getting out of the shower, I rubbed my hair as dry as possible and went to the cafeteria.

I searched the rows for a spiky black head which I spotted at his usual place.

"Zack!" Running towards him, I saw him turn around and wave enthusiastically. "Hey!"

I placed my tray next to him and sat down.

"How's your training going? When's your test?", he asked, smiling.

I couldn't keep the grin from my face. "I've got my first field training today at two. As for the test... Well, I still have some books to finish."

"Ohh yeah, you mentioned that training! With the great Sephiroth himself." Zack spoke in a deep voice and stood with one foot on the bench. "The great King Sephiroth!" He exclaimed, getting weird looks from everyone around him. Knowing who the source was, however, they quickly turned to their food again.

"Ahh, don't be exaggerating, Zack... People are staring..." I waved my arms in order to make the other man sit down again. "Please..."

The raven haired SOLDIER smirked and moved back to his old position. "Sorry, sorry. But you seemed so excited about it." A phone buzzing was heard.

"Talking about Seph..." he flopped it open. "Yeah, it's him again..."

I watched Zack type for like a minute until I couldn't keep away my curiosity anymore and peeped at the screen. At the end of Zack's novel, it read "See you later darling :* " 'Yup, with a kiss face at the end...'

"Uhm..."

Zack saw that I was looking and started grinning.

"Isn't he gonna kill you for that?" I drew my eyebrows together, looking slightly puzzled but worried at the same time.

The older SOLDIER started laughing, which didn't exactly help.

"Nah, he's really chill. I write stuff like that all the time. He always ignores it, obviously, but it's kinda fun. You should try too sometime." He winked at me, earning a wide eyed look from me.

"What!... I don't even really know him..." I tried to remember what I actually DID know about him. Other than the obvious, I knew he was a good instructor, being strict but respectful and friendly at the same time. Not the Zack or Kunsel kind of friendly, bu he was not an ass. From outside ShinRa, in TV, he had always seemed cold and like a professional - which he was. He wasn't bathing in praise from being a hero and it definitely hadn't turned him arrogant. But he still seemed like someone to approach carefully...

Zack took a sip out of his ice tea. "Oh yeah, you aren't that close to him... Yet!" He grinned and threw the empty cup into the trash 10 meters away with an eagle's precision.

"... Don't think that field training is gonna get me so close to him" I mumbled, looking down in hopes not to blush.

"Aw, but you have his phone number, don't you? I think all his field training students do."

He placed an arm over my shoulder which I tried to shake off. "Yeah, but it'd look weird as hell if I asked him about himself. Or sent him kiss-faces..." I sneered sideways in his direction and Zack laughed again.

"True that. Well, maybe I can tell you a little something later tonight at my apartment. But you're gonna have to report everything about your FT!"

"FT?" I asked.

"Field training. We're lazy here at SOLDIER, too, you know? But don't tell Seph I told you that." The raven haired man laughed, getting up.

I chuckled "Sure".

"So, about that phone number of yours? Thought you didn't have a new cell yet?" He stopped me at the door.

"Just got it a few days ago."

After exchanging numbers, I waved him my goodbyes and left to spend the last hour before my FT studying.

I was half expecting to get annoying SMS from Zack but none came. "Maybe I gave him my old one..."

As the time passed, I got more and more nervous. Now I remembered my dream as well... and honestly hoped, for my dignity and that of my pants', it wouldn't happen during the training.

Thankfully, ShinRa offered pretty baggy pants where nothing unnecessarily stood out to cause weird situations.

Not wanting to think about that anymore, I dug into my books for the last 40 minutes before heading out into the mountains.

I wasn't really sure where the center was yet, but I had left enough time to find out, 30 minutes to be exact. Since a bus owned by the company drove up there, I was at least not forced to waste time walking all the way.

When we arrived at the bus stop "Field Training Center", my question about the whereabouts was cleared as well.

Once I was inside, I passed a man at the counter my ID and went on.

There were a few different rooms, one looking like a gym which was filled with SOLDIERS that were training on their own or with a partner, seemingly 2nd class.

One room further was built like a city with wrecked cars, buildings and lots of possibilities to hide - probably for gun training.

The third room lead to the outside of the Center and to the mountain, some 1st class SOLDIERS were waiting for their instructor.

Arriving at the last room which resembled a mountainy landscape with dirt and stones on the floor, I spotted Sephiroth inside. Looking at the time, I saw that I was still 10 minutes early.

He had already seen me coming and was getting up, walking towards some kind of locker.

"Hey", he greeted me.

"M-morning." A sudden pang of nervousness hit me. 'Get your shit together, Cloud...'

A small smirk. "Morning? It's almost two, though..." He muttered the second part of the sentence and I scratched the back of my neck.

"No need to be nervous. During the first field training, most you will do is watch me. I'll be showing you some battle poses and basic techniques, which you will get to repeat later on."

I swallowed and nodded precariously.

My instructor moved to the sword stand where he had apparently placed his Masamune.

He took it out of its sheath with the gracefulness of honey, I was watching him in awe already - even though the field training hadn't even started yet.

After he had settled into a good standing position, he started explaining me the basics which I already knew about from theory class - just not in practice.

I tried to imitate his position as perfectly as possible and looked into his eyes to search for any sign of approval.

It came in form of a nod and I smiled triumphantly. 'It's something...'

Once Sephiroth had explained me why a good posture was important, he did some kind of flicking his finger... and a holographic monster appeared, a medium-sized lizard.

As soon as it was spawned, its eyes fixated on Sephiroth and it gave out a snarl, leaping forward.

The General kept standing perfectly still until the monster was at eye level, then he whipped out his legendary Katana and cut the enemy in half.

"You have to keep your stance when an enemy attacks, try to dodge or kill it. If it's very muscular or taller than a meter, I suggest dodging first, as it probably won't die in one hit..."

I watched him summon another, this time very small mammal-like creature. It looked like some kind of rat or bunny, but not very dangerous...

"Never underestimate your enemy, especially not if you're still inexperienced. Now, go ahead and try what I've taught you.", Sephiroth said and sat down on a bench at the side of the hall.

I nodded and took my posture. When I thought I was ready, I nodded to Sephiroth and he ordered the creature to run towards me.

'Okay, it's small, but I am not experienced and don't have a sword as strong as his... So...'

When the rat-bunny was at eye level, I rose my training sword...

… To block its attack by holding the sword in front of my body. When I felt the weight hit it, I used my wide-legged stance to powerfully push the monster back and send it flying. It hit the wall hard and fainted.

"Wow, uhm... So, that was a counter-attack rather than blocking..." I turned my head to find a puzzled Sephiroth who had even gotten up from the bank.

That was the first time I had seen him somewhat speechless and I grinned proudly.

"Not quite what I had imagined, but effective nonetheless... Good job.", he admitted and sat back down, flicking his finger to summon a bigger monster, the lizard he had killed.

"Well, my idea was to block it, since I'm still a beginner... but then I noticed that I could probably use the force the monster put into the attack against it." I scratched the back of my neck, feeling flattered, and went back to the fighting stance.

"Yes, that's great, but watch out for heavier enemies, it won't work with all of them. But that's something you have to learn by experience." He said and I couldn't miss the somewhat proud look he gave me, despite the lecturing speech.

This time I blocked the mob until it fell on its back, where I took my chance and stabbed it in the stomach.

"Always aim for the throat, heart or head. As for small monsters, anything is probably fine, once it's on its back." Sephiroth told me and continued to teach me about weak spots, dodging and attacking.

The lesson was over much too soon for my liking, but I gave Sephiroth a big grin when he asked me how it was, and offered me a handshake.

I gladly accepted it and told him that I was eager for the next lesson.

"I'll text you with the time. See you later." He told me when I left the hall, smiling.