Sunday was the first day I truly realized I'd be without the General for a while. Physically, at least. Most of our "relationship" had taken place over the phone, so I wasn't devastated—but I still couldn't stop myself from wanting to be with him. To assist him in battle as best as I could. Not that I'd be much help as a Third Class, but that would change soon. Second Class was my top priority.
Leaning back in my chair, I closed my eyes and set my books aside on the desk. 'On a mission with him... We could probably share the same tent or a hotel room... with me as his bodyguard, of course...' I blushed at the thought and couldn't deny where my mind was going. 'Maybe we'd get lost in a forest or the mountains, forced to spend days together… and grow closer in the process...'
The memory of training alone in the forest south of the city came to me. What would it be like if he were there with me? Cold nights, maybe rain… I'd pretend to be freezing and somehow end up in his arms… without any explanation…
'Okay, stop.' I blamed the relaxing music on the radio for making my head fuzzy. But the daydream was intoxicating. I gently pushed against the floor with my foot, causing my chair to swivel slightly, and let myself linger on the warmth of his embrace. His flirty texts still played on my mind. 'Does he do this with anyone else?' He didn't seem like the type, but in person, he was much more reserved. We'd never had the chance to be completely alone, and even the one hug we'd shared outside that night felt like it could've been witnessed by some sleepless bystander. 'Okay, now I'm starting to get paranoid...'
I wasn't ready to cross "in-person flirting" off my mental list just yet. His hints in texts were becoming bolder, and I felt my face heat up just thinking about them. 'Maybe I should reread our messages? No, I need to study.' I shook my head hard and sighed, leaning forward over my desk. My expression must've resembled a confused puppy. 'What is this man doing to me?'
Later, as I prepared to head to Zack's movie night, I noticed a line of buses outside heading toward the main building. 'That must be Sephiroth's transportation for tomorrow.' Shrugging on a light jacket, I called Kunsel's room to remind him I was leaving. He'd been invited as well but declined, opting to study for the same exam I'd be taking. A responsible choice, but I wanted one last evening of fun before the stress set in.
To my surprise, I only counted six people in Zack's apartment, including himself and me. The fact that it was Sunday night probably added its part to it, as some classes would have their exams tomorrow already and not in a week like mine. I guessed that that was some anti-cheating thing, giving different classes different papers on different days so they couldn't tell each other the solutions. Not like 150 questions weren't foolproof enough...
Back to the people present: the small group included Zack, Angeal, Genesis, a girl named Cissnei, and Tseng, leader of the Turks. Despite the businesslike circle they formed around the dining table, the snacks and party games gave the atmosphere a casual vibe. I relaxed as everyone greeted me warmly, and I settled on the couch beside Zack.
My raven-haired friend offered me coke and fruit skewers, telling Angeal to bring the movies so they could decide which one to watch. I pretty much didn't care what genre or movie and Zack knew that I was open minded concerning that matter. In the end, he only owned Blu-Rays of blockbusters, so we would be spared from horrifying B-movies or... Orcanado—Although I'd always wanted to watch that one for the giggles...
Everyone agreed on a random action movie that most likely everyone beside the picker had already watched at least three times, and it wasn't until half into the movie that Zack noticed someone was missing.
"Wait! Seph still not here?!" He almost jumped off the couch, pulling half of the blanket we were sitting on with him.
It took me a few seconds to note the name he had mentioned and for the first time, the thought of the General missing between all these other instructors crossed my mind. My eyes wandered through our group, light being sort of dimmed for the movie's sake – but indeed, the General was missing. "Still", apparently.
When I noticed that the only free seat was next to Zack and me on the couch – Zack, particularly – my heart almost skipped a beat. If he would sit somewhere, it would have to be here, next to me... now I only had to teach that Zack without actually talking. The first step was pretending to yawn, moving a little closer to him to edge him aside a bit. His currently half standing position – hands violently typing into his phone – made this task easier for now without letting my buddy assume that I just wanted to get closer to him. When he least expected it, I moved towards him with a big jolt, effectively shoving him to the right until he hit the armrest, butt landing back on the couch. When I glanced to my left, I saw that my plan had worked, and Zack hadn't even noticed his change of position. Victory was written all over my face.
"Why is he not answering? What is he doing?", he grumbled, moving phone aside again.
The group speculated that Sephiroth might still be packing, though I secretly hoped he'd show up. Movie nights like these were a rare chance to connect with people outside my usual circle. I'd already learned tidbits about Zack's colleagues, like Cissnei being a Turk he had met during a mission, and Genesis being another LOVELESS fanatic. Now I felt bad for Kunsel skipping this occasion, as this instructor also couldn't stop mentioning LOVELESS here and there and that he was a big fan, if not even a bigger one than my roommate. 'I have to tell him what he missed when I get back...', I chuckled to myself.
The only one who wouldn't talk that much was Angeal, of whom I only knew as much as that he had been Zack's instructor, and that the two seemed pretty close, even without many words. The glances they shared alone told a story of loyalty and trust between the two men—something many would envy them for surely.
I was curious if, when Sephiroth showed up, they'd help making him spill out some more about his person as well. After all, I still knew very little about him... beside the obvious facts – so nothing personal. Okay, he liked Zack. His colleagues. And me... He liked flirting in SMS but not in person, he liked driving me insane with his hinting at things but never openly saying them...
I didn't notice that I had apparently closed my eyes in a sort of pained expression until Zack asked me if I needed a headache pill. I shook my head, "No, just a bit anxious about the theoretical exam next week," offering him a smile, sideways glancing at the other instructors.
My raven-haired friend then chose to pat my head, exclaiming "Isn't he cute! Ya got nothing to worry about, Spike. I know you spend enough time studying."
A bit embarrassed, I offered the others a coy smile and pretended to grab my drink.
"Let's continue, he will come sooner or later," Tseng said calmly, moving one of his legs over the other. I still couldn't help feeling a bit weird around all my superiors, but that's what I got for being Zack's friend. Not that I minded that part... Without him, I would probably sit at home all day, not knowing what to do with myself. I also would have never hugged the General, and we possibly wouldn't even talk, well... write the way we did. I really didn't wanna imagine my life without either now...
After the first movie, we took a smoke break, at least for some. Cissnei stayed to find out more about Zack's girlfriend, and asked why he hadn't invited her over today. "She had to do some charity work the whole day and was exhausted, but I will try for next time," he sighed happily, smiling. His red-haired friend giggled and asked him to describe her.
'Love really makes people go crazy,' I thought, leaning forward to set my glass back on the table. My hand stopped short when the glass bumped into something unexpected. Curious, I leaned in to take a closer look.
Purple dice?
My brows furrowed as I picked one up with my free hand, turning it over to read the words etched on its sides. "Lick," one side said. My confusion deepened as I rotated it, revealing others: "Touch," "Kiss." The implications hit me like a freight train, and I nearly dropped the thing.
A glance at the second die on the table didn't help. Its visible faces read "Lips" and, to my dismay, "Nipple."
I was about to scream "What the hell!" before I noticed the smokers entering the room again, and the thought of me mentioning this "game" now probably would not end pleasantly for me. Knowing Zack, he would possibly suggest that we played it... And alone the possibility was nothing I wanted to let happen. 'Don't want to end up a little too close for comfort to the Turk's leader, or Angeal... or their nipples.' Shudders. As soon as said instructor's gaze fell upon my hand that was still holding the one dice, my eyes widened and I moved into my pants pocket with cat-like speed.
"Erm, could you pass me the peanut flips..." I reached out for a snack to distract him, fortunately it worked.
Zack and Cissnei, meanwhile, seemed to have wrapped up their lovebird conversation, thanks in part to Angeal. "Am I glad Sephiroth isn't like that with his girl," Zack joked, earning a laugh from the room. "Who knows what the CdS mission would be like then? After all, she's joining as a medic..."
My mood darkened as much as the room when the lights were dimmed again. 'She is going to be there? And she's a medic? Then she could be around him all the time...' I frowned. Yes, that would explain why he probably wouldn't be able to text. Aside from all the battling and saving the world. Okay, I had to stop with the sarcasm... I already felt as if she was my rival, even though I didn't have the right to. This man was not mine... yet. I smirked, not willing to give up. If I had his sexy messages, then there probably wasn't much going on between the two anymore. That or the possibility of him just being a secret flirter with everyone. I had yet to find that out...
"Well, she lives there," Genesis interjected casually, sipping his soda. "Her parents own the hospital, but also the biggest hotel in the city."
A hotel? Great. My imagination kicked into overdrive, weighing the possibilities. Would they be camping outside, stationed in barracks, or staying in her family's hotel? ShinRa was notoriously tight-lipped about these things, leaving me with endless speculation and zero answers. I didn't even know whether it was a business related mission with the possibility of escalation – or a siege, or... anything. The possibilities were endless.
By the time we were halfway through the second movie, my hope of Sephiroth showing up was dwindling with each passing minute. The clock read past 11 pm. Disappointment sank in, though I tried to reason with myself. He probably had an early morning tomorrow.
Still, I couldn't help but cast glances toward the door, the window, the dark street outside. The idea of him sitting next to me, our legs brushing subtly, was too enticing to ignore. Even catching a glimpse of him before his big trip would be enough. But I didn't want to seem clingy. 'I can handle this,' I told myself firmly. 'I'll study. I'll keep busy. I'll be fine.'
Easier said than done.
When this movie was near its end, I noticed that I had to consider myself satisfied with Zack leaning onto me instead of my General. 'Not the same thing. Definitely not the same thing...'
As the credits rolled on the movie, it was past 1 am. Guests began trickling out, including the instructors, who had class the next day. No one escaped Zack's enthusiastic farewell hugs—except me, of course. I was staying, as usual.
I tossed my bag into the guest room, changed into something comfortable, and prepared to crash for the night. Before I could escape, Zack ambushed me with a bone-crushing goodnight hug.
'Not the hug I wanted,' I thought ruefully, wishing him sweet dreams before slipping under the covers.
Little did I know, the tiny dice still in my pocket would grant me some rather vivid dreams that night...