Late, As Always
Chapter 7 – Redone!

So, here I am again. Due to the Fates weaving a large section of sorrowful threads in my family's tapestry, I will have to work a little harder to keep the melancholy out of my work.

On a positive note, I do have an idea of where I'm headed. Now, I just need to let it out.

The week passed in an absolute haze. Cloud could barely function in class anymore; Sephiroth was ever present in the upper level of the room, tempting Cloud to sneak glances at the man in between furiously scribbled notes. The General was never gazing back, however, he always appeared to have an expression of amusement on his normally stoic face. Cloud knew he was watching.

Around the second or third day, Zack took notice of his friends' game. He even tried to trip Cloud up by calling on him when he knew the boy was gazing up at Sephiroth, but alas! Somehow the blond was taking perfect notes and managing to pay attention to everything being said. Every time, Zack's plan backfired, and Sephiroth beamed with pride when Cloud answered flawlessly. The two truly were meant to be together; Sephiroth also had a knack for knowing exactly what was going on without actively paying attention.

Friday arrived, and Cloud was getting nervous. Sephiroth had said he would text Zack the details (damn his mother for letting him go without a phone! Argh!), but classes were over for the day and… nothing. Maybe it really was just a joke?...

"CLOUD!" Zack screamed, kicking the door down and giving the cadet a heart attack.

"JESUS WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" Cloud yelled back, clutching his chest and panting. "Do you always have to do that?!"

Zack beamed. "Um, duh?"

"You're an ass. Do you have a purpose for scaring the shit out of me or are you just being a pest?"

The First raised an eyebrow. He paused… scratched the back of his head… and then suddenly he remembered.

"Oh, yeah! I totally have a message for you. Sephiroth says he can come get you or you can meet him at the elevator at 7:30 if you don't want people to see him coming here to get you. Your choice, but I need to send him your reply so make up your mind pronto! I have people to see!"

By "people," Cloud imagined he meant Aerith. Zack had been foregoing many a party to spend time with his new flame, something that was very strange. Cloud supposed he and Sephiroth would be hearing a lot more about the girl in the coming days.

"Um, geez… I guess I'll just meet him at the elevator. I don't want him to see how much of a mess you have made this room…"

"Totally uncool, Cloud-man. Only part of this is my mess."

Cloud raised his eyebrows and gave his friend a very pointed look.

"Ok," Zack conceded. "Maybe a big part."

Cloud watched as Zack's fingers flew furiously over his phone. A moment later, it chirped in response.

"Sephiroth says that's fine, and that he knows the mess is mine," Zack read, laughing. "That man knows me far too well, I'm serious. Anyway, have fun on your date! I have something to build."

"It's not a date!" Cloud yelled after him. He could hear the First laughing down the hallway.

Not a date, my ass, Cloud told himself as he hurried to jump into the shower. Two hours was not enough time to make himself look flawless for this very important day. He had better hurry.

…

By 7:15, Cloud was panicking. He knew he looked good. He knew that Sephiroth was interested, sending him flying over the biggest hurdle. Still, he couldn't stop the butterflies from raving in his stomach. This was a huge deal.

Should he head to the elevator? Sephiroth seemed like the type of person to be extremely punctual, and yet it was still a little early… However, if he didn't leave soon, Cloud would likely pace a path in the floor…

Cloud ran a hand over his face and took a deep breath. The whole situation was very stressful. Across the room, Cloud's Xanax called his name. Eat me! You'll feel better! Tempting though the offer was, Cloud shook his head. Not today. Dr. Graves had been teaching him how to deal with major stressors on his own, so that he hardly needed the medication anymore. Tonight he wanted to feel every small flicker of emotion. This was special; he needed to be aware of all the details.

Enough agonizing. With one last wistful glance at the medication on his dresser, Cloud squared his shoulders, grabbed his keys and left the dorm, locking the door on his way out. It was 7:21. Early, but not eagerly so.

As Cloud walked, a million things ran through his mind. What were they going to do? He assumed it was a quiet night in. Everyone else talked about how first dates were supposed to be about getting to know the other person… But then Cloud remembered the other cadets talking about other things… His heart sank. What if Sephiroth expected those things? The General was a good deal older than Cloud, and likely had already experienced them.

Physical action might still be off the list for Cloud. Sure, he had been working at resolving most of the issues that Blair had left behind, but it wasn't as if he had someone that wanted to get into his pants, so he had no idea how it was going to pan out.

On the other hand, it was safe to assume that Sephiroth knew about what had happened and perhaps he wouldn't even push the issue. That would be the ideal outcome.

The elevator was in sight. Cloud's heart began racing.

It dinged as he was about 20 feet away. Cloud's heart briefly stopped. A single, leather-clad foot held the door open.

The blond took a deep breath and slipped through the doors, turning to face the other person in the elevator. What he saw immediately drew a gasp: Sephiroth was wearing simple dark wash jeans and a button down shirt that was casually left unbuttoned near the top. It left beautiful collarbones exposed, entrancing Cloud for a moment.

"Oh. My. GAWD. Sephiroth, you own things that aren't black leather?!" Cloud exclaimed, immediately scuttling over to poke at the Generals casual attire.

Bursting into laughter, Sephiroth batted the boy's hands away. "Of course I do. Do you think I like to be in full uniform all the time?"

"Aside from that," he continued, eyes softening somewhat, "I thought it would be less intimidating. I want you to be at ease."

Cloud gazed starry-eyed up at his superior. "Thanks. I appreciate it. So, what's on the agenda for today?"

Shifting uncomfortably, Sephiroth pulled a face. "Well, I… prepared dinner. I thought it would be better than the slop they feed you in the mess hall. It's a warm night, for the time of year. I figured we could sit on the balcony? Midgar is rather beautiful at night, especially from this altitude."

Totally impressed, Cloud nodded quickly. "That sounds wonderful. I can't wait!"

As they approached Sephiroth's home, the heavenly smell of whatever he had cooked up hit Cloud like a freight train. Suddenly, his stomach was ravenously growling away. Sephiroth glanced down at the cadet, briefly eyeing his stomach.

"Hungry, I assume?"

Another angry rumble issued from Cloud, making him giggle. "Um, I guess. I wasn't until I got a whiff of whatever is going on in there."

"It's nothing particularly fancy; I didn't want to seem overzealous. Salad, chicken parmesan and garlic bread," Sephiroth clarified as the door opened.

It was horribly difficult to resist chasing after the smell of dinner. Cloud instead kicked off his shoes and neatly placed them by the door and took a look around at the familiar room as Sephiroth disappeared off to the left. In his panic, Cloud hadn't noticed before that what Sephiroth had called his office was actually the main living space. There wasn't any place for seating, any television. Just… a very large, very pristine office space. That struck Cloud as a little odd, but then again, Sephiroth wasn't your average person.

Unsure of what do to, Cloud wandered over to the wall of books. There had to be hundreds! They were meticulously organized by genre and he was surprised to see that the General had a little bit of everything. When Cloud was about halfway through the seemingly endless shelves of books, Sephiroth appeared at his shoulder, smiling.

"Would you like to join me on the balcony?" he asked, pulling Cloud of out his trance.

"Oh! Absolutely! I didn't even know you were setting up," Cloud replied sheepishly. "I guess I was totally lost to the world over here. There are sooo many books! And they're all so varied."

They walked together out to the big, beautiful balcony overlooking the heart of Midgar. Sephiroth had everything laid out and waiting for the pair. Cloud tried his hardest to dig in politely, not wanting to look like a Neanderthal this early on. Noting this, Sephiroth snickered.

"In response to your observation," Sephiroth began, continuing on their conversation, "reading was the only thing I was allowed to do outside of training. I spent sixteen excruciatingly long years under the strict eyes of the lab team. Imagine how many books one can collect in that time. Believe it or not, I culled the herd and kept the ones I enjoyed most."

Cloud hummed around a mouthful of food to acknowledge what his date had said. Once he swallowed and took a sip of water, he was able to reply.

"So, I mean, I noticed a lack of a television. And…casual furniture. This might sound crude, but is that a continuation of old habits, lack of free time, or..?"

Sephiroth thought for a moment. "Not particularly. Well, I do suppose it has something to do with a lack of free time. I don't often spend time here. However, I do find that on the rare occasions that I have intelligent company, televisions tend to take away from enriching interactions. As far as furniture goes… well, I've never really thought about it."

The phrase "intelligent conversation" sent Cloud into a fit of giggles. The only person that could be referring to was Zack.

"I'm glad you caught that," Sephiroth said, laughing lightly as well. "So, what of you, Cloud? How do you pass time?"

The cadet made a face. "Well, to be honest, I wouldn't really say I have many hobbies. Nibelheim is horrifically boring. Major snoozeville. Then, I came here at my earliest opportunity and now all I do is train and study."

"Earliest opportunity? Was it that bad?" Sephiroth probed.

A very heavy silence fell, causing Sephiroth to wonder if he shouldn't have asked. Cloud was worrying at his bottom lip, eyes cast down into his food. As Sephiroth was about to retract his question, the boy pursed his lips, took a deep breath and nodded. He looked up, big blue eyes sad.

"I never had any friends. You have to understand: there are literally about twenty houses in Nibelheim, and not all of them had kids in them. Really, there were only about six or seven kids near my age, and they all hung out together." Here, he paused, a bitter expression twisting his usually serene features. "There's a girl, Tifa. She runs the whole group. That girl always excluded me from everything, and because she didn't like me, nobody did."

Another silence. Cloud shook his head, painful memories surfacing.

"That's all over now. I have friends here. I do well at my studies. And now, here I am. It's surreal, but I suppose the universe felt it owed me something after all the shit it started me off with," Cloud concluded, laughing.

As they finished eating, Sephiroth realized that he and Cloud were so much more alike than he originally thought. Perhaps it was why they seemed to have a strong bond so quickly. It certainly put him more at ease, giving him reason to open up as well. That in itself was a monumental thing, whether Cloud knew or not.

Midgar's upper plate was bustling beneath them, drawing Cloud's attention as Sephiroth cleaned up the table. Leaning over the pretty wrought iron railing, he could almost see between the plates into the slums. Zack was probably down there now, spending time with Aerith. Faint beats from the varied clubs' dance music drifted up to meet Cloud's ears. People scurried from place to place. Why was everyone always in such a hurry?

Sephiroth sidled up next to Cloud, also leaning against the railings and gazing down at the city.

"Does it seem trivial to you?" Sephiroth asked. "We have a purpose. We are military. We risk our lives for these people so that they may run around without the burdens that we bear. I admit, I do often wonder if it's all worth it."

Well, that was certainly deep.

"Of course it's worth it," Cloud answered quickly. "What would we have to fight for if not these people? An empty planet? Ourselves?"

Cloud's answer impressed Sephiroth. "Perhaps you're right. I may have lost sight of what we're truly here for. These things to happen after years of war, strife, and ridiculous politics within the company you're forced to serve."

Glancing quizzically up at Sephiroth, Cloud's raised eyebrows asked every question he couldn't quite manage to get out.

"Cloud," Sephiroth began, turning his back on the city, "ShinRa abuses us. They experiment on us to create the strongest military worldwide. They work us until we're dropping dead and then throw us away like we never existed. All the President cares about is how much cash is going into his pocket, and just how much land he controls. ShinRa forces the world to convert to mako energy, something that a great many people say damages our planet, and puts down anyone that does not cooperate with the grand scheme.

"ShinRa is the reason I no longer have two of my closest friends. ShinRa forced me into the role of The General. I didn't want any of this. Genesis hated me for it. The rift opened then, and kept getting larger. Nothing I did would close it. He and Angeal were best friends, and it didn't take much for Angeal to follow him into madness. Zack is the only person that remained by my side, though I tried valiantly to push him away on many occasions. I forced him to face down his mentor, his best friend. I couldn't handle it. I'm glad he didn't leave, but I'll never admit that to him.

"My personal favorite? There are many things that I don't understand about myself. Hojo, under orders from the company, keeps those secrets very well guarded. They know it keeps me here, like a dog on a leash. It infuriates me, but the truth is, I have nowhere to go. I don't know what I'd do if I weren't here. This is literally all I know."

Unsure of how to respond, Cloud scooted closer to Sephiroth, snuggling into the taller man. It was a simple gesture, but it said everything. Sephiroth smiled, gazing down at the smiling blond and raising his arm so that Cloud could snuggle closer. The boy happily did so, sighing as he settled in, looking back down at the beauty of the city below with Sephiroth's arm wrapped around him.

"What about you?" Sephiroth asked at length. "I imagine things aren't all butterflies and rainbows for you."

There it was. Cloud knew this would come up. He was ready. Doctor Graves told him this day would come, that his relationships may be affected by what happened if he kept it bottled up. No way was he going to let that happen. Not with Sephiroth.

"Not so much, no," Cloud began slowly. "I was just settling in nicely when… when I was attacked by what I believe to be a member of SOLDIER. Raped."

Sephiroth's arm tightened around Cloud's shoulder. The cadet could feel the controlled rage in his superior's grip. He peeked up through his spikes to see that Sephiroth's teeth were clenched.

"I don't know who he was. I don't know why he did it. All I know is that I woke up in the med ward and the next few weeks were absolute hell. But I'm better now. I can handle it."

By that point, Sephiroth was snarling.

"Cloud, if anyone ever finds out who that lowlife is, believe me when I say he will not want to live when I am finished with him," he ground out. "Are you positive he was SOLDIER?"

"Absolutely. His brown eyes had the mako glow," Cloud confirmed, nodding.

Minutes passed in silence. It wasn't uneasy, but there was a certain tension to the air. Cloud felt far better than he thought he would, considering where he was just a few weeks ago. Sephiroth, however, seemed to be struggling. It was probably a good time to change the subject.

"So," Cloud's melodic voice drifted through the darkness obscuring Sephiroth's thoughts like a ray of sunshine, "what about relationships? I mean, I really don't have any experience there, but you're… well, you're YOU. I bet people throw themselves at you every day."

Blinking, Sephiroth briefly wondered why everyone always assumed he was always so… romantically popular. "I suppose they do, but I've never been interested. I imagine I'm just as inexperienced as you are."

"Seriously?" Cloud asked, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I find that extremely hard to believe. I don't think you'd lie to me, though. I guess it's sort of romantic, if you think about it. Either that or extremely pathetic."

A deep, rumbling laugh came from Sephiroth. After all, Cloud was right. There he was, in his thirties with no real dating experience to speak of. If he spun it just right, he could claim that he was a serious romantic and was just waiting for the right person to come along… yeah, that didn't suit him at all. A romantic the General could be, but that theory crossed into the realm of extremely pathetic. It was a lie, to boot.

"Well, that just means we can figure this out together," Sephiroth concluded. "It'll be an adventure!"

At that, Cloud began to laugh as well. "Absolutely! I'm all for it if you are. Although, I think there's one thing we should at least figure out before we jump in feet first, ya know?"

Sephiroth was silent, hiking an eyebrow in question.

"Short term… or long term?"

It didn't take long at all for a quick response of "long term, definitely." Cloud beamed. While it would have been acceptable to be anything at all for the General, Cloud had to admit that he was really hoping for something on a more permanent basis. Everything was just so surreal.

Hours passed while Cloud and Sephiroth snuggled up on the balcony, completely lost in conversation. They dug deep into each other's lives, soaking in every detail imaginable. Sephiroth hated white; it reminded him of the med staff and the sterile walls of the facilities they kept him in. Cloud was the spitting image of his mother, whom he missed terribly. Sephiroth heard rumors that Hojo was his father, but he saw pictures in ShinRa's files of a Turk named Valentine that had the same features as him. Cloud lived under the constant worry that he wouldn't make SOLDIER and would just be that loser boy that no one wanted to hang out with. Both of them had a secret crush on Zack.

Eventually, people started to filter out of the clubs far below. Cloud started. Was it that late already? He supposed time really did fly when someone was having fun. Sure enough, his watch read 02:17.

"Wow. It's so late!" Cloud exclaimed. "I've been having such a good time, though, I didn't even notice."

Sephiroth was equally as surprised. He hummed in agreement. "Indeed. I'm glad you came by. I wasn't sure you'd want to. I had you figured for a person that would appreciate a quiet night in over the bustle of the city below. Hopefully I wasn't wrong in that."

"Yeah, you're right. I mean, it is fun once in a while, but as a rule, I don't really like to partake in the shenanigans most people my age do."

They meandered toward the door, falling once again into conversation. Every time Cloud went to leave, they got into another lengthy discussion. Neither of them truly minded; they didn't particularly want to part anyway.

"I am being sent on a two week mission with Zack come Monday morning," Sephiroth said, frowning. "So I won't be available next weekend. However, I will be home the weekend just prior to Christmas, and on Christmas as well. I don't know if you plan to return home for the holiday…"

Cloud shook his head. "Mom's heading to Costa del Sol for the holiday as a treat to herself. She told me she hasn't had a vacation in sixteen years."

Sephiroth chuckled. "Yes, well… perhaps we could visit downtown Midgar when I return and make some plans for the holiday? I usually spend it here with Zack, unfortunately. On the upside, perhaps he'll spend it with his new lady friend this year."

The pair finally made their way to the elevator, getting in and heading for Cloud's floor. Sephiroth had a few worries niggling away at the back of his mind and chose to voice them before things got too far.

"You realize, Cloud, that I am frequently away on missions," he said, watching the boy's face closely.

"I'm aware," the cadet replied, nodding somberly. "I don't have to like it, but this is your career and you are a very important person. It… makes the time you're here special, right? I think that's what people say."

Silence fell again. When they reached Cloud's floor, Sephiroth held the door open. They both hesitated. Cloud jingled his keys nervously, glancing quickly at Sephiroth with a strange look in his eye…

Dude, that's the signal! Zack's voice screamed in Sephiroth's mind. The First took it upon himself to "school" Sephiroth on the signs that someone wanted to be kissed before this date. Completely ridiculous information, according to the General, but perhaps there was something to it… But make sure you go easy on the kid. You know what he's been through.

Looking around quickly, Sephiroth confirmed that no one else was prowling the halls at this late hour. He leaned in very slowly, waiting to make sure Cloud was on board with what was about to happen. In response, Cloud stood up on tip toe, trying to meet Sephiroth somewhere in the middle, blue eyes falling halfway closed in anticipation.

Their lips touched, ever so gently.

A bolt of lightning may as well have hit them at that moment. For such a chaste action, it was ridiculously intense. When they pulled away, it was clear that they had both felt the force of their attraction.

Several moments passed in dazed bliss before Cloud cleared his throat, smiling up at Sephiroth.

"I suppose I should go," he said, slightly breathless.

"Unfortunately," Sephiroth acquiesced. "See you in a few weeks?"

"Of course!"

Sephiroth nodded, smiling a rare smile. "Until then, Cloud. I look forward to it."

…

Hours later, as the sun was rising, Cloud was still awake. Sleep was impossible; that kiss had his mind reeling. Endless fantasies played in his head. The blond turned over once again, sighing.

Far above, Sephiroth was in a similar predicament. If only Cloud could have stayed… Sephiroth grabbed a book from his bedside table, resigning himself to the fact that sleep would likely never come.

AN: We are in the home stretch, guys! I'm thinking maybe 2 or 3 more chapters. Thank you to everyone who has supplied me with good info, and lots of support. It means a lot to me!