Yay!  I have fiddled around, running up and down the stairs with floppy's, and figured what format I had to save in, and AT LAST I have a decent background!!!  It's a gorgeous piece of fanart I found on Smoochies – a topless Sephiroth.  I can't remember who it's by, a Keighley, I think.  That looks wrong though… anyway, to celebrate; I thought I'd do a FF7 fic.  This may be a one-off, though.  I've hardly played the game myself, but I've watched my b-friend playing it, and I did the bit where you have to dress Cloud up in a dress, wig, perfume etc.  Lol.  Most of what I know comes from reading other people's stuff, and from what my mates have said about it.  Mostly what Legolas Nightson – read her stuff if you haven't already, although I think its all Dragonlance, not FF – has told me.

  This is slash!  Only kissing though.  No graphic sex scenes or anything. ^_^

  I don't own FF7, although I do own FF8, lol, and none of the characters belong to me. (Sephy lives in Legolas Nightson's cupboard, I think it is.  I know all the elves live in her wardrobe, and Raistlin lives under/in her pillow, but Seph may live under the bed…)

  I have no idea if girls are allowed into SOLDIER, or if there is sunlight on the practice courts, or anything.  If there isn't, well, sorry.  But I needed those things to make the story work.  Sorry if I've offended anyone, but remember, I haven't played the game properly, so I don't really have a clue.  Don't flame me about it, cos it isn't my fault!

  Btw, Shadowsong, yes, it's another slash fic.  Hehe!  Sorry, but I can't seem to write anything else.  And Legolas Nightson, I hope you don't mind what I've done with 'your' characters.  Lol.

  Sephiroth leaned casually against the chain link fence, watching his cadet run around the hard-court.  It was a boiling hot day, and he could see the heat waves coming off the tarmac.  He could smell fresh cut grass from the practice field, and he could hear a mower.  He was extremely glad that it wasn't him who had to run.  If he had had any say in the matter, no one would train at all on days like this – it was too hot.  If they had to train, at least let them do swimming, instead of running.  But his superiors would never listen.  They had never had to train in the boiling heat; they spent their lives at meetings and in front of computer screens, when they weren't in bed with beautiful young women, of course.

  The sweat was pouring off Cloud, trickling down his slim muscular back and making his arms and shoulders glisten in the sun.  His blonde spiky hair reflected the light, making it almost too bright to look at.  His face was flushed, his eyes large and bright.  He was coming to the end of his sixth lap, four more and he was done.  Sephiroth knew the teen was longing for a shower; he was, and he wasn't even running!

  "You're doing well!" he called as Cloud passed him.  The blonde turned to look over his shoulder at the tall, sliver haired man, leaning against the fence, and grinned.

  His face lights up when he grins, Sephiroth though.   That boy will be a terror to the ladies soon, if he isn't already.  Look at him go!  Heightened by the praise, Cloud had speeded up slightly, and it looked like he was going to be able to keep up the pace too, Sephiroth noted with an experienced eye.  He breathing was controlled, his muscular chest rising and falling steadily. His legs weren't shaking with exhaustion, and he didn't look like he was going to collapse anytime soon.  He will make a great soldier.  Maybe a captain, or something like that.  I can't wait to see what happens as he gets older.

  Two laps to go and Sephiroth was watching Cloud carefully; he didn't want the teen to over exert himself in this heat, he spent far too much time in the infirmary as it was, what with the arm he broke last month, and the shoulder he dislocated the month before.  Sephiroth didn't want sprained muscles or heat exhaustion to be added to the list.

  Finally Cloud rounded the corner one more time, and jogged up to his commander.

  "Ten laps complete, Sir," said Cloud, grinning happily.  He saluted sharply, and stood at attention.  Sephiroth couldn't help smiling back at the enthusiastic young teen; that grin was infectious.

  "Good.  Now, to the showers with you.  I think I'll have one too, my clothes are sticking to me."

  Cloud nodded, and fell into step behind his commander as they headed to the changing rooms.

  As he rinsed the soap out of his long silver hair, Sephiroth found himself wishing that the shower cubicles hadn't been added.  They had got a new shower block two years ago, with separate cubicles, since the girl's showers had been destroyed, and it was decided that, instead of building a new shower block, they would simply renovate the old one. Still, it was a shame, Sephiroth thought, remembering Cloud's muscular shoulders, and his blonde hair shining in the sun.

  Turning off the water, he grabbed his towel and wrapped it around his waist, before shoving the door open and heading to his locker to change.  Cloud was already out, and unlocking his own locker.  His blonde hair was no longer spiked up, and Sephiroth was surprised to see how long it was, past his shoulders.  He looked quite cute with it down.

  Sephiroth opened his locker, and grabbed his usual black clothes.  His sword was hung up on one of the hooks near the door, next to Cloud's.  He glanced over at them, hanging together, as he towel-dried his long hair.  He hated it when it was wet; it dripped everywhere, and was really uncomfortable.

  He wrapped he towel around his head, and slid his boxers on.  He turned back to Cloud, and found that the blonde was staring, open mouthed in admiration.  Cloud blushed under Sephiroth's gaze, making him look irresistibly cute, in Sephiroth's opinion.  Of course, the fact that the slender teen was only wearing a pair of black boxers might have had something to do with it.  He smiled at his embarrassed cadet, and slipped the rest of his cloths on, before heading to the mirror to sort out his tangled hair.  Behind him he could hear Cloud scrambling into his own uniform, and then scrabbling in his bag for something.

  Cloud came over, holding a hairbrush and a tub of hair gel.  He began brushing out his golden hair, his mako blue eyes avoiding the tall man standing next to him.

  "Is your hair naturally that colour?" Sephiroth asked, curious.

  "Yes, sir."

  "I did wonder; it seems so perfect."

  "Perfect, sir?"

  "The colour; gold, but with all different tints.  Coppery and silvery in places.  It's beautiful."

  "I've been mistaken for a girl before.  When I was a kid."

  "Really?"

  "Yeah, some older boys thought they would pick on me," Cloud sounded faintly amused.  He had relaxed enough to drop the 'sir', Sephiroth noticed.

  "What happened to them?"

  Cloud grinned.  "They realised their mistake, Sir."

  So much for relaxing, Sephiroth thought, slightly disappointed.  He wanted to get to know the teen better.  He was faintly surprised with himself; he'd thought, after Vincent, that he was over that.  Oh well, evidently not…

  "No one has ever mistaken me for a girl," Sephiroth commented, sounding slightly disappointed.

  "That's because your face is so masculine, and handsome, not like mine," said Cloud unexpectedly.

  "There's nothing wrong with your face.  You are cute, but in a boyish way.  Having your hair in spikes makes you look…" Sephiroth tailed off, realising that he would say too much if he carried on.  But Cloud was innocent, now, and didn't realise which way their conversation was going.

  "I only put it in spikes to get it out of the way.  Tying it back makes me look like a girl.  I love your hair, it looks so soft."

  Sephiroth turned to face the blonde, not sure what the teen meant.  He was innocent, but surely he could see… evidently not.  There was nothing but admiration shining in those bright blue eyes.  Or was there?  The way Sephiroth was feeling, he couldn't be sure…

  "Why don't you see for yourself?" he asked, trying to keep his voice clam.  Cloud lifted a cautious hand, and stroked the silver locks, still wet from the shower.  In his eyes was the signal Sephiroth had been searching for, want.  But it was mixed with uncertainty and fear.  He didn't want to rush Cloud; he wanted to give the blonde an easy time of it.  The teen had it hard enough, without Sephiroth adding to his troubles.  He raised his hand, and cupped the smooth cheek, caressing it.  Cloud closed his eyes, and lent into the soft touch for a moment, before remembering who he was and where he was.

  "Sir!" he protested weakly.

  "Sorry, Strife.  I should've thought," Sephiroth apologised, begging Cloud with his eyes.  He could only hope that the other got the message.  Apparently so…

  "No, Sir.  It's just… oh, I don't know.  I never thought…" Cloud tailed off.

  "Strife, you are gorgeous.  How could you never think anyone would want you?" Sephiroth asked, reading between the lines.

  "Um... I don't know, Sir."

  "Soldier?" Sephiroth snapped.  Cloud jumped to attention automatically. "You are off duty for the rest of the day.  So you can stop calling me 'Sir'; it gets on my nerves.  Call me Sephiroth, it's my name.  And, who knows?  By the end of the day you may even be calling my Seph."  Or Sephy, he added in his head.  Vincent called me Sephy.  I wonder what it would be like to have Cloud call me the same nickname?

  "Sephiroth?" Cloud tried.  The name rolled off his tongue, and the way he said it made it sound almost like a caress.  Sephiroth smiled, and ran his fingers through the golden hair that had first attracted his attention.

  "Yes?"

  "Um… about the wanting me bit… I dunno if I want…"

  "Of course.  I won't rush you.  You tell me what you want.  Ok?"

  "Ok.  I want… I don't know what I want."

  I know what I want.  Sephiroth thought, staring at Clouds soft lips.  He wanted to see what they felt like, but he had promised Cloud that he could set the pace.  The teen looked extremely confused, and nervous.  It made him look extraordinarily cute.  He hesitantly slipped his arms around Sephiroth's waist and tilted his face up to look into the glowing green-blue eyes.  The sliver haired man leaned down and brushed Clouds lips lightly with his own, before pulling away; he didn't want to rush the beautiful teen.  But a hand was slid around the back of his head, guiding his head down for another kiss.

  They stood like that for a while, just kissing, the kisses getting deeper.  Cloud was surrounded by Sephiroth's long silver hair.  He looks like an angel, Sephiroth thought between kisses.  Then they heard the door open.  They jumped apart and whirled around to see who it was.  Sephiroth was annoyed, and ready to yell at, demote or injure whoever it was, depending on who they were.  Cloud was blushing furiously.

  Vincent just stood there, his mouth open in shock.  He looked hurt, and furious.

  "So you leave me, claiming that you are no longer gay, but you just happen to be kissing another man?" he yelled, waving his claw in Cloud's general direction.

  "Vin, it's not like that!" Sephiroth protested.

  "What is it like then?"

  "Um…  I didn't want to break up with you.  But…"

  "But what? I'm a beast?  You knew that when you started it, Sephy!  You said you were ok with it!"

  "Sephy?" Cloud asked.

  Vincent looked at him, and some of the anger and hurt drained out of his face.  He smiled, slightly, and then looked back at his ex-boyfriend.

  "Mind you, I can see why… you sure know how to pick them, Sephy."

My first FF7 fic!  Sorry if you didn't like it, and I guess they are all extremely OOC, if characters from games even have characters.  Please R&R, I want to know how bad I am at writing FF7 stuff.  You just click the button on the bottom left and tell me what you think.  Have a cookie while you're at it.