FINAL FANTASY VII

Rousing the General from his slumber was a perilous adventure, and today it was 2nd Class Zack Fenrir's job. He cringed slightly at the sound of his feet creaking softly on the floor of the General's private quarters and seeing the bedroom door ajar he was almost certain that all manner of sharp pointy death waited on the other side. As a 2nd Class SOLDIER Zack was routinely elected to do the more painstaking jobs, assigned to him in jest by the 1st Class SOLDIER's. Most of the time it was retrieving the General from sleep or getting back confiscated items by sneaking into Sephiroth's office in the dead of night... and always walking into the horror of finding the green eyed male looming with a playful smirk over him. This particular morning it hadn't even cracked dawn before the voice of his roomie was heard in the attempt to fabricate a reason as to why Zack was NOT there. And this was also the reason as to why he was given the task on the morning after a tedious recon mission in Gongaga... while the General recovered much needed sleep from his three straight days of patrolling. Zack sidestepped a weaker spot in the floorboards from memory and found himself once more at the bedroom door and wondering vaguely why the General never locked his doors, he closed his eyes and pressed a hand on the door, wondering why this time it was open, and pushed. Behind him a creak in the floorboards brought Zack almost to the ceiling in cat like fashion, he knew it was the small house settling but was still paranoid, it was then a cool hand landed on his bare arm.

"And what... Zackary… are you doing?" The cool voice caused Zack to pale to almost deathlike color and he turned slowly to face the person.

"Sir... I was told that some of the 1st Class SOLDIER's needed to consult you about tactical..."

"Silence." The order was issued and Zack's mouth clamped shut obediently, the slender hand still where it had landed, he stared at the General's chest as he waited for further instructions, "Since I am rather pleased with being here instead of trudging in wilderness without sleep... I'll let you off easy."

"Sir?" Zack whispered, lifted his blue eyes carefully to assess the damage about to be wreaked upon his body.

"A soft reprimand and a warning never to sneak in my quarters again... should suffice." Sephiroth continued, a gently stare that was laced with sleep was given to the younger and he removed his hand from Zack's arm.

For the first time since the General scared the life out of him, Zack was able to give a head-to-toe inspection of what a sleep deprived Sephiroth was. The standard issue SOLDIER pants still clothed half the General, though they were slung low on his hips revealing wisps of silver hair and the younger raised his eyes up toned and faintly chiseled muscles and broad shoulders to the yawn that seemed awkward from a mouth of full lips.

"Zackary... What are you doing now?" Sephiroth queried his voice low from sleep and his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Nothing." Zack whispered keeping his voice down and he could see the disbelief in his superior's eyes. The silver haired General merely narrowed his eyes at Zack and shook his head, his hair shimmering in the light as it shook slightly with his head.

"You are a horrible liar Zack." Sephiroth laughed softly and he turned his back on Zack to flick off the light in the small bathroom then turned quickly forward as if not trusting the young SOLDIER, "Talk to me."

"I don't think that it's a suitable topic... sir." Zack replied automatically, feeling a flush rise to his face and he lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Sit and talk Soldier." Sephiroth ordered, narrowing emerald to chocolate and motioning towards the sofa with a finely toned arm and a slight stretch of visibly taut muscles.

"Are you stressed?" Zack questioned coming towards the General and passing him to sit comfortably on the smooth leather.

"Would you be after three straight days of dealing with incompetent troops in the middle of nowhere with no chance of sleeping?"

Zack smiled rather casually, "I suppose I would."

Sephiroth nodded and dropped lazily to the cushion beside him and turn his head just enough to stare carefully with both emerald cat eyes before leaning back against the leather. Zack inhaled slowly as the snowy skin slid over the leather and the General smirked at him and pulled his hair up to expose a long slender neck before dropping it back into place and smirked again. "Enjoying the view I see." Sephiroth whispered and Zack jumped slightly at the announcement, "So tell me... why do you sneak when you intend to wake me?"

Zack looked towards the ceiling in thought, wondering how to answer the posed question without seeming like a horny Cadet, "I like watching you..." he answered, objective failed and he closed his eyes.

"Ah." Sephiroth made the noise in acceptance and he crossed pale arms across his chest in a way that, in anyone else, seemed uncomfortable, "That's not a crime you know."

"I know..."

"However it IS against base policy to be involved with any SOLDIER in any other way than as a SOLDIER... most especially the commanding officer..."

"Whoa!" Zack protested, raising two hands in defense, "I said nothing about being involved."

Sephiroth chuckled, "Merely speculation."

"Speculation? About a relationship?"

Another chuckle and Zack was glaring insubordinately, which made the General's smirk widen slightly, "You are all bristled up... not unlike a cat." Zack whined in objection to this and turned away.

"Bastard." Zack breathed and he felt the cool hand rap him hard between the shoulder blades with open palm and he cried out sharply before whirling to face the General, "Sir?"

"I heard that you know." Sephiroth noted, relieving Zack's spine of the unbearable pressure on the cervical vertebrae, "And that's not something you should call a superior."

"So punish me." Zack teased his face paling at the glimmer in the General's eyes and he dove over the arm of the Sofa and made a quick break for the door. Stumbling through it he chanced a look back and Sephiroth was up and following, he stared weakly at the two 1st Class SOLDIER's that stood to the side waiting and he disappeared over the hill that went down to the training course. He heard two practiced announcements of "Sir." then turned to see the General just coming over the ridge and he let out a miserable noise before ducking into the trees and zigzagging through the foliage. He came out into freshly cut grass and turned in circles looking for his silent assailant, knowing full well that Sephiroth was lurking in the shadows waiting. Sure enough he felt arms around his waist and he hit the ground hard, he shifted beneath the General and stared up at the much larger man with a weak look of determination and began to shift his body jerkily to free himself.

"Punish you?" Sephiroth whispered, his breath slightly labored, mostly from holding down the struggling SOLDIER and he leaned down so that he was within a few inches of Zack's face, showering the younger man in silky waves of silver, "I think I might enjoy that way too much." Zack whined loudly but had ceased the struggling and stared in slight anxiety at the General as the older man sat on his stomach and gently nipped at his nose, "Too much enjoyment can't possibly be good for a stiff-neck like you." Zack murmured, leaning into the soft brush of teeth to his nose. Sephiroth chuckled and nipped again to see the reaction he could get, and then merely made an amused face.

"I thought you might say that." Sephiroth admitted, smilingly gently and he relinquished the tight hold on soft wrists before climbing off of him, "And you are probably right."

Before Zack could get another word in the General had disappeared in a swish of silver and the almost undetectable movement of leaves, the 2nd Class SOLDIER merely laid his head back heavily into the grass and inhaled the cool morning air, seeing fog begin to lower on the base. In exasperation he jumped to his feet and dusted his rear off then stormed off to the Mess Hall for breakfast, knowing he had missed the morning inspection and was probably in for a lecture from his roommate for being assigned some gruesome task for Zack's absence. He saw Marcus banging his head in quick succession on the metal table and rushed to stop him while others looked on in morbid amusement.

"Marcus?" Zack whispered, leaning down at where the smaller man had rested his forehead and the man turned his head slowly and met his eyes.

"You... are so dead." Marcus hissed, clearly not amused.

"Why?" Zack dared, bracing himself.

"Your escapades with those two mindless drones got me on toilet duty for a month." Marcus replied, lifting his head from the metal, "That Zackary... is why."

The blond man was staring coldly at Zack now, then he rose a went to get food while the three men on the opposite side of the table smirked at Zack, the dark haired youth smiled sheepishly at them and went to Marcus.

"Look... I'm sorry... I didn't expect to be caught sneaking!" Zack pleaded, stepping in front of his roomie and offering defensive hands from the stone gaze.

"Why do you take that shit from them anyhow?" Marcus demanded as he edged around Zack and grabbed a tray, he frowned, "Omelet Surprise?"

Zack laughed as Marcus poked at the yellow muck beneath the glass with the scoop and bypassed it, "I don't want to get demoted."

"They can't demote you." Marcus pointed out, aiming the next scoop at Zack's chest.

"But defiance of orders can..." Zack trailed off at the look on Marcus' face and rolled his eyes, "Okay... okay."

At the end of line Marcus typed a pin number into the keypad and lifted his tray, he stood to the side waiting for Zack and they convened at a nearby two-seater table. Marcus swallowed a bite and looked gently at Zack, trying to see under the stone exterior to his soul. Zack shook his head and began eating before almost choking on his food at sight of a long leather coat beside him, first he looked up at Marcus who was staring up with wide eyes and slowly he lowered the fork swallowed a final time and leaned back in his chair.

"Sir?" Zack winced, his eyes showing definite lack of enthusiasm.

"Zackary... you certainly waste no time with food." Sephiroth noted lowly, registering vaguely that the boy sitting across from Zack was staring fork in midair with food on it at Sephiroth in awe. Almost as if he had never seen him in person, which was probably true... for the most part.

"No Sir." Zack replied, nodding respectfully, "After this morning's run I was feeling a little hungry."

"I see... if that is such a good thing then maybe we should make a habit out of it?" Sephiroth stated he nodded to the boys, "At ease..."

The retreating back of the General was watched in more awe from Marcus and Zack went back to his plate to pick at the unknown yellow food.

"You were running with the General this morning?" Marcus whispered, leaning across the small table, "Why didn't you say so?"

"Because I wasn't running with him."

"But he just..." Marcus protested, a confused look crossing his features.

"I was running from him."

The two sat in uncomfortable silence before Marcus flicked his eyes to the left and then leaned closer again, "He's watching you..."

"Is not." Zack muttered, dropping the fork on the empty plate and pushing the tray the center of the table he glanced to his right and looked back, "He's thinking."

Marcus growled lowly and inspected the General again, "No… Watching you." He leaned closer, "You think he's going to demote you?"

"Sure as hell hope not." Zack replied dismissively and he went to stack the tray above the garbage then leaned against the table, "Because if he does... you're ass is as good as gone for jinxing me."

Zack smiled in feigned sweetness before striding quickly out the doors and into the sunlight again, admiring the fog that now rested just above the base, he looked back to see Marcus eyeing him in suspicion and then the other pointed almost imperceptible towards Sephiroth. The dark haired SOLDIER flicked his gaze over the General who was nodding vaguely at another 1st Class SOLDIER beside him who had a clipboard and was making quick jots every now and then based on the responses. The black haired man just smiled and continued down the small slope and sat silently under a tree, waiting for the call for Rank and the inevitable moment where he mouthed off to someone, he smiled at the thought of that person being the General. He paled after a few seconds, the General would break his arm if he even did as much as look at him the wrong way.

"Fenrir." A sharp voice quipped and Zack jumped to his feet half expecting to find the General standing next to him, it was a lieutenant from first class who had his arms crossed impatiently.

"Sir?" Zack responded saluting quickly, his eyes recognizing the mousy looking SOLDIER that had the clipboard.

"You applied for Promotion exams earlier this week? For 1st Class?"

"Yes, Sir... is there something wrong with that?"

"No. I just spoke with the General and he said the he would like to review your record before considering you."

"Thank you Sir... its no rush..." Zack replied quickly, he saluted as the man turned on heel and strode towards the management building. Zack sighed and leaned casually against the bark with a soft grin, it seemed that finally he would get the damn promotion.

After rank Zack went back to the small grass clearing and dropped into the green and basked in the silence of the base. "My record is clean... I think..." Zack breathed, tipping his head to the ground and staring into the heavens when Sephiroth appeared standing over him with a soft smirk.

"Clean enough to wash your hands with." Sephiroth added, dropping the black folder onto Zack's chest, he looked around, "Of all places... here?"

"I happen to like it here when I am not being tackled to the ground and threatened."

"I wasn't threatening you, merely teasing." Sephiroth responded, nudging Zack sharply with a boot.

"Well... maybe we should make a habit out of it?" Zack mocked with a smile and the General dropped down to sit straddled on Zack's stomach again, casting the record aside. Zack's eye widened at the feel of the General's weight on his stomach and the distinct feeling of him pressing closer.

"Do not mock me." Sephiroth hissed placing a slender hand on Zack's throat and the younger man smiled wider.

"It's so much fun though."

Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow and smiled at Zack who feigned a pout and wrapped his gloved hand around the General's wrist and pulled softly on it with a smile, "Are you going to strangle me Sir?"

"I'd like to." Sephiroth assured him, stroking his thumb over the center of Zack's jugular.

"Kinky." Zack breathed, feeling the leather against his skin as he did so and he smiled back, Sephiroth merely eyed him in concern and bent down to his ear.

"You want that promotion?" Sephiroth breathed and he felt Zack shiver beneath him.

"Yes..."

"Good boy." Sephiroth murmured, brushing his lips over the ear and Zack inhaled sharply, "I'll get right on your exam assignments..."

"Yes, Sir." Zack responded, attempting a salute from beneath the General.

"You'll be informed this evening."

"Sir." Zack voiced the affirmation softly and turned into brush of lips so that it grazed over his cheek instead and he grinned sheepishly with a flush creeping to his cheeks.

Sephiroth merely grinned in satisfaction and was gone yet again, leaving Zack in the grass with a slight pink tinge on his face and he closed his eyes to relive the feeling of lips to his ear. The General was teasing him shamelessly... and he liked it. He shivered in slight arousal at the lingering softness of the General's lips and he rolled onto his side and stared off into the distance.

"God!" Zack groaned, curling up slightly and sighing heavily.

"I saw that."

Zack rolled over to stare at Marcus who was just inside the clearing and staring with a wide smile on his face.

"What are you talking about?" Zack whispered, allowing a slight grin to cross his face.

"If you sleep with him... you'll get your promotion faster."

"MARCUS!" Zack shouted, throwing a rock at his roommate.

"Just saying." Marcus protested, he looked Zack over, "You could pull that kind of crap off too."

"Marcus please..."

"And the General was all over you... I'd give it a try..." Marcus continued, blazing a trail to definite pain, "It must be mind-blowing... to even think about it."

A boot was thrown across the clearing and Marcus was holding his bleeding nose within seconds, Zack looked around for the owner of said boot and smiled when he saw the General crouching one-shoed a few feet away from him with a smirk playing at his lips. Zack's smile widened and he glanced back at Marcus who was spellbound and had relinquished his hold on his nose and was backing away slowly. Sephiroth waved a gloved hand and Marcus was gone into the trees before a word could be said.

"I keep forgetting how much power you possess." Zack whispered, his eyes lowering respectfully.

"That's odd... people seem to keep forgetting that I am human like you." Sephiroth scoffed his hand landing on Zack's shoulder.

"But... you ARE human..." Zack protested coming forward so that they were face to face and he stared into green cat-eyes.

Sephiroth backed away slowly and turned into a standing position so that he was facing away from Zack, he turned with a slight smirk teasing at his lips, "You better get ready to go..."

"What?" Zack queried, narrowing his eyes carefully at the General.

"I will be your examiner." Sephiroth informed him, turning to face the inferior officer with an authoritative air, "For 1st Class."

"You have GOT to be shitting me..." Zack cried, rising to his feet, "Everyone else got that pushover Lieutenant who flits around you like a mosquito on too much Mako!"

"Silence." Sephiroth quipped almost immediately and the boy shut his mouth but kept the impudent stare. The General cocked an eyebrow at the boy and put a gloved hand to his chin, "Does he really do that?"

"You mean... you don't notice it?"

"Does that surprise you?" Sephiroth countered, smirking at him and Zack blushed, "I only pay attention to the things that... matter..."

Zack raised his eyebrows in surprise and stared blankly at the older man, he was shocked to say the least.

"What kinds of things matter?" Zack murmured, feeling the examining stare he was getting.

"Mostly things out of place, people who catch my eye..."

"Like who?"

"Like you for example."

"And why is that?"

"Do you enjoy this?" Sephiroth growled, narrowing his eyes carefully at the 2nd Class SOLDIER.

"... Mildly..." Zack responded with a devious grin and the General sighed.

"You are the only person unafraid to be themselves when near me... if that's any explanation."

Zack smiled wider and stepped up to the General, being about a foot and a half shorter he came up to his shoulder but stared as if he were the same. Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow and gently pressed a hand to Zack's chest, urging him backwards; when the boy complied he resumed a stoic air.

"So... what do I have to do for this exam thing?" Zack queried his blue eyes narrowing slightly.

"Whatever I want you to do." Sephiroth assured him and Zack visibly paled, "Nothing too dangerous..."

"I'm going to die..." Zack sighed; he swung his arms limply at his side as if preparing for his own doom.

Sephiroth tilted the boy's chin up and shook his head, silver swaying slightly at his sides as he did and Zack stared firmly into the old man's eyes, "If you get into too much trouble... I'll just have to jump in to save you."

"What are you having me do?" Zack exclaimed and the man smirked.

"I haven't decided that yet."

In that moment, Zack could very well have died from all the possibilities of what the General could make him do, which included anything from wrestling monsters to single-handedly leading a platoon of ShinRa's finest to the very gates of hell. He paled at that and blinked slowly so that he could focus his own thoughts, Sephiroth watched this procession in the boys mind with slight amusement and Zack took a deep breath.

"Don't send me to hell..." Zack pleaded, not realizing how ridiculous he sounded and Sephiroth could have laughed had the boy not looked so serious.

"Hell? Why would I ever send you there?" Sephiroth questioned, lowering his head so that his lips were near Zack's ear and vice versa.

"To overthrow Satan?" Zack shot back, realizing now that he was being toyed with.

"I was thinking more along the lines of recon."

Before Zack could reply the General had placed leather clad finger to Zack's lips and shook his head, "Four AM wake up call for you."

"Damn!" Zack protested but before any argument could be posed he was alone again, the breeze made him shiver slightly and he closed his eyes to the thought that maybe the General could become invisible and that maybe he wasn't alone at all... just given the illusion of that. He growled lowly and made his way through the foliage towards the dorms, he was pleased to find that 2nd Class and up got dorms while anyone below that had to stay in the Barracks. Marcus was sitting on the edge of Zack's bed when the dark haired SOLDIER arrived at his room; he narrowed his eyes at the accusing stare he was receiving.

"What now?" Zack asked, swatting Marcus away from his bed.

"You didn't do it... did you?"

"Of course not!" Zack cried, throwing his overstuffed pillow with all his might towards his blond roomie.

For a while Marcus watched as Zack packed his duffel and began to carefully polish his sword. Zack never polished his sword without a damn good reason.

"Umm... Zack?" Marcus queried softly, swinging his feet slowly.

"What?"

"Why are you packing... and shining..."

"Recon... with the General."

"Ouch!" Marcus cringed, his eyes narrowing.

"Not so bad." Zack quipped, lowering the massive sword and turning to smile cheekily at the other 2nd class SOLDIER.

"Not so bad? Are you out of your mind? This is the guy that lives for torturing lower ranking soldiers." Marcus protested.

Zack shook his head and smiled at Marcus, "Well he hasn't tortured me yet… that I know of."

"You are giving him a reason to!" Marcus countered, he came to stand face to face with Zack in hopes of intimidating him, "Plus you can't just leave…."

"I can." Zack responded with a slight narrowing of his blue eyes.

The spiky-haired man left no room for protest as he turned back to his sword and gave it one last once over, satisfied he leaned it in its place against the wall and threw his duffel along with the back sheath on the floor beside it. Marcus threw himself back on the bed and stared idly at the ceiling while Zack rustled around some more.

"You aren't going to sleep any time soon are you?" Marcus queried as he lifted his head from the mattress.

"How can I?" Zack responded obviously nervous above all else, "It's Sephiroth in the flesh… I am spending a week in the middle of nowhere with Sephiroth!"

"Sleep with him." Marcus suggested with a suggestive wink.

"Will you stop suggesting that?" Zack cried whirling around to face his roomie.

"You should do it!" Marcus shot back and he sat up to poke Zack in the arm to emphasize the point.

"I don't want to sleep with the General." Zack said softly as he turned back to his bunk and threw himself heavily on it.

"Liar."

"I am not lying." Zack responded the tone wasn't as sharp as he had wanted it to be though.

Marcus rolled his eyes and flopped back on his bunk as Zack rustled about a bit more before he too finally settled in at three AM. Two hours of tossing and turning later a sharp knock came at the door and Zack banged his foot on the wall getting up, Marcus let out a soft noise of surprise and sat up quickly in the dark.

"Coming." Zack said sleeping, rubbing his eyes and tripping almost easily over his boots, a soft chuckle was heard on the other side and Zack growled, "Oh shut up, I am NOT waking the General at this ungodly hour. Go find another guinea pig you jerks."

Marcus blinked, "Err… Zack. Check the clock and remember what day it is?"

It seemed like Marcus was the only one to remember where Zack was going that day, the black haired man groaned and grabbed his clock from the bed stand and groaned loudly then limped to the door.

"Sorry Sir." Zack said sheepishly as he unlatched and opened the relatively think wooden door.

"Not a problem, though if you do it again it might be." Sephiroth said gently, placing a hand over his mouth to stifle a yawn.

"Are you sure we should be heading out? I mean… don't you have some important General stuff to do before we go?"

"Done." Sephiroth responded, leaned casually against the wall inside of Zack's room and watched with amusement as Marcus leapt out of his bunk to salute his superior, "I didn't think sleeping was that good of an idea."

"I might bore you to sleep." Zack pointed out, hefting his duffle on the floor beside the door and almost on Sephiroth's feet.

"Zackary, I hardly think that's possible."

"Yeah Zackary." Marcus yawned, mostly as a joke as he wandered down the hall to the bathroom.

"Did he just?"

"Don't mind him, he's always like that in the morning." Zack whispered, strapping his sword onto his back, the buckle not wanting to work in his sluggish hands, "Shit."

Sephiroth gave him a reprimanding stare for the word but batted his hands away and gently took hold on the buckles, securing them easily at the younger man's waist, he looked up with piercing eyes, "Tell me about these supposed encourages your roommate enjoys giving you?"

"Huh?"

"Several of the First Class men heard him telling you to sleep with me?"

Zack's eyes widened, "I told him I wouldn't!"

Sephiroth chuckled and knocked a knuckle on Zack's forehead, "They also told me about that."

Zack leaned back, searching his superior's face and finding nothing but amusement in his green eyes, he gave Sephiroth a dark glare and the silver haired man took Zack by the cheeks and drew his face up close, "Don't look at me like that Zackary, it makes me kind of sadistic." He whispered, mere inches from Zack's lips. Zack's violet eyes searched the man's face again wider this time.

A throat cleared behind them and Sephiroth released his hold on Zack as Marcus dropped back into his but and rolled over to face the wall, "I am not looking anymore, you can continue where you left off."

Zack shook his head and lifted his duffel, "We should be going then?" he suggested, smiling softly as he walked into the hall.

Hours later Zack climbed out of the back of a marked ShinRa military transport and shielded his eyes against the sunlight, he examined the tree line a few hundred yards away and looked back to the transport.

"Where the hell are we?" Zack asked as Sephiroth easily dropped to the dirt path.

"What we like to call nowhere." Sephiroth responded, blinking and starting off towards the trees and Zack followed quickly, making sure to stay a few feet behind his commanding officer and keeping a fair bit more alert than the other.

"Thanks, now I know where to call the medics." Zack said sarcastically, watching a snake dart by him, "There are a ton of snakes out here."

"Not lethal." Sephiroth cast over his shoulder, hair shifting easily in the breeze.

"Good to know."

"The only thing you have to worry about are Behemoth." Sephiroth added, watching in amusement as Zack's jaw dropped nearly to the ground.