FFVII: Breakout - CHAPTER 1
Title: Breakout - pt1
Chapter: Chapter 1
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud
Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy VII, I don't even know what I'm doing...
The first thing Cloud knew he wanted to do when he joined the army life was meet General Sephiroth.
But dreams of fitted leather, endless rivers of silver tresses, and mesmerizing eyes that looked too exotic to belong to an entity of Gaia - were prematurely shattered when he then met First Class SOLDIER Zack Fair.
Suddenly his childhood idol was out of reach when he realized he could only attract the brotherly, guy-next-door kind of figures. The kind that pats you on the head when he sees you, because you’re so damn short and your cursed hair reminds him of a baby chocobo. But also the kind that sits with you during lunch and walks you through your mission scenarios while shamelessly stealing your chips. He tries to encourage you by telling you about his own infantry days - but how he passed the SOLDIER exams is beyond anyone’s guess.
“Heh, most people just like to think Sephiroth helped me out by scaring all my examiners,” the mischievous chuckling makes Cloud wonder if there were any mirth to those rumors after all, but Zack continues.
“I’ll have you know though, Cloudy-boy, that I actually passed with flying colors - top of my class!”
“Uh-huh.”
“Yeah-huh, fair and square!” another broad smile, “No pun intended.”
A lesser being would have melted under the older man’s gaze, to be showered with so much attention by the popular Zack Fair was a privilege. It wasn’t something that Cloud had necessarily asked for, but was granted anyway. It seemed like the SOLDIER had just decided to single him out one day.
That isn’t to say that he was unappreciative of it.
“Not everyone can pass the test as easily as you Zack,” said Cloud, retrieving his nearly half-empty bowl of chilli from the hungry comrade.
Although it did come at a price, he thinks as he stares at his meal.
“Dozens of guys don’t pass, they don’t make it, and then they get sent home,” or stay and become part of the nameless invisible workers of ShinRa corporation.
A heavy hand clamps down on his shoulder so hard it almost knocks Cloud down to the floor. The strength of a SOLDIER, something Zack rarely checks himself on, was something he was going to have to get used to.
“Hey kid,” his voice reassuring, “Don’t think like that. Listen, what it all really comes down to is instinct. You either got it or you don’t. “
“But what if I don’t?”
“You do.”
Another heartwarming smile.
“I know you do kid, because you‘ve been listening to your heart all this time.”
And here Zack winks, because he knows exactly where Cloud’s heart is.
Because Cloud’s heart had told him to go join SOLDIER.
His heartstrings thrummed out, leave your friends and family behind. They won’t miss you, go make yourself into someone they’ll remember next time.
And as his heart told him these things, it spoke them in a deep, sultry purr. A little seduction hinted beneath each word, his name enunciated in two overstretched syllables, and all the come-hither-ness of a recruitment poster on his bedroom wall.
His heart was basically General Sephiroth’s piñata.
Zack laughs, drawing him out of his musing, as if the older boy can hear Cloud’s thoughts.
Which now currently consists of an indecent amount of moaning, bedroom talk, and maybe a little “Oh yes, sir” in between. Dear god, he hopes Zack can’t actually read his mind.
“Follow your heart and embrace your dreams,” the hand on his shoulder squeezes softly, “I mean that’s what I did and look where I ended up!”
So the blond trooper takes a good hard look at his friend and scrutinizes him for all he’s worth.
A man running around with his heart and morals on his sleeve, for all the world to see.
He couldn’t be that.
A First Class SOLDIER.
He could try to be that.
A close colleague and even closer friend of Sephiroth.
Oh yeah, he definitely wanted to be that.
Sephiroth’s right-hand man.
Well, sometimes Cloud liked to pretend his right-hand was a man by the name of Sephiroth.
But more importantly, Sephiroth’s training buddy. Which means they met up periodically to sweat, grunt, and shower in the same room together.
CLOUD WANTED THAT. HE WANTED THAT SO BADLY.
“Whoa there Spike, stop looking at me like you want me or something!”
Cloud lessens his longing obsessive gaze, but doesn’t advert it.
His older friend is slightly used to it, so he just takes it in stride. Zack continues to eat off the blond’s tray and nonchalantly asks, “So anyway, tell me about your plans for tomorrow.”
o.O.o
That was yesterday.
And 24 hours later, after their heart-to-heart conversation, Cloud finds himself in the last place he’s allowed to be in.
That is not to say, he dislikes being here. Because in all honesty, he really, really wants to be here - has always dreamed of being here, and is now drunk from the thought of accomplishing his lifelong goal.
Because right now Cloud was wadding knee deep in a potentially grand shitload of trouble that would most definitely cost him his career. He was standing, occupying, taking up the space of, breathing and basking in the glory of no other magnificent person’s apartment than…Sephiroth’s.
Oh God, he was in Sephiroth’s apartment!
How in Gaia did he even get here?!
Oh right, he broke in.
A short little drabble somehow turned into this - an epilogue for some strange, bizarre story? There's a very high chance I may continue it, but I'll keep it off of ffnet for now until it's fleshed out more. Thanks for reading!! :D