Prisoners of War Omake 3: The Memo
Title: The Memo
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~5100
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: hurt/comfort, romance
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII and make no money from this work.
Summary: The problem with fanclubs… they're full of fans.
Sugoi! Three posts in one week… I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing… Hence using the generic sugoi, which is a word I really like and wish there was a proper translation for. And YAY! It's Friday!
This started out as a short funny bit about Sephiroth getting a memo reminding him not to kill civilians. It turned into a rather serious and outrageously long side story that ended up having an influence on some of the details of PoW. It's still not necessary to read it, but I do recommend it. Also, I think it's quite good. I'm really happy with it, actually, so I think you should read it for that reason too. Set sometime after chapter 25 and before 27 of PoW, but I think it's most likely before chapter 26.
***
Attn: First Class SOLDIERs
Re: Definition of civilian
Please keep in mind that, while certain groups dedicated to your activities may be annoying, you are not allowed to kill civilians. Fanclub members are civilians, by the way. That means you, Sephiroth. Keep your sword in its sheath. I mean it. No matter what they do.
Lazard Deusericus, SOLDIER Director
Sephiroth glared at his inbox; that didn't bode well at all. He dialled Zack's number.
"Hey, Seph, I was just about to call you. Um, you know how I joined the Silver Elite to keep an eye on them for you?"
"What did they do?"
"Well, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably not that bad. We're not talking cosmic terror and madness or anything."
"What did they do?"
"Uh, well, they published Cloud's name and a picture of him. Most people are happy about it. They're glad they know who he is, happy you're happy, that sort of thing."
"So why do I have a memo that's obviously specifically for me, even though Lazard's trying to be diplomatic by sending it to everyone, telling me not to kill people?"
"It's just… not everyone was happy. Some people seem to be upset that it's a fact that you're gay; their chances have been ruined, you see."
"They never had a chance."
"I know, I know, but you know how the crazy people work. They think that if you caught a glimpse of them, you'd fall madly in love and sweep them off their feet. Or some bullshit like that. Point is, some people are blaming Cloud for ruining things and corrupting you."
"What have they done? I mean, how do you know they're blaming him?" Sephiroth looked down and saw that he was gripping Masamune's hilt hard enough that his entire hand had turned white. He started slowly drawing it out of its sheath.
"Sephiroth, I can hear that. I have enhanced hearing too, you know. Stop it."
Sephiroth didn't stop drawing the blade, but he did slow down enough that there was no way that Zack would be able to hear it. "I've stopped, answer the question."
"Yeah, right, I believe you, Seph." Zack sighed loudly. "Mostly they're just ranting on the comms dedicated to you, but we've gotten a few phone calls and there was a letter in the mail for him this morning, although there weren't any postmarks on it… I'll be sending any more straight to the Turks to deal with."
The blade sang as Sephiroth pulled Masamune out so quickly that a few sheets of paper flew off the desk and fluttered gently to the floor. He dropped his PHS and stormed towards the door, yanking it open and tearing it off its hinges in the process. He took one step out into the hallway before he changed his mind and went back to grab the PHS. He hung up on Zack and pulled up Cloud's schedule; he was on guard duty at the west gate. Sephiroth dropped the PHS again and strode quickly towards the elevators. Another office door flew open and Lazard came rushing out in a flurry of white and violet.
"Sephiroth! Stop right now and go put your sword back where it belongs. That's an order. I know you're upset, but we have people who can deal with this."
Lazard attempted to block his path, but Sephiroth brushed by him as though he wasn't even there. His tunnel vision was showing him the path to the elevators and everything else was just background scenery. Unimportant.
There was more shouting behind him, but it wasn't Cloud's voice. Unimportant.
Moments after hitting the button for the elevator, he decided it was taking too long and made for the stairs instead. He looked briefly at the staircase before hopping the railing. He slowed his fall using the railings on either side of the gap and jumping between them. He free-fell for the last seven floors and landed with a graceful thud, causing an office worker to shriek in surprise as an armed and extremely pissed off SOLDIER dented the ground in front of her. Unimportant.
The west gate was a good distance away, but Sephiroth covered it in record time. He brushed past various troops on duty, scanning the area for Cloud's distinctive hair. He couldn't see it anywhere and he was starting to panic. Someone was speaking to him, but the words weren't registering. Unimportant.
Until he caught the word 'Cloud'. Important.
"Speak up, Soldier, what did you just say?" Sephiroth snapped.
"That worked, sir, thank you. Yes, I'll hand you over to him." The soldier in front of him handed him a PHS. Sephiroth took it, quizzically.
"Cloud?" he asked.
"Seph, you're being an idiot," Zack's voice trailed out of the speaker. "Cloud's in the Turks' offices; Cissnei's working out a security plan for him. You could have let me tell you that before you went off in a rage. She wants to talk to you about it, so stop dicking around and acting like a badass jumping down stairwells."
"It was faster," Sephiroth protested weakly.
"And I'm very proud of you. Now give the PHS back to Captain Tauber and try and get to the Turks' offices in a slightly more sane fashion. Okay?"
"Okay." Sephiroth calmly hung up and handed the phone back to the man he now recognized as Cloud's captain. If Cloud was with the Turks, he was fine for now. "Thank you," he said. "I apologize for any trouble I've caused."
"Not at all, sir. You know where Strife is now?"
"Yes, thank you. I'll get out of your hair." Sephiroth noticed he had attracted quite a crowd of young soldiers who had abandoned their duty upon his appearance. He returned to Shin-Ra Tower at a more reasonable pace and took the elevator to the Turks' floor. Although he wondered, as he was going up, what he should do if it was an emergency. Obviously, taking the stairs was faster when he needed to go down, but up might be a different matter. He decided that he would have to have Zack help him time it sometime.
***
"I know it sucks, but if you want to be with him, you're going to have to get used to it," Sephiroth heard Cissnei say as he paused outside her office door.
"I don't mind, I'll put up with whatever I have to, in order to stay with him." Sephiroth smiled as Cloud reassured her. They could deal with this.
"Good, now, I work as an informant for Zack's fanclub as well. My primary job there is keeping attention away from Aerith. It's a bit late at this point to do the same for you, but we'll work it out and get them off your back, don't worry. And, Sephiroth, you can come in. Eavesdropping is rude."
Sephiroth opened the door and sheepishly stuck his head in. "I apologize," he said.
"Just come in, I've been waiting; we've got damage control to do." Cissnei waved him in and gestured towards a free chair.
Cloud was sitting with his feet up on his chair, hugging his knees the way he tended to when he was stressed. He gave him a rather weak smile. Sephiroth smiled back and noted the dark circles under Cloud's eyes. He was pale and his eyes were quite bloodshot and puffy as well. He sat down and saw a plastic bag on Cissnei's desk with a few pictures in it. Cissnei noticed him looking and quickly snatched the bag off the desk and put it in a drawer. She wasn't quick enough, however, and he caught a glimpse of what looked liked something with hair like Cloud's. There was red splattered over it.
"What the fuck was that?" he asked.
"Nothing," Cissnei said simply with a pointed look in Cloud's direction. "It was nothing to be worried about. We're dealing with it, and Cloud and I have worked out a security plan; we can all go over it together later on. For now, we have business to take care of."
"Okay. What do I need to do?"
"You're going to hold a press conference with the Silver Elite tomorrow. A lot of people are still denying that it's true, so you're going to tell them outright that you're dating Cloud. You're going to introduce him as your boyfriend and inform everyone that you're very happy together. You're going to politely request that everyone respect Cloud's privacy and that in return, they will be given occasional updates on your relationship. Shut up, you don't get to argue about this. You and Cloud will pose for a photo op, just holding hands or whatever you're comfortable with is fine." Cissnei looked at Cloud for that last part before turning back to Sephiroth.
"Either before or after the photo op, I haven't decided yet, you're going to tell everyone that, since the news broke, Cloud has been harassed by a few, rather unbalanced individuals. You are saddened that some of your fans would show such lack of judgment, but you're going to assure them that you know that they would never be so disrespectful. You also trust them to report any illegal behaviour or threats to the police, because anything that hurts Cloud also hurts you. Don't worry, I'll give you the speech, you just have to memorize and deliver it convincingly. I know you can do that."
"I've got so many problems with this plan, I don't even know where to start. Can't I just kill a few as examples? Why do we have to go to so much trouble?"
"No, you can't. You got the memo, right? You have your orders. We have to go to so much trouble because it's the best way to get them to respect Cloud. And that's what we want. I know that giving them information about your personal life is galling, but little tidbits here and there will keep them from planting cameras in your shower."
Sephiroth grumbled, but he didn't argue. He really had no idea how to deal with this other than by killing his entire fanbase. "When will you have this speech ready for me?" he asked.
"That's the spirit!" Cissnei punched him on the arm. "We'll go over Cloud's new security plan, then I'll get to work on it. I'll have it for you by early this evening at the latest. Now, Cloud, I want you to explain the plan to Sephiroth, so I know you understand and remember everything."
Cloud nodded and pulled his chair closer to the desk. He resumed holding his knees and remained hunched over, like he was trying to hide. Sephiroth reached out to stroke his hair and Cloud gave him another weak smile. "I'm okay, just a bit freaked out," he said.
"You look more than a bit freaked out."
"Yeah, well, some of your fans are more than a bit crazy. It's a lot to deal with all of a sudden. Anyways, the security thing isn't too complicated, actually. I have to keep my PHS on me at all times, even when I'm on duty. And I have to have a spare battery for it with me, just in case. I'm not allowed to turn it off or disable the GPS. Although, Cissnei modified it so that even if the power's off, the GPS will still work. And I'm getting a necklace with a tracking device in it, just in case.
"I have to tell either you or Zack and the Turks if I'm leaving the Shin-Ra compound and I'm not allowed to be unaccompanied in the slums. And if I'm approached by anyone I don't know when I'm not with you, Zack, or a Turk, I have to hit the panic button on my PHS twice. I'm not allowed to hesitate about that or wait to see what it is they want."
"And if you're sure that you're in trouble?" Cissnei prompted.
"Hit it three times and attempt to leave the area without putting myself in danger. If I can't escape, I'm to wait for the Turks to come in guns blazing."
"Good. And if you just hit it once?"
"I'll get a call and I have to answer two security questions or you'll assume I'm in trouble."
"Is all this really necessary?" Sephiroth asked. "Is Cloud in that much danger?"
"The threat he received this morning isn't something we want to take lightly," Cissnei replied. "We'd rather be safe than sorry. Keep going, Cloud, you've got it all so far."
"Umm, let me think, when I'm home alone, all the doors and windows have to be kept locked."
"Even if Zack's there too, and especially at night. But I want you to make sure you go around and check each one when you're alone."
"Right. And I'm not allowed to answer either the landline or my PHS if I don't recognize the number. And I have to let Zack get the mail. If there's anything that I don't know who it's from, it gets sent to you guys before it's opened. Same with any packages, except I'm not allowed to touch those at all. Just call the Turks."
"Excellent, that's everything. Tonight, we'll do a thorough sweep of your apartment for bugs, change the locks, and make sure that everything's secure. We're also installing a camera outside your door; you'll be able to get a live feed on a screen inside, and I want you to check it before you answer the door. I suggest you stay with Sephiroth while we do that; his apartment has already been cleared."
"Is that okay?" Cloud looked up at Sephiroth, who gave him an exasperated look in return.
"Of course it is, you know that."
"Okay. Can I get my overnight stuff from my apartment first?"
"Sure," Cissnei said, "But I'd like to have it checked as well. It will only take a few minutes. And Sephiroth, you're on bodyguard duty for the rest of the day. We're going to track down the person who sent the threat, but until we do, I don't want to take any risks. Stay in and keep your heads down. That means no waving swords around and jumping down staircases. Where's the sheath for that thing anyways?"
Sephiroth glanced down at the naked blade he still held and shrugged. "Left it in my office."
***
After a quick trip back to the office, Sephiroth escorted Cloud to his apartment to pick up his things. There they found Zack arguing loudly with Rod over what exactly he was allowed to look through.
"Look!" Rod shouted exasperatedly, "I don't care about whatever embarrassing stuff you might have hidden in the bottom of your drawers. I know about Aerith. I don't care about your secrets, I have to check everything; you don't get a choice."
"Just leave that one drawer alone, that's all I'm asking!"
"Zack, let the man do his job," Sephiroth interrupted the argument, causing Zack to jump in surprise.
"Shit, Seph, don't sneak up on people like that! And there's nothing important in that drawer, so there's no need for him to go rooting through it."
"If you don't let Rod check everything thoroughly, Cloud's not coming back in this apartment ever again, understood? Now quit complaining. Rod, we're going to get some overnight things for Cloud; can you check them right away?"
"Yes, sir, Cissnei called to let me know you'd be doing that. Just let me know when you've got everything together."
"We will. Zack, if you don't want to stay here to watch your precious drawer get rooted through, you can come over to my place too. There's the spare bed you can use, if you want." Sephiroth didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't sure if he could handle Cloud trying to deal with whatever the threat had been by himself. Someone else who knew exactly what it was would probably be good to have around. And he and Zack hadn't had a chance to hang out much lately.
"Really? Thanks, Seph! To tell you the truth, I really didn't want to be here alone tonight. We can watch some movies and order pizza. It's been forever since we've done that."
"No ordering in for now," Rod said firmly. "If you need food, call Cissnei and she'll get it for you."
"Understood," Sephiroth said. He turned to Cloud, who had remained silent through the whole conversation. He had been so quiet, in fact, that he might have thought he had gone to get his stuff if he hadn't been holding on to Sephiroth's arm with both hands. "Let's go get your things together," he said softly.
Cloud stuck to him like glue as they walked down the hallway to Cloud's room, but he did let go long enough to grab some clothes from the closet. Sephiroth laid them out neatly on Cloud's bed while keeping a concerned eye on his boyfriend. Cloud seemed smaller than usual, for some reason, and his eyes were nervously darting around the room. Sephiroth sincerely hoped that the Turks would tell him when they found the person that had sent the threat. Lazard hadn't mentioned anything about torture in his memo. Surely, turning Cloud into a terrified wreck deserved something in return.
When Cloud had everything he wanted, he returned to clinging to Sephiroth while Rod checked everything for bugs. Sephiroth couldn't think of anything to do but hold him close while they waited. Soon enough, Rod declared the items clear and went to check Zack's.
"Here," Sephiroth said, handing Cloud his overnight bag, "You hold the bag, and I'll put things in."
"Okay." Cloud nodded and obediently held the bag open.
"Cloud, it's going to be okay. We won't let anything happen to you."
"I know."
"Do you? Because it seems to me like you don't know." Sephiroth leaned down so they were eye level. "We'll make it through this, Cloud, I promise. Trust me."
"I do! I just-I dunno, I'm tired." Cloud gave a defeated sigh and shoved the rest of his things in the bag. "Is Zack ready to go? I wanna get out of here."
"Let's go check. Even if he's not, we can go. He knows where I live." Sephiroth swung the bag over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Cloud. He gave him an encouraging squeeze as he guided him towards the door. "Zack, are you ready?"
"Half a sec, I just need to make this... fit... okay! I'm good." Zack came out into the hallway with his bag in one hand and the Buster Sword in the other.
Seeing the sword gave Sephiroth an idea and he turned to Cloud. "Do you want to bring your sword and materia? Then you're not having to rely on anyone else."
Cloud's eyes lit up at the suggestion and Zack called for Rod again while Cloud and Sephiroth went to retrieve them. So what if Cloud technically wasn't allowed to carry weapons outside of training? If it would make him feel safer, Sephiroth would bend any rule he needed to in order to make it happen.
***
The sound of canned laughter caused Sephiroth to suddenly jerk out of his sleep. He immediately regretted waking up when pain shot down his neck. There was warmth on either side of him and he glanced down; Cloud was curled up in a ball and using his chest as a pillow, and Zack was sound asleep on his other side, leaning on his shoulder. He gave Zack a shove, pushing him over to the other side of the couch and used his newly freed hand to adjust the blanket that was falling off of Cloud. Zack groaned and muttered something before giving a loud snore. Sephiroth carefully stretched his neck as much as he dared, not wanting to risk waking up Cloud by cracking it properly.
Using his foot, he grabbed the speech that Cissnei had prepared last night off the table and flipped through it once again. He couldn't believe he had to say all this bullshit. Cissnei told him that it was the only way, but if it didn't work, Sephiroth was doing things his way. It would only take a few examples before the freaks learned. A sword through the gut said things so much more clearly.
According to the very big, very red note that came attached to the speech, he wasn't allowed to ad lib even one word, so he set himself to memorizing it word for word. It didn't take long before he had it down and he sat quietly, clutching Cloud close with his face buried in his hair. A part of him couldn't believe that Cloud was putting up with this; it was too much to ask of a person. He wanted to know what exactly the threat had been, but somehow, it didn't seem likely that anyone would tell him. He got the impression that people thought he would fly off the handle if they told him, which probably was a reasonable thing to think.
He felt Cloud begin to stir and softly ruffled his hair. "'Morning."
"Oww…"
"Yeah, me too. At least you didn't have two people using you as a pillow."
"Sorry."
"I didn't mean it like that. I like it when you use me as a pillow. Jackass over here, on the other hand, does not have pillow privileges."
"I can't believe we all just fell asleep on the couch. What time do we have to do that thing?"
"The press conference? Cissnei said she scheduled it for eleven, but I think we have to be there early to prepare. Are you feeling up to it?"
"No choice, so I guess so." Cloud sat up and rubbed at his eyes, yawning.
Sephiroth took the opportunity to crack his back. "Cissnei said that you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, although apparently saying 'hello' and 'nice to meet you' would be a good idea. But you don't have to. You can hide behind me the entire time if you want."
"Heh, you have no idea how tempted I am by that offer. But cowering and using you as a human shield probably isn't the best idea for making a good impression."
"Hmm, maybe not, but don't make yourself uncomfortable. If you're scared, don't force yourself to suffer through it."
"All right. Ugh, this is depressing; I want waffles to cheer us up. Sound good?"
"Sounds delicious. There're some strawberries in the fridge if you want them for on top."
"Yay!" Cloud rushed off to the kitchen to start cooking.
***
Cloud peered out from behind Sephiroth while they waited for Cissnei to tell them it was time to go out. There were a lot of people gathered. Sephiroth had a lot more fanclubs than just the Silver Elite, and apparently, Cissnei had invited them all, as well as some proper media personnel. Cowering was starting to seem like a better and better option. He watched as Cissnei confidently walked out to the podium and cleared her throat for attention.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I trust you all know why you're here today, so I'm just going to lay out the rules. General Sephiroth is going to speak and you are going to listen. He is not taking any questions and anyone who interrupts him will be escorted out immediately. If you have questions that aren't addressed, please submit them in writing to one of the staff. There will be a photo op afterwards, so please try to keep your photos to a minimum and remain in your seats for the duration of the speech. Sephiroth will answer the questions that were submitted after the photo op. Understood? Good." Cissnei stepped down and walked back towards the side of the stage where Cloud and Sephiroth were waiting.
Cloud clutched nervously at Sephiroth's hand. He felt like crying; this was too much, there were too many people.
"You can do this, Cloud. Please? You don't have to even look at them, just stand there next to me."
"Yeah, man, don't worry about it," Zack gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Just imagine everyone's a pumpkin."
"A pumpkin?" Cloud gave a shaky sigh. "Never mind. You'll hold my hand while we're out there?"
"Of course," Sephiroth said. "I won't let go for a second."
"You boys ready?" Cissnei asked. Cloud gave a reluctant nod and she smiled at him. "Then go tell those idiots to get their heads out of their asses."
Sephiroth adjusted his grip on Cloud's hand and gave him a gentle tug in the direction of the podium. Cloud started walking like he was on his way to his execution and Sephiroth kept pace with him, blocking off the view of the people waiting. When they finally made it to the podium, they had to turn and Cloud was placed in their line of sight. The flashes of light, gasps, and murmuring were enough to make him want to turn tail and run, but he kept his eyes down and tried to tune it out as best he could.
***
"Good morning," Sephiroth started, then he stopped and glared off to his left. He rubbed his thumb over Cloud's knuckles while he waited for someone to realize that he couldn't adjust the height of the microphone without letting go of Cloud. Eventually, one of the techs figured it out and rushed over.
"Good morning," he repeated, while forcing a smile. "I'd like to thank everyone for joining me here today. I have a very important announcement I'd like to make and, while I'm sure that you already know what it is, it's something I'd like you to hear from me." Sephiroth paused and pulled Cloud a little bit closer to him. "This is my boyfriend, Cloud."
Sephiroth slogged his way through the speech, keeping it the way Cissnei wanted it as best he could. It was extremely difficult to keep himself from screaming at them when he got to the part about Cloud being harassed. Cloud, for his part, did extremely well. He had smiled and managed a 'hello' after he was introduced, which caused a number of flashes to go off and some loud cooing noises from one of the middle rows. Sephiroth actually felt a bit of empathy for those women; Cloud was hopelessly cute when he was being like that. He had a hard time restraining himself from covering him in kisses, but held himself back, not wanting to give them any more fodder.
When it came time for the photo op, Cloud had calmed down significantly, much to Sephiroth's relief. It wasn't good to be that stressed for very long, he was sure. Cissnei had hired a photographer and the shoot itself was done in a private area, away from the reporters and fanclubs. He looked over the pictures with Cloud when they were done, to decide which ones would be given out, and he decided that he wanted copies of them all for his photo album. Cloud had relaxed enough during the shoot that they gotten some really good pictures.
Cissnei came up to him with a handful of papers. "These were the questions that weren't entirely inappropriate and I've weeded out the duplicates. Can you answer them properly by yourself or do you need me to write answers for you?"
"I can answer them," Sephiroth said grudgingly.
"One of them wants to know how you met."
Cloud's head jerked up at that and he shook it vehemently, backing away as he did so. "No… Please don't tell them that…"
"No, Cloud, I know, don't worry, we're not going to tell them the truth," Cissnei tried to explain, but it took Sephiroth grabbing on to him to keep him from bolting.
"Give me an answer for that one," Sephiroth said as he stroked Cloud's hair, trying to calm him.
"Of course. Cloud, I'm sorry, I should have phrased that better. I'd never suggest that you tell anyone you don't want to tell. "
"It's okay," Cloud mumbled with his face pressed against Sephiroth's chest.
Cissnei sighed and looked back up at Sephiroth. "Tell them that Zack introduced you. He's Cloud's mentor and thought that you would get along. You hit it off and decided to go on a date and things developed from there. Work for you?"
Sephiroth nodded. "Does Cloud have to be there for the questions?"
Cissnei at least looked like she regretted it when she nodded. "He should be. People want to see you together. They need to see you together in order to reinforce it. I'm sorry."
"I can do it, Sephiroth, don't worry," Cloud said quietly. "And then can we go home?" he asked Cissnei.
"Yes, then you can go home."
Cloud nodded resolutely and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, let's get this over with."
***
Subject: The love of silver winds.
Yesterday, a press conference was held in which Sephiroth introduced us to his boyfriend. A lovely young man, Cloud Strife is 17 years old and hails from the town of Nibelheim on the Western Continent. They were introduced to each other by Lieutenant Zack Fair and fell in love at first sight. What followed was a romance we can only dream of. Cloud is tremendously timid and delicate, which inspires Sephiroth's kind and caring nature. Sephiroth is extremely protective of his shy lover and held his hand throughout the entire conference. He could also be seen doting on him during the photo shoot. They are an adorable couple and we wish them the best!
Please see our website for a full report as well as exclusive pictures of the happy couple.
"I am not timid or delicate!" Cloud seethed. "I was freaked out. Anyone would be if they were exposed to maniacs like that."
"I dunno," Zack said, "You looked pretty darn delicate to me. Like a gentle breeze might break you."
"Zack. Don't tease. Cloud's reaction was perfectly reasonable." Sephiroth typed the website address into his computer. "But if they somehow have exclusive pictures, we're moving to Cactuar Island. And setting up a defence perimeter."
***
Previous Chapter | Omake 5
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~5100
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: hurt/comfort, romance
Warnings: none
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII and make no money from this work.
Summary: The problem with fanclubs… they're full of fans.
Sugoi! Three posts in one week… I'm not sure if that's a good or a bad thing… Hence using the generic sugoi, which is a word I really like and wish there was a proper translation for. And YAY! It's Friday!
This started out as a short funny bit about Sephiroth getting a memo reminding him not to kill civilians. It turned into a rather serious and outrageously long side story that ended up having an influence on some of the details of PoW. It's still not necessary to read it, but I do recommend it. Also, I think it's quite good. I'm really happy with it, actually, so I think you should read it for that reason too. Set sometime after chapter 25 and before 27 of PoW, but I think it's most likely before chapter 26.
***
Attn: First Class SOLDIERs
Re: Definition of civilian
Please keep in mind that, while certain groups dedicated to your activities may be annoying, you are not allowed to kill civilians. Fanclub members are civilians, by the way. That means you, Sephiroth. Keep your sword in its sheath. I mean it. No matter what they do.
Lazard Deusericus, SOLDIER Director
Sephiroth glared at his inbox; that didn't bode well at all. He dialled Zack's number.
"Hey, Seph, I was just about to call you. Um, you know how I joined the Silver Elite to keep an eye on them for you?"
"What did they do?"
"Well, in the grand scheme of things, it's probably not that bad. We're not talking cosmic terror and madness or anything."
"What did they do?"
"Uh, well, they published Cloud's name and a picture of him. Most people are happy about it. They're glad they know who he is, happy you're happy, that sort of thing."
"So why do I have a memo that's obviously specifically for me, even though Lazard's trying to be diplomatic by sending it to everyone, telling me not to kill people?"
"It's just… not everyone was happy. Some people seem to be upset that it's a fact that you're gay; their chances have been ruined, you see."
"They never had a chance."
"I know, I know, but you know how the crazy people work. They think that if you caught a glimpse of them, you'd fall madly in love and sweep them off their feet. Or some bullshit like that. Point is, some people are blaming Cloud for ruining things and corrupting you."
"What have they done? I mean, how do you know they're blaming him?" Sephiroth looked down and saw that he was gripping Masamune's hilt hard enough that his entire hand had turned white. He started slowly drawing it out of its sheath.
"Sephiroth, I can hear that. I have enhanced hearing too, you know. Stop it."
Sephiroth didn't stop drawing the blade, but he did slow down enough that there was no way that Zack would be able to hear it. "I've stopped, answer the question."
"Yeah, right, I believe you, Seph." Zack sighed loudly. "Mostly they're just ranting on the comms dedicated to you, but we've gotten a few phone calls and there was a letter in the mail for him this morning, although there weren't any postmarks on it… I'll be sending any more straight to the Turks to deal with."
The blade sang as Sephiroth pulled Masamune out so quickly that a few sheets of paper flew off the desk and fluttered gently to the floor. He dropped his PHS and stormed towards the door, yanking it open and tearing it off its hinges in the process. He took one step out into the hallway before he changed his mind and went back to grab the PHS. He hung up on Zack and pulled up Cloud's schedule; he was on guard duty at the west gate. Sephiroth dropped the PHS again and strode quickly towards the elevators. Another office door flew open and Lazard came rushing out in a flurry of white and violet.
"Sephiroth! Stop right now and go put your sword back where it belongs. That's an order. I know you're upset, but we have people who can deal with this."
Lazard attempted to block his path, but Sephiroth brushed by him as though he wasn't even there. His tunnel vision was showing him the path to the elevators and everything else was just background scenery. Unimportant.
There was more shouting behind him, but it wasn't Cloud's voice. Unimportant.
Moments after hitting the button for the elevator, he decided it was taking too long and made for the stairs instead. He looked briefly at the staircase before hopping the railing. He slowed his fall using the railings on either side of the gap and jumping between them. He free-fell for the last seven floors and landed with a graceful thud, causing an office worker to shriek in surprise as an armed and extremely pissed off SOLDIER dented the ground in front of her. Unimportant.
The west gate was a good distance away, but Sephiroth covered it in record time. He brushed past various troops on duty, scanning the area for Cloud's distinctive hair. He couldn't see it anywhere and he was starting to panic. Someone was speaking to him, but the words weren't registering. Unimportant.
Until he caught the word 'Cloud'. Important.
"Speak up, Soldier, what did you just say?" Sephiroth snapped.
"That worked, sir, thank you. Yes, I'll hand you over to him." The soldier in front of him handed him a PHS. Sephiroth took it, quizzically.
"Cloud?" he asked.
"Seph, you're being an idiot," Zack's voice trailed out of the speaker. "Cloud's in the Turks' offices; Cissnei's working out a security plan for him. You could have let me tell you that before you went off in a rage. She wants to talk to you about it, so stop dicking around and acting like a badass jumping down stairwells."
"It was faster," Sephiroth protested weakly.
"And I'm very proud of you. Now give the PHS back to Captain Tauber and try and get to the Turks' offices in a slightly more sane fashion. Okay?"
"Okay." Sephiroth calmly hung up and handed the phone back to the man he now recognized as Cloud's captain. If Cloud was with the Turks, he was fine for now. "Thank you," he said. "I apologize for any trouble I've caused."
"Not at all, sir. You know where Strife is now?"
"Yes, thank you. I'll get out of your hair." Sephiroth noticed he had attracted quite a crowd of young soldiers who had abandoned their duty upon his appearance. He returned to Shin-Ra Tower at a more reasonable pace and took the elevator to the Turks' floor. Although he wondered, as he was going up, what he should do if it was an emergency. Obviously, taking the stairs was faster when he needed to go down, but up might be a different matter. He decided that he would have to have Zack help him time it sometime.
***
"I know it sucks, but if you want to be with him, you're going to have to get used to it," Sephiroth heard Cissnei say as he paused outside her office door.
"I don't mind, I'll put up with whatever I have to, in order to stay with him." Sephiroth smiled as Cloud reassured her. They could deal with this.
"Good, now, I work as an informant for Zack's fanclub as well. My primary job there is keeping attention away from Aerith. It's a bit late at this point to do the same for you, but we'll work it out and get them off your back, don't worry. And, Sephiroth, you can come in. Eavesdropping is rude."
Sephiroth opened the door and sheepishly stuck his head in. "I apologize," he said.
"Just come in, I've been waiting; we've got damage control to do." Cissnei waved him in and gestured towards a free chair.
Cloud was sitting with his feet up on his chair, hugging his knees the way he tended to when he was stressed. He gave him a rather weak smile. Sephiroth smiled back and noted the dark circles under Cloud's eyes. He was pale and his eyes were quite bloodshot and puffy as well. He sat down and saw a plastic bag on Cissnei's desk with a few pictures in it. Cissnei noticed him looking and quickly snatched the bag off the desk and put it in a drawer. She wasn't quick enough, however, and he caught a glimpse of what looked liked something with hair like Cloud's. There was red splattered over it.
"What the fuck was that?" he asked.
"Nothing," Cissnei said simply with a pointed look in Cloud's direction. "It was nothing to be worried about. We're dealing with it, and Cloud and I have worked out a security plan; we can all go over it together later on. For now, we have business to take care of."
"Okay. What do I need to do?"
"You're going to hold a press conference with the Silver Elite tomorrow. A lot of people are still denying that it's true, so you're going to tell them outright that you're dating Cloud. You're going to introduce him as your boyfriend and inform everyone that you're very happy together. You're going to politely request that everyone respect Cloud's privacy and that in return, they will be given occasional updates on your relationship. Shut up, you don't get to argue about this. You and Cloud will pose for a photo op, just holding hands or whatever you're comfortable with is fine." Cissnei looked at Cloud for that last part before turning back to Sephiroth.
"Either before or after the photo op, I haven't decided yet, you're going to tell everyone that, since the news broke, Cloud has been harassed by a few, rather unbalanced individuals. You are saddened that some of your fans would show such lack of judgment, but you're going to assure them that you know that they would never be so disrespectful. You also trust them to report any illegal behaviour or threats to the police, because anything that hurts Cloud also hurts you. Don't worry, I'll give you the speech, you just have to memorize and deliver it convincingly. I know you can do that."
"I've got so many problems with this plan, I don't even know where to start. Can't I just kill a few as examples? Why do we have to go to so much trouble?"
"No, you can't. You got the memo, right? You have your orders. We have to go to so much trouble because it's the best way to get them to respect Cloud. And that's what we want. I know that giving them information about your personal life is galling, but little tidbits here and there will keep them from planting cameras in your shower."
Sephiroth grumbled, but he didn't argue. He really had no idea how to deal with this other than by killing his entire fanbase. "When will you have this speech ready for me?" he asked.
"That's the spirit!" Cissnei punched him on the arm. "We'll go over Cloud's new security plan, then I'll get to work on it. I'll have it for you by early this evening at the latest. Now, Cloud, I want you to explain the plan to Sephiroth, so I know you understand and remember everything."
Cloud nodded and pulled his chair closer to the desk. He resumed holding his knees and remained hunched over, like he was trying to hide. Sephiroth reached out to stroke his hair and Cloud gave him another weak smile. "I'm okay, just a bit freaked out," he said.
"You look more than a bit freaked out."
"Yeah, well, some of your fans are more than a bit crazy. It's a lot to deal with all of a sudden. Anyways, the security thing isn't too complicated, actually. I have to keep my PHS on me at all times, even when I'm on duty. And I have to have a spare battery for it with me, just in case. I'm not allowed to turn it off or disable the GPS. Although, Cissnei modified it so that even if the power's off, the GPS will still work. And I'm getting a necklace with a tracking device in it, just in case.
"I have to tell either you or Zack and the Turks if I'm leaving the Shin-Ra compound and I'm not allowed to be unaccompanied in the slums. And if I'm approached by anyone I don't know when I'm not with you, Zack, or a Turk, I have to hit the panic button on my PHS twice. I'm not allowed to hesitate about that or wait to see what it is they want."
"And if you're sure that you're in trouble?" Cissnei prompted.
"Hit it three times and attempt to leave the area without putting myself in danger. If I can't escape, I'm to wait for the Turks to come in guns blazing."
"Good. And if you just hit it once?"
"I'll get a call and I have to answer two security questions or you'll assume I'm in trouble."
"Is all this really necessary?" Sephiroth asked. "Is Cloud in that much danger?"
"The threat he received this morning isn't something we want to take lightly," Cissnei replied. "We'd rather be safe than sorry. Keep going, Cloud, you've got it all so far."
"Umm, let me think, when I'm home alone, all the doors and windows have to be kept locked."
"Even if Zack's there too, and especially at night. But I want you to make sure you go around and check each one when you're alone."
"Right. And I'm not allowed to answer either the landline or my PHS if I don't recognize the number. And I have to let Zack get the mail. If there's anything that I don't know who it's from, it gets sent to you guys before it's opened. Same with any packages, except I'm not allowed to touch those at all. Just call the Turks."
"Excellent, that's everything. Tonight, we'll do a thorough sweep of your apartment for bugs, change the locks, and make sure that everything's secure. We're also installing a camera outside your door; you'll be able to get a live feed on a screen inside, and I want you to check it before you answer the door. I suggest you stay with Sephiroth while we do that; his apartment has already been cleared."
"Is that okay?" Cloud looked up at Sephiroth, who gave him an exasperated look in return.
"Of course it is, you know that."
"Okay. Can I get my overnight stuff from my apartment first?"
"Sure," Cissnei said, "But I'd like to have it checked as well. It will only take a few minutes. And Sephiroth, you're on bodyguard duty for the rest of the day. We're going to track down the person who sent the threat, but until we do, I don't want to take any risks. Stay in and keep your heads down. That means no waving swords around and jumping down staircases. Where's the sheath for that thing anyways?"
Sephiroth glanced down at the naked blade he still held and shrugged. "Left it in my office."
***
After a quick trip back to the office, Sephiroth escorted Cloud to his apartment to pick up his things. There they found Zack arguing loudly with Rod over what exactly he was allowed to look through.
"Look!" Rod shouted exasperatedly, "I don't care about whatever embarrassing stuff you might have hidden in the bottom of your drawers. I know about Aerith. I don't care about your secrets, I have to check everything; you don't get a choice."
"Just leave that one drawer alone, that's all I'm asking!"
"Zack, let the man do his job," Sephiroth interrupted the argument, causing Zack to jump in surprise.
"Shit, Seph, don't sneak up on people like that! And there's nothing important in that drawer, so there's no need for him to go rooting through it."
"If you don't let Rod check everything thoroughly, Cloud's not coming back in this apartment ever again, understood? Now quit complaining. Rod, we're going to get some overnight things for Cloud; can you check them right away?"
"Yes, sir, Cissnei called to let me know you'd be doing that. Just let me know when you've got everything together."
"We will. Zack, if you don't want to stay here to watch your precious drawer get rooted through, you can come over to my place too. There's the spare bed you can use, if you want." Sephiroth didn't want to admit it, but he wasn't sure if he could handle Cloud trying to deal with whatever the threat had been by himself. Someone else who knew exactly what it was would probably be good to have around. And he and Zack hadn't had a chance to hang out much lately.
"Really? Thanks, Seph! To tell you the truth, I really didn't want to be here alone tonight. We can watch some movies and order pizza. It's been forever since we've done that."
"No ordering in for now," Rod said firmly. "If you need food, call Cissnei and she'll get it for you."
"Understood," Sephiroth said. He turned to Cloud, who had remained silent through the whole conversation. He had been so quiet, in fact, that he might have thought he had gone to get his stuff if he hadn't been holding on to Sephiroth's arm with both hands. "Let's go get your things together," he said softly.
Cloud stuck to him like glue as they walked down the hallway to Cloud's room, but he did let go long enough to grab some clothes from the closet. Sephiroth laid them out neatly on Cloud's bed while keeping a concerned eye on his boyfriend. Cloud seemed smaller than usual, for some reason, and his eyes were nervously darting around the room. Sephiroth sincerely hoped that the Turks would tell him when they found the person that had sent the threat. Lazard hadn't mentioned anything about torture in his memo. Surely, turning Cloud into a terrified wreck deserved something in return.
When Cloud had everything he wanted, he returned to clinging to Sephiroth while Rod checked everything for bugs. Sephiroth couldn't think of anything to do but hold him close while they waited. Soon enough, Rod declared the items clear and went to check Zack's.
"Here," Sephiroth said, handing Cloud his overnight bag, "You hold the bag, and I'll put things in."
"Okay." Cloud nodded and obediently held the bag open.
"Cloud, it's going to be okay. We won't let anything happen to you."
"I know."
"Do you? Because it seems to me like you don't know." Sephiroth leaned down so they were eye level. "We'll make it through this, Cloud, I promise. Trust me."
"I do! I just-I dunno, I'm tired." Cloud gave a defeated sigh and shoved the rest of his things in the bag. "Is Zack ready to go? I wanna get out of here."
"Let's go check. Even if he's not, we can go. He knows where I live." Sephiroth swung the bag over his shoulder and wrapped his arm around Cloud. He gave him an encouraging squeeze as he guided him towards the door. "Zack, are you ready?"
"Half a sec, I just need to make this... fit... okay! I'm good." Zack came out into the hallway with his bag in one hand and the Buster Sword in the other.
Seeing the sword gave Sephiroth an idea and he turned to Cloud. "Do you want to bring your sword and materia? Then you're not having to rely on anyone else."
Cloud's eyes lit up at the suggestion and Zack called for Rod again while Cloud and Sephiroth went to retrieve them. So what if Cloud technically wasn't allowed to carry weapons outside of training? If it would make him feel safer, Sephiroth would bend any rule he needed to in order to make it happen.
***
The sound of canned laughter caused Sephiroth to suddenly jerk out of his sleep. He immediately regretted waking up when pain shot down his neck. There was warmth on either side of him and he glanced down; Cloud was curled up in a ball and using his chest as a pillow, and Zack was sound asleep on his other side, leaning on his shoulder. He gave Zack a shove, pushing him over to the other side of the couch and used his newly freed hand to adjust the blanket that was falling off of Cloud. Zack groaned and muttered something before giving a loud snore. Sephiroth carefully stretched his neck as much as he dared, not wanting to risk waking up Cloud by cracking it properly.
Using his foot, he grabbed the speech that Cissnei had prepared last night off the table and flipped through it once again. He couldn't believe he had to say all this bullshit. Cissnei told him that it was the only way, but if it didn't work, Sephiroth was doing things his way. It would only take a few examples before the freaks learned. A sword through the gut said things so much more clearly.
According to the very big, very red note that came attached to the speech, he wasn't allowed to ad lib even one word, so he set himself to memorizing it word for word. It didn't take long before he had it down and he sat quietly, clutching Cloud close with his face buried in his hair. A part of him couldn't believe that Cloud was putting up with this; it was too much to ask of a person. He wanted to know what exactly the threat had been, but somehow, it didn't seem likely that anyone would tell him. He got the impression that people thought he would fly off the handle if they told him, which probably was a reasonable thing to think.
He felt Cloud begin to stir and softly ruffled his hair. "'Morning."
"Oww…"
"Yeah, me too. At least you didn't have two people using you as a pillow."
"Sorry."
"I didn't mean it like that. I like it when you use me as a pillow. Jackass over here, on the other hand, does not have pillow privileges."
"I can't believe we all just fell asleep on the couch. What time do we have to do that thing?"
"The press conference? Cissnei said she scheduled it for eleven, but I think we have to be there early to prepare. Are you feeling up to it?"
"No choice, so I guess so." Cloud sat up and rubbed at his eyes, yawning.
Sephiroth took the opportunity to crack his back. "Cissnei said that you don't have to say anything if you don't want to, although apparently saying 'hello' and 'nice to meet you' would be a good idea. But you don't have to. You can hide behind me the entire time if you want."
"Heh, you have no idea how tempted I am by that offer. But cowering and using you as a human shield probably isn't the best idea for making a good impression."
"Hmm, maybe not, but don't make yourself uncomfortable. If you're scared, don't force yourself to suffer through it."
"All right. Ugh, this is depressing; I want waffles to cheer us up. Sound good?"
"Sounds delicious. There're some strawberries in the fridge if you want them for on top."
"Yay!" Cloud rushed off to the kitchen to start cooking.
***
Cloud peered out from behind Sephiroth while they waited for Cissnei to tell them it was time to go out. There were a lot of people gathered. Sephiroth had a lot more fanclubs than just the Silver Elite, and apparently, Cissnei had invited them all, as well as some proper media personnel. Cowering was starting to seem like a better and better option. He watched as Cissnei confidently walked out to the podium and cleared her throat for attention.
"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I trust you all know why you're here today, so I'm just going to lay out the rules. General Sephiroth is going to speak and you are going to listen. He is not taking any questions and anyone who interrupts him will be escorted out immediately. If you have questions that aren't addressed, please submit them in writing to one of the staff. There will be a photo op afterwards, so please try to keep your photos to a minimum and remain in your seats for the duration of the speech. Sephiroth will answer the questions that were submitted after the photo op. Understood? Good." Cissnei stepped down and walked back towards the side of the stage where Cloud and Sephiroth were waiting.
Cloud clutched nervously at Sephiroth's hand. He felt like crying; this was too much, there were too many people.
"You can do this, Cloud. Please? You don't have to even look at them, just stand there next to me."
"Yeah, man, don't worry about it," Zack gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder. "Just imagine everyone's a pumpkin."
"A pumpkin?" Cloud gave a shaky sigh. "Never mind. You'll hold my hand while we're out there?"
"Of course," Sephiroth said. "I won't let go for a second."
"You boys ready?" Cissnei asked. Cloud gave a reluctant nod and she smiled at him. "Then go tell those idiots to get their heads out of their asses."
Sephiroth adjusted his grip on Cloud's hand and gave him a gentle tug in the direction of the podium. Cloud started walking like he was on his way to his execution and Sephiroth kept pace with him, blocking off the view of the people waiting. When they finally made it to the podium, they had to turn and Cloud was placed in their line of sight. The flashes of light, gasps, and murmuring were enough to make him want to turn tail and run, but he kept his eyes down and tried to tune it out as best he could.
***
"Good morning," Sephiroth started, then he stopped and glared off to his left. He rubbed his thumb over Cloud's knuckles while he waited for someone to realize that he couldn't adjust the height of the microphone without letting go of Cloud. Eventually, one of the techs figured it out and rushed over.
"Good morning," he repeated, while forcing a smile. "I'd like to thank everyone for joining me here today. I have a very important announcement I'd like to make and, while I'm sure that you already know what it is, it's something I'd like you to hear from me." Sephiroth paused and pulled Cloud a little bit closer to him. "This is my boyfriend, Cloud."
Sephiroth slogged his way through the speech, keeping it the way Cissnei wanted it as best he could. It was extremely difficult to keep himself from screaming at them when he got to the part about Cloud being harassed. Cloud, for his part, did extremely well. He had smiled and managed a 'hello' after he was introduced, which caused a number of flashes to go off and some loud cooing noises from one of the middle rows. Sephiroth actually felt a bit of empathy for those women; Cloud was hopelessly cute when he was being like that. He had a hard time restraining himself from covering him in kisses, but held himself back, not wanting to give them any more fodder.
When it came time for the photo op, Cloud had calmed down significantly, much to Sephiroth's relief. It wasn't good to be that stressed for very long, he was sure. Cissnei had hired a photographer and the shoot itself was done in a private area, away from the reporters and fanclubs. He looked over the pictures with Cloud when they were done, to decide which ones would be given out, and he decided that he wanted copies of them all for his photo album. Cloud had relaxed enough during the shoot that they gotten some really good pictures.
Cissnei came up to him with a handful of papers. "These were the questions that weren't entirely inappropriate and I've weeded out the duplicates. Can you answer them properly by yourself or do you need me to write answers for you?"
"I can answer them," Sephiroth said grudgingly.
"One of them wants to know how you met."
Cloud's head jerked up at that and he shook it vehemently, backing away as he did so. "No… Please don't tell them that…"
"No, Cloud, I know, don't worry, we're not going to tell them the truth," Cissnei tried to explain, but it took Sephiroth grabbing on to him to keep him from bolting.
"Give me an answer for that one," Sephiroth said as he stroked Cloud's hair, trying to calm him.
"Of course. Cloud, I'm sorry, I should have phrased that better. I'd never suggest that you tell anyone you don't want to tell. "
"It's okay," Cloud mumbled with his face pressed against Sephiroth's chest.
Cissnei sighed and looked back up at Sephiroth. "Tell them that Zack introduced you. He's Cloud's mentor and thought that you would get along. You hit it off and decided to go on a date and things developed from there. Work for you?"
Sephiroth nodded. "Does Cloud have to be there for the questions?"
Cissnei at least looked like she regretted it when she nodded. "He should be. People want to see you together. They need to see you together in order to reinforce it. I'm sorry."
"I can do it, Sephiroth, don't worry," Cloud said quietly. "And then can we go home?" he asked Cissnei.
"Yes, then you can go home."
Cloud nodded resolutely and rubbed his eyes. "Okay, let's get this over with."
***
Subject: The love of silver winds.
Yesterday, a press conference was held in which Sephiroth introduced us to his boyfriend. A lovely young man, Cloud Strife is 17 years old and hails from the town of Nibelheim on the Western Continent. They were introduced to each other by Lieutenant Zack Fair and fell in love at first sight. What followed was a romance we can only dream of. Cloud is tremendously timid and delicate, which inspires Sephiroth's kind and caring nature. Sephiroth is extremely protective of his shy lover and held his hand throughout the entire conference. He could also be seen doting on him during the photo shoot. They are an adorable couple and we wish them the best!
Please see our website for a full report as well as exclusive pictures of the happy couple.
"I am not timid or delicate!" Cloud seethed. "I was freaked out. Anyone would be if they were exposed to maniacs like that."
"I dunno," Zack said, "You looked pretty darn delicate to me. Like a gentle breeze might break you."
"Zack. Don't tease. Cloud's reaction was perfectly reasonable." Sephiroth typed the website address into his computer. "But if they somehow have exclusive pictures, we're moving to Cactuar Island. And setting up a defence perimeter."
***
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