Late, As Always

Late, As Always



Disclaimer in prologue.



Hinting at some yaoi. Don't like it? Read something else.



I forgot to mention, I think, that thoughts are in italics. Maybe I haven't used them yet. I'm so scatterbrained, honestly. Stuff in italics and quotes are from a journal that Cloud reads about Hojo's work.





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Chapter 2



Zack led Cloud up to the officer’s quarters, as cadets were not allowed on the floor alone.



“Don’t worry, Cloud,” Zack said, noticing how mortified Cloud was. “Sephiroth’s a nice guy.” He’s just a little horny, that’s all.



The young cadet grimaced, looking pale. He’d been nervous all day, unable to focus on anything other than his thoughts. Sephiroth might get him expelled, or something similar. After a few long hours of sitting in a dazed, frightened stupor, Zack had come to sit with him, making assurances that everything was going to be fine.



“The day’s going to a lot better than you think,” he said, smiling.



“Oh? And what makes you say that, exactly?” Cloud asked, looking glum. “I’m a severe case. He’s going to…to eat me alive or…ugh…I don’t want to think about it.”



“Eat you alive?” Zack asked, immediately immersed in a fit of hysterical laughter. Boy, you have no idea how correct you are… “Look, you’ll be fine.”



Cloud pulled his thoughts back to the present. They had arrived at the General’s office. A shiny plaque on the door read “General Sephiroth, Military Commander.” Cloud froze, paling past his previous whitish toward a sickly gray. Zack glanced sympathetically at him and ruffled the boy’s spikes.



“Just don’t worry,” Zack repeated. “Trust me, would I steer you wrong?”



As Cloud opened his mouth to reply, the heavy wooden door before them opened. Sephiroth stood in the doorway, half shrouded in darkness, smiling down at his visitors.



“I knew I heard you two out here,” he said. “You did not knock why, exactly?”



Cloud tried to speak, but in his nervousness, his voice seemed to have died.



“Well,” Zack answered, taking pity on his roommate, “Cloud here is a little nervous and I was telling him about how much of a nice guy you are to make him feel a little more at ease.”



“Now, Zack, the world cannot know that I am actually a nice man, can they?” Sephiroth chided playfully. “After all, I was made to be evil and destroy the world, you know.”



Zack chuckled appreciatively and patted Cloud on the back. Previously motionless in fear, the blonde finally moved and looked pleadingly at Zack. The older man found Cloud’s puppy dog eyes absolutely adorable, yet could not stand in the way of his commanding officer’s…devices.



“Sorry, Cloud, you’re on your own now,” Zack said. He turned to the General and saluted. “Sir, he’s all yours.”



Cloud didn’t see Zack wink.



“Thank-you, SOLDIER,” Sephiroth replied, also winking. “You are dismissed.”



The blonde watched as his only hope walked carelessly down the corridor toward the elevators. Sephiroth watched the terrified boy shaking in the corridor for a few moments, hoping he would respond willingly. When no such response came, the General reached out and laid a gloved hand on Cloud’s shoulder.



Cloud jumped, immediately cursing his reaction. He turned to face Sephiroth, offering a quick salute and looking into the green eyes that were carefully examining him.



“Cloud Strife, sir, reporting for disciplinary meeting,” he said, trying to sound confident and unafraid.



“Very good, cadet. You may drop the formalities while you are here,” the silver-haired man replied. He quirked an eyebrow at Cloud, who was still rooted to the spot, and stepped aside.



When Cloud didn’t move, Sephiroth frowned deeply.



“Well, Strife, would you prefer to stand dumbly out in the corridor, or come in and make yourself comfortable?” he snapped.



Wordlessly, Cloud stepped into the dimly lit office. Well, he assumed it was an office, yet the area was actually comparable to a high-end flat. The door snapped shut behind him before he was done having a good look around and soon after, Sephiroth was motioning for Cloud to sit in a chair before a nearby oak desk. Obeying, Cloud moved to the chair and sank down into its squishy depths as Sephiroth moved around to the other side and did the same.



The General noted that Cloud appeared to be more at ease and also seemed significantly interested in his “office.” The older man smiled warmly at Cloud.



“First,” he began, “I must admit that you are fairly irresponsible, cadet Strife.”



Cloud lowered his head in shame.



“But!” he added quickly, causing the blonde to look up curiously, “I must also admit that your tardiness is not the reason why I called you here.”



“Why, then?” Cloud asked, curiosity extremely piqued.



The General appeared to be choosing his words carefully. He made a face, not knowing how to say what he wished to express. Sephiroth placed his elbows on the large desk, gently placed his fingertips together, and peered at the younger man over them. Cloud waited patiently for an answer.



“I have been watching you, Cloud,” he said. “You are an exceptional warrior, even from day one. You learn fast and are very agile. Upon much reflection, I decided to bring you here.”



Cloud took a moment to bask in the glory of receiving so many praises from Sephiroth. However, something nagged at him from the back of his mind, and the question he longed to ask could not be contained.



“So,” Cloud said slowly, not wanting to offend the General, “if this is about my skill, why did you have to lie to bring me here, under the pretense of a disciplinary meeting?”



Sephiroth was caught. Though he tried to stay calm, Cloud caught the momentary flicker of panic in his eyes. The cadet decided not to mention this and awaited an answer.



“Well…” Sephiroth began, feeling nervous. Cloud was not supposed to call him out. “I…did not want the other cadets to become…jealous…and think that I am going to favor you in the examinations. You know how your fellow cadets get.”



Cloud knew Sephiroth was lying. The General appeared to be rather uncomfortable, even to a point where he was vaguely sweating. Cloud giggled slightly, yet promptly covered his mouth and blushed furiously.



“Excuse me, sir. That was inappropriate,” he mumbled.



Sephiroth gave up. His charade had not succeeded.



“No, cadet, it is quite alright,” he sighed. “I have a very different reason for asking you to be here.”



It appeared that Sephiroth was still having a highly difficult time putting his thoughts into words, so Cloud decided to examine the quarters while waiting.



The room they were in was obviously the office area. Cloud sat at the desk in the middle of the large room, which was lit only by a small lamp in the far right corner on a wooden table, although another lamp was perched on the desk. The walls were a dusky red and black and silver curtains adorned the single window on the far wall. Along the wall to his right was a solid line of bookcases that were completely filled with books. The floor was hardwood, although there was a throw rug under the desk that beheld a strange pattern that Cloud could not discern, for it was covered. To the left of the entrance were two archways, one leading to a kitchen and the other leading to what appeared to be the General’s bedroom. Just looking in that direction made Cloud blush.



Sephiroth coughed, signaling that he was ready to divulge his secret. He looked strained and vaguely embarrassed and Cloud soon found out why.



“Well…you see…” he stammered, “I…well…I find you…”



He trailed off. Cloud stared at him expectantly, waiting.



“Erm, spit it out, sir,” he said, feeling bold.



Sephiroth looked surprised that Cloud had told him, the great Sephiroth, to “spit it out.” He smiled to himself, loving the fact that Cloud treated him like a human. Finally, he spoke.



“I find you rather attractive, cadet,” he said, sounding ruffled. He sat up very straight and fixed Cloud with a confident glare.



Cloud’s jaw dropped. Him, attractive? To the General, no less? How on Gaia did that happen?



“Y…you…you what?” he asked, shocked.



Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at Cloud, who stared back, utterly confused. The silver-haired man sighed and stood up, keeping his gaze fixed on Cloud. Catlike, he bent his knees slightly and leaped easily over the desk. Perfectly aimed, he landed straddling Cloud’s thighs and smiled down at the blonde. Cloud still looked confused, yet was slowly coming to his senses.



“General, sir,” he said, voice shaking. “What are you doing?”



The General proceeded to sit comfortably on the blonde’s lap, smiling mischievously. He leaned in until his nose was practically touching Cloud’s. Cloud had a flashback of the morning, when Sephiroth taunted him about being late to class and wondered if the General was just playing a very mean joke…



“I would like to show you just how attractive you are, cadet,” he replied. “That is, unless, you do not wish for me to do so.”



Sephiroth’s warm breath caressed Cloud’s face. He wanted more than anything to close the small space between them. Sephiroth noticed that Cloud’s eyes darkened in lust and grinned.



“So, what do you want from me, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked, brushing his lips against the blonde’s.



Cloud twitched and groaned quietly.



“Please…” he sighed.



“Please what?” the General asked, teasing. He had a feeling that he knew precisely what Cloud wanted, yet asked to be mean.



“I…I don’t know exactly…just…want you,” the younger man breathed, blushing.



Sephiroth’s thoughts skidded to a stop. He paused, staring at Cloud. The General had not thought about Cloud’s experience, or lack thereof. It made him feel a strange urge to claim the young man as his before someone else had the chance. Although a fierce possessiveness was threatening to consume him, Sephiroth knew he had to take things slow. Not only was the blonde a virgin, but Sephiroth had a very slight inkling that the emotions he had for Cloud were beyond lust.



“That is fine, Cloud,” he answered. “I think I may know exactly what you want.”



Cloud’s eyes fluttered shut as Sephiroth kissed him gently, lovingly. The cadet practically melted, loving the feeling of the General’s soft lips against his own. The world around them vanished; only they mattered, locked in a tender kiss that seemed to last forever. All too soon, however, Sephiroth pulled away and took in a deep breath. He offered a beautiful, rare smile and ran a pale hand down Cloud’s cheek.



“First kiss, Strife?” he asked, leaning down and nipping at Cloud’s neck.



“Yes,” the young blonde answered, turning his head to the side, allowing the other man better access.



“Well,” Sephiroth continued, straightening to look Cloud in the eyes, “that was exceptionally tame compared to what will come later. Does that frighten you?”



Cloud stopped and considered the many possibilities. He’d never done most of the things that the other man was implying, yet he had heard tales from the other cadets. However, he did have a run-in with someone only two weeks into the program that involved a burly SOLDIER attempting to rape him in the shower. Cloud shuddered. That was an extremely unpleasant memory.



Sephiroth barely felt the tremor. Immediately, he stood and positioned himself next to Cloud, who looked confused. The General was determined to not push this lover, for he wanted Cloud to stay with him as long as possible.



“I felt you shaking,” Sephiroth explained. “I do not wish to push anything.”



Cloud looked shameful. “It’s not you. I was recalling an unpleasant experience from long ago.”



The General snarled. Fire raged in his emerald eyes, slightly frightening Cloud.



“Who touched you?” he asked.



“I…never found out,” Cloud answered, wishing it hadn’t come up. “It’s nothing.”



“Please, tell me,” Sephiroth pushed.



“Look, a SOLDIER tried to rape me some five months ago,” Cloud murmured. “I don’t know his name.”



Sephiroth felt as if fire had replaced his blood. To think that someone would do that to someone so pure… It was decided then and there that some serious punishment was going to be carried out sometime soon.



“I apologize for making you recall that day,” Sephiroth whispered. “Please forgive my ignorance. I shall escort you back to your dormitory if you wish.”



Cloud looked up, determined not to ruin this fairytale.



“No,” he replied, “I want to stay. I can’t let one incident ruin my life.”



The blonde looked into Sephiroth’s eyes, nearing tears.



“Sephiroth… Help me forget.”



The silver-haired man bit his lip, debating on whether or not to accept Cloud’s offer. It as a rather tempting one, yet he seriously considered sending the cadet back to his own dormitory, for his own safety. However, when Sephiroth caught Cloud gazing lustily at him, all reserve went out the window.



Besides, a little fun couldn’t hurt.



Sephiroth picked Cloud up easily and began a slow, agonizing walk toward his dark bedroom. Cloud was trembling slightly, yet insisted that he was fine when Sephiroth asked. The cadet couldn’t see a thing in the dark room, yet the General navigated easily as if he had the ability to see in the dark.



Cloud heard a whisper and seconds later, hundreds of black candles flared to life. He blinked, adjusting to the surge of light. Once everything came into focus, Cloud noticed that the room they were in was the inverse of the previous one: the walls were black and red and silver curtains hung from a large window that expanded most of the right wall. Next to the window, in the far right corner, was a fairly large canopy bed with black bedding.



A low, mischievous laugh echoed throughout the room. Not long after, Cloud was tossed into the air and landed softly on the bed. Biting his lip, he tried to sink into the satin sheets and relax. As Sephiroth approached very slowly, Cloud’s heart rate increased dramatically.



Sephiroth shrugged off his trench coat and kicked off his tall boots before placing his right knee on the bed next to Cloud. He smiled before hoisting his entire body onto the bed and lying comfortably next to the blonde. One muscular arm draped possessively across Cloud’s chest, long fingers caressing a sore spot near his neck.



After a few moments of massaging, Sephiroth pulled his arm back, gently pulling Cloud’s chin so he could see the young cadet’s face. The General was impressed by how calm the blonde appeared, yet knew somewhere there was likely an internal battle raging. To ease the stress, Sephiroth leaned in and kissed Cloud tenderly.



“Are you alright?” he asked after pulling away. “You seem particularly nervous.”



Cloud mentally slapped himself. He had tried to hard to appear in control, failing to remember that the great General knew all.



“First time jitters, I suppose,” Cloud replied, blushing furiously.



Sephiroth chuckled. “We do not have to do this, you know. I am flexible.”



Cloud’s eyes darkened. I bet you are…



“It’s fine, really,” he said quickly. “I want to. I’m just…nervous.”



Nodding in understanding, the silver-haired man captured Cloud’s lips once more. This time, his expert tongue ran smoothly across them, begging for passage. Startled, Cloud gasped and Sephiroth eagerly pushed past the barrier, taking his time in exploring the warm depths of the cadet’s mouth. Come out of shock, Cloud began reciprocating his superior’s movements, shyly at first, then with growing confidence. In a bold move, he pushed Sephiroth’s tongue back into his own mouth and took to exploring.



The General groaned, pleasantly surprised by Cloud’s actions. He let the boy fumble around until he was comfortable, which was a very short time indeed.



Neither of them recalled many details after that. Cloud could vaguely remember Sephiroth pulling of his uniform with reckless abandon. Now the General was comfortably settled between the blonde’s legs, silver hair tossing periodically with the movement of his head. Cloud was so close…oh, so close…



At that precise moment, Sephiroth heard the most annoying sound in all of Gaia… his phone.



Cloud snarled, extremely frustrated. Sephiroth, groaning, sat up and licked his lips before reached for the accursed contraption. He offered Cloud and apologetic smile and answered.



“General’s quarters,” he barked. Frustration was apparent in his voice.



Muffled nonsense reached Cloud’s ears as he willed himself to relax once more. He watched as Sephiroth began increasingly angry, making him wonder what the conversation was about.



“I would like to spend SOME time in my quarters, you know,” the General growled menacingly. “I returned only days ago from the last horrific mission you sent me on!”



More garble from the phone. Sephiroth’s face slowly turned red until he finally exploded in rage.



“I have cadets to train, you dimwitted politician!” he shouted into the receiver. “You and your researching scum can rot in hell! Leave me be and send someone else to take care of it!”



The silver-haired man was breathing like a winded rhinoceros. His intense emerald eyes glowed furiously and his hair was askew. Sephiroth bared his semi-fangs and snarled viciously.



“I will not be attending Hojo’s session tonight,” he said, voice low. “That man has ruined my life as it is. He will not see me again.”



Cloud heard shouting on the other end. By this point, he was scared to death, having never seen his superior this angry. In fact, he rarely saw anyone so upset.



“Fire me, then!” the General screeched. “This military would be nothing without me!”



Sephiroth got up and walked over to the nearby window, pushing the satin curtains aside. He sighed, defeated, and listened intently to the other person. Cloud swore he saw tears in his eyes.



Cloud climbed out of bed and pulled his clothes on. Seeing that Sephiroth was still occupied, he slipped out of the room and wandered around the office. The cool floorboards felt very nice on his bare feet as he walked toward the lone desk. Upon reaching it and leaning down, he saw that the carpet under the desk was decorated with multicolored chocobos. Cloud giggled quietly and proceeded over to the bookcase wall to examine the books there.



Many of the shelves were lined with novels and poetry. It seemed Sephiroth held literature in high regard, which didn’t surprise Cloud at all. He knew the General was intelligent and appreciated the arts.



The last bookcase, however, beheld a lone shelf that housed different kinds of books. They appeared to be research books with odd titles such as The Jenova Project. Confused and curious, Cloud chose a book and began reading. It wasn’t long before he came across something familiar: Sephiroth.



“Childhood.



Sephiroth is extremely vivacious for a child. He appears normal, although we injected him with Jenova while he was still in the womb.”



Jenova? Cloud thought, turning the page. What is all this?



“The young boy is supernaturally strong. He managed to pick up a Mako tank and toss it easily across the room as if it were weightless. They do, in fact, weigh at least one hundred pounds. Hojo is pleased, yet I am unsure. Human testing is unwise; Sephiroth could be in great danger. I fear that one day, he may be beyond our control. We have seen and heard accounts of Jenova’s destructive power. She could easily control Sephiroth and cause great calamity. It is no small wonder that the Cetra named her a calamity.”



Cloud continued reading about young Sephiroth. A man named Gast, a professor who was apparently very close to Sephiroth, wrote the entries. After many pages, the entries stopped suddenly.



Cloud did not notice that Sephiroth had come up behind him.



“What are you doing?”



Cloud froze. Somehow he didn’t think that young Sephiroth was speaking to him from the journal.