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Love Makes a Difference	By : Nakkinomiko Category: Final Fantasy VII > Yaoi - Male/Male > Cloud/Sephiroth Views: 2328 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII and all its characters are owned by SquareEnix. They aren't mine, and I make no money from this fic.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
Disclaimer: I don’t own Final Fantasy VII or any of its characters. SquareEnix does. I make no money from this…I just like to play with them.
A/N: Warning! Here there be lemons! Boys loving on boys in this chapter, so if you don’t like that, please don’t read. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!!! And a healthy dose of sap.
Io, thank you so much for your kind words! I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Muci, fear not! I’ve made a promise to myself to finish this story…and very soon I’ll start posting my post Advent Children Rufus/Kadaj fic, too. (And that one is totally done!)
On with the story!
*******

Chapter 4
Sephiroth woke in the arms of an angel. He lay quietly in Cloud’s arms and wondered at the beauty of the younger man. Sephiroth let his gaze trace the curves of his handsome features, the sharp line of his jaw and the chiseled perfection of his cheeks. His blonde hair shone like pale gold in sunlight that streamed through the window, and Sephiroth remembered how soft it had felt when he’d touched it the night Cloud had been sick in his bathroom. He itched to touch it again, to bury his fingers into that silky softness and massage the scalp beneath it. He wanted to touch Cloud all over. He wanted to kiss those full lips and coax the blonde into submission.
I am so lost, Sephiroth thought wryly. The funny thing was, it didn’t bother him in the least, not like it would have in the past. It was the first time in years that he didn’t feel wary about a relationship. He’d had one other, in the past, and it had ended up breaking Sephiroth’s heart, for the man he’d loved had ended up using Sephiroth’s rank to get what he wanted out of life, and then had tossed Sephiroth aside. It had hurt, more than any physical injury he’d ever received, and Sephiroth had erected a wall of ice around his heart and had sworn that he would never, ever let anyone in again. After that Zack was the only person he would really be himself with--everyone else got to talk to the cool and collected Shinra General. Only recently had he allowed himself to open up to others--Lieutenant Anderson was quickly becoming a friend. And now there was Cloud, and Sephiroth was certain they were going to be more than just friends.
The man in question stirred a little in his sleep, and a soft exhaled breath left Cloud’s lips before his blue eyes blinked open. Sephiroth was drawn in by the deep azure of his glowing mako eyes. They widened a little as the realization of where he was dawned, and then a faint blush colored the skin covering Cloud’s perfect cheekbones. Sephiroth gave into the urge to touch that golden hair. Cloud made a happy sound and his eyes slid shut when Sephiroth started to massage his scalp with gentle strokes of his long fingers.
“Good morning,” Sephiroth purred. “Did you sleep well?”
Cloud nodded slowly. His blue eyes opened slowly and he smiled a little. “Did you?”
“Yes.”
Concern softened Cloud’s eyes. “How are you feeling, though?”
“Fine,” Sephiroth whispered. And the thing of it was, he did feel fine. He felt like he could fight his way through a legion of monsters and not even break a sweat. Whatever his father had given him the night before had worked its way into his system and had made him stronger. Sephiroth could feel it. He didn’t know if he should be afraid or grateful. He never knew what to feel where his father was concerned.
“You’re sure?” Cloud asked. He shifted so that he could place the back of his hand against Sephiroth’s forehead.
“Yes, I am,” Sephiroth said. He twisted his fingers in Cloud’s golden hair and used it to gently tilt Cloud’s head back a little. Sephiroth closed his eyes and leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss against Cloud’s lips.
“Oh!” Cloud melted against him, his strong arms wrapping tight around Sephiroth and pulling him closer.   Their legs tangled beneath the sheets, and the kiss became deeper and more passionate. Cloud’s lips parted, and Sephiroth tasted the inside of his mouth with his tongue. Cloud’s tongue slid against his, and Sephiroth moaned softly into Cloud’s mouth.
Sephiroth loosened his grip on Cloud’s hair and let his hands slide across the smooth, warm skin of Cloud’s back. Cloud’s muscles were like steel beneath the silk of his skin. Sephiroth deepened the kiss and rested his hands at the small of Cloud’s back and pulled the younger man even closer. Cloud emitted a soft gasp as their clothed arousals rubbed against one another, and he broke the kiss with a moan.
“Tell me to stop and I will,” Sephiroth whispered. He feathered a kiss across Cloud’s jaw and then moved lower to suck at the pulse point in his neck. He flicked his tongue out to taste the salt of Cloud’s skin, and growled possessively as he nipped at the warm flesh.
“I won’t lie and say I want you to,” Cloud murmured. “But if we do this, you have to know that I won’t ever let you go. I . . .I won’t be able to. I’ve wanted to be close to you for so long, and now that I’m here, I won’t give it up, not without a fight.”
Sephiroth shifted upwards and kissed Cloud hard. “That’s fine with me,” he whispered against Cloud’s lips. “Gods, Cloud! I need you!”
Cloud gave him a soft smile and brushed a kiss across Sephiroth’s lips. “I’m right here.”
Sephiroth took it for the invitation it was and ground his hips against Cloud’s. Both men moaned at the delicious friction between them.
“The pajamas have to go,” Sephiroth husked. He kicked the covers off of them and rolled so that Cloud was beneath him. Sephiroth’s fingers found the elastic of Cloud’s pajama bottoms and he hooked the band with his fingers and tugged them downward. Cloud obligingly lifted his hips and allowed the general to pull them down and past his straining erection.
Sephiroth tossed the pajama bottoms over the edge of the bed and then stood long enough to rid himself of his own. He was hyper aware of Cloud’s gaze upon him as he stripped, and hoped the blonde liked what he saw. He met Cloud’s gaze when he was through, and was comforted by the desire and longing he saw there. He crawled onto the bed and into Cloud’s embrace. The feeling of Cloud’s naked flesh against his own was just this side of divine.
“Oh, gods!” Cloud breathed. “That feels good!”
“Mm,” Sephiroth agreed. “You feel very good.”
Sephiroth ran his hands over Cloud’s chest. Cloud moaned when his palms brushed across his nipples. The expression on his face was one of shock and wonder, as if he’d never felt anything like it in his life. The thought made Sephiroth pause, and he cocked his head to the side a little as he regarded the man beneath him.
“What?” Cloud whispered.
“You’ve never done this before, have you?” Sephiroth asked gently.
Cloud’s blush was all the answer he needed, and Sephiroth felt a lump rise in his throat.
“That amazes me. You’re so very beautiful,” Sephiroth whispered. He lay his hand over Cloud’s heart. “Inside and out.”
“I’ve never wanted anyone before,” Cloud whispered. He covered Sephiroth’s hand with his own and squeezed. “I mean, there were people that offered, but it wouldn’t have meant anything, so why bother? You’re the only one that has mattered.”
Sephiroth swallowed the lump in his throat and bent to feather a kiss against Cloud’s forehead. “I’ll be careful,” he promised Cloud. “If anything makes you uncomfortable, tell me, please? I want this to be good for you, too.”
“I trust you,” Cloud whispered.
There were no more words after that. Sephiroth took his time and explored every inch of Cloud’s perfect flesh, and by the time he reached Cloud’s arousal, the blonde was a boneless heap on the bed. Sephiroth’s tongue darted out to taste the clear liquid leaking from the head of Cloud’s erection, and Cloud’s breath hitched audibly at the brief caress.   Sephiroth wrapped pale fingers around Cloud’s arousal and took the head into his mouth.
Cloud moaned deep in his throat as Sephiroth rolled his tongue around the head. The taste was slightly bitter and salty, but not unpleasant, and Sephiroth took the silken hardness further into his mouth. Cloud’s fingers clutched convulsively at the bedding, and his hips rocked upwards slightly in an effort to drive himself deeper into Sephiroth’s warm, sucking mouth. Sephiroth hummed appreciatively as sucked and licked at the hardness in his mouth. Cloud’s breath hitched, and his blue eyes opened wide.
“Sephiroth!”
It was the only warning the General had before Cloud cried out with release. Sephiroth swallowed Cloud’s seed without a second thought, and only after Cloud was completely spent did he release the man’s arousal. He shifted upwards and gave Cloud a deep kiss. Cloud’s arms wrapped around his shoulders and pulled him down. Sephiroth carefully rested his weight on the smaller man.
“Wow,” Cloud breathed after a moment. He frowned a little. “But you’re still . . .”
Sephiroth interrupted him with a kiss. “Don’t fret, Cloud. I’m far from finished.” He rolled to the side a little and took Cloud with him. He was able to slide his hands down Cloud’s back until his hands were cupping the firmness of Cloud’s buttocks. He squeezed and separated the globes and brushed fingers across the puckered opening there.
“Oh!” Cloud’s eyes went wide with understanding, and the resulting blush was much deeper than any other he had displayed before.
“Will you let me?” Sephiroth whispered.
“Yes,” Cloud replied with no hesitation at all.
Sephiroth shifted away from Cloud long enough to find the tube of lubricant he kept in the bedside table. He slicked his fingers and smiled reassuringly at Cloud. “Lay on your back, Cloud.”
Cloud did as he was told, and Sephiroth knelt between Cloud’s spread-eagled legs. Cloud was already becoming aroused again, and Sephiroth ghosted his slick fingers over the semi-erect flesh before he dipped lower and circled Cloud’s opening with a gentle touch. Cloud moaned deeply and his legs opened wider.
“Oh, gods, that’s. . .” Cloud’s words trailed off into a moan.
Sephiroth bent down to kiss him. “You have to stay calm and relaxed,” Sephiroth warned him. He carefully sunk a slick finger into Cloud’s clenching heat. Cloud gasped and his hands tangled in the bedding again. Sephiroth slowly pumped the finger in and out of his lover, and when he felt the muscles relax a little, he added a second beside it and brushed his fingers over Cloud‘s prostate.
“Sephiroth!” Cloud gasped his name breathlessly.
“Do you want me to stop?”
“Gods, no!” Cloud’s hips rocked downwards in an attempt to drive Sephiroth’s fingers deeper.   “Please, don’t!”
Sephiroth smirked as he withdrew his fingers. He found the tube of lubricant again and slicked his almost painful erection. He grit his teeth as his own touch threatened to send him over the edge, and it was through the force of his will alone that he managed to keep from coming.
“Sephiroth, please,” Cloud whimpered. He was beautiful, his head thrown back on the pillow and his body warm and inviting beneath Sephiroth.
“Shh,” Sephiroth soothed. He shifted Cloud’s legs and wrapped them around his waist before positioning his hardness at that tight opening and carefully pushing forward. There was resistance, and Sephiroth paused to wrap a hand around Cloud’s arousal. Cloud gasped, and Sephiroth felt the muscles relax, and he was able to push forward. Slick, clenching warmth surrounded his arousal, and both gasped with pleasure.
Sephiroth rocked his hips in slow, gentle thrusts. Each movement drove him deeper, until he was completely buried in Cloud’s warmth. He slid his hands beneath Cloud’s shoulders and rocked backward until Cloud was upright and straddling his thighs. Cloud moaned and wrapped his arms around Sephiroth’s shoulders and hid his face against Sephiroth’s neck. Sephiroth embraced him fully, his hands splayed across Cloud’s back to support the smaller man as he started to give gentle upward pulses of his hips.
Sephiroth closed his eyes and reveled in the feel of Cloud’s warmth tight around his hardness. Each thrust was full of delicious friction, and very soon Sephiroth was moaning in appreciation. Cloud clung to him tightly, his lips pressed against the pulse point in Sephiroth’s neck and his body trembling with pleasure.
“Gods,” Cloud breathed. His voice was thick with passion and unshed tears. “Oh, gods, Sephiroth!” Cloud gave a choked cry as the orgasm washed over and through him.
“Ah!” Sephiroth gasped as Cloud’s muscles contracted around him, and it proved too much for the General. He held Cloud close as he found his release, the pleasure crashing through him and nearly overwhelming him with its intensity. Tears crystallized on his sliver lashes and he tangled his fingers in Cloud’s hair and tilted the blonde’s head backwards so he could bestow a deep kiss on Cloud’s lips.
“I . . . I love you,” Cloud stuttered hesitantly.
Sephiroth understood the hesitance. They’d only met two days prior, and things were moving so bloody fast, but he also knew on an instinctive level that Cloud wouldn’t have said the words if he hadn’t meant them. The thing was, Sephiroth was starting to feel the same, and he suspected he would have felt the same even if they had not made love. It was madness, really, but Sephiroth’s life had never been sane to begin with, and Cloud was the first really good thing that had happened to him in years. Still, he wasn’t sure he was ready to say the words. He’d done that once, and had gotten horribly hurt as a result.
“You don’t have to say it if you’re not ready,” Cloud whispered. His tone was one of understanding.
“I don’t deserve you,” Sephiroth whispered fiercely. He gently tipped Cloud back onto the bed and carefully withdrew from his lover. “But I don’t care. I’m going to hold on to you for dear life and try to be worthy of you.”
Cloud smiled up at him and tugged him down to lie next to him. “It’s a good thing you feel that way. I already told you that you’d be stuck with me if we made love.”
Sephiroth rested his head against Cloud’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “I don’t think it will be much of a hardship.”
They lay like that, quietly basking in the afterglow, for nearly half an hour before Sephiroth stirred.
“We should shower,” he said. “And then I’m going to make you breakfast.”
“Again,” Cloud said with a huff of laughter.
“I don’t mind,” Sephiroth said. He propped himself up on an elbow and leaned down to kiss Cloud. “And tonight I will make you that steak dinner.”
“Sounds good,” Cloud said. “You mentioned a shower?”
Sephiroth nodded.
“Are you going to join me?” Cloud husked.
Sephiroth’s smile was wicked. “Try and stop me.”
*****
Rufus was not surprised to find himself alone in the morning. There was, however, a folded paper crane resting on the pillow Tseng had used the night before. Rufus picked it up, and smiled when he found the words “open me” scrawled in Tseng’s neat writing across one of the bird’s wings. He carefully undid the creases and folds, and fairly shortly revealed the note Tseng had written before he’d left.
Rufus--
I’m sorry that you had to wake alone this morning, but I had an early morning security meeting with your father, and I dared not miss it. I’ll see you at the 2:00 board meeting today. Please be safe until then.
Tseng
P.S. Don’t forget to call Zack today.
Rufus smiled wistfully as he read the note. He would have to burn it, of course, to keep them all safe. Maybe after his father was exposed he could keep something like this, but not now. He sighed a bit as he reached for his cell phone and dialed the number for the cell phone he’d given to Zack. It rang three times before the man picked it up, and when he spoke, Zack sounded wary.
“Hello?”
Rufus chuckled. “Relax, Zack, it’s Rufus.”
Zack’s sigh of relief was audible over the phone. “Good. I was going to totally freak out if it was someone else. . .I mean, no one else has the number to this phone, do they?”
“No,” Rufus said. “Look, Zack, you said last night that you wanted to help me in any way you could.”
“Yeah, and I meant it,” came the determined reply.
“I think I’ve found a way you can help me,” Rufus said.
“Tell me.”
*****
Cloud was half way through a plate of bacon and eggs when the knock came. He rolled his eyes and groaned audibly. He knew who was on the other side of that door, and he knew Zack was going to have all sorts of ‘fun’ at his expense the minute he walked into the room. Cloud knew better than to think that he could hide the fact that he and Sephiroth had been intimate from Zack. The brunette liked to play stupid at times, but the reality was, Zack was sharper than a brand new tack. And Zack could read them both like a book.
“I can ignore him.” Sephiroth sounded infinitely amused, and his green eyes danced with humor.
Cloud rolled his eyes again as another knock sounded, this one more annoyingly insistent than the last. “You think?”
“On occasion,” came the smooth reply. Sephiroth still didn’t move from the chair. “Cloud, how open do you want to be?”
Cloud looked up, his blonde brows arched in surprise. “Sir?”
Sephiroth smirked as he used the honorific, and Cloud found himself blushing hotly. That particular habit was going to be very hard to break.
“How open do you want to be with our relationship?” Sephiroth asked again. Another knock sounded on the door, and this time Cloud could hear Zack calling through the door.
“Um. . .I don’t mind if people know, but I’m not much on public affection in front of people I don’t know well,” Cloud admitted. It was true--he was painfully shy. Anyone that knew him well at all knew that about him. In fact, he seriously doubted he would be able to show open affection in front of anyone other than Zack and maybe his mother and his best friend back home.
“I know,” Sephiroth said. His lips curled into a small smile. “But you will admit a relationship with me if asked?”
Cloud felt himself blushing again as he nodded. “Yeah, I would. I‘m not ashamed of it at all.”
“Thank you,” Sephiroth whispered. He stood from the table and dropped a kiss against the crown of Cloud’s head before he went to answer the door.
“Geesh, it’s about damn time you let me in!” Zack complained as he entered the apartment. He made a beeline for the kitchen. “What’s a guy got to do to get himself a cup of coffee around here?”
“Pour it,” Sephiroth said with a laugh. “You know where the mugs are, idiot. Get yourself a cup. I just brewed a fresh pot.”
Zack turned and opened a cupboard door. “You’re definitely feeling better,” Zack said. He pulled a mug off a shelf and closed the door.
“Much,” Sephiroth agreed.
“Hm.” Zack poured himself a cup of coffee and turned to face them. He leaned his hip against the marble countertop and took a sip. He closed his eyes and gave a blissful sigh before he grinned at Sephiroth. “You still make the best damn coffee I’ve ever tasted.”
“The bacon and eggs aren’t bad either,” Cloud interjected.
“And you should know,” Zack quipped. “You’ve had ‘em two mornings in a row now!”
Cloud shrugged. He was feeling far too good to let the man’s ribbings bother him.
“Is there a reason you’re here, other than to be a pain in the ass?” Sephiroth asked.
“I wanted to make sure you were okay,” Zack said with a shrug. His expression was serious now. “You were sick last night, Seph. It scared the shit out of me.”
Sephiroth shrugged. “I’ve been through worse, Zack.”
Cloud saw a flash of anger in Zack’s eyes.
“That shit could have killed you,” Zack said.
“It didn’t,” Sephiroth said flatly.
Cloud had the distinct feeling that this was not the first time Sephiroth and Zack had engaged in this conversation. The two men were staring each other down and Cloud had the feeling that neither was going to back off anytime soon.
Zack’s expression twisted with anger. “Well, it should have!”
Sephiroth’s eyes narrowed to green slits. “What?”
“Fuck.” Zack set his mug on the counter and took a deep breath.
“Zack, what exactly did you mean by that?” Sephiroth pushed.
Zack didn’t answer right away, and he seemed to be struggling internally. After a few minutes he took another deep breath and finally looked at Sephiroth again. “You’re going to be very angry with me,” he said softly.
Sephiroth’s eyes widened slightly. “I’ve never really been angry with you,” he said. “Annoyed, yes. Angry? Never, Zack.”
Zack gave a weak laugh. “Well, you know what they say . . . there’s a first time for everything.”
“Does this have something to do with Hojo?” Cloud asked in a moment of insight.
Zack nodded slowly, and would not look either of them in the eye. “He hurts you, Seph,” Zack said softly. “And I fucking hate that. I’d do anything to stop him from doing it again.” He swallowed hard.
“Zack, what have you done?” Sephiroth asked, his voice a harsh whisper in the apartment’s small kitchen.
“I can’t tell you, not exactly,” Zack said. His expression was pained when he finally looked up at Sephiroth. “There are so many lives at stake, Seph, including yours. But I can tell you one thing for sure: the mako he injected you with last night was flat out toxic. If Hojo had given it to anyone but you it would have killed them almost instantly.”
Sephiroth just stared at him for a moment before he spoke. “And you know this how?”
“He dropped one of the syringes on the way out of here last night. There was enough left to run tests on it.”
“Who did you take it to?” Cloud asked.
Zack shook his head. “I can’t tell you, not unless I’m given permission. But I’m telling the truth. That shit should have killed you, Seph. You should be dead.”
Sephiroth sat down hard on an empty chair and stared at the table top. After several moments he looked up and frowned at Zack. “I’m not dead,” he said slowly. “What does that mean, Zack?”
Zack shook his head. “I don’t know, but the person that had the tests run thinks that it’s important we find out.”
“You’re not telling us everything,” Cloud said. His eyes narrowed. “You have to tell us everything, Zack. Or don’t you trust us?”
Zack hesitated, and when he cast a doubtful glance, it was in Sephiroth’s direction. “I want to trust you,” Zack said slowly. “But this . . . this could be a conflict of interest for Sephiroth. You’re Shinra’s number one General, Seph.”
“And you and your unknown friend are plotting against the President,” Sephiroth said slowly, “And my father.”
Cloud felt his stomach drop sharply when Zack paled considerably and didn’t try to deny it.
“Tell me,” Sephiroth said, his voice both a command and a plea.
“The President is corrupt,” Zack said after hesitating. “My friend wants to prove it and remove him from power.”
“How is he corrupt?”
“Shinra, Inc. is killing the planet,” Zack said. “The mako reactors are poisoning the Lifestream and the last environmentalist that tried to expose that fact ended up dead. There are extraordinarily high security clearances required for certain sectors of the bio division, but according to the legal books, nothing is going on in those labs that should merit such secrecy. Some of those labs are accessible only to the President, Scarlet, Heidigger, and . . .”
“My father,” Sephiroth finished flatly. His voice was colored with something that was a cross between resignation and sorrow.
“Yes, Seph. I’m sorry,” Zack said.
Sephiroth looked up at Zack and pinned him into place with his sharp green gaze. “Do you have proof?”
“Not yet,” Zack said. “But my friend thinks there may be something at the Shinra Mansion in Nibelheim, and perhaps even at the reactor itself. They found something in the archives that makes them think your father had a lab there.”
“They found it in the archives? How old is it?” Sephiroth asked.
“It’s a memo from Hojo to the President, and it’s dated nearly 22 years ago,” Zack said quietly. “That’s. . .”
“Right about the time I was born,” Sephiroth said flatly. His green eyes narrowed slightly and he stared hard at the table top again. He was silent for several moments, and then met Zack’s gaze again. His jaw was set and his expression held determination. “We’d need an excuse to go to Nibelheim. If we just up and go there for no apparent reason, Father will suspect something.”
“Do you think he knows about Cloud?”
Cloud watched the color drain from Sephiroth’s face.
“Gods, let’s hope not,” he whispered hoarsely.
“Sephiroth?” Cloud reached across the table and captured his hand. “You just turned gray.”
Sephiroth interlaced their fingers. “My father doesn’t take it well when other people become more important than him,” Sephiroth said. He glanced at Zack. “I think the only reason he hasn’t found a way to separate me from Zack is because I threatened to quit SOLDIER if he touched him . . .and . . .”
“You’re not sleeping with me,” Zack finished. “Is Cloud in danger, Seph?”
“Maybe,” Sephiroth whispered. His jaw trembled as he clenched his teeth, and he swallowed audibly. “No, not just maybe. I think you are in danger, Cloud. Father somehow found out about our sparring match last night, and he’s taken notice. He asked me about it, and I tried to blow it off, but if he knew about the match, he most likely knew that I’d invited you for dinner. I wasn’t exactly secretive about it, was I? Gods, I’m sorry!”
“I’m not leaving you,” Cloud said. He squeezed Sephiroth’s hand tightly. “I don’t care if he’s got it out for me or not.”
“Coward you are not,” Zack said with a quick grin. “None the less, I don’t think we should let you go to the lab by yourself from now on. And it’s kind of a good thing that Hojo suspects something is going on between the two of you, because now we’ve got the excuse we need to go to Nibelheim . . .unless Cloud doesn’t want to take the new boyfriend home to meet mother, that is.”
Cloud couldn’t help a derisive snort. “And where do you fit in?”
Zack grinned. “Come on, Spike! You wouldn’t leave your best friend all alone on base during a break, would you?”
Sephiroth made an amused sound. “Of course he wouldn’t.” Sephiroth’s fingers squeezed Cloud’s. “I would like to meet your mother.”
Cloud smiled. “Well, I guess we have our cover, then. I’ll call mom this morning and let her know we’re all coming. She’ll want us to stay with her . . .is that okay?”
“It’s fine,” Sephiroth said.
Zack gave them both a grin. “Then we’re going to Nibelheim!”
*****
Rufus looked up when a shadow darkened the open doorway into his office. Reno stood there, a smirk on his handsome features.
“Reno?”
“Tseng wanted me to give you a message,” Reno said. He flashed Rufus a grin.
“And the message would be?”
Reno‘s grin softened a little, and his eyes seemed to flash with sympathy. “First of all, he wanted me to tell you that he’d be unable to visit this evening.”
Rufus nodded. It didn’t surprise him, and he’d already resigned himself to a sleepless night. He’d known that he and Tseng would not be able to spend every night together. None the less, he couldn’t help the disappointment he felt.
“I’m sure it can’t be helped,” Rufus said. “The rest of the message?”
“Heh. He wanted you to know that Zack succeeded in his mission. Sephiroth informed his father this morning that he was going to spend his break in Nibelheim, with Zack and Cloud. Hojo was fairly annoyed, but didn’t say he couldn’t go. I so wish I could have been there for that conversation.”
Rufus arched a brow.
“Yeah,” Reno said. “I guess Sephiroth and Cloud aren’t really attempting to hide the fact that their relationship is more than just professional or a friendship. Tseng said the threats between Sephiroth and his father were, at best, thinly veiled. Sephiroth pretty much threatened to walk if Hojo even looked at Cloud wrong.”
“Oh, I’m sure the thought of his finest SOLDIER quitting thrilled my father to death,” Rufus said.
“Yeah, so much that he told Hojo to shut the hell up and let Sephiroth go,” Reno said with a laugh.
“Excellent,” Rufus breathed. “This is going far better than I had hoped.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Reno, I want you and Rude to follow and keep an eye on them,” Rufus said. “If they find something, they might end up needing back up.”
“Who’s going to watch you?” Reno asked.
“There are other Turks,” Rufus said with a chuckle.
“I suppose so,” Reno said. He gave Rufus a sly grin. “Like Tseng.”
“Reno . . .”
“Leaving,” Reno said with a laugh. “I’ll be watching TV in the living room if you need me.”
Rufus nodded, and Reno slipped away.
*****
TBC
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