A/N: This fic was written as a secret santa gift for seventhstrife! It's been up on AO3 since the secret santa reveals, but I forgot to cross-post it here, whoops.

This thing got stupidly long. I wanted to give the boys a bit of opportunity to get to know each other first, but then they just started talking and talking and omg shut up and kiss already. orz

The title for the fic is taken from the song by Adam Lambert. I like to imagine the song at the third and final concert Sephiroth witnesses is very similar thematically to that one. ;D

"Morning, Seph!" Zack greeted, bouncing into step beside Sephiroth.

"No," Sephiroth said immediately. Zack bouncing was never a good sign. It was too early to deal with a bouncing Zack. It was nearly midday, but that was still too early. All he'd wanted was to walk from his office to the training rooms in peace.

"Aw, don't be like that. I came to say happy birthday!"

Sephiroth stared at his second-in-command for a long moment. "...It is not my birthday."

"But it could be. You don't know when your birthday is. It could be today, and you've just never realised it."

"There are 365 days in the year. The chances of my birthday being on this day in particular are approximately 0.03%. It is unlikely."

Zack made a noise of exasperation. "Stop being such a spoilsport! I've got you a present!"

"I see," Sephiroth said dubiously.

"You'll like it, I promise." Zack drew two small pieces of card from his pocket and waved them in front of Sephiroth. "Concert tickets!"

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.

"For AVALANCHE."

The other eyebrow joined it, but Sephiroth's interest was clearly piqued. Enough so that he stopped walking to give Zack his full attention. "Those are sold out," he said.

"I have my sources," Zack grinned.

Sephiroth levered the tickets out of Zack's fist. They certainly looked genuine enough. Two tickets to see AVALANCHE, playing in Sector 8 on the first night of their East Continent tour. VIP tickets, at that.

He had to admit, he was impressed.

"Happy birthday!" Zack repeated cheerfully. This time, Sephiroth didn't contradict him.

Zack was having a fucking awesome evening.

He loved concerts at the best of times. The whole atmosphere; the cheers, loud music and flashing lights and smoke effects, the sheer energy of it all. It was his kinda scene.

He was particularly enjoying this concert, though. AVALANCHE was a group from the slums that had rocketed into stardom two years and two albums ago. They were rough, dirty rock music, tempered by the powerful yet sweet, smooth vocals of their lead, one Cloud Strife. The kid had grown up in a backwater town, just like Zack, and he'd started out singing folk songs and ballads of all things. He'd grown a lot since then, yet there was still a touch of those roots in his voice. Something warm and deep and ancient, and maybe just a little dangerous.

The combined sound was something unique and attention-grabbing, and it was what had earnt AVALANCHE their big break soon after Strife joined up.

It didn't hurt the kid had blossomed into one hell of a looker too.

He was dressed every bit as his rockstar title would suggest, all tight clothes and leather. And he performed well. It couldn't be called dancing by any stretch of the imagination, but he managed to tell a story with just the gestures of his arm, the bow and tilt of his head, the shift of his hips. He sang as if the audience wasn't there at all, pouring his soul out.

Zack was so damn proud of him.

But the icing on the cake for the evening? Sephiroth was having a good time too.

Oh, not that he'd admit it. Sephiroth would never allow himself to be seen indulging in such frivolous activities. But Zack knew him well enough to tell that the band had well and truly captured his attention.

Piercing green eyes stared down at the stage, gaze never wavering for a moment. Sephiroth's lips were slightly parted, his fingers tapping against his forearms to the beat of the rising music. He was resting his weight against the railing of their VIP balcony, leaning forward to get a scant few inches closer. He wasn't even aware he was doing it. It was kind of adorable, and Zack grinned as he glanced over.

"They're good, yeah?" Zack yelled over the cheering as the most recent song came to a close.

"Of course," Sephiroth replied, almost but not quite managing to feign logical indifference. "I would expect nothing less from their discography."

Their discography that Sephiroth knew by heart, including Cloud's own (and unreleased) sample album from before he was even signed. Zack had never expected it when he'd kept bugging Sephiroth to listen to some of his favourite bands, but, for AVALANCHE at least, he'd managed to turn the General into quite the secret fanboy.

Zack's grin grew wider. As much fun as he was having, he couldn't wait for the end of the concert when he would be able to give Sephiroth the second part of his surprise. Those VIP tickets? They came with a backstage meet and greet pass.

The meet and greet wasn't just for Sephiroth's benefit. It had been years since Zack had seen Cloud. Cloud had been busy joining a band, releasing albums and touring, and Zack had been steadily working his way through the ranks to become a SOLDIER First. A lot had happened since they'd reached Midgar and parted ways.

He took the sleeve of Sephiroth's coat and dragged him downstairs the moment the concert was finished.

"Clooooud! Hey, chocobohead!" Zack greeted in his usual over-enthusiastic way, yelling across the area backstage. He hoped Cloud remembered him, otherwise he'd probably get kicked out by security for the ruckus.

The rockstar turned around, the blond spikes of his ridiculous-as-ever hair bobbing with the movement. Then Cloud's eyes went wide with surprise. "Zack?!"

Sephiroth, as it happened, had been equally as surprised. He did not like surprises, and had not been appreciative when Zack had guided them round to the backstage area.

A meet and greet. Zack knew that Sephiroth was not the most eloquent in social situations. He needed time to prepare. Provided he could formulate an approximate script of what would occur, Sephiroth was more or less able navigate conversations successfully. If he did not have a script, or the script was deviated from... that was when the social blunders started to occur, most of which seemed to end up with Sephiroth being perceived as highly rude and the other party leaving with hurt feelings.

Personal relationships were of little concern to him in his position. But the prospect of that occurring with Cloud was unbearable.

Sephiroth levelled a cold stare at Zack, who didn't even notice. He was too busy hugging Cloud, both of them jabbering at each other a mile a minute.

"-what the hell have you been up to?"

"-totally made it! I'm SOLDIER First Class now-"

"That's amazing! I guess it's pretty obvious I found myself a band, huh-"

"-suddenly heard you on the radio! A number one hit, man-"

It was hard to keep up. Sephiroth's brow furrowed in confusion. "You two know each other?"

Zack finally seemed to remember that Sephiroth was there at all. He paused for breath. "Ohh. Yeah! Cloud, this is General Sephiroth. Sephiroth, Cloud Strife."

"It's nice to meet you, Cloud," Sephiroth murmured. He thought that was what he had murmured anyway. Quite frankly, he was too preoccupied staring to even recall what he had said.

Cloud had turned that gorgeous smile on him as they were introduced. It was a confident smile, but genuine, and it lit up his baby blue eyes as well, despite the fact that Cloud was visibly tired after his performance.

"General Sephiroth, sir," Cloud greeted in return. The smile was more of a smirk now, and he said the title with a teasing lilt to his Nibelheim accent.

Sephiroth was the General of SOLDIER, commander of the most elite fighting force on the Planet. He had won wars. He regularly mingled with the most powerful men in existence; many would argue he was included as one of them. He was not someone to be rendered tongue-tied and flustered by the smile of one pretty-faced, under-the-plate rockstar.

Except that apparently he was. He had no idea what to say to Cloud.

The silence stretched out between them. Sephiroth tried to move his mouth, to just say something, but no words formed and Cloud just kept smiling at him with those bright, amused eyes. Damn it.

Sephiroth was gloriously rescued by Zack's decision to explain the situation more thoroughly.

"Cloud and I came to Midgar together, three years or so back," he clarified for Sephiroth's benefit. "Cloud was headed here to try and hit the big time, and I had my heart set on SOLDIER. We met up on the way and travelled together for a while. I was his first roadie!"

"You were an awful roadie! You just drank the free booze," Cloud accused him, laughing.

Sephiroth was both relieved and disappointed that Cloud's attention was drawn away from him. The two younger men began to reminisce about their time on the road to Midgar, and to fill each other in on the times since they had lost contact.

Zack had been accepted into ShinRa's military program and was swept up into the rigorous, lengthy training that began all SOLDIER's careers. Cloud hadn't had anywhere permanent to stay, and bounced around between hostels, inns, or wherever he could crash for a couple of gil. He'd started frequenting one bar in particular, Seventh Heaven, where he'd met the other members of AVALANCHE. They'd started doing gigs for the manager on a regular basis. Cloud had even managed to get his childhood friend, Tifa, a job as a barmaid there when she left Nibelheim for Midgar as well.

Neither of them had any sort of permanent address to exchange before parting, nor a PHS number. And with all the bouncing around Cloud had done, he'd proved impossible to find when Zack finally got enough leave time to go down to the slums to see if his buddy was still about.

It wasn't long then before Zack was promoted to SOLDIER Third, and AVALANCHE secured a record deal with Cloud as their frontman, and both of their careers skyrocketed.

"Hey, you should meet the guys as well! I wouldn't have got anywhere without them." Cloud gestured warmly to where his bandmates were either supervising or helping with the packing away of their equipment, or just standing around joking with each other.

"Jessie over there is our lead guitarist. Biggs is on bass. Wedge does keyboard and back-up vocals when we need them. Barret is our drummer; I'm pretty sure he's the best in the whole of Midgar."

"No kidding! His drum solo was something else. Almost upstaged you, Cloudy," Zack said, that teasing note in his voice.

"The use of multiple drumsticks in each hand simultaneously was impressive," Sephiroth agreed. His interjection felt slightly awkward, but not as awkward as he was just standing there while the other two chattered around him. Sephiroth was not used to being superfluous.

Cloud smiled though, much happier to be complimenting his bandmates than to be complimented himself. "It's even better when you see it from up close. You don't really appreciate the interchangeable drumsticks until you've seen them in action."

"Interchangeable drumsticks?"

"Sure. It's a custom-build prosthetic."

"Wait, wait. Hold up. That's his arm? The drumsticks are actually part of it? Man, I gotta see this!" Zack darted over to introduce himself in a fit of enthusiasm.

Calculated enthusiasm, it seemed. He turned and winked at Sephiroth as he vanished, leaving Sephiroth and Cloud standing side by side with no distractions apart from each other.

Sephiroth twitched.

Cloud turned to him and smiled. "So, Sephiroth," he said, "are you actually here for the music, or did Zack just drag you along?"

The way Cloud said his name in that damn accent... Sephiroth shook his head. "No, he didn't. I am an admirer of AVALANCHE as a band itself, and also of you in particular. It is your voice that brings the unique component to your music that I appreciate. Although I enjoy all of the albums you have released, my favourite is your solo sample album recorded before you joined AVALANCHE."

Cloud blinked, his smile a little lop-sided now. "Solo album...? That was never released."

"It was difficult to track down," Sephiroth conceded.

"How did you even know about it? It was only ever given to record companies as a portfolio when I was trying to get signed."

Sephiroth paused, beginning to doubt himself. Had he gone too far without even realising? He hadn't thought the album was anything meant to be private. "Zack was the one who told me about it's existence," he explained, face beginning to crease in concern.

Cloud relaxed again. Sephiroth was not quite disturbingly thorough and potentially dangerous stalker material yet. "Ahh. Zack would. He helped me record some parts of that, though mostly just by hitting buttons for me when we found a studio to rent for a day." He paused. "You actually liked it?"

"I can understand why it would not be marketable to a modern crowd, but yes. The quality of your voice suits the style used on the album. It is beautiful, and very emotive. Several tracks I find quite haunting." Sephiroth found himself staring at Cloud again, trying to put together this pretty face with the voice behind the only music that he listened to so often. "...You were lonely, then."

Cloud stayed quiet for a very long time. "Why do you say that?"

"You did an interview with Midgar Weekly a few months ago. They asked about your process in writing your own songs. And your reply was that you base them on an emotion or a story, something that acts as the core of the song. You then extrapolate and exaggerate that to create a fully-fledged idea, often so much so the origin itself is barely recognisable. But that emotion at the core... that is yours, is it not? I think there is a lot of loneliness in the core of that first album." Sephiroth frowned. "I apologise if this is an incorrect supposition."

Cloud was staring at him now. "You... read a lot into that, huh?"

Sephiroth simply nodded, still uncertain whether he had been correct or not. Loneliness, or perhaps isolation, was one of few emotions he felt he understood. Maybe that was why he returned to that album so often. Zack had proven himself invaluable changing that, and Sephiroth could now say that he did indeed have friends. But it remained a bittersweet reminder of earlier years, and how far he had come. Perhaps it was the same for Cloud. He hadn't denied Sephiroth's theory.

Cloud shook his head, almost in disbelief, but he was smiling. Flattered. He took Sephiroth's hand. "Come on. Shall we go get a drink?"

They hardly went far. They didn't even need to leave the building; Cloud just took Sephiroth over to the wide bar behind the VIP lounge. The bar staff were clearing up after the concert, but were willing enough to mix them up a pitcher to share when they saw who was asking. (Cloud still apologised for the trouble and promised to wash up the glasses they had used when they were finished, which Sephiroth thought was adorable.)

They settled together on one of the plush red-velvet couches, Cloud falling back into it far more heavily than Sephiroth. He groaned a little as he sank into plump cushions.

"Hey, performing for hours on end is hard work," he declared, noticing Sephiroth raising an eyebrow in his direction. It was no SOLDIER mission, but Sephiroth did have to admit that Cloud had been very energetic on stage. His physique certainly suggested that he exercised on a regular basis. He could pass for a new Third Class on looks, though he didn't have the mako gleam to his eyes. (And Sephiroth knew, because he had found himself inadvertently looking into them several times already.)

Sephiroth poured a drink for each of them, and Cloud took his gratefully. Sephiroth found himself studying every detail; the way Cloud's eyelashes brushed against high cheekbones as he tilted his head back, the pursing of his lips, the pale length of his throat that would look so good with bite marks on it.

Sephiroth shook the errant thought from his mind and quickly distracted himself with his own drink. He was more or less incapable of getting drunk, and indeed had never had any wish to be in such a compromised state, but it was pleasant nonetheless to be sharing such a social pastime with one of the very few civilians he admired.

Social drinking and making small talk. Zack would have been proud of him.

And Cloud didn't ask the question.

It was the one question that Sephiroth was asked constantly. In interviews, by fans, by complete strangers, by the other employees in ShinRa. Even Zack had asked when they first met, and Sephiroth had given him such a derisive look that Zack actually shut up for once. It was incessantly irritating, yet so ingrained into his expectations of social interaction that not being asked had become disconcerting.

"Are you not going to ask about what it is like to be in SOLDIER?" Sephiroth finally interrupted.

Cloud blinked. After a moment of thought, he shook his head, smiling wryly. "Hey, you're not the only one capable of reading interviews. You've answered that question enough times."

"Hm." Sephiroth looked thoughtfully down into his glass. "I wonder how accurate those interviews are. Most of the answers I give are approved or formulated by the PR department prior to the sitting."

"That doesn't surprise me."

"And even then, there is no guarantee the interviewer does not pick and choose quotes to alter the meaning of what was being said," Sephiroth added.

"Oh, yeah. They do that sometimes." Cloud winced slightly in sympathy, as if with the memory of having suffered such an occasion himself. "Well, your fans still seem to love you anyway."

"Fans...?"

"You certainly have your share of them, Mr. SOLDIER," Cloud grinned. He would've counted himself among them a few years back.

Sephiroth frowned. "Yes. I cannot say I understand it. I am a General. I fight wars. Why does this make people feel the need to send me gifts and poetry and used underwear?"

Cloud had unfortunately just taken a sip of his drink at that point. He promptly spat it back out, choking on a gale of laughter. "Sorry! I'm sorry. That's not funny, it's just... oh my god. You get that too, huh?"

"Is this a common experience?"

"Apparently. Fans in Midgar get a little crazy sometimes." He leaned in furtively. "...what's the weirdest thing you've ever been given?"

It seemed a strange thing to be doing, when he thought about it, but somehow Sephiroth found himself actively discussing the oddities of their respective fan groups with Cloud Strife. Zack probably would have deemed what they were doing to be most definitely gossiping. Sephiroth did not gossip. But whatever they were doing, it was... enjoyable.

Cloud had fewer tales, having only been considered a major celebrity for a year or two, but they did tend to rival Sephiroth's in terms of absurdity. Sephiroth was uncertain if it was reassuring or terrifying that this apparently did not just happen to him.

Sephiroth offered his complaints regarding the PR department turning him into ShinRa's poster boy.

Cloud told Sephiroth about AVALANCHE's manager, one Genesis Rhapsodos. He had an annoying habit of reciting poetry, and a tendency to be overdramatic, but he was a great guy and definitely good at his job. He was a one-man PR department in himself, and managed to get them all the best gigs and publicity.

Sephiroth asked Cloud about his bandmates.

Cloud asked Sephiroth about the other SOLDIERs that Sephiroth worked with.

Zack got a mention, and from there the conversation quickly dissolved into good-natured ribbing at Zack's expense. Even as a SOLDIER, Sephiroth confirmed that Zack was still very much the over-enthusiastic puppy Cloud had met outside Gongaga.

Cloud told Sephiroth to ask Zack about something he would only refer to as the 'Costa del Sol sewer incident'.

"Oi, oi!" Zack interjected. "We said that was never going to be mentioned again. Ever."

Cloud had to bite his lip to keep from smirking. "Hi, Zack. How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." He stood with his arms crossed and a wide grin, clearly not too upset about Cloud's indiscretion. "Actually, I came to retrieve the General. Both of us need to be up at 0500 hours tomorrow."

Sephiroth raised an eyebrow. "Are you being a voice of reason, Zackary?"

Cloud made a noise that was best described as 'pfft'. "That's a first."

"Indeed," Sephiroth agreed.

"Hey, man, I like my sleep! You and your high-flying rockstar lifestyle can get away with sleeping in 'til midday, and I'm pretty sure Seph is actually a robot who doesn't need sleep, but I need some shut-eye if I actually wanna function."

Cloud grinned. "I remember. You do a good impression of a zombie on three hours sleep."

"Unfortunately, Zack does make a good point. We are on duty tomorrow." He stood and nodded to Cloud. "I apologise for having to leave early."

"It's hardly early anymore. Oh!" Cloud extracted himself from the depths of the cushions to sit up straighter. "We're playing another Midgar show tomorrow night, Sector 5. Don't worry about tickets, just come along if you're not busy. I'll tell security to let you in."

"Sweet! Can we?"

"Sure." After all, Cloud had ended up spending most of the the evening with Sephiroth. Not that that was a bad thing, by any stretch of the imagination, but he had plenty of catching up left to do with Zack. "We're friends, right?"

"Duh," was Zack's eloquent reply, accompanied by a grin. The two of them bumped their forearms together, in what Sephiroth could only assume was some kind of personal gesture the two had worked out previously. They must have been close.

Sephiroth was not jealous, not even slightly. Of course not.

"You too, Sephiroth," Cloud said, those expressive blue eyes blown wide by the alcohol. "I'd like to see you again."

"And I you."

Cloud was practiced in the language of smiles and performing them for the camera and on stage. But the sweet one he gave the two SOLDIERs as they left was absolutely genuine.

Sephiroth twitched in annoyance. He was trying to work. Perhaps trying was the operative word. His mind kept wandering mid-report, which was irritating and distinctly unhelpful when he was trying to process the recent mission feedbacks. He couldn't get the image of Cloud's smile out of his head.

But even more irritating was Zack, who kept flicking rubber bands at Sephiroth's head. Sephiroth twitched again as he felt something bounce off his hair.

"Zack Fair," he growled. "This is a military office, not a high school classroom."

Having secured Sephiroth's attention, Zack only continued to prove he thought he was in the latter. "Someone's got a crush on Cloudy," he sang.

"I do not have 'crush' on Cloud Strife," Sephiroth deadpanned. He scrawled his signature on a report he had read four times but couldn't remember anything about and put it aside to work on the next.

"Oh, you do. You were making total goo-goo eyes at him last night."

Sephiroth frowned. "I was not- what does that even mean?"

"It means you're totally into him! But that's cool. He's into you too. Or, he was. He had the biggest crush on you when we first met, I swear. He never stopped talking about you. He would have been naked in your bed in a heartbeat if you'd asked-"

"Zack," Sephiroth interrupted loudly. This conversation was really not conductive to a productive workplace. Didn't Zack have his own damn office to be in?

Zack managed to stay quiet for a grand total of four seconds.

"You're blushing," he noted, vastly entertained by this fact. "Oh my god, you're actually blushing. I didn't even know you could do that!"

Sephiroth glowered at him, though the venom in his gaze was somewhat lessened by the fact that, yes, his cheeks had a distinct tinge of pink to them. Zack only laughed, and Sephiroth found himself stooping to Zack's level. He picked up one of the rubber bands and pinged it back at Zack. It hit his cheek with a satisfying smack.

"Argh!" Zack cried dramatically, falling backwards. "That could have taken my eye out, you fiend!"

"Do your work, Fair. That is a direct order."

"Pfft. Fine, fine."

There was actually silence for a few minutes. Glorious, blissful peace. Zack settled down and even went through two of the documents he needed to countersign. Until he started sniggering to himself again.

Sephiroth sighed. He knew he would regret asking. "What is so amusing now?"

Zack bit his lip, an action which was completely ineffective at hiding his grin. "Just a thought. You could totally be Cloud's groupie."

Sephiroth gave his SIC a blank look. "...I am unfamiliar with that term."

"Ask Cloud," Zack said, rather unhelpfully. "You're going to see him again tonight, right?"

"Hmph," was Sephiroth's attempt at a noncommittal answer.

He was absolutely going to go and see Cloud Strife again.

It turned he wasn't just going to see Cloud again. He was going to go on a date with him.

At least, Sephiroth was fairly certain it was a date. Cloud had collared him after the concert had ended and suggested they go out for a meal together. It was less of a suggestion and more forcible encouragement, but Sephiroth did not have any objection regardless.

Zack must have anticipated something of the sort happening, as he had uncharacteristically declined to come along. He had even cited having work to catch up on as an excuse, which was definitely a first.

"Have fun," Zack had said as he waved Sephiroth off with a knowing grin.

Zack was infuriating. But he was even more infuriating when he was right.

Cloud let them round to the next sector over. Sephiroth had little reason to come to the slums often, but even he could recognise the gaudy lights and crowded bustle of Wall Market. Cloud ducked through the crowds with confident ease. By the time anyone had recognised him and stopped to stare, he was already gone.

The location for their date was a bustling restaurant, ambient with equal parts chatter and sizzling pans. There were obviously a variety of meals available; Sephiroth could smell seafood dishes, pork, fresh-cooked vegetables, and no small amount of barbecue sauce involved. Most had an oriental tang to them.

Cloud nudged his way through the crowd and past the barstools, over to a corner where a small table was miraculously free. Or not quite so miraculously. Cloud tried to casually foist the 'reserved' sign across to the next table before Sephiroth saw, but the attempt was unsuccessful.

"This place does the best Korean BBQ under the plate," Cloud said enthusiastically, sliding into his seat.

Sephiroth sat down opposite him. "I don't believe I've ever had that dish before..."

"You should try it!"

"Well, if you recommend it so highly, I don't see why not," Sephiroth smiled. He could see why Cloud and Zack had got along so well. Only Cloud's enthusiasm was endearing, rather than irritating.

Cloud flagged down one of the waiters. The man looked harried, but he broke into a genuine smile when he saw who was asking for his attention.

"Cloud! Good to see you again. What can I get for you?"

Cloud gave their order (he didn't even need to look at the menu for his selection) and spent a few moments exchanging small talk with their waiter. They both seemed familiar with each other.

"I always used to come here a lot when I first arrived in Midgar," Cloud explained, catching Sephiroth's questioning look. "I didn't have much money then. It was pretty hard to scrape together enough for a decent place to stay at the best of times, and then food on top of that... but these guys were great. If you come in close to closing time, they'll practically give the food away. It'd just be thrown out otherwise anyway. They used to let me do dishes for a few gil sometimes, and once they were a waiter, so short I got to step in instead. They're really cool here."

"I am glad they were kind to you," Sephiroth said.

He wasn't sure if it was Cloud's familiarity with the staff or their combined VIP status, but they certainly received extremely quick service. Sephiroth could appreciate the staff's efficiency. And their cooking, as it turned out.

He also appreciated having something with which to occupy his attention. Small talk was not his forte. The conversation seemed poised to move on, but bridging such gaps in topics was not something that came easily. All his social training had been in regards to commanding troops and receiving reports and intelligence. The goal was to be direct and swift.

Normally such social niceties were irritating, but even more irritating was his inability to utilise them when he actually wished to.

There was one piece of intelligence he was interested in discussing, however.

"Zack says you had a crush on me."

Cloud stopped chewing and slowly put his fork down. "Zack has a big mouth sometimes," he grumbled.

Well, it certainly wasn't a denial.

Sephiroth tried the more pertinent question. "Do you still have a crush on me?"

Cloud ran a hand through his spikes uncertainly, paused to think, then shook his head. "...no," he concluded.

Sephiroth had many long years maintaining a perfectly impassive expression, which he put into good use now. It didn't seem appropriate to his position to be disappointed over something so insignificant.

"It's just that it seems childish now, almost patronising, to think of you that way..." Cloud slowly continued. "I didn't even realise. But after our first album and the single from it reaching number one, AVALANCHE started getting loads of fans. And fangirls. And it's flattering, I guess, when they tell you that they love you, or have a crush on you, but after a while... it feels demeaning. They don't really know anything about you, they ony know the image you present. Whether that image is created by a record company or ShinRa's PR department, it's not so different. But that person isn't you. How can anyone say they like you like that when they don't even know you?

"So, no. I decided that I wouldn't have a crush on you any more. But I am... interested. I want to get to know you better." Cloud made a face, directing irritation towards himself. "Sorry. That sounds dumb. There's a reason I sing to express myself rather than trying to use words."

He laughed lightly, trying to alleviate some of the awkwardness he felt at his own inelegant wording. It didn't help that Sephiroth was staring at him.

He reached across the table to touch Cloud's hand. "Thank you," Sephiroth said quietly. "There are very few people who would give me that respect. I am an experiment, a warrior, a commanding officer, an idol... but very rarely am I human."

Cloud looked embarrassed under Sephiroth's earnest gaze. He swallowed, licking his lips, his mouth suddenly dry.

He needed to kiss him. Sephiroth gently brushed Cloud's bangs out of his face, and the tension between them felt thick enough to cut with a knife. Gaia, he needed to kiss him. But they were in public, and while no one had outright bothered them yet, that didn't mean it wouldn't end up on the front page of a newspaper if they started making out.

Cloud didn't have that much of a problem with it. The reporters would be irritating, but he could get away with that sort of publicity; hell, it'd probably be beneficial. Genesis would be all over it. Sephiroth's image was far more professional, though, and Cloud didn't know how he'd feel about having any relationship of his known to the public.

Theoretically. If Sephiroth wanted a relationship. Cloud hadn't really asked about exactly where they wanted to take this.

"Cell phone," Cloud murmured, noticing the camera of one subtly pointed in their direction.

Sephiroth sighed and withdrew his hand.

"Sorry." Cloud felt like sighing as well, already missing the warm brush of Sephiroth's fingers along his jaw. "I should've thought of that and chosen somewhere more private."

"It's not a problem. In any case, President ShinRa has his fingers in the pockets of most of the media streams; if anyone were to procure incriminating photographs, they would find them unable to be published anywhere." Sephiroth smiled, but the expression was not a pleasant one. "If the photographer was particularly stubborn, they may find themselves hosting a visit from the Turks."

Cloud had heard of the Turks and rumours of what sort of business they dealt in. Using them to silence the media would be over the top, but it fit with what he knew of ShinRa. "Let's try not to get anyone Turked," he suggested mildly.

"In any case, I have little care for the image that ShinRa is so insistent on presenting for me. There is no issue with me being seen with you, as far as I am concerned."

Cloud grinned. That was good to hear. "Well, in that case..." he said, that purring lilt back in his voice. He had apparently kicked off his boots under the table, because Cloud's foot was bare when he hooked it around Sephiroth's ankle, stroking up the outside of his calf.

They were interrupted by an angry buzz. Sephiroth sighed. "And that would be my cell phone. I apologise."

He snapped the phone open, annoyed. And only grew even more annoyed as the call progressed.

"Everything okay?" Cloud asked, looking concerned on Sephiroth's behalf. Which was sweet, but there was no need for it. If it were something very wrong, he would know; Sephiroth had an unfortunate habit of accidentally breaking his standard-issue PHS in such cases.

Sephiroth frowned at the phone. "Yes. Just a mission requiring immediate attention. The timing is unfortunate, but they are not uncommon."

"What happened?"

"An issue with the reactor in Fort Condor. Some contaminated waste was released, and the mako in it has attracted a large number of mutants and monsters to the area. I am being shipped out overnight for clean-up duty."

"Shit. Is anyone hurt?"

"Not yet, but with the monsters..."

Cloud nodded. "You'd better go be a hero, huh?"

Sephiroth paused, surprised. "No. I do not think so. It is Zack who seeks to be a hero; I am hardly anything so admirable. In any case, I am afraid I must leave you early once again. Will I be able to see you when I return?"

"We've only got one more night in Midgar, tomorrow," Cloud said. "Then Kalm and Fort Condor, and two shows in Junon."

"I do not know that I will be back in time," Sephiroth frowned. "Will you return once your tour is complete?"

Cloud shook his head. "We're going to the Western Continent straight after. There's some huge shows at Costa del Sol and Gold Saucer. Even two dates in Wutai."

"Wutai?"

"Yeah! I didn't think we'd ever get that far, but apparently both of the shows are sold out already."

"Hm. Be careful there. They may still harbour resentment," was all Sephiroth said, only with the best of intentions. His memories of Wutai were not of a pleasant nature.

Cloud nodded. "Well, here. If I don't get to see you again for a while." He took Sephiroth's phone from where it had been placed down on the table and flipped it open, tapping on the keys. He finished and passed the PHS back. "I've programmed my number in. Call or message me whenever."

Sephiroth stared at the new contact that was blinking on the screen. "...appreciated."

"Send me something so I have your number as well."

Sephiroth moved to do so, but was interrupted as the phone buzzed again. He sighed. "My ride is here."

"That was quick."

Sephiroth scanned the message, wincing slightly to himself. "Reno's driving. That would explain it."

"Should I wish you luck?" Cloud grinned.

"The monsters I can handle. The journey there may prove to be my downfall," Sephiroth said, deadpan.

Cloud laughed, and Sephiroth smiled back at him. He brushed his thumb over Cloud's lips.

"I owe you a date, when we are able to meet again."

"I'll look forward to it."

Sephiroth didn't get back in time for the final Midgar show. He would admit to being slightly (significantly) disappointed, but it did ease his guilt at taking up all of Cloud's time. Zack attended the concert instead, and afterwards finally got a chance to have a decent catch up with his friend. Sephiroth was glad for that much.

Instead, he made use of the PHS number Cloud had provided him with.

He could not disclose classified details about his missions, other than general reassurances that all was well. So he sent picture messages of the interesting little things he came across. There was a baby phoenix at the reactor at Fort Condor. Angeal's new favourite plant had started blooming. An absurdly horrific ornament in a shop in Kalm.

In reply, Cloud sent him messages about how his day had been, what the travel to their next location had been like, where they were staying, how the food was.

The band were heading back to the studio after the tour was done, ready to start writing and recording a new album. They were already tossing about ideas for it, by the sounds of things, because Cloud would occasionally send snippets of lyrics he was considering.

Sephiroth was not particularly poetically minded and didn't feel qualified to offer comment on these, but he greatly appreciated the gesture nonetheless.

He would check his phone with a smile that should have been imperceptible. But Zack knew Sephiroth well enough to know what was up. He didn't even say anything, just gave Sephiroth that damned, knowing grin.

It was a week and three missions later that Sephiroth found himself in Junon. It was well into evening by the time Sephiroth had completed his most recent mission, hopefully his last for several days. As far as missions went, though, this particular one had been rather enjoyable. Something a bit different; a challenge.

The increased presence of various sea monsters around the Underwater Reactor was beginning to worry ShinRa, and so, as was standard procedure in such situations, they sent SOLDIER in to cull the monster's numbers. It was something Sephiroth had done innumerable times before, but this time had been made more interesting by the fact he had had to fight underwater. He had also been trialling ShinRa's artificially produced underwater materia, which was (thankfully) successful.

Sephiroth tied his soaked hair back in a ponytail and peeled off the tight, clinging wetsuit. The underwater materia allowed him to breathe while submerged, but it did not keep him dry.

By the time Sephiroth had showered, rinsed all the salt water from his hair, and redressed himself, it was almost ten at night. The streets of Junon were curiously deserted; the rowdy laughter and bright, shifting lights from inside the town's bars and clubs gave clue to where everyone had gone to on a Saturday evening.

One venue in particular caught Sephiroth's attention. He could hear the screams and cheers several buildings down, as well as a rumbling and very familiar beat. Sephiroth's steps sped up.

That was right. AVALANCHE were playing two nights in Junon, the last of their shows on the East Continent before they began touring the West. The concert would be nearly finished by now, but... it would still give him a chance to see Cloud again.

Sephiroth's pace sped up.

Given Junon's status as a military town, it was curious, but not unusual, to discover that the venue security was being provided by ShinRa. A few grunts, most likely from the Security Department, flagged the double doors. Sephiroth nodded to them and strode through unhindered, the grunts staring after him with wide eyes.

Sephiroth would have to talk to their CO later. Even if he was the highest ranking member of SOLDIER, he should not have been allowed into a private venue without possessing a ticket for the event at hand. (He would have abused his authority to get in even if they had stopped him, but Sephiroth preferred to know ShinRa's forces would follow protocol until specifically instructed to ignore it.)

The concert hall in Junon was far smaller than the ones AVALANCHE had played at in Midgar. There was one balcony floor, which Sephiroth ignored, and then a sea of face crammed into the expansive floor in front of the stage where Cloud was singing his heart out.

Sephiroth smiled.

He skirted around the outside of the room, since it was slightly less packed there than in the centre. Not that that was saying much. The technique was mostly effective, until he got a few rows back from the stage. At that point he decided to just go for it, and shoved his way through the crowd.

He earned himself a lot of ugly looks, and a couple of people even looked like they were going to pick a fight until they realised exactly who they were dealing with. Sephiroth took a central position right in front of the stage.

Cloud didn't notice Sephiroth's presence immediately, too caught up in putting his all into his performance. Sephiroth admired that. He also took the chance to admire Cloud's outfit, which tonight consisted of ridiculously tight black denim trousers and chunky faux-military boots, a top full of artistic slashes that gave tantalising glimpses of the toned stomach beneath, and a cropped leather jacket that didn't even try to stretch across Cloud's chest.

A fine film of sweat beaded on Cloud's forehead, glistening in the bright heat of the stage lights. He licked his lips before beginning the next chorus.

The song finished with a rumble of the drums, and the crowd screamed their delight. Cloud gave a short bow, grinning, and turned to quickly grab a bottle of water. It was only then that Jessie nudged him and nodded towards the crowd. Cloud's gaze finally fell of Sephiroth.

Sephiroth wan't always the most proficient in reading other people's emotions, but he didn't think Cloud's widening smile or the way his eyes lit up could be mistaken for anything other than a positive reaction. Cloud was pleased to see him. Surprised, but pleased.

Then Cloud's eyes narrowed into a wicked glint.

He took a swig of his water, then gestured to his bandmates. The tap of Barret's drumsticks counted them in.

Sephiroth identified the song within the first few bars, and his eyebrows raised slightly as he did. Ah. It was one of those songs. One of the more... sexually charged ones. They didn't crop up often, but Cloud had admitted that Genesis was right when he said that sex sells. So they were encouraged to work something into the albums, and that something usually became a hit single.

Cloud had waved a hand dismissively and said he didn't mind, when their previous conversation had turned to it. They weren't his favourite songs, and Genesis tended to have a lot of input into them, but they were damn fun to perform at least.

Cloud was certainly having fun now. He purred his words into the microphone, an extra swing in the tilt of his hips that was utterly hypnotic. He strutted along the front of the stage, brushing fingers with the clamouring hands that reached up to him. There was no barrier between the stage and the audience in this venue.

He paused when he got to Sephiroth. With a smirk - that thrice-cursed smirk of his - he leant down and hooked a finger beneath Sephiroth's chin. And sang. To him.

Every single line, every innuendo, every suggestive little idea; all of it was directed at him. Sephiroth maintained his composure, offering Cloud only a small smile and a quirked eyebrow. But mentally... mentally he was picturing everything. Cloud and himself, both of them naked and tangled together in beneath the bedsheets. The way Cloud's face would flush pink. Their hands grasping at each other, every inch of their bodies pressed in close, mouths locked together.

Sephiroth sucked in a deep breath, realising that he hadn't breathed at all for almost a minute.

The song shifted into its bridge. Cloud winked at him as he moved further along the stage, inordinately pleased by the glazed look in Sephiroth's eyes.

Sephiroth was hard.

He barely even paid attention to the last song. He just needed it to be over so he could get backstage and get his hands on Cloud. The teasing little minx.

The crowds began to clear, still buzzing with excited chatter. Sephiroth took the opposite direction. No one questioned him as he stalked backstage; they scattered out of the way as if he were an oncoming storm, every step slamming against the wooden stage with thunderous intent.

He spotted Cloud drinking from a bottle of water, a towel draped over his shoulders. Cloud looked up and grinned. He knew exactly what he had done, and was prepared to meet Sephiroth with equal need and aggression.

Sephiroth slammed into him, pulling him close. Close enough that the heat between them was palpable. Cloud tangled a hand into Sephiroth's hair.

"You..." Sephiroth began, and accusing note in his voice, but he never got to declare what exactly Cloud was. He lost the will to do so around the point when their noses brushed together.

Only to be interrupted by several catcalls and whistles before their lips could meet, much to Sephiroth's irritation. The rest of the band had arrived backstage.

"Oh, come on!" Cloud moaned, breaking away from Sephiroth. "We didn't even do anything!"

"You were gonna."

Cloud grabbed Sephiroth's hand. Sephiroth thought it was cute how he tried to shield him from his bandmates by standing between them. It was also completely ineffectual, given Sephiroth was almost a head taller than Cloud. "Let's get outta here and find somewhere more private."

This earned them more whistles.

Sephiroth allowed himself to be dragged out to the fire exit at the back of the building. The sooner they got somewhere he could shove Cloud up against a wall and kiss him the better.

"Pack up my mic for me, would you?" Cloud called back.

"Yeah, yeah."

"Keep it safe, you two," someone yelled after them.

"Shut the hell up, Jessie!" Cloud shouted back good-naturedly. He rolled his eyes, but he was clearly amused. "Sorry about them."

"Where are we going?" was all Sephiroth asked in return, impatient. Cloud was leading them up a fire escape, up to the higher levels of Junon

"The ninth level. No one's up there at this time of night, and the view is great."

Sephiroth simply nodded at this explanation and continued to follow Cloud, though he now had a good idea of their destination. He would let Cloud lead, and not least because it allowed him a rather splendid view of Cloud's ass is those ridiculously tight jeans. The view was not helping his situation any.

The ninth level was little more than a viewpoint. There were no stores or residential homes up here, only a small assortment of storage lockers for equipment ShinRa wanted out of the way, and a small café that was boarded up for the night. The wide concrete strip was barren of everything except for a few half-hearted attempts at benches (they were closer to stone slabs than anything comfortable to sit on) and telescopes that pointed out across the water.

Cloud breathed in the cool, fresh air, stretching his arms out. His shirt rode up a little, exposing the small of his back. A tantalising glimpse of skin. When Cloud turned back to Sephiroth, there was a seductive smile on his face.

But Sephiroth crossed his arms. "Do you always sing to people like that?" he questioned. Possibly with a little more weight behind the interrogation than he intended, but it was certainly not because he was jealous.

Cloud blinked. "Uhh. No. Not really. I do like to interact with the fans when there's no barrier around the stage; just shaking hands and giving them hi-fives, stuff like that. Singing to someone in particular was new."

"Did you do it just because I was there?"

"Yeah," Cloud admitted. "I only wanted to sing to you."

That pleased Sephiroth greatly. "I suppose that seems fitting, as I appear to have become your groupie as of late."

Cloud made a small choked noise. "You're, uh, my what?"

Sephiroth tilted his head slightly, giving Cloud an appraising look. "Groupie. It was a term Zack used."

Cloud's startled look faded with a flash of brief disappointment, then he laughed. "Ahh, well, that makes more sense. I'm pretty sure Zack was just teasing you. He does that a lot, the bastard."

"Hmm. He suggested I ask you what it meant. I assumed it was mostly synonymous for a fan, which would not be an incorrect supposition with regards to myself."

"Mostly, yeah. It's generally used to refer to a... particularly devoted fan. Usually one who hangs around hoping to have sex with whoever it is they're a fan of."

Well, that explained the slightly awkward reaction. Sephiroth processed this information, then wondered why Cloud had objected at all. His bandmates had clearly correlated his early departure with the likelihood of them having sex.

"I suppose that seems fitting. I do appear to have become your groupie as of late," Sephiroth repeated, voice low.

Was that smooth? It probably wasn't smooth. Zack was always telling him he was lacking social finesse, but it had never particularly seemed to matter before now. Cloud stared at him for a very long moment, and Sephiroth began to wonder if he had miscalculated. Trying to flirt was so frustrating.

Then Cloud broke into a wide grin. "You're so damn cute!" he laughed in delight.

Sephiroth frowned. "I am a SOLDIER elite and General of ShinRa. I am not cute."

"You really are," Cloud said, and then he took Sephiroth's face between his hands and kissed him.

Finally. And maybe it was too aggressive for their first kiss, but Sephiroth had been waiting too long to bother with restraint now. He'd been captivated since the moment he first saw Cloud walk onto that stage.

Cloud had no complaints. He poured just as much heat and passion and need into the kiss. His hands reached back to tangle into Sephiroth's hair, holding him close.

Not that Sephiroth had been planning to go anywhere. He had been wanting this, badly. He was hardly about to let Cloud go, not when he was quickly becoming addicted to his taste, to the heated, desperate press of his lips, to the shivers of lust that ran down his spine as Cloud's tongue ravaged every inch of Sephiroth's mouth.

Slowly, deliberately, Cloud pushed Sephiroth back until the General's knees hit the bench. Cloud kept pushing, and Sephiroth sat. Cloud straddled him. The position put him in Sephiroth's lap, right on top of an erection that had returned with full force. Cloud rolled his hips, and both of them groaned. Cloud was every bit as hard as Sephiroth.

Sephiroth hooked an arm around Cloud's waist. "You moan just as prettily as I imagined you would," he murmured. He began to doubt himself soon after the words had escaped; was it polite to admit he had been fantasizing about Cloud in that way? He attempted to correct himself. "From your singing, I mean. You have a lovely voice, so it logically makes sense that in sexual situations-"

Cloud put a finger against Sephiroth's lips to silence him. "If you want to hear me moan... make me," he purred, challenging him.

Sephiroth kissed Cloud again, fiercely, heatedly. He took hold of Cloud's hips and levered him off his lap, switching their places. Cloud was the one seated instead now, and Sephiroth sank down between his legs.

"Ah, Sephiroth...?" Cloud breathed.

Sephiroth parted Cloud's thighs - not that Cloud needed the encouragement, really - and leant in to press suggestive little kisses along the inside seam of Cloud's jeans. "Is this not the sort of thing a groupie does?"

"Hey. You're more than just-"

"I want to do this," Sephiroth interrupted.

Cloud grinned. Well then. If Sephiroth, the Sephiroth, said he wanted to blow him, Cloud was not going to protest.

Sephiroth nuzzled against Cloud's clothed crotch. The jeans were tight at the best of times, but, with Cloud's arousal hard and full and painfully constricted by the tough fabric, they were even more impractical. Sephiroth delicately lowered Cloud's zipper, and Cloud could feel every little jolt of it.

"These trousers are ridiculous," Sephiroth commented.

"I know," Cloud groaned. "Believe me, I know." Thank Gaia he'd been going commando, at least. The less barriers the better.

Cloud gave a moan of pure relief as his aching erection was freed from its confines. This was quickly followed by a moan of pleasure as Sephiroth palmed Cloud's cock.

Sephiroth leant up to kiss him again, and Cloud returned the favour fervently. He tugged on Sephiroth's bangs, breaking the kiss and pushing Sephiroth's head back down, grinning wickedly.

Sephiroth took the head of Cloud's cock into his mouth, circling his tongue over it. He tightened his lips around the length and lowered his mouth down on it. Sephiroth swallowed around him and Cloud groaned.

Cloud's head tilted back, his eyes lowered to a lazy half-mast. "Ohhh... fuck. Feels good," he encouraged.

Sephiroth hummed a low noise of approval around Cloud's cock, which only made Cloud gasp again. He had one hand on Cloud's hip, holding both himself and Cloud steady. The other hand eased Cloud's jeans down, enough to be able to access Cloud's balls. He rolled them in his palm and Cloud's hips bucked.

"Sephiroth," Cloud panted, his voice a strangled moan.

Sephiroth had taken Cloud's cock entirely into his mouth now, and he stared up with narrowed eyes as he deep-throated Cloud. This was not something Sephiroth was used to doing, an avoiding triggering his gag reflex was proving troublesome, but it was worth it to hear the gorgeous sounds Cloud made. They were getting louder and more shaky by the minute.

"Seph, nng... I'm seriously gonna come if you keep that up."

Sephiroth hummed an acknowledgement and continued exactly as he had been.

"Oh, shit," Cloud swore. Sephiroth could feel Cloud's thighs trembling, the tension as his hips flexed.

It occurred to him that he hadn't considered what he was going to do when Cloud came. It would either be in Sephiroth's mouth or on his face at this point. The former was probably preferable. Having Cloud's semen all over his face was more mess than Sephiroth wanted to deal with in what was, after all, a public place.

He didn't have time to debate spit or swallow before Cloud's cock bucked in his mouth.

Cloud cried out as he came, a sound that was pure pleasure. His hand fisted in Sephiroth's hair, tugging without meaning to. The sensation sent a jolt of heat straight to Sephiroth's erection. He groaned as much as he could with Cloud's dick down his throat. As if he wasn't hard enough already.

Sephiroth swallowed. He had Cloud's cock deep enough that he didn't really taste his seed. Sephiroth continued to provide Cloud with that delicious suction and those teasing licks, working him through his orgasm.

Cloud sighed as he came down from his high, not quite capable yet of forming coherent words. His face was flushed pink, his chest heaving. Sephiroth couldn't resist surging up to capture his mouth again.

He felt Cloud smile against his lips. One of Cloud's hands slid down between their bodies, cupping the solid bulge in Sephiroth's leather trousers.

Sephiroth hissed through his teeth. It was pleasurable to the point it almost merged with pain. Gaia, he need some relief. And Cloud wasn't helping at all, massaging Sephiroth's erection through the leather than confined it.

"I have..." Cloud eventually managed to pant. "A hotel room. Two levels down, just around the corner. Wanna come... back there with me?"

Sephiroth didn't even need to think about it. "Yes."

Sadly, Sephiroth had a transport back to Midgar scheduled for 0900 hours the next morning. That allowed him to get up at the sinfully late hour of seven, instead of five, but it still took him away from Cloud far sooner than he would have liked.

Cloud. He'd spent the night in Cloud's bed, with Cloud's dick in his ass and Cloud's name falling from his lips. He'd woken up next to him, their bodies still twined together in sleep. They'd done a little more naked rolling around beneath the covers. They'd talked and laughed. And Cloud had autographed Sephiroth's ass in permanent marker.

"Why?" Sephiroth had asked.

Cloud's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Because I'm always being asked to sign random body parts. Only my favourite groupie gets the privilege, though."

Sephiroth was certainly not some wailing teenage girl who would refuse to wash away the mark of their star. But if it lasted a while... he wouldn't mind.