InsaneJournal

Ficlet: Special Assignment
Title: Special Assignment
Characters: Sephiroth/Genesis/Cloud
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 579
The Mission: Battle Plans | Special Assignment | Deep Cover | Code Word | Prisoner of War | Suspicious Activity | Surveillance | Hazard Pay | Debriefing
Art: Hot Dinner | Alt Link: DeviantArt


“Cadet Strife.”

“SIR!”

“At ease, Cadet.” Sephiroth leaned forward on his desk, fingers steepled. Cloud swallowed, awaiting his doom. Sephiroth took a deep breath. “You have come to my attention, Cadet Strife, due to various traits and attributes.” He paused, twisting his lips slightly as if he didn't know how to continue. Cloud made a small nod of acknowledgment because it seemed the proper thing to do even if he had no idea what he was acknowledging.

Sephiroth frowned and began again. “Various traits and attributes,” he repeated, but did not elaborate. Instead, he stopped again to look Cloud over.

Cloud felt the dread growing at his core. He was about to get tossed out for being a runt, he just knew it. He fought the hysterical laughter bubbling up inside. It wasn't so bad, his brain said. At least it was private and he was closer to THE General Sephiroth than he had ever dreamed he would be.

“I have considered this for quite some time now,” Sephiroth continued, expression unreadable and unchanging, “and I believe that should you be willing, you will be quite suitable.”

“Oh, for the love of Gaia, Seph,” General Rhapsodos cut in from the couch behind Sephiroth. “You're making this sound like you're sending him behind enemy lines or something.”

Sephiroth's expression did change then, into an irritated scowl. “How would you do it?” he hissed, spinning his chair around.

Genesis rose, smiling slightly, and put one elegant hand on the back of Sephiroth's chair to spin him around to the front again. Genesis bent low to put his head closer to Sephiroth's level and kept his eyes on Cloud. “Cadet Strife,” he said, “Sephiroth has said, and I agree, that you are an extremely attractive young man, and we would like to take you on a date.”

Cloud blinked at them.

“Genesis!” Sephiroth snarled. “You can't just blurt it out like that!”

“Why not? It's better than that Top Secret Assignment thing you were doing.”

“It is Top Secret! You realize how close we're cutting it dating a cadet?”

“If he agrees, Seph,” Genesis said pointedly, “and if you'd continued with your little mission briefing method, I wouldn't blame him for turning us down.”

Sephiroth turned away with a huff. “So it's my fault then? Where do you get off being so forward.”

“It's not forward, Seph, it's forthright, and you of all people shouldn't have a problem with that. Besides, what's wrong with being forward now and then?”

“It's wrong when it's a cadet you're propositioning!”

“Oh, and being oblique isn't an invitation for a sexual harassment charge?”

Cloud looked up. He blinked again but the bickering Generals didn't go away. “Okay,” he said.

“What?” Both men turned and stared.

Cloud shrugged. “I said okay. Let's go on a date.”

Genesis sputtered. “Just like that?”

“Yes, Strife, uh, Cloud.” Sephiroth was all concern. “Don't you have any questions?”

“Yes, like how we're going to keep this under wraps?” Genesis perched on the edge of the desk. “Or how dates work with three people?”

“Not really,” Cloud said, shaking his head, smiling openly at them both. “I mean, obviously this is just some dream, so there's no harm in saying 'yes'.”

The Generals shared a glance. “He thinks he's dreaming,” Sephiroth said.

Genesis cocked his head. “I think we'd better wake him up.”

Three weeks later, Cloud was blindfolded and nursing rug burn in Sephiroth's apartment.