#shinraslummer

        Sephiroth had never allowed himself to be close to any living creatures. He had the lesson hammered into his head over and over again in his youth that life was fleeting; he would lose everyone around him and one day, he himself would die. It was a simple fact of life.

Except when the SOLDIER looked at Lazard Deusericus his heart skipped a beat and his mouth went dry. Perhaps it was the man’s indomitable will, his commanding presence and calm blue eyes. His striking and serene expression that left the room silent; his commanding tone-

His gaze would naturally follow the man’s form, the way his long legs crossed over the other, the way his long fingered hands lingered on the bridge of his glasses. The smiles that graced his lips were warm and genuine. When Lazard would look at him it was with such a tenderness that Sephiroth had never felt before.

When he was summoned into Lazard’s office he felt his knees go weak, his palms prickling with sweat. He felt nothing but immense respect for the only man who had ever treated him like a human being, like equals.