#silkendeception

One golden eyebrow raised at the sight which met Lazard upon returning to his office: one bottle of wine, two wine glasses, and a platter of chocolate-covered strawberries on his desk.  That was deeply unusual to start, but more so--

Sephiroth was also in his office.  Looking just the slightest bit amused by his puzzled expression, as well.  Much as the SOLDIER was rather tempted not to bother explaining in the least, he did feel that something was owed.  “It was actually delivered to my office.  Between the obvious hole in Shinra security and the fact that the courier didn’t want to deal with a return on a package which was a custom order from a winery in a small town outside Junon...”  He trailed off with a one-shouldered shrug.

The blond snorted.  It wasn’t really for him, then.  Not that he’d gotten his hopes up, of course.  “I didn’t know you were a romantic.”

“Neither did I.”  The mild upturn of the SOLDEIR’s lips was noticed.  “Given that I didn’t really want to keep this to myself, and today is... precisely what it is...”

Gray eyes rather sharply focused on Sephiroth alone.  “You chose me.”

“I chose you.”  He confirmed softly.  “Unless you’d prefer I not have?”

The response was measured, the pause very slight but forced.  It wouldn’t do to agree too soon.  “Of course not.  I’m a bit surprised that you didn’t already have plans.”

“You ought to know my plans better than anyone, Director.”  A mild, almost transparent tease.

“Lazard.”  Came the quiet insistence.

“Lazard.”  Easy repetition.  More than a little relief.  “Wine?”

“Please.”  He paused again before an amused smile filtered through.  “Chocolate?”

((You know I like my keyboards like I like my…  Uh.  …Like I… like… my…  Er.

The low rumble of laughter was a sound that he reserved only for those he was comfortable around, those who knew him; that was as rare a sound as it was an indulgence, and Sephiroth rather liked it.  It was telling, however, that he hadn’t noticed the mistletoe hanging above them, having been too occupied to find a private space, private moment…

      Heavy footsteps approached the sliding door to the director’s office. It needed authorization before it would open of course, but Zack allowed himself one last sigh before pushing in the code to let him in-- shoulders hunched and a look on his face not too different than the one a child would wear when caught with his hand in the cookie jar. 

     “ you wanted to see me, sir? “

@silkendeception:

He listened carefully, watching for all of those little signs of anxiety in the general. All the while, he willed his heart to petrify, not to ache with each heavy heave of powerful shoulders. He needed to push Sephiroth away, to make the break before he vanished for his own safety’s sake. The investigation swirling around Genesis and Hollander was slowly encroaching on him and soon enough, he’d have the Turks to answer to and he just couldn’t risk that.

But Sephiroth’s insistence that he wouldn’t truly let go, that he didn’t want to open to anyone else… maybe, just maybe he could succeed where Genesis failed. “I said it because it will make everything more difficult if you don’t,” he admitted honestly, letting a crack form in his facade. “If you want to keep hold of me, you’ll have to let go of something else. And I can’t simply ask you to do that.”

The expanse of neatly made sheets felt like a ravine between them, but Lazard still managed to bridge the gap with a light touch to the SOLDIER’s hand. “So instead, I’ll give you a choice – if you want to keep the life you’ve known as a member of Shinra, you need to let me go. But if you truly can’t let me go – if you’ve made the choice to stand by me – I’ll tell you everything.”

Every last secret, every last dirty truth of the whole sordid business. More than likely, those green eyes would simply flair with anger and the bitter word “traitor” would spill from familiar lips.

But at least Lazard offered him a choice which was more than Shinra ever had.

“More difficult--?!”  He’d started to demand, to become truly angry; but it was something more in Lazard’s expression that stopped him, quieted his likely to be ranting words.  Then that suggestion followed...

And then that choice.  Sephiroth felt as though he’d stopped breathing.  He knew, beyond any sort of doubt, that it was so very possible that he was living within their last moment together, understanding the light touch could just as easily have been a good-bye.  Was, depending... but he wasn’t eager to make that choice.

Drawing a breath, swallowing, he remained silent.  He was watching, paying attention to every possible nuance in the blond’s expression; so much was like nothing he’d ever truly seen from the man before.  There was a gulf opening up before them, and sides to choose before the distance between them became too great.

His world was already steadily falling to pieces, crumbling around him.  Nearly everyone he’d trusted, loved, somehow standing against him... or were likely to be before much longer.  He knew, even then, that to pick the path of desperation was like willingly drinking poison.

The words were… unexpected.  Many layers of unexpected.  Worse, they were–

Excruciating.  “Lazard–”

He had heard what he thought he’d heard.  Of course he did; he was a SOLDIER elite.  Well beyond standard human abilities in all senses.  None of that had prepared him for those words or how they’d pierced him fully and without warning.

Swallowing, he was still relying on the fact that the words hadn’t fully sunken in to keep his voice steady, his thoughts straight.  “This relationship, it’s… difficult, sometimes.  And it will probably continue to be difficult.”  It was mostly secret, for one thing.  Sephiroth knew that every time he was dispatched on a mission, the director would feel more than his standard allotment of concern, only so able to use his authorization to “check in”.  And if anyone untrustworthy were to know, then they might hurt Lazard just to get to him.  They’d discussed those possibilities.

Never once had Lazard made a request like that, however.  And certainly not out of the blue.  “Do you really want that?  Is this someone else’s request, or–”

Send a “♪” for the Muse to sing part of a song the Mun has recently listened to.

[ ♪ ]

TheSOLDIER floor normally cleared out pretty late in the evening, sinceschedules were generally varied due to missions.  That was how Zackknew he had stayed in the VR room way too late.  The lounge area wasdeserted and even the shower rooms were empty.

Thatwas fine.  Zack fussed with his earpiece for a moment, tuning it to alocal radio station as he began cleaning up after himself.  It wasn'tlong at all before a familiar song came on, sending him into anoverly dramatic tidying sequence that sort of resembled a dance.

    “You said Iwas the most exotic flower,    Holding me tightin our final hour...”

Thetidying became less tidying and more prancing around like an idiot,grinning at himself whenever he passed a mirror.  Eventually, hefound a hairbrush, which served as a very nice impromptu microphone.

    “One for themoney, and two for the show.    I love youhoney, I'm ready, I'm ready to go.    How did you getthat way? I don't know.    You're screwedup and brilliant,    Look like amillion dollar man,    So why is myheart br--”

Theradio in his ear kept playing, but he stopped, suddenly realizingthat he was not, in fact, alone.  There was a vaguely amusedexpression on the other man's face as he straightened his glasses onhis nose.  Zack froze for a moment in shock and almost-embarrassment,realizing exactly who he had just made himself look like an idiot infront of.

………….But there are so many people.  I mean, I always wind up in line behind that one self-righteous jerk who thinks it’s okay to treat the cashier horribly.  It’s not just that they’re so self-absorbed that they have no clue they’re being asshats, it’s the fact that they willingly, knowingly, treat anyone behind a counter horribly.  And then they get home and get online and post things in certain fandom tags. *cough*

…And those people who make unprompted complex and oddly descriptive “suggestions” of what you should spend your time and energy doing, and then when you link them to your commission price quotes page, they’re all surprised and respond, “Oh, no!  I was just making a suggestion!”