Tiny Dancer

Title: Tiny Dancer
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Author: Lynsey
Website/Mailing List: See links under user information
Beta: None
Chapter: 18/?
Pairings: Sephiroth/Cloud
Rating: R this chapter
Word Count: 2818 this chapter
Warnings: Very AU, language, yaoi
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII or its characters. I make no money from this fiction.
Summary: Opening night for Midgar Dance Company’s newest show may be the beginning of something more than just a hot new act.

This woman was an A-Class bitch.

“Again,” she demanded, tapping the paper with her finger.

“I’ve already tried a million times. Can’t we call it a day?” Cloud grumped as the stared at the paper with words, big words, printed on it. It was the very bane of his existence. It was the reason for his current headache. It was the reason he wanted to throw the woman out the classroom window to smash on the sidewalk dozens of stories below.

“You are not trying,” the woman snapped. “You aren’t doing anything I’ve told you. You walked in here with a bad attitude, and I haven’t seen a single ounce of trying in the two hours I’ve been here. Until you show me that you are actually listening to me we are going to sit here and stare at this paper.”

Cloud crossed his arms and slouched down in his chair, the perfect example of a stubborn teenage asshole. “I can read enough to get buy,” he sulked.

“It took you the first hour I was here to read ‘Run, dog. Run.’ I teach five year olds with your disability that can read faster than that.”

“It’s not my fault!” Cloud roared.

The woman was fucking unflappable. “I know it’s not your fault. However, if you stopped being so set against learning-”

“I’m not-” the blond cut himself off. One of Cloud’s hands came up to cover his face. “I’m sorry. I just…really don’t feel good right now. I’m having a bad day, and I’m making this harder than it needs to be. Could you call Sephiroth for me, please?”

The woman eyed Cloud for a moment before picked up the phone on the desk and dialing the extension she’d been instructed to call if Cloud needed anything. She spoke a few moments and hung up again.

“I promise I’ll practice before our next session. Just,” Cloud sighed and closed his eyes against the hard pounding in his skull. “Just put some assignments into my bag and I’ll take care of it.” He folded his arms on the desktop and rested his forehead on them.

The woman was quiet as she stuffed a few of the easier assignments into the bag at Cloud’s feet. This was only their first session besides an initial testing period to diagnose the extent of Cloud’s disability. Really, the boy wasn’t that bad. If he took his time and concentrated he could read to some extent. It definitely wasn’t one of the worst cases she’d seen, but the boy had been sullen and angry the entire morning making it impossible to work with him at all. It seemed to be more of a case of severe embarrassment and shame than a true case of the boy not wanting to learn. She’d been warned that Cloud had been through, and still was going through, a very rough time. What exactly that ‘rough time’ was, she hadn’t been privy to. She’d been told in no uncertain terms that it wasn’t related to Cloud’s dyslexia and it wasn’t any of her business. And really, it wasn’t. However, it seemed that whatever the boy was going through was affecting his ability to learn.

She’d have to work around that.

“Those are some short assignments. Don’t try to do them all at once or you’ll get frustrated. We’ll go over them together at our next appointment.”

“Thank you,” the blond mumbled. “I’m sorry I’m being a dick.”

The woman smiled. At least the boy was aware of how he was acting. “Go home and rest. We’ll try to continue next time.”

The boy nodded his head a little but didn’t look up.

It wasn’t much later that a polite knock on the door heralded Sephiroth making an entrance. “Ready to go?” he asked. The General walked to Cloud’s side and knelt down.

A blue eye, usual vivid color slightly dulled, peeked over a sleekly muscled arm. “I don’t feel good.”

Sephiroth smiled gently. “I figured as much. You didn’t have the best morning.”

“Take me home, please?” The plea was rather pathetic.

The silver haired man nodded. “Want me to carry you?”

Cloud actually considered it for a moment before shaking his head. “I can make it if you get my bag for me.”

Complying, Sephiroth picked up the bag and helped Cloud to his feet. “Thank you,” Sephiroth nodded at the teacher.

She nodded back and watched as the pair moved out of the classroom. They really were cute together. It had been sweet to watch Sephiroth drop Cloud off earlier. There had been a short little kiss that made Cloud blush when he realized the teacher had been watching. Sephiroth hadn’t cared. A second peck to Cloud’s forehead and the General had left in a swirl of black leather. The blond’s face had been terribly forlorn for a moment before settling into a mask of sullen resentment.

He apparently hadn’t been prepared for this. Maybe pushed into beginning these lessons before he was truly ready. Whatever. She was paid to do a job, and she would do it.

If the irritating little bastard let her.

***********************

Cloud sat down on the bed, hand held to his head as if he were trying to keep his brain from exploding outward. Sephiroth disappeared for a moment and returned with a glass of water and, bingo, drugs.

The blond downed the two little pills with a large gulp of water before lying down and closing his eyes. He felt the softness of Sephiroth’s quilt being pulled over him and a gentle kiss on his forehead. “I’m sorry I couldn’t make it through my lesson today,” Cloud apologized to the silver haired man.

Sephiroth sighed and brushed soft blond hair away from Cloud’s face. “It’s alright. I should have known that you wouldn’t feel up to this yet.”

Cloud snorted but didn’t respond.

“Do you want anything else?”

The blond shook his head and breathed deeply, burrowing deeper into the covers.

Sephiroth kissed Cloud’s face again and turned off the light before leaving the room.

The General shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He rubbed his face with both hands and a huge sigh escaped his lips.

“Two steps forward , three steps back, eh?”

Sephiroth looked up to see Genesis exiting his room, boots in hand, and shutting the door. “Kind of like that, yes,” he responded.

“Humph,” Genesis replied in understanding. “I’m sorry, for what it’s worth. Your little ballerina has grown on me, in a beaten dog kind of way. Anyway, it’s good to see you with someone. I thought I’d have to give up on you ever popping your cherry.”

Smiling at Genesis’ rather terse turn of phrase, Sephiroth let his hands fall away from his face. “Speaking of significant others, why haven’t you brought your new beau to visit yet?”

Genesis actually blushed. It was faint, but Sephiroth’s keen eyes could see the flush of color on the redhead’s pale skin. “Now what is this?” Sephiroth laughed. “Are you embarrassed?”

The redhead shrugged and turned toward the living room while swinging his fashionable, knee-high black leather boots in his hand. Sephiroth followed in the other’s wake, interested awakened. “Tell me why you, of all people, would be embarrassed of just another conquest.”

“Well, probably because he’s turned into more than just another conquest,” Genesis retorted.

“Then I’m happy for you,” Sephiroth said. “I don’t see any reason for you to be ashamed of finding someone.”

Genesis flopped onto the couch and crossed his long, lean legs clad in supple leather. He shrugged his slender shoulders in an absent gesture. “It’s just…he’s not exactly my usual type.” He leaned over and started pulling on the boots.

“I don’t think love cares about your ‘type.’”

The redhead smiled ruefully. “Indeed. Barrett is very much the opposite of anything I’ve ever brought home before. I don’t even know why I gave him a second glance, honestly. It was just…the way he smiled at me…”

************A few weeks earlier at Fenrir Ugly**************

Genesis followed Sephiroth into the crowded bar. This really was not his kind of place, and he could have kicked himself for suggesting he come here. He was better suited to fine martini bars with soft music and extremely expensive drinks. This brand of laughable hovel was for…poor people, he thought rather arrogantly. He trailed closely behind the silver General, letting Sephiroth’s physical intensity clear a path, albeit a very narrow path through the unwashed masses.

Really, this was going to be unbelievably plebian.

He’d have to make his own entertainment.

Reaching forward with a glint of eager mischievousness in his eyes, Genesis firmly pinched Sephiroth’s beautiful backside.

The silver haired man whipped around with his arm already pulled back in a punch. Sephiroth stopped in mid-swing with a glare fixed on his face. “Pervert,” Sephiroth muttered.

“Just getting in the mood, darling,” Genesis responded. As the other man turned away, Genesis migrated to a less crowded end of the bar. Not that it wasn’t still disgustingly packed, but at least he could move without feeling as if someone owed him dinner.

The music made him wince. Not only was the volume loud enough to shatter his mako-sensitive eardrums, but the sheer lascivious crudeness of it was enough to make him want to run screaming. The overpowering stench of lust-laced bodies, sweat and booze was just the combination to make his stomach start to roil and his eyes water. How any of the others were dealing with the noise and the smell was beyond him.

The redhead watched for awhile as Sephiroth tried to be cordial and boyfriendish in such an unfavorable atmosphere. As far as Genesis was concerned, the silver haired man was wasting his energy by trying to woo his little chibi-esk blond in this milieu. It was horrifying, really.

However, he found it tremendously entertaining to watch the oh-so proper Sephiroth receive his first body-shot.

Tremendously entertaining.

As Sephiroth was looking like a lost, forlorn puppy watching his blond dancing on the bar, Genesis approached him with the hopeful intent of coaxing Sephiroth to leave. Maybe now that they’d spent a few minutes watching the idiots make bigger idiots of themselves, Sephiroth would be content to leave.

“Well?” he coaxed the General. “Now what?”

Sephiroth looked utterly perplexed. “I…I don’t know.”

Genesis rolled his eyes and internally berated ardor-struck fools and the things they do for love. “I’m going to find someone to do. You’re boring.” With that, he flounced away, completely intent on leaving the bar and heading to something upper-plate, expensive, and filled with pretty, clean men to take home for the evening.

However, he was chagrinned to be completely and utterly distracted by none other than the bouncer. The redhead hadn’t even noticed the big man when they entered. He’d blended into the crowd of unworthy faces, wood-paneled walls and cheap, neon beer signs. Maybe it was the way the big man was tossing out a rowdy customer, the way his large, dark arms rippled with muscle as he pulled the struggling man out the door and threw him into the night, or the bright smile on his face when he turned around and came back inside…but there was something about the man that drew Genesis’ attention like nothing else ever had.

Except maybe weaponry.

And hot men.

Or sex.

But anyway, the big, burly bouncer was suddenly the center of Genesis’ consideration. The redhead looked around for a moment and purveyed a barstool from one of the tall tables to the disgruntlement of the person who was actually sitting on the barstool. With a completely insincere apology, Genesis flounced over to the bouncer and situated his seat.

“Hello,” the redhead purred.

The bouncer, standing at the entrance to the bar, startled a little to realize that someone was seated next to him. “Uh…hi?”

Genesis glanced at the big man’s nametag. “Well…Barrett…what’s your sign?”

“Excuse me?”

“Maybe I should start with a different question,” the SOLDIER replied. A thin, gloved fingers walked their way up a heavily muscled arm. “Are you queer?”

The big man coughed and looked utterly aghast for a moment. A handful of people left the bar, and Barrett absently waved in a few more with his entire attention focused on Genesis.

“You mean like…gay?”

Genesis sighed. “You’re a quick one, you know that? It’s a good thing you’re hot.”

He could have sworn that he saw the bigger man blush. Genesis’ keen, mako eyes picked up the subtle darkening of chocolate skin.

“I’m-well…I guess…”

“Oooh, on the fence. You know, nothing turns a gay man on more than a confused straight guy.”

Barrett sputtered at Genesis’ words.

“How about you and me go for coffee after you get off for the night? And by coffee, I mean sex.”

The big man flailed for a moment before finally spitting out, “You’re awful forward.”

“I don’t like to beat around the bush. In fact, I don’t like bush at all.”

“Well let’s just…see where the night goes.”

Genesis smiled sweetly, but Barrett knew there was nothing sweet about this man. Devious, maybe. And if the mako-glow in the man’s eyes were anything to go by, he was also dangerous.

“Are you…SOLDIER?”

The redhead looked offended. “You have honestly never heard of me? Don’t you read the tabloids?”

A heavy head shook. “Na’ really.”

Incredulous. “The news? Newspapers?”

Huge, powerful shoulders rose and fell. “’M not really tha’ kin’ a guy.”

“The informed kind?”

“Ya. That kind.”

Genesis sighed hugely. “I,” he began imperiously, “am Genesis Rhapsodos. SOLDIER General. You should be so lucky to have the pleasure of my presence, you hot hunk of man.”

“S-S-S-SOLDIER General? You’re one of the Trinity? You’re the Genesis?”

“I am the Genesis,” the redhead said with a hauty flip of his hair.

“Oh, shit. You’re gonna fuckin’ eat me alive, ain’t ya?” The man looked suitably terrified.

“Oh, baby. You don’t know the half of it.”

And then, Barrett had smiled. It was a huge, toothy thing without any culture but so much charm it made Genesis’ heart flutter a little.

And he just kept coming back for more.

**************End Flashback**************

“A smile,” Sephiroth chuckled ruefully. “A smile is all it took to woo you from your rakish ways.”

Genesis threw a decorative pillow at Sephiroth, who neatly caught it. “Bite your tongue. You’re the one who’s shacking up with the little blond ballerina.”

“And a bouncer is any better?”

“At least mine is a real man.”

Sephiroth laughed, slouching lower in his seat. “Cloud’s a real man. He has a dick and everything.”

“Could have fooled me,” Genesis snarked, crossing his arms with an arrogant flourish after finishing the last buckles on his boots.

Sephiroth smiled and leaned his head in his hand. “Why don’t you go find your real man to harass. I’m sure he’d enjoy it.”

“He’s privileged to just be noticed by me, and he knows it.” With that, Genesis stood and smoothed his clothing back into perfect order. The soft, fitted black sweater looked rather fetching against Genesis’ pale skin and bright hair, Sephiroth had to admit. The redhead knew how to dress, if nothing else. He never looked less than beautiful, poised and elegant.

Unless you counted the blackmail pictures Sephiroth had stuffed away in one of his drawers.

“Have a wonderful evening, if you don’t choke on your own ego.”

Genesis snorted and flipped him the bird before flouncing toward their private elevator and poking the button. Sephiroth continued to smirk at the other man as the elevator arrived and Genesis disappeared behind the sliding doors.

The silver haired man sighed and stretched hugely. He should be working, since he spent most of the day shuffling Cloud back and forth. However, he couldn’t quite drum up the energy. He thought about going back to his room and lying down with Cloud. It was early afternoon, and a nap sounded like a grand idea.

A grand idea that would let him procrastinate a little longer about going to work.

He hemmed and hawed for a few minutes before deciding that, despite his lack of initiative, he needed to finish at least a few hours of work. The last thing he needed was for the company to be on his ass about fucking paperwork.

On top of all the other shit he’d managed to chap their asses about recently.

Despite it all, he was going to work from the in-home office. That way he could keep a close eye on the little, sweet blond sleeping away in his bedroom and avoid any more censure while he was at it.

With a grunt of effort he would have been ashamed for anyone to hear, Sephiroth stood and trudged his way down the hall.

He’d be there when Cloud woke up. It was all he could do.

TBC…