Day 10 FFVII AU Fluffy pre-Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack
I’m doing this 30-Day AU Challenge.
Day 10 is the Regency Romance, but I’m not a fan at all of Regency romances.
So instead, I did two little fluff ficlets. The first is a FFVII Jock AU and the second is a random FFVII AU where Sephiroth is a waiter. They’re both based on OT3 prompts I found a couple years ago. Both are rated G.
The prompt: “there was supposed to be a party here tonight but no one showed up but us including whoever the fuck’s house this is want to see what’s in their Netflix queue” au
“WOOOOHOOOO ARE YOU READY TO PARTY!!!” Zack shouted when the door of the house opened, bracing himself to be knocked over by a swell of music, laughing voices and the smell of booze.
Instead, all he got was a curled lip and narrowed eyes from a very disgruntled Sephiroth, live, in the flesh, right in front of him.
“Oh, hey, dude, how are ya! How's it going?” Zack kept up his cheer and his grip on four six-packs.
“It is not going,” Sephiroth said coldly.
“Ah. Well. Is this your place? You're having a party, right? Can I come in?” Zack's sheepishness was creeping up and his shoulders hunched a little, so he was surprised when Sephiroth sighed but stepped back so he could enter. The house was quiet and empty.
It was a nice looking house, a little under-furnished, a little run-down and messy, like something his bachelor uncle might live in.
“No, this is not mine. This is Vincent's house, he's my whatever,” Sephiroth waved a hand. “He invited me over tonight, but then a bunch of his old frat brothers stormed in and carried him off. Apparently word got out he was hosting a party so I've been fending off drunken, rowdy undergrads all evening.”
“Oh,” Zack shuffled his feet a little at the implied insult. At least he hadn't even had a drink yet. The sense of awe, slight shame, and desire to drop to his knees in worship was just a natural reaction to Sephiroth who, like Madonna or Beyonce, only needed a single name for recognition.
Sephiroth had been the university’s biggest athlete ever, the star quarterback who’d led the football team to a shocking national championship his senior year. He’d been the reason Zack had chosen the school, wanting to be a hero like Sephiroth, even though Sephiroth had eschewed a pro career and instead pursued a master’s degree and become a grad assistant for the team, along with two of his best teammates.
He was also easily the most gorgeous person Zack had ever seen, and this was sadly the most he’d ever spoken to Zack in three and a half years since Zack was a defensive player and Sephiroth helped coach the offense.
Now Sephiroth was standing, glaring at him, arms crossed over his chest.
“How did you hear about this supposed party?” Sephiroth demanded.
“Ah, Angeal,” Zack easily gave up his beloved mentor. “He said that him and Genesis were going to hit up this great party and if I brought some good brews, I could come.” Zack looked up earnestly with his patented Puppy Eyes. “I made sure I got the good stuff; it's imported and everything.”
“That's nice.” Sephiroth didn't drink regularly and couldn't tell an ale from a stout but at least Zack would have something nice to take home with him when he booted him out.
The doorbell rang again and Seph pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. “I've been turning down everyone, but they keep coming. How the hell does all of campus know about this damned party?!”
“Then why did you let me in?” Zack asked curiously.
Sephiroth shot him another dry look. “Because I know who you are, a little, at least. The rest of the riff-raff were from gods only knows where. I don’t know what Vincent had planned, but I’m not taking responsibility for a party and watching his house get trashed while he’s off getting high with his old frat.”
“Okay, geez, sorry,” Zack muttered when Sephiroth turned on his heel to go answer the door. Zack wandered around the living room and couldn’t resist touching the keys of a battered upright piano, leading to a barked “Don’t touch anything!” from the foyer.
Zack muttered under his breath and made a show of tucking his hands in his pockets, even though Sephiroth couldn’t see him. He heard low murmurs from the foyer and the front door shut.
He looked up as Sephiroth led someone into the living room.
It was a smaller someone, looked like a freshman, and he was completely and utterly adorable. And Zack was comfortable enough in his manliness to admit that he really wanted to cuddle the kid to his chest and croon at his cuteness.
Instead he smiled brightly and said, “Hey, there, man, how are ya?”
The kid blushed and tucked his chin into his scarf and Zack was gone. He looked up at Sephiroth who was staring at the kid with something like Zack knew he must look, lust mixed with his natural haughty allure and some confusion about his own reaction. Zack stifled a snort. Figured Sephiroth wouldn't even know what to do when the universe literally dumped a hottie right on his doorstep.
“I'm supposed to meet my friend Tifa here?” the kid was saying.
“Well, I haven't seen a Tifa around. It's just me and Seph—you know Sephiroth” and the kid turned bright, fiery red and damn, even mortally embarrassed was an adorable look on him. “I'm Zack.”
“I know. I'm Cloud,” he said, and Zack could have sworn he heard a choir of angels descend and sing hallelujah but then he fumbled at his back pocket when he recognized his cell ring.
“Hey, dude, where the hell are you? Uh-huh, uh-huh,” Zack listened with his eyes on the other two who were standing there staring at the wall and the other, respectively. Zack ended the call and said, “Well, Angeal is waiting for Genesis to finish strength training, and then they’re going over to the frat. Seems he already heard the party was moved.”
“Good,” Sephiroth said, crossing his arms over his chest. The move pulled the thin sweater tighter across his arms and shoulders, showing off the muscles in a way that was even sexier than if he’d been bare. Zack knew he was staring so he shook himself, but when he looked over at Cloud in embarrassment, the kid was staring at Sephiroth too, obviously entranced.
“Well, then. Why don’t we all head over there? I can drive.”
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sephiroth seemed to pull himself tighter. “I had planned a quiet evening in, and now I might finally be able to achieve it.”
“I just need to borrow a phone,” Cloud blurted out and turned even redder when both men’s attention swung to him. “Mine fell in a puddle outside the dining hall.” He held up an old flip phone, and Zack's heart melted some more. “I need to know what's going on with Tifa and where she is.”
As Zack fumbled to get his phone back out of his pocket, Sephiroth handed over his own. “Thank you,” Cloud's voice was low and Zack was sure there was some kind of spark when their hands brushed, then they each turned quickly the other way.
Zack motioned with his head for Sephiroth to follow him to give the kid some privacy. Although he’d never been there before, Zack was sure the swinging door led to the kitchen, and he was right. He began to rummage on the counters for a bottle opener, figuring Sephiroth wouldn’t appreciate his party trick of using the counter edge, when Sephiroth asked, “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Having a drink.”
“Not if you're driving.”
“Well then come with us.”
“I am not going to a frat party.”
“So you’re just going to kick us out?”
“There is no party here, Zack, so yes. Out.”
“Well there could be. There’s you and me and Cloud,” Zack saw Sephiroth's eyes flicker to the door and he upped his persuasion tactics. “We'll have a drink, order a pizza unless you got party snacks, no, didn't think Vinnie would leave anything here.”
Sephiroth sighed but he didn’t say no outright. “Come on, Seph, there’s no reason you need to be alone tonight. You know I'm good for it,” he wheedled.
“I don't know you, only of you,” Sephiroth told him bluntly.
Zack's smile was dazzling. “Well there's no time like the present to change that. And we'll even keep Cloud here and show him a good time!”
“Huh?” Cloud said, head cocked, from the open kitchen door.
“What's up?” Zack asked him.
Cloud fiddled with his scarf and didn’t meet his eyes. “My friend was bringing me along because she wants to hook up with this big guy, Rude?”
Seph nodded, “He's in the fraternity that Vincent used to be head of.”
“Well, he called Tifa at the last minute and said the party had been moved over there, and she tried to get me, but,” Cloud gestured with his useless phone. “She said the frat house is full to bursting, so I guess I'll just walk back to campus.”
“OMG you walked all the way here? No way!”
Cloud stared at Zack’s outburst. “I never knew people actually said the letters O-M-G out loud,” he said.
Now Zack looked embarrassed and rubbed at the back of his hair. “Well, we can't all be the quiet and mysterious type like Seph here,” he said and elbowed Sephiroth into a surprised grunt.
Cloud was still a delicate pink shade as he shyly held out Sephiroth’s phone. Sephiroth was still looking down at him like the blond kid was a new and special oddity to be studied.
Zack had heard things about his hero. After all, his coach and mentor Angeal was one of Seph’s best friends. It was through him and Genesis that Zack had heard about the human side of the football star. All the intimidating, weird things that were whispered about in the locker room, Zack had never seen hints of his supposed arrogance and anti-social tendencies. Sure, he was quiet and aloof, but that just seemed to be his way, not an affectation.
Now looking at Sephiroth looking at Cloud, Zack knew what he had to do.
“I’ll tell you what we’re gonna do,” he clapped his hands and hid a laugh at the way the other two jumped. “We’re gonna order pizza, drink some beer and do something so you're not walking back to your cold, lonely dorm all by yourself on a Friday night.”
“But won’t you be missing the biggest party of the year?” Sephiroth asked him quietly.
Zack shrugged. “If it’s full-up already, then I’d probably only be missing the cops calling and a whole lot of vomiting undergrads. If I wanted that, I could have just bought beer for the freshman on the team. I think I’ll be happier hanging with you guys. So, Cloud, you in?”
Cloud smiled, and Zack almost grabbed the counter to steady himself against the sheer brilliance of the kid’s expression. A quick glance at Sephiroth showed he was moved also. But he turned without a word and grabbed a menu off the refrigerator.
“Very well, if you insist. But remember your off-season conditioning when you order,” he handed the pizza place’s menu to Zack.
Zack loudly pffted that. “It’s a Friday night in February. I’m ordering one of everything.”
“Then you’ll be running it off at the gym.”
“Now you sound exactly like Angeal,” Zack grumbled good-naturedly and Cloud hid a laugh behind his hand.
While he discussed what to order with Cloud, Sephiroth took their coats and carried glasses and bottles of water to the living room with Cloud’s help. Zack ordered at least twice what he thought they could comfortably eat, thinking he’d send the leftovers back to the dorm with Cloud.
He followed them in time to hear Cloud shyly say, “You’re the most amazing quarterback I’ve ever seen play. You’re the reason I came to Shinra.”
Zack watched Sephiroth’s face close off. Cloud, too, must have realized his mistake, but he went on to say, “I know I’m small, but I started at running back for my high school team and I couldn't wait to try out here as a walk-on, but I didn’t even make the practice team.”
Cloud’s shoulders hunched as he drew in, and Sephiroth still looked like he wanted to walk out, so Zack swept in to the rescue. He dropped down on the couch, slung his arm over Cloud’s shoulders and squeezed. “You look fast. I’ll bet you’re a great back, huh, Seph?”
There was no answer so Zack squeezed again. “You know, Cloud, I am personal best friends with two of the grad assistants, and I’ll bet, if you want, I could get Genesis to make out some special training for you. You could come to the gym with me, and who knows, by summer, you could try out again. We definitely need some players who are smart and quick. What do you think, Seph?”
Cloud looked over at him and his smile from close-range was nearly blinding. When Zack squeezed his shoulders a third time, it had nothing to do with comfort and everything to do with how adorable he was.
Cloud looked up shyly at Sephiroth who was eying him now in appraisal. “Size doesn’t always matter, if you work hard,” he said finally. “If you want to make a serious commitment to football, you could do worse than having Genesis train you.”
“I’ll work as hard as I can,” Cloud promised. Zack couldn’t resist ruffling the blond spikes of his hair, finding them softer than he expected.
“The hardest part will be figuring out how to fit all these spikes into your helmet,” he laughed, ruffling harder.
Cloud squawked and batted at him. “I didn’t have a problem in high school!”
“Zack, stop molesting him,” Sephiroth’s quiet voice was full of amusement, but Cloud froze up again.
Zack sighed and grabbed at the remote on the coffee table in front of him, still not giving up his armful of Cloud.
“Fine. Then let’s see what Vincent’s got for entertainment.” Zack kicked his feet up on the table, but Sephiroth pushed them off as he took a seat on the recliner. “Oof. Let's see what's on Netflix.”
“We are not watching porn,” Sephiroth told him and Cloud made a nose Zack would describe as a peep. Then what Sephiroth had said registered.
“Is there porn on Netflix?” he asked with some interest.
“You have to know the secret search word,” Seph said drily.
“Seriously? I never knew! Oh my god, why did nobody tell me this?!” He quickly thumbed the remote. “What the password?”
He even let go of Cloud as he leaned forward and ran through the screen punching in as Sephiroth dictated U-R-D-U-M-B...
“Hey!” Zack looked behind to see Cloud shaking in fits of silent laughter and Sephiroth actually cracking a grin so he took one for the team and made himself loudly affronted. “That’s just rude! You got me all excited and then called me dumb!”
“You asked for it,” Sephiroth said and Cloud let out a peal of laughter. Sephiroth looked like his cheeks were tinted just the slightest pink in appreciation of the positive reception of his joke.
“Well, if you’re going to be like that, then I get to decide what we watch tonight!” Zack kept one eye on the two of them as he scrolled. Cloud kept sneaking peaks at Sephiroth and fiddled with a bottle of water. Sephiroth stared looking bored at the TV but he shot glances at Cloud when the kid wasn’t looking.
“Or we could just watch really random things and totally screw up Vincent’s list. They’d be suggesting he watch Sesame Street and Blue Clues for the next year,” Zack said.
“That’s mean,” Cloud blurted out.
“But funny,” Zack waggled his eyebrows. Cloud rolled his eyes. Zack beamed to see that kid was already coming out of his shell.
By the time the pizzas, wings, bread and everything else had arrived, Cloud had even carefully and successfully teased Zack once. At Sephiroth’s nod of approval, he beamed.
But there was something about sharing hot, delicious, greasy food and—for him and Sephiroth—some beers that got people to open up and have fun. Cloud came more out of his shell at Zack’s gentle prodding and showed a streak of feistiness that Zack would be sure to pursue when they were training. Sephiroth even deigned to show the droll sense of humor that Angeal had assured Zack actually existed.
They watched parts of a couple terrible movies and a few favorite episodes of sitcoms that Vincent had saved. At some point, Sephiroth had joined them on the couch so he wouldn’t have to strain his neck.
It was late when Zack realized Cloud had fallen asleep tucked between, his chin resting down to his chest in a way that would make his neck cramp later. Zack smiled at Sephiroth over his head and saw him looking down at the freshman.
“It's hard,” Sephiroth said softly.
Zack’s eyes widened as his mind went right to— “Eh?!”
“The hero worship,” Seph clarified and Zack was relieved. “I don't think you ever felt it, or at least, you never let on that you were intimidated by me. But it's hard to get to know people. They want the idol, not the real deal.”
“Well, I have to say that now I know you and I still love you,” Zack said.
Seph smiled a sincere little grin. “I guess that's why I didn’t actually mind spending time with you.”
Zack mimed grabbing his heart. “Please, stop, that's enough of the sweet talk. The next thing you know you'll be picking out china patterns and curtains.”
“I'm just saying, tonight wasn't all terrible.”
“You want to do it again.”
Sephiroth looked down and sighed. “I do. But...”
“No buts, you've said I do, you just committed yourself,” Zack said cheerfully.
“There's three of us,” Sephiroth pointed out.
“That means there's just more to love. Now I have someone to fanboy over you with.”
“And someone to commiserate with me when you get out of control.”
“Let's do it again,” Zack pushed and Seph sighed again.
“Okay.”
“If this sappy rom-com is over, can you please either shut up or take me home?” Cloud asked grumpily as he tried to roll his neck and winced in pain.
Zack leaned close and talked into his ear, making him shiver. “So you wanna do this again?”
A brilliant blue eye opened and he said with no hesitation. “Yes.” Then he shoved a hand in Zack’s face as he made exaggerated kissy lips and leaned over. “No.”
“Good boy, Cloud,” Sephiroth said softly. “Don’t let him push you around.”
“I’m not doing anything tomorrow night,” Cloud said then swallowed hard at his own rare confidence.
“I’m free,” Sephiroth said and Zack grinned.
“Let’s go out and splurge because Cloud and I are going to start training Sunday.”
“Really?” Cloud’s face lit up and Zack really wanted to lean in for real but he held back.
“For sure. We’ll get you on the team, won’t we, Seph?”
Sephiroth inclined a nod.
Zack was sure it was the beginning of a beautiful relationship.
AND ANOTHER WORTHLESS FICLET The Prompt: “i’m your waitress and i totally thought you two were dating because of the heart eyes you’re makingat each other but now that i know you’re not i kinda want to ask one of you out but i also feel like you should be together because of said hearteyes” au Cloud/Sephiroth/Zack
Sephiroth knew he was called the surly waiter and he couldn’t have cared less. The other servers bitched behind his back because he was a terrible waiter who still got good tips because he was, as one disgusted co-worker often said, so damn pretty.
He didn’t really understand it, and totally didn’t care, but hey, whatever, money bought him what he needed.
But it got really annoying that obnoxious diners were always commenting on his hair. He always wore it tightly wrapped in a high bun, wisps sometimes falling out around his face. But it still drew unwelcome attention.
And he got so sick of the little comments he had to ignore if he wanted to keep his tips and his job.
Like the grinning fool at one of his tables today. The dark-haired dude was eating a late lunch with a smaller blond kid that Sephiroth had taken for younger until he’d heard his voice. He figured they were doing that whole “two bros, no homo” thing, but from the way the blond looked at the dark-haired one and laughed at his stupid jokes, Sephiroth knew that at least he wasn’t thinking that.
He dropped two salads on a table for some women and walked over to offer the blond kid more water.
The dark-haired dude brightened and smiled up at him. “Your hair is beautiful; is it really long?” Sephiroth nearly rolled his eyes. Like he’d never heard that before.
“Are you ready to order now?” he said instead.
“So what’s good here,” the dude’s bright blue eyes were going up and down him instead of the menu. Like he’d never heard that one either.
“Maybe you should try your friend here,” Sephiroth pointed his pen at the blond who turned bright red and sank behind his menu.
The dark-haired dude’s entire body turned, not just his head. “We’re work buddies, I’m teaching him the ropes.”
“You’ve got to be kidding. Anyone can see that kid has a crush on you.” The blond looked like he was one second from sinking under the table, never to be seen again.
“No way! ...wait, really? What? Cloud?” Dark-haired dude’s head swiveled from the blond—or all that was visible being a blond spike above the menu—up to Sephiroth. His bewildered expression was kind of cute, Sephiroth decided, even if it made him looked like a confused black Labrador retriever trying to figure out why he’d never thrown the ball.
“I was going to ask you out,” the dude admitted to Sephiroth.
He snorted. “You should ask him out.”
“I AM out with him. Well, sorta. Why don’t we all go out?”
“Like that wouldn’t be uncomfortable and awkward,” Sephiroth rolled his eyes.
“This entire situation is uncomfortable and awkward,” Cloud muttered loud enough for both to hear. Sephiroth let out an unexpected chuckle and Cloud glanced up. His face was such bright red Sephiroth could have probably boiled water on it.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have embarrassed you like that. I was just trying to call out him—”
“Zack,” dude supplied helpfully.
“Call out Zack because if I had a dollar for every time someone hit on me when I was working and couldn’t tell them what I really thought, well, I’d have enough money to be able to quit here.”
That was the longest rant Sephiroth had ever verbalized. It felt strangely good. He’d needed to get that off his chest.
Then he looked down into two pairs of beautiful, big, earnest blue eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Zack said. “I didn’t mean to be all skeevy. That was wrong and I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m sorry you have to put up with that,” Cloud added.
“I just think you’re one of the most gorgeous people I’ve ever seen,” Zack went on. “But I shouldn’t have said anything.”
Sephiroth sighed. “It’s not...unappreciated. It’s just not the time or place.”
“I understand. Do you want us to leave?”
“No,” Sephiroth shook his head. “Stay and eat. And then if you want to hang out some time, maybe leave your number. But no promises.”
“That’s more than fair.” Zack looked at Cloud then and smiled. “Do you know what you want?”
“Yes,” Cloud answered and Sephiroth knew he was talking about more than what he wanted for lunch.
“If we’re going to go out, we should do it together. All three of us.” Sephiroth couldn’t regret speaking his mind again when Cloud lit up and Zack got a speculative gleam.
“I’d like that,” Zack said and Cloud nodded.
“Then hurry up and order. The sooner you’re done, the sooner I can get out of here.”
Zack and Cloud shared a look and a smile. Both were suddenly starving.