Midgar High School

Sephiroth sighed, leaning his head down against the desk again. Cloud was muttering something about geek-teasing opportunities, but the silvery-haired youth didn't care--he was too wrapped up in replaying the events of his last class over and over in his head.

He had kissed Reno. Reno. As in, the library-bound, twenty-sided-dice-hoarding, "Dungeons-and-Dragons-is-better-than-Homecoming" geek, Reno.

As in, the boy, Reno.

Sephiroth groaned and attempted to bury his head further into his folded arms, stomach giving an unpleasant lurch. What the hell was I thinking? he wondered. In all truth the young man had no clue why he had done such a thing. He was Sephiroth, he just wasn't the kind of man that did things like that. He was a man, for Gaea's sake! What had possessed him to do something so out-of-character? He didn't know. He didn't know anything. No, that wasn't right--he did know one thing.

He had actually enjoyed kissing Reno.

But he couldn't enjoy kissing Reno--he simply wasn't allowed. He was a man, first off, and secondly he was the star quarterback of the team. If word got out that he had kissed another guy...

He shuddered, clenching his eyes shut.

His life would be over. He was sure there were a few girls who were interested in guys like that, but if anyone found out his chances of finding a decent girl would be completely shot; not to mention his reputation as the toughest guy in school. He blinked. 'Guys like that?' But he wasn't 'like that,' he didn't like guys. He just didn't.

Except for Reno. He lifted his green eyes and glanced at the redhead's desk to find that it was still empty. Couldn't blame the kid for skipping class. That must have been one hell of a surprise.

He sighed again, hand straying to his midsection. Little prick had a zap-stick, apparently, and knew how to use it. His abdomen still hurt like hell.

"Hey, Seph?"

He groaned again at the sound of the wannabe's voice and rose to his feet. Maybe he could convince Mr. Reeve to let him go somewhere else until class was over.