*Coffee Time*

(ff7 Zack snippet)

It wasn’t until an hour after Zack staggered into the office, late, bed-headed and very obviously hung over, that the general found the time to scold him. His first impulse on the man’s arrival had been to verbally ream the sleep-starved SOLDIER in the ear and to hell with friendship, self-discipline or anything else. Weekend leave or not, Sephiroth had hoped his assistant would be mature enough to be back in the office and ready to work in a professional and timely manner. Luckily the phone rang, distracting him with inconsequentials from the field and giving the dark man the time to discretely swallow the better part of a pot of coffee and dive into his work. When the SOLDIER finally appeared in the inner office, files and fresh mug in hand, he looked almost presentable.

“Coffee, Sephiroth?”

“… have a good time last night?” The mild comment earned him a wary look from his tired looking friend. Zack seemed to weigh his answer carefully for a minute.

“It was good to get out… see people… the 22nd is back in town.”

“… and you toasted them in high style, I’m sure.”

The shorter man half-grinned at his bored-sounding reply, content to be at least marginally off the hook. “… It was quite a party.”

“Ah well… next time, try to remember the ‘morning’ after…?” Helping himself to the new documents, Sephiroth discretely caught his assistant looking properly humbled. It only lasted a minute.

“… Next time you should come along… then we can both sleep late.”

“Zack…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know… You don’t do parties. Your loss.” The SOLDIER grinned, claiming the contents of the ‘Out’ tray and his old cup of coffee as he headed out of the room.

Sephiroth grumbled as he returned to his paper work, wondering that he shouldn’t have been stricter with the laidback officer. Anyone else and he would have done something… a demerit at least. He pondered if it was favoritism or something else that was annoying him the most. Issuing demerits to one man when likely half his squad would be recovering from the after effects of several cases of the most potent alcohol money could buy wouldn’t exactly accomplish much. Maybe it was better to just go along with the flow. The general sighed in annoyance. “I think I envy you…”

The shaggy headed SOLDIER looked up at the non-sequitor, confused as to what had brought the sudden confession on. “What the hell for?”

“You always just do what ever you want… live in the moment… barely a thought for the repercussions… I don’t think I could ever be… that free.”

“Come again?” His friend laughed but the sound was chagrined. “… It’s gotten me in a shit load of trouble sometimes too… that whole ‘look before you leap’ cliché.”

“Still…” Struggling to put his point into words, “You never seem to feel… ashamed… to do things your own way.”

Zack raised an eyebrow and pulled his chair into office, thoroughly drawn in by the topic. “You calling me shameless, old man?”

The pale man shook his head and sighed, embarrassed. “Doesn’t matter, never mind.”

“No, no wait… I want to understand this…” He grinned. “Never had someone tell me they were jealous of my incredible capacity to act without thinking before…”

“Idiot.”

“Yeah. That. What in the world is so enchanting about that?!”

“I can’t do it. I always just… do what’s expected.” Sephiroth leaned back in his chair, feeling almost sorry for himself and not liking the sensation very much. “It doesn’t matter if I like doing it or not… If it’s expected, I do it.”

His friend simply shook his head, “I’m hearing you, but I’m not understanding old man… Gimme a for-example?”

The general thought about it a moment, sorry he had brought it up at all. Talking about feelings was a pointless exercise. “… well… like… coffee…”

“Coffee? What’s wrong with coffee?” The dark haired man blinked.

“I hate it. The taste. It’s terrible.” He watched his assistant, waiting for the man to start laughing. Instead, Zack looked puzzled, trying to decipher some hidden meaning in the simple facts.

“…It’s not that bad is it…? I mean I’m no DailyCoffeeExpress employee, but I don’t think I’m that bad… I mean you drink it…”

“Exactly…” Sephiroth held up his mug and took a sip to prove the point. “It’s not just your coffee, it’s all coffee. I drink it because it’s expected. Officers are supposed to wake up early, drink strong coffee, and get to work. But that doesn’t mean I like it. Never have.”

Zack blinked, still bemused. “What in particular don’t you like about it?”

“What is there to like? It’s bitter, and harsh, and feels like drinking paint thinner.” The general shrugged. “How it’s become the universal-stimulant-of-choice escapes me.”

“… You’re drinking the same stuff I am, right?” The dark haired officer looked down at his own mug – easily his fifth for the morning - still baffled by the revelation.

“Yes Zack, don’t tell me you actually like it!” For the first time, he considered the alarming possibility that it wasn’t the coffee, but his sense of taste that was at fault. His friend’s startled look didn’t help at all.

“Well… yes actually… this brand has a nice nutty aftertaste… I started to buy it by the pound at the grocery store after the cantina shifted to selling the shitty stuff… what good is a pay raise if I can’t live it up a little…”

Mortified twice by his friend in one day. It was no less than what he deserved. “Never mind.”

“No, no hold on a second… I mean, have you ever tried… I dunno, adding sugar? Milk?”

“I can’t drink coffee with milk and sugar!”

“Why the hell not?!”

“Because…” He waved his hands in frustration. “It’s just not done… people would notice.”

“So? Beat them shitless.” Professional veneer cracked at last, the dark man chuckling in delight.

“That’s hardly going to happen…”

“Sephiroth, has it ever occurred to you that we, SOLDIERs, politicians, and hell even the janitors… respect you for what you can do, not how well you fit ‘the mold’? Shit man, you take yourself way too seriously.” He shook his head, still smiling. “… Never pegged you for being obsessed with appearances… Hell, when I first met you I thought you were a rebel… ‘doing what others dared not’…”

“Screw you, Thomson.” Turning back to his papers, Sephiroth was determined to call the conversation over.

“I’ll be right back.” Zack stood abruptly, taking the general’s coffee with him as he went.

Minutes later, the SOLDIER reappeared with two mugs of the steaming black liquid on a tray. Not for the first time the general wished it tasted half as good as it smelled. “Ok… time for a bit of empirical testing… Subject number one, your nice average cup of joe…” He set it down with a flourish. Somehow the idea of the dark haired man doing any sort of experiment, even on coffee, made him want to laugh. If Hojo had been present, he’d have been screaming in horror. Watching his friend organize his props, he was suddenly convinced that the SOLDIER and the sour scientist would be like oil and water if ever forced to interact. There was simply no common ground.

“Add to it, milk and one sugar…” The dark man dosed the mug appropriately, stirring before setting it in front of his friend. Sephiroth blinked. “Well? Try it already.”

Feeling like an idiot, he gingerly obeyed. To his surprise, it tasted… better. Zack was watching him closely, a tiny smile on his lips.

“What do you think, still bitter? Harsh?” He held up a hand to cut the taller man off before he could brush off the question. “Be honest.”

“… both. Really.”

“Fair enough.” Zack reclaimed the mug and set it on the tray. “Subject number two… same coffee, this time with creamer… and two sugars.”

The drink went down remarkably smooth. The general was cautiously impressed. “… better.”

“Excellent. Ok, let’s see… whole milk, more sugar…” mixing the new in to the previous cup, he traded mugs one last time.

The effect was almost like drinking candy. He nearly choked. “Damn. Too sweet. I’d get sick.”

“Well there we have it then! From now on when someone offers you coffee, demand cream and sugar. Two if they ask you.” Zack grinned. Reclaiming the almost toffee colored drink and returning the preferred mug; he downed the failure in one long swallow and grimaced at the taste. “Or just leave it to me and I’ll take care of you.”

“… I’m beginning to believe it.”

*****