„ 10 am – visit cadet training.“ This calendar entry made the great General Sephiroth moan. He had to do that every week and make sure to find new talents for SOLDIER. Today some new cadets would begin there training. He perfectly knew what would happen. Each of them would blush, stutter and get nervous with him being around. But appointment is appointment. He stood up, made sure his uniform looked correct and his Masamune was on the right place and then he went down to the training area. The young boys were already training their skills on the sword and he watched them quietly. Some were really clumsy and he wondered how they made it so far but he even noticed a few skilled ones.
After watching some minutes the SOLDIER who was leading that cadet class called them to greet the great General Sephiroth. They lined up and saluted him.
He began to walk and took a closer look on each cadet. They all looked at him with admiration and yet fear in their eyes. When Sephiroth came to the end of the line he stopped in front of a really tiny cadet who was trying to look away.
“He’s really small. How did he get a proper uniform with those tiny shoulders?”, he wondered.
“Face me.”, he ordered then.
He felt the cadet stiffen and then the young boy looked up to him.
“His face is really soft. Almost girlish. Wait…..?”
“What’s your name , Cadet?”
“Gab….Gabriel, Sir.”
„The voice...sweet. Can it be?”
“Cadet, see me in my office later.”
The eyes widened with a shocked expression and the cadet blushed.
Sephiroth turned around.
“Start your training again.”
He stood next to the teacher and watched them fight. His eyes lay on that Gabriel. He seemed to have problems with the weight of the huge sword but managed not to make it too obvisious. Sephiroth was almost sure now. But how could that have happened?
Soon he went to his office again as lots of paperwork was waiting to be done. Before he got himself the folder of a certain cadet named Gabriel. That could be interesting. A small smile crossed his face.
It was late afternoon and he was annoyed by signing too many sheets of papers and putting them into folders while is coffee was getting cold, when he heard a knock in the door.
“Enter.”
A tiny figure in uniform and helmet appeared.
“Ah…Cadet Gabriel.”
The cadet saluted.
“Sir!”
“At ease. Sit down.”
He pointed towards a chair next to his desk.
Slowly the cadet took a seat.
“You can take your helmet off.”
The answer was a shoken head.
Sephiroth got up and positioned himself in front of that small person.
“Take it off. This is an order.”
Hestistantly the cadet obeyed and an ocean of dark red hair was visible now. Long hair. And now Sephiroth was able to see the entire face, which was surrounded by cascades of the thick hair. Scared green eyes, almost as bright as his own, but without the Mako glance, looked at him shyly. Full lips were formed into a crooked smile.
Sephiroth walked around the cadet, inspecting every detail. Small shoulders, thin waist, not very muscular.
“Are you sure you aren’t called Gabrielle?”
He stopped in front of the cadet to face him again. A deep blush burned on the cheeks.
“But Sir!”
“Do not dare to lie at me!”
“How did you find out Sir?If I may ask?”
“Ever looked into a mirror? I wonder how you made it this far without being recognized as a girl.”
“Sir….I….!”
“Didn’t your roommates realize it?”
“I live alone , Sir. I was lucky.”
“Why did you come here?”
The blush in her face got even redder.
“I…….I wanted….wanted to meet you, Sir.”
She was here to meet him? She had risked so much? And she had really made it?
“Why?”
He took his seat again and sighed
“Coffee?” , he asked her, not wanting to scare her even more. He had found out about her secret and he didn’t want to get furious now. He was too curious.
She nodded then began to explain.
“Well, I wanted to meet you because I could not forget the day I first saw you. I was a child, seven years old, and you came to visit our town. I thought I had seen an angel when you passed the street next to our house and I ran out to follow that angel. You soon noticed me and gave me a smile. Since that very moment I wanted to see you again. I couldn’t forget you, Sir.”
Slowly the memory came back to the General. He remembered the warm and curious eyes of that girl that was now sitting in front of him again.
“But why didn’t you just come here? You don’t have to join SOLDIER for seeing me.”
She looked up. A somehow sad look was in her eyes, but also a little shimmer.
“You know, I admired your strength, your…uhm…beauty and grace. I wanted to become like you , because I didn’t want to have to feel ashamed facing you again. But I failed. I am ashamed now. I was stupid. I am sorry for causing so much trouble, Sir.”
She admires me? Wants to be like me?
Her green eyes fascinated him, her strong will. The tiny figure in front of him really managed to touch him somehow. All that trouble for him. He just couldn’t be angry. He had to smile.
“It’s ok. It’s still your first day here. There isn’t too much trouble.”
“So you will expell me?” Her fearful eyes caught him again.
“Did I say so?”
She shook her head.
“Do you want to leave? I guess sword training must be hard for a female tiny as you.”
She nodded.
“It’s hard, but I can do it.”
Another question wanted to be asked. She really had gotten the General curious.
“What did you do to hide the…uhm..female parts of your body?”
“Bandages.”
She carefully pulled a bit of her uniform aside where shoulder becomes body and Sephiroth could see the white fabric.
“I guess it doesn’t feel comfortable.”
She nodded again. Blushed again.
“So I ask you again. Do you want to leave?”
“No Sir.”
Her firm voice surprised him. She really had made her decision.
“So you’ll stay. I won’t tell anybody. But if someone else finds out there might be nothing I can do.”
She stood up, looking at him.
“Thank you, General Sephiroth.”
He just could stop himself giving her another warm smile. What happened to him?
She grabbed her helmet and twisted her hair under it again, ready to leave the office.
She saluted again.
Before she left the office she turned back and said in a quiet voice.
“I still admire you. Thank you.” Then she rushed out of the room and left a very confused Sephiroth behind. He shook his head.
This girl is strange. Fascinating. Do I like her?
With a sigh he got himself another mug of coffee and sat down again, staring at her folder.
The next day began and against his usual habits he took the path to his office which leaded past the training field of the cadets. They already were fighting. His gaze searched Gabrielle. He was surprised to saw her fighting a muscular and tall boy. Seems that she found her own technique. She might not be as strong as a man but with her small weight she was much faster. With a smile upon his face he walked by, not being able to stop thinking about that girl.
When he came to the cadet homes he remembered her room number. 13. And somehow an odd idea made up itself in his head. He took out a small piece of paper and a pencil and wrote.
“9 pm. Come to apartement 01, SOLDIER quarter.” He slid it through the gap between door and floor, then walked to his office, with a weird grin on his face. He was asking himself if he knew what he was doing.
Later that evening he was sitting on the comfortable couch in his huge apartement, now dressed in private clothing – a black sweater and black leather pants- when it knocked on his door. It was exactly 9 pm. He got up and opened the door.
“Sir.”
“Come in Gabrielle. And don’t be that formal. These are my private rooms, so you can relax. No one will kill you if you don’t call me Sir.” He smirked when she blushed furiously.
“Why did you want me to come?”, she asked shyly.
“Well, I had to think a lot about you to be honest. I can’t let a girl do all the hard stuff for the male cadets. So I made a decision.”
A decision which he knew he didn’t make only out of the goodness of his heart.
“As I almost drown in all the paper work I told the administration I need some help and as your folder says you are skilled with data work, it wasn’t a great problem to convince them. So you will take part in the sword training and the classes but you don’t need to do that mudd crawling and jogging stuff in the afternoons. You will work here and in my office. Is that ok?”
He pointed to his desk which was definetly overloaded with undone work.
“But… all that trouble for me. Sir, I….!” She blushed again.
“Thank you. I’ll gladly accept your offer.”
Sephiroth couldn’t hide his content smile. He would see her everyday now. Why did this make him feel that happy? And he believed to see a happy glance in those shy eyes of Gabrielle. She did really seem to like him.
She prepared to leave again. Well, he somehow didn’t want her to go that soon but he also didn’t know what to say to make her stay. And he didn’t want to order it. He walked with her to the door and could hold himself from quickly brushing through her hair and whispering:
“Be careful, ok?”
He felt his own cheeks burning and quickly withdraw his hand and stiffened to his General position.
“See you tomorrow, Cadet.” He said formally.
“Aye, Sir.” She walked away.
The nex day, right after the cadet courses Sephiroth heard a soft knock in his office door.
“Enter.”
“Reporting to duty, Sir!”
“Cadet Gabriel! That is fine!You can immediately start working!”
The General points to his overloaded desk with a devilish grin on his face.
Gabrielle stared on the chaos and her look told stories – she had no idea where to begin. The silver haired man had to surpress a chuckle.
“Well, perhaps it would be the best to try to sort all the sheets and then try to put them into the folders. I have to finish some reports for the President, but if you have a question please ask.”
He sat down again, on another PC table and soon the sound of his fast typing filled the room.
While writing he always had his eyes on Gabrielle. She seemed to be really concentrated on her work and she always had a light blush on her face. Was she nervous being with him?
“Gabrielle?”
Wooooomps……! She fell off the chair and was buried under the almost sorted sheets.
“NOOOOO!”, she moaned as she would have to do all again.
The General had got up fast and was reaching out his hand to help her up.
“Sorry, Sir. Please forgive me for causing so much trouble. I am not worth that you give me such a special work! So clumsy…!”
Now he really had to laugh.
“Did I shock you this hard?”
She nodded.
“What did you want, Sir?”
Yes...what did he want? Um…
“Just wanted to ask what was left.” He said too quickly, but she didn’t realize that.
They both had to smile as they looked at the new mess of papers that had been created in the last minutes.
Suddenly Gabrielles stomach made a weird sound.
Sephiroth raised an eyebrow.
“Didn’t you have lunch?”
The tiny girl shook her head.
“No. I had to get to your office. But would you mind if I eat a bit now?”
“If you promise to finish the paperwork in a month !”
He got back to his computer, ready to finish his reports, when he felt a soft touch on his shoulder. He turned around once more to see Gabrielle standing behind him with a plate of really delicious looking Oreos.
“Sir, my mom just sent me those today. If you like one?”
Could he eat her Oreos? Self-made, fresh chocolate Oreos? But he was a General.
“I won’t tell anyone!”, the girl grinned suddenly.
Was his expression so easy readable? He should be more careful.
Quickly he got himself one of these divine biscuits and he really had to admit they were wonderful. But do not show it, Sephiroth!
“They are excellent, Cadet. Thank your mother.”
“Aye, Sir.”
In the same moment in which the General finished his cookie, there was another knock on the door and a Shinra official entered. Sephiroth had to deal with him in his other office room and Gabrielle got back to work again. When the offical finally left again Sephiroth had to realize that it was already late and Gabrielle had finished cleaning his desk and was already gone for today. Well, it actually was late enough to quite work for that day. He sighed, locked the door of his office and went to his apartment.
Later that evening the girl managed to surprise him again. His doorbell rang and when he opened she stood there, still in Cadet uniform, but with a great package in her hands. He stepped aside to let her enter.
“Why and how did you come here?”, Sephiroth asked curiously and even a bit annoyed because he didn’t expect it.
She took off her helmet and smiled.
“Told the guard I had some folders for you I worked on that evening. And for the reason why I am here…..”
She carefully opened the package and a mountain of Oreos appeared before the General’s eyes.
“Well, Mom sent another pack this afternoon and these are too much just for me. And you said you liked them so I thought …” she stopped in the middle of her sentence and blushed.
“Thank you Gabrielle. I appreciate them. Please make yourself feel at home. Do you want a tea? I have just made some.”
Wait….he thanked her for cookies and invited her for tea? Perhaps he should go see the doctor soon. These actions weren’t usual for him. Not at all. But what’s said can’t be changed anymore. And the Oreos were really convincing. He had to laugh about himself.
When they sat together, drinking some hot green tea an odd silence occurred. The girl was just too shy to begin a conversation and the General wasn’t used to have company except of other officials and soldiers working next to him. So what should he say to a young girl of whom he knew she admired him?
“So, um, how as your morning? Did class went well?”
Gabrielle looked up to him and slightly nodded.
“I am still alive, so it must have been ok. I know I will get better at fighting someday. If only those swords weren’t that bulky. But I will make it!”
He had to grin at her statement and he perfectly knew why he loved his own sword, Masamune so much. It was a powerful and elegant weapon.
Suddenly Gabrielle spoke again.
“Though I must admit I totally failed in fighting without weapons. But I rather tell you myself than you have to read it in a report…” The last sentence was only a quiet mumbling and her cheeks were burning again.
“That doesn’t surprise me, Gabrielle-san. You are much more smaller and honestly- you are weaker as you don’t have so much muscles a male has. The only advice I can give to you is that you should concentrate on your speed. You can be very fast due to your light weight.”
Her cheeks were tomato red again now but her eyes still laid on to his. He still couldn’t imagine how that girl made it into the cadets’ class. But he had to admit that he enjoyed her company and that the boring paperwork has gotten at least a bit more bearable with her making him smile so much. But was it right what he was doing? Was it even right what he was thinking or even feeling? And why on hell did he care so much? And since when did this happen to him?
He must have been deeply in his thoughts because he suddenly was pinched softly in the arm.
He shook his head and saw Gabrielle’s sparkling emerald eyes before him.
“Sorry Sir, I just wanted to test if you were asleep.” She bowed and took her seat again.
He smiled softly, though again he didn’t know why.
“No, I am still awake.But as I know our days will start soon tomorrow I suggest we both should get some rest.”
She nodded, picked up her helmet and prepared to leave.
“Goodnight, Sir.”
