This story is highly inspired by the best LozxTifa fic ever (Starherd's Noir de la Lune)
It wasn't anything that she had anticipated at all. The meeting, her fate…none of them was something that she had thought would happen. The reunion…..
Different meaning but reunion nonetheless, at least that's what she thought.
And that alone had force her to embark for another journey, except that she was alone for this so-called journey. Not exactly by herself, but she could never counted 'him' as a company at all.
It all started when she was planning to build an orphanage for the increasing number of orphans in her humble home alias bar. Not that she mind the kids in her home, befriended her foster children, Marlene and Denzel, but it is her slightly inappropriate job that she was worried of. How it influenced the children. Adults came in and out of the bar in late afternoon till early morning; be it drunkards or senseless perverts, these people are what they called norms amongst the patrons. Whether Tifa likes it or not, the situation sometime came too handful for her to handle on her own. With Cloud not being able to stay and protect all the time, due to his job that requires fenrir and him to travel most of the time, it turned out to be harder than she could ever anticipated.
She had then resorted to the decision of building an orphanage for the children after a long discussion with Cloud. Cloud immediately agreed without much question, seeing how he was worried to see the often dark ring on her eyes and how skinny she could be. He'd even suggested withdrawing from his delivery service but Tifa refused such decision. Strife delivery service has become their little family's prominent income despite of how successful Seventh Heaven could be. So, with the sufficient amount of gil, Tifa and Cloud prepared the primary materials for the construction, a low-paid architect and their own muscles as the workforce.
This had eventually led Tifa to the Wallmarket one day, when she decided to speak up with the slave merchant there, to 'rent' a slave for the construction. Renting a slave was never allowed in the business but for Tifa who had the network around Edge was giving her the advantage. Being the owner of a famous bar, she knew that the merchant had a thing for her, so she might as well took the opportunity. Cloud had return to his job to maintain the needed gil to pay the architect. And Tifa desperately needed a help. Asking her faithful friends is an option, but Tifa being the kind-hearted Tifa knew all too well that they had other commitment to take care of. Barret with his oil-foundation, Yuffie with her future title as the throne of Wutai, Cid with his upcoming project to space; she just couldn't called them and asked them to cross the region just to help her.
She had asked for a well-build man with the strength of five men at the least, that'll make her job easier and she can reopen Seventh Heaven sooner. The merchant smiled knowingly in return, telling her that she came to the right place despite of how she scowled of the idea of renting a human being. She felt wicked. From the small tent behind him, the merchant with a surprisingly fat rope twisted in his palm, pulling a slightly bulky man from the curtain. He had worn a cloak, revealing only his nose and thin lips from beneath the hood and also the sharp clamp around his neck, barely gracing the skin there. Tifa was surprised, is this how they treated the slaves? It's true, the appointed slave seems strong, she could see the perfect abs beneath the cloak, but to be treated like an animal was another story. She grimaced but did not say her thought out loud nonetheless, fearing that the merchant would break off their deal.
The man was rented for 7000 gil at most and Tifa gulped from the price. True, she had prepared at least 10 000 gil in her pocket but the cost was still too high nevertheless. Maybe she wasn't into this thing. She felt guilty enough to ask for help in such way. Even so, she did not debate and handed the fixed gil to the merchant. It was when she had taken a step to the slave to inspect him had she noticed something peculiar with him, the way he was sniffing as if he sensed something familiar…
"Know you.." He muttered under his breath. "Master." Tifa was not certain whether the address was meant for her or not. But what caught Tifa's attention is the hoarse whisper that seems too familiar. Not awhile ago, not even a year passed by, the voice…
"Big brother's girl." He had added and that confirmed her suspicion. Her eyes widen immediately and instinctively she curled her palm, forming a fist and threw one forceful blow that caused the slave aback, crashing the tent behind.
There was screaming from the people around later on when the slave stood once again, and the fat rope buckling his wrist was easily ripped off. The hood covering his face fall off and the familiar grin formed upon on his pale lips. Tifa was certain that he's going to retort as she readied her stance. Much to her surprise, Loz had bolted into the crowd, escaping. She was about to run after him, until the merchant called out, throwing a device into her palm. "He's your obligation now!" She immediately knew what the function of the device is and she quickly bolted into the mass of people, knowing that he couldn't be far, knowing from his prior movement that Haste was no longer embedded in his hand.
Her fingers curling the device throbbed to push the button after she had already look out for him for almost ten minutes and failed to find him. She had reached the remnants of the plate in which most rubble made her search even harder. What if, just what if she pushed the button? Would the teeth around his neck stabbed through his flesh and let him screamed in pain? His death; that seemed to be the best idea. What's the point of letting him live? His life will only increase the possibility of reunion to occur again. Cloud does not have to suffer anymore. But the voice from the back of her mind, the voice that was saying that she was not fit enough to take a life of one, refrained her finger from moving any further.
Wasn't fit- had she killed enough already?
But she had to find him, before he could cause any ruckus. Those silver mess and slitted pupil were screaming his identity and she wondered if the slave merchant knew about this? And then it dawn to her mind as to why he was cloaked. The merchant was doing a dangerous business. And he had sold him to her instead of renting him, the obligation as Loz's owner has transferred to her. That answered her question of his high price.
She is the rightful master…as he had mentioned himself.
Her finger twitched again. She needed to find him, fast. Without hesitation, she pushed the button and in less than a second, a hoarse growled echoed. Running off to the source of the voice, Tifa found him lying on the ground, palm gripped on the clamp desperately as the tip of the teeth went missing in his flesh. Thick blood oozed from the hole she created. Pushing off the button once again, the clamp loosened and his grip slightly relaxed but did not stop him from shivering terribly. Pulling out a materia from her sack, the green orb synchronized with her hand. Casting the lowest level of cure, she let the holes on his neck closed but did not let the wound fully healed.
And what is it about not letting Cloud suffer anymore?
She did not kill him-that is serious enough.
But she won't let this Sephiroth's remnant came to destroy Cloud's life anymore.
She can't let Loz off on his own, knowing what he'll do in the future.
Threatening Loz was the only wat to not let him escape again. She was in upper handed against him for the first time He feared of the pain, like a child. Without given much option, he obliged, like how a slave should be. And for the first time in her life, Tifa did not feel guilty of this whole slaving idea. This man deserved to be treated this way…. That's if he's a man at all.
Luckily both Denzel and Marlene were off for summer vacation with Barret. And she had left the needed gil to Johnny for the construction of the orphanage.
Leaving a small note saying 'I'm off to travel. I'm closing the bar and I've left the orphanage under the care of Johnny. Will call you when I have reached my destination. Please do not worry of me. I will be fine and I'm sorry, Cloud. Send my love and apology to the kids too."
That sounded too empty and very unTifa-like. And as she has suspected the next day when she had left off with Loz, numbers of incoming calls and texts came. They have reasons to worry. She had left off with no reason.
And when she had reached Kalm, she finally answered Cloud's call, receiving curses and swears that never escaped from his mouth. Cid and Barret will be delighted, she thought. She did not blame him for his anger, only smiling to herself when the man on the other line had calm down. She had even anticipated that he will ask 'what happened?', but did not answer. Only saying that she will be back, sooner or later, apologizing countlessly and promised to call regularly.
She knew that Cloud must have thought that it was his fault for being ignorant and all. She ought to tell the truth but knowing Cloud, he will immediately searched for her across the Gaea if he was to know that Loz was by her side. So, she decided to let Cloud lingered on that kind of thought, at least it was much better than him dealing with anything affiliated to Sephiroth. He'd be broken again and Tifa does not want that. He fought enough...
And 2 years has passed since she first started her fateful journey... She has yet to return but maintained contacting her friends every now and then. Leaving a life as she carried along the world's fault with her..
She had made it to Wutai that day, finally ready to meet one of her friends, though she could not believe that Yuffie would be the first. She basically stopped by Wutai when she received a call from Yuffie, reminding of her own birthday that she herself had came to forgot for the past 2 years. Although she had refused at first at her very idea to celebrate it, but Yuffie was nagging her way too regularly was bothering her to no end. And she opted to stop by her house, regarding meeting her friend as a birthday gift to herself.
She had trusted that Yuffie will most certainly keep the very secret that kept on trailing on her every step.
Though that could not stop her from gaping when Tifa entered her household with her 'companion'.
"What the hell is he doing here, alive?!!" She instantly formed her battle stance, one fist raised while the other grabbed her giant shuriken, ready to chuck Loz anytime. Her reaction was no less intriguing than hers 2 years ago when she had purchased him except that Yuffie let her mouth do all the action instead.
Yuffie had sent her a look of betrayal when she tried to stop her and she felt the pang of guilt somewhere within. She knew this was coming, eventually yet she was never ready to face it. Later it took hours to sort things out, Tifa had tried her very best to give the right explanation as to why Loz is with her. Of course, Yuffie being the same old Yuffie kept on cutting off her every word. Heck, her other friends will be doing the same thing.
"What makes you think you can trust him?" She asked heatedly.
"I don't trust him, that's why he needs to stay by my side. I have to watch him."
But Yuffie did not except that as an explanation. "Why not kill him instead?" She suggested as though that was the best option.
As a matter of fact, it is the best option.
And Tifa herself could not contemplate the reason why she let him live. She just…. let him. No need to justify her reason because she herself could not come up with one.
"You don't have to trust me if you don't want to. We'll leave immediately."
Yuffie noted the 'we' in her statement. So, she planned to leave with him. How long does she want that remaining remnant to linger by her side?
"No, don't. You can stay. No, I want you to stay. But he must stay in the stable." She understood now, the sacrifice that Tifa made. She was letting herself carrying the burden all alone. So much like the Tifa she knew. "It's your birthday after all,"
That evening, Yuffie opted to cook something for her and for that Tifa paled tremendously, accusing her for using her as a lab rat to test her culinary skill. Yuffie and cooking cannot come together; the AVALANCHE had come to learn that during their escapade when it was her turn to cook, causing the entire crony to have stomach upset except for Vincent and Red XIII. Yuffie had retorted of course saying that she had been practicing for awhile now and quickly dashed toward the refrigerator to prepare the ingredients before Tifa could stop her. A loud wail echoed in the kitchen when she finally noticed that she had finished most of the ingredients during her practice session. So much for a gift for Tifa.
She had then decided to grab her purse to buy some ingredients at the night market but was stopped by Tifa who had suggested letting Loz do the job instead. Yuffie scowled in return saying that she doubt Loz could differentiate the difference between mutton and human. And she earned a hearty laugh from the older woman. "Trust me. I trained him well."
It took her a while to convince Yuffie to let Loz do the task. "It's been awhile since we last have our girl-talk." That statement had somehow worked against Yuffie who had agreed immediately.
Tifa finally realized, Yuffie was lonely. With Aerith long gone, she is the remaining girlfriend that she has. That's why she insisted for Tifa to stop by no matter what.
In the stable, Loz lay comfortably on the hay. Got nothing much to do, he let his eyes stared up on the plank hanging above the ceiling. The shuffling of the horse suddenly caught his attention; indicating someone else was there too. When he sits up, his master was leaning against the doorframe; she did not attempt to enter the stable or walk any closer to him. It was him that moved and when to his master.
Tifa handed him a small piece of note written the needed ingredients. "Take these gils and buy the stuffs written on this."
He took the small piece of parchment from her hand without any question.
"I do not want any mistake." She turned on her hill to leave until he spoke.
"It is the day of your birth, master?" He quires but remained his sight on the ingredients written.
"So you heard."
"Your buddy's voice is too loud to ignore." He stated as he walk passed her.
"Be back before 8."
"Will do, master."
And she went back to the household, as she promised to have a girl talk with Yuffie, telling off her journey and all. Yuffie listened contentedly and cut in every now and then, most of the time to bash Loz of course. Yuffie too had told her experience of being groom and stuff. The preparation of her coming of age was more hectic than she could ever anticipate. She had specially reserved today for Tifa and refused to have any documents to be signed or to participate in any kind of function.
It was hours later had Yuffie fell asleep that Tifa finally realized how late it is. She had carry Yuffie back into her room and tugged her under the comforter. They've been talking and laughing on trivial things that made them forgot at all the existence of a remnant who went out shopping for them. It was almost 11 and he has yet to return. That worries Tifa. She was mostly worry of the civilians' safety rather than his, knowing what Loz is capable of. Grabbing the device that kept Loz behave all these years, Tifa bolted for the front door to search for him.
It was when she was nearing the path to the main road had she saw Loz walking from afar.
"You were told to return before…" Her words were cut off when Loz stopped right in front of her. If it's not because of the light, she would not notice the red spots all over his exposed skin. His allergy….
"Sorry, but I have things to do." He said as he handed the paper bag contained the required ingredients.
"I thought I told you not to go any near field."
"I know that but I have to get one of these," He said as he pulled a stack of flower from his back pocket. The fingers that were holding the flower tremble slightly and she knew that the skin there was terribly itching. "A gift for your birthday, master."
Tifa was speechless; he went through the flower field to find a gift for her, even knowing that he was allergic to flowers. It disgusts Tifa when she felt the slight feeling of gratification within. Even so, she would not refuse his gift nonetheless. It does not mean anything and does not indicate that she was getting under his skin or the other way around.
Her hands rose to accept his humble gift from his trembling finger only to let a rotten flower fell into her open palm. The yellow flower had immediately dyed into pitch black as if it had been poisoned. The manifestation of the flower's fate had proven how venomous he could be, the remnant of Sephiroth, even the Gaea refused to acknowledge his being.
"Sorry, master. I should have return earlier and the flower would not die in my grasp."
Narrowing her eyes, she let the remaining of the flower to drop to earth. "Return to the stable and rest."
He nodded and turned to leave but Tifa could detect the distress look on his facial as he took one last glance the flower lying on the ground.
That night Loz could not rest like how his master told him to given that his body was itching terribly. The tiny red spots were becoming more visible when he started scratching. So much for trying to please his master, in return she declined his gift and pushed him away. He tried to lie down again, keeping his hands at bay but to no avail. So he began to stir from side to side, letting the mass of hay to do the scratching work instead of his hands. A loud growl of frustration escaped from his mouth, scaring off the horses in the stable as they began to thump their feet and howl in fear.
"Stay put. You're scaring them off." A voice suddenly echoed inside of the stable. Loz stopped and recognized the voice immediately. One hand touched his upper arm and he knew that his master was near.
"It's itchy."
"I know. Sit up."
He did as he was told to. His hand instantly crawled to his back to scratch at one spot only to be slapped by Tifa's hand. "I warned you not to scratch. It'll get worse."
"It's too itchy." He said yet again.
"I know, that is why I'm here." She told.
"How…??" The cool substance that touched his back answered his suspicion. He didn't know what is it, but the itchiness dissipated instantly.
"Better?" he nodded in return. Taking a handful of the white cream, she splattered against his back, gently scrubbed his back with the tip of her fingers, as she concentrated on where the spots are mostly visible. She couldn't help but to grimace when she heard a moan escaped from his thin lips.
"I do not need any gift from you." She suddenly said, waking him up from his moment of bliss. "You're a slave." She quietly reminded, somehow more to herself.
"I thought master would be happy." He said sullenly.
"I don't specifically need a rotten flower as a gift."
"Forgive me, master." He said, head slightly lowered.
Silence overwhelms the stable as she applied more of the cream on his back until she ordered him to turn around. He did just that and kept his head lower.
"How long has it been, since you were born?"
Loz blinked at the sudden curiosity of his master. Never had once she came to care about his wellbeing much else his history. "F-four years, master."
Not even half a decade. "Four years…… It's been that long and yet Gaea has yet to acknowledge your existence, Loz. Fragile life simply died with your single touch."
"I understand…"
What does he understand? An embodiment of Sephiroth understood that his birth was a false?
The hand that was working on his body stopped in its track. "You don't understand do you? 2 years ago, why did you survive? Don't you think returning to the lifestream along with your brother is the best thing to do?"
"I want to live."
"No, you don't. Don't you understand? Nothing in this world accepts you. Nothing. It'd be better if you die. Haven't you thought about that?" Her hand curled into a fist against his chest.
"Maybe nothing, but…… but you did." He finished off and that statement alone silenced Tifa at the most. She had planned to anger him, turning him into the beast he should be upon the reason she could not understand herself. Seeing him becoming more human lately disturbed her to no end. To her, a remnant, a born Jenova cell like him does not deserve to be called human.
If she started to think of him as one, that only means she feels something for him. The wish for him to stay alive will stray her initial reason for leaving everything in her life behind. She will start to care…
She didn't care. Today's supposed to be her birthday, right? Only for today, she let her mind sway….
"You…. have yet to give me my birthday present."
"I'm sorry. I'll surely wear some glove tomorrow…"
And his words were left hanging when his master suddenly captured his lips with hers.
"I'm not talking about the flower, Loz." She told as she pushed him until he lay flat on the hay. "Would you grant me my gift?"
"As you wish, master."
And that night, Tifa let herself to be touched for the first time in years. The birthday present that she yearned for from a mere slave. But most of all, she was grant with the best gift, of turning someone like Loz into a human.
-end-
A/n The 'rent' idea is merely a plot device so that Loz will become Tifa's slave. I can't think of any other way that Tifa will actually have Loz as her slave. And the wallmarket, supposed it was destroyed after METEOR right? But i just wanted a neo wallmarket for this story (suitable for slaving business and stuff). Loz a little ooc or maybe too ooc. It's been 2 years since he first started travel with Tifa, mind you. Things changed. He changed. And btw i did not plan to continue this story because 1. i'm not that good in writing and 2. i don't have the idea of how this story will end. Maybe i'll update if ideas struck my mind. Maybe.....
Anyway review is love.