Chapter 4
Four Days Later
Laeryn had just been released from the hospital that morning. Despite the doctors' reservations about letting her go so early, Laeryn had insisted. She couldn't stand the boredom of being bedridden for almost two weeks any longer. And President Shinra was having a victory ceremony tonight, and she was required to make an appearance. She didn't really feel like going, her back was sore and the pain medication was making her drowsy, but she knew better than to disobey the President.
Through her window, Laeryn could see the Shinra building towering above her. Midgar was city that consisted of three levels; on the ground, there were the slums. Filthy and disreputable, the slums were literally the seamy underbelly of Midgar. Above the slums rested the plate, on which most of Midgar's reasonably wealthy people lived. The plate had been built after President Shinra's rise to power, when the slums had been deemed unfit for living. The people who lived there refused to move out, so Shinra gave in and built the new city above them. Still higher rose Shinra Headquarters itself. Suspended on its own small plate of sorts, the Shinra building soared sixty-nine stories tall, towering over Midgar like a sentinel. Smaller Shinra-related buildings surrounded it, and the apartments in which Laeryn and the other Soldiers resided were among them.
One hour until she had be at Shinra Headquarters for the ceremony. Laeryn sighed into her pillow, wishing she didn't have to lie on her stomach all the time. It got uncomfortable after a while. She stood up slowly to dress. As a Grand Admiral, Laeryn's accommodations were considerably more spacious than those of the average Soldier. She actually had a separate room for her bed, and another for a kitchen. Her apartment was sparsely decorated and furnished, containing only what was necessary. Laeryn was a very practical person, and didn't bother adding additional decorations or furniture. She never noticed the bareness of the walls, since she seldom spent time there.
Laeryn slid open her closet, where her uniform was hanging, clean and neatly pressed. She cautiously put it on, grimacing as the thick black fabric rubbed against the stitches in her back. She didn't bother looking at the mirror as she headed out.
Laeryn was very surprised to see a black stretch limousine waiting for her in front of the apartment complex. She watched perplexed as a chauffeur opened the door for her and gestured for her to get it. Laeryn felt a bit suspicious, she had never received such glamorous treatment in her life, and her had began to stray toward her gun.
A moment later she tensed in surprise as an all-too-familiar pair of glowing green eyes stared at her from the depths of the limousine. Wordlessly, Laeryn entered the car and sat on the seat opposite Sephiroth.
"What exactly is going on here," she asked of him, noticing he wasn't wearing his armor.
"The President insists that I ride in this vehicle. He tells me that it's for my personal security. That's a lie. He does it because he wants me to uphold an image of celebrity and importance in order to make his company look good. I could care less", replied Sephiroth. Indeed, he did not look as if he were enjoying the ride.
"Shinra doesn't insist that I ride in here with you."
"I thought you would like to. You may get out and walk if you like," Sephiroth responded nonchalantly.
Laeryn gave him a lop-sided smile. "No thank you. I'd prefer your company."
It was probably a trick of the light, but Laeryn could've sworn she saw Sephiroth blush.
Further conversation was cut short when the limousine stopped.
"Prepare to face the press. Ignore them. Walk straight ahead. Don't even look at them," Sephiroth sighed, almost to himself. He had grown very tired of the press; they had bothered him throughout his life. The only time he ever talked to them was when Hojo or President Shinra made him. They said it was to make Shinra look good. They had him appear in magazines and advertisements, everything from Calvin Klein underwear to Wheaties. Sephiroth hated every second of it.
The chauffeur opened the door, and Laeryn was nearly blinded by the flash of cameras. Sephiroth didn't seem to notice. He appeared completely unruffled, even as the reporters surged against the barriers on each side of the red carpet and shouted random questions at him. Laeryn hung back a moment, hoping the chaos would subside. After a few moments Sephiroth turned and gave her a slightly impatient look. She hastily left the limousine and ran to catch up with him, staring at the red carpet.
A doorman held the door for Sephiroth as he entered the building. He looked puzzled to see Laeryn there also. Sephiroth slammed the door behind them.
"God, that is ridiculous. The tabloids are going to have a field day with this one," muttered Sephiroth. Laeryn wasn't sure what he meant by that.
Laeryn had never been inside the Shinra Headquarters Reception Room. It was the largest room she had ever seen, the size of a football field. It was divided into several tiers raised by a few stairs, and it was littered with extravagantly carved fountains. Towards the rear of the room was a large flat floor, surrounded by people sitting in chairs and holding various instruments. Everything was carved from marble and plated with gold and crystal. The immense crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling looked like its worth equaled double the income of the entire population of Midgar.
Once again, Sephiroth seemed barely aware of his surrounding, the opulence of the room making no impression on him. Wordlessly, he seated himself at the head of the table on the second-highest tier. Above him sat President Shinra and his son Rufus. Shinra's elite task force, known covertly as "the Turks", sat there as well, their dark blue suits and dark glasses making them appear totally featureless. Sephiroth grimaced as he spotted Hojo seated alongside Rufus, hunched over a glass of wine.
Sephiroth quickly drew his attention away from Hojo. Laeryn was ascending the steps in front of him, slowly but confidently. She stood tall and straight, a picture of elegance and strength. The light from the chandelier reflected off her ebony hair, revealing that it had a slightly blue undertone to it. The undertone perfectly complimented her ice blue eyes. Her pale skin stood out vividly against the deep black of her uniform and...
"Sephiroth?"
He started slightly when Laeryn said his name. She had a questioning look on her face.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing," he replied hastily, feeling rather embarrassed that she noticed him staring. Once again, Sephiroth felt his long-cold emotions begin to burn again, like coals being fanned into open flame.
Laeryn shrugged in response, trying to look nonchalant, although the fact that Sephiroth had been staring at her excited her. She cautiously glanced up at him, and found that he was looking at her again. This time, he didn't lower his eyes, and allowed them to meet hers. Laeryn had planned on saying something to him, but forgot about it when she drowned in glittering green pools.
"General Sephiroth, Grand Admiral Chase. Good evening."
Zack's voice caused them both to snap out of the reverie.
"Good evening, Admiral Page," answered Laeryn, noticing the girl whose hand he was holding, obviously his girlfriend. The girl seemed oblivious to Zack's hand on hers, and she stared blatantly at Sephiroth.
"I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Aeris Gainsborough," Zack announced in an almost-but-not-quite proud tone of voice.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Gainsborough," Sephiroth said formally. Laeryn nodded.
"Aeris, meet General Sephiroth and Grand Admiral Laeryn Chase."
"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance as well, General Sephiroth," giggled Aeris.
Laeryn studied Aeris for a moment. Aeris was a pretty girl, in a very standard sense of the word. Wavy auburn hair hung braided down her back, and few pieces were left loose, framing her lightly freckled face. She had perhaps the largest and roundest eyes Laeryn had ever seen, and, like Sephiroth's they were green. A different shade than his, though, darker and softer, a gentle forest green as opposed to intense sea green. She had curves at her hips and chest, in spite of her waif-like build. Her limbs looked thin and fragile, like a bird's.
Zack and Aeris seated themselves across from Sephiroth and Laeryn as President Shinra rose and began his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you all for attending this reception, in honor of the triumphant victory of Shinra over Wutai. As always, our Soldiers fought bravely and justly, proving their loyalty and fidelity to both General Sephiroth and myself. Each Soldier deserved to be honored because of this great victory."
President Shinra blathered on and on. His gruff voice filled the mighty reception hall, amplified by a microphone. Laeryn tuned out Shinra after a few minutes. She hated listening to speeches. The only one she ever paid attention to was Sephiroth's acceptance speech when he was promoted four years ago.
Sephiroth was paying rapt attention, more out of obligation than any interest in what Shinra was saying. Hojo continued watching him like a hawk, his little black eyes occasionally wandering to observe Laeryn for a while. Laeryn wished he'd focus his attention elsewhere; his constant gaze made her uneasy.
Zack wasn't listening, either. He was building little structures out of his silverware, napkin, and a salt shaker. Aeris wound strands of her hair around her hand as she looked alternately from her fingernails to Sephiroth. Most of the other officers at their table appeared uninterested in the speech.
After what seemed like an eternity, the speech finally ended, and everyone blindly applauded. Laeryn rolled her eyes. Waiters began to bustle around offering expensive hors d'oeuvres and fine wines. The orchestra down below began to play.
"I wish the President would hire a speech writer," she griped.
Sephiroth smiled slightly at her. "I wish the President would cease to exist."
Laeryn was surprised to hear something so mutinous come from Sephiroth, who always appeared so loyal and devoted to his work.
Sephiroth noticed her surprised look. "You didn't think I said things like that, did you?" He smiled again, bitterly. "Then I guess you've never heard me talking about Hojo." He said Hojo's name with disgust, as if it were an unimaginably foul word.
"Why do you hate him so much?" Laeryn hadn't intended to pry, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Before Sephiroth could answer, Aeris spoke up.
"So, General Sephiroth, what was it like fighting to war?" she asked, leaning forward onto the table.
Sephiroth sighed wearily. She sounded just like one of the reporters he tried so hard to avoid.
"It was gruesome. Spurting blood, severed limbs, troops screaming and burning to death. When rockets would land in the middle of the lines, all chunks of people would fly into the air and splatter all around. Some of our Soldiers had materia, and they would cast bolt. I can still smell the burning flesh. Good thing I had my barrier materia or..."
"Ewww! Gross!" Aeris interrupted, looking slightly green.
"Don't ask questions unless you're sure you want to hear the answer," Sephiroth shrugged. People would always ask him what it was like in the middle of a battle. But they never wanted to hear the answer.
Laeryn stifled a giggle and Aeris's reaction. She must have noticed, because she sent a dirty look in Laeryn's direction.
Aeris sat back in her chair, and pondered over something else to ask Sephiroth about. Aeris was thrilled at meeting Sephiroth in person. She felt like a girl groupie finally getting to meet her favorite boy band, but contained her giddiness. She knew it wouldn't look good if she started spouting on about how she had cut out every single magazine and newspaper article that so much as mentioned his name, and had an entire wall of her room plastered with pictures of him. Sephiroth was much better looking in person anyway. Apparently, he wasn't very photogenic. Or didn't like having his picture taken, and always tried to look away.
But who was this other girl sitting next to Sephiroth? The two of them seemed very friendly, could it be possible....no, it would be all over the newspaper if Sephiroth had a girlfriend. And Aeris didn't find this other girl to very pretty at all. Her features were too angular, there was too much contrast between her black hair and white skin, her chest was too small, and her hands were rough. And she had some of the most unsettling eyes that Aeris had ever seen. They reminded Aeris of dry ice. Freezing cold, but burning at the same time. This other girl was probably the only one who could give Sephiroth a run for his money in a staring contest.
Laeryn noticed that Aeris was giving her a look, and shot a hard glare back in return. Aeris averted her eyes.
"Zack?" she said, pawing at his arm.
"Yes, Aeris?"
"Will you dance with me, please?" she asked, flickering her impossibly long eyelashes.
"I suppose," he responded unenthusiastically. Aeris had been getting on his nerves quite a lot lately.
"Tch! I was just asking. You don't have to if you don't want to," Aeris pouted, "Maybe you would like to dance with me, General Sephiroth?
"No."
Thoroughly ruffled, Aeris pranced off to find someone else to dance with.
Laeryn burst out laughing.
"Seriously now, Zack. You're a cool kid and everything, but your taste in women leaves much to be desired," she chuckled.
Sephiroth didn't say anything. He was growing increasingly nervous. Every time he looked up at Hojo, the creepy Director of Science was closer to their table. Sephiroth never saw him move, he just appeared in a new place every few minutes. Hojo reached into his pocket periodically, as if to make sure its contents were still in place. Now he was close enough that Sephiroth was able to see his face. Hojo's expression was strange; his face was darkened with displeasure, but the smirk on his face argued otherwise. His black eyes held a sadistic gleam. Sephiroth remembered what Hojo had said to him a few days ago, during the tests, about a certain "distraction", and how it needed to be removed. Sephiroth looked over at Laeryn, who was still teasing Zack about his girlfriend. She was laughing, and the sound of it was resonant and melodious, infectious. Sephiroth couldn't help but smile again. He looked up. Hojo was closer. Sephiroth rose and left the table as quietly as possible.
Laeryn noticed his departure.
"Sephiroth?" she called after him. He didn't turn around. Laeryn rose quickly and walked after him, grimacing as the sudden movement sent a twinge through her back.
* * *
Zack watched Laeryn get up and run after Sephiroth. Lucky Sephiroth, he thought casually. Zack was more focused on the wine than the other people at the table. Since Zack was only sixteen, it wasn't often he had access to wine. He spotted Cloud sitting on the tier below and walked over to him, goblet of Chardonnay in hand. He noticed Aeris was there too, talking to Cloud, and very interested in whatever it was he was saying to her.
"Hey Zack! How's it goin'?" Cloud called cheerfully.
"All right, I guess. Sephiroth and Laeryn went somewhere, and I don't know anyone else at that table, so it was kinda boring actually," Zack replied, sounding much less enthusiastic than Cloud.
"Sephiroth and Laeryn, huh? Who didn't see that one coming," Cloud giggled, "Oh and Zack, this is Aeris Gainsborough." He said Aeris's name with obvious awe and adoration. She gave Zack a bittersweet smile before returning her attention to Cloud.
"Um yeah, we kinda know each other," Zack said sarcastically, slightly miffed at Cloud's interest in Aeris. Zack really didn't have much feeling for Aeris anymore, and it was clear from her sudden fascination with Cloud that she felt similarly. Even so, they hadn't broken up just yet, so technically she was still his girlfriend.
Cloud picked up Zack's hint and immediately backed away from Aeris. "Holy crap, dude. I'm so sorry..." Cloud apologized quickly.
"Don't even worry about. Aeris, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Aeris strolled off into a corner, her pink heels clacking on the marble floor.
"Aeris, if you don't want to be with me anymore could you please at least have the decency to break up with me before you run off and start hitting on my friends!" fumed Zack.
Aeris tossed her braid over her shoulder. "Tch! Don't even pretend you care that much, Zack. What did you expect when you refused to call me more than once a week? Too distracted by all the Soldier chicks?" she growled.
"Aeris! I'm sorry that I happen to have a life! Maybe you should look into getting one as well," Zack exclaimed. He took a moment to calm down before continuing. "Look. I know we're both ready to end this relationship, but I was kinda hoping we could end it on a good note. So I'm sorry I just snapped at you."
Aeris still looked peeved, but replied, "All right. I'm sorry too. Now let's just go our separate ways, okay?"
"Fine. But I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't immediately go after my friends."
"Sor-ry! I didn't know he was your friend. I thought you wanted this to end peacefully?"
"I do, I do. Sorry. See ya later."
"Bye-bye."
Zack couldn't help but feel resentful towards Aeris, but he also felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
* * *
Sephiroth noticed Laeryn was following him, and quickened his pace. He could hear her calling after him, sounding puzzled and ever so slightly hurt that he was suddenly ignoring her. Sephiroth wished he could explain to her, tell her what Hojo had said about wanting to kill her because of the threat she posed to his "experiment". But that would only endanger her more.
Laeryn saw Sephiroth duck into the men's bathroom. Unperturbed, she barged in after him. Sephiroth and several other men looked at her with astonished expressions on their faces.
"Sephiroth! What's wrong," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Sephiroth was amazed at how perceptive she was to his emotions. He glanced around, but there was no escape. Laeryn had him cornered.
Sephiroth's eyes glimmered with anxiety, sadness and regret. He had such expressive eyes; it was easy for her to see what he was feeling, even when he tried to hide it.
"I...Laeryn...I'm sorry...just please stay away from me...it's for your own good...I wish..." he trailed off, one of his hands fisting in his bangs. His eyes now looked forlorn, devoid of hope.
Laeryn ignored his request and moved closer to him.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered, "I'll listen. I won't hurt you."
Sephiroth lowered his head, and sighed shakily. He was trembling. She couldn't tell if was from fear or emotion. Laeryn felt her own hands begin to shake as she reached out her arms. She moved slowly, as if she were approaching a frightened wild animal. Sephiroth tensed visibly when she placed her hands on his shoulders, and began to struggle slightly when her arms slid around his neck. A moment later he relaxed completely, as if the burden of his conflicting emotions had suddenly exhausted him. His head rested heavily on her shoulder. Laeryn slid one of her hands to the side, twining her fingers in his hair. It was so soft...
Laeryn's cheeks colored a bit when she realized that they were still standing in the men's restroom. People were looking at them oddly.
"Come outside with me," she whispered.
Sephiroth nodded and pulled away from her. He left the bathroom, and made his way toward the main doors of the reception room.
"Why are we going here?" Laeryn asked as they headed into the parking lot.
"Hojo will be looking for us if we go into the gardens out back," he replied.
The parking lot was easily as large as the reception room itself. Most of the guests arrived by train or limousine, so it wasn't very full. Every few rows the lot was cut by medians, on which trees and grass and rocks had been arranged. Laeryn sat down on one such median, her back against a rock, facing away from the building. Sephiroth sat a few feet away from her.
"Why would Hojo be looking for us?" asked Laeryn.
"He wants to kill you," Sephiroth said quickly and quietly.
Laeryn gave him a questioning look.
Sephiroth began to fidget, his long slender fingers winding around each other
"Hojo said he would kill you if I...continued to...associate...with you," he continued softly, reaching up to cover half his face with one of his hands.
"What would the Director of Science have to gain from killing me? I've never even met him before," Laeryn inquired.
"He believes you are ruining his experiment."
"I've never seen any of his experiments. How could I be ruining them," she sighed apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sephiroth. I don't mean to be so demanding of you. But none of this seems to make sense to me."
"You've seen his most prized experiment," Sephiroth replied. His voice dropped to a fearful whisper, as if he were talking about a nightmare he had just awakened from. Laeryn remained silent, encouraging him to continue. He took a deep breath and lowered his head. When he began to speak, Laeryn could barely hear him.
"I am...his most prized experiment."
Laeryn still didn't understand. How could another human being be someone's experiment?
"He created me...he made me what I am...he made me a monster..." Sephiroth's voice sounded very strained.
"Sephiroth. How...was he able to...? And why..." she asked softly. Sephiroth looked up at the night sky, the stars mostly drowned out by the lights in the parking lot. His fair skin glowed softly in the artificial light. Laeryn admired his profile, long silver eyelashes, gently curved nose, sculpted chin. She noticed a movement on his cheek, and looked there, and saw a teardrop, the same shimmering silver color as his hair, tracing a slow path down the side of his face.
Laeryn's strong heart broke at the sight of it, and she found herself fighting down tears of her own. Without hesitation, Laeryn closed the gap between them and gathered Sephiroth in her arms.
That sudden gesture of affection was too much for Sephiroth, and he sobbed unabashedly. He was unable to stop crying, but too ashamed to look up at Laeryn.
Sephiroth had never told anyone of his past. He had always been a strange, cold enigma to everyone except Hojo and President Shinra. Even himself. He wondered why he had been assigned to the miserable fate of being Hojo's lab rat, and came to the same conclusion he had always reached during his childhood; that there was something so wrong with himself that no one else wanted to take care of him. Hojo confirmed this; he told Sephiroth on countless occasions that he was different from everyone else, that he didn't belong in society, and that his only purposes in life were to kill other people and be Hojo's toy. Whenever Sephiroth asked about his parents, all Hojo would say was "Jenovah". Since that sounded like a woman's name, Sephiroth assumed it was the name of his mother. Which led him to wonder what it would be like to have a mother, to have someone to hold him, and comfort him when he cried. And so he would continue to cry, crying out for a mother, for a father, a sibling, a lover, someone, anyone, to care. And no one did.
Until now. Sephiroth felt Laeryn's strong sinewy arms around him and breathed in the clean detergent smell of her uniform. He felt comforted all of a sudden, and slowly raised his face to look at hers. Her eyes looked different than usual, fiery, and filled with tenderness and passion.
Sephiroth pulled Laeryn closer to him, some long-dormant protective instinct rising to the surface as he remembered that Hojo was searching for her. His green eyes were alight with the power of emotions long denied, and his hair flowed around him like a silver halo. He began to speak again, this time levelly and in control, almost as it he were reading some sad story as opposed to telling her about his childhood.
"Hojo created me by mixing my DNA with that of the Cetra. I grew up in his laboratory, learned to walk and speak there. And Hojo would observe and record every moment of my physical and mental development. He enlisted me in Soldier when I was eight years old."
"What about your family?"
"I have no family."
"But surely you were born, Sephiroth."
"It doesn't matter if I was born. If I was, my parents hated me and gave me up to Hojo right after birth. When I asked him about my parents, all he would say was 'Jenovah'".
"Is that your mother?"
Sephiroth didn't answer. "What did I do, or what's wrong with me, to deserve such a fate as this?" he asked sadly of nothing in particular.
"You're not a prisoner of fate. You control your own destiny, like everyone else. No one owns you. You're human, Sephiroth," Laeryn said firmly.
Sephiroth was nearly inconsolable. "I'm not...my DNA...it's not all human."
"There is more to a person than their DNA. Listen to me. You are your own person, Sephiroth. And there is nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all..." Laeryn stopped talking before she said something embarrassing.
Sephiroth began to protest, but she raised her finger to his lips. "Enough. I won't hear it."
Laeryn's hand moved from his lips to the side of his face. She was surprised that someone as strong and powerful as Sephiroth could be so fragile and soft. Somehow, she had imagined his skin feeling very rough, almost leathery. But it was as silky and innocent as that of a small child. Her hand began to move, tracing the hard curves of his jaw-line and neck. She felt him trembling slightly. Laeryn looked him in the eye, hoping she wouldn't frighten him away. But he held her gaze, and she rapidly sank into twin pools of luminous Mako green. Her other hand wound its way into Sephiroth's hair as she felt the warmth of skin travel into her hand and spread through the rest of her.
Sephiroth leaned his head into her hand, marveling at how hands as rough as hers could bring such a gentle touch. He watched, spellbound, as she moved her face closer, inch by inch, until she pressed her lips against his in a firm but chaste kiss. He squirmed slightly, unaccustomed to such close contact. Laeryn pulled back and rested her head on his chest.
"We should go back inside," she whispered.
Sephiroth nodded, his hair falling on either side of her face like a curtain. He stood up and pulled Laeryn to her feet after him. He involuntarily gripped the hilt of the Masamune, paranoid that Hojo would attack Laeryn at any moment. His sudden need to protect her struck him as odd; after spending four years in the army with her, he knew that she was perfectly capable of defending herself. In fact, she had proven to be the only person who could rival his martial abilities.
When Laeryn and Sephiroth re-entered the reception room, Hojo was nowhere to be seen. Zack was off in a corner sulking. Laeryn went over to him.
"Zack, what's up?" she said.
"I just broke up with Aeris, and she was being a real bitch about it," he replied, "And she even agreed that we should break up! And then she got all pissed!"
"Where is she now?" inquired Laeryn.
"Probably off flirting with some guy," Zack answered scornfully.
Laeryn sighed. She really didn't know what to say to Zack. "I'm sorry about that whole thing. I hope you can work something out with her so that at least you don't hate each other any more."
He smiled at her. "Thanks, Laeryn. And on a slightly happier note, congratulations. Just about every girl on the Planet would kill to be in your shoes."
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Sephiroth...you know..."
"I think you've misinterpreted some things, Zack." Laeryn really didn't want anyone else to know about her feelings for Sephiroth.
"Later. Hope things work out for ya," she said, and walked back to Sephiroth.
"He's not feeling too great because him and Aeris just broke up," Laeryn said to him.
"Just as well. That girl was about as intelligent as a rock. And probably about as strong as a dead twig," Sephiroth sniffed.
Laeryn couldn't help but laugh at his unflattering description of Aeris. He smiled for a moment, and then grew serious.
"Laeryn, I think you should leave," he said flatly, "Hojo is crawling around here looking for you, and it will only be a matter of time before he finds you."
"So let him come to me!" Laeryn growled, pawing her gun, "I'll kill him. He deserves to die, because of what he did to you..."
Sephiroth held out his hands in a placating gesture. "I know Hojo. He won't just charge in and fight you; he's too much of a coward for that. He'll strike when you're least expecting it; he'll poison your food and water, put a needle on the toilet or in the sink, where it would be certain to pierce you, or have someone shoot at you from a distance, as you're walking along the street. No doubt he's got some plan right now. You're not safe here, and I will not allow you stay."
Before Laeryn could say another word, Sephiroth grabbed her wrist and began to walk her to the door.
"Fine, fine! I guess I should be used to taking orders from you, anyways," Laeryn conceded. He let go of her wrist.
As they left, Sephiroth signaled to one of the chauffeurs.
"You. Come with me, now. We're leaving."
The chauffeur saw who was speaking to him, and practically ran to open the door, eyes wide with awe and fear. The chauffeur then rushed to one of the limousines and opened the door. Sephiroth and Laeryn climbed in.
"Drive to the Shinra Military Apartment Complex, building number 07894. Now," commanded Sephiroth. The car lit out of the parking lot.
Sephiroth was tempted to reach out and pull Laeryn closer to him, but he was too shy. Now that he had experienced what it was like to be cared for by someone, he couldn't get enough of it. The feel of her callused hand touching his face was the most wonderful thing he had ever experienced, and wanted to feel it at least once more.
The limousine screeched to a halt in front of the apartment building. As Laeryn opened the door, she looked over at Sephiroth. His eyes were wide and pleading, like a child about to ask permission for sweets.
The look had the desired affect. Laeryn crawled over to him and kissed him again, a bit more intensely than before.
"Goodnight, Sephiroth. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon for North Corel, so I'll try to visit you before I leave," she whispered. Sephiroth released her and watched her walk enter the apartment building. As the limousine drove toward the Shinra building, Sephiroth felt something entirely new to him, a good feeling, almost like a high of some sort. It took him a few moments before he realized that he was feeling happiness.
***Sister Ray's Notes***
Told ya I'd make it up to Sephy! He gets to be happy, even if for only a little while. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I HATE Aeris. I can't stand her. She's worthless. I'm sure a lot of Aeris fans were a bit offended by my portrayal of her as a total airhead, but hey, it's my opinion. You'll get over it.
Four Days Later
Laeryn had just been released from the hospital that morning. Despite the doctors' reservations about letting her go so early, Laeryn had insisted. She couldn't stand the boredom of being bedridden for almost two weeks any longer. And President Shinra was having a victory ceremony tonight, and she was required to make an appearance. She didn't really feel like going, her back was sore and the pain medication was making her drowsy, but she knew better than to disobey the President.
Through her window, Laeryn could see the Shinra building towering above her. Midgar was city that consisted of three levels; on the ground, there were the slums. Filthy and disreputable, the slums were literally the seamy underbelly of Midgar. Above the slums rested the plate, on which most of Midgar's reasonably wealthy people lived. The plate had been built after President Shinra's rise to power, when the slums had been deemed unfit for living. The people who lived there refused to move out, so Shinra gave in and built the new city above them. Still higher rose Shinra Headquarters itself. Suspended on its own small plate of sorts, the Shinra building soared sixty-nine stories tall, towering over Midgar like a sentinel. Smaller Shinra-related buildings surrounded it, and the apartments in which Laeryn and the other Soldiers resided were among them.
One hour until she had be at Shinra Headquarters for the ceremony. Laeryn sighed into her pillow, wishing she didn't have to lie on her stomach all the time. It got uncomfortable after a while. She stood up slowly to dress. As a Grand Admiral, Laeryn's accommodations were considerably more spacious than those of the average Soldier. She actually had a separate room for her bed, and another for a kitchen. Her apartment was sparsely decorated and furnished, containing only what was necessary. Laeryn was a very practical person, and didn't bother adding additional decorations or furniture. She never noticed the bareness of the walls, since she seldom spent time there.
Laeryn slid open her closet, where her uniform was hanging, clean and neatly pressed. She cautiously put it on, grimacing as the thick black fabric rubbed against the stitches in her back. She didn't bother looking at the mirror as she headed out.
Laeryn was very surprised to see a black stretch limousine waiting for her in front of the apartment complex. She watched perplexed as a chauffeur opened the door for her and gestured for her to get it. Laeryn felt a bit suspicious, she had never received such glamorous treatment in her life, and her had began to stray toward her gun.
A moment later she tensed in surprise as an all-too-familiar pair of glowing green eyes stared at her from the depths of the limousine. Wordlessly, Laeryn entered the car and sat on the seat opposite Sephiroth.
"What exactly is going on here," she asked of him, noticing he wasn't wearing his armor.
"The President insists that I ride in this vehicle. He tells me that it's for my personal security. That's a lie. He does it because he wants me to uphold an image of celebrity and importance in order to make his company look good. I could care less", replied Sephiroth. Indeed, he did not look as if he were enjoying the ride.
"Shinra doesn't insist that I ride in here with you."
"I thought you would like to. You may get out and walk if you like," Sephiroth responded nonchalantly.
Laeryn gave him a lop-sided smile. "No thank you. I'd prefer your company."
It was probably a trick of the light, but Laeryn could've sworn she saw Sephiroth blush.
Further conversation was cut short when the limousine stopped.
"Prepare to face the press. Ignore them. Walk straight ahead. Don't even look at them," Sephiroth sighed, almost to himself. He had grown very tired of the press; they had bothered him throughout his life. The only time he ever talked to them was when Hojo or President Shinra made him. They said it was to make Shinra look good. They had him appear in magazines and advertisements, everything from Calvin Klein underwear to Wheaties. Sephiroth hated every second of it.
The chauffeur opened the door, and Laeryn was nearly blinded by the flash of cameras. Sephiroth didn't seem to notice. He appeared completely unruffled, even as the reporters surged against the barriers on each side of the red carpet and shouted random questions at him. Laeryn hung back a moment, hoping the chaos would subside. After a few moments Sephiroth turned and gave her a slightly impatient look. She hastily left the limousine and ran to catch up with him, staring at the red carpet.
A doorman held the door for Sephiroth as he entered the building. He looked puzzled to see Laeryn there also. Sephiroth slammed the door behind them.
"God, that is ridiculous. The tabloids are going to have a field day with this one," muttered Sephiroth. Laeryn wasn't sure what he meant by that.
Laeryn had never been inside the Shinra Headquarters Reception Room. It was the largest room she had ever seen, the size of a football field. It was divided into several tiers raised by a few stairs, and it was littered with extravagantly carved fountains. Towards the rear of the room was a large flat floor, surrounded by people sitting in chairs and holding various instruments. Everything was carved from marble and plated with gold and crystal. The immense crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling looked like its worth equaled double the income of the entire population of Midgar.
Once again, Sephiroth seemed barely aware of his surrounding, the opulence of the room making no impression on him. Wordlessly, he seated himself at the head of the table on the second-highest tier. Above him sat President Shinra and his son Rufus. Shinra's elite task force, known covertly as "the Turks", sat there as well, their dark blue suits and dark glasses making them appear totally featureless. Sephiroth grimaced as he spotted Hojo seated alongside Rufus, hunched over a glass of wine.
Sephiroth quickly drew his attention away from Hojo. Laeryn was ascending the steps in front of him, slowly but confidently. She stood tall and straight, a picture of elegance and strength. The light from the chandelier reflected off her ebony hair, revealing that it had a slightly blue undertone to it. The undertone perfectly complimented her ice blue eyes. Her pale skin stood out vividly against the deep black of her uniform and...
"Sephiroth?"
He started slightly when Laeryn said his name. She had a questioning look on her face.
"Hmm? Oh, nothing," he replied hastily, feeling rather embarrassed that she noticed him staring. Once again, Sephiroth felt his long-cold emotions begin to burn again, like coals being fanned into open flame.
Laeryn shrugged in response, trying to look nonchalant, although the fact that Sephiroth had been staring at her excited her. She cautiously glanced up at him, and found that he was looking at her again. This time, he didn't lower his eyes, and allowed them to meet hers. Laeryn had planned on saying something to him, but forgot about it when she drowned in glittering green pools.
"General Sephiroth, Grand Admiral Chase. Good evening."
Zack's voice caused them both to snap out of the reverie.
"Good evening, Admiral Page," answered Laeryn, noticing the girl whose hand he was holding, obviously his girlfriend. The girl seemed oblivious to Zack's hand on hers, and she stared blatantly at Sephiroth.
"I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Aeris Gainsborough," Zack announced in an almost-but-not-quite proud tone of voice.
"I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Ms. Gainsborough," Sephiroth said formally. Laeryn nodded.
"Aeris, meet General Sephiroth and Grand Admiral Laeryn Chase."
"I'm pleased to make your acquaintance as well, General Sephiroth," giggled Aeris.
Laeryn studied Aeris for a moment. Aeris was a pretty girl, in a very standard sense of the word. Wavy auburn hair hung braided down her back, and few pieces were left loose, framing her lightly freckled face. She had perhaps the largest and roundest eyes Laeryn had ever seen, and, like Sephiroth's they were green. A different shade than his, though, darker and softer, a gentle forest green as opposed to intense sea green. She had curves at her hips and chest, in spite of her waif-like build. Her limbs looked thin and fragile, like a bird's.
Zack and Aeris seated themselves across from Sephiroth and Laeryn as President Shinra rose and began his speech.
"Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you all for attending this reception, in honor of the triumphant victory of Shinra over Wutai. As always, our Soldiers fought bravely and justly, proving their loyalty and fidelity to both General Sephiroth and myself. Each Soldier deserved to be honored because of this great victory."
President Shinra blathered on and on. His gruff voice filled the mighty reception hall, amplified by a microphone. Laeryn tuned out Shinra after a few minutes. She hated listening to speeches. The only one she ever paid attention to was Sephiroth's acceptance speech when he was promoted four years ago.
Sephiroth was paying rapt attention, more out of obligation than any interest in what Shinra was saying. Hojo continued watching him like a hawk, his little black eyes occasionally wandering to observe Laeryn for a while. Laeryn wished he'd focus his attention elsewhere; his constant gaze made her uneasy.
Zack wasn't listening, either. He was building little structures out of his silverware, napkin, and a salt shaker. Aeris wound strands of her hair around her hand as she looked alternately from her fingernails to Sephiroth. Most of the other officers at their table appeared uninterested in the speech.
After what seemed like an eternity, the speech finally ended, and everyone blindly applauded. Laeryn rolled her eyes. Waiters began to bustle around offering expensive hors d'oeuvres and fine wines. The orchestra down below began to play.
"I wish the President would hire a speech writer," she griped.
Sephiroth smiled slightly at her. "I wish the President would cease to exist."
Laeryn was surprised to hear something so mutinous come from Sephiroth, who always appeared so loyal and devoted to his work.
Sephiroth noticed her surprised look. "You didn't think I said things like that, did you?" He smiled again, bitterly. "Then I guess you've never heard me talking about Hojo." He said Hojo's name with disgust, as if it were an unimaginably foul word.
"Why do you hate him so much?" Laeryn hadn't intended to pry, but her curiosity got the better of her.
Before Sephiroth could answer, Aeris spoke up.
"So, General Sephiroth, what was it like fighting to war?" she asked, leaning forward onto the table.
Sephiroth sighed wearily. She sounded just like one of the reporters he tried so hard to avoid.
"It was gruesome. Spurting blood, severed limbs, troops screaming and burning to death. When rockets would land in the middle of the lines, all chunks of people would fly into the air and splatter all around. Some of our Soldiers had materia, and they would cast bolt. I can still smell the burning flesh. Good thing I had my barrier materia or..."
"Ewww! Gross!" Aeris interrupted, looking slightly green.
"Don't ask questions unless you're sure you want to hear the answer," Sephiroth shrugged. People would always ask him what it was like in the middle of a battle. But they never wanted to hear the answer.
Laeryn stifled a giggle and Aeris's reaction. She must have noticed, because she sent a dirty look in Laeryn's direction.
Aeris sat back in her chair, and pondered over something else to ask Sephiroth about. Aeris was thrilled at meeting Sephiroth in person. She felt like a girl groupie finally getting to meet her favorite boy band, but contained her giddiness. She knew it wouldn't look good if she started spouting on about how she had cut out every single magazine and newspaper article that so much as mentioned his name, and had an entire wall of her room plastered with pictures of him. Sephiroth was much better looking in person anyway. Apparently, he wasn't very photogenic. Or didn't like having his picture taken, and always tried to look away.
But who was this other girl sitting next to Sephiroth? The two of them seemed very friendly, could it be possible....no, it would be all over the newspaper if Sephiroth had a girlfriend. And Aeris didn't find this other girl to very pretty at all. Her features were too angular, there was too much contrast between her black hair and white skin, her chest was too small, and her hands were rough. And she had some of the most unsettling eyes that Aeris had ever seen. They reminded Aeris of dry ice. Freezing cold, but burning at the same time. This other girl was probably the only one who could give Sephiroth a run for his money in a staring contest.
Laeryn noticed that Aeris was giving her a look, and shot a hard glare back in return. Aeris averted her eyes.
"Zack?" she said, pawing at his arm.
"Yes, Aeris?"
"Will you dance with me, please?" she asked, flickering her impossibly long eyelashes.
"I suppose," he responded unenthusiastically. Aeris had been getting on his nerves quite a lot lately.
"Tch! I was just asking. You don't have to if you don't want to," Aeris pouted, "Maybe you would like to dance with me, General Sephiroth?
"No."
Thoroughly ruffled, Aeris pranced off to find someone else to dance with.
Laeryn burst out laughing.
"Seriously now, Zack. You're a cool kid and everything, but your taste in women leaves much to be desired," she chuckled.
Sephiroth didn't say anything. He was growing increasingly nervous. Every time he looked up at Hojo, the creepy Director of Science was closer to their table. Sephiroth never saw him move, he just appeared in a new place every few minutes. Hojo reached into his pocket periodically, as if to make sure its contents were still in place. Now he was close enough that Sephiroth was able to see his face. Hojo's expression was strange; his face was darkened with displeasure, but the smirk on his face argued otherwise. His black eyes held a sadistic gleam. Sephiroth remembered what Hojo had said to him a few days ago, during the tests, about a certain "distraction", and how it needed to be removed. Sephiroth looked over at Laeryn, who was still teasing Zack about his girlfriend. She was laughing, and the sound of it was resonant and melodious, infectious. Sephiroth couldn't help but smile again. He looked up. Hojo was closer. Sephiroth rose and left the table as quietly as possible.
Laeryn noticed his departure.
"Sephiroth?" she called after him. He didn't turn around. Laeryn rose quickly and walked after him, grimacing as the sudden movement sent a twinge through her back.
* * *
Zack watched Laeryn get up and run after Sephiroth. Lucky Sephiroth, he thought casually. Zack was more focused on the wine than the other people at the table. Since Zack was only sixteen, it wasn't often he had access to wine. He spotted Cloud sitting on the tier below and walked over to him, goblet of Chardonnay in hand. He noticed Aeris was there too, talking to Cloud, and very interested in whatever it was he was saying to her.
"Hey Zack! How's it goin'?" Cloud called cheerfully.
"All right, I guess. Sephiroth and Laeryn went somewhere, and I don't know anyone else at that table, so it was kinda boring actually," Zack replied, sounding much less enthusiastic than Cloud.
"Sephiroth and Laeryn, huh? Who didn't see that one coming," Cloud giggled, "Oh and Zack, this is Aeris Gainsborough." He said Aeris's name with obvious awe and adoration. She gave Zack a bittersweet smile before returning her attention to Cloud.
"Um yeah, we kinda know each other," Zack said sarcastically, slightly miffed at Cloud's interest in Aeris. Zack really didn't have much feeling for Aeris anymore, and it was clear from her sudden fascination with Cloud that she felt similarly. Even so, they hadn't broken up just yet, so technically she was still his girlfriend.
Cloud picked up Zack's hint and immediately backed away from Aeris. "Holy crap, dude. I'm so sorry..." Cloud apologized quickly.
"Don't even worry about. Aeris, can I talk to you for a sec?"
Aeris strolled off into a corner, her pink heels clacking on the marble floor.
"Aeris, if you don't want to be with me anymore could you please at least have the decency to break up with me before you run off and start hitting on my friends!" fumed Zack.
Aeris tossed her braid over her shoulder. "Tch! Don't even pretend you care that much, Zack. What did you expect when you refused to call me more than once a week? Too distracted by all the Soldier chicks?" she growled.
"Aeris! I'm sorry that I happen to have a life! Maybe you should look into getting one as well," Zack exclaimed. He took a moment to calm down before continuing. "Look. I know we're both ready to end this relationship, but I was kinda hoping we could end it on a good note. So I'm sorry I just snapped at you."
Aeris still looked peeved, but replied, "All right. I'm sorry too. Now let's just go our separate ways, okay?"
"Fine. But I'd really appreciate it if you wouldn't immediately go after my friends."
"Sor-ry! I didn't know he was your friend. I thought you wanted this to end peacefully?"
"I do, I do. Sorry. See ya later."
"Bye-bye."
Zack couldn't help but feel resentful towards Aeris, but he also felt as if a burden had been lifted from his shoulders.
* * *
Sephiroth noticed Laeryn was following him, and quickened his pace. He could hear her calling after him, sounding puzzled and ever so slightly hurt that he was suddenly ignoring her. Sephiroth wished he could explain to her, tell her what Hojo had said about wanting to kill her because of the threat she posed to his "experiment". But that would only endanger her more.
Laeryn saw Sephiroth duck into the men's bathroom. Unperturbed, she barged in after him. Sephiroth and several other men looked at her with astonished expressions on their faces.
"Sephiroth! What's wrong," she said. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. Sephiroth was amazed at how perceptive she was to his emotions. He glanced around, but there was no escape. Laeryn had him cornered.
Sephiroth's eyes glimmered with anxiety, sadness and regret. He had such expressive eyes; it was easy for her to see what he was feeling, even when he tried to hide it.
"I...Laeryn...I'm sorry...just please stay away from me...it's for your own good...I wish..." he trailed off, one of his hands fisting in his bangs. His eyes now looked forlorn, devoid of hope.
Laeryn ignored his request and moved closer to him.
"Don't be afraid," she whispered, "I'll listen. I won't hurt you."
Sephiroth lowered his head, and sighed shakily. He was trembling. She couldn't tell if was from fear or emotion. Laeryn felt her own hands begin to shake as she reached out her arms. She moved slowly, as if she were approaching a frightened wild animal. Sephiroth tensed visibly when she placed her hands on his shoulders, and began to struggle slightly when her arms slid around his neck. A moment later he relaxed completely, as if the burden of his conflicting emotions had suddenly exhausted him. His head rested heavily on her shoulder. Laeryn slid one of her hands to the side, twining her fingers in his hair. It was so soft...
Laeryn's cheeks colored a bit when she realized that they were still standing in the men's restroom. People were looking at them oddly.
"Come outside with me," she whispered.
Sephiroth nodded and pulled away from her. He left the bathroom, and made his way toward the main doors of the reception room.
"Why are we going here?" Laeryn asked as they headed into the parking lot.
"Hojo will be looking for us if we go into the gardens out back," he replied.
The parking lot was easily as large as the reception room itself. Most of the guests arrived by train or limousine, so it wasn't very full. Every few rows the lot was cut by medians, on which trees and grass and rocks had been arranged. Laeryn sat down on one such median, her back against a rock, facing away from the building. Sephiroth sat a few feet away from her.
"Why would Hojo be looking for us?" asked Laeryn.
"He wants to kill you," Sephiroth said quickly and quietly.
Laeryn gave him a questioning look.
Sephiroth began to fidget, his long slender fingers winding around each other
"Hojo said he would kill you if I...continued to...associate...with you," he continued softly, reaching up to cover half his face with one of his hands.
"What would the Director of Science have to gain from killing me? I've never even met him before," Laeryn inquired.
"He believes you are ruining his experiment."
"I've never seen any of his experiments. How could I be ruining them," she sighed apologetically, "I'm sorry, Sephiroth. I don't mean to be so demanding of you. But none of this seems to make sense to me."
"You've seen his most prized experiment," Sephiroth replied. His voice dropped to a fearful whisper, as if he were talking about a nightmare he had just awakened from. Laeryn remained silent, encouraging him to continue. He took a deep breath and lowered his head. When he began to speak, Laeryn could barely hear him.
"I am...his most prized experiment."
Laeryn still didn't understand. How could another human being be someone's experiment?
"He created me...he made me what I am...he made me a monster..." Sephiroth's voice sounded very strained.
"Sephiroth. How...was he able to...? And why..." she asked softly. Sephiroth looked up at the night sky, the stars mostly drowned out by the lights in the parking lot. His fair skin glowed softly in the artificial light. Laeryn admired his profile, long silver eyelashes, gently curved nose, sculpted chin. She noticed a movement on his cheek, and looked there, and saw a teardrop, the same shimmering silver color as his hair, tracing a slow path down the side of his face.
Laeryn's strong heart broke at the sight of it, and she found herself fighting down tears of her own. Without hesitation, Laeryn closed the gap between them and gathered Sephiroth in her arms.
That sudden gesture of affection was too much for Sephiroth, and he sobbed unabashedly. He was unable to stop crying, but too ashamed to look up at Laeryn.
Sephiroth had never told anyone of his past. He had always been a strange, cold enigma to everyone except Hojo and President Shinra. Even himself. He wondered why he had been assigned to the miserable fate of being Hojo's lab rat, and came to the same conclusion he had always reached during his childhood; that there was something so wrong with himself that no one else wanted to take care of him. Hojo confirmed this; he told Sephiroth on countless occasions that he was different from everyone else, that he didn't belong in society, and that his only purposes in life were to kill other people and be Hojo's toy. Whenever Sephiroth asked about his parents, all Hojo would say was "Jenovah". Since that sounded like a woman's name, Sephiroth assumed it was the name of his mother. Which led him to wonder what it would be like to have a mother, to have someone to hold him, and comfort him when he cried. And so he would continue to cry, crying out for a mother, for a father, a sibling, a lover, someone, anyone, to care. And no one did.
Until now. Sephiroth felt Laeryn's strong sinewy arms around him and breathed in the clean detergent smell of her uniform. He felt comforted all of a sudden, and slowly raised his face to look at hers. Her eyes looked different than usual, fiery, and filled with tenderness and passion.
Sephiroth pulled Laeryn closer to him, some long-dormant protective instinct rising to the surface as he remembered that Hojo was searching for her. His green eyes were alight with the power of emotions long denied, and his hair flowed around him like a silver halo. He began to speak again, this time levelly and in control, almost as it he were reading some sad story as opposed to telling her about his childhood.
"Hojo created me by mixing my DNA with that of the Cetra. I grew up in his laboratory, learned to walk and speak there. And Hojo would observe and record every moment of my physical and mental development. He enlisted me in Soldier when I was eight years old."
"What about your family?"
"I have no family."
"But surely you were born, Sephiroth."
"It doesn't matter if I was born. If I was, my parents hated me and gave me up to Hojo right after birth. When I asked him about my parents, all he would say was 'Jenovah'".
"Is that your mother?"
Sephiroth didn't answer. "What did I do, or what's wrong with me, to deserve such a fate as this?" he asked sadly of nothing in particular.
"You're not a prisoner of fate. You control your own destiny, like everyone else. No one owns you. You're human, Sephiroth," Laeryn said firmly.
Sephiroth was nearly inconsolable. "I'm not...my DNA...it's not all human."
"There is more to a person than their DNA. Listen to me. You are your own person, Sephiroth. And there is nothing wrong with you. Nothing at all..." Laeryn stopped talking before she said something embarrassing.
Sephiroth began to protest, but she raised her finger to his lips. "Enough. I won't hear it."
Laeryn's hand moved from his lips to the side of his face. She was surprised that someone as strong and powerful as Sephiroth could be so fragile and soft. Somehow, she had imagined his skin feeling very rough, almost leathery. But it was as silky and innocent as that of a small child. Her hand began to move, tracing the hard curves of his jaw-line and neck. She felt him trembling slightly. Laeryn looked him in the eye, hoping she wouldn't frighten him away. But he held her gaze, and she rapidly sank into twin pools of luminous Mako green. Her other hand wound its way into Sephiroth's hair as she felt the warmth of skin travel into her hand and spread through the rest of her.
Sephiroth leaned his head into her hand, marveling at how hands as rough as hers could bring such a gentle touch. He watched, spellbound, as she moved her face closer, inch by inch, until she pressed her lips against his in a firm but chaste kiss. He squirmed slightly, unaccustomed to such close contact. Laeryn pulled back and rested her head on his chest.
"We should go back inside," she whispered.
Sephiroth nodded, his hair falling on either side of her face like a curtain. He stood up and pulled Laeryn to her feet after him. He involuntarily gripped the hilt of the Masamune, paranoid that Hojo would attack Laeryn at any moment. His sudden need to protect her struck him as odd; after spending four years in the army with her, he knew that she was perfectly capable of defending herself. In fact, she had proven to be the only person who could rival his martial abilities.
When Laeryn and Sephiroth re-entered the reception room, Hojo was nowhere to be seen. Zack was off in a corner sulking. Laeryn went over to him.
"Zack, what's up?" she said.
"I just broke up with Aeris, and she was being a real bitch about it," he replied, "And she even agreed that we should break up! And then she got all pissed!"
"Where is she now?" inquired Laeryn.
"Probably off flirting with some guy," Zack answered scornfully.
Laeryn sighed. She really didn't know what to say to Zack. "I'm sorry about that whole thing. I hope you can work something out with her so that at least you don't hate each other any more."
He smiled at her. "Thanks, Laeryn. And on a slightly happier note, congratulations. Just about every girl on the Planet would kill to be in your shoes."
"What are you talking about?"
"You and Sephiroth...you know..."
"I think you've misinterpreted some things, Zack." Laeryn really didn't want anyone else to know about her feelings for Sephiroth.
"Later. Hope things work out for ya," she said, and walked back to Sephiroth.
"He's not feeling too great because him and Aeris just broke up," Laeryn said to him.
"Just as well. That girl was about as intelligent as a rock. And probably about as strong as a dead twig," Sephiroth sniffed.
Laeryn couldn't help but laugh at his unflattering description of Aeris. He smiled for a moment, and then grew serious.
"Laeryn, I think you should leave," he said flatly, "Hojo is crawling around here looking for you, and it will only be a matter of time before he finds you."
"So let him come to me!" Laeryn growled, pawing her gun, "I'll kill him. He deserves to die, because of what he did to you..."
Sephiroth held out his hands in a placating gesture. "I know Hojo. He won't just charge in and fight you; he's too much of a coward for that. He'll strike when you're least expecting it; he'll poison your food and water, put a needle on the toilet or in the sink, where it would be certain to pierce you, or have someone shoot at you from a distance, as you're walking along the street. No doubt he's got some plan right now. You're not safe here, and I will not allow you stay."
Before Laeryn could say another word, Sephiroth grabbed her wrist and began to walk her to the door.
"Fine, fine! I guess I should be used to taking orders from you, anyways," Laeryn conceded. He let go of her wrist.
As they left, Sephiroth signaled to one of the chauffeurs.
"You. Come with me, now. We're leaving."
The chauffeur saw who was speaking to him, and practically ran to open the door, eyes wide with awe and fear. The chauffeur then rushed to one of the limousines and opened the door. Sephiroth and Laeryn climbed in.
"Drive to the Shinra Military Apartment Complex, building number 07894. Now," commanded Sephiroth. The car lit out of the parking lot.
Sephiroth was tempted to reach out and pull Laeryn closer to him, but he was too shy. Now that he had experienced what it was like to be cared for by someone, he couldn't get enough of it. The feel of her callused hand touching his face was the most wonderful thing he had ever experienced, and wanted to feel it at least once more.
The limousine screeched to a halt in front of the apartment building. As Laeryn opened the door, she looked over at Sephiroth. His eyes were wide and pleading, like a child about to ask permission for sweets.
The look had the desired affect. Laeryn crawled over to him and kissed him again, a bit more intensely than before.
"Goodnight, Sephiroth. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon for North Corel, so I'll try to visit you before I leave," she whispered. Sephiroth released her and watched her walk enter the apartment building. As the limousine drove toward the Shinra building, Sephiroth felt something entirely new to him, a good feeling, almost like a high of some sort. It took him a few moments before he realized that he was feeling happiness.
***Sister Ray's Notes***
Told ya I'd make it up to Sephy! He gets to be happy, even if for only a little while. Oh, and in case you didn't notice, I HATE Aeris. I can't stand her. She's worthless. I'm sure a lot of Aeris fans were a bit offended by my portrayal of her as a total airhead, but hey, it's my opinion. You'll get over it.
