A/N: Sadly, this chapter is a little short. But do not be too disappointed. ^_~
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When Cloud was young, he realized at once that Sephiroth was a machine built for warfare. Whatever his lineage, the other soldiers never spoke of it. He, a lowly trooper, had no place to talk of such things in the open. But he was infatuated the moment he saw the lieutenant commander address his troops in a calm, collected and rather distant manner as though he were rewriting the laws of the universe.
He wanted to be just like him.
But fate had other plans.
Instead, he had his best friend Zack to contend with... a man who was now dead, murdered at the hands of the very army he had been with for so short a time in his life. It hardly mattered; orders were orders. He would have done the same... clean cut, heartless and without thought like Sephiroth. His memories still became muddled... but it was a different world. A different time.
The battlefield saw the great general as a fearless murderer. He led his troops - or rather left them staggering behind sometimes, as he leapt into battle against the people of the eastern island. They fell like so many little flies to his steel and Shin-Ra's weapons. He saw the look on his face, the same look the men would describe as pure rapture, as though touched by god and not quite knowing it.
He would always remember. He had that look when he murdered his mother and burned his hometown to dust.
He was looking at a stranger now. They were shopping; Cloud's silver would buy clothes to last Sephiroth a long while, and as they browsed the man seemed captivated by everything and yet detached from the world immensely. Sephiroth was sort of like a ghost. He held the mask of a man who had long suffered. He sported his new clothing like an obvious newcomer, rewarding him some curious glances but generally no trouble. The last thing they needed was for Cloud to ask him a question that would set him off.
He wasn't particular about his clothes. Cloud had to do a lot of guess-work as to what Sephiroth really wanted. And that was probably harder than any exam any man on this earth could administer. He gave up eventually, and finished off the shopping with buying him a long jacket, for his other one was riddled with scratches and holes that seemed to have accumulated over time...
The estate loomed before them, the courtyard opening up to them like the arms of an elderly woman who glowed with warmth and comfort. Tall trees stood in the center of it, with the two roads meeting beyond, where the doors were already opened and a kindly servant waited for them with their bags and belongings.
Minutes later Sephiroth was seated in the dining room and Cloud sat to his right, watching him, until their gaze met and Cloud looked away. The windows lay open to the sprawling countryside that the master of the house owned. An orchard was nestled against the hillside, bearing fruit whose wonderous scent drifted through the half-open panes and left Cloud aching for his old hometown.
"You seem unusually curious. You've been eyeing me ever since I've noticed."
"I have a lot of questions."
"As well you should," Sephiroth answered, sipping a cup of warm tea now, which flowed with the aromatic scent of citrus type tea. Cloud's was minty... it was his favorite, since alcohol was saved for highly special occasions. "You think I should be dead... and I might say that I am... many damned fool times over. I'm not the same creature I used to be."
"You still don't think you're a human being, huh? But we know for a fact you aren't. You'll tell me what happened, won't you?"
"There's..." Sephiroth paused. His eyes glazed, and a peculiar expression passed over his face that left Cloud wondering. He seemed to listen, intently and longingly, to a sound that Cloud couldn't hear. "...much to tell. Some parts perhaps you may not like. But you must promise me not to become angry if I have forgotten details or forgotten a few things. My mind is one of the many things that have changed as well." He tapped his forehead and he chuckled, and Cloud laughed.
The story couldn't be told within an hour. In fact it was dinnertime by the time Sephiroth was reaching the end. He tried, with the help of coffee and small snacks in between. Soon the leaves of the orchard outside turned orange-green with the light of the setting sun. Before long the door opened and Sephiroth halted in his tale to regard the man, flanked by a familiar servant, walking toward them.
He was old... older than Cloud, certainly, with a hawk-like nose and fair hair that seemed to be graying. His age made him handsome, except for a faint scar that ran along from the corner of his eye to his jaw. Sephiroth did not miss that scar; he would ask about it later, Cloud realized, but for now he would introduce the master to him.
"This is Mr. Rin, the lord of this house," Cloud said. "Mr. Rin, this is the man that ended up on our doorstep a week ago. Remember? His name is Sephiroth." Cloud stood up, taking a deep bow and Sephiroth, befuddled and tense, did the same. His mannerisms changed. He reminded Cloud of a wild dog, pedigree purebred, but feral in every aspect but his beauty.
Mr. Rin wore a long riding cloak, a pair of hard leather pants and a thick cotton jerkin, and his cloak was fastened by a silver brooch in the shape of a star. He smiled, offering his hand after tugging one dark brown leather glove from that hand. "A pleasure! Good lord, man, are you well? You shouldn't be up and about, right? But I suppose you probably got bored sleeping so much... feeling alright?"
Maybe he was still wary. But for a long time he didn't answer. And he wouldn't ask for Ansem to give him the lowdown on this man. For as much power as Ansem had, Sephiroth doubted his ability to change men's hearts... He tried to see him as he would see inside his heart, but his sight wasn't that good. He only knew that to an extent Mr. Rin was very trustworthy.
"I'm fine. A little sore yet..."
"That's good... but can you tell us where you're from, lad? You don't look familiar at all..."
"Far away... the land's name is not easily pronounced... but as far as I can tell, where I come from, I may never return. I wish to stay, if you'll let me. I want to stay here as long as I can... If I were any more tired, I'd be bloody asleep standing up!"
Everyone seemed to find this funny. Even Sephiroth smirked to himself. Cloud tucked his hands slowly into his coat pockets and flicked his head to one side to toss hair out of his face. He looked at Mr. Rin, who was still laughing. He spoke to the servant, who went away quickly. "Dinner will be done soon," he announced, and looked right at Sephiroth. "Might I speak with you later? We can, if you like, arrange the terms of service if you find work a suitable means of living."
They shook hands, each man taking in the other with a calm sense of evaluation, apprehension, and unfamiliar security. The sensation gave the silver-haired man a little bit of a start. But the other man was gone before he could say anything else.
"He's a nice guy... I work for him, too. Trust me, it's not as exciting as you think it is but all I do is watch the stock wagons when they go out of town to the merchant city. The monsters and murderers on the road are the least of our problems."
* * * * *
"You haven't said a word since this morning."
I don't have anything to say.... except...
"What?"
You know he looks at you. The boy from the dream. The one I saw when we met.
"I don't try to meet his eyes. I'm afraid. I love you, Ansem," Sephiroth said quietly at the ceiling, the ghost of his love laying beside him. He'd only just appeared, after he'd tossed and turned but couldn't sleep.
He reached his hand out, touching the scarred flesh of Ansem's chest. He rolled onto his side to face him, looking at him. He was partly naked, having appeared so, but still it gave Sephiroth a bit of cause for alarm. Ansem himself all but shivered quietly as he caressed him. He realized this was the first night they could peacefully have together, and somehow Sephiroth didn't know what to do... except to talk.
Ansem spoke out loud this time, pressing close and parting his lips to breathe out, "And I love you." The wicked thing was, his hands couldn't keep themselves away from Sephiroth either. Featherlight fingers passed over his shoulders and arms, sliding around his waist and crushing him against him. His glittering golden eyes were half-closed, pressing his mouth once against his collarbone.
Ansem controlled the situation easily, taking advantage of the other's hesitation to skillfully glide the fabric of the thin cotton pants from his waist. He turned aside the sheet and tugged at them still, until they were tossed aside. In the muted moonlight, green-blue eyes fastened themselves on the ghostly figure, whose gentle hands raked themselves over his naked thighs and rested firmly on his hips.
"I wouldn't know what to do about it... I would never take another... I would sooner die," Sephiroth croaked, biting his lip as Ansem kissed his throat.
"What if I said you could?" Ansem pulled back and watched him, his face calm and dark and thoughtful. He leaned up on one elbow, nestled nearly half on top of him, as close as he could dare to the naked Sephiroth. "What if... somehow I could no longer stay? You won't stay alone forever; you can't."
"Don't talk of that!" Sephiroth reached out, sliding his cold fingers behind his neck and pulling him forward, simultaneously rolling, and Ansem was suddenly on top of him. The motion quickened their blood, set it blazing, and they didn't speak again. Too many times they'd been interrupted by danger and worries; Ansem was tired of worrying. He at once became whole when he touched the place on his lover's chest where his heart should be. The light came, blazing and numbing his hand where he pressed. He was inundated in a pulsating glow that could have only been Sephiroth's beating heart.
