Left Behind

A Story in the Turks of Midgar Arc

Chapter 6 – Delicate Dalliance

Of all the things in her life, the one Jesse refused to regret was her son. Truthfully, he had been a mistake, the product of a one night stand between a drunken father looking to forget his pain and a mother who risked her entire future simply for one night of bliss. The boy had never known his father; the man had never known he had a son. It would be thirty-two years before the two would meet, and then it would be on opposing sides of a Planet-wide war. Jesse had left a letter rolled up in the barrel of Vincent's gun, telling him that he had a son, the birthdate, birthplace, blood type and other pertinent information. She'd also included the password to a safe in a Junon bank, where there were pictures and other things regarding the boy. She updated it every few months.

Now, at five years old, Reno was eaten alive by curiosity about everything around him, and he had the temper his red hair promised. Jesse was proud of her son, but she worried that by not finding a father for him she had somehow failed.

None of that mattered now though, since the boy was staring at Sephiroth with a look of malice reserved for killers and Turks. He had easily picked up on the tension in the room, and he'd pinpointed the General as its cause with unerring accuracy. At the sound of his voice, both Sephiroth and Jesse had dropped their attack positions. It was almost funny how the tiny child stood there, both hands holding the gun steady, staring down the most feared man on the planet.

"Mommy... are you okay?" Reno's voice was cold and even, Jesse couldn't help but smile. Reno was fiercely protective of his mother, and had been known to run grown men out of the house in terror for looking at his mother in any way he deemed inappropriate. His was an angelic beauty that would turn breathtaking when he was older. It was hard to imagine that a child with such huge blue-green eyes, vibrant crimson hair and pale skin could shoot a man, but such actions were in his blood. Turks are often hereditary.

"Yes, sweetheart, I'm fine. Now, would you be so kind as to go to Rudy's house? The gentleman and I have business we need to conduct." Jesse smirked as Reno walked up to Sephiroth and lightly tapped his crotch with the gun.

"Any funny stuff mister and you'll have a little problem walkin', got it?" The boy then turned on his heel and left the room.

Sephiroth had endured all of this with a stunned silence that Jesse found quite gratifying. The scratch on his nose had already healed, and Jesse turned to the sink to get a rag for her neck. The first trickle of blood had started seeping from the wound, and the Turk knew that if Reno saw it he'd do something rash. Sephiroth suddenly plucked the cloth from Jesse's hand and held it to her neck for her, startling the brunette.

"Sorry about that. You surprised me, and I reacted poorly." Jesse stared at the platinum haired man, suspicious of his motives and clearly remembering that he'd broken into her house. Not only had the man tried to kill her, tracked her down, invaded her home, and then 'reacted poorly' when she tried to defend herself...now he apologized for it?

"Ask me if I give a damn. I want you out of this house, now." Jesse tried unsuccessfully to swat his hand away, but he caught her wrist and sighed. There was something about his demeanor that had changed since Reno had interrupted their fight. It almost felt like...regret?

"I will leave, but one thing before I do." Sephiroth stared into her blue-black eyes, looking for some hint of anything besides hate. To his shock, he could discern no flare of rage toward him or even dislike. He shook himself inwardly; of course there would be no emotion, Jesse was a Turk and such demons kept all things professional and utterly cold.

Refusing to acknowledge his better sense, Sephiroth tightened his grip on Jesse's neck, but not painfully. He could feel her strong pulse beneath his fingers as he turned her wrist and caressed her hand with his gloved fingers. A look of shocked comprehension dawned on the bomber, but rather than struggle, she smirked. Jesse shifted the grip he had on her hand with an ease that stunned him, and held it a few inches from his chest, over his heart. The point was clear to Sephiroth: he could crush her neck and kill her if he chose, but before she died, Jesse would use her strange power to burst his heart. It added an element of extreme danger to their closeness, and forced a wary delicacy to their embrace.

Rather than hold her tightly in his arms, Sephiroth leaned down and brushed the barest of touches against Jesse's lips with his own. It was the chastest kiss Jesse had ever experienced, but the thrill of kissing an enemy, who could kill her at any moment no less, made her heart pound like never before. She refused to think that maybe it was just Sephiroth causing her knees to weaken, as that would admit a fatal flaw.

Though he had only been in existence for three years, Sephiroth was no innocent. After Hojo had him sufficiently aged, a growth retardant was administered and Sephiroth had lived since as a handsome, single bachelor with excellent wealth and incredible power. He'd had his pick of the women of the world, and he'd chosen only the most exquisite beauties and brilliant minds for his companions. But never, out of all the dalliances he'd enjoyed, had a single kiss shaken him so much. Perhaps it was the fact that Jesse was the only Mako enhanced woman he'd touched, or that she was a warrior of equal skill and lethalness. Or, the most sobering of the possibilities, was that Jesse was simply his drug.

Either way, the two parted with the same harmony of motion and intent that they had joined with. Were they friends now? God no. Lovers? Not hardly.

Were they determined to continue this delicate dalliance?

Most certainly.