~ Watch Me ~
Contrasting Offers
Rose had again come away from a meeting with Lazard feeling utterly drained. When she got back to her digs, she barely had enough energy to strip, and text Zack 'I got in. Tell you more when I see you', before collapsing head first into bed.
Her mind was filled with restless dreams, and when she was woken up by a presumptuous knocking at her door, her head felt like it had been run over by a Chocobo.
"Coming!" She yelled eventually, the knocker insisting despite her slow response. She rolled around her room drunkenly, looking for a t-shirt and sweats to hide her modesty. She glanced at her clock.
5AM! I've only been asleep three and a half hours!
Feeling even more thunderous towards the knocker, she stormed toward the door, throwing it open in a tired, sluggish, rage.
"What!" She growled, squinting as her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light. "Oh god, what do you want?"
"Well, hello to you too, princess. Mind if I come in?"
Without waiting for a reply, Reno of the Turks ghosted boldly into her living space, lounging himself brazenly across her bed. He gave a long, judgemental whistle as his eyes travelled the simple contours of her accommodation.
"Wow. Someone didn't win the room lottery, did they? What is this, a glorified box?"
Spinning on her heels and slamming the door, Rose folded her arms, glaring at him. "What do you want?" She said again, this time emphasising a little more.
Rose was not good when her sleep was disrupted.
"Easy, princess, I've just come to congratulate you on a job well done. The kid got away, our line of investigation is still open, problem solved." He slide a cigarette from his pocket, making a grab for his lighter, but before he could even bring the tobacco to his lips, Rose swiped it angrily from his fingers, throwing it dismissively onto her nearby desk.
"Problem is not solved, Reno." She hissed furiously. "You lied to us about who that boy really was."
"Technically we more stretched the truth. It was need to know."
"You said he was the son of an informant!"
Reno shrugged. "He's somebody's son, he has an informant. Couldn't risk you or that other luggerhead, getting all career minded, and wanting the glory for yourselves, could I?"
Rose scoffed. "What glory? Even if we brought the boy in knowing what you know, there's no guarantee he'd tell us anything, or that he even knows anything about who his informant is."
Reno gestured widely.
"So you agree? Better to have him scuttling about in the streets! At least that way he might actually lead us to something."
Rose tripped over her frustration, falling back on a wordless sigh. Reno eagerly accepted this silence as an easy defeat, and grinned, swinging himself effortlessly off of her bed.
Finding his cocky demure more than a little grating, Rose ran a tired hand slowly over her face, trying to ignore the painful thumping in her skull. "Do you have any idea what time it is? This could have waited until later, like dawn, at least."
"Probably." Reno relented, leaning past her to retrieve his cigarette. "But then I wouldn't have got to see what you look like when you first wake up."
Still more than a little annoyed, Rose levelled her gaze at him, too tired to banter back and forth.
"I look pissed." She said flatly.
Reno laughed, cutting the distance between them a little too finely for Rose's liking.
"I was sensing some frustration. Perhaps if I were to – "
"Finish that sentence, and I'll start breaking off appendages." Rose quipped darkly, her gaze lowering to cement her point.
Chuckling sharply, he sighed, looking like a child being told he couldn't play with his favourite toy. "Fine, fine, have it your way, princess."
Rose fought not to twitch at the unwanted pet name again, and pointedly opened her door. "Goodnight, Reno."
He sauntered passed, taking his own sweet time, as he seemed to with everything. He turned with his shoulder still in her doorway, a sly smile twisting it's way cat-like onto his features.
"One date." He said, looking ridiculously pleased with himself.
"Excuse me?"
"I said we would owe you guys for the favour." He smiled, leaning casually against her door, red tendrils falling pointedly forward. "A date with me would more than make us even."
"Is that right?"
Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, and sensitive to the fact that her sleeping time was slowly rolling away from her, Rose leant out of her room a little further, careful to keep herself close to, but not touching Reno.
She smiled as seductively as she could. "I'll be sure to let Zack know about your offer." Then she shoved him hard in the chest, watched him stagger, and slammed the door.
Urgh! The fricken' nerve of him!
She turned to throw herself back into bed, and stopped. "Hang on..."
How did he know where my room was? She shook her head, a shiver of annoyance tapering her spine.
It was probably best not to dwell on these things.
XXXXX
The following day was filled with more combat training, and some practice field exercises in the simulator. There was a war going on, Rose was under no illusion that she wouldn't be called up to go to Wutai eventually. The thought worried her, but what else could she do but persevere? There would be others that were just as nervous as she was, even the most battle ready enthusiast must surely have had their doubts?
During break she told Zack and Kunsel about the tests Lazard wanted her to have. Unfortunately, neither Zack nor Kunsel were overly comforting when it came to Hojo being mentioned. Zack did say he was sure it would be fine, but his face didn't really register that fact. Kunsel had at least tried to reassure her by pointing out that at once it was done, it was over with. Better to rip the band-aid off quickly, than to worry for weeks.
"They haven't told me when yet, but it's got to be some time tomorrow. My mako infusion's Saturday – in theory." Rose murmured, briefly burying her head in her arms. "Oh god, it's gonna be awful isn't it?"
"It'll be fine." Kunsel assured her, sounding more like he believed it. "And if you do die, we'll make sure he pays for it. Kay?"
She smiled dryly. "Thanks."
And so they continued with their day, Rose hiding her anxiety as best she could, until the time came for her to leave, and head to meet Sephiroth for their extra lessons.
All but running, she stopped by the bathroom. There was no way she was turning up looking and smelling, like she'd being doing jumping-jacks in a particularly hot onion factory. Glancing over the sink area, she didn't really have a lot to work with, but she braided her hair as best she could, before splashing her face and other exposed skin with hot water and soap. Drying herself on a paper towel, she looked in the mirror – it wasn't the best look, but at least she didn't resemble the colour of a tomato any more.
She left.
Rose jogged the rest of the way, conscious of the fact she was probably keeping Sephiroth waiting. Rounding the final corner to a section of smaller training rooms, she found him with his head bowed, leaning back casually against the wall. He barely noted her approach.
"You're late." He said, immediately moving to open the door. "I trust that whatever delayed you, was more important than the training I'm providing?"
Rose blinked, slightly taken aback. "I...sorry, I just... sorry." There wasn't an excuse in her head that didn't sound lame. So she didn't give him one.
Sephiroth gestured her into the room. "Don't make it a habit."
"I won't." She stepped tentatively inside, hearing the woosh sound of the doors closing being her. She rocked thoughtfully on her feet, her arms swinging absently at her sides. Glancing toward her would-be teacher, she saw his phone was already in hand. "Where are we heading today? Somewhere nicer than a side alley, I hope?" She said lightly, hoping to break the awkward silence that was settling.
He barely looked up. "Perhaps if you'd been on time, I might have considered it."
Rose opened her mouth to argue, but shut it immediately. She had no moral ground to stand on. She had been late, and not really for a good enough reason. Still, he'd already made her feel terrible about it, he didn't have to stretch it out.
She settled for sulking.
"Fine. Just please not a do-" too late, it had already begun to materialise around her, "-jo." Rose sighed heavily. "You know, you could probably walk to a real one of these in the city?"
"But then we would be even later for our session. Would we not?"
Rose said nothing, just looked. She believed she saw a flash of amusement cross his narrow features, but she could have imagined it, and so she moved on, pointedly sliding her sword from it's sheath on her back.
"Better not waste any more time then."
He said nothing and she grinned. It hadn't escaped her how quickly she had grown accustomed to Sephiroth. She remembered the effect he'd had on her the first day they'd met, (was that really only a week ago?) and how she'd barely been able to string two words together. Now he was still somewhat of a distraction, but at least she could actually speak.
"Lazard has asked me to go over some control techniques with you." He began matter of factly, his mako gaze wandering lightly over her sword. "You won't be needing that."
"But..." Rose looked at her blade, unable to hide her disappointment. Forcing back a sigh, she roughly put it away. "Right. So what are we going to do, meditate?"
Sephiroth ignored her.
"It's important in battle that you learn to control your emotions, Rose. You're enemy could easily use a weakness like that against you."
"Who says it's a weakness?" She rallied wilfully. "Emotions keep me wired, they help me react."
"But they also help another to interpret that reaction. It makes you predictable."
She blanched, insulted. "Clearly not too predictable, or that Troop guy Reed, or whatever his name was, would have known to duck."
Rose paced a few steps across the dojo, not really sure where she was going, only of a need for movement. She stopped, folding her arms and glaring back furiously over her shoulder. She was vaguely aware of how childish she must look, but a part of her didn't care. The other more annoying part, pointed out that this kind of reaction was probably exactly what he meant, when he mentioned her needing to have some control.
She sighed despite herself. "Sorry."
He waved her off.
"I am not trying to goad you, Rose." Sephiroth murmured patiently, her little scene not causing offence. "Either you want my help, or you do not, but learning to avoid distractions could ease your passage through Hojo's tests. You know you are expected up there once we're finished here?"
"What?" She felt the colour drain from her face, an entirely different emotion taking hold. "I thought it would be tomorrow?"
"Lazard asked me to inform you." He said, sounding almost apologetic. "He was worried you wouldn't see your messages."
Rose nodded absently, an unspoken cry forming a bubble in her throat. Panic was beginning to sink it's ugly teeth into her flesh. She wanted to think of some sudden way of avoiding the Science Director's prodding, but her mind formed a blank. Instead she found herself swallowing the bubble, and throwing a playful remark.
"Hojo really doesn't like me." She said. It came out more as a plea for help.
Sephiroth considered her. "Hojo doesn't really like anybody." He offered comfortingly. He hesitated. "Have you spoken to Angeal about any of this?"
The question caught her off guard. She shook her head. "I couldn't call, I didn't want to distract him." He was in Wutai, after all. He didn't need her trivial dramas to worry about.
Her reply was met by silence, and she glanced up to find Sephiroth watching her with thoughtful eyes, an unreadable expression drawing slowly across his features.
He tilted his head. "I could go with you."
Rose blinked. "Huh?"
"To see Hojo. He's unlikely to refuse me entrance. I could... keep an eye on things."
Barely believing her luck, she felt a weight start to lift. "You'd do that?" A hopeful smile teased her lips. "Are you sure?"
Inclining his head, Sephiroth closed some of the distance she'd created. "Angeal wouldn't want you to go alone. It's the least I can do."
Suppressing a strange urge to laugh, Rose peered up at him gratefully. "Thank you."
He said nothing, but held her gaze for longer than she was used to. Her breath hitched under such scrutiny, treacherous heat rising to her cheeks, as her chest shuddered. She swallowed hard, and he looked away, finding a sudden interest in the virtual dojo around them.
"Come, we had better get started."
All she could do was nod.
R&R!
Thanks guys as usual! And thank you to everyone that's added Watch Me to their follow/favourites list. So glad you're enjoying it! What did you think of this chapter?
ZeeTaoHime: Thanks so much for you review again! I did try to PM, but I realised you'd reviewed as a guest. Oh Hojo – the guy never gets less creepy. That's a shame about your laptop, maybe you could write it out ready, and type up later? Take care :) x