Author's notes: It's been half a year and forever, but I'm glad I'm back. I feel like as long as I keep writing I'm going down the right path in my life.
Quick reminder for the line breaks:
_ = change of POV or something similar
… = A timespan less than 24h has passed between the different scenes
./. = A timespan greater than 24 h separates the different scenes
Chapter 16: Tempt the starving
"Fools! What good are their brains if they don't even use them?" Professor Hojo mutters while scowling down at a sheaf of paper. His scent dissatisfied and frustrated.
The older man turns to the stoic child which he had sent for, a sour expression still marring his face. "You'll have the honour of spending tomorrow afternoon with Rufus Shinra, it seems."
At this news the silver haired boy's cool demeanour heats up somewhat. "Why?" He asks, a subtle edge in his voice.
"Do not take that tone with me; Sephiroth." The professor rebukes sharply, in spite of his words the scowl slowly smoothens from professor Hojo's face as he searches familiar green eyes, his emotions gradually settling. "Officially, you require a supervisor with a high enough clearance after your morning classes end. Unfortunately, Midgard is short on the qualified personnel at this time." He explains with uncharacteristic composure, even though the silver-haired boy senses the underlying dissatisfaction. "However, one of the executives is baby-sitting Rufus which supposedly presents the perfect opportunity to occupy the both of you." The black-haired man's expression then morphs to disdain as he scoffs. "Even though it is a preposterous suggestion!"
"But I don't need to be supervised." Counters Sephiroth, not understanding.
"The problem lies in the fact that I, as your guardian, will be outside of the city. If you do something – if anything were to happen concerning you – I will not be in the vicinity. " The professor explains, uncharacteristically clearly and calmly, the faintest hints of something resembling worry in his sent.
Curious but unconcerned Sephiroth tucks away the information in favour of pursuing the faint flare of hope. "Then take me with you." In his letter Gast had said he would be in Junon.
"Out of the question." The professor is quick to put down the boy's faint hope. "There will be too much going on and everyone will be too busy to keep a proper eye on you."
Sephiroth hadn't been expecting much anyway. "Then why do I have to be with Rufus? shorly a Turk would do?" He continues to argue, vainly attempting to at least save himself some annoyance.
A streak of anger shots over the professors face, frustration even more apparent in his scent. "Don't ques-!" Suddenly he breaks off raising a finger to press is glasses to the bridge off his noes. "I am inclined to agree with you, Sephiroth, unfortunately I have no say in the matter." The professor replies irritably. "I've tried to reason with them, even with the president." He seems both exasperated and resigned.
A sour mood comes over the silver-haired boy. He doesn't want to spend another hour with that pest, Rufus, again.
"Don't give me that look. If you hadn't gotten yourself an afternoon with the president's son, this would never have happened in the first place." At the inquisitive look of the small child, the black haired man elaborates. "That boy probably charmed his father into organising this. There are too many reasons for you not to be overseen together for there to be any other reasonable explanation." Professor Hojo sneers. "Not that there is anything reasonable about doing as a child says in the first place, really!
"What reasons are those?" Probes Sephiroth as he latches onto that unstated worry the other man held. His voice is suddenly calm as a lakes surface, feigning indifference, his soul whispers of alienation.
The professor stills, a wariness which had been previously absent cools the air. Sephiroth's eyes sharpen slightly in suspicion and calculation.
The professor straightens as he looks down at the boy, a finger unconsciously moving to nudge up his glasses. "I was going to talk to you about that." He says with deliberate carefulness in his voice.
The professor must have sensed something from him, he realises. Had his change in topic been to sudden? or perhaps it was the tone, Sephiroth speculates.
"This is something you should have been told the first time you were babysat." A hint of annoyance enters his scent. "It is very fortunate nothing happened."
There, he said it again. "What could have happened?" The child asks quietly.
He can sense the faintest whiff of fear, but it is different from before. The man seems uncertain of himself, he clears his throat and hesitantly kneels before the silver haired boy.
Uncertainty suddenly shudders through the child; echoed by his soul in faint remembrance. The professor has never done this before. "Listen carefully, Sephiroth, this is very important." The familiar hazel eyes he disdains so much look very different now. But the boy cannot quite put a finger on it.
Not that this man's matters are important to him. But the unfamiliarity of the situation calls his attention to it anyway.
"You are a lot stronger than a lot of the people around you. That is why you must be extra careful to limit your strength when you are with others. Especially Rufus. No harm must come to him. Understand?"
The silver-haired boy looks at him quizzically. Why is this man bringing this up now? "I'm always in control of my strength, don't you know that?" He calmly responds adding a little jab at the end, trying to get a reaction from the older man.
The professors' lips thins; but not entirely out of annoyance. He can smell it. The man is pensive, but why? Does he really doubt Sephiroth's ability to control his strength or is he concern him?
"Yes, of course, I merely felt it necessary to remind you." The man stands and turns his back on the boy. Even without seeing the boy knows the professor is pressing down on his glasses again. "I have still some final preparations to do before I leave. You should rest early today, Sephiroth." With those words he walks off leaving the little boy to gaze thoughtfully after him.
Finally the dreaded afternoon arrives in the form of two female Turks.
A brunette he's never seen before squats before him with a smile on her face "Hey there, little one, we'll be taking you on a little adventure outside of the Shinra building." She says in a high pitched tone.
The other Turk a tall, stern faced woman with short cropped blond hair, is vaguely familiar to Sephiroth. His soul doesn't remember either of them so he is quick to dismiss both of them as relatively unimportant.
"Stay professional, rookie." The blond is quick to reprimand her younger colleague in a cold voice. Sephiroth scenes a quiet alertness permeating from her presence.
The squatting Turk before him send her senior a veiled look of indignation and he is quick to identify her scent of offence. "I know what I'm doing, I've taken care of plenty of kids this age before."
The other's scent spikes with warning.
The petty quarrel between Turks hold no interest to Sephiroth, Rather… "We're going outside?" He asks pleasantly surprised.
The two Turks look at him and the brunette smiles. "Yes we're going outside." And with those words she stands and starts to make her way towards the Shinra building's entrance.
The silver haired child glances briefly at the blond Turk who hasn't moved from her spot since she first arrived, before he moves to catch up with the rookie. The senior Turk in turn follows them from behind at a measured distance.
A distance which bears significance to his soul. One that sends a subtle thrill through his blood.
With an unspoken tension in the air, they descend the Shinra building, the glow in the child's eyes brighten and his pupils narrow ever so slightly.
…
It turns out they hadn't been heading towards the Shinra building's entrance, but rather the exit. A very inconspicuous side door.
And waiting for them out side is-
"I present to you Shinra's latest technological marvel! The new Shinra private luxury car model!" Chatters the blond Turk, whom the silver-haired child has realised, is rather talkative. Her upbeat behaviour and pride in this Mako-powered machine suggests he should be impressed. But from his soul he experiences only indifference, and the slightest impression of something outdated.
He takes note of the square face of his hand-to-hand combat instructor, the one he'd also known as 'the kicking Turk' in the driver's seat as he climbs smoothly into the vehicle and onto the child's seat dedicated to him in the centre. His instructor simply glances back at him as the rookie Turk ducks in to settle next to him, soon joined by the severe looking blond on his other side.
"Aaaand were off!" exclaims the brunette besides the boy, as he feels the machine lurch forward.
Sephiroth had been out in the city on foot before with Professor Hojo and – in hindsight – perhaps a few trailing Turks. He realises now that the Professor must have pulled some strings to get a Turk escort to leave the building with him on such short notice for a private errand. Unless the older man had planned it in advance, but the latter thought is dismissed quickly. Sephiroth finds such behaviour from professor Hojo truly unlikely.
As the streets move by and the looming tower moves closer, green eyes lazily roam the surroundings settling every now and then on the female Turk with the short cropped blond hair. He can smell her hackles rise every time.
Her scent stirs the hunter from within, the only thing that offers Sephiroth a small respite from his monotonous life.
He wonders idly why she is so on guard beside him. Though many of the other Turks are wary, her reaction can only compare to Cane's, his staff instructor who returned from his 'mission' recently.
The change that had come over Cane suggested Sephiroth's goading last time had been too blatant. Though he doubts the man knows the true nature of the influence he held over him back then, the Turk must understand that something strange had happened.
Yet he had done nothing to antagonise this blond Turk, had he?
The younger female Turk draws his attention back to her as she speaks. "Isn't the Shinra tower impressive? Though the upper floors aren't finished yet most of the ground floors are. It's a massive sprawling complex, many stories tall. It said that no other man-made building can compare to it, aside from the City of Midgar itself - which is also still under construction."
Sephiroth listens with half an ear. Most of what she says, his soul seems inclined to agree with so he doesn't question her trivial knowledge.
The car stops after passing a guarded gate and the the blond Turk is out in an instant surveying the surroundings. The other is slower to react, turning to give him a smile. "We've arrived." She says happily. Though her scent is laced with some hesitation and concern.
During their short acquaintance it has shifted from a cheery confidence to the present state. Sephiroth is quick to dismiss this shallow girl and her wavering self confidence, however. His soul is not moved by her nor does he care about this.
His instructor drives away with the car as he is ushered, for the first time; into the Shinra tower through yet another side entrance.
As they move through a maze of numbered corridors the rookie Turk starts up her chatter again. "Right now this is being used by office clerks, but when the upper floors are completed, this place will be mostly used by the students who want to join the Shinra Public Safety department and the Shinra Science Research department." She explains to Sephiroth as they move swiftly past a busy cafeteria filled with the costmary office employees Sephiroth is used to seeing in the Shinra building.
They continue to worm their way in deeper into the belly of the monster which is this unfinished Shinra building. Though familiar to his soul it is also alien, much like how Veld seems to him. The chemical smell of paint is too strong and the smell of mako from the lights is not strong enough. Everything is too new, the occasional furniture is too clean and pristine, the walls too bare from posters or paintings.
Finally they stop before a door, somewhat larger than the others in the corridor which the rookie Turk knocks upon and steps away. Sephiroth is quick to understand they have reached their destination and resigns himself to the fate which awaits him on the other side.
The big man in uniform that answers the door wears the dark hair and a rugged face of Heidegger. A distinct sense of destain for the man awakens once again from Sephiroth's soul.
The big man cast a condescending glance at the Two Turks before his dark eyes slide down to the silver-haired boy.
Sephiroth's fingers tingle from phantom sensations and his lips twitch into the baerest of smiles as the man's scent hits him. Anger. Frustration. Animosity.
His pupils narrow further, but he suppresses himself even as the hackles of the blond Turk behind him rise, hypersensitive as she is to his mood.
"Your on time." Mutters Heidegger, grudgingly.
Sephiroth peers behind Heidegger's sturdy bulk to survey the room. He observes a long table in the centre, lined with padded chairs. Along the wall closest to the door are soft looking sofas and occasional picture frames while the other side is left mostly bare, aside from a rolled up screen hanging from the ceiling.
As his bright green eyes meet another pair of eagerly shining blues, his heart sinks. Bracing himself for his face off with the pest, he steps bravely into what must be a conference room.
Rufus has worked hard all day. He often tries to show Heidegger how hard he worked and how well he did, because then maybe Heidegger will tell father that he is clever and hard working. He wants to go over right this instant to show him, but every time he'd done it before, the big man had put on a scarier and scarier face, and last time he even growled at Rufus to go away.
But he has to talk to Heidegger, if father finds out he doesn't dare talk to a man because he is scared of them father's mood will become really bad and he will have that look that makes Rufus wish he is braver or smarter.
He wants so much to make father proud. Father is always happy when he is proud of something, and when father is proud, then he will spend more time with Rufus.
So Rufus works really hard to make father proud, and whenever father asks him something he thinks really hard to give the answers his parent wants to hear. Because when father thinks his reply is clever he praises Rufus and shows him new things!
Suddenly there is a knock at the door and Heidegger gets up to answer it.
Rufus stays where he is. Father often said that he should not answer the doors when someone knocks on them. Still, from where he sits at the conference table he curiously leans to the side to peek behind Heidegger, where he catches sight of the Turks' blue suits.
Hiedegger shifts slightly to the side. And there peering into the room is him. Sephiroth.
A swell of happiness comes upon Rufus. He finally gets to meet Sephiroth again!
But he remembers to keep his composure. Father says he mustn't show what he really feels on his face, so Rufus always tries to remember not to.
Sephiroth is ushered into the room as the adults talk to each other. He sees the younger boy glance in his cool way at the Turks so Rufus tries to listen too. But they only seem to be talking about being in the room next door if they are needed.
The door closes behind them and for a moment Sephiroth seems to observe Heidegger. Heidegger notices and turns on the little boy using his big scary voice – even scarier than the one he used last on Rufus. "What are you looking at?!" He almost bellows.
Unlike Rufus, Sephiroth doesn't even flinch, but continues staring silently. Heidegger's face turns red and his trimmed beard bristles. He raises his big hand, and for a moment Rufus feels a pulse of terror. But after glancing at the closed door, the big man lowers his hand. "I've got things to do. Occupy yourself with Rufus." He commands grumpily before returning to sit before his papers as if he wasn't about to hit a child who barely stood taller then his waist.
Sephiroth seems to acknowledge the instructions and turns toward Rufus.
Rufus is really happy again and lets a relaxed smile slip onto his lips, while walking over to the younger boy in a calm manner. He isn't going to show that he was scared just a moment ago even if his heart is still beating rapidly. Nor will it do for him to be seen running up to Sephiroth with eagerness and relief like he really wants to do.
Beautiful green eyes flicker rapidly upon Rufus's figure. Rufus has never seen eyes like them before. Their colour is so light and magical, and sometimes the black in the middle changes it's shape a lot, making them seem so exotic.
Rufus gives Sephiroth his best cool smile. "Hello, Sephiroth. This must be the surprise that father promised. I kept asking him to let me meet you again, but he always said no. You must have asked to see me too right?" He concludes smoothly.
Sephiroth looks at him with an unreadable face, and for a moment Rufus is mesmerised.
His skin is really pale. So pale, it makes him think of his mother's skin. His hair was really pale too, reminding him both of white and grey. All of it made the younger boy look all faded out, just like his mother did. But his eyes glow with light, even if it's hidden under his cool demeanour. 'Eyes are the windows to the soul' she sometimes tells him, so even though Sephiroth often seems unfeeling, Rufus knows. He's seen them burn with something he doesn't understand, just like mothers' sometimes does.
"I did no such thing." Replies Sephiroth in his customary cold, unfeeling voice which brings Rufus abruptly out of his fantasy. His heart dips a little, but he doesn't let it show on his face and briskly covers it up by moving on. "Really? Anyway, come with me. I want to show you something."
Rufus grabs Sephiroth by the hand to lead him towards the long conference table. He doesn't trust the younger to follow him of his own accord. Rufus learned that from the last time they met.
Sephiroth is funny that way. Most of the other kids Rufus met always did as he wanted, and the few that didn't complained and wanted him to do as they said instead. But Sephiroth is different. He doesn't want to play at all.
The last time Rufus had tried to leave the younger boy alone to see what he'd if left to himself. But the mysterious boy didn't do anything. He just stared out the window. So Rufus has only one choice: bug and tug him until the younger child gives way. Or he finds out what interests the other.
Sephiroth is the hardest person to play with that Rufus ever met. Even adults are less difficult. But last time Rufus had found a topic that got a reaction from the pale boy. When he told him about the gift he got from his mother.
He hadn't been able to get the same reaction again but that one time had made him feel so good. So Rufus would not give up so soon. Rufus really wanted to see those pretty eyes again!
He pulls Sephiroth under the table. And turns to the pale boy with an expectant look, watching those green eyes roam along the dark grain of the table, unmoved and unperturbed.
"Your wondering why I brought you here, aren't you?" Says Rufus with a knowing look. As he watches those eyes that almost seem to glow mystically under the table's shade. Their mysterious gaze turn to him where they stay.
He leans in, his eyes locking on the other boy's green depths and whispers. "See, adults are so tall, they don't always think about what is happening under the table where they can't see." Rufus smirks. "So if ever you get in trouble, you can hide here and they'll leave you alone for a while."
The other boy remains unfazed but his lips open to speak. "I don't get in trouble." The pale boy answers, so calmly and with such certainty that Rufus almost thinks he is telling the truth. But Rufus can't believe him. How can a kid never get in trouble? He'd almost gotten in trouble a moment ago when he angered Heidegger.
All of a sudden Rufus feels a little resentment for Sephiroth. "Then your a sissy, because you always do what your told." He can't help but retorting, and regrets it quickly. He shouldn't have expressed himself so transparently.
But the other boy doesn't seem to mind and instead repeats one of his words. "Sissy." Rufus doesn't really know how to interpret him. If it came from someone else he'd thought they were insulting him but it didn't sound like that from Sephiroth's mouth. The younger boy must have sensed that he didn't understand so he elaborates. "What does it mean?"
Surprised, it takes a moment for Rufus to respond remembering some words his father had told him. "It means your spineless."
Sephiroth's brow twitches a little. "But I have a spine."
Rufus is left speechless. He can't tell if Sephiroth is serious or if he's just messing with him. From anyone else he would think that Sephiroth was trying to make him look stupid, but the pale boy did it in such a way that it could be either one for all Rufus could tell.
Frustrated, Rufus changes his approach. Rufus is careful not to show any of his inner irritation as he cooly responds. "Never mind."
He leans away from Sephiroth and smirks. "I dare you to untie Heidegger's shoe laces without him noticing." He taunts softly.
The younger boy's eyes drift over to the black boots that protrude somewhat under the table from where Heidegger sits, then return to his.
Rufus never expecting him to actually do it. Sephiroth has never been swayed by him before after all, so his face slackens in stunned surprise when the younger boy gets to his feet in a crouch and silently sneaks over to where the adult is sitting.
A thrill passes through Rufus as he sees the pale boy gracefully make his way towards that big scary man. As Sephiroth kneels before the boots, Rufus too, crawls closer. His heartbeats speeds up in excitement.
The younger boys nimble fingers both work on untying the double knot, but those green eyes are entirely focused on the green uniform that is visible above Heidegger's green uniformed knees, his hands moving smoothly along every time the adults legs shift even slightly.
Then they're undone and Sephiroth turns silently to Rufus.
Rufus, takes a deep breath, his heart beating even faster as he crawls next to Sephiroth and begins working on the other shoelace.
He glances up at that small gap every once in a while to see if Heidegger notices anything. It is in one of these moments when Rufus isn't paying full attention to the shoelace that he feels a sudden pressure on his shoulder which brings him reeling backwards. In shock he sees a black boot inches from his eyes and feels the cold backdraft on his face.
Then he is looking at the bottom of the table top and somehow his back isn't touching the carpeted floor because he is still being held by that hand on his shoulder.
He glances reflexively to his side and sees Sephiroth grasping him, and even more amazingly the smallest of a curve on the corner of his mouth as those intense green eyes stare intently in front of him.
And then Heidegger's face appears underneath the table with a scary angry-face on an bellows. "Damn kids! Get out from under there! I'll-" He breaks off and continues on in a growl. "Go somewhere where I can keep an eye on you."
A little scared, Rufus grabs the smaller boy's hand that's still on his shoulder and turns to scramble out from under the table, who follows him without a word.
They sit on the floor a ways away from Heidegger but in eyesight by the projector wall.
Rufus erratic heart soon calms and he feels wonderfully refreshed when he comes down from his adrenaline rush. He looks at Sephiroth who seems completely unruffled.
He'd challenged Sephiroth out of resentment. But the boy had actually done it. All along Rufus was trying to be nice and friendly and none of it had worked to get the boy to acknowledge him, let alone cooperate and play.
But when Rufus was being mean to him he actually complied. And it had been more fun than anything he had done before!
He'd been nervous when they were doing it and scared when he'd almost been kicked, but Sephiroth had saved him. Pulled him out of the way. So Rufus decides to let some of his true feelings emerge and a mischievous grin spreads on his face. Out of sight from Heidegger, of course.
The pale boy in front of him remains expressionless for so long that his grin begins to wain.
But then a spark lights up in those green eyes and a tiny curve returns to those unsmiling lips.
Rufus feels so good at the sight and a smug smile replaces his grin. This is his victory after all!
Authors notes:
Reviews: All I want to say is I love you guys and always want to hear what you think about this story :)
I had intended to write more scenes, but I'll stop at this just so I actually post something to give you guys. Next chapters gonna be even more exciting if you! Guess what happens?
Next chapter: Sephiroth gets in trouble (big trouble)