Ch. 43. Lovers that went wrong.
Elie's POV
It took me a while to recognize the area taking shape by the horizon line. The geography wasn't exactly the same I had learnt to know virtually.
"Nibelheim?" I stated, my eyes on his. Sephiroth sat in front of me, a frown of seriousness all over his complexion. "Really?" I insisted and he nodded.
So, my guess was right.
Now that I had the confirmation, I took my time scanning the area from above. It was different, the place where all the action had ensued. There was no Reactor, the place where it had been was now filled with green, no reconstructing. Shinra Mansion stood in the nearby area, a grayish white building with a distinct presence in the middle of all the green.
That fact, actually, made my mind click.
"I assume we'll be visiting Shinra Mansion, right?" My eyes searched his, but he paid me no importance.
"You assume correctly."
"I figured." I whispered, and turned to the window again. "Which is okay, actually. I need to take my mind out of the gutter."
Sephiroth insisted in keeping distance from me since this morning, what secretly worried me. Last night he had been so sweet with me, so tender and caring. I never thought he would lie down with me, much less kiss me that way. I didn't know if there had been the circumstances, and the fright I felt - and still feel, that made us behave like that.
I woke up with Sephiroth leaving the bed. He went for a shower, dressed silently as I blinked, heard him right there, my back to him. I felt so comfortable on his bed, with him… I couldn't even think I had to leave to the lab. The thought itself made my heart beat faster. What would they find? What would Mako do to me, how would I react from now on to this alien invasion?
The odds worried me.
I saw the frowns of worry he and John made. Talking, secretly, whispering things I wanted so bad to know. I didn't know what to think, all I knew was that my body ached for his support, for words that would ease my mind, my fears.
None of that came.
Medina waited for me to get up the gurney and walked in, his face unreadable. It felt so odd.
'Is there everything okay with me?' I had asked him, and he nodded 'For now', urging me to go with him. With short sentences and avoiding my stare, he informed me of what would follow and that I was to wait for the General at his place for travel.
'Travel?', I asked, but no answer came.
Now, here I was, landing in Nibelheim. The maneuver was nicely made, and I recalled how Reno was an excellent pilot. Secretly, I was glad Reno was around - for a change.
It all felt too overwhelming. I, of all persons, coming to Nibelheim after all that had happened. Or, better said, after all that hadn't happened.
The village was intact, a real set resembling what I had seen in so many perspectives. The burned one was by far the most daunting, but I tried to shove that thought away. I didn't want to recall something like that, namely when it belonged completely to the land of RPG.
Nibelheim was safe and sound, thankfully.
"Here."
The voice of the General woke me up of my reverie and I realized he was off the helicopter, wind blowing as the pads slowed. I looked at him, now off the helicopter, with his gloved hand stretched towards me.
I blinked, taking his hand and stepping off the chopper. Reno and Rude went off as well, and seemed distracted over technical stuff concerning the helicopter. Sephiroth grabbed two duffel bags - only now I could see he had brought his own as well -, and he resumed walking. I accompanied him, in silence, as we gradually entered the village.
"Where are we staying?" I asked, breaking the silence.
"The Inn."
"Did you stay in here the last time?"
"Yes. SOLDIER and Turks."
The General made his way, walking apparently absentmindedly as the villagers openly stared at us - him, mostly. He was easily recognizable, and the complexion of those who gradually took conscience of who he was changed into something that mixed respect with fear.
I walked alongside the serious General, our steps echoing.
"Did you know Cloud's from here? Originarily I mean."
I was making small talk. The tension between us was getting terrible to bear.
"No, I didn't know."
And despite his uninterested answer, I continued.
"The guide you hired, Tifa Lockhart? She's his friend and cares immensely for him." I declared, my eyes searching his, but with no success. "I would like to meet her."
"We can arrange that."
He answered solemnly and I wondered what he might be thinking.
"Did you meet her?"
"I did." He declared, his eyes swiftly meeting mine. "Tough woman. Will of a fighter."
His words sting a little and I felt a pang of jealousy invade me. I knew it was silly and completely unnecessary, but there it was. I gulped dry and took a deep breath, trying to clear those thoughts. Thing was, I had never heard him compliment someone, much less a woman.
Memories of our constant fights, harsh word exchanges and the caustic feeling that I wasn't - not in a million years -, a woman worthy of him and his strange affections bit my fragile sense of security.
I didn't say a word against and decided to shut up. There were many things I wanted to ask him but his stance of late didn't let me. He was so cold, so… like the Sephiroth of before.
"Here." I heard him say, and followed him. We had reached the inn. I took my time scrutinizing the place, a welcoming distraction from my somber, previous thoughts.
The Inn was, as expected, a faithful, real and tactile replica of the virtual setting I had been so used to, hundreds of times, over and over again.
"This is exactly how I've… seen it."
I spoke my mind out loud, but Sephiroth didn't pay me attention. He was busy talking with the receptionist, a man who stared at me and him with a very pleased frown on his face.
Customers, I thought. The man was happy to have people in for the night. With a sudden move, the General's eyes met mine and he turned completely to face me.
"This way."
Up we went, two flights of stairs until we reached one of the doors. The electronic card opened the door and Sephiroth urged me to get inside.
I did so, a little reluctant and confused. Why was he behaving like this? My eyes scanned the room, neat and perfumed, clearly prepared to receive guests. And only one bed. King size.
My heartbeat peaked.
I was suddenly aware of Sephiroth's presence behind me, and I had a feeling he seemed to sense my conflicting, mental rambling.
"Did I do something wrong?" I asked, confronted with his never ending silence. A couple of breaths later, I turned to face the man that stood there. Studying me. Like a psycho would.
"Sephiroth?"
His silence became agonizing. His mind was and would always be a mystery to me, no matter how well I knew him.
His left hand rose, startling me. He paused for a second, then proceeded to touch my cheek. He had no gloves on and felt warm, and I wish I could read his mind. What was he thinking?
There was no answer to my question. His hand softly traveled to my neck and, with a gesture, I was directed to him. My face resting against his chest and his face by the side of my head. I felt his breath on my ear, and wondered what would follow, as he only breathed against my form and that was it.
He's sulking over something, my mind concocted.
"How are you feeling?"
His words obviously referred to my health, and I remembered - oh, that was right, Hojo had injected me with Mako 12 hours ago. I blinked, reeling in the feeling of him, the strange holding and his question. This man had a very peculiar way of showing he cared.
"Fine," I whispered, knowing he had heard. I took a deep breath and decided to be very blunt with him. I wasn't the type of keeping these things inside. "You're distant."
The man holding me didn't change his demeanor as seconds went by, and I wondered if he had heard my words at all.
"You confuse concern with detachment."
I closed my eyes for a moment, and put some space between us. I searched for his eyes.
"I know you're… different, but it hurts, the way you avoid me." I declared, maybe being excessively over-sentimental. Oh, but what the Hell, that was the way I felt. "I… can believe that's just your way of dealing with all this Mako injection thing but… that's the way I feel."
His eyes were hard on mine and I felt very childish in that moment.
"I'm not avoiding you," he said, and the way he said it made me feel goosebumps all over my spine. "I brought you here just to be away from Hojo or I wouldn't stop myself this time. What he did was unforgivable."
This time, he had said, and I gulped dry. That meant he had had the hots over killing Hojo - which didn't surprise me at all, the man was simply disgusting. But Hojo's intelligence and manipulative capacity were his only passport to keep on living.
"You have to calm down over Hojo, don't ruin your career over a shit like him."
A sample of smile made an appearance on the face of the man in front of me. What a sight.
"What?" I asked.
"When you curse, it's so… strangely adequate."
I narrowed my eyes a little and decided to play along and smiled faintly as well.
"Let's just admit that shit and Hojo in the same sentence match ideally."
Sephiroth didn't say a word against me, his stare changing nature. The harness and the coldness gradually faded, as he blinked and slowly approached me. The anticipation built again inside me, my heartbeat rising and the butterflies in my stomach as I watched him bend his head and angle his face, his lips stopping inches of mine.
"You smell different." He whispered, and I felt his moist breath on my lips. "Mako does that."
"Is that bad?" I asked, fighting the will of closing my eyes completely and close that minimal distance that kept us apart. Damn, he was good at this teasing thing.
"No," He whispered, and his lips touched mine briefly. "Not bad at all."
Finally, with a definite move, our mouths sealed. The kiss began, first lips on lips, moving, something more intense about to come right up. There was something different about this kiss though. The urgency he applied on me was noticeable by the way his hands grabbed me, squeezed me and rendered me immobile against his hold. Tongue got involved and I couldn't help but to whimper against him. My hands found his face and I answered him with all I had in me. My face, my head was completely angled up, and I didn't want it to stop. Kissing a man like Sephiroth wasn't only good. It was heavenly, completely out of everything I had sensed and felt until now.
All I could think now was where we were - an inn's room with a gigantic bed and the man of my dreams holding me, kissing me, wanting me with such will.
Ease up, Elie, I thought, and allowed myself to taste, feel him. It was, by far, the best thing I had felt for years, and I didn't want it to end that soon.
Eventually, the kiss faded and I dared to hold him, put my arms around his neck, my face buried right below his left ear. I took a deep breath, inhaling his scent, and closed my eyes.
He was so perfect. I didn't care he had Jenova cells inside, that Hojo had manipulated his genes, that he was a laboratory product and that he had an innate tendency to insanity.
All I wanted was to be held and loved by him. But I didn't dare to verbalize my feelings - it would be too much and somehow, I felt he wasn't ready for such a declaration.
"Easy," he said, with a low tone. "Don't be afraid. I'm here. Always."
His words almost took me to the verge of tears.
"I don't want to d-"
"You won't." He interrupted, his lips on my forehead. "I won't let it happen."
I closed my eyes as Sephiroth held me, and I wondered if he could read my mind, guess up my fears. Was I that obvious, my silly fear of dying so easily read?
I took a deep breath and tried to gather some sense. I couldn't let myself drown in fear of what would happen to me after the Mako incident. Eventually, I would have to accept it, just like everyone else that had suffered the same invasion. Besides, I was pretty stable so… that couldn't be a bad thing. Right?
Right.
Sephiroth slowly let me go and I felt at once the absence of his form all over me. This was getting strangely addictive - having him touching me felt soothing, in a way I only remembered when I was a child. He was the one breaking the silence.
"So, let's eat something and then-"
"Shinra Mansion."
He snorted at my immediate reasoning and turned.
"That's right."
-/-
We ate in a nearby restaurant and went along towards Shinra Mansion.
On foot.
Thankfully I had brought only comfortable shoes and the cold wind blowing threatened to freeze my facial muscles. With teary eyes and casual talking I walked alongside with the General, headed to places I had seen from above, paths I had only seen described in a different way and an extremely wonderful setting around us. Mount Nibel wasn't only beautiful - it was also mystic, and I didn't miss the look of familiarity in Sephiroth's eyes as we walked.
"So you've been here." I dared to affirm. "Tell me what happened."
He seemed to consider my request.
"The fire had been put out. The Mansion had been burning and we were trying to grasp what was going on."
He paused, and we turned left. The path was clear and it was obvious he knew the way by heart.
"Zack had been missing since dawn. And out of nowhere they charged on us."
"Mako beasts." I guessed up correctly.
"They were hundreds, angry and blinded with the orders Zack had given them. We were having a difficult time holding on to that charge… until something unexpected happened."
I blinked at him, wondering on what that might be.
"The Reactor exploded." There was silence, and even the woods seemed to be listening and recalling what had happened that day, because there was so sound. No wind, no birds. "The shock wave was massive and thankfully I sensed it seconds ago and warned SOLDIER and Turks to take cover. Zack flew to let me know he was the responsible for the whole thing but what I found in his eyes was completely different."
"Good grief." I whispered, and gulped dry as I imagined the scene happening. Jenova haunting them like cattle, that was so very much Her.
"See that gap over there?" Sephiroth pointed out towards the place where the reactor should be. "We had few casualties on our side, thankfully. And most of the beasts died with the force of the impact."
There was a slight pause until Sephiroth talked again.
"After that there wasn't much." He declared. "Since everything was destroyed I flew out of here chasing Zack. He was after the Cetra."
And that was something very knew to me. So, Zack had been trying to find Aerith… but took me in instead. The questions popped immediately.
"Then why did he-"
"I warned Medina to take you and the Cetra out of the lab. But he took his time and Zack got to you… sadly."
I blinked at Sephiroth, realizing my short travel to my own world had been a spur-of-the-moment for Jenova, who most likely had found me interesting.
"Why take me?" I asked, even if the question wasn't addressed to him in any way.
"Curiosity, Stevens." He answered, and our eyes met. "Jenova… enjoys challenges. And she saw in you something new and unexplored."
"How do you know that?" I had to ask.
"Intuition." Was his immediate answer.
I took my time considering what he had just said. Deep down inside I wondered if Sephiroth had the same opinion over me. Most likely, he did, and I didn't know how to feel about it.
I didn't say a word after that. We just walked, in long strides, until the imposing form of Shinra Mansion come to full view. Half of it was being reconstructed, yet the black smudges of the recent fire still were obvious underneath all the net effect all over the building. All in all, it was huger than I could ever imagined.
"It's… wide."
"Indeed." Sephiroth snorted, as we both stood still, our stare measuring the mansion. "Let's go, we must do our search inside before nightfall."
I got confused for a moment, as I saw the General take one step forward and walk towards the main entrance. I had to quicken my pace to reach him.
"W-Wait, what do you mean 'search'? We're not searching for anything are we?"
Sephiroth suddenly stopped, and I had to stop and turn around to face him.
"Why don't you tell me what you are looking for, that way it would save us a lot of wandering."
I blinked at him, feeling terrible. Come on, why did he have to be so distrustful? I had never mentioned my obvious curiosity over the mansion but it was legit, I guessed. It was The Shinra Mansion we were talking about, not some random feudal home lost in the middle of nowhere.
"Well, I'm not going to find an intact library." I declared, ironically. "But I would like to check the lower levels."
Mako eyes met mine, hard and full of knowledge, pupils turning into slits as he seemed to focus his stare on me.
"Specify."
I took a deep breath. Good grief, he was difficult.
"I would like to check if someone's there." I stated, and wished that he wouldn't ask more questions. Which, sadly, didn't happen.
"Is that someone dangerous? Any potential threat?"
"No." I wished my tone could have been fiercer.
"You don't sound very secure."
Argh.
"Would you trust me? Geez."
I was the one turning around and going for the main door. His lack of faith in me was terrible and felt even worse when his 'suspicion' mode was on.
"Easy there, I'm going first."
I decided not to say a word against as The General went along, going inside the Mansion clearly sheltering me from any eventful attack. I tried to take my mind out of it, and focused on the inside of the building.
As expected, the accuracy of the graphics was amazing. Here I was, walking among the scenario I had stepped on so many times, the halls, the walls, even the ground looked exactly the same. It looked like a very vivid dream.
We walked, diving inside the mansion as I took the lead. I knew the way, out of reflex, towards the basement. Something called me there. And I knew exactly what - or, better said, who was responsible for that. Or then again, that was my mind's curiosity needing to be satiated. I knew it all about the place, there was be nothing inside this place I didn't know by heart. Except for what would happen when people's reactions were concerned.
I stopped right next to a door, a dim light casting on us - me and Sephiroth, who stood exactly behind me. I sensed him there, as I hesitated. My right hand slowly landed on the knob and I took a couple of deep breaths.
"Let's do this." I whispered, and dared to turn the knob. The door cracked a little with the motion, and I wondered if it had been opened in the last decade.
"Here."
Sephiroth was he one making the final move that opened the door widely, and my eyes landed immediately in a casket - with the lid on the ground. I blinked my eyes hard as I tried to grasp reality.
So, it had already happened.
"Someone's been here."
Sephiroth's words echoed in the middle of that depressing, dark room. With almost no light, it looked like a huge grave. We both walked inside the room and stood looking at the empty casket.
"Vincent Valentine woke up." I declared, and my eyes migrated to Sephiroth's.
"Who?"
Sudden rustling made us turn our heads towards the door, where someone stood. Someone holding Dirge of Cerberus directly at us. A pale man, black hair and the most vivid red cape on, still on place plus that matching bandana. A menacing, unnatural kind of handsomeness flew from the former Turk, and I could only stare in amazement.
"How do you know me?"
His question was directed to me, I felt it. He had overheard us, I was sure, and he didn't trust anybody, which was only understandable.
"Vincent…" I started, and those bloody eyes focused on mine at once. Spooky stuff. "I'm Eleanor Stevens." I gulped dry, trying to sound casual but there was little I could do to hide my uneasiness. "General Sephiroth."
His stare shifted from me to Sephiroth, then to me again. He didn't sound that convinced.
"Hum."
I turned to him slowly, totally ignoring he was pointing a gun at me.
"You woke up ahead of schedule. What happened?"
He narrowed his eyes and seemed to consider my question. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, I saw Dirge diving towards the ground, yet never leaving his tight grasp.
Always mistrustful, I thought.
"There was a fire." He declared, with that rasped voice of his. "Something evil lingered in this place."
I made a face and decided to answer him bluntly.
"Yes, well… It's safe now. Jenova is gone."
He nodded, and scrutinized me, as if trying to grasp if I was actually dangerous or not. Man, what a silly thought. Me, dangerous? Ha.
"I know." He stated. "I feel it's gone."
Our stare locked for a moment and I felt the power inside him. It was different from Sephiroth's, all tones of different from what Mako felt like and I couldn't help but to wonder how he felt, trapped inside his own body, dealing everyday with the alien presence of Chaos.
"How are you feeling?" I dared to ask, and he didn't like that 'personal' question.
"How do you know me?"
"It's a long story, believe me." I dared to say. "You don't have to be so cryptic about everything, Vincent."
He narrowed his stare at me.
"I'm from different place, and I know… everything about…"
"Everybody." Sephiroth completed my sentence and I looked at the General, standing by the other side of the casket.
Vincent Valentine took a few steps towards us and seemed to consider my words.
"You mean, from a different planet?"
Kind of.
"More like a different dimension, so to speak. I got here out of sheer luck."
"Hum." Vincent snorted, and I bit my lip, not knowing if that was a good thing or not. "And how are you capacitated to know everything about everybody?"
Oh, man, that was a hard thing to disclose, right?
"It may sound strange… or even ridiculous, but your reality here..." I paused, trying to gather the correct words to say to the man. "…it's part of a virtual thing called RPG gaming. You're all characters we manipulate under a story frame and a plot previously designed."
"You're right, it sounds strange."
I gulped dry as I processed Vincent's words.
"When I got here it took me a while to grasp I was actually living this… this reality and soon enough I realized I had landed on a time-frame that allowed me to prevent bad things from happen."
"Such as?"
"Well, three months ago SOLDIER 1st Class Zack Fair was here and burned the whole library. I assumed he intended to burn the whole mansion down, but somehow-"
"You assume correctly, Eleanor Stevens." Vincent interrupted me. "The mansion would have burned down to the ground if I hadn't done something about it."
I widened my eyes at the man.
"He used accelerant. Very potent stuff, but I managed to control it and resume it to the opposite wing. Though, I couldn't save the library."
"That's fine." I declared, and smiled a little. "That was okay to be destroyed. Really."
"Why?"
My eyes shifted to Sephiroth, who now rested against the wall, his arms closed. Now, it was difficult to say it, wasn't it?
"Might as well tell the Turk everything. Considering he's as manipulated as I am."
Now that sounded terrible. Vincent didn't like Sephiroth's comment and didn't hide his obvious dislike.
"And how would you know that?"
"Chaos broadcast very specifically. And that isn't part of your body… naturally."
Vincent's frown remained neutral and I wondered if things would fall apart easily. Geez, why couldn't they get a grip on provoking each other?
Thankfully, something interrupted the tense dialogue. A low buzz worked as a diversion and Sephiroth took the opportunity to walk away. His eyes were on the phone's screen and I wondered who that might be.
"Excuse me for a minute." He exited the room and remained outside, keeping an eye on me and Vincent. Who, after a moment, looked back at me.
"You were saying."
"Well, the library had very dangerous documentation. I knew what would happen if the General read them, all about his past and… experimentation, so I warned Zack Fair first to try and avoid that from happening. With that, Zack went along and did what he considered necessary."
"But he took his time reading." Vincent informed. "He read everything concerning Project S and Jenova's involvement on it."
"After that he went to the Reactor and destroyed it. But something happened. He… wasn't himself when he returned."
Vincent tried to make reasoning out of what I was saying.
"So you tried to save his life… involving a different SOLDIER instead, not counting on Jenova's innate capacity of possessing everything in this Planet."
"I thought her preference would land on Sephiroth, considering what he is." I whispered. "I didn't know Jenova could do that, or I would have gone here myself."
"You resent what happened."
"Yes, I didn't want Zack to die, never thought he would die trying to save the Planet. But then, things got out of hand… but thankfully Jenova is now trapped and-."
"We have to go."
Sephiroth's voice came out of the door and I sensed my conversation with Vincent was still beginning. There was so much to say, so much to share and talk about. Vincent's stare was on mine, and I sensed he felt the same way. For some reason I couldn't grasp, Sephiroth didn't want us to chat anymore and what else could I do but to… acquiesce?
I didn't say a word as I walked towards the door, feeling the weight of Vincent's red stare and Sephiroth's Mako gaze on me. There was something uncomfortable on the air and I didn't know what it was exactly.
My steps echoed in the emptiness of the room, and once I reached Sephiroth, Vincent's voice was heard.
"See you around, Eleanor Stevens."
My eyes searched for his and I decided to be evasive.
"Likewise."
And, with a bitter taste on my mouth, I left Shinra Mansion with Sephiroth by my side.
It was dark already.
Sephiroth's POV
There was something awfully familiar about that Turk that bothered me.
I didn't know why, maybe for the fact he was manipulated as well, and undoubtly had suffered in the hands of Hojo as well. That man had the ability of leaving his trademark on his subjects.
As expected, Stevens knew the man better than the acceptable and I couldn't help but to feel put aside as they talked. There seemed to be some hidden information passing by, all beneath the words they exchanged.
That Turk was no ordinary thing. Despite his younger looks, he was older, biologically speaking. Mako and Chaos had been infused in him, years ago, changing he man on the inside and giving him capacities I was sure he hadn't fully explored completely. As to why he had been stuck inside a coffin for years… that was beyond my understanding. Knowing that made me feel sympathy for the man, what actually innerved me. I shouldn't be this weak.
All I recalled were Stevens's words, when she mentioned the man had woken up earlier. So, the man was supposed to be sleeping and Zack had awoken him up…
I wondered about the consequences though. What impact would the Turk awakening ahead of schedule have in our Planet? Another side effect Stevens had created, completely unaware of it.
The Turk had some intel of what happened months ago, and Stevens was crude enough about her own capacities as well. Strangely, he accepted it all too easily, and resumed listening to her attentively.
Something inside me warned me to leave. There was enough for today, enough of giving away to a false, vengeful Turk that Stevens thought she knew. Knowledge had proved dangerous enough, and hadn't stopped bad things from happening.
All she had done was to create a different kind of nightmare, a place where Zack Fair didn't exist and… well, at least Jenova was away, locked in forever on the other side. Thankfully Stevens's place of origin was immune to it and she had no power there. So, in there she would remain. Still, quiet and dormant.
The telephone buzz interrupted me - us. The call was from Medina, so I knew something important was about to be said.
"Yes." I answered, my tone low.
"It's done."
His immediacy worried me a little. Done? What was done!?
"And?"
"I'm not sure if this is good news."
Good grief, I sighed silently.
"Just spill it out."
There was hesitation in the other side of the line.
"It's in her genes." He declared, and I took my time processing his statement. Was it serious? Bad? Whatever? "And all over her organs. Organized, stable, I've never seen Mako behave like this inside a living organism. I don't know what to think of this. What this might… mean in what concerns-"
"Consequences."
"Yes."He agreed. "The rest's pretty okay, as usual."
"Thanks." I said, feeling a little out of words to say.
What should I do with this information? My eyes met Stevens's, who chatted casually with the Turk. So unaware of the dilemma we were in, she actually remained the same, behaved the same, accommodating Mako in such an eventful way. Was that normal? Was that supposed to be like that, anyway?
Mindful silence was all I could wish, to think this over. Consider what to do from now. So, I ended up rather abruptly the conversation between Stevens and the Turk. I needed out of this place. Like, right now.
We walked under the gratifying cold breeze, dark upon the forest, the twilight tones now fading progressively. I sped up a little, realizing Stevens had a little difficulty accompanying me. It was a fact the woods weren't such a safe place - for neither of us. And I wasn't in a mood to kill beasts and mutants of any sort tonight.
"So, what did John say?"
Stevens's voice broke the silence of our walk, mount Nibel down. The lights of the village came to view and my step decelerated a little.
"Nothing extraordinary."
I could hear her breathing, a little affected given the rush of our leaving. Worry and tiredness were there as well, perceivable through her tone.
"Am I okay?"
"For now." I declared, as I turned to stare upon her. Her cheeks were blushed, given the effort of before. "He claims there is no reason to worry." I paused, and decided to change subject. "What else did the Turk say?"
Stevens made a face.
"How do you know Vincent was a Turk?"
"It's their stance. Unquestionably Turk."
She seemed to take her time considering her answer.
"Nothing extraordinary. He's very suspicious over strangers."
"Understandable."
"He has a good heart though."
I nodded at her and in the mist and dark that surrounded us, I realized my eyes weren't the only ones shining bright green tonight. Mako deposited on Stevens's irises, like a neon sign… of sameness.
I gulped dry and averted my stare from her. The thought of her becoming someone like me or someone Mako-manipulated nauseated me. And that, inevitably, got me thinking… about Hojo and how I would enjoy seeing him dead.
"Is it too dark for you?" I ask, probing her visual capacity. Would it be the same as before?
"I can manage, thanks." She answered me, and I decided not to say a thing against.
Stevens was slowly changing, and my concerns went to what to.
-/-
"She has Mako in her irises." I whispered, as I heard John pick up. "Should I worry about it?"
A couple of seconds of silence were needed until I heard Medina's voice.
"Is her vision compromised?"
"I don't think so." I declared, exhaling as I rested my back against the wall. Might as well be honest with the man. "On the contrary." I whispered, and the reaction was immediate, as expected.
"What do you mean, 'on the contrary'?"
"Her vision got enhanced. She…" I paused, feeling a little uncomfortable as I recalled the moment. "She can perfectly see in the dark. Just like I can."
"Oh."
Moments of silence scored the phone line, only the rustling was proof enough the line was still active. So the good doctor didn't have words for this. Not that it surprised me, I didn't have much to say as well.
"Be attentive and if something strange happens let me know immediately."
"Okay." I said, my tone a little flat.
"Stay cool General, I know this is a little too much-"
"How can you stand this?" I asked, feeling a little nauseous. "How can you perform experiments on human beings and simply… observe and remain unaffected?"
There was a pause on the other side.
"I could tell you the same thing, General." Medina stated. "How can you go to war and kill at will, with such ease. I could also ask you, how can you stand it, being like that, and do what you do for a living."
I couldn't say a thing against. He was actually right.
"You're a natural in what you do, just like me, I am in my field. Period."
"I get it." I whispered, and killed the call. I sighed, my stare on the screen, as I wondered how I had gotten so soft. Stevens weakened me, corroded the foundations of my mental stability.
Were feelings supposed to do this? Be this changing?
I didn't know. All I knew was I genuinely feared for her health… and that I felt very possessive over her. Lately, the feeling had intensified, became more urgent.
In the hall of the Inn I remained, silence surrounding me. My eyes went up, and I wondered what she would be doing.
Stevens. Are you okay?
I went up to the room, taking my time. I opened the door and found Stevens staring through the window. She stood, with her dark, tight stuff on her legs - it resembled some kind of pants, fitting her fine. Then, the blouse she wore… matched the green now shining in her irises. In the dark confinement of this room, her ocular anatomy stood out, and it excited me in a rather insane way. Maybe it was the Mako, or maybe it was the fact I had never seen a woman with such… improvement. Yes, that was it: one hell of an add-up.
"You're in high spirits tonight."
I smiled at her, a discreet and knowing smile, and I had the pleasure of seeing her react to my humble action. Her smile, wide and obvious, made my confidence peak. Lazily, I took my gloves off, put them to rest in some piece of furniture next to the door.
You're mine, Stevens, I thought, as I walked towards her. I stopped once I reached her form, and we stood for a while, eyes on each other.
I saw her gulp dry, her heartbeat fast, her breathing catching. Her nervousness was sign enough that she knew something was going to happen tonight.
My mind felt thirsty, longed for her in a way I'd never longed for a woman before. I wanted to have her, take her completely. Deep down inside I wondered if all this desire and wanton could be blamed on Mako. I didn't feel like this in years.
"My eyes." She said, and I sensed her impending doubt.
"You're stable, that's what matters." I cut her, as I wondered where I would touch her first. How would I start this? Stevens seemed a little off, but I didn't let her worries ruin the moment. I need this - so very bad. So, my right hand reached her face, then jaw, proceeding from there.
It was time.
"I am sorry, I-"
My sudden action silenced her. Mouths glued, lips sealed and a terrible lust building inside me. In the calmness of this bedroom, the noises of outside faded completely, as my mind focused on the woman I held right now. Her feeble anatomy, her fragility incited me, urging me to squeeze her form into mine. Her muffled moan was proof enough she was actually enjoying it.
The kiss proceeded, got daring. The movements were naughty and Stevens panted against me, her eyes closed, her lips wet and sensitive.
There was occasional shifting, her hands around my neck and some neck whispering. But I got impatient by the third round of kissing and decided I should step forward. In a matter of speaking.
I held Stevens, now with her feet dangling on air, and transported her to the bed.
"Ah…" Her eyes turned strangely brighter as she took her time gazing upon me. There was something in her face, in her stare that made me hesitate for a moment, but the way her body accommodated mine right above her, even with clothes on, gave me confidence to go on.
"Let me." I whispered against the flesh of her neck, and I closed my eyes at the way she smelled. For the Planet, how inciting could a scent be? With my nose on her neck I inhaled, licking the sensitive skin right below her ear line.
The result was a gratifying moan and her pulse quickened. I couldn't wait to undress her, touch her and be inside her once and for all.
'Anatomically, she's like any regular woman, despite her unique genetic background', I recalled, Medina had once reported, by the time Stevens had been found. By then, I hadn't paid attention, she didn't interest me in the least. How that had changed since that time.
Who would have known I would want her with such intensity, crave her body and soul only for myself?
There was no actual explanation for this. I felt what I felt and I just wanted her right freaking now.
My hands traveled to the hem of her blouse and, in a sudden move, the item was off her, landing with a dry thud on the floor. Stevens stared at me for a moment, and I took my time realizing she had black underwear on, a bra that definitely suited her very nicely, but I honestly longed for its absence. Her tender, warm skin, sensitive beneath my touch, gave away her silly anxiety, which fed, in a slight sick way, my confidence.
Stevens panted against my mouth, as I dared to hold her back with my right hand and her own trembling hands landed against my chest.
But of course.
With my left hand I proceeded to unbutton the shirt, exposing my own anatomy to her as well. Her eyes shone in a different way as she took me in, which proved to be very gratifying. And a complete turn on.
My shirt was off me in a second, and I dared to rest my face in her chest, my nose and lips touching the sensitive, available skin of her left breast.
"Oh, God."
Her soft whisper fed my ego, and I smiled wickedly at myself. Stevens's right hand landed on my hair and I wondered, oh I wondered how tempting would be the surprises beneath her underwear. So inevitably, I got greedy over her.
My right hand grasped her neck, rendering her still as I prepared to have what was mine, but something changed as I, gradually, got aware of how tense Stevens became underneath me.
She breathed panic as she panted, her eyes open wide, as if I was doing something totally irascible.
What the hell was that?
She gulped dry, the movements of her throat tickling the skin of my hand. My eyes met hers and in there, sadly, I saw everything I didn't want to see.
So, in a sudden movement, I got off her and retrieved my shirt in a mechanical movement. I turned with my back to her, I just didn't want to see or feel more emotions flowing off her.
"Sephiroth?"
Her tone was questioning, and I decided to cut the chase right there and then.
"You're dead scared of me."
"No." She said, and I turned, only to see her sitting on the bed, exactly the way I had left her. Underwear on, with those… pants half way down her thigh. "Come on, where did you get that idea from?"
I snorted, hating this stupid game of hers.
"Stop lying to me." I had been very rasp, and my tone far from friendly or tender. Her face changed demeanor and I wondered what she would say to justify her sudden change of behavior. "Your breathing, your fear. I can feel it."
Stevens didn't deny it, she merely sighed and tried to gather coherence to actually justify herself to me.
"You were being a little possessive and I'm not used to be handled like that-"
"Possessive?" I interrupted, and narrowed my eyes at her. I couldn't just believe what she was saying. Stevens blinked at me, with a rather despaired expression on her face.
"You were unclothing me like…like…" My eyes were on her as she struggled for words. She didn't have to say it though, because I knew who she meant. My fixes. "I'm not like that."
I shook my head at her and decided I wanted to hear her say that.
"Like what?"
She took a deep breath, avoided my stare as she talked.
"We barely kissed, for Christ's sake, I'm not ready to-"
"Lies." I interrupted her again. I didn't have patience for this bullshit. "You still see me like the monster you were used to."
My accusation was direct and straight to Stevens's soft spot. The sadder thing about this was realizing that I was right, when I thought we had passed that phase long ago. Apparently I was wrong.
Way wrong. I breathed the lust filled air inside the bedroom, the scent angering me, enraging me. This was all a big, huge lie. I was a quest, for her. Probably, a way of figuring out how nasty The General could actually be.
How disappointing, Stevens.
The very thought of Stevens playing games with me - me, of all persons, had a very strong impact in my inner self. The air became claustrophobic, and in a second, I was out of that place.
"No, I-" She said, as I closed the door behind me. "Sephiroth!"
I couldn't hear her, couldn't think straight as her voice echoed in my mind. I locked my jaw as I strolled stairs down, exiting the Inn.
I needed to take my mind out of the gutter. My grasp became hard on the handle of my sword, and in that moment I knew where I should be headed to.
The woods.
A/N - Happy new 2015 guys. This is a huge chapter for a change, you all deserve it :)
You know the drill, please read and review, I can't wait to read your comments! From this moment on, things will change… you know how stubborn the general can be when he wants to! Surprise, surprise!
Enjoy!