Author's Notes: My friend Alex-kun, better known on as Darius Ex Machina, recently took up the mantle of doing the FF100 for Seph. And he took my current obsession with Reeve/Seph and wrote one of his themes with it. I can't help it, it's so cute. So I actually did a partner piece for it under the same theme. Wrote the same scene from Reeve's POV and then some. So enjoy it. Go read his FF100 stuff too because it's great.
Theme: Smell
Freedom
The question had been posed to us, the objective clear. Before the final battle, Cloud asked that we go and think about if we really wanted to fight. Obedient as ever, my little Cait had hopped off to ponder the question with me.
"Are we sure that we wanna do this?" the feline asked over the comm., and even miles away, I hear his question from my portable control for the bot, AKA my watch.
My eyes were soon closed and my face tilted towards the sky, as if seeking out the warmth of the sun that I could neither see nor feel. Was I sure? Yes. I had a promise to fulfill.
"Yes Cait," I responded, eyes opening at last. "We are sure."
"But what are we fighting for?" the feline responded. Odd how he never used the first person when he spoke to me.
The question startled me enough to take my mind from what was soon to come. For a while my mind had to wonder, searching its depths for a good answer. It returned with the smell of leather mixed with a scent that could only be described as silver.
"For freedom Cait. We are fighting for freedom."
"Our freedom?"
A shake of my head was the response until I remembered that he couldn't see it. "No. His."
"His?"
"Sephiroth's."
With a sigh I regarded the Wutain walking next to me.
"You know it will only succeed in irritating him Tseng."
The graceful Turk gave me one of those gentle smiles of his, "Now Reeve, you know it won't," but the gleam in his eyes showed his pleasure in the knowledge that it would.
Knowing I would get no where with the male, I turned my attention instead to the blonde woman before me. Tseng knew that the only one Sephiroth could potentially hate more than Hojo or Scarlet, or even Tseng himself, was Elena. She hit on anything with the proper equipment… if they were under forty years of age that is. Somehow even at the age of 32 I managed to slip beneath her notice romantically.
"Yo Elena," Reno said, cutting in to try and warm the chill developing between myself and my lovely Wutain bed warmer. "You know the Vice President is gonna be there, don't ya?"
The blonde nodded, "Rufus is so great! I'm gonna…"
"Man, I can just see it now. All your perkiness is, like, gonna ruin our reputation in his eyes."
The face of the girl fell. "That would be bad."
"Yep. Since he's really the one to sign our pay checks. So, ya know, tone it down a little bit."
I felt a wave of hope wash over me as she nodded in response.
Before me now is opened the door to the conference room, and I cannot help but pause to smile. In the same chair as always, but earlier than could ever be expected of him, sits my angel. Well, he doesn't know that he has that title, but I don't hold it against him. With a smile I watch him reading his briefing as the Turks stream in, and that angel looks up. As well as I know him, I know that those feline-like mako eyes aren't on me. They've flickered to Reno, who waves and flashes Sephiroth quickly before moving to his seat and flopping down in a manner that suggests a lack of bones. As angry as such an action from the red-head makes me, the twitch of a half-smile from the general makes it acceptable for now.
What isn't acceptable was the screech that reaches my ears a moment after Sephiroth ducks down to hide. Elena is instantly at his side, making my blood boil, but I hide that fact.
"OOOH! Sephy-wephy kins! What is the matter?"
Both Reno and I cringe. There goes her promise to behave. Worst of all, Tseng does nothing about it as the blonde woman continues. I can't help but to give myself a mental memo to punish him for that later. In fact, all he does is sigh and shake his head before going to his seat. And so, yet to be noticed by the one that holds my heart, I head to my normal seat, the one across from Sephiroth.
Sometimes I wonder how people can think of the General as a cold bastard, and he does something to remind me. The malicious stare those feline eyes send towards Tseng and that demented grin hidden behind his arm are some of the few signs I ever see. I mean sure, his voice, that cool and pure tenor, could achieve such menacing sounds, but since none have ever been directed at me, since so rarely have I found any walls against me in him…
Then he sits up, and finally really sees me. Unable to help myself, I direct what I hope is a warm and comforting smile at the cold man. The steely warrior doesn't even flinch, those cold eyes not even warming in the slightest. Yet I know that he's glad to see me, it's all there. Unlike with the others, he keeps eye contact with me as a sign of respect, and then he is the first to break it, something he only ever does with close friends.
Every once in a while that whole thing just makes me so happy. At those times I get to thinking 'God, if having him as a friend makes me fell this good, how good would it feel to be the General's lover?', and this is one of those times. The feel of his leg brushing mine under the table sets parts of my mind crazy with delight, and my fingers begin to run over the manila cover of the briefing that I really should be reading. Instead my fingers pretend they are brushing over the beautiful flesh of my angel.
Yet his stoic silence, his inability to lift his eyes to mine again shakes the fantasies from the upper levels of consciousness for me so that I can speak.
"Hello Sephiroth. Anything the matter?" I ask, quite surprised that my already bass voice does hold a dusky trace of the lust suddenly burning inside of me. Despite years of self-control, one of my hands slip down to my lap and trace little patterns upon my thigh through the stiff fabric of my pants.
Still he doesn't respond and I feel even more worry for him. Maybe he was sick. Worry doubled now. Illness that struck the mako laden were always bad, and word was that one was making its way through the ranks of some of the SOLDIER. Well, at least his eyes are on me now. But he still isn't blinking.
"I hope you're not sick, there's a bug going around you know."
Finally the tall warrior blinks, but only when my hand reaches across the table to rest upon his.
"Sephiroth?" I ask again, keeping the worry from my voice.
"Sorry," he mutters, voice cold and commanding even when submissive, "I was just thinking…"
Relief flooded through me as he finished by adding, "I'm feeling fine…" and throwing in his usual poor excuse for a smile with it.
"I'm glad," my words came, luckily not colored with relief, "but you better pay attention because we're starting now."
For good measure I added a hint of one of my own warm smiles before looking towards Rufus. The smile only grows when I hear a whisper of "Thanks Reeve." The whole meeting passes with my mind upon the idea of what other sounds I wish I could drive from the icy male. By that evening's end I had taken it all out upon Tseng, praying that he didn't hear me whisper Seph's name in the end.
"Why are we fighting for Sephiroth's freedom?" the feline asks, stirring me from memories.
"Because…" I start, not knowing how to finish.
What could I say? Could I admit to the years of secret love, to the months of mourning at his death, to the memory of a glorious body pressed against mine for one night while I worshipped him in all of the ways that he deserved. No… Those were my memories, as was the promise that no matter what, I'd do everything in my power to protect him… Even losing him to death again…
For a moment my fingers brush against my lips, remembering the only kisses that ever stirred something like love in me…
"Because Cait everyone deserves freedom."
And I look around my prison and accept his little affirmative beep. For a moment, I can almost swear that I can smell him… He always smelled like leather and silver…