"So that's it then? You're breaking up with me?"
I can't say I was surprised. I mean, come on, the most we had done to date was hold hands. He could be charming and sweet and kind in his own dark and melancholy way, but there was nothing behind it. I knew what he was getting at before he even tried to say the words. The whole relationship was one based upon respect and trust, but not one of passion. He had his moments, like the exotic dance moves he pulled off the night beforehand, but I didn't have feelings for him in that way. We were better off being honest friends than masquerading as a couple when we didn't honestly look at each other like that.
"I've said it before; I'm not good at this sort of thing... Aeris, please don't take it the wrong way."
Of course, I had to tease him about it, patient understanding aside.
I put my hands to my hips and leaned forward slightly, a piteous look on my face. "Whatever am I going to do without you? I'm going to die alone and unloved!" I raised a hand to brush away an imaginary tear.
The Great Sephiroth had the most perplexed look on his face, his expressions showing more easily than normal. It was a cross between a 'I really messed this up, didn't I' scowl that would put Tseng to shame, and a general look of total bewilderment. He was about to trip over a response, but I waved a hand and decided to go easy on the poor guy. And I had the perfect line about wanting his babies that would send his mind reeling for probably the rest of his natural life...
"I'm just teasing, you know. Though, I wouldn't mind if we could still hang out together?" I suggested. "Going to dinner doesn't necessarily have to count as a date, you know."
"I'd be fine with that. I... Need some time, though."
"I know. You have a lot on your mind." Honestly, he must have the noisiest head I've ever heard of. He's always off brooding about something, though this time it was mostly my own fault. I really had no idea about the orphanage and his connection to it.
He was walking me home to my place in Sector 5. We had to cut through a dense thicket of houses made up of scrap metal and cardboard and really anything that could be piled up and called shelter. He went silent for a while, his expression changing briefly only twice on the walk to glare at any grungy passerbys that passed a little too close.
I let him be in his own little world for the rest of the walk, tearing him away from it only when we got to the front door of my house. "Don't be a stranger, okay? And you know, you can talk to me about anything," I told him.
He nodded in the affirmative, still caught on something in his mind.
I sighed, then I hugged him. "I'm your friend and I want to be there for you, when you need me. Take care of yourself, oh Great Sephiroth."
He hesitated before returning the hug, but he broke it off shortly after he did, said his goodbyes, and was on his way.
"He broke up with you?"
"Well yeah, but it's okay. We're still friends," I explained. That didn't seem to make Elmyra too happy, and she turned back to the sink full of dishes. "What's wrong?" I asked.
"Oh, nevermind me. It's just that... These are dangerous friends you keep."
"Uhm, what?"
"Sephiroth, in particular. He's the strongest person anyone's ever known. What if he ever got angry at you and hurt you?" She turned away from the sink to face me.
"Well gee, I kind of figured he'd be the safest person to hang out with, what with where we live and the local crime rate..." I wrinkled my nose in frustration. "Why this now?"
Elmyra paused, looking at something distant and nearly forgotten.
"It's the anniversary, isn't it?" I said quietly. I regretted saying it as soon as it left my mouth, just those words made her look like she was going to crumple to the floor and cry.
"The war goes on for seven long years, and then out of nowhere, Sephiroth goes in and ends it the first time he's on the battlefield. If he had been just a couple weeks sooner..."
"You don't know what he's been through. It wasn't like it was his choice-"
"It wasn't my husband's choice either! Conscription's not much of a choice!" she snapped.
I didn't want to dignify that with a response. I couldn't dignify that with a response. I felt myself becoming angry, and it's not like I could say anything to bring her down. It was a yelling match in the making, and the best option was to just not be a part of it. I stood up and grabbed my boots and my coat and hastily put them on, going for the door.
"Just where do you think you're going?" She tried to block my way but I moved past her and got my hand on the door.
"Out."
"It's the middle of the night. You're not going anywhere."
I turned and glared at her. "You're not my mother. My mother is dead. And before you start with that selfish crap again, it wasn't her choice to die either."
"If you want to continue having a place to sleep, you'll head upstairs right now."
"Maybe I'll sleep in a ditch and get mugged and killed, I don't care. All I know is I can't deal with you right now, and I'm not coming back until you get over yourself." Before she could respond, I went out the door quickly and slammed it behind me as hard as I could.
"Tonight, we're going to listen in on his late-night caller."
"Reno, this is a serious invasion of privacy you know."
"Oh come on 'Laney, don't you want to hear what they talk about?" He gave one of his twisted yet charming grins, the one that's the hardest to resist.
"I think you're going to get us all fired, but what the heck. We've already gone as far as to hide in the hotel just across from Tseng's apartment."
Elena went to the window to look out at the streets below while Rude set up the computer. We're so busted. He's going to know. The feeling of impending doom was as if she had a pair of hands eternally wrapped around her throat, slowly getting tighter until she couldn't breathe. She pulled at her tie uncomfortably.
Tseng had some fancy Wutaiian drapes for all of his windows that were an orange and red silk sheen, you could make out shapes and movement, but no real details about his apartment. Reno said that when he saw it (When he broke in to bug his phone, of course) there were swords racked up against every wall. Some foreign, some ancient, some custom-made for one reason or another. And all the lights were dimmer than usual, giving the whole place an eerie feel to it, yet appropriate for a man who loved shadows and secrets.
"Right on, we're ready to go!" Reno cheered. Elena moved over to the computer to see.
The phone was ringing.
"Wow, she's calling already? She's at least an hour early..." Reno mentionned.
"Shush, I want to hear," Elena said, eliciting a wolfish smile of pride from Reno, having sucked her completely into his game.
The first voice was Tseng's own, plain and distinguished.
"Hummingbird, is that you?"
The second was small and effeminate, and sounded like it had been crying.
"Hawk, yes, I..."
"Are you alright?"
"... Can you catch me?"
"I'll be at the end soon."
"... Okay."
The call ended. Reno was not impressed. In fact, he was furious.
"What the hell was that? They have freaking code names!?"
Elena thought about it for a moment. "Do you think they always use them, or that they know we're spying on them?"
Reno was pacing quickly across the room, halfway to tearing his hair out by the fistful. "I don't know. It's impossible to tell."
"He's leaving," Rude thundered from his position at the window. Elena spared it a glance and noticed Tseng getting into his car. An ash-grey sweatshirt and jeans, not his usual attire.
"Okay," Reno said, calming down. "'Can you catch me' makes me think he's going to pick her up. But 'I'll be at the end soon'?"
"The train graveyard is the only place I can think of. Maybe it's a meeting spot?"
Reno stopped to consider it, and Rude was already in his coat and heading for the door. "We go," the mountain rumbled, and in a moment Reno and Elena were ready to follow.
Author's note: M-M-M-M-MONSTER UPDATE! Sorry again for massive delays, hopefully the sheer size of this chapter helps some. Still many fun arcs to follow, will probably start next chapter tonight, again no schedule exists.