Little Bird: Chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own any final fantasy material, be it names, weapons, characters, modes of transportation, etc.
Warning: This story contains homosexuality, sex (both consensual and non) and gore. Please do not read if you are offended by any of this. Also, I have not played crisis core and so there will be no references to that game in here.
Sephiroth slept draped around Cloud, cradling him as one would a toy or a pet, enjoying the fact that as much as his captive wished to, he was unable to damage him. He enjoyed feeling his former subordinate squirm as he held him gently, whispering softly in his ear. He rarely left Cloud on his own, feeling that the poor boy would become lonely. Or try to escape. Both of these things were unacceptable.
Sephiroth knew that his captive was only feigning sleep by the faint trembling of his shoulders. It excited him to see the revulsion and fear displayed so openly on the once somber Cloud's features. Staring down at the young man made the tiny portion of humanity left in him twist painfully when he saw how Cloud's face was slowly hollowing with malnutrition. Anger at his own weakness brought him to dig his nails into Cloud's arm fiercely, causing those blue eyes to snap open in shock.
A shiver of giddiness ran up Sephiroth's spine, and for a brief moment his breath caught in his throat at the sight of the blonde wide pained eyes. After a moment, the anxiety was gone and he allowed the thrill of excitement to wash over him once more, assuming an expression of mock sternness. "I must leave again my precious one. Be a good little birdie and stay here in your cage. If I'm in a charitable mood when I return I may even let you fly around for a while." Cloud looked ready to retort but before he could say anything Sephiroth was already at the door and heading back up the steps.
'I must be more careful.' The General though mildly. 'If I'm not, poor Cloud may fade away until he is nothing at all, and I can't have that. I would be so lonely… All alone, with only my memories. Fake. They are all fake. Only echoes of false memories bouncing of the walls of empty rooms. It's enough to drive one crazy.'
He reached the top of the old stairs, cursing himself for forgetting to blindfold Cloud in his hurry to fetch the other man some more nourishing food. Sephiroth stuck his thumbnail savagely into his other fingers in a small gesture of self punishment and a reminder to not be as foolhardy as he had this evening.
Upon hiding the entrance to the basement, Sephiroth mused on how strange it was that Cloud's rag-tag group of heroes hadn't thought to check the Shinra Manor thoroughly for their friend. They had certainly been through the town countless times in search of him, and had even resorted to breaking into houses that looked suspect. Aside from the upper floors however, the old Shinra building had remained untouched. It helped that Sephiroth continued to plant false trails throughout the world, but it could simply be their limited knowledge of him. If this were the case, the last place they would expect him to reside would be in the basement where his insanity supposedly crystallized. 'But I'm not insane.' He thought, throwing a black cloak over himself to hide his identity from public view. 'Madmen have no rationality.'
He stepped out of the mansion and breathed in the fresh night air, allowing himself a single moment to enjoy the sight of the quiet town. 'This too is false.' He reminded himself. 'Years ago I destroyed this, and one day, I shall do it again. For now though, I must live with the knowledge that I failed to rip the life from this world. I failed Mother.' But Jenova was not, in fact, his mother and though he now knew this and the fact stung him bitterly, he could not bring himself to call her anything else.
Sephiroth used the hood to shroud his face and walked into the small crowds. They took no notice of him, and why should they? He had certainly paid this town enough not to pry into his affairs. Of course, if they knew who he was, no amount of gossip could keep them quiet, so as far as they knew, he was simply a wealthy, slightly eccentric hermit. His lip curled slightly. 'Ignorant fools.'
He purchased a bit of roasted meat, glad that he had never had a use for Shinra company's money until now. The man at the stall accepted his money nervously, not daring to look farther than Sephiroth's hands until the strange man had moved far enough away that he felt safe. On the outskirts of town, Sephiroth took a final look back at the illusion of life that the villagers held before heading back to the mansion.
"I'm back my sweet, have you been good?" Blue eyes stared at him reproachfully through the darkness. "What the hell could I have done!?" Cloud snapped "I can't move!" Sephiroth crossed to him and pulled out a set of keys from around his neck, unfastening the locks one by one, until the chains fell loose. The young blonde man's eyes grew frantic and the general watched him lunge forward, only to flop over limply when he found that his limbs were numb with disuse. "That was foolish Cloud. You aren't an idiot so stop behaving like one."
He propped up his former subordinate and removed his shoes, massaging the boy's feet. Sephiroth pretended not to hear the sharp intake of breath as pins and needles began to shoot through Cloud. He continued his treatment up to the blonde's thighs, down his arms, and then, after flipping Cloud on to his stomach, he worked the kinks out of the young man's back. He regretted slightly that he hadn't moved Cloud except when he allowed the boy to relieve himself.
"Why did you do that?" asked the small voice from the floor. "Are you letting me go?" Something icy and cruel squirmed in Sephiroth's body, causing him to grab Cloud's hair and wrench up the dear boy's head. "Oh but you can't leave yet my darling," He half growled half purred as he bit down on the soft neck. "I would miss you too much, and besides, your hatred isn't nearly strong enough yet. Perhaps you would be more obedient if I removed the illusion of rescue. I wonder what that woman's head would look like if it were pickled, hm? Of course, we would need to chop off all of that hair first."
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Cloud saw red and immediately forgot about the pain in his limbs, lunging at Sephiroth like a rabid dog. His superior's eyes seemed to glitter with delight as he knocked Cloud back. "Is that the best you can do Cloud? You're rustier than I thought!" The blonde staggered to his feet and came after the man once more, aiming his first punch right at Sephiroth's face. When that was blocked, he tried to
hook his left fist into the general's ribs before it was grabbed and he was flung into the table. His back was forced down onto the steel table top with his superior shoved between his legs.
"Idiot boy. Look at the position you've put yourself in. You aren't strong enough. Not Yet." The man lowered his face to Cloud's neck and made a long, deliberate line with his tongue. Cloud squirmed, pounding his fists against Sephiroth's back to no avail. Instead, his fists were caught and held together in the silver haired man's iron grip. "It is admirable that you continue to fight me Cloud, stupid, but admirable."
Clouds arms were forced above his head with one of Sephiroth's hands while the other slipped up his shirt, stroking the malnourished torso. The blonde felt the blood rush to his groin and bit his lip, panting as the older man looked down at him. "Get off me. Now." He hissed through clenched teeth at the man he had once so worshipped.
Sephiroth's smile gleamed in the semi darkness and he withdrew his hands slowly. "As you wish." Cloud's body relaxed a little as his superior withdrew and picked up another package, presumably from where he had just come from. He let himself slide off the table and onto the ground, the fight having gone out of him. He didn't stay on the floor long, as he was soon yanked to his feet and made to sit in a lab chair.
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The general unwrapped the meat and placed it in front of the exhausted Cloud. He was impressed that the boy had managed as much of an attack as he had and was more than a little surprised that his subordinate was able to move at all. The blonde looked at the meat suspiciously and prodded it with his index finger. "Eat. Why would I have poisoned the food after I just unchained you?" Cloud bit his lip and looked up. "'Cause you're a sadistic bastard who thinks it would be fun to give me hope before crushing it again?"
Sephiroth looked pensive. "Well, yes, there is that I suppose, but poison? I thought you knew me better than that Cloud. I enjoy blood. I like seeing how much I can get out of a person before they die." He smiled a little dreamily before adding; "But I don't want you dead. Now eat your dinner, it will help you regain your strength in time." Cloud ate, and Sephiroth watched as his face lit up with all of flavors that burst on his tongue. 'I truly do treasure him' the clarity of this thought hit him hard, causing him to bite his cheek until it bled. 'Somehow… somehow he has become precious to me. But this changes nothing, especially regarding us.'
"Sephiroth?"
Cloud's voice jolted him out of his thoughts. "Could I ask you a few questions?" The boy looked more timid than he had ever seen him. The silver haired man gave a nod of consent. "I want to know, what happens to me now? You say you won't kill me, but you also won't let me go." Sephiroth's left eyebrow twitched just slightly before the corners of his mouth turned up in a wicked grin. "I never said I wouldn't kill you Cloud. I simply said I didn't want you dead. From today onwards, you will slowly grow stronger and I will teach you to fight properly. My reasons are purely selfish I assure you dear one, but you will become a worthy fighter again."
A tendril of glee squirmed in Sephiroth's stomach when he saw the blonde's tense once more with rebellion and hate. The general steepled his fingers under his chin and cocked his head ever so slightly to the side. "Any more questions?" He asked the rigid young man. "Just one." Cloud snarled. "Why the fuck are you still alive?"
Sephiroth closed his eyes for a moment, remembering their last battle, remembering the hesitation and regret on Cloud's face before he drove his sword into the silver haired man's torso. A tiny bitter smile tugged at the right side of his thin lips and he opened his eyes halfway. "That is obvious. I'm alive because you didn't kill me." And with that, he stood and went to the half library at the other side of the room. He did not speak to Cloud for the rest of the night.
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Well, that was chapter one folks! I hope that you are enjoying the story so far, as I am having a fun time writing it. I will try to update as often as possible, but I am currently juggling school and a job so we'll see how that works out. To my reviewers!
amberblood- Huzzah for first reviews! After reading yours I started craving pears, but alas, there were none to be found! The story thinks you're delicious too 3!
kelle611- Thank you! I hope that the story end up meeting your standards!
Black Materia- Unfortunatly, since Tifa is one of Cloud's friends, she will probably be knocked back in. As for updates, I'll see what I can do as far as speed goes and hope for the best!
Thank you to all those who read, enjoyed and hopefully reviewed the introduction. I slurp up the affaction like Zombies slurp up brains!