Chapter 14

At precisely 7 pm that next Saturday night, Tseng fiddled with his tie and smoothed down his hair. This was so nerve-wracking. Only but for the great move to Midgar at the age of three had he ever before felt so nervous as he did now. Sephiroth and Vincent could not possibly approve of him, he was too old for Yazoo... and what job should the man say he had... Property management was a polite way of putting what he did for a living. He would go with that... Shuffling his feet as he finally stood before the grand double front door of the large house, he rang the door bell and cleared his throat uncomfortably.

The door was pulled open immediately, as if Yazoo had been waiting for him. Before he invited Tseng in he stepped outside, closing the door behind him. "You look good!" he assessed, looking Tseng up and down in his suit. He himself wore a black turtleneck and black pants. He'd pulled his hair up in a pony tail. "There's a few things you should know before we go inside: my brother is a bitch, he'll do everything to catch you off-guard. But don' worry, Vincent is there, he is nice."

"Thank you," Tseng pulled the youth to him, gently giving him a soft kiss on the forehead so as not to muss the little one's face or hair. "I really like your hair like that. I will be careful with them. I am a little nervous, granted. I am much older than you..."

"Oh, yeah..." He knew there had been something he had forgotten to mention... "Anyway, that should be one of our littlest concerns. Just don't mention that you are a rapist, murderer, sociopath or mafioso." Yazoo took the man's hand and finally dragged him into the house.

"Mafioso?" Tseng whispered, feeling his stomach churn. He was in fact, something like a mafioso... "Ehm," he cleared his throat again, steeling himself with his best mild face. He was a property management official... yeah...

When they met with a slim dark haired man in the hallway, the two stopped. The other man had obviously not been expecting him.

"...Good evening," Vincent said carefully, putting out his hand. He had just come from changing for dinner with a guest and was headed back to the kitchen to check on the meal. "I am Vincent. Very nice to meet you...Tseng?" He asked the name again to be certain it was the right man. A worried look was thrown Yazoo's way to let the teen know that he was certain that Sephiroth would not want to accept this.

"Yes, that's my boyfriend." Yazoo held onto Tseng's arm confidently. He acknowledged the look, but didn't change anything about his attitude. Sephiroth would be unhappy no matter what. "Is dinner ready yet? Otherwise I'll show Tseng my room."

"Um, yes, please take him on the full tour," Vincent nodded, suddenly nervous about letting a man enter Yazoo's room with him but... if they made the rounds, perhaps they wouldn't be able to tarry in the youth's room too long and also, they should meet Sephiroth on their way. "Dinner should be ready in about 15 minutes."

"Thank you," Tseng bowed in a show of respect and Vincent did the same but it was a bit stiff as he was really trying to oblige Yazoo his freedoms, even though now the urge to follow them around was pressing.

"Sure. Come on." Yazoo dragged Tseng upstairs, eager to show him to his room. Just as they vanished, Sephiroth came out of the dining room. "Is he here already?" he looked at his watch. Well, at least that Tseng fellow was punctual.

"Yes, he is..." Vincent replied cautiously. "Seph, just so you know... he's a little older than Yaz."

Sephiroth narrowed his eyes. "How much older is.. a little older?"

Vincent studied Sephiroth's face and then automatically threw himself a sideways look in the hallway mirror. "I think he might be around our age."

"... What?" Sephiroth looked at Vincent as if he had grown another head. "You have to be kidding me."

"Well, if you think about it, it does make sense..." Vincent replied thoughtfully. "He looks up to you and I, only really has related to us... perhaps he is not really interested in meeting his peers right now. Perhaps the activity will remedy that, forcing him to have company in his own age group." He shrugged.

"Are you saying that my innocent, naive teenage brother is dating a grown man, most likely a pedophile?!" Sephiroth's face was contorted in irritation and shock and he turned to run upstairs and beat that Tseng guy into a bloody pulp. Of all people! Oh, he had known that letting Yazoo outside would lead to this, it could only end in a disaster!

"Yes, that is what I'm saying..." Vincent retorted, grabbing his arm. "If he really wants to be with Yazoo like that, like some deviant, wouldn't you think he would have lured our baby into some dark corner and had his way already? Yazoo still seems normal to me. He has been a good boy and is still alive, still listens to us as well. I don't think a real pedophile would have wanted to meet us, would not want Yazoo to speak outwardly of him at all, would have made it a secret to protect something shameful... don't you?"

"Or maybe he is just bold and insolent enough to waltz into our home and claim what is ours!" Despite his words though Sephiroth stopped, his temper lowering a bit. This was a travesty! "I will not allow this, Vincent," he ground out, balling his hands into fists.

"He seems respectful and proper, and I don't believe he would do such a thing. Fine, make him run your toughest emotional gauntlet if you must but you will be civil with him, Sephiroth. If he proves himself out to hurt our darling, you can give him the heave ho and beat some sense into him, on my honor." Vincent let go of Sephiroth's arm now, as the man was closed to him but he stood there, awaiting a response.

"I will, mark my words," the silver haired man growled, but he did go back to the dining room, sitting down. Oh, he would destroy that monster...

Meanwhile Yazoo showed Tseng around the first floor. "That's my room," he opened the door proudly. All day he had done nothing but cleaning up, even getting Sephiroth to joke that maybe a boyfriend was doing him some good after all.

"Wow, it's very nice, Yazoo," Tseng smiled, taking in all the details he had missed, secretly impressed that the boy had vacuumed and dusted for him. Before, the room was already immaculately tidied but now, he could smell the cleansers and carpet freshener. He wanted to get close, feeling like he needed the support but it wouldn't be polite. Yazoo had graciously invited him over to meet the family. If they caught anything they perceived to be hanky-panky right now, then this relationship was doomed from the start. To satisfy a little bit of outward affection though, the dark bodyguard placed a hand on one of the youth's shoulders in encouragement. He nodded to the small desk where he could see textbooks. "Do you spend most of your time in here then?"

"Sometimes..." Yazoo said vaguely. "You want to see my gun?"

"Sure," Tseng replied. "You have your own?" He was a little surprised at that but it did seem as though Yazoo knew his way around guns and so probably was well aware of the dangers. He himself had been equipped with one since his early teens, when Shinra started sending him out on more dangerous errands.

Yazoo went to his desk and opened the lowest drawer to take out a little box. He put it on the desk and opened it carefully. "Actually it is Vincent's, but he lets me practice with it. I have no ammo and Seph doesn't know about it." It was a simple gun, a bit older but Yazoo cleaned it religiously. It was his biggest treasure.

"Oh, that's a lovely piece," Tseng murmured lowly, first assessing if any noise came from the hall before he stepped closer to run a finger over the barrel. "I can see that you care for it very much. It is a very lucky gun." He smiled down at the youth.

"Thanks," Yazoo smiled back. Then his eye was caught by the clock on the wall and he put the gun back into the drawer. "We should go downstairs. Seph's anal about being punctual." He rolled his eyes but Tseng just nodded so they made their way back down.

Sephiroth sat at the table, trying to hide his impatience. He had to hand it to Vincent, he had really put some effort into setting the table nicely; there were candles, their most expensive, delicate china, beautifully folded red napkins on the white table cloth... Some classical music was quietly playing and the smell from the kitchen was mouth watering.

Sephiroth did not feel comfortable at all. All his walls had gone up and he knew that he resented that Tseng guy already. And where were they anyways?! Dinner was ready to be served, at least he could hear Vincent prepare the plates in the kitchen...

"And that's the dining room," he heard Yazoo say from the hallway and a second later they entered.

Tseng quietly stood behind Yazoo, respectfully not touching him as he knew that somewhere down here awaited... ah... A formidable silver haired man sat already watching him from the head of the dinner table. The dark assassin bowed stiffly, introducing himself at the start. "Good evening, sir, my name is Tseng."

Sephiroth stood. "I see." He didn't extent his hand and he didn't bow. He simply scrutinized the man icily. Well, he had to admit that this Tseng was a good-looking fellow, but that didn't make him less suspicious or more appropriate to date his brother.

"My name is Sephiroth. I am Yazoo's older brother and guardian." There was a slight thread in his voice. Yazoo rolled his eyes and pulled back a chair.

"Let's sit down, I think dinner's ready soon."

Tseng placed his hand on Yazoo's, taking over the back of the chair so he could sit and then helped himself to the chair beside it. "Have you lived here long?" he asked, trying to make some small talk, the question out there for anyone to answer but his eyes once more shifting to the head of household humbly.

"I have lived here long enough. How about you? I understand that you are originally not from this town." 'Or even this country', Sephiroth added darkly in thoughts. His eyes never let go of the man. He wouldn't be fooled by him. Not one bit, and he would not allow this ridiculous 'relationship' to continue.

"That is correct," Tseng offered. "My family moved to this country when I was three years old from Wutai but I am very familiar with it and Midgar is my home now." He said it casually, without remorse for the loss of his home country. It had been something he hadn't thought about for ages as it was never a happy subject. He had adored Wutai.

"I see. How old are you? You seem significantly older than 20. Don't you think you are too old to date my brother? Actually, you could be charged for pedophilic actions." Sephiroth took his napkin and routinely placed it over his leg. Vincent had to be here with the food soon, and then he would have to hold back a bit. There was a foot connecting with his shin under the table and Yazoo threw him furious stare, but Sephiroth ignored it and looked back at Tseng calmly. "So? What are your intentions?"

tbc?

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