CHAPTER THREE
If I Never Knew You, If I Never Felt this Love
It didn't take long for Fate to prove Sephiroth correct.
The first orphan was a kitten.
So, okay, the kitten probably doesn't really count, but I've always wanted a pet. Never had one, always wanted one. He was a white and black fluffy kitty, with one black eye and one black paw. Sephiroth, annoyed, told me to name it the Annoying Furball. I think he was being sarcastic. It was the first time he'd talked to me since he'd woken up.
Because of that, the little guy was dubbed the Annoying Furball.
Annoying Furball fell right into the routine at home; he would curl up in my lap whenever I lied down to write. When Sephiroth would lie on the sofa to sleep, Furball would wait until he was deep in slumber to approach and curl up next to him. He was a smart kitty.
I found myself watching Sephiroth more, and he was watching me, too. Whenever my eyes met his, my heart became light; I was warning myself not to, but I think I was falling for him.
Tuesday night I got a call.
It was my brother, Jamie, all comfy and cozy in his city home. I didn't tell Jamie about my new guest; a part of me wanted to keep him as my little secret.
"So, how's city life?"
My brother was an architect; he was working on all sorts of projects. I zoned out of his speech about them, his unending successes.
"Well, what about you?"
Well, my writing sucks, I almost did, I'm living off military payments, and this strange beautiful angel is glaring daggers at me right now. Anything else?
"Everything's… fine" I stuck my tongue out at the phone.
Ten minutes later, and the call was finally finished. Sighing dryly, I slammed the phone down and huffed, crossing my arms and falling onto the couch.
"Who was that?" Sephiroth muttered vehemently, glowering at me.
"Just my idiot of a brother."
Without a sound, Sephiroth left the room. I could've sworn that, as soon as the word brother escaped my lips, his eyes softened and the green envy and hate left them… if only a little bit.
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The second orphan came three days later. There was an awe inspiring sunrise that morning; as God's hand flew across the bleak sky, pink dotted its vacant surface, and a rolling thundering red and orange came after. Clouds were soft and small, giving the sky an innocent touch over the blood like screen.
I had been on the roof, sipping coffee in my robe and letting the warm, soft morning air roll over me, when the sound of an anguish groan floated to my ears.
And so the second orphan arrived, a teenage boy barely older than I was when mother died.
He looked like an angel too, crystalline and sparkling, a glorious teenage angel. Silver hair similar to Sephiroth's curled under his chin. His build was small' I could carry him without any trouble into the house and up into the bedroom. Sephiroth was healthy enough to sleep on the sofa, I thought.
"Sephiroth!" I called out. Of course, no answer. I took the boy into my room. As I did, I passed my small office/library where Sephiroth sat reading.
"We've got another orphan, Furball." I smiled to my cat as it left Sephiroth's lap and ran up beside me.
Gently I set the boy down on the bed. He was in rather good condition, but exhausted and malnourished. Nothing a few days of rest and food couldn't fix. Actually, with him being… an "angel" I was sure he'd heal fast.
I was beginning to wonder how these poor angels had become so wounded and hurt. Why would anyone want to hurt them?
As I bandaged the boy, I wondered about Sephiroth.
His eyes were burned into my memory. Green, bright green, neon like the lights of the city, but also bright green like the waters of a marsh. Cat like, stalking his prey with graceful ease; he had the lonely eyes of a wolf, a lone wolf, forever wandering without a pack. Strong, standing tall and on his own. The eyes of a warrior.
In half an hour, I'd bandaged the boy.
Sephiroth stepped into the room, wearing my black slippers, pants, and a baggy black tee that read "Got Beer?" and had been my dad's once. Furball was under his arm.
"His name is Kadaj." Sephiroth muttered, before taking Furball and leaving.
Looking down, I noticed Kadaj stirring.
The household was becoming very strange.
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To my relief, Kadaj was a bit more talkative than Sephiroth, and his eyes, while strong, were innocent, and instead of burning into my soul with fiery strength, they avoided all obstacles with water like wisdom. I loved his eyes.
I learned from Kadaj that he and Sephiroth were brothers.
"Really? Siblings?" Kadaj nodded.
"We are two of many." He began. "My siblings Yazoo and Loz will be here soon."
I smiled at the thought of more friends. Maybe the lone wolf would become part of a pack soon. Well, he would if I could help it!
At first, the youth hadn't totally trusted me. When he awoke, he seemed shocked that I cared for his health. After twenty minutes Kadaj relaxed immensely. I wish Sephiroth would do that.
Later in the day, I assisted Kadaj in walking down to the kitchen; even though I knew Kadaj could probably kick my butt, I felt very comfortable around him, like an older sister would around their younger, but bigger, brother. I'd only known him for a little less than half a day, but I truly adored his personality. I felt so free being around his childish personality; he said what was on his mind, whether it be to sob from stubbing his toe to curse from misplacing something. I'd never been that way.
As we walked down the stairs, I looked to Kadaj.
"How'd you get here?" I asked gently.
Smiling, Kadaj looked to me. "I died… but when I woke up, there was white everywhere. This soft sweet voice was leading me away from the darkness. She… sounded like my mother…" Kadaj's eyes were so light and sweet. I wanted to hug him to death, but if I did, he actually might die.
"Hungry?" I asked as Kadaj gently placed himself at the counter. He was silent for a moment.
"The children of Jenova don't truly need substance, but yes; I guess I am hungry." Kadaj covered his stomach sheepishly as it gurgled.
Giggling, I looked about the kitchen. The pantry wasn't well stocked, and if more orphans were coming, I'd have to stock up. Promising myself I'd shop tomorrow, I began making macaroni.
"So, who's Jenova?" Remembering his words, I was curious.
Kadaj watched me with curious eyes. He seemed so innocent, yet so determined and strong; a contradiction of weakness and strength that as a writer, or simply as a human being, fascinated me.
"Jenova… is my mother. Our mother. She created us, and we must help her, we must make her happy!"
Kadaj's childish angry was showing, his tendency to burst. He seemed so down hearted. Clutching the water glass in his hand tight, he grimaced. "But I failed her."
Gasping, I noticed that the glass in Kadaj's hand was cracking, about to shatter. "That's why I'm here. That's why I'm not with her." Shivering, the boy's last words were whispers. "Mother doesn't want me anymore."
My eyes grew wide with shock and anger. A mother, no longer wanting her child?
"What kind of mother is that?" I breathed absolutely shaken.
The shriek of glass shards shattering hit my ears as Kadaj screamed and lost control, shattering the glass in his hands. He leapt at me, palms bleeding. The glass cut into my throat as he took an iron grip on the delicate skin. His eyes were blazing with anger but dulled with pain. Desperately I wanted to help him, but I also (desperately) wanted to breath.
"Don't – don't talk about mother that way." He sobbed, his voice cracking and shaking.
Almost as soon as he'd taken hold of me, cutting my skin with the glass shards in his own hands, Kadaj was violently shoved off me, and a hand was now as his throat. Gasping for breath, I immediately tried to take the glass from my throat, but I ended up ripping the skin instead. Screaming, I clutched my upper shoulder.
A strong hand took hold of my shoulder and firmly pulled me towards a body, and with a grunt I hit Sephiroth's right side. I was gasping for breath, and in shock my hands were resting on Sephiroth's chest. It was an excruciatingly confusing, yet awesomely amazing feeling; to bleed from such a delicate area, in such a painful way, glass and the blood of an angel soaking my neck, and yet also, holding on to such a handsome man as my heart hammered in pain and wonderful bliss.
"She's gone, Kadaj" Sephiroth spat.
"Shut up!"
Sephiroth shoved Kadaj into the wall, and he whimpered sobbing and shivering. My heart thumped out of my chest, as thousands of feelings rushed over me like a tsunami.
"Don't hurt him" I hacked. It sounded like I had said "doon hr hm".
Sephiroth's eyes were flashing and powerful. "She's gone, Kadaj! We were nothing to her, do you hear me?!"
The poor teen was hyperventilating, sweating, and cursing, dividing between falling to the floor and crying and reaching for the blade that was at his waist. Kadaj's head fell in somber silence, and Sephiroth's eyes burned into the top of his head. Gently, I pressed my body against his, and my hands tightened their grip as, in agony, I tried to get his attention.
"Plwea, le hm g - g – g" I began coughing blood.
Sephiroth let Kadaj slid to the floor. Turning to face me, he sighed and began taking the glass shards out of my neck.
"I'm sorry, sister, I'm so sorry…" Kadaj sobbed, clutching his temples.
Sister?
Once the shards were out, I was still bleeding badly. Whimpering helplessly, I stood, trying not to impede on Sephiroth. I wanted him to care, like I knew Kadaj did; I wanted him to let his eyes show emotions that did not just pertain to being strong.
To my ultimate surprise, Sephiroth placed his hands on my shoulder and bent down.
"Don't move."
I certainly wasn't going to.
I gasped in shock when Sephiroth's lips met one of my wounds. So soft and soothing, his full lips caressed the bleeding skin, taking my blood and his brother's blood into his mouth. His tongue darted out over the wound, lapping at my skin and the liquid there, and I was shivering in pleasure and shock. But that was not the most shocking.
Sephiroth's saliva was healing my wound.
Sephiroth continued to lick and kiss each one, and sure enough, the wounds healed once his lips met them.
How could any mother be so cruel? Just to forget her children. Her beautiful, angelic children…
Sephiroth left me standing their in shock, glass and blood covering my kitchen, and Kadaj, curled up in a corner with tears pouring down his face. I fell to me knees.
Thousands of different thoughts were flying about my mind, as millions of feelings fought one another for precedence in my mind. Blood was the color of my world, and I felt glass the decorations of my kitchen. Kadaj's sobs were my music. My drumming heart added to the beat, and my breathing made a rhythm.
I heard a flap of wings. The light in the room grew stronger, and warmth from an unseen body warmed us as I crawled into Kadaj's open arms. We sobbed together, shaken and confused, hurt and wounded, lost and orphaned. I knew that Zack had come back.
At that moment, as my mind reeled, one thought finally came to the surface as my eyes closed and I rested against Kadaj's chest.
I wondered who was holding Sephiroth as he cried.