I do not own Final Fantasy VII.
Bound by Blood
Ch III: Foraging
I'm not entirely sure why I didn't indulge her further. Any other man would have. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I dropped my head into my hands.
There were so many things I wanted to do to her. But now that I'd walked away from her, the sting of regret washed over me. Should I have stayed and slept with her, or was it better that I left? After all, I wasn't prepared with condoms, and what if her uncle found out? He'd be livid and my reputation could suffer. Then, there was the other problem…I shook my head, pushing the issue from my mind.
I woke up the next morning with an awful pain in my gut. An unfamiliar twisting that seemed to crawl from my stomach to my chest where it nagged ruthlessly at my heart. I drew in a deep breath, deciding that perhaps I needed to eat and get some fresh air.
I found the mayor already enjoying his breakfast in the dining room.
"Ah, Mr. Sephiroth!" He greeted me with his, now fully expected, enthusiasm.
"Good morning," I said, hoping my face didn't reveal my internal discomfort.
"How was your night?"
"It was…enjoyable." I studied the old man, noting how he pleasantly enjoyed his coffee and nodded in approval at my answer. Did he have any inkling of what happened in Claudia's room last night?
"So, what do you think of my niece?"
My chest clenched. "She's um, very nice."
"Yes, and a pretty little thing too. A lot of young men are interested in her."
I breathed in deeply through my nose and swallowed hard. "Are they?"
"Yes." He put his mug down, his face turning serious. "Which is why I'd like to ask that you stay with us a bit longer."
I released that breath through my mouth. "How much longer?"
"Three days; a week tops. I'm attending a funeral for a friend in Mideel and I don't want to burden Claudia with joining me. She's going to stay behind and pursue her interests." He looked me in the eye. "And I want you to act as a bodyguard of sorts."
"Am I watching over her to ensure that she can work uninterrupted or so she doesn't lose focus?"
"Just keep her safe."
"Of course."
"So you'll you stay?"
"I just need to phone my superiors, but it shouldn't be an issue."
"Excellent!" He returned to his usual jovial self, calling for the cook to bring me some breakfast.
Claudia appeared momentarily, wearing a thick fleece housecoat over her nightgown. I greeted her with a nod as she sat across from me. She looked up at me with a half-lidded gaze, her cheeks becoming pink.
The cook came with a plate for her and this gave Claudia an easy out to look away from me. After that, she did everything to avoid looking at me.
"My dear," the mayor said. "You remember that I'm leaving for Mideel this morning?"
"Yes," she said, keeping her eyes pinned to her plate. "What of it?"
"Given certain circumstances, I thought it best not to leave you alone. Mr Sephiroth will be spending the week here to look after you."
"W-what?" Claudia's eyes grew large as she looked back and forth between us.
"I hope that's alright with you," I said, hoping to meet her sky blue gaze again.
Once again that damn curl annoyed her and she brushed it back, disturbing the hair at her shoulder, revealing the enticing curve of her neck.
"That's fine." She looked back up at me, the tender hue of her eyes almost appearing as burning blue flames rather than the breezy sky.
I gulped, this time being the one to look away.
"Very good." The mayor finished his coffee and got up from the table. "I'll be off then. I hope she doesn't give you any trouble."
"We'll be fine."
"Good man!" He slapped me on the shoulder with a little too much familiarity, but I shrugged it off.
Claudia left right behind him, presumably to see him off. Several minutes passed and the cook collected our plates. Claudia never returned to finish her meal.
At length, I pulled out my phone and dialed Shinra HQ and briefed them on what I was up to. Of course, they were alright with it, as I had no other assignments waiting for me.
For the first time in my life, I was at somewhat of a loss. I'd never been on a mission that involved being a bodyguard, and following people around was the Turks' job.
As I ventured out to the stairs to return to my room, I found my pretty little assignment on the bottom step tying up her hiking boots. She looked like a country girl from a fairytale; rosy cheeked, her long blonde hair pulled back with a red ribbon, an ivory pinafore protecting her blue dress that matched her eyes, and a worn leather bag at her side.
"Going somewhere?" I said, leaning against the banister.
Her shoulders tensed as she looked up at me. Her face was red and her eyes still burned. She said nothing.
"Your uncle wants me to look after you. So doesn't it seem wrong to not tell me where you're planning to go?"
Drawing in a deep breath, Claudia rolled her eyes. "He forgets I'm not a child anymore."
"I reckon he only wants to keep you safe."
"He wants to keep me a prisoner. And while he's gone, you'll be my jailer."
"In his defense, you did nearly get killed yesterday."
"If you must know, I'm going to the book shop."
I smirked at how she bolted for the door, like she really thought she'd escape me. There was no need to run after her as my stride was long enough to catch up with her in no time.
"Don't you have something better to do?" She scoffed as she realized I was beside her.
"As a matter of fact, no. My superiors have given me and my team the week off."
She said nothing, opting to give me the silent treatment as we entered the store. Thankfully it wasn't terribly busy, and I was able to look around without being harassed.
Seeing as how Claudia was feeling put off by my presence, I chose to watch from afar, granting her personal space while still fulfilling my promise to her uncle.
An hour rolled by, maybe two, and she'd finally selected a book.
"Gifts From Gaia: A Field Guide to Foraging and Homeopathy," I read aloud as I followed her out. "So that's your work?"
"Don't act like you're interested," she scoffed.
"Who says I'm not?"
Shaking her head, she stomped out of town toward the mountain.
"Are you sure you want to go that way? That's where you got into trouble yesterday."
"Good thing you're with me to save me again. Besides, you killed the monsters." She paused, turning back to me and stabbing a finger into my chest. "Look, when we get where we're going, you'd better shut up and let me concentrate!"
I stared down at that little, five-foot-nothing girl trying to show me who's boss. Despite being so much smaller and weaker than me, she squared up to me without hesitation.
Did she know that all I had to do was flick her forehead and she'd be in a coma? I couldn't help but laugh.
"What's so funny?" The frustration on her pretty face only amused me further.
"You're either very brave or very foolish," I chuckled.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Don't you realize that you've repeatedly come much closer to me than most trained warriors dare to?"
She looked at where she poked my chest. Her eyes grew wide and she backed up. Biting her lip, she turned her back to me - another foolish thing to do.
"Claudia," I said, finally able to shove myself humor aside. "Why are you angry with me?"
"You think I'm angry?" She started walking again.
"Yesterday, you wanted to talk to me, you took me to your room to seduce me. And now, you don't seem to like me anymore. So, I ask, what have I done to offend you?"
She shook her head, continuing onward.
Nothing else was said as we scaled the mountain. That strange sense of guilt once again swirled in my stomach. It felt somewhat akin to being kicked in the solar plexus.
Within a few minutes, we'd come upon a grassy bluff overlooking the river where a variety of plants grew.
Claudia's face lit up as she knelt beside a patch of leafy green plants. She flipped open the book and compared the plants to the illustrations. Shortly thereafter, she produced a small knife from her boot and cut a few sprigs to take back with her.
After lingering there for a moment, I followed her down the path leading to the water. She collected several more herbs, every one of them having a medicinal purpose when used properly. She referenced the book often, being careful to ensure that she selected the correct plants. At least she did, until she came across a specimen that grew in a stalk crowned with an umbrella shaped cluster of dainty, white flowers.
Claudia observed them only for a brief second, then sat down beside them, not bothering to reference her book. Releasing a deep yawn, she produced a small canteen from her bag and drank, remaining in quiet contemplation until she reached over and pulled up one of the stalks.
I watched cautiously she washed the taproot in the river, and once it was sufficiently cleaned, she began to put it in her mouth…
"Stop!" I ripped it from her hand, tossing it aside.
"What are you doing?" She jumped up, attempting to shove me away.
"Saving your life. Again!"
"From a wild carrot?"
"From poison hemlock!" I hadn't meant to yell, but the very thought of harm coming to her pained my soul.
"I'm sure I can tell the difference between hemlock and carrot."
"Can you now? You might want to look at your field guide again." I grabbed another stalk. "Look."
I showed her the tell-tale difference between the lookalike plants. While nearly identical at a glance, hemlock has purplish splotches on the stem.
As if hoping to prove me wrong, Claudia flipped through her book, landing on the page concerning hemlock. She remained silent as she read, then slowly closed the book.
"How did you know about it?" She peeked up at me meekly.
"A Soldier's training goes beyond just fighting and war tactics. We need to learn to survive in the wilderness, which involves building shelters, performing minor surgeries, and of course, foraging for food."
"Oh…" She lowered her head. "Thank you."
"When I saw you bought that guide, I was going to
offer you some of my own knowledge on the subject. But you wanted me to remain silent, so…" I shrugged.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to -"
"Don't worry about it." I fought the urge to caress her face. "Now, can you please tell me why you're angry with me?"
She didn't meet my gaze. Goddamn, I wished she would. "You left me last night."
Fuck! I should have stayed.
It was my turn to look away. Brushing back my bangs, I looked up at the jagged cliffs above.
"A few reasons," I said, closing my eyes. "First, I was concerned that we'd be caught. I'm sure your uncle would be furious if he found out. Also, I had no condoms."
"And?" She urged.
"And…" I hesitated, not really wanting to confess what, at the time at least, was my 'darkest' secret. "I was worried that I wouldn't be able to satisfy you."
I looked back at her just in time to see her whip around, her face alight with disbelief.
I shrugged, unsure of how else to say it. "Look, Claudia, it's somewhat embarrassing for me, but I'm," I took a deep breath, that pain gnawing my stomach again. "I'm a virgin!"