Paper Tiger Burning

I respectfully credit all Original Creators, namely Squaresoft, which became SquareEnix,for these characters. In this way, I pay homage to my Fandom's Original Creator, and illustrate my Community's belief that Fan Fiction is "fair use". I do not claim to own these characters. I do not make money or gil from using these protected characters, nor do I wish to make money or gil from them. In other words, I am borrowing these characters to entertain the adult fanfiction community, but I am doing so with the highest degree of respect to the engineers, game designers, music makers, and voice actors.



He turned nearly transparent and dropped through the kitchen floor.

Feeling rather floaty, I leaned my arm out, dropping my chin into my hand. Having an immediate answer to the stress of staying here helped soothe my nerves. The pretty colors soothed me too. Whatever had been in that vile concoction Sephiroth made, it worked. My muscles were relaxed and I didn’t feel nearly so jumpy.

I became aware of a low, humming sound. After listening intently for a few minutes I came to understand I heard electricity moving in the walls. The frequency seemed to hitch a bit. A brief brown-out occurred in the kitchen.

Sephiroth returned a few minutes later, or longer; I no longer felt sure of how time passed. He walked to the sink and washed his hands. “Mr. Alsuka was an amateur photographer,” he said as he scrubbed under his nails. “He had his entire apartment for a darkroom. This is fortunate because it gives no visual clue as to the occupant’s habits or presence; people are accustomed to seeing the windows blackened.” He glanced at me while rinsing. “How do you feel?”

“Very unimpressed with danger and also very languid,” I answered, smiling at him. “I think I heard you relaying the power.”

“Good.” Sephiroth dried his hands. “Now maybe you’ll tell me why you hid from your friends?”

I winced. “I don’t know. All sorts of things went through my mind and they all served to paralyze me.” And this was the truth. I’d held back from greeting Cloud and Tifa for no good reason, but the longer I’d held back, the harder it had become to move at all. I felt bad for avoiding them.

Sephiroth looked to the side as he thought about my answer, his eyes moving sightlessly over his surroundings. Suddenly, his beryline gaze swerved to me. “When a soldier becomes afraid of something, I make that soldier face his fear. If he has a particular trauma that makes his task unusually fearsome, I face it with him as a buffer until he improves. Some people respond to being thrown into their fear, some people respond to a gradual increase of their fear, in other words.” He sat down beside me, eyes searching my face. “I can’t decide which soldier you are.”

“I’m not a soldier anyway,” I sighed.

A slight smile inched out over Sephiroth’s lips. “Are you so sure?”

Damn him. Now I had to think about this, too?

He laughed. “I see that vitriol,” he said lowly. “I’m trained to see it. I’ve taken the full measure of thousands of recruits.”

“Am I a new recruit?” I remembered he’d claimed he would teach me how to not be afraid.

“Only in the sense that I’m going to treat you like one in certain areas,” Sephiroth admitted. “You have power and abilities I know something about, as well as ones I cannot fathom. It would be irresponsible of me to make you adapt without any guidance, flower girl.”

I thought about that while I looked at him. He’d already guided me a fair distance, and for no reward that I could see. It stood to reason that he would continue to gently mold me into something…else. His father had forced it but he was going to coax it instead. I really responded to how he spoke to me, how he indulged me and denied me with equal measures. He was a fair man, when it came down to it. I trusted him.

And suddenly I knew that was the whole matter. I trusted Sephiroth but I didn’t trust my own friends.

I didn’t intend to drop him if my life changed, and I knew he didn’t intend to just let me fall by the wayside. I knew because of the sheer energy he spent on me, the time he spent. I knew because he always gave his opinion honestly and quickly. I knew because he paid attention to me.

My friends couldn’t claim much of these. Cloud was the only one who’d ever spent energy on me, or time. But even he couldn’t give me an honest, quick opinion. He was too afraid of hurting me to do any such thing as give me his uncensored self. As a result I feared to hurt Cloud. His hesitance made me hesitate myself.

And I’d already seen Sephiroth’s uncensored self, suffering the worst from it without suffering at all. I had no fear left for him.

And Sephiroth would never win the friendship of my other friends. I’d known the moment I revealed myself to Cloud and Tifa they would have dragged me out of Sephiroth’s apartment. I had to choose which meant more to me. My old life or a fresh start? Old friends or him?

Honestly, he already meant a great deal to me. He shouldn’t, but he did. I thanked the Planet I’d not had to choose between him and Cloud today. I would have to in the future, but not now.

“Sephiroth,” I said. “I’ll meet with Cloud and the others at a near, future point, but I don’t want to stay with them. Unfortunately, by default you have charge of me, and I don’t want to make any assumptions.”

Sephiroth eyed me appreciatively. “So much goes on in your head,” he murmured in his deep voice. “Still, you miss the obvious. If I didn’t want you close to me I’d drop you off a few continents away with a new name and a new life.”

I blushed.

“My fear,” he went on, “is that you and I will be tempted to feed each other’s low points; you make excuses for me that I relish yet cannot accept. I allow you to hide. We will have to work very hard not to use each other like this.”

Again his way of seeing things cut to the quick. “So what do we do first?” I asked.

He grinned. “Good girl.”

That praise made me shudder. For a brief moment I imagined hearing it for another reason…

*************************************************************************************

The apartment was a direct copy of my own in layout.

I put fresh sheets on the bed, aware of the flower girl roaming around, looking at the former occupant’s belongings, which I’d put into boxes and stacked near the outer door.

“How sad,” she said. “He died and only you noticed.”

“I only noticed because I took him to the hospital,” I said. “We didn’t know each other. He came up to my apartment and asked if I had a car and could I take him to get medical attention. I flew with him. He’d had a stroke, though, and didn’t wake up once he went to sleep.”

“I’m glad you were there for him, but how sad to not have any family to notice…” She shook her head. “I don’t want that for myself. I want at least one child.”

I wondered if I should tell her…

Yes, I needed to prepare her for anything.

“Hojo wanted to breed you,” I said, turning. “It’s why they’re so intent to get you back.”

“He meant to do it the last time he had me,” she sighed. “To Nanaki.”

I frowned. Hojo wanted to breed Aerith to the beast? What made sense to that crack-pot?

“But since he didn’t have Nanaki this time around, I presume he meant to use you?”

I nodded in response. “He’s desperate to get me back in the lab. I am suspicious, always, of what he wants. This information that I am going through puberty again is worrisome. He might just want sperm samples. The last time he got them was truly the last; I don’t like being hit with an electric livestock prod.”

The flower girl clenched her teeth. She sat down on the dusty couch, her face screwed up into extreme distaste. “The problem is, you don’t want to take a chance on your health.”

“Yes. I must see what he’s blathering about eventually. Perhaps my heightened metabolism, body heat, appetite and various other new aspects of my health have a reason.” I turned on the gas fireplace to knock the chill from the room. “Still, he could be manufacturing these conditions in my body just to make me worry, to make me keep going back to him.”

“I sense nothing but excellent health from you.” The flower girl threw me a smile. “You’re ok, Sephiroth. Chances are I can purge what he does to you, so you can go in with a little more confidence.”

Well, that did relieve me a little. I didn’t entirely believe her, but I believed she told the truth as she perceived it.

“Were you going to start training me tonight?” She asked.

“No, you have pom-ne-kah in your system.” I looked into her dilated pupils, smiling. “But while we’re on the subject, do you wish to stay with using a staff?”

“Yes.” The flower girl cast me a strange look from under her half closed lids. “Is there something else, something better?”

“No. Most any swordsman may be defeated by a staff wielder.” I admitted this readily. I’d had my ego handed to me many times in training against a staff master. Through hard work and talent I no longer had to worry. Well, that and a very long sword…

“Sephiroth? Do I have a time limit for this apartment?” The flower girl wrinkled her smooth brow while looking at me with worried eyes.

“You have at least two months of worry-free living,’ I replied. “After that I will start paying the rent under Alsuka’s name.”

“Good.” She relaxed just a little more. “Is it expensive?”

“I consider it a wise investment to shelter you,” I returned evenly. “And I do enjoy your company.”

I more than enjoyed her company. I relished her. She put warmth into a very dark, cold hole in my heart, and all by virtue of herself.

“I can tell that you do,” she murmured in response. “I enjoy your company as well. I don’t feel the need to hide myself from you.”

Now, she blushed. I watched in fascination as color spread over her face and neck. Even her lips flushed a darker red.

She enchanted me, with her smiles, tears, blushes and laughter. I’d never known a more open person. Were other people like this, given half a chance?

“Never hide from me,” I said softly, lowly. “There’s nothing you can do or become that I would find censure in; nothing you can say can offend me.”

She lowered her head, giving me a brief, shaky nod. Looking small, she curled up on the dusty couch, her green eyes fixed upon me. “You’re a man of more value than people know, Sephiroth,” she said. “They pay homage to your abilities, fear those same abilities, and they never know what an intricate, mighty personality you are.” Her eyes began to glow a little as her gaze intensified upon me. “They know you’re cunning, ruthless and powerful; they don’t know you’re funny, or witty.” She blinked slowly, her drugged eyes now focusing on my lips. “They don’t know you’re a good cook or that your touch is gentle.” She smiled slowly, but it was a sad smile. “I’ll be very disappointed if no one else ever sees you, but at least I do. So no, I’m not going to hide from you. I promise you’ll see me too.”


I remembered to breathe.


My flower girl.

Mine.

No other could have her. I would jealously guard against seeing her with anyone but myself. I wanted her. I wouldn’t be content until I knew that I not only had her, but that I could keep her. Aerith, my undeserved gift.

I went to her and picked her up. “Let’s sleep now, flower girl,” I murmured in her ear.

“Alright.” She rested easily in my arms.

In moments I had her under the covers. We spooned, and I felt her smallness. A fierce, overwhelming urge to protect her swelled within my heart.

Because she seemed to like it, I draped my hair over her face. She slept soon thereafter.