Pater Familias

“Professor Hojo?”

I looked up from my work, irritated. A young, fresh-faced intern stood just to my right, my ex-wife beside him. Both of them looked sheepish, uncomfortable, and out of place.

“What?” I asked, putting the scope to one side.

“M-Miss Crescent is going to work in our applied demographics department, by order of President Garchae,” the intern stammered.

“Marketing is not science,” I replied. “What does this have to do with me?”

Lucretia’s eyes narrowed. “He brought me here so I could have a few minutes to speak with you, Kanaye,” she replied. Turning, she nodded at her nervous escort. “Thank you, Beales. I’ll get to Marketing on my own from here.”

The man shot away. Realizing any conversation between Lucretia and myself would never be a short one, I pushed my papers away and gave her my attention. She turned red, but I wouldn’t have called it a blush.

“Sephiroth caught me up to current events,” she began softly. “There are a few things I wanted to say to you.”

“Here, or in my office?” I asked.

Her reddening deepened.

“No, I don’t suppose my office is acceptable,” I murmured, catching her drift. “You doubtless find it conflicting to talk to me in a place you designated as perfect for trysting with a Turk.”

She turned her head. “I deserve that.”

“Possibly. Our marriage suffered long before Valentine entered the picture.” I stood and grabbed my empty coffee mug. “Follow me into the break room. I’ll empty it if we have company.”

In moments we stood in the empty room. I locked the door and poured coffee for us. She took heavy cream and sugar, I remembered.

“Kanaye,” she began quietly. “Regardless of what we’ve done to each other, the mistakes made, I’m glad you’re…” She drew a deep breath. “I’m really glad you’re better. I did worry about you.”

“I don’t see why you would have bothered to worry about me, Lucretia, but thank you.”

She winced. “I knew this would be hard.”

I sighed. “’Cretia, don’t focus on me, please. Don’t even focus on our mistakes. We’re living in the present, not the past.”

She bit her lip. “Kanaye, I’ve been living in the past for almost forty years, and so has Vincent. We aren’t quite as progressive as you are.”

“Not quite as bloodless, perhaps,” I amended. “Enjoy your true love with my blessing. All I ask is you don’t let your fairytale happy ending interfere with Sephiroth. He should find you available. My side of things won’t always be complete, you know.” I stirred my coffee, not looking at her. “He needs his real mother. An alien consciousness just isn’t the same thing.”

Lucretia insinuated herself in my vision. “Oh, Kanaye, you have changed,” she whispered. “You know I loved Sephiroth even before birth, but you didn’t want me getting attached to him. Now you claim you want me in his life?”

“Your relationship with him can only do him good.” I abandoned pretense of drinking and dropped my cup into the small sink. “We were poison for each other, but we made a lovely child, didn’t we? He looks like you.”

“He has your strength.”

“He has my bloodlust,” I corrected. “Which hasn’t abated, by the way, for either of us. We’re tamed monsters, Lucretia, but still monsters. I let mine out to play on sanctioned targets, now.”

“At least there’s that,” she said softly. “While self-imprisoned, I gained time to think about my life, about you, about us, and about the child I believed dead from our foolishness.”

“Your conclusions?”

She smiled. “If you’d been a little less and I’d been a little more, we might have avoided tragedy.”

“No one will ever know, Lucretia. I deal with facts, not what-ifs.”

“Was it a fact you could get me out of the mako?”

“Not really,” I admitted. “But, if I’d failed, your lover would have ended me. Either way I wouldn’t have your fate hanging over my head anymore.” I leaned back, propping on the small refrigerator behind me. “If I was cruel to you, you were cruel to me. The only person -and I hate to say this- the only person I can understand, is Valentine.”

Lucretia frowned that thoughtful frown, the one I knew so well. “Why, Kanaye?”

“Because his motives, while not the most noble, were the most pure.” I smiled at her. “Do try not to cheat on him, ‘Cretia. He’s not the sort to simply shoot your lover, do a bit of tampering and leave it at that.”

She blanched white. “I deserve that, too.”

“Dragon shit,” I retorted. “I took a cheap shot at you and you know it.”

She pressed her lips together. Her fists clenched. “So, we’re even?”

“I expect so.” I unlocked the door. “I won’t interfere in your new life. I have plenty of toys to keep me occupied.”

“Is Miss Leijanna a toy?”

“No.”

“And she knows what you are, Kanaye?” Lucretia moved for the door.

“She knows what I am better than I do.”

“Good. Maybe she’ll survive you.” Lucretia strode out and down the hall, her braid flying out and her shoulders set into frustration.

I grinned at her retreat. I would rather have her furious with me and fighting than skulking around and apologetic for even existing. She was no good to our son like that.

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

“Good afternoon, Professor Hojo.”

I looked over at Sakura, who stood beside two governmental officials. She grinned a secretive grin, and I knew she felt delighted in visiting me. This was an official visit, not personal, but she looked like she might change that. “Mr. Kane and Mr. Refel are here to ascertain the condition of Lucas Havars.”

“Good afternoon, gentlemen, Miss Leijanna,” I greeted. “You are all quite welcome to view Mr. Havars. Shall I escort you myself?”

“That won’t be necessary.” Kane jerked his chin toward the elevator. “We know the way to the containment area.”

“Then I will stay here with the professor and wait,” Sakura murmured, sitting on a spare stool. She wore a very nice, tailored suit-dress and low-heel pumps. I knew she’d not had that get-up in her wardrobe. She must have gone shopping this morning while I went to work.

Good for her. Let her reclaim some freedom without me for a guard dog.

I eyed her stocking covered legs and tried not to allow my boner any room to grow.

“I bought a gun,” she whispered slyly. “Want to see?”

Lips twitching with appreciation for her smugness, I nodded. Sakura slid her hand over her skirt, parting the high slit in the front. In the lacy band of her thigh-high, a small pistol rested. It gleamed. The ceiling light hit the chrome and reflected in her slate eyes.

“Naughty girl,” I said lowly, hands just itching to explore her legs. “Do you know how to use that pea-shooter?”

“You point it and shoot.” Sakura lowered her skirt.

Still smirking, I leaned over her. “Free your evening,” I told her. “I’ll take you to a target range.”

“That’s a good idea.” Sakura trailed a finger up my arm. “You look really, really hot in a lab coat, Hojo. Did you know that?”

“Did you know you’re five times as bold with me in my lab as you are anywhere else?” I countered, breathing in her cherry and almond scent. I knew she had a lab coat fetish.

“Yes. Your lab turns me on.” Sakura exhaled against my neck. “Aren’t you afraid someone will see you in such an unprofessional situation, Professor Hojo?”

“Not especially. I write my own ticket around here. If anyone doesn’t like me hanging over a hot number like you, they can fuck themselves.” I grabbed her wrist, keeping her still while I leaned closer. “And, if they want to cause me trouble, they’ll permanently occupy a cell.”

Sakura shivered. Wicked thing. I knew better than to believe my words upset her. Quite the contrary; she wanted me, she knew me, and she liked my evil.

“You’re turning me on, Hojo,” Sakura whispered against my cheek. “I love it when you talk this way.”

“And I love it when you’re so uninhibited, Sakura.” I pressed my lips to her forehead, feeling her body shift toward mine. “You should always be free, Blossom. I won’t do anything more to you at home than I would here.”

“I know.” Sakura moved to touch my neck with her lips. “I’m really enjoying your version of courtship.”

I turned, swept my table of papers and equipment. She gasped as I grabbed her, and I hauled her onto the flat surface. Standing between her beautifully-clad legs, I caged her, forcing her to remain motionless between my arms. “Courtship,” I murmured. “Courtship implies I might not get my way with you. I assure you, pretty, that I will.”

“Yessss,” she breathed. “I know that, Hojo.”

Mollified, slightly calmer, I simply nuzzled her fragrant, soft hair.

“You smell so good,” she groaned.

“I smell like violence,” I corrected.

“And?” Sakura’s hands skimmed my torso. “I never imagined you smelled like cotton candy, fluff, and rainbows.”

I laughed helplessly. This soft on the outside, tough-core woman really pushed my buttons. She would grow into a many-clawed cat, eventually, and I wanted to see it happen.

She really was lovely. I drew back a little just to look at her lust-swollen lips and heavily lidded eyes. She trembled under me, feeling the weight of my honest admiration with the instinct of any female.

“You think because you can make me come like a teenager that I might be as easily guided?” I asked.

“Never,” she vowed. “One can’t guide a tsunami.”

“Wise of you.” I swooped down, capturing her soft mouth.

She writhed, undulated under my forceful, ardent and completely honest attraction. Tongue battling mine, she panted and sighed in a way that sent my blood boiling. I broke away, convinced I would take her on the table if I didn’t remove myself.

“Have dinner with me tonight?” she asked.

“Of course.” I nipped her bottom lip.

“At your place?” she persisted. “I have a plan for our meal.”

“You have a key,” I told her. I’d put my key on her chain days ago.

“I do?”

“You do.” I bit her neck at the base, tasting her solution of fear and want. “Nothing I have is forbidden to you.”

“You’re golden, Hojo,” she sighed.

She moved away from me just before her governmental escort returned. I bade them a farewell, my eyes entirely upon her.

She made me feel like a god.

I would soon show her the goddess she had within.