Chapter Text
Sephiroth found a cat.
It was unusual, since Sephiroth didn’t particularly like animals. But it looked absolutely pitiful, soaked in the rain, its golden fur dripping in mud. Large blue eyes were peeking at him through the rain, and although the cat was clearly in poor shape, it did not hesitate to run.
Something about the cat made Sephiroth reach down and swipe it off the ground. The cat struggled in his hold, weakened by the lack of food and the quick movement of his hand, claws scratching at his leather gloves. At one point, the cat twisted itself and bit his finger, the little fangs sinking into his glove, but it was no more than a pinprick of pain as Sephiroth carried the tiny, wild creature back home.
It struggled the entire way, its lithe body twisting in Sephiroth’s hands, but Sephiroth didn’t let it go. But no animal could outlast a SOLDIER’s stamina, especially not one that was weakened, so eventually, the cat stopped struggling.
Sephiroth brought it to his home, immediately heading to the bathroom to give the creature a bath. He didn’t have anything to wash the animal with, but even water would have been better than nothing.
Cradling the creature against his chest, Sephiroth glanced down at the cat that was simply watching his movements. But the moment he turned the water on and the sound of droplets hit the floor of the shower, the cat’s claws extended and it began to struggle wildly, swiping at Sephiroth’s chest in order to get away.
Sephiroth wasn’t a stranger to minor cuts and wounds though. He glared down at the cat who hissed at him, a guttural noise emitting from the cat’s bared teeth. Somewhere between a growl and a discontented howl.
“Sit still,” Sephiroth commented, letting his hand run under the water as he filled up the tub. Not that the cat was likely to understand his words.
The cat gave another attempt at fleeing from his hands, but Sephiroth simply lowered it into the tub of water, grabbing it by the scruff in order to stop it from squirming around or trying to bite him. The cat gave an unhappy yowl, claws scraping against the porcelain as it struggled to regain its footing to run away.
Sephiroth poured water on the cat, gently scrubbing the dirt and mud off its fur. The cat growled and hissed at him, its ears flattened as Sephiroth ran the shower nozzle down the cat’s body, washing it off.
It complained all through the bath and Sephiroth’s nose wrinkled as he noted that it still smelled like trash. His eyes landed on his phone and he absentmindedly opened it to see what he could use as a substitute to get it somewhat clean for his home.
Dish soap.
Of course, he wouldn’t be able to leave the cat here. No doubt that the moment Sephiroth’s hand left the creature’s fur, it would run amok and make a mess. Which meant he would have to take the cat with him to collect the dish soap.
Scooping up the creature from the bottom of the tub, Sephiroth let the water continue running as he pressed the wet cat against his chest. The cat gave another hiss of discontentment, claws digging into his skin, its whole body trembling as it struggled to move away from him.
Unbelievable.
Despite knowing that Sephiroth was stronger than it and knowing that it wouldn’t be able to escape, it still tried to run from him. Sephiroth swiped the dish soap from his kitchen in one movement and headed back to the bathroom to finish giving the cat a bath.
It yowled as it was dipped back into the tub, but Sephiroth was ready.
Sephiroth didn’t know that cats could hold grudges.
The cat, having finally escaped from his hands after Sephiroth had dried it with a towel, had immediately bolted under his bed. Sephiroth stared at it as it started to groom itself, its wet fur a dull chestnut color, though its eyes were a bright blue color.
The glare that the cat shot him amused him. Sephiroth found himself laughing despite the disgruntled look of the cat’s sharp eyes, its ears folded back as it hissed at him from under the bed. As if Sephiroth wasn’t able to reach him under there.
It reminded him of Cloud, really.
Endearing, but ungrateful, the cat spent the next hour grooming itself, periodically stopping to hiss at him when they made eye contact. It was really quite funny to watch.
Eventually, the cat settled under the bed, golden fur still somewhat ruffled, its ears pinned back and its eyes pinned on Sephiroth, just staring at him. Sephiroth absentmindedly grabbed his phone to do a little bit of research on how to take care of the animal, now that it was clean. Having washed the little feral beast, Sephiroth had taken note that it was male, though it was quite small for a male cat.
But various factors could influence a cat’s size. Genetics, age, and diet all played a part in ensuring the health of a cat. There was specially formulated human-made food for cats, but Sephiroth glanced at the creature under his bed. It met his gaze and hissed at him again, bearing its teeth.
No. No creature of his would be fed something subpar that was made by other humans. Sephiroth would have to do a little more research.
A litter box was set up the day after, but the cat seemed determined to remain under the bed. At one point, Sephiroth had tried to bait the cat out with some cooked chicken, but the cat didn’t even look at the food, its eyes pinned on Sephiroth’s form.
When Sephiroth reached for the cat, it hissed and swatted at him, leaving bloody lines in his hand as it retreated. The cat’s reflexes were quite good, having been caught once by him already, seemingly already expecting when Sephiroth was going to move and slipping out of the way of his fingers. Eventually, Sephiroth gave up and decided to sit by his computer in order to finish up some more research on the care of his newly acquired pet.
Apart from the basic food and litter box, cats required enrichment and ownership. A cat that didn’t feel like it was welcome or had things that belonged to it was a frightened and nervous cat. Cats required care like any other animal: brushing its fur, dental care, and trimming its nails.
Sephiroth glanced down at his hand, amused. The cuts made by the cat’s claws had already closed, but there was still a faint red line where he could see where the cat had swiped at him. A happy cat would play, often with claws, so Sephiroth needed interactive toys without his hand getting in the way.
He was only slightly disappointed to learn that it could take up to two weeks for a cat to settle into a home–sometimes over a month. Cats had unique personalities and each one had their own quirks. Cats were fickle and slow to trust, but most would form strong bonds with their owner if they were treated well.
Of course, all of these things would take time to prepare. So Sephiroth glanced at his bed and snorted, amused, making a mental list of things he’d need to pick up. Cat trees, cat beds, scratchers, and something that would allow the cat to perch by the window to look outside.
Obviously, cats didn’t speak or understand words, but through his research, Sephiroth found out that they did respond to tone. Cats weren’t fooled by sweet words or empty promises, but they could associate certain tones or words with good or bad intentions. Obviously, grabbing a cat and forcefully giving them a bath was a terrible association to start, but it was widely accepted that it was possible to earn a cat’s forgiveness.
Some cats could be bribed, but others weren’t ‘food motivated’. Sephiroth wondered if he would be able to bribe his own tiny furball with treats and absentmindedly picked up a bag of human made treats. Though Sephiroth would never feed the treats as a meal, it was also possible that the cat was more familiar with these kinds of treats and, thus, Sephiroth could earn favor with it. Positive reinforcement with treats was widely accepted as the ideal method to train cats as negative reinforcement often just caused the cat distress. Cats didn’t understand punishments and it was better to ignore the negative behavior than give any kind of reaction to it.
Sephiroth left the store with the bag of cat treats in his pocket and a few toys in a bag, the rest of his purchases to be delivered the next day. For now, he could test the cat to see if he could bribe it.
Sephiroth could not bribe it.
It was with some amusement that Sephiroth watched the cat reject any and all offers that Sephiroth presented it. Every single piece of food had been ignored. Every single toy had been snubbed. Every bit of attention had resulted in flattened ears, narrowed blue eyes, and a hiss.
Amusing, but also somewhat irritating. Sephiroth left his home in order to clear his head, trying to come up with his next plan of attack to endear himself to the creature.
Which was, of course, when he ran into Cloud.
A smile of delight crossed his lips as he watched Cloud’s blue eyes narrow and draw his blade. Like watching his cat prepare an attack. All he was missing was the hiss.
“How fortunate our reunion is,” Sephiroth mocked, delighted at the appearance of his nemesis, drawing his own blade. “Here to join your Master, Cloud?”
“Get lost,” Cloud snarled, leaping at him. Sephiroth laughed. Ah, there was the hiss.
Cloud tore through his defenses easily, but Sephiroth didn’t care for that. Instead, he was absentmindedly wondering if bribing Cloud was an option. After all, as a human, Cloud had wants and needs. Probably the most obvious was Cloud’s desire for money, considering that he was always working.
Food and toys were probably also not out of the realm of possibility.
Sephiroth parried Cloud’s next thrust, twisting into a slash that made Cloud retreat. Cloud readjusted his blade and tore after him as Sephiroth extended his wing to take to the sky.
“Sephiroth!”
Sephiroth dodged the burst of fire from Cloud’s hand, swiftly diving down and grabbing Cloud’s wrist tightly. Cloud hissed, tugging on his wrist in an attempt to free himself from Sephiroth’s grip, but Sephiroth held him tightly. He tugged Cloud forward until they were pressed chest to chest, the warmth of Cloud’s body tucked into his larger frame, absentmindedly sliding some gil into the pocket of his pants.
“Well done, Cloud,” he commented, petting him on the head as he pulled away from Cloud’s vicious swing. “I will take my leave now.”
Cloud’s infuriated look was hysterical and Sephiroth laughed as he vanished from his nemesis’s view.
After all, positive reinforcement was the ideal method to train cats.
The cat had changed positions.
Apparently, the cat had determined that hiding under the bed was still too vulnerable so it had moved. There was some level of surprise when Sephiroth peeked under the bed to see the toys scattered around, untouched from when Sephiroth had thrown them to the cat earlier, but the cat missing.
Wondering where the cat could have gone, Sephiroth absentmindedly picked up the toys, glancing at the little toy mice and the little crinkle balls. Cats were certainly fickle creatures.
It took him only a few minutes to find the cat. It had somehow wedged itself on one of the shelves in his bookcase, behind all the books on the shelf. It stared at him when he approached and hissed at him, its blue eyes narrowed and distrustful of his presence.
Really, it had cornered itself into the section behind the books. If Sephiroth wanted to catch the animal, all he had to do was reach over the cat’s head and scruff it. But, of course, that also meant that the cat would see his hand coming and could take a swipe at him.
Ears flattened the moment Sephiroth made eye contact with it. The blue eyes were narrowed and it hissed at him, distrustful and wary. But Sephiroth didn’t approach it, simply placing the toys into a box for later. It was probably too soon for the cat to be comfortable in his space. The cat needed more time.
The food bowl was untouched, but Sephiroth was pleased to see that there was some litter shifted in the litter box. That was good. Using the litter box was apparently one of the beginning signs that a cat was feeling comfortable enough, even if Sephiroth wasn’t home.
Cats had sensitive noses. The more familiar they were with a scent, the more they would associate that scent with their home. Of course, that kind of association wasn’t something immediate and Sephiroth could only wait to see if the cat felt like coming out to eat later.
Sephiroth looked away from the cat to tend to other things, allowing the cat to remain ‘hidden’ in the bookshelf. The more he was perceived as a non-threat, the more likely the cat would come out to inspect its new living space. And, maybe inspect Sephiroth as well.
Some cat owners left food sitting out at all times for their cats, but it would be impossible to train a food-motivated cat if Sephiroth did so. That being said, a fed cat was better than a non–fed cat so it was recommended that, if the cat didn’t come out by the second day to eat, then Sephiroth would leave dry food out for the animal. There was something else he needed to try first.
Preparing a cat’s meal was actually quite easy. Cats ate meat and did have a list of nutritional needs, though no seasoning was used for their food. Chicken was by far the easiest to obtain, but pork and beef were also options.
A cat in the wild would hunt. Their fangs and claws were sharp and their movements were silent in the underbrush, stalking small rodents and birds for meals. Owners could choose to bell their cats in order to deter them from hunting or to identify their presence in their homes, but Sephiroth took one glance at the cat’s large pointed ears poking out from behind the books on the shelf.
He wasn’t really planning on letting it wander outside anyway.
Sephiroth moved several of the books on his shelf to set down the bowl of food.
The cat, predictably, hissed at him, but since Sephiroth simply moved away after he had set down the bowl of food, it didn’t lunge at him or attack. Instead, Sephiroth headed back to the kitchen to prepare his own meal and clean up, keeping himself out of sight of the creature.
Cats didn’t have the same drive to please humans as puppies did. But that didn’t mean that they weren’t able to form connections with humans.
It wasn’t until Sephiroth had turned on the stove did his ears pick up the sound of chewing. Sephiroth slowly turned his head towards the bookcase, spotting the cat’s pointed ears over the bowl of food and a small pink tongue lapping up the diced chicken.
Well, at least it was eating.
The cat moved again.
Upon waking up the next day, Sephiroth was surprised to see that the bookshelf was empty. The books were shifted, originally to fit the shape of the cat that had wedged itself behind it, but the cat was noticeably missing.
It didn’t take too long for Sephiroth to find it though. This time, the cat had snuck under a cabinet, hiding itself from view. Sephiroth met the cat’s blue gaze and didn’t even need to hear the hiss before turning away to prepare the cat’s breakfast.
The cat really did remind him of Cloud. Desperately trying to hide his fear with aggressive gestures, trying to ward off those who would attempt to hurt him? Regardless of intention, the cat knew nothing about his motives or whether he was a friend or foe. Only that Sephiroth had dunked him in a bath after snagging him from the street.
To the cat, perhaps that was an unforgivable action. Most cats hated getting wet.
If Sephiroth was going to endear himself to the creature and keep it as a pet, then he would have to ensure that it was comfortable enough to express itself.
Wondering how he should approach the lump, Sephiroth slowly sat on the ground, looking at the cat’s golden fur.
Toys and treats were ineffective for bribing the cat, but maybe that was only because Sephiroth was seen as an enemy right now. Perhaps, once the cat was more familiar with him, he would come out more and allow himself to indulge in the comforts that Sephiroth could provide.
Cats often hid under things when afraid. It was easier to see predators coming towards them if they had some level of protection over their head. It was ideal to approach an unfamiliar cat from below their line of sight, since going above their head could be seen as aggressive.
Sephiroth mentally noted the thought as he considered his last interaction with Cloud. Going above his head was a mistake then. Cloud wasn’t as tall as him and it was no wonder that he considered anything above his line of sight as an act of aggression, considering he would need to change his entire stance to accommodate Sephiroth’s height. In a battle, Sephiroth had the advantage of being taller, but outside of battle? It was most certainly an act that could be perceived as aggressive.
He sighed and looked under the cabinet, meeting the distrustful blue eyes of the cat. Predictably, the cat’s ears tucked back and he hissed, though he didn’t move from his spot.
Sephiroth was about to reach for the cat when the doorbell rang. He slowly stood up and made his way to the door, glancing out the small window to see a few boxes sitting on his doorstep and the delivery driver getting back into the truck.
Right. His purchases.
This would be the first time he was building furniture for a cat. He opened the door and moved the packages into his home, glancing at the cardboard boxes. In total, there were three larger boxes and one medium sized one.
Grabbing a pair of scissors, Sephiroth tore open the medium box first, removing the two cat beds he had bought and the stainless steel cat bowls. He set them to the side, tearing open the packaging and fluffing out the beds before he saw the distinctive shine of gold through the corner of his eye.
The cat had come out from under the cabinet. Sephiroth watched in some level of surprise as it slunk silently across the room to inspect the cardboard boxes, pressing a cheek against the rough surface. It sniffed curiously at one box, then the second, before realizing that Sephiroth had stopped to look at him.
The reaction was immediate. The cat gave a hiss with its back puffed out, tearing across the room again to dive back under the cabinet. A few strands of golden hairs settled on the carpet, but Sephiroth was a little too surprised at the cat’s reaction to be bothered by it.
Well, if the cat wanted to inspect the boxes, Sephiroth was more than willing to allow the creature to do so. He stood up, brushing off his pants, and picked up the plastic wrap on the floor to toss in the trash.
Maybe he would run into Cloud while he was taking a walk.
Cloud was making a delivery.
It was strange, but watching Cloud ride his motorbike down the empty paths of the wastes was somewhat cathartic. Cloud didn’t seem to notice him at all, leaning over his bike as he made his way to his next destination.
Granted, Sephiroth was hovering above his line of sight.
Cloud made a sharp turn into Corel, riding his way through the dead trees. The package strapped to the back of his bike bounced a little as the roads became uneven and he swiftly reached behind himself to steady it without looking, lowering his speed in order to prevent the package from flying off.
Like the cat prowling across his living room.
He dismounted his bike as he approached the gate, giving the guards a nod of acknowledgement. They returned the gesture as he passed through, package in hand, his blue eyes clear. Cloud’s actions were confident and sure, unlike the cat in his living room, but the gestures were familiar enough.
Cloud greeted the recipient of the package with a warm smile, his eyes shining as he offered the cardboard box to the man. The man returned the smile and took the delivery slip, stamping it. Cloud accepted the slip back with a nod, folding it and placing it into his pocket as he bid the man goodbye.
Like the cat rubbing against the cardboard boxes.
Sephiroth landed near his bike, curious about Cloud’s behavior. It was strange how similar Cloud appeared to the creature. Perhaps experimenting with Cloud would give some insight to the cat’s behavior.
Like the cat, the moment Cloud saw him, his whole body stiffened. His hand slowly reached behind his back to grab the handle of his magnificent blades, his eyes narrowed on Sephiroth’s form, the bike between them. But Sephiroth didn’t draw his blade, simply watching Cloud as Cloud slowly shifted closer.
“What do you want, Sephiroth?” Cloud asked, his tone incredibly hostile. Startled, perhaps, from the sight of him? Despite the fact that he had been there the entire time, Cloud hadn’t noticed him until he had approached.
“Nothing in particular,” Sephiroth answered, a small smirk crossing his lips. “Just musing about a few similarities.”
He didn’t elaborate on the statement, reaching across the seat of the bike in full view of Cloud’s eyes. Cloud stared at him suspiciously as his hand brushed his side bangs and Sephiroth removed the loose strand of golden hair that had fallen on Cloud’s neck. He withdrew his hand, still holding the strand of hair and flew up, noting that Cloud hadn’t drawn his blade in their interaction.
They both liked cardboard.
Sephiroth took note of this fact as he watched the cat park itself into the cardboard box he had left on the floor. A smirk crossed his lips as he watched the cat stare at him suspiciously, but Sephiroth ignored the cat to start unpacking the two cat trees and the scratcher.
It was endearing, really.
The golden strand of hair he had plucked from Cloud’s neck was familiar. Shining brightly in the afternoon sun, it was a symbol of his progress with Cloud. Namely, Cloud hadn’t drawn his weapon since Sephiroth hadn’t made a threatening move towards him by going above his head.
He glanced at the cat and then looked back at the cat tree he was building. Maybe he should name the cat after the human. They certainly behaved very similarly, even if the human Cloud was far more threatening towards Sephiroth’s continued existence than the cat.
Familiarity bred fondness. If Sephiroth remained unthreatening towards Cloud, they would respond in kind. Both the cat and the human. It just took time.
Since Sephiroth was able to sneak up on him, Cloud had been on guard. Seeing Sephiroth standing by his bike had nearly made him draw his weapon, though he had no intention of fighting and allowing his bike to be damaged in the brawl.
But Sephiroth hadn’t drawn his weapon. There was something oddly soft about the way he looked at him which really just made Cloud bristle. It was almost like Sephiroth was trying to figure out something by staring at him.
The touch was another thing. Cloud had never had Sephiroth touch him with such familiarity before. Sephiroth had toyed with him more times than Cloud could count, but this was the first time that he had made a gesture that wasn’t followed by mocking taunts and lies. The tenderness was almost as if Sephiroth was imagining something or someone else.
Weird.
He half expected Sephiroth to show up on his next delivery, but no. Sephiroth had returned, but didn’t appear to be interested in fighting him. Strange, but Cloud could ignore it as long as Sephiroth wasn’t trying to kill anyone.
The gil was another thing. Having Sephiroth pass him gil from his encounter was a shock and a half. Cloud hadn’t known what to make of that–only that it was out of character for Sephiroth to do so. Why would Sephiroth even bother giving him gil?! Cloud had never asked him for any before!
A week passed before Cloud’s shoulders stiffened and his instincts screamed at him. He immediately slid his hand around his waist to grip the handle of his sword but then he felt Sephiroth’s hand slip around his wrist.
“Hold still, Cloud,” Sephiroth voice purred in his ear. Cloud jerked in alarm, shock coloring his expression as Sephiroth pressed himself against Cloud’s back. The black wing wrapped around him and Cloud stiffened, holding still as Sephiroth slid his free arm around his waist, trapping him completely in his hold.
Utterly helpless in the hands of his nemesis, Cloud froze. But Sephiroth didn’t draw Masamune or make any threatening move towards him. In fact, Cloud couldn’t sense any bloodlust from the other at all.
His hand slowly loosened around the handle of his blades and, in turn, Sephiroth’s hand slowly loosened around his wrist. There was a moment of silence where Sephiroth was simply breathing next to his ear before Cloud slowly pushed away from him, still within the reach of his wing.
“What are you doing?” he asked, conscious that he was well within harm’s way of the other.
“Too soon, perhaps?” Sephiroth muttered thoughtfully, his hand sliding around the handle of the fusion blades.
Alarm bells immediately went off in Cloud’s head. He tore himself out of Sephiroth’s grip, his eyes wide as he drew his blades, incredibly defensive.
Was Sephiroth trying to disarm him? It wouldn’t have been the first time, though he had never done anything like this before. It would have been far more efficient to disarm him by knocking his blades away in battle. Sephiroth had even done so many times before, so what was this?!
“Yes, it seems to be too soon,” Sephrioth concluded, pulling back from him and giving him a little more distance. “Well, I suppose that is that.”
Before Cloud could choke out the words of disbelief, Sephiroth had already vanished into the sky. He left Cloud feeling utterly bewildered as he slowly sheathed his blades, unsure what the fuck had just occurred.
Cloud was still reeling from that encounter when Sephiroth ambushed him that night.
He woke to the feeling of not being alone, his senses screaming at him. Cloud jerked, his hands flying in the direction of his sword before Sephiroth’s hands landed on his wrists.
A trickle of fear threaded through Cloud as he realized his position. He was literally helpless in the face of Sephiroth. Without his weapon and with Sephiroth’s hands on his wrists, he couldn’t even reach for it.
“Don’t resist,” Sephiroth purred in his ear. Cloud felt every hair on the back of his neck stand on end as his eyes remained wide, his heart beating in his throat.
With an unusual tenderness, Sephiroth slowly slid his hands against Cloud’s palm, squeezing them gently. Cloud felt his panic rise, but Sephiroth’s eyes weren’t on his. Instead, Sephiroth leaned down to press his nose to Cloud’s collar, breathing deeply.
There was a weight in his hand and Cloud’s eyes flickered up, noting that there were several gold coins in his hand. He gave a disbelieving look to Sephiroth, thoroughly confused as the panic ebbed away at the unexpected weight of gil in his hands.
“Sephiroth, what the fuck?!” he whispered, his eyes narrowed.
“Hmmm, it appears to be possible,” Sephiroth mused. “Though still quite risky.”
“Get off me,” Cloud hissed, the coins falling out of his hands as he attempted to push Sephiroth away from him. But Sephiroth was too large and heavy and Cloud didn’t have enough room to summon the strength and momentum to move him.
Sephiroth didn’t move. Instead, he pressed his nose against Cloud’s throat and inhaled deeply, his arms sliding around Cloud’s and his hands wrapping around Cloud’s biceps. Cloud hesitated, unsure about their position.
“Don’t struggle, Cloud,” Sephiroth warned.
“What the hell are you doing?” Cloud growled, his whole body tense.
“Your instinctual reaction is to flee,” Sephiroth commented. “I can feel it in your shoulders. At what point would you fight back though?”
“When you get off me, I’ll fight back,” Cloud snarled, pushing against Sephiroth’s hold. “What do you want?!”
Sephiroth peered at him through his eyelashes, still perched on his chest as he pinned him down. That’s when Cloud became aware that Sephiroth wasn’t wearing his usual leather jacket or his leather pants. Instead, Sephiroth was wearing a simple black shirt and slacks, with what looked like a strand of blond hair stuck on the fabric.
But now that he looked, there were more of the blond strands of hair all over his shirt. Cloud squinted at him, puzzled as he tried to figure out what was happening and why Sephiroth was even here, but Sephiroth didn’t give him a response. Instead, he slowly pushed himself off Cloud’s chest, his fingertips lingering on Cloud’s shirt as he moved off him.
Before Cloud could begin to question him, Sephiroth had already vanished.