Viral Love

I couldn’t believe I’d snapped. I usually found self-control quite easy. Early in my life, I’d mastered impulse. Training as a Turk had further helped me learn how not to give in to immediate wants. But, I’d attacked Hojo and sunk my teeth in him.

I cast him a glance. He had another pitchfork, helping me. The chocobos paid him no mind. He wandered around them, stopping every so often to pat one on the head. His back looked whole enough, but his chest and stomach still bled a little. Oh yes, those were my marks. I couldn’t deny that.

He began whistling. The chocobos began imitating him. Laughing in delight, he began playing a game of song with them. When they began their little, bobbling dance, he bowed back.

He was so capricious in temper. There he stood, communicating with those big, bright yellow birds with a quick laugh and obvious enjoyment. He didn’t care I’d attacked him. Every so often he had to stop and wipe blood from his neck, using the remains of his shirt.

He couldn’t wander around shirtless. I’d have to ask Chocobo Billy if he had something Hojo could wear.

Drinking his blood had set me aflame with the need to possess his body. Would it be like that with every victim? I felt better for having sipped at his artery, I knew that. I felt stronger, more alert, yet also calmer than I had in a very long time.

I needed to feed Hojo or he wouldn’t get much more traveling accomplished. So thinking, I washed my hands in the trough and went back to see Billy.

“Finished already?” the old man asked as I strode through his back kitchen door. By the smell he was cooking breakfast.

“No, but I need to get food into my companion,” I answered. “Can you provide it, and how should I pay?”

“Any friend of Cloud Strife is a friend of mine,” he said. “Just stay right there and I’ll make something for your pal. I have plenty.” He started cracking eggs into a bowl and adding various ingredients. “You two need anything else?”

Billy had ever proved a good man.

I nodded. “His shirt is ruined. Do you have an old one you don’t mind giving him?”

Billy squinted at me. “He my size?”

I thought they might be close enough and I told him so.

“Go into my bedroom and find a flannel shirt. For traveling, there’s nothing more comfortable or as warm.” He started cooking in earnest. “He’s not as hardy as you, I suppose.”

“No, he isn’t,” I agreed. I went to the bedroom and found a black and green check-pattern flannel shirt, then returned. “This one?”

Billy glanced over. “Yeah, sure.” He pulled a pan of sausages off the stove and put five on a plate, along with an omelet and some fried apples. Adding a three slices of buttered toast, he gave me the steaming plate of food and a fork. “Sorry you two can’t stay in the house, but with my relatives here, there’s just no room.”

“It’s no issue,” I assured. “We’re grateful for all you’ve given.”

Billy grinned. “I’m grateful for the breeding stock your friend Cloud sent my way. He bred some fine racers for the Golden Saucer, then gave them over to me. I’ve pulled myself out of poverty because of that spiky-headed boy.” He pushed me toward the door. “Now, go feed your traveling companion and get some rest. I’ll keep people out of the stables today. Birds need a break same as you do, anyway.”

I left. The moment I entered the stables, which were now spotless and full of fresh hay, Hojo came up and snatched the food from me. “Bless him,” he said. “Are you eating with me?” He took the fork and stared at it. “You don’t mind sharing a utensil?” His wounds had stopped bleeding, except for his neck, but I could still strongly smell blood.

I liked the smell. He had the scent of wounded quarry.

“Eat,” I told him, sitting on a hay bale. I’d had his blood and it seemed adequate to serve my nutritional needs. Still, I could take more. He’d likely give it to me, too, considering how he’d reacted.

I couldn’t believe how stimulating that had been. I hadn’t wanted to touch him, but the act of taking his blood also made me want to take the rest of him. He’d acted like perfect prey, stirring me to a fever pitch in seconds. No struggle, no protests, just easy capitulation and obvious, rampant enjoyment.

Hojo ate with left-handed decorum despite his hunger. He seemed to savor every bite of the food. When finished, he rinsed the plate and sat down on the hay bale I occupied. “That was most appreciated, Valentine, thank you.”

I didn’t know if he meant the food or the sexual attack. By the sly look on his face, he could have meant either. I ignored him and feigned indifference.

“Oh, come off it,” he said. “You brood too much. Things are looking up.”

“In what way?” I asked.

“We’ll be back in Midgar soon. You can check on your friends and I can continue on my cure for X2Geostigma.” Hojo smiled at me. “I think you’ll feel better once you’ve gotten rid of me, anyway. Even without our history, you’d find me abrasive.”

I considered that. I found nearly everyone abrasive. Holding out the flannel shirt, I met his dark eyes. “Billy gave you a shirt.”

“Excellent. I’m getting cold.” Hojo took the soft, thick garment and began putting his arms through it. The nearly flat construction of his hard muscles made the activity slightly distracting, to my displeasure. He’d healed completely while eating, leading me to believe his resilience had a lot to do with his caloric intake.

“Will we be able to reach Midgar in the next two days?” Hojo asked.

“Most likely.” I got up and began wandering the stable. We had a single, empty stall for our own use. As tired as I felt of camping in the open, such meager lodgings looked like a paradise. I came back to the trough and stared at the clean, sparkling water therein.

I needed to bathe. I smelled like Shin-Ra garbage. The stench offended me.

Hojo made a small noise as I started un-strapping my tunic. “What are you doing?” he asked.

“I’m taking a bath.” I dropped the tunic and bent to remove my boots. “You’ll take one, too, as soon as I’m finished.”

“The water looks cold,” he argued.

“I’m sure it’s cold.” I knew he was staring at me as I unfastened my pants, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. He’d already seen every part of me. Too, I’d humbled myself by letting blood lust turn into something else.

“Wait just a moment.” Hojo stoppered the free-running spout and jammed the drain with a plastic candy wrapper snatched from the garbage can. He flicked his wrist and sent a fireball into the water, making the water steam instantly. “No sense in not being comfortable,” he said. “Here, I saw some pumice soap in the corner.” He retreated and returned with the item, holding it out to me. “Too bad you can’t wash your hair with it.”

I took the soap and threw it into the trough. Then, I finished undressing and got in. Hojo had already wandered away, respecting my privacy.