Cell Division | By : Savaial Category: Final Fantasy VII > AU - Alternate Universe Views: 2025 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy. It belongs to SquareEnix. I do not make any money from these writings, nor do I wish to. The original creators have all my respect, from game designers to voice actors. |
We were getting in the car when Michael, in his exuberance over winning ten thousand gil, rolled up his sleeves and exposed his tattoo. Hojo, leaning to the side to buckle in, saw it. He tilted his head. A wondering smile broke out. He tapped Michael on his tattoo, bringing the overjoyed man’s attention to him. “You might be the oldest, but this is young,” he said. “Why did the three of you put my name permanently on your bodies?”
Nobody corrected him by adding my name to the count.
I loved my fellow pets in that moment.
“Because we love you, sir,” Alison said. But, she always told him that we love him. Smiling, she unbuckled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. She always did that, too. She also had a mountain of winnings and the natural accompaniment of a good mood.
“A guy pointed out we could lose the bracelets,” Jean said. His mood hadn’t carried. He hadn’t lost much but he hadn’t won either.
“And, it’ll make the lab techs furious,” Michael said gleefully. He tossed a bag of gil to Jean. “Here’s what I owe you for our poker game last month.”
This had the effect of brightening Jean’s outlook. The man settled back to count.
Hojo looked at all of us individually. Silent but smiling, he took note that only I still paid attention to him. I saw him thinking he hadn’t noticed a tattoo on me. His eyes drifted to my studded collar. Lazily, they drifted back up to my face. Still smiling, he turned and started the car.
Alison fell asleep on my shoulder halfway home. Amused, I let her drool on me. I would give her such hell later.
Jean picked her up and carried her like a baby once we parked at Shin-Ra. Michael walked ahead of Hojo, his eyes moving over the grounds as if looking for potential trouble. I took his cue and joined the paranoia patrol. We all seemed to breathe easier once in the lab.
Hojo and I went into his office. I felt slightly groggy from eating and drinking, and dropped down onto his couch heavily. “So,” I said as he wandered toward his bookcase. “If I disobey you for a slavery infraction, is it the same punishment for a private infraction between us?”
“Why?” Hojo put a CD into his player. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t say I’d done anything.”
“I know you didn’t, but I can tell by the tone of your voice you’ve done something you’d rather I not find out about.” Hojo started his player. The sound of a single harp filled the room. “Was it dangerous?”
“No.”
“Did it put my family in danger?”
“Hah!” I sat up so suddenly I startled Hojo into turning around. “I knew it! You do think of us as family.”
Hojo lit a cigarette, seemingly unimpressed with my deduction. “Of course I do,” he said smoothly. “Bought family, certainly, but what family isn’t?” He came over, sitting right beside me. “You didn’t answer my question.”
“It didn’t put anyone in danger,” I relented. “So, are we your children?”
“Michael, Alison and Jean are,” he answered, dragging me into his lap effortlessly. “You aren’t, naturally.”
“So, what am I?” I didn’t think I wanted an answer. Still, I felt compelled to ask.
“You are without category.” Hojo’s eyes coasted over my face with sobering attention. “I attempt to put you in categories and fail every time.”
“That bothers you, doesn’t it?” I asked, sensing I’d managed to disquiet him. “You’re a scientist and you want categories. You want everything neat and orderly.” I’d confessed the same thing to him a long time ago. I still looked for his category.
“Yes, and you manage to make everything a jumble whenever you want,” Hojo said softly.
“I don’t mean to,” I said, my tone quiet in accordance with our conversation. “Truly, I don’t want to make things difficult for you. I’m not a fan of upheaval.”
“I know, my dear,” Hojo told me, smiling a little. “You’re a clever, assertive young woman who cannot help but throw an old man’s systems to the wind. Even if I were your age I’d be in trouble.” He petted my hair, his eyes dimming slightly with deep thought. He tossed his cigarette into a potted plant. “It’s a lesson,” he murmured. “A lesson that never sticks to me, apparently.”
“I don’t understand.” He could be terribly cryptic. “If you knew I’d throw everything off balance, why take me?”
“I already told you that, didn’t I? I love trouble.”
“Then why mope about it?”
“Am I moping?”
“I think so.”
“You’re probably correct.”
“You make me crazy.”
“You make me crazy as well, my dear, and I needed no help in that department, believe me.”
We stared at each other.
“Your basic chemistry is very compatible with mine,” he said suddenly. “You figured that out?”
“I figured,” I admitted. “I’ve had to accustom myself to an entirely new level of sensory awareness since you took me. So what does that mean and why did you bring it up?”
“It means our genetics pair off ideally. I brought it up because I’m sitting here with you on my lap, smelling your fertility. You’re ovulating. I’m responding to you.”
“If you tell me you want a child, I’ll completely rebel.”
Hojo laughed. “I imagine you would. No, I’m not expecting fatherhood again; I’ve done quite enough to fuck up the one child I did have.” He let his head drop to the back of the couch, exposing his strong throat.
“You need to forgive yourself.” I put my head on his shoulder, feeling his chest rise and fall with his steady breathing. “While you’re at it, just apologize to him. He doesn’t have to be alive for it to mean something.”
Hojo shuddered. “I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to try,” he relented. “Why don’t you go with me to make the apology?”
“I’d go, of course.” It pleased me he wanted me with him for this. “Where is he buried?”
Hojo sighed. “He isn’t buried. He didn’t leave a body.”
I swore I felt my tattoo start stinging.
I put my arms around him slowly, testing if he would tolerate a show of caring. To my infinite satisfaction, he not only tolerated, but accepted. He held me close and we just sat there together, listening to his clock tick.
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