jessara40k (jessara40k) wrote in roads_diverged, @ 2009-02-16 07:33:00 |
|
|||
Entry tags: | final fantasy vii, jessara40k:cloud/sephiroth, theme 39: owner/slave |
Final Fantasy VII; Sephiroth/Cloud; Theme 39 - owner/slave "Projects Part 2"
Title: Projects Part 2
Author: jessara40k
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Pairing: past Zack/Sephiroth, past Genesis/Sephiroth, past OMC/Sephiroth, Cloud/Sephiroth
Rating: R
Warnings: Slavery, slash, implied experimentation, implied abuse, implied bastard Zack
Theme: 39 owner/slave
Cloud had gone off to either training or the labs without leaving Sephiroth any instructions on how to organise the books he’d bought yesterday, but he had told him to go to Hojo for any help he needed, and he’d seemed to like it when Sephiroth had shown initiative so far. He might as well try organising it himself; he didn’t think Cloud would punish him too badly if he failed, his master hadn’t even hit him once despite his failures, so at worst he thought he’d have to organise the books again, to Cloud’s specifications.
First he began making a list of the categories he wanted to divide the books into - he would need some way to mark them off, but he could go to Hojo for that, once he had decided how to show where each category started and ended. The books that didn’t have some sort of use in training a SOLDIER, or a future commander or even General, would all fit on one shelf, so he didn’t need to mark those off separately - just as well since they were a pretty eclectic selection covering all sorts of topics, from needlework, to space travel. He’d put all the military books on one of the two bookshelves; the larger one, that way they’d all fit even sacrificing one shelf to the...pleasure reading he guessed. History, geography, languages and composition could go on the smaller bookcase.
Some sort of block, with the category printed on the side, one to go at each end of a section, should work. And he had a full list of categories, so it would probably be a good time to go looking for Professor Hojo. He hoped he wouldn’t be interrupting, but the professor had always been kind to him, even though his ability to help and protect Sephiroth had been reduced a lot after Genesis decided he wanted him. And it would be ungrateful to do anything to endanger the professor’s position more than he had to...Sephiroth glanced at the time, and decided to work on moving the books around until eleven, when people tended to start breaking for lunch in the labs.
He only managed to get one shelf sorted by eleven; the shelf with the pleasure reading, but that was more than he’d really expected to manage. He brushed his clothes down, and hesitated before unfastening the top two buttons of his shirt - Cloud might not have bedded him yet, and Zack might have kept him away from the lab techs for the most part, but he still remembered how to make them respond well to him. He took a steadying breath, and walked out into the lab, grateful again that Cloud didn’t lock the apartment door whenever he left the way Genesis had.
“Hey! What are you doing out here?” The lab tech was new, and Sephiroth turned to him, forcing a smile and bowing his head submissively.
“My master told me to speak to Professor Hojo. Could you tell me here I could find him sir?”
“Why are you looking for that old stick?”
“Because he’s the one assigned to deal with any issues that affect my master. Please sir, can you help me?” He didn’t like the way the man was looking at him, and he shifted his weight in preparation to flee if he needed to.
“I’ll take you to him then.” Sephiroth couldn’t run away, no matter how creepy the lab tech was, all he could do was hope the letch had enough brains to realise that Sephiroth belonged to Cloud, that he wasn’t available to anyone else. He moved forward, intending to trail behind the lab tech, by at least one step, preferably two or three, but the man took hold of his arm and pulled him forward to walk beside him. Sephiroth really didn’t like this, but no one seemed willing to help him, and he didn’t dare risk making a scene.
“Professor Hojo!” But he could call out in greeting as soon as he saw the professor, and Sephiroth tried to pull forward away from the lab tech as he let a smile form on his lips.
“Sephiroth, my boy.” The Professor seemed pleased to see him, pleased, but at least a little surprised, and that bothered him a bit, but at least his voice wasn’t cold the way it was when he spoke to the lab tech. “Lewis, what are you doing? Let him go.”
“He said he needed to talk to you.” The man shoved Sephiroth forward roughly as he answered. “I wasn’t sure he was supposed to be out in the labs.”
“Sephiroth wouldn’t come looking for me without his master’s permission. He’s allowed to go anywhere is master gives him permission to. So, how’s Cloud treating you my boy?” Professor Hojo reached out to Sephiroth with one hand, and Sephiroth took that hand, letting himself be pulled away from the lab tech - Lewis - as Professor Hojo deliberately turned his back on the man, putting himself between Sephiroth and Lewis.
“Really well. I...he took me shopping yesterday, and he wanted me to organise the books he bought...”
“You need advice then, or help?” Did Professor Hojo really think he was that stupid? Even though he’d been teaching Sephiroth to help him before Genesis...
“No, not exactly, I’ve already planned out how to do it, but I need something to mark off where each section starts and ends.”Sephiroth didn’t think he’d let his hurt show in his voice, but something in the Professor’s expression told him that he must have.
“Planned something simple then? I didn’t think you’d learned any of the formal ways of organising books.” Professor Hojo sounded pleased, with a gratifying lack of surprise, and Sephiroth was relieved to see Lewis walking away from them, anger apparent in his stride.
“Ah...no, I hadn’t. I’ve made a list of categories, and I thought some sort of block, would work perhaps?”
“Hmmm, yes, I can arrange that for you.” Professor Hojo accepted the list, looking it over with an air of amusement. “Is there anything else you need?”
“I...it would help me take care of my master if I had some idea of what was scheduled to happen?” He’d sometimes been provided with one before, not with Zack or Genesis, but with Rodrie and Adric, but this was the first time he’d dared to ask himself, however indirectly.
“Sephiroth!” Professor Hojo’s voice was sharp enough that he almost flinched, and Sephiroth knew that whatever he was going to say had to be important. “Did your master want you to ask me for some advance warning about what Dr Hollander intends to work on involving him?”
“Yes sir.” He was lying, but from the satisfaction in the professor’s smile Sephiroth had given him the answer he wanted.
“Good. We get a schedule for the next week starting on Monday every Thursday, so I’ll see that you get a copy by every Friday morning. And I’ll print this week’s schedule off for you now. This way my boy.” Sephiroth trusted the professor enough to walk beside him without being pulled forward, but he was relieved to see that they’d lost their audience at some point. “It was about time for me to break for lunch, do you think Cloud will mind if you came to eat with me?”
“He didn’t give me permission for that; I didn’t think of asking.” Sephiroth shook his head in regret. “I don’t want to risk it sir. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry my boy.” Professor Hojo reached up to push Sephiroth’s hair out of his face with a sad smile. “I just hoped that Cloud would be like Zack, and willing to let you meet with me socially.”
“He might be, I just didn’t think to ask; I wish I had, and I will when I get the courage up, I promise.” He accepted the schedule Professor Hojo gave him and handed over his list in return and the professor insisted on walking him back to Cloud’s apartment. He didn’t have time to really sort any more of the books out, not if he was going to prepare a good meal for when his master returned, so he settled for just putting the books on the bookcases he’d decided they should stay on, before he began cooking.
“Hello Sephiroth. That smells delicious.” Cloud glanced over at the bookshelves as he spoke. “Have you made any progress on sorting those books out?”
“Yes Cloud. I know it isn’t obvious just now, but I separated the recreational books from the others, and the non-military texts are all on this bookcase.” He moved closer to the smaller bookcase, indicating it as he spoke. “The recreational books, the ones that aren’t going to make you a better SOLDIER or officer, are all on the top shelf of the other case.”
“I’m impressed. Did you need any help from Professor Hojo?”
“Yes, I did, I asked him to get some blocks labelled with the different sections, and...I also asked for this.” He picked up the printout Professor Hojo had given him, bringing it forward to Cloud, hoping he hadn’t been too presumptuous.
“A schedule of what Hollander wants to do to me? That’s a great idea. Thank you, I wouldn’t have thought of it, and I’m grateful that you did.”