The Snowball Effect of a Weekend's Entertainment - Chapter 2
Title: The Snowball Effect of a Weekend's Entertainment
Chapter: 2/5
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~4600
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: AU, hurt/comfort
Warnings: dubcon, smut, cat!Cloud
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII and make no money from this work.
Summary: What was meant to be a relaxing weekend for Sephiroth to blow off some steam turns into something much larger.
Previous: | 1 |
Thank you, everyone, for being very nice and not shocked and appalled!
***
Sephiroth didn't sleep, but held the cat close and stroked his ears as the purring died off into more relaxed breathing. He couldn't stop thinking about what the desk clerk had said about Cloud. While he wasn't one to normally take pity on anyone, he couldn't help but feel terrible about the abuse Cloud had suffered. And cats that got sold from the high-class establishments-this was about as high-class as they came-had nowhere but down to go. It went doubly for Cloud, since he would be sold because of his fear and reluctance. He'd go to a place where the owners wouldn't insist on preparation and the clients wouldn't let him fight back and definitely wouldn't care about getting him calmed down and willing.
He sighed, ignoring the idea that kept poking at his brain. Looking after a cat would be a lot of work that he simply didn't have time for. Of course, he could stop working so much overtime... He snorted in disgust, causing Cloud to twitch in his sleep. His reputation would be ruined if he not only brought home a cat, but also started slacking off at work because of it.
Still, such a beautiful, intelligent creature didn't deserve a life of abuse and suffering. What was his reputation compared to that? He thought of the grand ideals so many new SOLDIERs had: protecting the helpless, fighting for honour, being a hero... Shin-Ra's SOLDIER was nothing like that, but it could be. It could start with their leader doing something small.
He argued back and forth with himself for what seemed like forever, but when he looked at the clock, it hadn't been that long. He really needed to stop trying to justify it to himself and accept that he wanted a cat, and he wanted this cat. While he would provide a better home for Cloud than any of his other options, Sephiroth wasn't one to hide his true intentions under the guise of nobility.
He slipped out of bed and pulled on his pants. If he was going to do this, he needed to do it now before he changed his mind. He finished getting dressed, then carefully eased the plug back out of the sleeping cat and set it aside. Sephiroth wrapped the blanket around him-the idea of carting around a naked, obviously fucked cat did not appeal-and lifted him up, trying not to disturb him. Cloud stirred and yawned, but didn't even open his eyes as he settled down with his head resting on Sephiroth's shoulder.
Sephiroth stole quietly out of the room and walked back to the lobby area. The desk clerk was still there, and he looked up in surprise when he saw Sephiroth coming down the hall.
"Is there a problem?"
"No problem," Sephiroth answered. "I want to buy him. You said the owner was planning to sell him, right?"
"Well, yes, but we don't-I mean-you want to buy him just like that?"
"Just like that. He's a good-looking cat, but he's got behavioural problems. You won't get more than sixty thousand gil for him if you're very lucky. I'll give you eighty." Sephiroth threw out random numbers that seemed appropriately high, hoping he wasn't guessing too low. He assumed they weren't cheap or they'd be a lot more common.
The man sputtered in shock. "Ei-eighty!?"
"Eighty thousand," Sephiroth said slowly. Apparently that was high enough; he wondered if it was perhaps too high. "Call the owner if you have to, but you're not going to get a better buyer than that."
"I will have to clear it with him..." The clerk eyed him suspiciously. "Why do you want him? Was he well behaved?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "It took some doing to convince him to calm down, but eventually he did behave. I want him because he was fun. I like a challenge, and I like the way he looks."
"All right. I guess you can just have a seat or something while I call. You want to take him with you right away?"
"Yes, I'd prefer to. I've gained his trust and I'd like to avoid having to re-earn it if I can." Sephiroth sat down in the comfortable lobby chair to wait. This was slightly more than he had been planning to spend on entertainment this weekend. Ah well, it wasn't like he'd be breaking the bank to afford it. He stroked Cloud's cheek with one finger and smiled when he nuzzled at him sleepily.
"How do you plan on paying?" the clerk's voice interrupted his thoughts. He was holding his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.
"I can do a bank transfer to the business if you give me the account number."
The clerk nodded and passed the information on. Sephiroth had considered a credit card, but was fairly sure they wouldn't accept that. It'd be too easy for someone to cancel the transaction and disappear with the cat. A bank transfer was as good as cash.
A short while later, the clerk hung up the phone and gestured for Sephiroth to come over. "The Don's agreed. Eighty thousand gil via bank transfer."
Sephiroth pulled out his PHS and opened his banking program. He punched in the account number the man gave him and the amount, then took a deep breath and hit 'transfer funds'. He couldn't believe it. He owned a cat. This was absolutely ridiculous.
He tugged the blanket closer around Cloud as he waited for the confirmation of the transfer to arrive. It would be worth it, he told himself. Cloud was worth it.
"I guess the blanket can be on the house... Do you need any help with getting him out to your car?" The clerk sounded rather reluctant to do any actual helping.
"No, I can manage."
"Okay, well, he's toilet trained and up-to-date on all his shots. We got him a month ago, so that's when he got the shots." He shrugged. "I guess that's all you need to know. Cats need a high meat content in their meals, but balance it out with some vegetables and starches."
Sephiroth nodded; he'd pick up some books on caring for cats tomorrow. Maybe look for a vet. It would be Saturday, so he'd have time to figure things out before the workweek.
"And he's yours. Transfer's gone through. This is all his paperwork; just let me sign acknowledging the sale. Congratulations, I suppose."
"Thanks." Sephiroth shook the clerk's offered hand and left the building without another word. He heard shouts from the livelier side of the Honeybee, where those looking for human prostitutes went, but it didn't seem to be anything serious.
Cloud didn't stir as he set him down in the passenger seat of the car and buckled him up. He slept the whole way back to his apartment and only raised his head momentarily when Sephiroth picked him up again. Three orgasms might have been a bit much. Though the stress Cloud had gone through was probably a big contributing factor as well.
He crept quietly through his apartment without turning the lights on and lowered Cloud carefully onto the bed. Cloud stretched and yawned, then shut his eyes, purring again.
***
A soft noise of distress was what caused Sephiroth to wake. It was early; the sky was just beginning to lighten, but Sephiroth could see Cloud clearly. He was sitting bolt upright and his eyes were darting around the unfamiliar room. His tail was puffed up; Sephiroth could see the tremors running through his body.
"It's okay," he whispered. "This is a strange place, isn't it?"
Cloud's ears turned towards the noise and he stared at Sephiroth with wide, frightened eyes.
"Do you remember me? You were so tired last night; I don't think you noticed when I moved you." He held out his hand and Cloud flinched away before inching forward to sniff it. Cloud let him rub his ears and moved a bit closer, pushing his head into Sephiroth's touch. "That's it, you remember me. I'm not going to hurt you. This is my home."
Cloud looked at him quizzically, then glanced around again.
"You're going to live here from now on. Would you like that?" Sephiroth wasn't quite sure what he'd do if Cloud responded negatively, feeling fairly certain that the cathouse didn't offer refunds on spur of the moment purchases. But Cloud didn't respond at all, no nod or shake of the head. It wasn't common, but Sephiroth had kind of been banking on that ability when he made his decision. Maybe there was just too much going on for Cloud to be able to respond. Or maybe he just didn't know yet.
"Would you like to explore a bit?" It was still early, but there was little chance of Cloud going back to sleep until he felt safe. He rolled out of bed and patted his thigh. "Come on, let's take a look around."
Cloud hopped off the bed and landed near Sephiroth's feet. He stood up partway, clutching at Sephiroth's arm, then crouched again, before standing once more. Sephiroth hadn't seen a lot of cats outside of the cathouses and found this behaviour peculiar. Cloud didn't seem to be very good at standing up-Sephiroth found himself needing to offer a fair bit in the way of balance as Cloud took a few shaky steps.
"You don't have to stand," he said. The Turk, Cissnei, had a real cat and Sephiroth remembered that when it was frightened, it slunk around with its body as flat against the floor as possible. Cloud might feel safer that way.
Cloud dropped to the floor at once and butted his head against Sephiroth's knee. He leaned down and gave him a quick pat. "This is the bedroom," he said, "And there's a bathroom through here." Cloud followed closely at his heels as he walked over and pushed the door all the way open. "Do you need to go?"
Again, Cloud didn't respond. He crept a few paces into the bathroom, glanced around, and crept back out.
"Okay, well, it's there for when you need it. Don't forget." Sephiroth led him to the bedroom door and opened it while Cloud cowered behind his legs. "There's nothing scary out here, don't worry." He stepped out into the hall and headed towards the living room, pointing out the various things as he went. Linen closet, spare bedroom, second bathroom, office. Cloud poked his head into each one but didn't go far. "And this is the living room and over there's the kitchen. That's it. You can go check it out. I'm going to make some breakfast for us."
At those words, Cloud's ears perked up and he meowed loudly.
"Are you hungry?" Sephiroth asked, laughing.
Cloud nodded several times and meowed again.
Sephiroth smiled in relief. Cloud was probably just overwhelmed and frightened before and that's why he didn't respond to his earlier questions. "Okay, I'll make you something good. Now go explore." He gave Cloud a light push then headed over to the kitchen. Hopefully he had something appropriate to feed a cat.
In the forty-five minutes it took for Sephiroth to decide on what to have and cook it, Cloud got over his initial fear and Sephiroth had watched his excitement grow with an odd fascination. Cloud seemed to want to check everything out thoroughly. Sephiroth supposed he hadn't had much experience outside of wherever they kept the cats when they weren't in service and rooms much like the one they had been in last night.
He did have to wonder, however, at what was so terribly interesting in the coat closet. Cloud had gone in it and there had been silence for five minutes or so. Sephiroth had nearly forgotten where he was until he suddenly sprang out of it with a loud yowl and bounded across the room. He landed on the back of the couch with his tail puffed up and a wild look in his eyes.
It was strange. Sephiroth didn't regret his purchase for a moment, but Cloud certainly wasn't what he had expected. Although, he supposed he hadn't really thought about what cats might act like outside of sexual situations. What Cloud had just done was something he would have expected from Cissnei's cat, yet his body was far more similar to a human's than a cat's. It definitely looked strange, and it didn't help that Cloud wasn't wearing clothes.
Cloud hopped down off the couch and headed down the hallway. A few minutes later, Sephiroth heard the toilet flush and Cloud came back out, announcing his presence with a loud "Meow-ow!"
"Did you wash your hands?" Sephiroth asked. Looking him over, Sephiroth decided that he could do with a proper washing sometime soon. The evidence of last night's activities was still all over him.
Cloud made a face and grinned widely at him. Sephiroth took it as a 'no'.
"Come over here." He got Cloud standing up and held his hands under the tap. Cloud protested loudly, but Sephiroth was firm, scrubbing them thoroughly with soap. "You have to wash your hands after every time you use the toilet. Do you understand?"
Cloud squirmed and tried to wiggle away, but couldn't escape until Sephiroth let him go. When he did, Cloud scampered off and jumped onto the couch, where he sat licking the water off his hands with his tail thumping angrily.
Sephiroth rolled his eyes and turned back to the sausages, which were only slightly blackened on one side. He divided them up onto two plates, giving Cloud a couple more sausages and less of the hash browns and eggs. It would be good enough for now, he supposed, and he could research Cloud's dietary requirements later.
"Here, Cloud, breakfast's ready."
Cloud hopped up on the chair that Sephiroth pulled out for him, all thoughts of the recent hand-washing trauma forgotten. Sephiroth set the plate down in front of him, as well as utensils and a glass of water. He poured himself a cup of coffee, but thought that cats probably didn't need caffeine.
Sephiroth watched with interest as Cloud sniffed at his plate curiously. He had never actually seen a cat eat before. Cloud ignored the utensils and delicately picked up a sausage and nibbled at it. He grinned and clacked his teeth at Sephiroth before taking a bigger bite. Cloud ate neatly, despite using his hands, and licked his fingers clean whenever he finished something or set it down. He picked up his glass of water with both hands and drank thirstily. Sephiroth thought, a little guiltily as Cloud drained the glass, that he probably should have offered him some water earlier. He took it away and refilled it; Cloud grinned at him again when he set it down in front of him.
"Do you know how to put more water in that?" he asked pointing at the glass.
Cloud spent a moment swallowing the sausage that was in his mouth then shook his head from side to side.
"I'll show you after breakfast." Something like that should be within Cloud's capabilities and it would be a good skill to have.
Cloud ate the eggs, but avoided the hash browns after the first bite. He was happy enough to eat another sausage when Sephiroth offered it to him, however.
"Don't like the hash browns?"
Cloud made a face and pushed the plate away.
"Yeah, they weren't the best. A bit freezer-burned. Are you still hungry?"
Cloud shook his head, hopped down from the chair, and stretched. Sephiroth grabbed a damp cloth and wiped off Cloud's hands, figuring that washing them probably wasn't worth the fuss, but he didn't want greasy handprints all over the place, either. He gathered up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, then called to Cloud.
"Come here, I'll show you how to get water." Sephiroth lifted Cloud up and sat him on the counter next to the sink. "I'll put glasses down here for you," he said, taking a couple out of the cupboard and setting them at the back of the counter.
Cloud nudged his way past Sephiroth's arm and peered into the cupboard.
"Hey, pay attention. You don't need anything else in there. The glasses are here. This is the tap." Cloud scowled at the thing that had made his hands wet. "It's multi-purpose. To turn it on and make water come out, you push it up. If you turn it this way, it's cold water, and this way, it's hot. Can you remember that?" Sephiroth had his doubts; this lesson would probably need a few repetitions before it stuck. For the moment, Cloud was interested in the water coming out of the tap and trying to catch it. How that was different from getting his hands wet to wash them, Sephiroth couldn't fathom.
"To turn it off, you push down." Sephiroth shut the water off, and Cloud frowned at him for taking his toy away. "Okay, I'm going to fill a glass. I want you to watch."
He demonstrated, and Cloud seemed to actually pay attention. "Now you try," he said, dumping the water out of the glass and handing it to Cloud.
He hit snags immediately. Cloud held the glass with both hands, and therefore couldn't turn on the tap while he was holding it. When he tried holding it with one, he dropped it almost immediately, and Sephiroth had to move quickly to catch it.
"Try putting it down in the sink, then turning on the tap. You can move it to catch the water."
That worked better. It took a few tries for him to get the glass in the right spot, and it dripped water everywhere when he got the tap shut off again and lifted it proudly. But it worked. Cloud could get himself water.
"Good boy," Sephiroth said and gave Cloud's ears a scratch while he gulped his prize. "Make sure you always turn the tap off when you're done."
When Cloud was done drinking, Sephiroth took the glass away and looked at his hands. They were a lot smaller than his, but Cloud was smaller in general. Cloud sat patiently on the counter while Sephiroth bent and straightened his fingers and pressed on his palms. They seemed pretty much the same as his hands as far as he could tell-not as flexible, but that didn't explain why couldn't Cloud hold a glass with one hand.
"Come into the light." Sephiroth picked Cloud up and carried him over near the windows where the morning sun was filling the room with light. He sat down and examined Cloud's hands more closely. There were white lines crisscrossing all over his palms and fingers. How would he get scars like that? "Did you hurt your hands?" he asked.
Cloud blinked and rested his head on Sephiroth's shoulder, looking out the window. Somehow it seemed far more likely that someone had hurt them for him if it had been bad enough to interfere with his use of them and leave so many scars.
"Well, enough of that. No one's going to hurt you here. I'm sure they can be strengthened if we work at it." Cloud had begun to purr, clearly happy where he was on Sephiroth's lap, so he carried him with him to his office to do some research.
Much to his annoyance, most of the discussion groups and informative sites he found on cats had more to do with their various abilities in the bedroom and less to do with how to care for them properly. He did find one message board where someone had asked what to do with their sick cat. There had been a unanimous outpouring of answers saying to take it to the Sector Seven Veterinary Hospital. Cloud wasn't sick, but maybe someone there could give him some better information. It probably also wouldn't hurt to get him checked out in case something was wrong.
He jotted down the address and phone number of the hospital, but it was too early to call. Showering would probably be the best thing to tackle next; there was absolutely no way that he was taking Cloud to see a vet in his current state.
***
Cloud eyed the shower suspiciously while Sephiroth stripped. Sephiroth had locked the door and hoped that would be enough to keep Cloud trapped. He picked Cloud up, but after one step towards the shower stall, Cloud began making such a racket that he was certain the neighbours would hear.
"It's just water; it's not going to kill you." He set Cloud down again and crouched next to him. Damn, that was hard on the eardrums. The water wasn't even on yet! He rubbed Cloud's back, trying to calm him down, while he thought of what to do. If he could distract him... but he didn't have any toys for him to play with yet. Although-Sephiroth glanced down at Cloud's nakedness-there were other methods of distraction that might work.
He reached down and traced his fingers lightly over Cloud's penis. The pitiful mewlings Cloud had been making abruptly stopped and he looked down. Sephiroth shifted so he was sitting cross-legged and held Cloud in his lap with his back leaning against his chest.
"I'm not so bad, am I?" he asked, applying a firmer touch and bending his head to lick Cloud's neck.
"Nyo." Cloud squirmed into his touch and spread his legs, giving Sephiroth easy access to anything his might want to touch. It didn't take long for Cloud to start breathing heavily as Sephiroth stroked him.
Sephiroth stopped suddenly and stood up, leaving Cloud sitting on the floor, blinking in bewilderment. When Cloud attempted to touch himself, Sephiroth snatched his hands up. "No. If you want me to continue, you have to go in the shower."
Cloud looked terrified as his ears flattened against his head and he let out a warbling noise. Sephiroth really hoped it wouldn't be considered too evil to coax him into the shower like this. The water wouldn't kill him.
"I'm not going to turn it on yet, but you have to go in the shower."
Cloud reluctantly followed him, warbling pathetically the entire time. He cowered in the corner while Sephiroth cleared the shampoo off its low shelf. He sat Cloud down on it and knelt between his legs. Cloud had gone soft again, but began to harden quickly as Sephiroth took his length into his mouth. Still, though his body reacted as Sephiroth sucked him, the warbling didn't stop, and the fitful movement of Cloud's hands spoke of distress, not pleasure.
He sighed and let Cloud's cock slip out of his mouth. "This isn't the end of the world, Cloud. Would you like that better as a reward for being a good boy and getting cleaned up?"
Cloud didn't respond. The poor thing looked absolutely terrified. Well, there was no use in dragging it out any longer, then. A quick wash and it would be over. He picked Cloud up, balancing him on his hip and holding him with one arm wrapped snug around his waist, and then turned on the faucet.
"Nyo! Nyo, nyo, nyo!" Cloud squirmed and kicked and did everything in his power to escape, but Sephiroth held him firmly and stepped into the spray once it warmed up.
"It's okay," he had to shout to be heard over the shower and the yelling. "Just calm down." He grabbed for some soap and rubbed it over Cloud's body, not really caring how thorough a job he did, just as long as it was good enough to get the worst of the mess off him. Eventually, Cloud seemed to realize that he couldn't escape, and clung to Sephiroth's shoulders, trembling and crying, with the occasional 'nyo' still escaping.
It hadn't taken more than three minutes, tops, but Cloud was absolutely miserable when Sephiroth shut off the shower and stepped out. He tried to be gentle and compassionate as he wrapped a fluffy towel around him and started rubbing him dry, but the crying continued. He felt a twinge of guilt when he saw actual tears on Cloud's face, not just water.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, carefully wiping his face dry. He must have gone about this the wrong way, but he couldn't think of how else he was supposed to keep Cloud clean. A bath would surely be just as bad, but it didn't seem possible that cats might not need to bathe. Despite their similarities to regular cats, he was certain that the hybrids did not and could not keep themselves clean like a cat.
When they were both dried off, Sephiroth carried Cloud out to the bedroom. He couldn't bring himself to give Cloud his 'reward' when he was like this and doubted that Cloud would want it, so he got dressed and searched his drawers for something that might be suitable for a cat to wear outside. He found a pair of sweatpants that must have belonged to someone else-they were way too small for him, but looked like they might fit Cloud all right.
Cloud lay in a heap of misery on the bed and stayed completely limp as Sephiroth pulled the pants on him, marked where the base of his tail was, and pulled them off again. He cut a circle out of the fabric and set them aside; if Cloud wasn't used to wearing clothes, he probably wouldn't like them much, and Sephiroth wanted to avoid more trauma until it was absolutely necessary. And he did need to give Cloud some sort of reward for getting through the shower. Food seemed like a good idea; he went to the kitchen and searched the pantry for an appropriate treat.
"Hey, Cloud, would you like a treat?" Sephiroth crouched down next to the bed and held out a small piece of beef jerky.
Cloud raised his head slightly and sniffed cautiously before looking at Sephiroth, suspicion and anger clouding his expression.
"It's a reward. You were a good boy and survived the shower. I'm not going to do anything else to you. Take it."
Cloud refused to take it from his hand, but when he set it down on the bedspread, Cloud snatched it up.
"Want some more?" Sephiroth tore off another small piece and held it out so it was lying flat on his fingers. Cloud regarded him for a moment, then snatched it off his hand, his rough tongue brushing lightly against Sephiroth's fingers. "Good boy."
Cloud began to look less and less miserable as he ate the small pieces of jerky one by one. When he was finished, Sephiroth held out his hands for Cloud to see. "All gone." Cloud nudged them, sniffing for more, and then began licking Sephiroth's fingertips to get the last of the flavour.
Sephiroth cupped Cloud's chin in his hand and leaned in to kiss him softly. "Good boy. Do you still hate me?"
"Nyo." That was a petulant-sounding answer if he had ever heard one, but Cloud nuzzled his cheek before turning away to curl up in a ball on the bed. Sephiroth ran his hand over Cloud's still-damp hair a couple times before turning to go.
***
Previous Chapter | Next Chapter
Chapter: 2/5
Author: xpaperplanex
Rating: NC-17
Word Count: ~4600
Pairing: Sephiroth/Cloud
Genre: AU, hurt/comfort
Warnings: dubcon, smut, cat!Cloud
Disclaimer: I do not own FFVII and make no money from this work.
Summary: What was meant to be a relaxing weekend for Sephiroth to blow off some steam turns into something much larger.
Previous: | 1 |
Thank you, everyone, for being very nice and not shocked and appalled!
***
Sephiroth didn't sleep, but held the cat close and stroked his ears as the purring died off into more relaxed breathing. He couldn't stop thinking about what the desk clerk had said about Cloud. While he wasn't one to normally take pity on anyone, he couldn't help but feel terrible about the abuse Cloud had suffered. And cats that got sold from the high-class establishments-this was about as high-class as they came-had nowhere but down to go. It went doubly for Cloud, since he would be sold because of his fear and reluctance. He'd go to a place where the owners wouldn't insist on preparation and the clients wouldn't let him fight back and definitely wouldn't care about getting him calmed down and willing.
He sighed, ignoring the idea that kept poking at his brain. Looking after a cat would be a lot of work that he simply didn't have time for. Of course, he could stop working so much overtime... He snorted in disgust, causing Cloud to twitch in his sleep. His reputation would be ruined if he not only brought home a cat, but also started slacking off at work because of it.
Still, such a beautiful, intelligent creature didn't deserve a life of abuse and suffering. What was his reputation compared to that? He thought of the grand ideals so many new SOLDIERs had: protecting the helpless, fighting for honour, being a hero... Shin-Ra's SOLDIER was nothing like that, but it could be. It could start with their leader doing something small.
He argued back and forth with himself for what seemed like forever, but when he looked at the clock, it hadn't been that long. He really needed to stop trying to justify it to himself and accept that he wanted a cat, and he wanted this cat. While he would provide a better home for Cloud than any of his other options, Sephiroth wasn't one to hide his true intentions under the guise of nobility.
He slipped out of bed and pulled on his pants. If he was going to do this, he needed to do it now before he changed his mind. He finished getting dressed, then carefully eased the plug back out of the sleeping cat and set it aside. Sephiroth wrapped the blanket around him-the idea of carting around a naked, obviously fucked cat did not appeal-and lifted him up, trying not to disturb him. Cloud stirred and yawned, but didn't even open his eyes as he settled down with his head resting on Sephiroth's shoulder.
Sephiroth stole quietly out of the room and walked back to the lobby area. The desk clerk was still there, and he looked up in surprise when he saw Sephiroth coming down the hall.
"Is there a problem?"
"No problem," Sephiroth answered. "I want to buy him. You said the owner was planning to sell him, right?"
"Well, yes, but we don't-I mean-you want to buy him just like that?"
"Just like that. He's a good-looking cat, but he's got behavioural problems. You won't get more than sixty thousand gil for him if you're very lucky. I'll give you eighty." Sephiroth threw out random numbers that seemed appropriately high, hoping he wasn't guessing too low. He assumed they weren't cheap or they'd be a lot more common.
The man sputtered in shock. "Ei-eighty!?"
"Eighty thousand," Sephiroth said slowly. Apparently that was high enough; he wondered if it was perhaps too high. "Call the owner if you have to, but you're not going to get a better buyer than that."
"I will have to clear it with him..." The clerk eyed him suspiciously. "Why do you want him? Was he well behaved?"
Sephiroth shrugged. "It took some doing to convince him to calm down, but eventually he did behave. I want him because he was fun. I like a challenge, and I like the way he looks."
"All right. I guess you can just have a seat or something while I call. You want to take him with you right away?"
"Yes, I'd prefer to. I've gained his trust and I'd like to avoid having to re-earn it if I can." Sephiroth sat down in the comfortable lobby chair to wait. This was slightly more than he had been planning to spend on entertainment this weekend. Ah well, it wasn't like he'd be breaking the bank to afford it. He stroked Cloud's cheek with one finger and smiled when he nuzzled at him sleepily.
"How do you plan on paying?" the clerk's voice interrupted his thoughts. He was holding his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone.
"I can do a bank transfer to the business if you give me the account number."
The clerk nodded and passed the information on. Sephiroth had considered a credit card, but was fairly sure they wouldn't accept that. It'd be too easy for someone to cancel the transaction and disappear with the cat. A bank transfer was as good as cash.
A short while later, the clerk hung up the phone and gestured for Sephiroth to come over. "The Don's agreed. Eighty thousand gil via bank transfer."
Sephiroth pulled out his PHS and opened his banking program. He punched in the account number the man gave him and the amount, then took a deep breath and hit 'transfer funds'. He couldn't believe it. He owned a cat. This was absolutely ridiculous.
He tugged the blanket closer around Cloud as he waited for the confirmation of the transfer to arrive. It would be worth it, he told himself. Cloud was worth it.
"I guess the blanket can be on the house... Do you need any help with getting him out to your car?" The clerk sounded rather reluctant to do any actual helping.
"No, I can manage."
"Okay, well, he's toilet trained and up-to-date on all his shots. We got him a month ago, so that's when he got the shots." He shrugged. "I guess that's all you need to know. Cats need a high meat content in their meals, but balance it out with some vegetables and starches."
Sephiroth nodded; he'd pick up some books on caring for cats tomorrow. Maybe look for a vet. It would be Saturday, so he'd have time to figure things out before the workweek.
"And he's yours. Transfer's gone through. This is all his paperwork; just let me sign acknowledging the sale. Congratulations, I suppose."
"Thanks." Sephiroth shook the clerk's offered hand and left the building without another word. He heard shouts from the livelier side of the Honeybee, where those looking for human prostitutes went, but it didn't seem to be anything serious.
Cloud didn't stir as he set him down in the passenger seat of the car and buckled him up. He slept the whole way back to his apartment and only raised his head momentarily when Sephiroth picked him up again. Three orgasms might have been a bit much. Though the stress Cloud had gone through was probably a big contributing factor as well.
He crept quietly through his apartment without turning the lights on and lowered Cloud carefully onto the bed. Cloud stretched and yawned, then shut his eyes, purring again.
***
A soft noise of distress was what caused Sephiroth to wake. It was early; the sky was just beginning to lighten, but Sephiroth could see Cloud clearly. He was sitting bolt upright and his eyes were darting around the unfamiliar room. His tail was puffed up; Sephiroth could see the tremors running through his body.
"It's okay," he whispered. "This is a strange place, isn't it?"
Cloud's ears turned towards the noise and he stared at Sephiroth with wide, frightened eyes.
"Do you remember me? You were so tired last night; I don't think you noticed when I moved you." He held out his hand and Cloud flinched away before inching forward to sniff it. Cloud let him rub his ears and moved a bit closer, pushing his head into Sephiroth's touch. "That's it, you remember me. I'm not going to hurt you. This is my home."
Cloud looked at him quizzically, then glanced around again.
"You're going to live here from now on. Would you like that?" Sephiroth wasn't quite sure what he'd do if Cloud responded negatively, feeling fairly certain that the cathouse didn't offer refunds on spur of the moment purchases. But Cloud didn't respond at all, no nod or shake of the head. It wasn't common, but Sephiroth had kind of been banking on that ability when he made his decision. Maybe there was just too much going on for Cloud to be able to respond. Or maybe he just didn't know yet.
"Would you like to explore a bit?" It was still early, but there was little chance of Cloud going back to sleep until he felt safe. He rolled out of bed and patted his thigh. "Come on, let's take a look around."
Cloud hopped off the bed and landed near Sephiroth's feet. He stood up partway, clutching at Sephiroth's arm, then crouched again, before standing once more. Sephiroth hadn't seen a lot of cats outside of the cathouses and found this behaviour peculiar. Cloud didn't seem to be very good at standing up-Sephiroth found himself needing to offer a fair bit in the way of balance as Cloud took a few shaky steps.
"You don't have to stand," he said. The Turk, Cissnei, had a real cat and Sephiroth remembered that when it was frightened, it slunk around with its body as flat against the floor as possible. Cloud might feel safer that way.
Cloud dropped to the floor at once and butted his head against Sephiroth's knee. He leaned down and gave him a quick pat. "This is the bedroom," he said, "And there's a bathroom through here." Cloud followed closely at his heels as he walked over and pushed the door all the way open. "Do you need to go?"
Again, Cloud didn't respond. He crept a few paces into the bathroom, glanced around, and crept back out.
"Okay, well, it's there for when you need it. Don't forget." Sephiroth led him to the bedroom door and opened it while Cloud cowered behind his legs. "There's nothing scary out here, don't worry." He stepped out into the hall and headed towards the living room, pointing out the various things as he went. Linen closet, spare bedroom, second bathroom, office. Cloud poked his head into each one but didn't go far. "And this is the living room and over there's the kitchen. That's it. You can go check it out. I'm going to make some breakfast for us."
At those words, Cloud's ears perked up and he meowed loudly.
"Are you hungry?" Sephiroth asked, laughing.
Cloud nodded several times and meowed again.
Sephiroth smiled in relief. Cloud was probably just overwhelmed and frightened before and that's why he didn't respond to his earlier questions. "Okay, I'll make you something good. Now go explore." He gave Cloud a light push then headed over to the kitchen. Hopefully he had something appropriate to feed a cat.
In the forty-five minutes it took for Sephiroth to decide on what to have and cook it, Cloud got over his initial fear and Sephiroth had watched his excitement grow with an odd fascination. Cloud seemed to want to check everything out thoroughly. Sephiroth supposed he hadn't had much experience outside of wherever they kept the cats when they weren't in service and rooms much like the one they had been in last night.
He did have to wonder, however, at what was so terribly interesting in the coat closet. Cloud had gone in it and there had been silence for five minutes or so. Sephiroth had nearly forgotten where he was until he suddenly sprang out of it with a loud yowl and bounded across the room. He landed on the back of the couch with his tail puffed up and a wild look in his eyes.
It was strange. Sephiroth didn't regret his purchase for a moment, but Cloud certainly wasn't what he had expected. Although, he supposed he hadn't really thought about what cats might act like outside of sexual situations. What Cloud had just done was something he would have expected from Cissnei's cat, yet his body was far more similar to a human's than a cat's. It definitely looked strange, and it didn't help that Cloud wasn't wearing clothes.
Cloud hopped down off the couch and headed down the hallway. A few minutes later, Sephiroth heard the toilet flush and Cloud came back out, announcing his presence with a loud "Meow-ow!"
"Did you wash your hands?" Sephiroth asked. Looking him over, Sephiroth decided that he could do with a proper washing sometime soon. The evidence of last night's activities was still all over him.
Cloud made a face and grinned widely at him. Sephiroth took it as a 'no'.
"Come over here." He got Cloud standing up and held his hands under the tap. Cloud protested loudly, but Sephiroth was firm, scrubbing them thoroughly with soap. "You have to wash your hands after every time you use the toilet. Do you understand?"
Cloud squirmed and tried to wiggle away, but couldn't escape until Sephiroth let him go. When he did, Cloud scampered off and jumped onto the couch, where he sat licking the water off his hands with his tail thumping angrily.
Sephiroth rolled his eyes and turned back to the sausages, which were only slightly blackened on one side. He divided them up onto two plates, giving Cloud a couple more sausages and less of the hash browns and eggs. It would be good enough for now, he supposed, and he could research Cloud's dietary requirements later.
"Here, Cloud, breakfast's ready."
Cloud hopped up on the chair that Sephiroth pulled out for him, all thoughts of the recent hand-washing trauma forgotten. Sephiroth set the plate down in front of him, as well as utensils and a glass of water. He poured himself a cup of coffee, but thought that cats probably didn't need caffeine.
Sephiroth watched with interest as Cloud sniffed at his plate curiously. He had never actually seen a cat eat before. Cloud ignored the utensils and delicately picked up a sausage and nibbled at it. He grinned and clacked his teeth at Sephiroth before taking a bigger bite. Cloud ate neatly, despite using his hands, and licked his fingers clean whenever he finished something or set it down. He picked up his glass of water with both hands and drank thirstily. Sephiroth thought, a little guiltily as Cloud drained the glass, that he probably should have offered him some water earlier. He took it away and refilled it; Cloud grinned at him again when he set it down in front of him.
"Do you know how to put more water in that?" he asked pointing at the glass.
Cloud spent a moment swallowing the sausage that was in his mouth then shook his head from side to side.
"I'll show you after breakfast." Something like that should be within Cloud's capabilities and it would be a good skill to have.
Cloud ate the eggs, but avoided the hash browns after the first bite. He was happy enough to eat another sausage when Sephiroth offered it to him, however.
"Don't like the hash browns?"
Cloud made a face and pushed the plate away.
"Yeah, they weren't the best. A bit freezer-burned. Are you still hungry?"
Cloud shook his head, hopped down from the chair, and stretched. Sephiroth grabbed a damp cloth and wiped off Cloud's hands, figuring that washing them probably wasn't worth the fuss, but he didn't want greasy handprints all over the place, either. He gathered up the dishes and put them in the dishwasher, then called to Cloud.
"Come here, I'll show you how to get water." Sephiroth lifted Cloud up and sat him on the counter next to the sink. "I'll put glasses down here for you," he said, taking a couple out of the cupboard and setting them at the back of the counter.
Cloud nudged his way past Sephiroth's arm and peered into the cupboard.
"Hey, pay attention. You don't need anything else in there. The glasses are here. This is the tap." Cloud scowled at the thing that had made his hands wet. "It's multi-purpose. To turn it on and make water come out, you push it up. If you turn it this way, it's cold water, and this way, it's hot. Can you remember that?" Sephiroth had his doubts; this lesson would probably need a few repetitions before it stuck. For the moment, Cloud was interested in the water coming out of the tap and trying to catch it. How that was different from getting his hands wet to wash them, Sephiroth couldn't fathom.
"To turn it off, you push down." Sephiroth shut the water off, and Cloud frowned at him for taking his toy away. "Okay, I'm going to fill a glass. I want you to watch."
He demonstrated, and Cloud seemed to actually pay attention. "Now you try," he said, dumping the water out of the glass and handing it to Cloud.
He hit snags immediately. Cloud held the glass with both hands, and therefore couldn't turn on the tap while he was holding it. When he tried holding it with one, he dropped it almost immediately, and Sephiroth had to move quickly to catch it.
"Try putting it down in the sink, then turning on the tap. You can move it to catch the water."
That worked better. It took a few tries for him to get the glass in the right spot, and it dripped water everywhere when he got the tap shut off again and lifted it proudly. But it worked. Cloud could get himself water.
"Good boy," Sephiroth said and gave Cloud's ears a scratch while he gulped his prize. "Make sure you always turn the tap off when you're done."
When Cloud was done drinking, Sephiroth took the glass away and looked at his hands. They were a lot smaller than his, but Cloud was smaller in general. Cloud sat patiently on the counter while Sephiroth bent and straightened his fingers and pressed on his palms. They seemed pretty much the same as his hands as far as he could tell-not as flexible, but that didn't explain why couldn't Cloud hold a glass with one hand.
"Come into the light." Sephiroth picked Cloud up and carried him over near the windows where the morning sun was filling the room with light. He sat down and examined Cloud's hands more closely. There were white lines crisscrossing all over his palms and fingers. How would he get scars like that? "Did you hurt your hands?" he asked.
Cloud blinked and rested his head on Sephiroth's shoulder, looking out the window. Somehow it seemed far more likely that someone had hurt them for him if it had been bad enough to interfere with his use of them and leave so many scars.
"Well, enough of that. No one's going to hurt you here. I'm sure they can be strengthened if we work at it." Cloud had begun to purr, clearly happy where he was on Sephiroth's lap, so he carried him with him to his office to do some research.
Much to his annoyance, most of the discussion groups and informative sites he found on cats had more to do with their various abilities in the bedroom and less to do with how to care for them properly. He did find one message board where someone had asked what to do with their sick cat. There had been a unanimous outpouring of answers saying to take it to the Sector Seven Veterinary Hospital. Cloud wasn't sick, but maybe someone there could give him some better information. It probably also wouldn't hurt to get him checked out in case something was wrong.
He jotted down the address and phone number of the hospital, but it was too early to call. Showering would probably be the best thing to tackle next; there was absolutely no way that he was taking Cloud to see a vet in his current state.
***
Cloud eyed the shower suspiciously while Sephiroth stripped. Sephiroth had locked the door and hoped that would be enough to keep Cloud trapped. He picked Cloud up, but after one step towards the shower stall, Cloud began making such a racket that he was certain the neighbours would hear.
"It's just water; it's not going to kill you." He set Cloud down again and crouched next to him. Damn, that was hard on the eardrums. The water wasn't even on yet! He rubbed Cloud's back, trying to calm him down, while he thought of what to do. If he could distract him... but he didn't have any toys for him to play with yet. Although-Sephiroth glanced down at Cloud's nakedness-there were other methods of distraction that might work.
He reached down and traced his fingers lightly over Cloud's penis. The pitiful mewlings Cloud had been making abruptly stopped and he looked down. Sephiroth shifted so he was sitting cross-legged and held Cloud in his lap with his back leaning against his chest.
"I'm not so bad, am I?" he asked, applying a firmer touch and bending his head to lick Cloud's neck.
"Nyo." Cloud squirmed into his touch and spread his legs, giving Sephiroth easy access to anything his might want to touch. It didn't take long for Cloud to start breathing heavily as Sephiroth stroked him.
Sephiroth stopped suddenly and stood up, leaving Cloud sitting on the floor, blinking in bewilderment. When Cloud attempted to touch himself, Sephiroth snatched his hands up. "No. If you want me to continue, you have to go in the shower."
Cloud looked terrified as his ears flattened against his head and he let out a warbling noise. Sephiroth really hoped it wouldn't be considered too evil to coax him into the shower like this. The water wouldn't kill him.
"I'm not going to turn it on yet, but you have to go in the shower."
Cloud reluctantly followed him, warbling pathetically the entire time. He cowered in the corner while Sephiroth cleared the shampoo off its low shelf. He sat Cloud down on it and knelt between his legs. Cloud had gone soft again, but began to harden quickly as Sephiroth took his length into his mouth. Still, though his body reacted as Sephiroth sucked him, the warbling didn't stop, and the fitful movement of Cloud's hands spoke of distress, not pleasure.
He sighed and let Cloud's cock slip out of his mouth. "This isn't the end of the world, Cloud. Would you like that better as a reward for being a good boy and getting cleaned up?"
Cloud didn't respond. The poor thing looked absolutely terrified. Well, there was no use in dragging it out any longer, then. A quick wash and it would be over. He picked Cloud up, balancing him on his hip and holding him with one arm wrapped snug around his waist, and then turned on the faucet.
"Nyo! Nyo, nyo, nyo!" Cloud squirmed and kicked and did everything in his power to escape, but Sephiroth held him firmly and stepped into the spray once it warmed up.
"It's okay," he had to shout to be heard over the shower and the yelling. "Just calm down." He grabbed for some soap and rubbed it over Cloud's body, not really caring how thorough a job he did, just as long as it was good enough to get the worst of the mess off him. Eventually, Cloud seemed to realize that he couldn't escape, and clung to Sephiroth's shoulders, trembling and crying, with the occasional 'nyo' still escaping.
It hadn't taken more than three minutes, tops, but Cloud was absolutely miserable when Sephiroth shut off the shower and stepped out. He tried to be gentle and compassionate as he wrapped a fluffy towel around him and started rubbing him dry, but the crying continued. He felt a twinge of guilt when he saw actual tears on Cloud's face, not just water.
"I'm sorry," he murmured, carefully wiping his face dry. He must have gone about this the wrong way, but he couldn't think of how else he was supposed to keep Cloud clean. A bath would surely be just as bad, but it didn't seem possible that cats might not need to bathe. Despite their similarities to regular cats, he was certain that the hybrids did not and could not keep themselves clean like a cat.
When they were both dried off, Sephiroth carried Cloud out to the bedroom. He couldn't bring himself to give Cloud his 'reward' when he was like this and doubted that Cloud would want it, so he got dressed and searched his drawers for something that might be suitable for a cat to wear outside. He found a pair of sweatpants that must have belonged to someone else-they were way too small for him, but looked like they might fit Cloud all right.
Cloud lay in a heap of misery on the bed and stayed completely limp as Sephiroth pulled the pants on him, marked where the base of his tail was, and pulled them off again. He cut a circle out of the fabric and set them aside; if Cloud wasn't used to wearing clothes, he probably wouldn't like them much, and Sephiroth wanted to avoid more trauma until it was absolutely necessary. And he did need to give Cloud some sort of reward for getting through the shower. Food seemed like a good idea; he went to the kitchen and searched the pantry for an appropriate treat.
"Hey, Cloud, would you like a treat?" Sephiroth crouched down next to the bed and held out a small piece of beef jerky.
Cloud raised his head slightly and sniffed cautiously before looking at Sephiroth, suspicion and anger clouding his expression.
"It's a reward. You were a good boy and survived the shower. I'm not going to do anything else to you. Take it."
Cloud refused to take it from his hand, but when he set it down on the bedspread, Cloud snatched it up.
"Want some more?" Sephiroth tore off another small piece and held it out so it was lying flat on his fingers. Cloud regarded him for a moment, then snatched it off his hand, his rough tongue brushing lightly against Sephiroth's fingers. "Good boy."
Cloud began to look less and less miserable as he ate the small pieces of jerky one by one. When he was finished, Sephiroth held out his hands for Cloud to see. "All gone." Cloud nudged them, sniffing for more, and then began licking Sephiroth's fingertips to get the last of the flavour.
Sephiroth cupped Cloud's chin in his hand and leaned in to kiss him softly. "Good boy. Do you still hate me?"
"Nyo." That was a petulant-sounding answer if he had ever heard one, but Cloud nuzzled his cheek before turning away to curl up in a ball on the bed. Sephiroth ran his hand over Cloud's still-damp hair a couple times before turning to go.
***
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