A/N: This was a request from The Killing Question. Hope you like it!
She had seen him when he first got back from combat. She had seen him covered in cuts and bruises so horrible that no man should have survived it. She had seen him through his worst times, but never in the three years that she had known this man did she ever see him broken. That was why, when he- having just returned from who knows where- with that look in his eyes, she was immediately worried.
No one else noticed, of course. He had a talent for hiding his emotions under a carefully constructed mask of indifference. He didn't use it all the time- only when he was feeling a way that he deemed unacceptable to be seen by the public. They didn't try to see past it either. Instead, they were content with turning blind eyes to the pain that she so clearly read in his eyes.
Something was wrong. She didn't know what, or why, but she could tell that something was bothering him. She had known him long enough to be able to read those emerald eyes- even from halfway across the room.
Zack was currently giving the General a hard time about always disappearing. "I'd ask if you were off sneaking around with your girlfriend, but she's over there," he joked, motioning towards her. She could feel her face start to heat up, so she buried her head back into her book. She was not his girlfriend… officially.
Actually, she wasn't sure what she was to him. Friend? Girlfriend? Something more? Something less? All she knew for certain was the she had seen parts of him that others didn't even know existed. He opened up around her. It was only recently that she had gotten him to drop his mask completely, and she hadn't seen it since. When it was just the two of them, that is.
The talking went on for some time, and eventually she grew tired of it. She stood up and excused herself from the room, not knowing whether or not she should go to her own apartment or wait for him in his. He had given her the key last year as a present. It had meant a lot to her. It meant he truly, honestly trusted her- which for him was a big thing.
In the end she decided to go to his room. They were both SOLDIERs, so they both had housing within the building. First class, however, had a special floor all to themselves, while second class- which was what she was- had to share with third class. She pulled out his key and opened the door, grateful that no one was out in the hallway to see her. While it wasn't any secret that the two had grown close, Sephiroth still wanted to keep things as quiet as possible. He didn't like gossip, and she never cared much for being the center of attention.
It only took him another twenty minutes to arrive. She had spent the time watching some television program. When she heard the sound of the key entering the lock, she turned the television off and went to greet him.
"Hi," she called softly.
He just looked at her, silently telling her to give him a moment. She obeyed, waiting by the couch. He went to his bedroom, and when he came out she noticed that he had put his sword up. He had also changed clothes. He was no longer wearing his usual armor and trench coat. Instead, he had on a regular t-shirt and pants. She tried to hide her smile at the sight. No matter how many times she saw it, it was hard to see him dressed like a normal person.
She felt a small pang of guilt at that thought. She knew deep down, he just wanted to be normal. But he wasn't. And it wasn't because he was stronger than the rest or because he could single handedly bring down an entire nation. For her, it had nothing to do with that. He was special to her. He was different from any guy she had ever met as far as personality. He was polite and thoughtful. He had a sense of humor, was beyond intelligent, liked most of what she liked, was fun to spar with, and above all, he made her feel safe.
No one else had made her feel completely secure before- not her parents, not her past boyfriends, and not even her own skills in combat. The emotion he stirred within her was more than physical security. It was something she couldn't describe- like the whole world could be going to hell around them, and that would be okay. She'd be safe just knowing he was alive.
What he did next took her by complete surprise. She had just been standing there, waiting for him to say something. Instead, he took a few steps forward until he could wrap his arms around her waist and pull her to him. He rested his forehead on hers and just stood there. She closed her eyes and breathed him in. It was one of the most peaceful moments of her life.
He pulled back and brushed her hair out of her face. She could see it now- the pain. It consumed him. He wasn't holding it back anymore, and its shear force in his eyes frightened her. "What happened?" she whispered.
He looked away.
"Sephiroth…"
"It was Hojo." The words were rushed, as if he had been dying to say them. She froze.
"What did he do to you?"
He just shook his head.
"More tests?" she prompted. He said nothing. "Tell me, please," she begged.
"Arden." The sound of her name from his lips always sent a small wave of pleasure through her system.
"You can tell me," she insisted.
"I know," he murmured into her hair. "I will." He just needed time, she knew. They stood there for what felt like a long while to Arden. It was the most physical contact that she had ever had with him. He needed this, though. She could almost feel him relaxing as he gathered strength from her. It was worth everything to be standing there with him.
Later, when he told her everything- the tests, what Hojo said and did to him- she was there. It was well into the night as he told her what had happened to him. More tests, more remarks from Hojo about how "different" he was. Sephiroth felt he was being used, and there was nothing he could do about it. She knew it ran deeper than that, but she wasn't going to push him any farther. Not yet.
Once silence settled between them, Arden realized how tired she was, but she didn't plan on saying anything to him. His wellbeing meant more to her than anything.
"It's late," Sephiroth commented. They were sitting side by side on his couch at this point, with her resting her head on his shoulder.
"Yeah," she replied, trying to stifle a yawn.
"I've kept you up to late," he worried. "You should go get some sleep."
"No, no. I'm fine," she tried to insist as she sat up, but her body betrayed her with another yawn. A hint of a smile tugged at his lips.
"Why are you always so stubborn?"
"Because I can be," she replied. She smiled at him reassuringly. "I'm fine," she promised. "If you still need to talk, go ahead because-"
She never got a chance to finish. She was cut off by the sudden pressure of his lips on hers. It was a quick, chaste kiss, but it still caused her entire system to temporarily shut down. She blinked once, twice, before finally managing to inhale again.
"Let me walk you home," Sephiroth whispered.
"Okay."
They walked in silence, close, but not touching. They took the stairs, because they both knew the elevator was a waste of time. She only lived one floor down, after all. Thankfully there was no one out at the time. She didn't want anyone to ruin this moment for her. She was still lost somewhere in a daze from the unexpected kiss.
They reached her door, and she dug out her key. She opened it and took a half step into the room. She turned back and smiled at him. "Goodnight, Sephy," she teased. She only used that nickname when he really needed cheering up.
He kissed her again. Longer and deeper this time. She didn't have words to describe how… right it felt. When he finally pulled back, he rested his forehead on hers again. "Goodnight, Arden," he whispered.
And as he walked away, Arden realized something. Just because she had never actually seen him broken, didn't mean that he wasn't. But maybe, just maybe, given time, she could slowly start to fix him.