AN: This fic was originally titled "The Beautiful Ones" but then I changed my mind. As the summary said, this is Alternate Universe, but not for the entire thing. You'll see. This is my first time doing anything sephy/aeris-ish, so be forgiving, I'm just experimenting. By the way, this fic was inspired by KrystalClear ^_^ Go read her stuff, its really nice, if a bit sappy.
The sun sank towards the horizon, streaking the sky with brilliant, slowly fading color. It left a red streak on the glittering dark waters of the lake, and touched the panes of the windows, and the dark wood of the house that perched on it's edge. A man was sitting comfortably on a hewn wooden bench at the end of a dock that reached over the lake. Though he was relaxed, a certain sense of elegance pervaded him. His long silver hair hung down his back and muscles were defined in his arms and other flesh that could be seen from his loose black shirt.
He loved sunsets, it was his recluse. Early evenings he would come out and sit on the dock, and think about things, savoring the solitude. The sun finally surrendered to oblivion, leaving faint traces of glory in the sky behind it. The man sensed the presence of another, and turned around to look. His wife was standing in a back doorway, looking at him with a gentle smile. When he turned, she started towards him, her feet bare against the wood planks of the dock. Upon reaching him, she placed her hands on his shoulders, then let then slide down his chest, draping her arms over him and leaning down to whisper, as not to disturb the perfect silence of the woods ringing the lake.
"Meditating on the infinite again, Sephiroth?" He just smiled, and turned his head to kiss her lightly. The woman smiled back, shrugging. "Victor is sleeping." He nodded his appreciation, and brushed a strand of golden brown hair away from her eyes. "What were you thinking about?" He paused, his face serious for a moment, then seemed to brush it off. "You, of course." She laughed. "Don't lie to me, I've been with you for too long to fall for that." He grinned. "Too bad." She stood up and walked around the bench, sitting next to him and leaning against him. She seemed rather frail against his body, but still beautiful. After a moment, he spoke. "You make me so happy Aeris. You know that, don't you?" She looked up at him with clear auburn eyes "Yes."
Blood. Screams. Carnage. Immaculate white carpet and walls slashed and painted deep red. A heartbeat. It was his own, pounding in the heat of pure fury. A voice was inside of him, someone very close, who called herself his mother. A flash of sharp metal, and another human lie in a puddle of blood. Finally the man. It was the one that he had searched for, to destroy. A sword, plunged deep into him, skewering him to his executive chair behind the stacks of paper on his desk. He left the long sword as a souvenir and walked away, the black gloves he wore disguising the blood that was spilled, but knowing it was smeared all over him.
Sephiroth's eyes snapped open. He stifled a cry, and looked at his shaking hands. They were clean, as were the sheets that he was tangled in, and the walls of his cool dark bedroom. His heart slowly slowed again, and he could feel the sweat start to evaporate off of his skin in the air conditioning. He got out of bed, with a glance at the clock, 2:45. He shuddered, and went to the bathroom, closing the door gently as not to wake Aeris, and flipped the light switch. Clean bright light flooded the white tile, and he leaned over the porcelain sink, just breathing. Then he looked up and studied himself in the mirror. Startling green eyes, pale skin and defined features looked back at him. The dream had seemed so real... He shook his head, trying to forget.
The light flickered off, and he walked quietly back to the bed he shared with Aeris, and lay down, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep. Aeris rolled over to face him, her eyes opening slowly, and still heavy with sleep. "What is it, love?" Sephiroth turned on his side to look at her. "Nothing..just a nightmare. Go back to sleep." Aeris let her eyes drift closed again, and he put an arm around her, gazing at her features in the pale touch of moonlight. Eventually sleep took him.
The sun sank towards the horizon, streaking the sky with brilliant, slowly fading color. It left a red streak on the glittering dark waters of the lake, and touched the panes of the windows, and the dark wood of the house that perched on it's edge. A man was sitting comfortably on a hewn wooden bench at the end of a dock that reached over the lake. Though he was relaxed, a certain sense of elegance pervaded him. His long silver hair hung down his back and muscles were defined in his arms and other flesh that could be seen from his loose black shirt.
He loved sunsets, it was his recluse. Early evenings he would come out and sit on the dock, and think about things, savoring the solitude. The sun finally surrendered to oblivion, leaving faint traces of glory in the sky behind it. The man sensed the presence of another, and turned around to look. His wife was standing in a back doorway, looking at him with a gentle smile. When he turned, she started towards him, her feet bare against the wood planks of the dock. Upon reaching him, she placed her hands on his shoulders, then let then slide down his chest, draping her arms over him and leaning down to whisper, as not to disturb the perfect silence of the woods ringing the lake.
"Meditating on the infinite again, Sephiroth?" He just smiled, and turned his head to kiss her lightly. The woman smiled back, shrugging. "Victor is sleeping." He nodded his appreciation, and brushed a strand of golden brown hair away from her eyes. "What were you thinking about?" He paused, his face serious for a moment, then seemed to brush it off. "You, of course." She laughed. "Don't lie to me, I've been with you for too long to fall for that." He grinned. "Too bad." She stood up and walked around the bench, sitting next to him and leaning against him. She seemed rather frail against his body, but still beautiful. After a moment, he spoke. "You make me so happy Aeris. You know that, don't you?" She looked up at him with clear auburn eyes "Yes."
Blood. Screams. Carnage. Immaculate white carpet and walls slashed and painted deep red. A heartbeat. It was his own, pounding in the heat of pure fury. A voice was inside of him, someone very close, who called herself his mother. A flash of sharp metal, and another human lie in a puddle of blood. Finally the man. It was the one that he had searched for, to destroy. A sword, plunged deep into him, skewering him to his executive chair behind the stacks of paper on his desk. He left the long sword as a souvenir and walked away, the black gloves he wore disguising the blood that was spilled, but knowing it was smeared all over him.
Sephiroth's eyes snapped open. He stifled a cry, and looked at his shaking hands. They were clean, as were the sheets that he was tangled in, and the walls of his cool dark bedroom. His heart slowly slowed again, and he could feel the sweat start to evaporate off of his skin in the air conditioning. He got out of bed, with a glance at the clock, 2:45. He shuddered, and went to the bathroom, closing the door gently as not to wake Aeris, and flipped the light switch. Clean bright light flooded the white tile, and he leaned over the porcelain sink, just breathing. Then he looked up and studied himself in the mirror. Startling green eyes, pale skin and defined features looked back at him. The dream had seemed so real... He shook his head, trying to forget.
The light flickered off, and he walked quietly back to the bed he shared with Aeris, and lay down, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall back asleep. Aeris rolled over to face him, her eyes opening slowly, and still heavy with sleep. "What is it, love?" Sephiroth turned on his side to look at her. "Nothing..just a nightmare. Go back to sleep." Aeris let her eyes drift closed again, and he put an arm around her, gazing at her features in the pale touch of moonlight. Eventually sleep took him.
