The rain pattered down the cold windowpane. Midgar was dark and gloomy, not much different than usual but the rain certainly did not help. Gaia seemed to be crying in the loss of a great man. As psychotic as he was now, I missed him too.
He took me in to Shinra, as well as his buddies Angeal, Genesis and Zack when they found me unconscious in the desert. The General knew most of my secrets that I was a foreigner from a different world and that I had an animalistic spirit within me who at the moment cured up at my side while I petted her head.
Everyone who was someone had set out to find him and try to stop him before anything terrible happened. In a way I knew I should have been out there trying to do the same. Our friendship though kept me from doing so. A sigh escaped my lips just loud enough for Snowfleet to look up to me with those beautiful wolf eyes of hers. I just smiled while she gave me that hard look that let me know she knew I was not alright.
Going back I sifted through memories buried deep within mostly because they weren't pleasant. I was trying to figure out where everything started. Maybe it was the mako reactor in Nibelheim where he explained the monsters to Zack. Silence enveloped me as my memory flashed through. Another sigh, this time more audible and I swung my feet back to the floor.
"You aren't a monster Sephiroth…" I headed back into the kitchen only to run into a stiff body. Surprised I jumped back only managing a grip around my neck and a wall to my back. My cyan hair, which had grown considerably over the years, fluttered around falling back into place. Leather stretched and I realized who was standing before me.
"Sephiroth!" I relaxed even with his hand around my neck and stared straight into his green eyes. "You can let go, I'm not going to fight you." His green orbs twitched in examination. There was certainly something different about him now. Just the air around him felt unstable and his eyes carried insanity. Finally he let me down.
I rubbed my neck slightly and carried on past him. Pulling out a kettle I began to boil some water. My eyes met his again.
"Tea?" He said nothing but sat down at the humble table in the room. His eyes burned daggers into my back as I went about getting us something to drink and a slight snack. Setting down the food and his cup, I relaxed into my chair and sipped a bit regretting it as soon as I did. Tea burned my mouth and my throat as it slid down to my stomach. I set the cup down and looked to him who also just had a swig of tea.
"So why did you stop by? And…well never mind. You're you, you can get into anything." He just sat there glaring at me and he hadn't done this in years at least not since I was a newbie. Out of nervousness I took another drink and put my attention on the window. After some time I sighed and looked down to my cup.
"Look…you don't have to say anything. Stay here as long as you need." I stood up and began to wash dishes that had been piling up for a couple of days.
The warm water felt good against my skin and I allowed myself to daydream, trying to ease the tension I could feel behind me. I don't know what his problem was. Had Sephiroth truly gone psychotic or did he still have a sensible thought?
My eyes burned as I felt tears threatening to stream down. Squeezing them tight I managed to hold back the emotions piling on. He couldn't know…I didn't want him to know.
Heat on my back sent me on high alert as I crouched away and gazed up to Sephiroth. I cocked an eyebrow at him wondering what he was doing. He only came closer to me placing his hands on the counter to either side of me. Dear Gaia, he was trapping me. My cheeks burned and every bit of me screamed to run.
"Why?" Confused I looked at him oddly and mouthed 'what'. "Why are you allowing me here? You are afraid of me now when before you hadn't been." I shook my head defiantly.
"I'm allowing you here because I still hold onto our friendship, as stupid as that may sound to you and I'm not afraid – eep!" His face came right down to mine and the blush grew deeper. Please do not let him figure it out…or did he already know?
"Why did you squeak when I came closer to you if you're not afraid?" My hand found his chest and I pushed him from my face.
"For the sole reason that you are within my personal space. I'm not used to such…intimate spacing." The way he examined me made shivers run along my spine.
I don't know if he left the silence there for his own amusement to watch me squirm or if the General was piecing together his next witty comeback. Trying my luck I removed my hand from his chest, one that I found myself staring at quite a bit while we were a team, and watched him glare at him. He blinked a couple of times before his beautiful melodic voice cradled my ears.
"You love me, don't you?" What? NO! How could he…when? My face kept it's red hue but now spread to my ears in full blown embarrassment.
"I-I have no feelings of such –" He came closer to me, teasing his body against mine. I turned away from him unable to face my true feelings. With minutes passing by and nothing said, it was obvious that Sephiroth wanted more.
"Fine…yes I do…" in a swirl of snow I disappeared from his sight and re-emerged behind him with my back turned. He turned around to watch me. "And I'm well aware of the stupidity that you see in it, so please spare me the lecture."
I left him there at the sink and skulked off into my room. Remnants of the past littered my wall, trophies of battles won, my old work uniforms and a group picture of the four of us. My rear found the bed and my slim yet strong fingers sifted through my hair.
My room was dark, I didn't want the lights on but I did leave the door cracked open. The silvery photo frame captured my attention. Holding it at my lap I began to reminisce the old days where we were happy. I sighed as my door creaked open.
"You loved who I was." I shook my head.
"You still are that person…you're just hurt." His boots thudded across the floor drawing closer to me.
"After what I've done you still think I'm who I was?" I scoffed at him.
"If you weren't, you would've killed me by now." The back of his hand traced along my arm up to my shoulder.
I shivered at his touch and dared a look to him. His face seemed…off. Whatever it was I gently brushed his hand away from me. I didn't want whatever he was trying to dish out.
"I could change that in a second." Anger began to boil in my stomach. What was he playing? I stood up and pushed against his chest letting him know he was starting to push my buttons.
"Then why don't you!? I don't have time for your games!" His arm found my waist and pulled me close.
"I'm not playing games. When I destroy this world and sail through the cosmos to start a shining future, I want you to be there. By my side." My eyes grew wide and I tried to push him away.
"What has Jenova done to you!?" He said nothing but rather laid me on the bed and stole my soul.
…
I shot up in horror, my body all sweaty and checking my sheets they were clean. My hands felt around the dark room only to find that I was alone. I sighed relieved.
It was only a dream.
