Halo
( sephiroth & aerith )
Disclaimer: I do not own anything -- Square does, to their greatest benefit and my greatest displeasure. But not really. It would take to much effort that I would never be able to give. Damn.
Aerith threw herself backwards onto Zack's huge and ridiculously comfortable bed, feeling a little calmer than earlier now that she had met with Sephiroth, had a shower and made sure the door was securely locked. The sound of water pounding the floor resolutely in the bathroom at the other side of the room signalled she had a little time to herself.
She laughed aloud when she heard Zack start to sing. He was completely off key and far too loud, but she knew he hardly cared. He'd probably done it counting on her hearing and finding some sort of amusement from it. The smile was quickly wiped from her face at that thought. Zack seemed to always be trying to entertain her and make her comfortable -- she needed to find something to do for him, something that would garner a genuine smile and let him know how much she appreciated his friendship.
Filing that notion away in the back of her mind, her eyes swept over the darkened room, the only light coming from a lamp in the kitchen. It wasn't even turned completely on, she mused, it was simply dimmed. But it was nice. Relaxing.
His room was of a fair size, filled to the brim with any and every kind of appliance and sought after necessities; the perks of being Soldier First Class. Though one couldn't tell now with the shadows hiding in every corner of the room, the walls were painted an azure blue colour, the moldings and accents being varying tones of grey and silver. It was homey, she thought, especially with the way Zack lived. He was slightly messy, but it looked right. It screamed Zack.
"And this is where I'll be staying." She said to herself aloud, finally beginning to accept it. "But for how long?"
"As long as you want!" Zack piped up, startling her -- she hadn't even heard the water turn off! He grinned when he saw her laid out on his bed. "Woah, Aerith, we need to take things slowly first, not hit the sack at the first opportunity!"
"Zack." Aerith quipped, her cheeks flushing red. She knew it was all talk, but still! "That was not my intention and it better not be yours." She finished sternly, moving to sit up on her knees, placing her hands on her hips in a motherly fashion.
"I'm just foolin' around."
She sighed. "I know. Hey..." Aerith quieted and she could feel her limbs slackening, as though the proverbial weight on her shoulders was no longer something of a phrase, but rather something real. "How long do you really think we can pull this off for? I don't want to stay here forever, though," her words quickened, falling out of her mouth in a rush, "I don't mean to say I don't appreciate this because I do. I really do, Zack. You can't possibly have any idea how much I appreciate it, but... we'll be found out eventually, don't you think?"
Zack's featured settled into a more serious expression and he walked over to sit on the edge of the bed. He stared out the window for a few minutes before lowering his eyes to the floor. "I don't know Aerith and I honestly don't think it'll last for more than a month... maybe not even. But when that time comes, I'll still help you. Hey, don't question it." He smiled boyishly. "You didn't think we would be able to scale the side of this building, right? I proved you wrong."
"I wasn't aware of the slide flaps that seem to decorate the old thing -- that made it disgustingly easy."
"Anyways, just know I'm not going to leave you alone in this, okay?"
"Part of your 'Soldier honor'?" She queried softly.
"Heh, something like that." He chuckled, reaching over to take her hand in his.
She nodded, satisfied with that answer. Time to move on, Aerith, she thought. "Well, what shall we do then?" She wondered, regaining some of her usual elation.
"We could try and wreak havoc from this room." A mischievous gleam took residence in his eyes and Aerith was curious, despite every instinct telling her it probably wouldn't be anything wise.
"Oh?"
Sephiroth was trying in vain to tune out the conversation going on around him, but as usual, the sickening drawl of the President and the laugh that could only belong to Heidegger was ruining his concentration. How did he end up working for people like this? Not that it mattered -- his presence was merely required for these meetings, which were usually short and unimportant and as soon as it had begun, it was just as quickly over and he could walk away from their unfavourable company.
His mind was on other matters. Firstly, Angeal. He had a sneaking suspicion that he was the reason for Zack's knowledge about Sephiroth's past. It wasn't a well known one and he knew that his close friend and the ditz that was Zack were becoming very buddy-buddy with each other.
Not that he cared, which was surprising. He found he didn't mind Zack knowing, though he was curious about the extent to which he was aware.
Irritatingly enough, close behind those thoughts were thoughts of the girl sitting around somewhere upstairs with the aforementioned black-haired Soldier. She was... unique. He hadn't needed to be told to know that. Her eyes held the knowledge of someone who had seen too much at too young an age, who knew more than anyone should have ever needed to know.
He could sympathize.
And he might have, had he been such a person, but he was not.
It had been foolish of Zack to bring her into the company building. It had been foolish of her to try to run from the Turks, because they were skilled in the art of finding someone and finishing their assigned tasks. Sephiroth knew it wouldn't be long before they were found out.
Would he help them? He was still unsure. He had been having thoughts that gave him the incentive to help them, but...
"Sephiroth?"
The sound of his name ripped his focus, forcing him to concentrate on the meeting. He turned his head, casting his jade eyes onto the speaker; Rufus Shinra. The President's son. A self important brat. He was young, recently brought into these meetings to begin observing what he needed to know for the day he would take over Shinra. Hopefully that day would never come to pass.
He didn't say anything, just waited for whatever it was Rufus wanted to say. The boy picked up on that fact after a moments silence and Sephiroth almost regretted giving him the room to speak. "It doesn't look as if you're listening. Don't you think, as High General, it would be to your advantage to do so?"
Fancy words. He wanted to scowl and make his disgust known, but he curbed it. He could see the look on the President's face beside his son -- shocked, fearful, but a small amount of pride was visible. Regardless of the spark of pride in his son, the President moved to correct him.
"I don't believe Sephiroth appreciates your concern and it doesn't concern you one way or another if he is or isn't listening. This particular meeting isn't to his benefit anyway, son, so perhaps that is why he seems to be otherwise occupied. He is a smart man, a very smart man. Don't go knocking him!" He informed the boy, whose petulant pout appeared at the first sign of being scolded.
"But--"
"Rufus." The stern command promising an unhappy end to the argument shut the brat up. The beefy President looked up into Sephiroth's cold eyes. "My apologies, Sephiroth."
"Apologizing for your son at every chance is not to your, nor your son's, benefit. If you will excuse me." Sephiroth stood, his imposing figure looming over them all quite enough to make them rethink their protests. Maybe now the brat would know better, he snarled inwardly, leaving the room without another word.
And gladly, he nearly collided with the man he wanted to find. "Angeal."
"Sephiroth! Another interesting meeting?" Angeal grinned, clapping the silver-haired warrior's shoulder good-naturedly.
"Interesting." He scoffed, raising a delicate eyebrow. "I was told off by none other than Rufus Shinra."
"What for!?" Angeal laughed.
"My disinterest must have been showing because he pointed it out. To everyone. It was hardly entertaining, I don't know why you're laughing." Sephiroth pointed out. "But before we discuss the brat any further," he tacked on, deciding that he liked that name for the blond troublemaker. It suited him. "What exactly have you told Zack about me? I seem to be a popular subject among the two of you."
"Ah." Angeal looked grim now. "I didn't go into details, but I made mention that your past was a shady and unpleasant one. Hopefully that's not the sound of me overstepping my boundaries? He asked, I answered... with no malicious intent!" He held up his hands in mock defence, though he already knew the answer to his own question.
"No." Sephiroth shook his head. "You told him of Hojo?"
"Only that he was largely a part of it. He gathered the rest for himself."
A silence accompanied them as they walked down the hallway, both at ease with each other. Sephiroth considered himself to be very lucky to have met someone like Angeal at a young age, before he'd had the time to perfect his anti-social behaviour. At least he knew somebody in the world knew about him and could...
Not pity him, but understand him.
"So, what did you do?" Angeal struck up the conversation once more, lacing his hands behind his head as he walked. "Did you put the runt in his place?"
Sephiroth made a sound of assent, rounding the corner that would lead them to their long time pit stop, the roof of the Shinra building. It was quiet, it was secluded and it was free of the impossible tension that radiated throughout the interior of the building. "I had him shaking in his million dollar socks."
Zack was off making appearances with the other Soldiers. It would be better that he go about his usual business, he'd said. She agreed, but that didn't stop her from feeling bored and lonely the second the door shut. The resounding click of the lock jutting into place made her relax and she leaned her head against the cool door for a moment, soaking it all in.
Would she grow to depend on that sound?
She turned to lean her back against the door. "What to do, what to do..." Her eyes swung back and forth around the room as she tried to come up with something to keep herself busy. She could clean for him... or she could come up with that special something she was going to do for him. "What would he like?" She asked herself, walking towards the kitchen, where she was positive she could find something. "Oooh, I think I found it." She spoke to the room, opening cupboards. "Cookies? Muffins? Anything to do with baking?" She laughed to herself.
That seemed to be the unanimous solution, judging by what was in his cupboards. Countless utensils and ingredients filled the second cupboard. He was so used to eating out, she thought, or eating at the cafeteria, he'd never used up what he'd had! Perfect!
"Baking and cleaning. Hopefully he'll get something out of that." She bit her lip, mulling it over once more before nodding. He would like it. He had a sweet tooth, she knew that. He would enjoy cookies, muffins and whatever else she could cook up. And the cleaning would ease her more than him, but hey.
She was living here now.
"But what are they doing, filling up a Soldier's rooms with baking things... they don't seriously believe any of them would do that..." She stopped herself in her tracks and looked at the ceiling. "...Do they?"
"Cloud!" Zack called over the crowds in the cafeteria, waving happily and hoping that his friend would see him. Sure enough, Cloud's blue eyes snapped towards him, searching for whoever had called him and a smile pasted itself onto his face when he saw Zack. Zack motioned for Cloud to come over to where he was and Cloud complied, eventually managing to push past all of the people who were trying to move in every direction all at once. Despite the grandeur of the building, the cafeteria was smaller than it should have been.
"Zack, how's it going?" Cloud asked, stepping up beside him. "No important missions to journey off on?"
"You'll get there one day, buddy. Don't sweat it." Zack reassured his friend, swinging an arm around the blond's neck. His spikes were suddenly a source of concern for Zack as they threatened to pierce his head -- were they as sharp as they looked, Zack wondered. He laughed out loud at the random thought and Cloud shot him a quizzical glance.
"What?"
"Nothing. But I came here to ask if you wanted to train with me."
Cloud's eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Me? Train with... you?" He spoke slowly, as if trying to decipher what the words meant, gesturing between himself and Zack in disbelief.
"Yeah. You're my best friend, I think I can set time aside for you. This way you can rise through the ranks faster and we can go on missions together! I'll be damned if you don't get to First Class!"
"You're really serious aren't you?" Cloud wondered, a little awe struck by the opportunity that had just been presented to him. He would never have said it, but he was more in awe of the fact that Zack had just called him his best friend than the proposal of training him. Cloud had always been picked on by other people, even adults, for his entire life -- and now here was Zack, so much better than him and a First Class Soldier, too...
Zack would never know how much that meant to him.
"Of course." Zack frowned. "Why, what's the matter?"
"I... nothing." Cloud said, pulling away from Zack's arm. Turning to face him, Cloud held his hand out. Zack looked confused for a second, but he clasped hands with the blond man anyway. "I promise I'll make you proud. I'll never give up."
A wide grin spread out on Zack's face. "Soldier's honor, Cloud."
"Soldier's honor."
"Let's do this thing!"
Sephiroth fought the urge to rub his temples as he and Angeal walked their separate ways.
'Never show any weakness--!'
The harshly spoken words crashed into him, pulled from memories to taunt him. He growled, pushing the sickening voice of Hojo away.
It took almost little effort to spar with Angeal, but when they continued onwards past two hours it could gnaw away at his patience. He had been the instigator this time, however. He had needed to work off the tension of too many decisions that still had no solutions, even after all this time. Usually he was never so stuck on choices like these, but then again...
Zack. He would go and see Zack and give him his... answer.
Just as soon as he'd decided that, he was back to square one again.
Soldier. What was left for him here? It was no longer representing what he wanted to be representing as a major figure as head of the army. Helping people and having a slight dominant control over the people was what he had signed up for in the beginning. He wanted nothing more than to live the life of an honorable Soldier -- but as memories started to resurface of his childhood at Shinra and now that rumours were being spread about where Shinra was headed... He wasn't so sure any longer whether or not he wanted to be a part of the faction.
Neither Angeal nor Zack had any clue about any this, but he was willing to hold off on being the bringer of bad news for as long as possible. Until he had concrete facts, he had no necessity to involve outside opinions. Both Angeal and Zack were fairly set in their ways about Soldier honor to begin with. He wouldn't be the one to ruin it with false words.
He couldn't deny that the slip of a girl in the white, flowery dress posed a problem to his conscience, either.
"Damn that Zack." Sephiroth muttered. His thoughts had taken him straight back to her, just like they had been doing all day. He was intrigued by her -- she was, after all, the last remaining Cetra. He wondered... if what was said about her was true. He would never ask, but he found he wanted to do some research on the nearly extinct race.
But it wasn't just her background that kept drawing him back.
Stepping onto the elevator, he realized felt for her, being chased after by a crazy scientist. She was too young, too vulnerable. There was strength in her eyes, but Hojo would be only too eager to break that.
Walking out of the elevator, which had managed to get him to where he wanted to be fairly quickly, he made his way over to Zack's door. Presuming it was locked, he knocked once.
No answer.
He frowned, given he wasn't in the company of anyone.
That could only mean one thing.
All the while knowing he wasn't inside, he spoke loudly through the door, "Zack? It's Sephiroth."
It took a couple of minutes, but eventually he heard the click of the lock as it unbarred the door and Aerith timidly opened the door, making sure that only he could see her and not the rest of the hallway. Still, despite her obvious fear of him, she wore a bright smile. He rose an eyebrow at the rest of her.
She was covered in... "Flour?"
"Oh, I'm making cookies. For Zack." She explained. "Umm... do you want to come in? I don't know where he is, but he's been gone for a bit now. I would think he'd be back soon."
Sephiroth pondered his options. He could walk through that door and find himself in the awkward company of this girl, or he could leave and find Zack. Which would no doubt be less painful for both he and the girl.
But maybe he could get some answers to his questions. Nothing personal of course, but more... general questions.
He let himself in and hoped he'd made the right decision when he heard her shut the door behind him.
