Author's note: I do not own Final Fantasy VII or its characters. This is for the 30 Kisses challenge using list kappa. This is AU. Theme 9: Flood.

The Girl in 3B

Sephiroth wasn't sure what to make of the young woman standing in his hallway. She was petite, brunette, and her arms were full of plants. She was also going to be his new neighbor. Tseng had suggested that she would be a good choice to fill the vacant apartment on Sephiroth's floor. And given that her former lodgings had been completely flooded by an idiot undergraduate who forgot to turn off their sink last week, Sephiroth had said yes without thinking it through very much. Now he was having second thoughts.

He'd had the floor to himself for quite a while now. Unlike the first and second floors which had around a dozen apartments each, the third floor had only had two apartments. Sephiroth had never known why. The building had just come that way. His apartment took up two thirds of the third floor, and Sephiroth rather liked his solitude. There had always been a smaller apartment on the third floor as well, but since Sephiroth owned the building, he had never had to deal with a neighbor unless he felt like it. Of course, most of his fellow tenants didn't know that he was the building owner. Reeve managed the building for him, and all most of the tenants knew was that he was the reclusive guy on the third floor.

Most of the tenants here were all employees ShinRa Inc. as was Sephiroth. He might be picky about who he let rent apartments here, but that was mostly because anyone sane at ShinRa had to stick together. There were a few people in the building like Tifa or Yuffie who didn't actually work for ShinRa, but they were exceptions rather than the rule, though the new girl would be joining their ranks. He didn't really know anything about her except that she was a university student and that Tseng knew her from somewhere.

She seemed to have noticed him staring at her. She offered him a bright smile.

"Aeris Gainsborough. I'm a botany student at the university. I'd offer to shake your hand but, well you can see."

And he could. He doubted she could free a hand without dropping anything. In fact, she seemed to be trying to figure out how to open her door.

"Sephiroth."

"You're my neighbor then. It's nice to meet you."

He nodded. "Would you like a hand with your door?"

"That would be wonderful. The keys are in the door. This was my last load of stuff to bring in from the car, and my help has all abandoned me at this point."

Sephiroth easily unlocked the door and held it open for her. Most of her things were still in boxes, but from what he could observe when Aeris was done unpacking the apartment would be warm and homey. The girl seemed nice enough at the very least, and she was polite which was a point in her favor. She wasn't a bad neighbor if he had to have one. Though there was something about her bright smile and sparkling eyes that threw him off balance just a little.

He certainly wasn't expecting her to a deliver a thank you note and a potted plant about a month after she had moved in. Sephiroth blinked at the potted plant he now held. It was some sort of flowering herb he thought. Aeris grinned at him. There was a smudge of dirt on her cheek, and Sephiroth had the feeling that she had been up on the roof (which she had turned into a garden in less than three weeks). Still he accepted the offering.

She kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Sephiroth. I appreciate the welcome and help."

He hadn't thought he'd been anything more than polite. He'd helped her a few times when her arms were full or they were entering the building at the same time. He watched her walk down the hall to her own door. Having a neighbor was proving interesting to say the least, and Sephiroth didn't think he was going to complain about the girl who was now living in 3B.