Broken Wings - Chapter Thirty Five
"And how long has it been since you've seen Aralyn? Answer me that!"
Sephiroth massaged his temples; not bothering to hide how much Zack was annoying him. "It's not relevant, and what you're asking me to do simply isn't practical."
"This isn't about practicality, Sephiroth! And you haven't answered my question."
Sephiroth sighed deeply, turning away as he softly answered, "Three weeks."
Zack shook his head and slid the paper in front of the general again. The flyer was printed on velum, pastel blue paper with white ink. It was very frail and delicate. It announced the annual Shinra company party was to be a week from that day. Apparently the theme was much more formal than last year's, and was to include dinner and ballroom dancing.
"What could it hurt? She'll be there, probably just sitting in the corner watching everyone else dance. Come on, take her out and enjoy yourselves! Give me one legitimate excuse!"
Sephiroth laid his head in his hands and motioned Zack away, desperate to end Zack's endless attempts to persuade him. "I will consider it."
Zack shook his head, scoffing, but left, leaving the flyer right in front of Sephiroth.
Sephiroth picked up the paper, frowning deeply as he examined it. He turned his gaze back to the papers that Reno had delivered, which were gift wrapped and tied with a ridiculously frilly bow in what Reno doubtlessly considered a hilarious joke. If he worked all night tonight, he might be able to make it…
Aralyn stood in front of the tall mirror, sighing as she examined herself. Zack had insisted that she dress up, and when she refused, she had come back to her apartment to find a formal dress draped on her bed. Not wanting to offend Zack by rejecting his gift, she had reluctantly complied.
The dress was a very light pink, dusted lightly with glitter, and flowed past her ankles to pool at her feet. The sleeves were long and loose and the collar was in the shape of a V, allowing her rainbow pendant that she still wore to be viewed. She had curled her hair and piled it up in a bun on the top of her head, allowing only her slightly longer bangs to frame her face.
She didn't know why Zack was making this big of a fuss.
Judging herself to be as ready as she would ever be, she put on a long white trench coat to protect her from the cold night air. Her dress was hidden for now, but she knew that Zack wouldn't let it stay that way. She made her way through the hallway, rode the elevator to ground level, and then exited the building and made her way to the location of the party, relying on the sound of the distant music to be her guide. She was glad for her coat, as it was snowing quite steadily.
She hadn't taken two steps into the party when two strong arms grabbed her and whirled her around playfully. "Hey! You made it!" Zack set her on her feet and pulled the coat off her shoulders. "And you look stunning, if I do say so myself!" He winked at her, causing her to blush furiously.
"I blame all this on you," she murmured.
"Oh, you won't blame me, I promise. Give it oh…" he peered at his watch, "ten, maybe fifteen minutes."
"Thank you for the dress," Aralyn said lightly. "Even though I'm still mad at you…"
Zack grinned widely. "Oh, that wasn't me."
"It…wasn't?"
"Nope! Maybe it was a fairy, or even a certain silver haired someone…"
Aralyn wavered. "He would not…!"
"I said to give it ten or fifteen minutes."
"He's coming?!"
"Yep! Excited?"
"You could have told me!" Aralyn cried, suddenly feeling very nervous. "A little warning would have been…"
"Aralyn."
Aralyn froze, not daring to breathe. Zack smiled, gesturing for her to turn around and answer to the smooth voice that had called her name. "Earlier than usual, Sephy. I'm impressed."
Aralyn couldn't move. Zack laughed. "She hasn't even seen you yet and already she's stunned! Good going, Seph!"
She felt strong hands pull her into an embrace, though she still didn't dare to face him. "Aralyn," he called again. His hands moved to her shoulders, and he slowly turned her toward him.
Sephiroth was dressed in a dark, navy blue suit with gold trimming the edge of the sleeves at his wrists. The jacket was long, coming down to his knees in the back. His long, silver hair contrasted against the dark fabric.
"You better do something quick or she might stop breathing," Zack advised, clapping Aralyn lightly on the shoulder.
She was quickly brought out of her stupor by the thought of how ridiculous she must look. "Hello, Sephiroth," she managed. "It's been…a while."
He nodded, looking truly sorry. He fingered the fabric of her draping sleeve lightly. "You look wonderful." She could hear how hard it was for him to say it, so she quickly lightened the tone.
"You were behind all this?"
"Yes."
"Then I am very mad at you, General. What gave you the right to go and spend so lavishly on this hideous dress?" She put on a pout and folded her arms, turning her back to him.
He looked stunned. "You…don't like it?" He quickly turned her around, desperate to make up for what he had done. "Zack," he growled, "I told you it was…"
"Oh, Sephiroth," Aralyn laughed, causing his concern to turn to confusion. "You're hopeless!" She threw her arms around his neck, stifling her giggles in his shirt. "What will I ever do with you?"
Zack punched Sephiroth on the forearm, smiling and giving him a thumbs-up. "Hate to leave, but I've got a girl waiting on me! Don't blow her night, Seph, and take good care of her."
"As if I needed to be told," Sephiroth countered. He turned back to her as Zack left. "So you aren't angry?"
"No, of course not. You really need to lighten up."
Sephiroth hummed his consent and gently folded her hands in his. "It has been…far too long." Aralyn had never seen him like this; he was so calm and serene, and he looked at her with an emotion she couldn't name.
"I miss you," she said. "Even though we're so close, we never seem to meet."
They stood there for a long time, oblivious to the people moving around them. It was Aralyn that first broke the silence. "I know I'm pushing my luck but do you suppose you and I could…dance?"
He raised a single eyebrow. "I'm not one to preach on etiquette, but aren't I supposed to ask you?"
"Well I didn't think you'd…" she stopped, looking up at him.
"Aralyn," he cut across her, his tone soft and quiet. "Would you dance with me?"
He didn't wait for a reply. He pulled her into the swirling crowd, ignoring Reno's open-mouthed stare. He saw the redhead turn to Rude, pointing and stuttering something. It looked to be something along the lines of "How come she'll dance with him but I just get slapped?"
Partly to spite him, and partly to reassure the unconfident Aralyn, he pulled her closer and stepped deeper into the crowd. Reno stuck his tongue out at him, Sephiroth answering with a smirk.
"Stop teasing Reno," Aralyn said, knowing what had happened though she hadn't looked away from her partner.
"That's payback for the papers. That, and a call to the next mako deposit cleanup mission." He released one of her hands, moving his now free hand to rest lovingly on her shoulder. "Ready?" he asked.
"No…"
Sephiroth moved in time to the music, Aralyn following afterward. They spent the dance in silence, but it was comfortable and even welcomed. Sephiroth proved capable of guiding her through the steps, leading her on their path, and catching her when she lost her balance, which was a nearly regular occurrence.
Somehow the sonata being played seemed a lot shorter than when Aralyn had heard it last. When the last chord rang through the room, reverberating until the tone died, he pulled her back to the side. To her utmost embarrassment, her brushed her fingers to his lips in a very formal kiss.
"Oh you…!"
"Thank you, Aralyn."
"Don't you dare try to butter me up, you're still going to get it!"
Aralyn caught sight of Zack, who apparently had seen the occurrence, and was laughing very hard, much to the confusion of his brunette dancing partner.
Sephiroth looked around, his face dangerously passive. "You aren't really a crowd person, are you?" Aralyn asked.
"I'll live for one night," he insisted.
"You don't have to…come with me! Let's go outside!"
A/N: I am sick as a dog and miserable and loaded down with homework that I really don't want to do...therefore, to counteract that, this chapter is fluffy, sappy, and happy. Meh. Next flashback will be a lot more...um...spontaneous? And sad. And even sappier. Gosh, someone ought to bore a hole in me and let all that sap out... Sorry, guys.