Dust and Bones | Christmas Special

A FFVII Fanfiction by Majokai Yukiko

This is an amateur effort and does not intend to infringe on the rights of Squaresoft.

The song used in this chapter is my own creation. Copyright rules apply.

This story is set a week after Sephiroth was defeated, though some events in the past are altered due to the fact that Sephiroth had survived the Omnislash and Zack is still alive.

Pairing: Zack X Sephiroth, Cloud X Sephiroth

Warnings: Shounen-ai, angst.

A/N: This is a transitional chapter. Personally I don't like what I've done for this chapter but unfortunately it is crucial for me to bring this story into greater heights, so to speak. Err...what do you guys think about introducing a villain into this? Eve I need some adrenaline rush or bloodshed to take a break from all these smut some time. And I'm also taking a vote here: whom do you want Sephiroth to end up with, Cloud or Zack?

3 reviews to make me start writing the next chapter, 5 to make me post it up, deal?

Christmas Eve.

"You okay so far?" Cloud asked, hanging the last bell onto the tree. It had been more than a year since he last celebrated Christmas properly. It was like, how easy was it for anyone to get into the festive spirit when what you should be doing include saving the world and blasting aliens back to the hell where they belong?

Sephiroth sat quietly on the couch in the living room; a small smile graced his beautiful face lightly. He looked the same, as he was a few months back, before Tifa appeared to tell him the monstrosity of his past deeds .The only difference being that the once bright and expressive green eyes were dull and without focus. It was as if, as if…

"I'm sure the tree is beautiful, Cloud, although I couldn't see it."

Cloud turned around to look at the ex-General, a look of love and pity passed his eyes briefly. God had never been kind on that man. True, Sephiroth did have his share of height ad glory when he was in SOLDIER. But it was earned through an unfair trade of whoring, bloodshed and years of loneliness. His insanity had cost him the only man he loved, and his memories and guilt had taken away his vision.

The name Sephiroth was derived from the rank of the greatest of angels, Sephira. But had God really treated him as his child?

"Cloud?" Sephiroth spoke up, slightly disturbed by Cloud's brief silence. The blonde quickly broke out of his reverie and turned his attention back towards Sephiroth.

"Bring me to the piano, please?" Cloud quickly obliged, leading the man blind man to the piano he had bought for him about a month ago. For many nights Cloud had pondered upon why he had provided so much for Sephiroth unconditionally. Was it out of pity, guilt, or simply, love? Ever since Sephiroth woke up from his fever and found Zack gone, he had accepted it wordlessly and tearlessly, as if he had expected it all along. And ever since then, Cloud had never touched Sephiroth in any way that was less than comradely Not that he had not thought about it. With his porcelain complexion and long silvery hair, Sephiroth was like someone who had just stepped out of a fairytale. To have such a celestial being losing composure and caught on a heat of passion was...was fantastical for any normal man with their needs.

"Cloud?"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright? You seem to be rather distracted today. "

"Am I?" Cloud laughed nervously, looking around the room, trying to find something else to talk about. "What are you going to play today?"

Sephiroth only smiled, as he opened the lid and rest his fingers on the black and white key. The light tinkling of keys sounded, accompanied by the wistful dance of the snowflakes outside.

"Not bad, I didn't know you play, Seph." Zack clapped, a mixture of surprise and admiration evident on his face. The white haired General cringed slightly at the use of the nickname.

"I can't remember who I learnt it from."

"What were you playing just now?" Sephiroth shrugged. "Nothing. Just one of my own compositions."

"Play it again." Sephiroth looked up at the man leaving against his piano with his eyes closed. Hesitating for a while, Sephiroth searched his lover's face for any sign of mischief. None.

The man was simply, innocently, appreciating the music and its serenity.

So he played it again.

"Like a gargoyle standing in the wind

Carved out of stone

Perfection in disguise

You're the object of my religion."

Sephiroth stiffened slightly when he saw Zack walking behind him and gently put his arms around him, all the while giving flesh to his song.

"So this Christmas I'm sending out a prayer to St. Nick

Since I've been a rather good boy this year

I wish that I could melt that heart of yours

Replace that stone with a heart of my own

And that sneer with a smile from my lips."

"NO!" Sephiroth yelled, the song coming to an abrupt halt. But Zack did not loosen his hold. Sighing, Sephiroth resumed his playing. This time, with lyrics of his own to add.

"Crucifixes are only for the dead and gone

Crafted from ice and stone

Deception in disguise

I want to be that perfection you see."

"Why won't you let me worship you?

Or even to fall in love with you?"

Zack cut in, burying his face into those silken strands.  Sephiroth blinked away the ears and clouded his vision struggling to keep up with the song.

"Will I ever be enough?

Won't you save me from this misery?"

Without warning, Zack took Sephiroth's hands away from the keyboard and forcefully turned the man around to face him. Hazel eyes stared into green.

"It doesn't matter if you are perfect of not, Sephiroth." Zack gently brushed some stray strands away from the lovely face and tucked the hair behind an ear. "All that matters to me is that we are perfect together."

And he claimed those lips for his own.

"Did that song remind you of Zack?" Cloud asked, replacing the lid of the piano for the other man before sitting down on the bench with his back against the instrument.

"Was it that obvious?"

"You were crying." Cloud's grip on the edge of the bench tightened as the man continued to stare at his boots.

"Stop doing that."

"Stop doing what?" Sephiroth asked, as e quickly wiped the tears away with the back of his hands. Cloud narrowed his eyes angrily and turned to trap Sephiroth in a bone-crashing embrace.

"Stop pretending that he doesn't matter, that you don't love him anymore. Not when both of us know that it IS NOT TRUE!"

Sephiroth sat still, stunned, realizing for the first time that it was exactly what he was doing: pretending. That was all he had ever done, wasn't it? Pretending to be human, pretending to be great, pretending to be that exact thing he was not.

Cloud forcefully pushed Sephiroth away and stood up, his fists clenched tightly at his sides as he fought back his own tears.

"You…you sicken me!" Cloud exclaimed, bolting out of the room in fury.

Sephiroth waited until he could no longer hear Cloud' footsteps before he allowed his shoulders to slump down wearily.

"I can never make any of us happy, can I?"

"No, you can't." A foreign voice spoke up, as the girl wrapped her arms around Sephiroth.

"Why can't I?'

"Because you are the source of that misery, Sephiroth." The voice whispered into his ears. Not so far away from the mansion, the village church bell chimed twelve times.

"Merry Christmas, Sephiroth."

"Merry Christmas…Aeris…"