Chapter 7: Dinner and a Sleepover

"Night is the notion,
Everything sleeps beneath,
We are the explosions,
In which lies the dream,
Maybe I will…. maybe I won't….
Maybe it dies or maybe baby it don't,
Or maybe baby it don't"
-Dax Riggs, Night is the Notion

"Mom, I'd like you to meet Gabriel, our town's own hero." Aerith squeezed Gabriel's arm as she presented her friend to her mother.

Gabriel rolled his eyes at her statement. "I'm not a hero, you did most of the work."

He wanted to forget his actions on the night the bandits raided the slum. It was easier for him to forget than to ask why he knew how to fight like that. He didn't want to think why that bandit had called him general, he was just a slum scavenger and nothing more. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was running from something, and his actions were going to catch up with him.

Elmyra just stared in silence as she processed that a deadly and dangerous Shinra general was standing in her hallway. She didn't know this Gabriel person, just that he had been found in the junkyard and nursed back to health. But she knew Sephiroth, she had seen enough propaganda posters and videos to have his likeness burned into her memory. The long silver hair and mako emerald eyes were a dead giveaway, all that was missing was his black leather amour and the phallic symbol of a sword.

She wondered why no one else had recognized him, plenty were old enough to remember the videos of his victories. Perhaps most people in the slums just didn't care, their priorities were surviving. She couldn't blame them, it was difficult enough to eke out a living in these wastes, it was easier just to keep your head down and worry about making it another day. Who cared if living outside their shanty town was a Shinra trained killer, he would be one of the countless monsters that lurked in the wastes. But Elmyra had to care, Shinra had taken her husband away to fight in one of their wars and got him killed. They had come for her adoptive daughter and had been temporarily bargained away, now one of their generals had been invited for dinner in her home.

Aerith was oblivious to their introversions, she teasingly pulled Gabriel's arm and smiled at him. "Nonsense, what you did was very brave. You were a wonderful distraction when all those soldiers were laughing at you. I couldn't have gotten the drop on them without you!"

Gabriel groaned at the memory, while Aerith smirked and pulled him closer to the dinner table. "Come on, you don't want all this food to go to waste."

Aerith practically forced the man to take a seat while she set the table and her mother brought food out of the kitchen. The Gainsboroughs were not well off, but they had an abundant garden from which they could easily prepare plates of food. There were steamed vegetables, various roots, and soups spiced with food the Gainsborough's had traded. It might not have been a five-star banquet, but it was a feast for anyone living in the slums.

As hesitant as Gabriel had been to come over, his mouth watered at the banquet of food in front of his eyes. He was surviving on instant noodles and whatever meat the food carts used. Aerith smiled as she watched him quickly fill his plate, good food had a way of breaking down one's walls. She made her plate and began to eat, letting her guest enjoy dinner before she tried to engage him in conversation. Elmyra said nothing as she moved her fork over a pair of beets, her other hand absent-mindedly searching under the table for the shotgun that was once strapped underneath. The gun had been removed when Aerith was a curious child. It was time, Elmyra thought, to put it back.

"You know mom Gabriel is a musician," Aerith smirked across the table at him. "He plays the guitar. Every morning I hear him play on my way to the train station. I think he does it to keep the monsters away, they are afraid of those dead notes!"

"I've told you, it's the only time I can practice!"

Oh great, thought Elmyra, not only had her daughter brought home a war criminal but was now in her attracted to dirtbag musician phase of young adulthood. It could have been worse; she could have found a drummer or a flautist. Elmyra watched as the two playfully bickered, Aerith would smile, flash her eyelashes, and poke fun at him. 'Gabriel' would try to hide a grin while he teased back at her, dishing out as much as he got. He didn't seem like the stone cold-blooded killer playfully flirting with her daughter. There was a kindness to him, a small opening of vulnerability that allowed a girl like Aerith to tease him. But who was to say it was all a facade? Underneath those small smiles could be a violent murderer totally obedient to the Shinra Corporation.

Elmyra sighed openly as she began to eat, she was letting her fears get the better of her. The truth was her daughter had a talent for discerning someone's true intent. Aerith wasn't going to bring someone home who wasn't a decent person. Elmyra didn't know why General Sephiroth was slumming it up in sector five, but she believed Aerith that he didn't mean her any harm. Or so she wanted to believe, she really did.

Dinner carried on as Aerith and Gabriel's teasing morphed into conversations about their respective lives. Gabriel answered her questions about the salvage yard and what they usually found. Aerith told of her adventures topside, about the people she met and what she saw. Aerith allowed herself to fully gush about a new play that was opening next week. It was a new adaptation of the epic poem LOVELESS. The flower girl practically sparkled as she spoke about her desire to see and experience a live performance. Gabriel grinned as he watched her eyes grow ten times larger while she rambled about rumors of who might be cast. Aerith snapped out of her trance when she saw him smiling at her and immediately tried to redirect the conversation. Don't smile at me like that, she thought, not like that.

"Well, I'm sure it's all too boring for you. If the music doesn't have screaming howls about graveyards and goblins you're not going to be interested!" Aerith yelled as she threw up her arms in disgust.

"The goblins are really important!" Gabriel shot back teasingly. "They are a metaphor."

"Not everything has to be a metaphor!" Cried Aerith and was interrupted by the chime of the house's clock.

"Oh my! I hadn't realized it was so late." Aerith lied through her teeth. "Gabriel, it's way too dark for you to go home alone. We have a spare room, why don't you stay over tonight?"

"I'm sure that's not necessary." Gabriel and Elmyra managed to reply at the same time.

Aerith turned to her mother. "Mom, it's dangerous outside of the town when the lamps are turned off. Besides, we never use the spare room, let it have a chance to be useful."

"I'll be fine. I don't want to be a bother." Gabriel spoke firmly as he tried to get up from the table. But Aerith's stare was strong enough to keep him in his seat.

"You are not a bother." She told him and looked back to her mother with pleading eyes. "Mom, please. He saved my friends. The least we can do is give him one night in a warm bed."

Elmyra couldn't say no to her daughter when she looked at her with those eyes. She reminded herself that sometimes it was easiest to let Aerith have her way. "Alright." She sighed as if she was letting her daughter stay up late. "Go get the extra covers from the lien closet."

Aerith gave her mother a quick hug before bouncing up the stairs to set up the guest room. Gabriel, who had not wanted to sleep over in the first place, turned to Elmyra. The look on Aerith's mother's face told him that there was nothing for them to talk about. He remained in his chair as Elmyra got up and silently cleaned the table.

Aerith bounded down the steps once the guest bedroom was set up and practically dragged Gabriel up the stairs. Elmyra would have suspected more carnal reasons for her daughter's demands if she didn't know better. But she knew Aerith's intentions were pure, she wanted to help everyone live a better life, knowing she wouldn't have that choice. Elmyra reminded herself that she had raised a sweet and compassionate daughter that was just a little too naive. Elmyra would never trust a man from Shinra, but she believed in Aerith.

Aerith led Gabriel upstairs to the door of the guest bedroom and explained where to find the bathroom if he needed it. "Now, if you need anything, my room is just on the other side of the hallway. But don't get any ideas in the middle of the night." She teased and playfully jabbed him in the ribs.

Aerith's fist collided with pure muscle and while she expected him to at least react out of instinct, the reality was that he stood motionless while her hand exploded in pain. She instinctively waved her wrist about while regretting making herself look like a fool in front of him.

"Are you alright?" Gabriel asked calmly, not sure of what she was trying to do.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Planet, is there any part of you that isn't hard?" Aerith paused, wishing she had chosen better words. "Well, goodnight!"

Gabriel watched Aerith bound away to her room with the energy of someone who wasn't tired enough for bed. She dashed into her room and loudly slammed it shut, leaving him alone in the hallway. Gabriel pounded his options; it was possible that he could sneak downstairs and leave out the door. But downstairs was Elmyra Gainsborough, who clearly did not like him and would not be happy that he was ducting out of her daughter's request. No matter what he tried, Aerith would find out and would demand answers to questions he didn't want to give. The only thing he could do was open the door to the guest bedroom, stay the night and accept what might happen.

The bedroom was modest but enticing, Gabriel couldn't remember the last time he had been in a building that was completely wooden, most of the buildings in the slums were built from piecemeal scrap metal. The room emitted a warmth that he hadn't felt before, his shack was good enough at keeping away the draft, but this was a different kind of warmth. It was as if the room was coaxing him into the single-sized bed with the green comforter. He found himself complying as he took off his clothes and slipped under the cotton sheets.

The bed was as comfortable as he had feared, a far better experience than the futon he slept on in his shack. Yet Gabriel still fought the urge to fall asleep, he didn't want to be asleep around other people. He was afraid of the night terrors that came almost every night that ended in him bolting out of sleep screaming in terror. If he had an episode tonight, they would hear him and then would ask questions, questions he couldn't answer. They would also begin to connect the dots of his history. A mysterious young man, with martial abilities who suffered from night terrors it would be easy to assume that he was dangerous and shouldn't be allowed in the slums. In his heart, Gabriel knew that in his past he was some sort of professional soldier. But whether he was a good soldier or a bad soldier, he had no idea. But he believed the night terrors were the consequences of terrible things he had done. Unfortunately, the bed was just too comfortable, and his thoughts drifted away as sleep overcame him.

Aerith was laying soundly in her bed, pleased with the results of the day. She wanted to show Gabriel that life in the slums was more than living in his shack outside of town. Perhaps this would push him to be more involved in the community so that he didn't have to live out in the junkyard. She felt sad for him, he had helped save her friends and hadn't received any gratitude. The least she could do was give him a hot meal and a warm bed for one night. That was the ONLY reason she had invited him, it was not that she found him handsome because she didn't, not at all.

She realized this was the first time that a man had slept over at her home. Would Gabriel try something weird? She had been warned that men could be weird, at night they had "physical needs" whatever that meant. Perhaps Gabriel might feel the urge to howl around midnight at the non-visible moon. Would he try and sneak into her room while she was asleep, he didn't seem like the type to try but how could she know?

Aerith got up from her bed, walked to her bedroom door, and checked the multiple locks that kept her door secure. All eight locks were in place just had she had set them before bed. She placed a finger to her lips as she thought for a moment and then unlocked the top three locks. I'll give him a sporting chance, she thought as she returned under the covers, I'll live a little dangerously tonight, she thought, if he tries anything I'll smack him over the head with my staff. She wrapped her arms around her pillow and curiously waited for noises to come from the guest bedroom. But all she heard was silence, she deduced that Gabriel wasn't a creep, or the guest bed had been too comfortable for him to do anything else. Eventually sleep overtook the flower girl and she slept peacefully.

Elmyra couldn't sleep, she wouldn't allow herself to sleep while he slept under her roof. She sat motionless in her bed staring up at the ceiling where the Shinra general slept. At some point in the night, she remembered where she had stashed that shotgun. She spent the rest of the night cleaning it.

Gabriel found himself in a deep slumber, the deepest most peaceful rest he could remember having. There was no dreaming, just a blank slumber, at the edge of his mind he could make out deep hues of blue and green. It felt like he had fallen into the ocean and a current had dragged him down into its deepest depths. It was a calm and peaceful place, the night terrors could not torment him here, and they could not survive in this place. He woke before the morning sunlight could peak over the plate. The sleep had left him energized and refreshed, he sat on the side of the bed and contemplated his experience. He was used to difficult sleep that left him tired and uneasy. What had changed that allowed him this night of tranquility? Was it the bed, the food, or both?

Gabriel couldn't waste time with his newfound energy, there were things he wanted to do before the morning really began. He got dressed and exited the hallway. The door to Aerith's room was still closed, which could mean she was still asleep or that she got up earlier than him. He walked closer to her door and could hear the soft sound of snoring inside. He grinned as he made his way down the stairway. Another round of ammunition the next time they quarreled; Aerith snored.

Making his way down to the first floor Gabriel could feel cold eyes on him. He looked towards the dining room and saw Elmyra staring him down while she sipped a cup of coffee. Gabriel uncomfortably waved at her. "Thank you for your hospitality, I'm just on my way out." He said as he tried to remember his manners.

"I would appreciate it if you never returned and left my daughter alone." Elmyra's words were stern, cold, and serious.

Gabriel raised his hands up, hoping to deflect her hostility. "I'm sorry, this was her idea, I didn't really want to come I promise."

"I know who you are, Gabriel." malice dripped from Elmyra's words as she spoke his name.

Gabriel paused and noticed that he was close to the door and slowly made his way towards the door.

"I…I wish I knew." He quickly exited before Elmyra could respond and quickly made his way home.

Aerith's yawned while she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, a small yelp escaped her lips as she stretched and got out of bed. Aerith's morning routine was not unlike that of a cartoon princess from one of Shinra's animated movies. All that was missing were the cheerful birds and forest creatures that would help her brush her hair and retrieve her clothes. But that was fine with her, she was more of a flower girl than an animal girl, it was a shame that planets couldn't braid hair though.

Happy with the way she looked, Aerith unlocked the locks on her bedroom door, only mildly disappointed no one had tested them, and peaked out into the hallway. The guestroom door was already open, and Gabriel was nowhere to be found. She was a bit disappointed to have missed him and started downstairs hoping to find him at the breakfast table.

He was not there, and breakfast turned into an ordeal. Aerith had a fight with her mother. Elmyra didn't want her to see him again and Aerith misunderstood it as an accusation that she had feelings for him. Elmyra tried to redirect that she was concerned for her daughter's safety, but Aerith was not having it. She reminded her mother again that Gabriel had saved people and doubled down that Gabriel was the only person who was willing to help her and had asked for nothing in return. Aerith continued that Gabriel's was a good decent person and she wasn't going to have him slandered. Elmyra blurted out that one good deed did not out way a lifetime of wrongs before instantly regretting what she said. Aerith demanded that her mother elaborate on her accusations and when she wouldn't Aerith stormed out.

"You know what, maybe I should date him," Aerith yelled out as she opened the front door. "Because he is the only person WHO LISTENS TO ME!" Then slammed the door shut as she stormed away.

Aerith cursed under her breath while grabbing the flowers she would sell today and jammed them into her basket. She marched down the empty road towards the town, fuming over the argument. She understood that her mother was just trying to be as protective of her as she always had been. But what really got under Aerith's skin was not being given a chance to decide for herself. It was difficult enough living with the knowledge that her freedom was limited and soon it would be taken away. Which made limiting who she could befriend more aggravating.

"Why not?" Aerith grumbled allowed to the empty pathway. "I'll go over to his place right now and kiss him. Hells, we will even get married. We will have a Wall Market Honeymoon!"

Her anger smoldered as she walked out of the slum, the light exercise helped her calm down. She was thankful this road was empty so no one would think her crazy while she talked to herself.

Aerith took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and prayed aloud. "Planet, just give me a sign. A sign that what I am doing is helping."

The Planet answered with an ear-splitting spike of electric noise out of a nearly broken amplifier. Gabriel was practicing again, not the answer Aerith wanted.

"Couldn't you have slept in today?" Aerith called out to Gabriel's shack.

"I've told you; I need to practice!" He called back not bothering to peek out of his home to acknowledge her.

"I thought you had headphones!" Aerith yelled back, remembering that he had started using headphones to silence his terrible playing.

"Oh…I forgot!" Gabriel's response was followed by electric chirps as he fumbled to plug his headphones into the right outlet.

Aerith cursed under her breath and continued her march down to the train station. Perhaps her day would be better plateside. Aerith took this as a sign from the Planet to keep her options open. Perhaps the Planet had landed a nice young billionaire on the streets for her to find. A girl could dream, she thought, a girl could dream that her fantasy billionaire had long silky hair. No more spikey haired boys, she begged the planet, I've had enough of them.

A/N: Oh hey! Two chapters in one year that's like a personal best! I've come down with a bad case of the writing bug. I wasn't expecting this chapter to come out so fast, but right now the motivation to write is extremely high. Don't expect chapters to continue to come out this fast but I'll keep writing as the motivation last.