A Past Long Forgotten Chapter 10: Romance?
Sephiroth awoke the following morning feeling colder than usual. He blinked, absently yawned and sat up. The cloud of sleep that had still been surrounding him slowly evaporated, reminding him of the events of the previous day. Aeris, where was Aeris? He realized the source of much of his warmth must have woken earlier. The smell of breakfast from downstairs made him smile. So considerate she was. He got out of bed, stretching and yawning once again before making his way to the door, opening it with a quiet creak, and stepping lightly down the stairs. The previous night had been one of the best in recent memory, and he admitted to himself that he was very eager to see Aeris, if for no other reason, than to assure himself that it all wasn't a wonderful dream.
Vincent still sat in the garden, lamenting. He had put away his PHS. It seemed utterly ridiculous and completely absurd... but Vincent's gut told him to leave Cloud out of it, at least for now. Vincent still felt the guilt and the pain of his lost love Lucrecia, and Sephiroth, though he remembered nothing, was the only thing that she lived in. The part of him that grieved over Lucrecia seemed to outweigh all else, and he could see her pleading with him to give her son another chance at the life so cruelly stolen from him. Vincent sighed. How in the world would he tell them? Should he even begin?
And how would he escape the inevitable blow of Cloud's sword when the young blonde discovered he had known and not told the others?
Vincent grumbled, plucking a flower from the garden and examining it. He looked up to the sky, was that food he smelled? Aeris' cooking. He smiled to himself, "Damn it all," he muttered to no one in particular. He threw his fears to the wind and began walking towards the house.
Aeris gingerly flipped a pancake, being careful not to burn it. Leaving the other side to cook, she turned to the other pan where the bacon and eggs were sizzling, pulling out what was finished and placing it on one of the rarely used ornate plates her mother had stowed in a cabinet. Aeris remembered very little of her mother, but she had common sense and impeccable manners, and knew that she wouldn't have wanted Aeris to disappoint a guest without a proper breakfast.
Everyday seemed to get better, especially with Sephiroth around. Every morning she looked forward to cooking him breakfast, spending time with him, talking with him... Her mind spun back to the events of the previous night. Was it merely out of kindness that he had comforted her, or was it something more? She couldn't help but blush at the suggestion. Her heart felt lighter and she began to hum softly to herself. Anyone watching her may have thought she was glowing.
That's the scene Sephiroth witnessed as he came down the stairs. He stopped just several steps up, his hand gripping the banister as he watched her for several moments that seemed to last an eternity. She was beautiful. There was simply no other way to describe her. Even before her morning primping, before she brushed out the long, honey colored hair and styled in the familiar braid... It seemed that sunshine followed her wherever she walked, even the haze of sleep, usually stagnant and sluggish- danced around her cheerful form. She was humming softly, stirring, occasionally reaching for the spatula. He stared, transfixed. Where would he have been without her? Sleeping in the dreary apartment in which he had first woken, those times had not been so long ago, but it seemed as if anything prior to meeting the pink-clad angel was insignificant and so easy to forget.
Did he deserve this? Did he deserve her? Probably not, he decided. But that didn't stop his heart from wanting more. He watched her bustle around the kitchen, such a simple task, but somehow elegant and graceful when it was she who performed it. He continued to stare, it could have been three minutes, it could have been 10. Sephiroth didn't know. All he knew was that he was feeling something he had never felt before, and he felt baffled as to what it was or how to express it.
Sandra Lamont was so excited that her hands were nearly shaking in anticipation. She was walking swiftly and surely. Yes, it was early... but she would wake them if she had to. They had to know, and she would gain the recognition she craved. After endless research and dead end searches, all those who ridiculed her would finally believe her.
"Just a little farther," She told herself, nearing Aeris' home.
After setting the table and finishing preparing breakfast, Aeris finally noticed Sephiroth, standing stoically on the stairs, his knuckles white from clinging to the banister. She blinked in surprise, unable to suppress the blush that spread across her cheeks as she realized how intently he had been watching her.
"Sephiroth!" She smiled warmly, trying to hide her flushing cheeks and the rapid beating of her heart. What was wrong with her all of the sudden? "How long have you been standing there?"
He didn't answer at first. His heart seemed to melt when she smiled at him like that, she looked absolutely irresistible with her cheeks flushed like that... He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He couldn't clear his mind. "I don't know." He answered honestly, blinking in surprise at his own statement.
She didn't know how to reply to that. "Breakfast is ready." She stated instead, her eyes meeting his.
"... it looks wonderful." His mind was clearly elsewhere. In fact, he had not even looked at the food before uttering the mindless phrase. He couldn't seem to stop staring, no matter how desperately he tried to pull his eyes from hers.
Aeris said nothing else, hypnotized by his eyes. She knew her own were betraying her emotions right now. Her feet were rooted to the floor, her arms dangling at her sides. All she could think of was his intense gaze, his smile, his touch...
Finally, Sephiroth found that his legs were, in fact, working, and carrying him closer to her by the second. He reached the bottom of the stairs, pausing for a moment. He couldn't control himself any longer. Her eyes were so warm, her arms looked inviting... the expression on her face was so calm, so perfect, so many words Sephiroth couldn't even begin to describe. Sephiroth closed the distance between them.
Aeris' thoughts were scattered, but she knew what she wanted. Her arms wrapped themselves around his neck, her hands tangled in the silver strands of hair... She felt his arms reach around her waist, pulling her closer. All the while her eyes never left his. He lowered his face to hers, giving her a chaste kiss that slowly deepened. The moment stretched on for what seemed like days as the kiss went on...
When he finally pulled away, slowly, almost regrettfully, Aeris found herself gazing up at him with wonder, excitement, exhilaration... "Sephiroth..." Her heart was racing. She was speechless. The ever-present voice of the planet seemed happy, she could almost feel it smile.
Neither of them had much romantic experience, and though the kiss had not been too suggestive and serious, it served it's purpose. It dared to express the feelings neither had dared to speak of with words. What did it mean?
He opened his mouth, despite the fear he felt, how vulnerable he felt, wanting to express the thousands of emotions he felt at that moment. But before he could speak, the front door opened and shut with a soft bang. Aeris jumped, and Sephiroth immediately releashed her, both of them blushing furiously.
The spell was broken.
Vincent entered the kitchen, giving them both a puzzled stare... Their beet red faces suggested something, something Vincent could question about but never know the real answer. Dare he hope that there was more between the two than mere friendship?
Aeris finally cleared her throat, desperately wanting to end the tension in the room. "We'd better eat before the food gets cold."
She sat at the table, and Sephiroth and Vincent followed her example. Vincent noticed the way that Sephiroth kept staring into space as they began their meal, and the way that Aeris' hands were shaking as she lifted her fork to her lips. He smiled to himself. It seemed his predictions were correct.
A loud banging on the front door made Aeris drop her fork. "Who could that be so early...?" She wondered, beginning to get up.
Sephiroth immediately protested.
"AERIS! Sephiroth! It's Sandy, let me in! I have so much to tell you...!"
Sephiroth and Aeris looked at once another with unsure expressions.
"Sandy?" Vincent asked curiously.
The woman waited no longer and simply showed herself in, completely prepared to explain the past. She didn't think twice about the disastrous situation she could potentially start- really, she only thought of her career.
Note to Readers: Don't read the author's notes if you don't want to be bored.
Authors Notes: dodges flying rotten fruit and tomatoes I am a bad, bad author. BAD! smacks herself But AP week is over, and school is nearly over for the year, which means yours truly will be able to write lots more- hopefully! But no promises...
You do have my sincere apologies for the unprecedented absence. I know I have some faithful readers who I've probably disappointed, and I'm very sorry for that. I'm also sorry for the relatively short chapter- but I was eager to write the kiss. Yes, I'm aware that it's very cheesy and cliché and boring.
And Thank you, readers and reviewers. Your support and enthusiasm means more to me than anything. Every time I find a review in my Email it reminds me to write. So you guys- feel free to nag me.
The story is going to get more and more exciting. I don't want to give anything away, but there will be more romance, lots of drama, more Cloud and Tifa, some insanity (in more ways than one), some devious ruckus... and then the (insert adjective here) ending! Hopefully, writing the last 5 or 6 or so chapters will be easier. I'm finally getting to the reason I started this story in the first place, the fun scenes I have to write. I've also completely outlined the rest of the story (again)- so writing it should be infinitely easier.
As always, feedback, comments, suggestions are ALWAYS welcome. Though the rest of the story is pretty much planned, I may decide to completely change it. Who knows? (
Thank you all, and keep reading.