Disclaimer: It does not belong to me, "it" referring to FF7.

Note: My writer's block has lifted…kinda…sorry about not being that creative in the last chapter. I have no excuses for that. Feel free to slap me.


Chapter 6: Aeris's Makeover

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, NO! NO!"

Aeris blinked as she heard the ex-General screaming from downstairs, but decided to ignore it. Whatever was wrong with him, as long as it didn't threaten either of their lives, it wasn't her problem. She went back to picking out a new outfit—they seemed to be doing a lot of traveling, and a dress wasn't very practical for traveling. She also toyed with the idea of putting on some make-up and changing her hairstyle—just for the day, of course…

She tore through her wardrobe, tossing all of her clothing into two piles on her bed: one pile was the "I might possibly wear this" pile, and the second was the "I'm not wearing this because it's a replica of my trademark pink dress" pile.

Yes, half of her outfits were that pink dress she always wore…

After emptying the contents of her wardrobe, she stuffed the pink dresses back where they belonged and looked through her remaining pile. It was bigger than she had expected—it HAD to be Elmyra's doing; after all, when did Aeris really look through her wardrobe?

The Cetra woman continued looking through her clothes until she found something. She'd also given in to the idea of make-up and a new hairstyle just for the day and grabbed her hairbrush and some make up that she never remembered buying.

"Mom, maybe your shopping for things I wasn't gonna buy myself really did come in handy," she said, and began working on her new look.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Sephiroth was having a cute little "I-am-GOD-I-cannot-be-having-these-human-thoughts" dilemma. (Or at least, I think it's cute, you all may think it's stupid. Who knows? Just read…)

"NO." It was at least the eighteenth time he had screeched this word in the manliest tone a man can screech. Which means it wasn't a screech, it was more of an angered, frustrated yell, or whatever you wanna call it. Screech is easier to write.

Anyway…

The ex-General tapped his knuckles against his forehead many times sitting at Aeris's feminine little kitchen table (maybe all the girly-ness of the small flower-garbed house was driving him mad!), both elbows on the table since he wasn't eating and had no need for table manners.

He was knuckling his forehead because—or at least he had hoped so—that the movement would push the thoughts and feelings he was having out of his head. He didn't want this sympathy for Aeris. There was another tiny bubbling feeling of fondness growing for her in his chest. HE DIDN'T WANT THIS.

"I cannot," he breathed, "like my worst enemy. I can't. Not in any way, can I like her. It defies every single rule of every species! I'm ABOVE these stupid mortal affections! NO! Stop thinking affections! YOU DON'T FEEL FOR HER!"

Luckily, upstairs, Aeris, deep in re-doing her look, couldn't hear his rants at all.

"HONESTLY!" he screamed, banging his gloved fist down on the oaken table. "THIS CAN NOT BE HAPPENING! THIS CAN NOT BE REAL! FALLING IN LOVE WITH THAT…THAT…HUMAN WOULD DEFY EVERY SINGLE FRICKIN' THING! AND IT WOULD TAKE ALL OF THE FUN OUT OF TORMENTING HER!"

Sephiroth's only solace was that when he saw a pretty recent-looking photograph of her standing with her adoptive mother—it looked like it had been taken about a day before the Shinra had taken her—made him feel no emotions that he didn't want to feel.

That wasn't entirely so when she came down the stairs.


Finally, Aeris applied the finishing touches of makeup on her face and looked at herself in the wood-framed full-length mirror propped up next to her wardrobe. She wasn't vain, but she had to admit—change could be a good thing.

"I wonder if Sephiroth's going to think I look okay," she muttered to herself. Then she smacked her forehead with self-manicured nails. "Why would I care? I hate the man…" She fished her thoughts for a reason other than the reason she didn't want that could explain why she wanted him to think she looked good. She couldn't, so she made one up.

"Well, uh, we travel a lot, so I kinda don't want to look like a slob, and anyway, if I dress bad, then he'll just torment me about it…or something…hehe," she said, took one last glance at herself in the mirror, and descended down the stairs.

"…What the heck?" Sephiroth grumbled. She looked…different.

The jeans she was wearing her basically plain, but they were more form-fitting than the type of clothing the man had thought someone as innocent as Aeris would buy. Her shirt was plain, as well, and the exact greenish-bluish color of her eyes, but just a little bit clingier than he thought she'd ever wear. Her boots had changed from brown to black—that wasn't a bad change, at least that was somewhat normal. But she was wearing makeup. Her lips were a little bit glossy, her cheeks looked to be just a little bit rosy, and the eyeshadow she wore in a thin line right above her eyelashes were the exact same color as her eyes and shirt. Her jewelry was the same.

Plus, her hair was down. Sephiroth tried not to notice how soft and shiny-looking it was.

"Uh…" Aeris awkwardly avoided his gaze and desperately tried to ignore the feeling it gave her. "I'm guessing we're not staying here for too long? Where next?" she asked, breaking the very awkward, though short, silence between them.

Sephiroth smirked—something normal that made the Cetra remember that he was her enemy, exactly how they liked it and wanted it to remain. "Like I'd tell you," he said. "So what's with the outfit? Didn't think the innocent pink dress matched your lacy bra?"

Aeris seethed. THAT was just crossing the line—even if Cloud had said it, it was crossing the line.

So, she smacked him.


Yumesuta: Sorry if that chapter wasn't as funny or creative. Like Aeris's new look? She probably won't stay that way through the whole thing. Should I change Sephiroth too? Hmm. Ponder. Anyway, IF YOU DON'T REVIEW I MIGHT TAKE THE STORY DOWN! So review! Love yas!