Chapter 57. Healing (M rated).

Elie's POV.

I didn't know if I could stop.

After his release, I was somewhere left in the middle of something. The stimulation had somehow been interrupted and well… I had been left in a limbo of desire.

Sephiroth breathed heavily above me, and we remained laid down, in my ward bed, facing each other… two humans glued, both naked and somehow satisfied.

Our stare met for a while and I smiled, genuinely happy for him being here, with me. Finally, after so many time in pain, thinking I would never see him, feel him and stare at his neverendending beauty again… we were together. Our foreheads touched, the humidity of our skin feeling slippery.

I had no words to describe what I was feeling, but all I knew was I felt complete. Totally and completely relaxed, at ease. I would dare to say I felt genuinely… happy.

I laughed nervously at my silly thought, what caught his attention.

"What?" He whispered at me.

"It's just my mind." I said, in a low tone. "You do strange things to my coherence." I admitted, and I saw him blink at me, curious. "Who would have known you'd be right here with me…" The words came out, and I dared to touch a strand of his hair and tuck it behind his ear. "…do the things you did to have me back."

Sephiroth's stare felt heavy on me, just like his body.

"I would do it all again, Stevens." He declared, his eyes scanning my face. "I would do everything over and over again."

I gulped, feeling overwhelmed. His words… made my heart flutter. 'How can he say this, the Sephiroth himself?', I thought, wondering if I was dreaming.

With a gentle move, he rolled me and I remained on top of him. I laid there for a while, my face resting on his chest, right below the crook of his neck. I could hear his heartbeat, the breathing movements he made, as the tip of his fingers roamed along my back, up and down, slowly.

"I honestly thought I would never see you again."

Sephiroth's words resonated in his chest, and I blinked in response, rising my head to stare at him.

"Well that makes two of us." I declared.

John's POV

I didn't know what had gotten into me to go flying to the Science Division in the middle of the night.

Sometimes it happened – I had the strangest ideas during nighttime, frequently dreamed about some strange solution to a problem I had in the lab and that was it. I needed to go before going to sleep again and forgetting about the whole thing.

I got up, put some clothes on, grabbed some articles and original papers I had been reading and off I went. The place was vacant, as it was supposed to be at … a.m. The personnel was reduced to minimum and most of the scientists were now sleeping.

I had dreamed about Mako side-effects physiology. It had been an interesting reasoning my brain made while dreaming, and I wanted to test it beforehand. The guinea pigs would have to do for now, but still I had to prepare some of the mix before experimenting.

So, I went in search for the material to get my little experiment on. I smiled at myself, adrenaline kicking in as I thought of the odds. Science was really cool, most of the times.

In my way to the labs I passed by the wards. I knew Stevens was there, resting. I paused as I considered to pay her a little visit. She would be sleeping, it was a fact, there wouldn't be nothing to do, or talk.

If something had happened I had been alerted of that, right?

My feet took me to the regenerating tube, only to find it… empty. The place was deserted, and there was a bed right next to it, what meant that… Sephiroth had been transferred already.

Except the bed was unmade and the sheets all rugged up. So, it was pretty obvious he wasn't around.

He had to be someplace else.

I felt a pang in my heart when I imagined where he would be. Well, not quite imagine. There was a hunch, and then, there was logical thinking. If I had been in Sephiroth's shoes, where would I go after I woke up?

To find Stevens.

I didn't know why, but my feet had a mind of its own. I walked towards Stevens premises, passed by the window, noticing the blinds were shut. I couldn't see a thing or peek a little through it.

My pace slowed as I reached the door. I didn't dare to open it.

I didn't need to.

From where I stood, I could see movement in the little fringe left between the window lab and the blinds. There were two bodies moving in consonance, the sight giving me shivers.

I blinked, feeling embarrassed and shocked, a strange mix of both. I hadn't – ever – seen someone have sex in front of me. It was awkward and felt terrible, because it was the ultimate form of intimacy two persons could have… and I was secretly intruding it. Well that was only my perspective.

Considering I had accidently caught in the act the woman I had feelings for and him… it felt even more strange and invasive. My heart drummed in my chest and I wanted so bad to erase those images from my mind. But, the more I thought about it, the more vivid it became. Good grief, he was so huge and she… dominated that way… and clearly enjoying it. His form all over her, moving; her moans, in consonance with his moves; her hands, clasping his hair as if for dear life.

It was obviously too much for me to bear.

Before I knew it I was out of there. I tried to be silent, tried to walk out of there unnoticed. I wanted to preserve my relationship with Elie as much as I could bear… but after what I had seen, I couldn't even consider looking her in the eye. Actually, the very thought of seeing Elie, talking to her again nauseated me.

I reached my car and drove until I arrived home again. I didn't remember driving, the road, anything. It seemed like it had been my car bringing me home in auto pilot.

Truth was, I couldn't wait to get home and sleep.

And hope that very same sleep might erase this little sad episode from my mind.

Sephiroth's POV.

Touching Stevens again felt like heaven. Well, at least, that's what I thought heaven would feel like – if it actually exist.

I didn't think I would come back alive from that PORTAL try-out. It was a fact I trusted John and his immense effort but it was pretty obvious things were very experimental. But, I had nothing to lose. Since I was alive and Stevens had been the main responsible for that, all I could do was simply return the favor.

Entering the PORTAL felt like fire – wounding me, hurting my eyes, burning the tips of my hair. It was an Inferno compacted in something created to last seconds. Mere seconds.

Reaching the other side had been tricky, because I only saw sky, rock. I didn't know the place from before, but something inside me warned me to be careful. So, for just a while longer, I breathed the hot burning air inside the Portal and I stepped halfway out.

I was in mid-air. And the clock ticked. In six-five seconds, I would have to have be back, preferably with Stevens in my arms.

I looked around, down, and finally up. There she was. Talking with someone, who grabbed her arm with a will that made me feel angry. Someone didn't want her back – and I didn't know who on Gaia that person was and why would he – it was a he -, would know exactly the place where she was supposed to be retrieved.

The thought plagued me, but I would have to worry with that issue later.

I considered calling her, but she had already seen me. And, faster than I could predict, I saw Stevens letting go of her coat and throwing herself – in my direction. My arms stretched and I bent as much as I could, until I felt her body land in my arms. The swing of the impact made us return to the burning passing, and I grabbed Stevens next to me, and whispered at her:

'Only shallow breathing. The air is burning here.' I saw Stevens close her eyes and shiver against me. My hands hurt.

Inside the PORTAL, something then happened. I couldn't quite explain, but an unexplainable force threw us out there, to a void I didn't recall where it was.

I remember thinking it would be the end.

But, then again, here I was. With the woman I cared about in my arms, finally – safe. Both of us.

One of her hands roamed along my chest, and I smiled at her naïve provocation. She had been infused with Mako – as well as I did, which made us a little wild, namely in what concerned basic instincts. The desire of intercourse was just one of the effects.

"Stevens…" I said, and turned to face her, her eyes burning in mine. "Do you want something?"

Her smile answered me before her words.

"As a matter of fact I do."

A second passed by and before I knew it she was on top of me. She moved slowly, a little undecided at first, as if asking me permission.

I didn't say anything, as I sensed Stevens straddle me. The sight of her naked body made me take a deep intake of air but still, I decided to wait – and see what she was going to do next.

"I'm still very aroused." She declared, her face approaching mine. "I need you."

And after a nib in my lips, I gathered the coherence to answer her.

"Suit yourself," I whispered, feeling the tips of her breasts against me, her breath against my mouth and the soft touch of her hands in my chest, slowly descending until she reached my genitalia. I was getting hard, all that slowness gathered tension to the moment.

She touched me, as she kissed me. Gentle strokes, until I finally felt something warm and wet. The kiss stopped – for a moment, as I felt her directing me, slowly penetrating her. She felt very compliant, and it added hardness to my member. She breathed in deep cycles, as she finally accommodated me whole.

The feeling was amazing, and I didn't have time to say a word, because she started moving. Her hips undulated, and her hands found leverage in my shoulders. She moved with a ferocity I had never seen in her, a look of wanton and desire that I partially knew Mako was responsible for. But still, this facet of Stevens was amazing to watch. And feel.

Her moans added intensity to the moment, and I decided to help her. I grabbed her hips and sat. I throbbed inside her and I knew the feeling was driving her insane. Her face clearly showed the feeling of satisfaction – both of us were feeling.

"Let me give you a little help." I whispered against her neck.

And then, I started moving as well, angling her hips with my own movements. Stevens relaxed at once, her body giving in to mine. Her legs angled up, resting on my forearms – and she helplessly tried to give me more access to her. She pushed herself against me and I realized she wanted more pressure, more of me inside her, and the position we were in didn't help much to achieve that. So I decided to intervene.

"Lay down." I said. "On your back."

"Yes, please." She whispered, and simply complied. With the movement, the contact ceased and we disengaged ourselves from each other. I saw Stevens lay there, legs wide open and my body slowly descending above her; I, erect, easily finding her appetizing opening, engulfing me whole.

From there, the dominance was mine. It was no news I enjoyed being in charge, and in sex it wasn't exception. I moved slowly but with a volition that drove Stevens crazy. I couldn't be too greedy or the fun would end in a no time.

"You're being mean." I heard her say, and I smiled. My eyes found hers, and in her face I saw a frown of eagerness.

"No." I declared, daring to touch her – feeling her wetness and caressing her wound, as I slowly moved, in and out of her. Her reaction was immediate: mouth open, eyes closed and arched back, her hands grasping the sheets. "I'm just making it last."

Her moans were audible now and I had to silence her with my mouth. Done with waiting myself, I decided the incitement would have to come to an end, the end that both of us so badly wanted.

My pace gradually increased, and the tension started to build inside. I usually wasn't a man of rushes, but I had to admit that I wanted very bad to actually feel Stevens reach her happy moment. She had been aching for it, for a considerable time now and I had been teasing her, only to prolong it.

I was hard enough to give her the cadence she needed to have a powerful release. Her face was something to see, the despair of reaching the moment she wanted the most… felt rewarding, when she finally trembled, and squeezed and tensed, for long, exquisite seconds.

I didn't last much more either. Her stimulation and just the mere sight of her beneath me made me literally burst in ecstasy inside her, a feeling that almost blinded me, almost rendered my muscles weak.

Finally, when all the tension subsided, we couldn't be more relaxed and a little spent. For some time, we just laid there, next to each other, normalizing our breathing. Silence enveloped us as we both remained half covered with the bed sheet. I sensed her breathing next to my neck, wondering what time it would be – not that it mattered much. Realizing we were both very sweaty, my mind started considering another options. Maybe a shower wouldn't be a bad idea, for now.

"I think we should shower." I suggested, sitting by the edge of the bed.

Our stares met, Stevens still laying on the bed half-covered with the sheet. She narrowed her eyes at me and smiled deviously before talking.

"You, me… under a spray of warm water. It will not be a fast shower."

I tried to remain serious.

"I didn't say anything about timing. I just mentioned the two of us… and water."

Stevens's eyes checked, for a moment, the clock on the wall. Now I could also see, it was almost 4 a.m. I sensed she was considering what to do.

"You're not going to sleep like that, after all this… activity, are you?" I asked, with a sample of smile on my face.

Stevens got up, naked and she stood there, staring at me for a while, before making her decision.

"Behave, Sephiroth." She warned, and walked towards the bathroom. "The shower isn't that roomy."

I smiled wickedly. I was pretty sure we would fit both in that shower, with Stevens properly secured in my arms, and her legs sprawled, with me inside her, moving relentlessly in and out of her, making her say my name over and over again in the brink of ecstasy.

Elie's POV

I put the shower on, checking for the shower gel and the shampoo; those items were just there, right next to the water tap.

"I'm first, Sephiroth." I said, walking inside the area in which consisted the shower. The water spray was getting warm and I softly touched the cold water tap so it could reach a comfortable temperature.

It was a fact a shower felt good. The comfort the warm water provided was immense and it allowed me to relax my strained muscles. I felt a little sore, and when finally I touched my hair, it actually felt different… the size and the consistence. That it was shorter it was no news but it felt so strange. I didn't know how to describe it, it was actually as if a whole new amount of hair had grown since I was here. But, it hadn't been that long… right?

After standing for a while, reeling in the feeling of the warm water massaging me, I finally decided to wash myself.

My right hand traveled to the shampoo, and I poured a consistent amount in the palm of my hand. I washed my hair, and with my head transformed in a white cloud of foam, I searched for the body gel and took care of all my body parts.

Then, when it came the washing out part, things changed.

I closed my eyes and all the foam was out of my body and hair swiftly. But then, out of nowhere, I felt him.

His presence behind me, the energy of the Mako he had inside him broadcasting all kind of intensities and making me feel…

"As you can see, Stevens…" he said, diving in the warm spray of water that hit me, "…we fit perfectly in this shower."

His mouth landed in my right ear, and I felt a little lost of what to do. I didn't know if I should move, I didn't know what to say to even work as a decent answer. I gulped dry, feeling his body slowly making contact with mine, my stare a little lost in the tiles in front of me.

Good God, what is he, a machine?

"But we just-" I couldn't help to ask, but he interrupted me at once.

"So?"

I raised my eyebrows and dared to turn. The man in front of me, half wet, half dry, scrutinized my face, with a frown of expectance all over him.

The warm water hit my back, and it was the only audible sound in that tiny space where we both stood.

I gave him a faint, amused smile.

"Is this a fantasy of yours?" I asked, truly puzzled. "Having me in the shower?"

Sephiroth, the all-mighty General, seemed to take his time considering what to answer me.

"Not particularly." He finally declared. "I don't… didn't consider intercourse meaningful since, well… you."

And that one took me by surprise.

"As you well know, all I did was-"

"Stop. Okay." I declared, and felt a little guilty. The last thing I wanted was to recall his previous habits and all those things he used to do under Hojo's supervision.

My eyes found his and I didn't think twice. My hands travelled up, found his face and I brought my lips to meet his. It was a swift, smooth kiss, not very intense. It was more like a reassuring gesture, a tender moment more than anything.

His body, so close to mine, the areas where our skin touched, worked as an aphrodisiac to my senses. All about him was so, so desirable.

Our lips ceased contact leaving a small distance between our mouths. And, in the middle of half-lidded stares and the warm humidity that surrounded us, that I spoke my heart to him. Again.

"You can have me, General." I said, "Here or anywhere you like."

There was silence for a moment, until I dared to speak again.

"I can't say no to you."

My voice came out like a whisper, but I sensed the man in front of me clearly processing what I was saying.

"Those are serious declarations you're making, Stevens." He whispered, with a nib in my lower lip. "I will make sure you comply with those."

And he sure did.