Unspoken
By mihoyonagi
Chapter 6: Home
The receptionist behind the counter smiled as Sephiroth handed her the clipboard, attached paper bearing his name, as well as Aerith's. She didn't bother looking down at it, but instead kept smiling as she placed it on her desk.
"Are we free to go, then?" Aerith asked politely.
The receptionist shook her head. "A bunch of the townsfolk stopped by and brought care packages for the both of you. You really had this place in a tizzy, I can tell you that. They were all so worried."
Sephiroth found her voice annoying. 'Get to the point,' his mind screamed, knowing his vocal cords could not.
Bending over and retrieving an assortment of things from off the floor behind her desk, the receptionist produced several large baskets of various objects. Sephiroth's mouth fell agape as he was caught up in such a compassionate gesture from complete strangers; inside the baskets were clothes and blankets, food, both canned and fresh, and paper packages of seeds dotted each basket, all from caring townsfolk who had no idea who they were. Had they the slightest idea the sins Sephiroth had committed…
He suppressed a shudder regarding the last thought, and instead looked to Aerith for instruction. Having been the general of the Shinra army, Sephiroth was more prone to give orders rather than receive them, but considering Aerith now held the key to his future, as well as the cabin he would regain his composure in, he made an exception.
Aerith thanked the nurse and grabbed one of the baskets. Following her lead, Sephiroth retrieved the other two from the desk, not bothering to even acknowledge the nurse, however, and followed Aerith out the door.
The city below them looked messy, and, at the very most, one might call it grungy, but from the look in Aerith's eyes, Sephiroth assumed she had already fallen in love with it. It did have, after all, open skies and clean air, cleaner than he knew the air in the slums to be. She stood on the doorstep, directly in front of him, heaved a heavy sigh, and then began down the cobblestone walk.
Sephiroth noted that, for a hospital, it was surprisingly secluded. While the city was still in clear view, it was quite a walk into town. He had expected, however, to continue down the path and into town, but Aerith turned and began walking on a small brick path that branched off. Had she continued going straight, she would have ended up in town.
It was a shorter walk than Sephiroth had expected, really. Though they had traveled far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city that it no longer could be heard, they had walked no longer than a few minutes, and through the trees he could already see he and the flower girl were coming upon the cabin she had spoke of earlier. Perhaps it was a good thing that the cabin lay close to the hospital, really. If either he or Aerith were to have a relapse, or if one of them were to become hurt, help was near by. Though he knew himself to be strong, Sephiroth knew that, given his shape at the standings, perhaps help might be needed in the future. His body had been well toned and trained in his previous life, but planet only knew what was wrong with it at the current moment. He had, after all, been asleep for many days. Despite that, Sephiroth also understood Aerith's physical weaknesses. She was a healer and a magic user, not good for much else in the world of combat.
Healers, however, also served a purpose. Though he didn't want to admit it out loud, Sephiroth understood such things now. She had not been strong, so he had done the easiest thing and simply killed her. But healer's spirit's can be just as tough, if not more so, than the spirit of a warrior. And sometimes, the spirit can be far stronger than the spirit of the warrior, as Sephiroth had learned the hard way.
Lost with the scenery that grew around the small cabin, Sephiroth nearly bumped into Aerith when she stopped to dig the door's key from her pocket. Placing the small piece of shaped metal into the keyhole, Aerith turned the lock and opened the door, revealing to Sephiroth something he had never known.
Home.
This was what a house looked like. Yes, this particular house was messy, and a little dusty, but it was well lived in, and taken care of.
Even if he had the ability, he wouldn't have spoken; what was there to say? 'I'm home?'
The interior of the cabin was rather large, in comparison to the outside appearance. Directly to the left of the front doorway was a small door, which Sephiroth assumed to be a closet. Further off to the left was a large parlor, and opposing the parlor to the right, across a small walk, was the kitchen. In between the two was a staircase leading up. In front of the kitchen, right of the front door, was a small dining table set in front of a large bay window, over looking the garden outside.
It was quaint, to say the least, but seemed a little overzealous for only two people. Still, to a man who had never known what it was to have a home, it was a start. Aerith placed her basket upon the island in the kitchen. She stretched her arms out over her head and took in a deep breath. Turning back to Sephiroth, whom still stood in the doorway, she tilted her head and smiled. Though he was no expert on emotions, he knew she was happy, pleased with what they had acquired.
But that wasn't the whole of it. Aerith let her hands fall outward, so they formed a straight line across her. Her smile only grew. "Welcome home!"
Sephiroth blinked, startled. Nobody had ever welcomed him anywhere and meant it as she did. There was something about her smiling face that let Sephiroth know that he was, indeed, home, even if he had never known such a thing. Slowly, he nodded his head and stepped inside.
He was home.