Unspoken

By mihoyonagi

Chapter 50: Harmony

Sephiroth adjusted the collar of his shirt, trying to decide if he should leave the top button open or not. He frowned in the mirror, cursing his indecisiveness. He was happy to be back in the cabin discreetly tucked away in the Mideel woods, just outside of town, he was rather irate with the fact that he couldn't decide what to wear.

"Seph?" Aerith's voice carried out from the room next to his, and as soon as he heard her call out to him he forgot how annoyed he was at his appearance and rushed to her side.

"What wrong? Are you feeling dizzy again? Do you need me to-"

Aerith sighed melodramatically, making sure her head rolled along with her eyes. "I've been in this damn bed three days longer than Rej said I needed to be. I want to get up and get ready for tonight. I want to cook for when everyone comes over. I'm sick of lying here like a bump on a log."

Sephiroth sat next to Aerith, smiling down at her. "I want to make sure you're well. I'll not let you take any chances."

Crossing her arms, Aerith narrowed her eyes. "There's cautious, and then there's silly. I want to get up, and I know I'm well enough to do it."

Oh, she was being catty! Sephiroth's smile widened, feeling mischievous. "If you're well enough to stand, then why haven't you?"

"I haven't so much as rolled over without you by my side! I don't want you pitching a fit because I stood up with you out of the room. I'm not about to be guilted back to bed."

Sephiroth cocked an eyebrow. "I would guilt you back to bed? Really?"

Aerith scoffed. "I can hear you now! 'Why did you stand up without me there? You could have fallen over! You could have hurt yourself! Blah blah blah!' And then you'd give me that look, and I'd feel so terrible about it I would crawl back into bed for another month."

Daring a sly grin, Sephiroth kissed Aerith's forehead. "My voice isn't quite so high, but that's roughly what would happen."

Aerith shrugged off the covers from her legs, pulling her self up off the stack of pillows she had been resting on. "I want up. Now. Are you going to help me or not?"

Sephiroth stood, reaching his hand out for Aerith to take. "Better than being a bump on a log, as you put it."

Helping her up wasn't quite the chore Sephiroth had expected. Aerith was still light as he remembered her, her tiny frame easily falling and fitting against his. No, it was the way her legs trembled that made him worry.

"Are you alright?"

She shook her head, and Sephiroth saw that she was biting her lip as if in pain. Immediately, though gently, he pushed her back down upon her bed. As he sat next to her, he placed her legs in his lap and gave her a curious look.

Letting out a huge breath, Aerith clenched her eyes. "I hate being so helpless!" Her exclamation came to no surprise; Sephiroth would be just as frustrated, if not more, were he in her place.

He made a gentle sound, trying to soothe her. He absent mindedly rubbed her calf muscles, hoping to ease her weariness. "Your muscles are atrophied a bit, that's all. You've been in bed, healing. You're nothing close to helpless, little one."

Obviously he had said the right words, as Sephiroth watched while Aerith's facial expression softened. "I just want to get out of this dumb bed. I'm so sick of sitting here and doing nothing."

Sephiroth clucked, moving his hands from her calves to her ankles. "You've been as active as ever, your activities have just been limited. Come now- how many books from the downstairs shelf have I brought to you? Nearly all of your friends have come to stay with us to check up on you, too. You were able to talk with Red, and play games with Yuffie, and, if I'm not mistaken, it was Tifa who painted your toes pink last Saturday. Everyone knows the situation you've been through, and no one thinks you weak for it."

Mood obviously brightened, Aerith let out a contented sigh. "Where did you learn to give massages like that, Seph? Do my knees next, please?"

As if he could say no. He smiled as he went to work, concentrating on the way her skin yielded against his calloused fingers. She was so soft against him, so warm. Her skin was the most beautiful shade of cream, and every so often he would encounter a stray freckle he hadn't known she had. Several long moments of silence past before Aerith felt the need to get his attention.

"Why, Seph; I do believe you're going to get carried away."

When he looked up at her face, she wore the prettiest blush upon her cheeks. He looked back down at his hands, realizing they were inching up her things. With a sigh, he gently took his hands away.

He liked the little sound of regret she made when his skin left hers.

"I'm not broken, Seph. I'm not made of glass, either."

Again, he looked up at her, this time catching the meaning hidden behind her rosy cheeks. "Aerith, I couldn't. Not while you're still-"

She cut him off when she rolled her eyes and turned her head away.

Tentatively, afraid he had ruined the moment, Sephiroth placed his hand gently against the outside of her thigh. "It's not that I don't want you, sweet one."

She shot him a glare, though it was soft. "Then what it is?"

He felt a lump rise in his throat. Never having been one to openly discuss his thoughts and emotions, Sephiroth was having a hard time gathering his feelings and trying to place them into words. It took him several minutes of concentration before he felt he could answer her question.

"Because I do want you, all of you, and that's the problem. I want this to last though, Aerith: I want us to last. Jumping headfirst into everything is hard for me. I'm not used to being honest with the way I am feeling. I find that sometimes I can't even express in words what's going on inside of me. I'm confused and content all at once, all of the time. But I am determined in taking things slow with us. I'm not going to scare you off."

The look he gave her turned his heart to mush. "I've been in this bed for weeks, Seph. The most affection you've given me is a peck on the cheek, and only when I ask for it. I just feel the need to be honest with you, that's all. I'm tired of sitting here. I'm tired of your hard-to-read emotions. Just let it out, would you? If you want me, I'm here."

Goddamn the fact that he could deny her nothing, least of all his own heart.

He had her pinned to the mattress, knees on either side of her hips, elbows resting on either side of her head, within the span of a breath of air. He sighed into her neck, placing kisses along her collarbone. She giggled underneath him.

"One of these days, Aerith, I am going to learn how to tell you 'no'."

Sephiroth could practically hear the smile that befell her face. "I'll just have to learn new ways to make you want to give in. I'm such a temptress, aren't I?"

He chuckled, delighted in the fact that she wasn't going to play coy with him.

Littering her neckline with kisses, Sephiroth took his time mapping her features with his lips. He kissed her eyelids, her cheeks, her nose, and the corners of her mouth. All the while she played with his hair, sighing contentedly against him. Making his way to one of her ears, he nibbled on the lobe, pulling and nipping gently with his teeth.

"Are you sure, Aerith? We have guests that will be arriving in less than three hours."

She shifted under him, sending a delicious wave of want through him.

"They can wait."

She bit at his neck.

"And what of the food you told me you were going to prepare for them all?" He delighted in teasing her.

She wound her arms around his neck, pulling them together.

"We'll order out."

This time, it was her turn to pull at his ear with her teeth.

He smiled as he turned and kissed her.

"Why, Aerith; I do believe you're going to get carried away."

XXXXXXX

If you are looking for the full chapter, though I must warn readers it is intended for mature audiences only, please head over to the following link (minus the spaces, of course)

http : // mihoyonagi . livejournal . com / 101053 . html # cutid1