A/N: I apologize for this being a little late. I was having computer issues. If the first few lines look familiar, it's intentional. Trying to draw comparisons between the Spawn and their parents. Once again, special thanks to dantesdarkqueen for beta-ing.
Disclaimer: Please. The only thing I own is property.
Four in the morning was kinda pretty. The cities were still asleep as the very first rays of the sun were starting to peer over the top of the horizon, gradually lighting up the dark landscape.
Andria gingerly rose to her feet, trying not to disturb her sleeping friends. As always, they had stayed on the cliff overlooking the cities, drinking until there was nothing left to drink, then passing out on their blanket. It seemed they had been huddled together on a blanket every weekend since they were eight or nine years old. Before, it had been in one of their parents' living rooms after a night of junk food binging and horror movies. Now, it was after a night of drinking and hanging out.
The red-streaked teenager made her way to the edge of the cliff, standing next to her father's sword. Even now, at sixteen, the blade still stood a bit taller than she did, the tip of the hilt an inch or so over her head. Zack must have been a strong guy to be able to weld a sword that big. Sighing deeply, Andria reached out and grasped the grip, trying to imagine she was holding her father's hand. She'd never met him…but that didn't mean she didn't love him.
Standing there, gazing out across the expanse of land to the cities, Andria could almost feel the sense of longing to make the short trek home her father must have felt before he died. He had been so close, close enough to see where he wanted to go. Just not close enough to get there.
Axys stirred, finding her head resting against Bryce's leg. Why she always woke up next to him baffled her, but she'd been doing it since they were kids. Usually, she'd find herself between him and Andria, her arms linked with the other girl's. This morning, Andi was gone.
Lifting her head slightly, the red-head scanned the area looking for her best friend. When she found her, she gasped slightly. She never thought she'd seen Andi look more beautiful. The sun was coming up, lighting the red streaks in her hair on fire. Her hand was griping Zack's sword, her face bearing the most serene yet sad expression she'd ever seen. A soft wind whipped her hair back and stirred the yellow and white lilies, causing the petals to dance around her.
Moving slowly, afraid to startle her, Axys reached for her phone and turned on her camera. Making sure she got just the right angle, the red-head snapped the picture, grinning when it came out perfectly. This scene was too beautiful to leave forgotten to time.
"What are you doing?" Bryce murmured softly, moving carefully so as not to wake anyone else.
Axys showed him the picture on her phone, vibrant eyes dancing with joy. "I'm going to paint this," she whispered. "Don't say a word, Prez, or I'll castrate you."
Bryce grinned and flicked a lock of hair out of her eyes. "I won't say a word, Ax," he vowed.
Axys nodded and looked at the picture again. "She's so beautiful," she murmured. "Almost…otherworldly."
The blond slid closer to her and kissed her forehead. "You're still the prettiest girl I've ever seen," he told her. Winking, he stretched back out and rolled over, closing his eyes to try to get a few more hours of sleep.
"Are you still drunk, Prez?" Axys asked with a snicker, snuggling back down on his thigh.
Bryce took out a green orb and tossed it to her. "No, Sinclair, I'm not," he chuckled.
Axys took the materia and grinned. Esuna. The bastard was sober as a newborn. "G'night, Bryce," she said softly.
"Good morning, Axys."
Three hours later, they all woke up and began cleaning up their mess from the night before. Kaya cast an Ice spell on the remaining embers of the fire to keep it from spreading. Andria and Az gathered all the bottles and cans in a trash bag and gave them to Paulo so he could take them to be recycled.
"What's everyone doing tonight?" Az asked.
"Babysitting," Andria answered. "Mom and Daddy Rude are going out tonight. I've got Zacky and Rhea…alone."
"Need help?" Azrael asked. "I could come by."
"Yeah, sure. Thanks."
"I've got cheer camp for the elementary kids today until six," Kaya said, taking out her phone and checking the time. "Uh oh…in like, two hours! Paulo…"
Paulo grabbed her hand. "Guess we're out of here!" he laughed leading Kaya down the hill to his Jeep, tossing the bag of recyclables in the back. "See you guys whenever."
"Yeah, Prez, get me back to my car," Axys said grabbing her bag and slinging it over her shoulder. "I've got a project I'm working on for the art show. I need to get that bitch finished."
"Wait, I get to drive my own vehicle?" Bryce asked, grabbing his things and walking down with the red-head. Azrael and Andi followed them.
"I've got some people to contact and I promised Kaya I'd stop texting/talking and driving," she grumbled. "That girl is too cute to refuse, especially when she channels Niki-chan from the Lifestream to perform her Grand Pout maneuver."
Bryce went to the passenger's side of his Viper and opened the door for her. Axys arched her pierced eyebrow at him. "What are you doing?" she asked.
"You never let me drive so you don't know that this is how a gentleman offers a lady a ride," he replied, gesturing for her to get in.
Axys glared at him. "Are you for real?" she asked.
Bryce just stood there, holding the door opened for her.
"Whatever," she said, shaking her head and climbing into the car. "Andi, I'll text you later, Babe."
"'Kay," Andi replied, putting her helmet on and climbing on the back of Az's bike. "Good luck on your project."
"Thanks!" Axys called with a grin as she texted Kandi. How tall was Zack?
About 6'…why?
Curious…thx!
Bryce started the Viper, ready to follow the dust trail left by Azrael's bike. "Hold up, Prez," Axys said. "How tall are you?"
An elegant blond eyebrow arched in question. "Six foot," he told her, slightly unnerved by the smirk she gave him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"Get out of the car," she ordered, opening her door and making her way back up to the cliff. "I need to use your body."
Bryce stopped mid-movement, halfway in the Viper and halfway out. "Excuse me?" he asked.
Axys turned around, shit-eating grin in place as she continued walking backwards up the cliff. "Did I stutter?" she snickered. "Now get your sexy ass up here."
The Shinra heir followed hesitantly. "Axys, come on what are you doing?" he inquired apprehensively.
The red-head laughed. "I'm not going to rape you, if that's what you're thinking," she told him as they reached the top. "All though I was under the impression you'd like that. Remember the pic I took of Andi earlier this morning?"
"Of course."
"I had a brilliant idea and I need your height for a reference," she explained, getting back into the position she had been when she took Andi's picture. "Stand over by the sword, facing away from the cities."
Bryce did as he was asked. Axys looked at him through the camera on her phone. Setting the phone on the ground so as not to lose her place, she rose to her feet. "Like this," she said, positioning him how she wanted. She gripped the sword as Andria had and reached for Bryce's hand, placing it over hers. "Now, when I move my hand, keep holding the sword like it's still there, okay?"
"Right."
"Tilt your head like you're looking down at me," she said, stepping back to see how he looked. "A little to the right. I need to see your eyes. Okay, perfect. Don't move."
Snatching her phone, she lay back down in the dirt. "You look great, Prez," she said with a grin as she snapped the picture. Sitting up, she crossed her legs and began fiddling with her picture app, overlapping and merging the two pictures. She smiled up at him triumphantly. "This is going to be perfect!"
"Can I move now?" At Axys' nod, he went over and sat down next to her, looking at the picture. "Wow, that looks great. Why do you want me in the picture, though?"
"You're the same height her dad was," she told him softly.
Realization dawned on him and he grinned. "You're a good friend, Sinclair," he told her, flicking her chin playfully. He rose to his feet and offered her his hand. "Come on. Let me get you home."
Axys grinned up at him and took his hand. "Thanks for your help, Prez," she said genuinely.
"Anytime, Red."
A/N: Reviews are loved. The more reviews I get, the faster Bryce will get out of the Friendzone.
Bryce: Dude, Axys is a great girl and I'm secretly in love with her. Her friendship is a great consolation prize if I fail to win her heart.
Andi/Kaya: AWWWW!
Bryce: Doesn't mean I'm not going to try my best to get her to return the feelings.
Axys: Killer sports cars may help, Prez.
Bryce: (kissing her hand) I'd prefer treating you like a human being...but I will buy you gifts from time to time, just to show you how highly I esteem you.
Axys: Right now I'm outta cigs...you can get me a pack of those.
Bryce: As you wish, my fiery goddess.