Hello again, everyone! I hope your all still with me =) Once again I find myself working on this till the early hours of the morning u_U;; It's taken me aaaalllll day to proof read and amend it, grrrr curses!
My usual thanks go to my readers, old and new, and to my reviewers who brighten my mornings when I read their feedback ^,^ Thanks so much, guys :)
Disclaimer: All original Final Fantasy VII characters, places and events are property of Square Enix. This is a work of fandom and not for profit. I doooo own Meia and my own OC's, however. And the plot of this fic...
Chapter 31
The first week of December was, of course, injection week. But locked away in his lab, Hojo was contemplating something. Why wasn't his latest experiment suffering from her usual bout of mako fatigue? The gaunt man shuffled around his office, studying various charts and files.
So far, Meia had followed a distinct pattern; she would always begin to run out of energy leading up to her injection. She was given instructions to report all instances to the infirmary, who of course…informed Hojo. But this time, there was no such report. Not even a hint she was tiring had made its way to the man's ears.
"Perhaps I should give her an extra dose this time…" Hojo muttered under his breath. He called a file to his screen, but it mentioned nothing of mako. Instead, it displayed genetic material, a gene map…and a DNA helix. The man stroked his chin and contemplated something for a while, before nodding to himself.
"No no…I'm good"
"Okay, here's your shirt"
"Thanks, Meia. Good luck…"
Meia gave Genesis a low mocking laugh before peeling her own shirt off and assuming her position on the surgical table. Sephiroth rubbed his eyes and watched her go through Hojo's usual pre-injection checks and questions. But he was puzzled when he retrieved a normal needle before strapping her in for the mako injection…
"What's this?" She asked Hojo, who predictably wasn't happy with her prying,
"Nothing you should be concerned with"
"It's going into my body Hojo, I think I should be concerned…" She replied flatly, even daring to make eye contact with the man. Hojo stared at her a moment, before jabbing the needle into her arm,
"It's to help with your little fits, Meia, satisfied?"
Meia looked away with a small sigh. No, she wasn't. She was being injected with Gaia knows what and told something that was quite probably a lie.
Still, she forgot all this as the next, far more painful, substance was injected into her body. Sephiroth watched her; each time she would take it slightly better, despite last time being given an overdose. This time though, her body absorbed everything. He wondered whether it had anything to do with the lifestream exposure. He was fairly certain the reason she hadn't given in to fatigue this quarter was the exposure. It was like a massive supplement to her body, fuelling it when normally, she would get weaker.
She even kept her legs this time as she stepped from the table. Hojo, as usual, made a quick exit, leaving the SOLDIER's to recover in peace. Sephiroth approached, ready to hand back her shirt,
"Are they getting easier?" He asked when she had recovered enough to speak. Meia nodded and took her top from him,
"Yes, still the most unpleasant thing I've ever had to put up with though" She said thickly, licking her dry lips.
The weeks leading up the winter festival were unusually quiet. The president currently had the Turks scouring the planet for more of the Wutai's hidden bases. Since the island incident, the man had been in a terribly paranoid mood. So much so no one dared report anything unless they were absolutely sure the Wutai was involved. Mainly due to the fact he was very likely to just order in an airstrike, with no thought to the consequences.
So SOLDIER was mainly on standby until something was actually found. Meia continued her current studies, mainly materia usage and learning a new fighting style to incorporate the twin katana's she had grown fond of. And Sephiroth continued his usual routine, ever watchful of Meia's progress.
In the weeks after her injection, she appeared even fiercer than she usually was. He watched her from the control section of the training room. Meia always pushed herself, he knew that. Her personality wouldn't allow her to achieve anything less than what she considered her best. But lately…her speed and agility was improving at an alarming rate. And she didn't appear to be taking what he said to her that night to heart. This frustrated him. What was the reason for the training surge this time?
He watched as she sparred with a ghost of a former first class. It was akin to watching a deadly dancer; she delighted in elegance and took satisfaction from perfectly executed forms. She reacted fast, almost perfectly, and utilised her ferocity to dodge any attack that was sent her way. She had always grew at a fast pace, but Sephiroth always found this worrying. Now, he was downright alarmed.
She paused to change the program and he shook his head in astonishment. She was barely out of breath…He decided to join her and see what she thought of the situation…
"Hello Sir, what can I do for you?" She asked, politely and respectfully. She never addressed him personally unless she was sure no one was listening. As predicted though, Sephiroth sealed the room. Though she wondered; that in itself might begin to arouse suspicion…
"I've been watching you, Meia…"
"I know, I can't be that interesting…you must have something better to do" She remarked jokingly. Sephiroth let out a low chuckle,
"Actually you're intriguing me greatly" He folded his arms and watched her get to work on a higher level ghost, "How are you finding your physical capabilities?"
Meia deftly dodged a flurry of strikes while he asked, not in the least bit distracted, "Wonderful, I thought I was fast before but now…now I feel like taking you on" She said with a laugh. Sephiroth arched a slender eyebrow,
"Oh really…want to try me?" He said slowly, almost tauntingly. His body instinctually rose to the offer. It was the same with all challenges he deemed worthy of his time. He just couldn't say no to a fight he might find interesting…
Hmm…I'll have to be careful that instinct doesn't go too far…
Meia dismissed her training program and looked at him, her head tilted slightly,
"Really? I would be honoured to fight you" She was shocked to hear him accept her half-serious challenge. Though the shock quickly faded to nerves. This was a terrifying idea but…fighting him would be a good test of her abilities.
Meia dismissed the ghost she was fighting and prepared to face her mentor. Predictably, he had taken on his usual aloof stance; his head held high and proud and gazing at her with steady, unblinking eyes,
"Hand to hand, Meia?" He asked, his smooth voice laced with anticipation. She nodded and stood ready. She had no idea how he would start this, or whether he would wait for her to make the first move,
"You're not going to hold back, are you?" She asked him. Sephiroth's lips merely curled into a smirk as he began to circle her,
"Of course I am, don't think so highly of yourself, Meia…remember what I told you?"
"Know my limits…" She repeated his lesson reluctantly. He nodded, before smiling and making a move. He was fast, even when he wasn't trying his best and she was taken totally off guard. Meia just managed to twist out of the way, firmly deflecting his arm with her palm and attempting to counter with a punch to his kidney. She twisted on the spot quickly and prepared to strike…
But he got there first. His speed was terrifying as he deflected her punch, using her momentum against her and she was pulled down to meet his knee. Which he swiftly drew up and thrust into her stomach. As she was pushed away with tremendous force from his leg, she was reminded of the first time they had met. It was still more like fighting a train than a man.
Maybe this wasn't a good idea…
She fell back onto her rear and rolled just in time to avoid another attack. Meia backed away from him. His smug face was taunting her and Meia knew full well he was only playing. She'd be twitching on the ground already if he was serious. But it was still frustrating…She tried to connect another series of strikes, but they were all guarded; His blocks were so solid; they were almost an offence in themselves…
He came at her again and she decided to focus on defence. If she could avoid him, the session wouldn't be a total waste. Meia dodged and wove her way through Sephiroth's attacks and as she became used to them, he increased his speed. Still, she was handling it quite well…
Sephiroth was thinking to himself while he attacked Meia. As he stated, he wasn't trying his hardest. He never did, even with Angeal and Genesis. There was never any need. No one could match his strength and provide him a serious challenge. To train, he fought three holograms of himself, replacing the weakest each time with his new best when he'd finished.
Meia was definitely no exception. But he noticed every time he increased his speed, she kept up with him. And she wasn't tiring…His mind wandered to the small injection Hojo had given her. Had he really found something that could cure her mako fatigue? And boost her performance at the same time? He should be happy but all he could think about was why. Hojo never did anything unless it benefited him in some way; just what was he up to with Meia?
The two of them fought for a good hour and by the end of it, Meia was virtually on a high. He watched her with concern written across his features; this wasn't normal, even for a SOLDIER…She thanked him for the fight and left for the showers, leaving Sephiroth more concerned for her safety than ever…
She breathed in a deep breath as her hair whipped about her face. It was dark. It always was in Midgar…as she looked around, she could see everything. Every sector. Every reactor. Every window in the vast central complex of sector zero. From where she stood, nothing escaped her vision. The fierce glow of the mako exhaust behind her illuminated her figure and she looked down. Far down through the gap between the plates. She could see the slums, they were tiny. Buildings looked like match boxes, people weren't even visible.
The only place higher than the reactor she stood on was the Shinra building…I want to see, I want to be higher…
Meia spread her arms…and fell forwards. The rush of the wind was exhilarating and she didn't panic.
Why should she panic, when she could fly?
In a flurry of black feathers, a magnificent supple wing burst from her left shoulder and she sailed through the air. The thought didn't even occur to her that she only had one. It felt like the most natural thing in the world as she soared gracefully to the top of the man made colossus.
Meia landed on the balcony of the president's office. He wasn't in, no one was. The room was dark. But when Meia looked out, she couldn't see Midgar. The darkness had thickened and blocked her view. This just wasn't fair, she wanted to see. She tried to take flight again, but she couldn't. The wing wouldn't appear…and she felt heavy. Why was this happening all of a sudden?
Meia heard footsteps approaching and she turned to the sound. She opened her mouth to call out, but no sound would come. In front of her, a dark figure slowly emerged from the gloom…
It was Hojo…
Meia jerked awake and sat up on her elbows…Her confusion slowly cleared and she read the display on her clock…03:12…It was a dream?
What…the hell?
Zack had only popped into the training room to have a nose at the programs. He always checked to see if there were any new ones loaded, just in case he got to visit another new, exciting place. But to his delight, Meia was in there training, making the most of the free slot before the Thirds came in for their morning combat training. He decided to watch her for a while…
If Meia was on a high after fighting Sephiroth the previous day, she was practically euphoric now. This morning she had chosen to face a never ending torrent of opponents, all of varying skill levels, class and fighting techniques. She had been fighting now for nearly an hour and still they came. But she was showing no signs of slowing down. And the high she felt was addictive…
This is wonderful…I can see every move, read every muscle…almost as if I know what's going to happen before it does…
A large wave came at her all at once. Almost before thinking, Meia raised her arm and unleashed a ferocious lightning storm. The intensity shocked even her as the power surged through her body, connecting and felling every enemy that was preparing to attack. Meia lowered her arm and felt a twinge of pain in her head, but chose to ignore it,
I am pushing myself, after all…
Zack chose to leave about ten minutes later. He wanted to hit the gym and keep his new routine up,
"Hey Zack, It's good to see you again" A familiar voice addressed him. Zack snapped to attention as Angeal approached, his gruff face softened with a smile,
"Drop the formalities, eh? How is your training going?" The First asked. Zack relaxed and smiled,
"It's tough but…I'm doing well now! I'm working really hard for second" He replied enthusiastically. Angeal nodded,
"Well I won't detain you any longer, keep it up okay?"
Zack grinned and nodded happily before heading off to the lifts. Angeal smiled fondly to himself before heading into the materia room, where he found Sephiroth and Genesis tinkering over the fusion equipment,
"Having fun you two?"
Genesis let out a low growl, "Not entirely" He sighed, "I can't get these two too fuse, when by all rights they should be…"
Angeal took a look at the display over his friend's machine. Despite being an avid magic user, Genesis was less fortunate when it came to actually creating his materia. A problem that frustrated him immensely.
It didn't help that Sephiroth seemed too able to fuse anything together. They had joked once about trying to merge a piece of materia with a plastic cup; the scientists sadly caught them before Sephiroth could give it a go. He was made to swear after that not to put anything into the fusion machines other than materia. Angeal watched him, now he was done helping Genesis,
"What amazing concoction are you formulating today, Seth?" He asked, ignoring the sounds of intense concentration coming from Genesis. Sephiroth made a sound in his throat and bit his bottom lip slightly,
"I think it's possible to fuse all the elements together to make one very powerful piece…I'm still working out the kinks, however…" He muttered, almost to himself as he jotted some notes down on a clipboard. Angeal cocked an eyebrow and wandered over to look. Sure enough, he'd managed to fuse a thunder materia with an earth, and a fire materia with an ice…
"What about water?"
"That's one of the kinks…" Sephiroth replied through a sigh, "Both orbs have an element that is strongly rejecting the water materia…"
A cry of triumph from Genesis distracted both men and he plucked his newly formed toy from the machine in front of him,
"Finally! I'm going to try this out…" He stated, sinking the ball into his arm and exiting the room. The remaining two Firsts watched him leave,
"He's been working on that all morning…" Sephiroth stated quietly.
"And you were too busy to help him?"
"Hmpf, I offered…but he kept saying 'I got this', so I left him too it" The tall man shrugged. Angeal sighed and watched Sephiroth remove his project from the fusion machine, noting a couple of newly formed orbs in a small case. Angeal stepped closer to have a better look,
"Advanced materia? Are these for..?"
"Meia, yes. I made them for her earlier, considering she isn't allowed to fuse her own yet" Sephiroth said casually, carefully placing his experiment in another padded case. He hesitated as he closed the lid,
"I'm worried about her, Angeal…she's…" Sephiroth's eyebrows knitted together in a frown; the subject had been distracting him since he fought her yesterday evening…
"She's…what?" Angeal pried, stepping closer to Sephiroth, knowing full well he was always quiet when talking about something on a personal level,
"She's been training so hard since her last injection…I fought her yesterday, it was as if she was on a drug high…and she hasn't crashed yet…" He said softly, "I tried to tell her to take it easy, but she's not listening…"
Angeal folded his arms, "She's always been a hard worker, Sephiroth, since the very first time we met her. Remember how determined she was, despite only being a Turk back then?"
"I know but…something is different, it's as if she's being pushed by something…and she can't help trying harder and harder for the rush she gets…" Sephiroth clicked his materia case closed softly and shook his head. Angeal though a moment and began to reply, but Genesis entered the room again wearing a look of concern,
"Sephiroth, I think you should come to the training room…"
Sephiroth frowned; He didn't really like being told what he should and shouldn't do…"And why is that?"
"It's Meia…"
Sephiroth sighed irritably, "Genesis you know I can't be seen to rush to her side whenever-"
"She's having a fit, Sephiroth" Genesis replied forcibly, "A serious fit"
Meia knew she was in trouble. That sickening, sobering jolt you felt when you know you had done something wrong…but it was far too late to do anything about it. She assumed the headache was simply due to the amount she had been training the last few weeks. She assumed she was finally starting to tire normally. But she wasn't prepared for what was actually happening to her…
It started when another large wave prepared to strike and she yet again summoned an impressive magical display to use against them. But when she lowered her arm, she felt so feint her footing almost gave way beneath her. All of a sudden, everything was sluggish. Her limbs were heavy and she began to shake uncontrollably.
Then a training hologram connected a blow to her skull, sending the nerve impulses into overdrive. Her head was in agony…
Another blow, to the small of her back.
Meia reeled from the strike…what was happening? She didn't even see them coming, when before she could track the movements of a large group. Another crushing hit was sent into her stomach and she folded like a wet towel, retching some of her stomach contents onto the floor. She was so confused; she couldn't even comprehend trying to stop the simulation.
Someone stopped it for her, however, and Meia now lay on the floor…barely conscious. Heavily lidded eyes stared down her arm at pale fingertips. They felt like they belonged to someone else and she attempted to move them. But it was no use; nothing past a sluggish twitch could be coaxed from them. Even speaking was impossible; her entire body was numb and un-responsive and she was so confused…
Sephiroth swept into the training room and beheld Meia's useless form in the middle of the holographic chamber. He cursed under his breath and moved in to help her; Genesis and Angeal close behind,
"I'll lock the door" Angeal said soberly. Sephiroth crossed the distance quickly and knelt behind her, noticing the violent trembling of her body. Meia was in serious shock…He tried to gain a response but pathetic gurgles were all she could produce. This was bad; he'd never seen a case of fatigue so serious before.
Gently he placed her into a recovery position, not daring to try and move her yet in case she was in pain. But even this caused her great discomfort, and she groaned like a broken child, clawing weakly at the floor with her fingers…
"Meia…why did you do this to yourself" Sephiroth stated helplessly with a small shake of his head. Meia's leg twitched and she whimpered a response. He removed his gloves and carefully stroked the hair away from her face. Her skin was cold and clammy, her eyes dull and half closed. Sephiroth was finding himself assaulted with his usual baffling instincts, and he would act on them if not for being aware he wasn't alone. It was only Angeal and Genesis though, why shouldn't he? But he was also confused again; He was frustrated and angry with her for going against him, but he was also deeply worried about her. Just like in the reactor a year ago…
Before he could do anything to give her any kind of comfort, her breathing became labored. Then it became harder and harder for her to take a breath and she began to panic. But her paralysed body wouldn't respond…Sephiroth's heart was breaking but this was far more serious that he originally thought,
"Call for the medics, now…she's arresting" He instructed his friends.
Meia…Gaia please, keep her safe…
Later that day…
Shinra medical building, 17:48
The three friends waited patiently outside the hospital room, waiting for any news from within. Sephiroth sat hunched, with his head somewhere close to his knees. Meia's heart had stopped shortly after her breathing had worsened and he had to fight to start it again. He performed everything from CPR to healing her with materia until the medics arrived to take over, whisking her away from him and leaving him kneeling on the floor of the training room.
He was terrified.
He knew she was still alive, he could feel the usual peace but he wondered if she would be alright. And try as he might, he couldn't stop himself thinking what if…you could have lost her again…
He sat up and rubbed his face. They had been waiting for hours now and still nothing,
"If you're worried about people suspecting, we can keep an eye on her for you" Genesis asked him gently. Sephiroth scowled at the door of the room,
"No thank you" He replied darkly. At this point, he was beyond caring.
Inside the room
"She's finally stabilised, professor. BP, heart rate and breathing are back to normal levels"
"Hmmm, very good" Hojo mused quietly. He was currently hunched over the Meia's unconscious form, observing her carefully, "I was about to give up and put her on the failure list" He remarked. The other personnel in the room didn't even flinch. Mostly due to the fact they were part of the JENOVA project and were used to Hojo's cold view on life in general. All this woman represented was another experiment.
Albeit an important one.
"So what happened, professor?"
Hojo contemplated a moment, before pulling out a small digital Dictaphone and holding it close to his face;
"It seems Miss LeSait's body was being ravaged by a combination of the JENOVA cells…and the project S DNA" He paused and took her wrist, "Reports show her physical and mental activity has been extremely high since her last mako injection, arguably since she returned with Sephiroth from their long period of absence"
"So this is simply mako fatigue, Sir?"
"Correct, a very severe case. Remember; the fatigue is brought about when the enhanced cells in her body run out of mako to fuel them, causing the SOLDIER's body to collapse with extreme weakness. But here we see her continuous and highly rigorous training has caused her to crash very early…"
"Is it because of the supplement you gave her along with the mako injection?"
"Yes" Hojo paused and smirked, "I must admit, I may have given her a higher dose than I originally intended. The extra DNA from project S caused her capabilities to soar. She experienced a high akin to a drug induced state, but…the amount of fuel required by her modified cells, now fused with both types of DNA, was immense. She has already used up all of her mako reserves…"
A small, collective gasp was uttered by the scientists. Hojo continued his muttering,
"What I don't understand is why she didn't suffer from fatigue at her usual time, before the injection…I assumed her body had simply become used to the amount of Jenova and project S DNA and she wasn't running out of mako as a result. It would seem that's not the case...and now she has a far larger, hungrier, force inside of her. Perhaps larger than her normal, human body, can take. There is a piece of the puzzle missing…" The man trailed off and peered at Meia's face.
"What aren't you telling me, my dear…"
Once Meia's body had been stabilised and supplemented with additional mako shots, she began recovering well. She was discharged a few days later but told to stay in bed for several days, and take it easy with her training.
Once Sephiroth had learned she was going to be ok, he had left the hospital. He could feel some kind of emotional outburst coming and had chosen to avoid the situation in public. Being in a relationship, as he now found himself acknowledging he was, was proving more difficult than he could ever imagine. He was constantly frustrated that he had to remain cold and almost uncaring towards her in public. Not just because he wanted to avoid the science department from prying, but due to his own foolish pride…
My precious public image…
He irritated himself immensely sometimes. More so since meeting Meia, but he wouldn't allow himself to blame her. As Angeal constantly reminded him; even normal people had to work out their highly complex, and often illogical emotions. This wasn't her fault.
Making herself ill was, however.
It had been two days since she collapsed and now Meia was safely in her room resting. Sephiroth took a deep breath as he rode the lift; he had no idea what he was going to say. He was worried that he would lose his temper and say something he would regret. He rubbed his eyes. He'd never been in this position before. Normally, he would say what he wanted to say and not give a damn what people thought of him. The only exceptions being Genesis and Angeal, but with them he knew by now they would forgive him afterwards. Meia was a little different. He hadn't known her as long and the fear of losing her always played strongly on his mind.
The lift pinged to a halt on Meia's floor and he stepped out, the usual gift he brought her held firmly in his hand. He knocked softly and waited for a reply, but none came. He frowned and knocked again. Nothing. What if something was wrong? He let himself in carefully; the door was unlocked, and moved into the main living area.
Meia was in bed unconscious, her unruly shock of ebony hair arranged haphazardly over her pillows. He stepped closer and was relieved to see the rise and fall of her chest. He hadn't seen her since she was collapsed on the floor and her complexion was considerably better. As he sat next to her, his feelings of frustration and anger gradually melted away, replaced with contentment.
And sheer relief that she was okay.
She was quite adorable; appearing to have fallen asleep reading. A book was loosely held in her hand. Her pale yellow top was falling away from her shoulder, exposing creamy bare skin. He found the sight tantalized him, but he sighed and regained his composure. Lusting after someone while they were asleep and oblivious to one's presence didn't seem quite right in his eyes…
Sephiroth's lips curled into a faint smile as he wafted the scent of coffee towards her nostrils with his hand, causing her to stir. Meia blinked heavily and beheld the cup, then shifted her gaze to stare at the bringer of the delicious treat,
"I thought I was dreaming of coffee…what a nice surprise" She murmured through a smile. Sephiroth waited patiently for her to sit up and take the coffee from him, going through her usual sniffing ritual before sipping some,
"I guess I'm in for another bollocking, am I right?" She asked timidly. Sephiroth sighed and looked away,
"That was my initial plan but…your sleeping form dispelled my anger" He looked back at her with a warm smile painted on his face, "How can I be mad at you when I'm just happy you're still alive" He said softly. He was glad, the feeling was overwhelming. The instincts were stronger than ever, he just wished he could act on them. But he daren't, in case he hurt her. Her body was still recovering, after all.
Meia could see he was moved. It was subtle, but defiantly there. Her foolish desire to succeed had almost got her killed. Again…It was sobering to see Sephiroth so worried,
"I learned my lesson…" Meia said quietly, staring as usual at the top of her cup, "I was just so addicted to the feeling of complete euphoria that I got from training like that…" She paused and looked at him, "I should imagine you feel something similar…"
Sephiroth sighed through his nose, "Honestly? Yes…not just from training either…" He shifted his position so facing her was easier, "On the island, you saw what combat does for me. You watched my face as my body drank in the feeling of bliss" He sighed and closed his eyes, "That's another thing; If I was to be angry with you for pushing yourself to experience that feeling, I'd be a hypocrite…wouldn't I…" He trailed off, his eyes drifting to gaze at her hand resting close to his. Meia took another mouthful of coffee and crept her hand towards his pale fingers,
"I saw. I know you try to protect me from it but, I think it's time for you to stop worrying what I'll think of you" She laid her fingers of his gently, causing him to meet her gaze, "I know what you are, Sephiroth, and I know who you are…if any of that scared me, I would have run a mile a long time ago"
Sephiroth smirked, reminded of what he'd said about her mother, "Back at me, huh?" He stated playfully. Meia smiled,
"Yea; I'm not the person you're afraid I am" She squeezed his hand gently. Sephiroth stared at her small fingers upon his and smiled gently. Yet again he was surprised at his reactions. He was worrying in the lift that he would say something in anger, yet here he was perfectly content and placid.
They then addressed Meia's collapse in detail, Sephiroth describing everything that she went through. Both acknowledged yet again that something wasn't right,
"The small injection…I bet that has something to do with it" Meia mused, now sitting up with her legs crossed. Sephiroth sat in front of her with his back to the wall. He acknowledged her and drew his knee up,
"I wish I knew what Hojo was up too. There are so many things I wish I knew…" He said sadly. Meia pursed her lips,
"I can help, you know…" She began quietly. She wasn't sure how he would take what she was about to suggest, "I've seen the systems here, It wouldn't take me much to break into them…"
Sephiroth fixed her with a stern glare, which instantly softened as she gazed back unblinking. There was that automatic reaction again. Inbred loyalty…
"No, Meia. I can't ask you to do that. If you're caught, you'll be severely punished…" He replied eventually, though part of him longed to tell Meia to go ahead. What secrets were being kept in the data banks? Could he learn more about himself, if he could get in? It was tempting, but he was unwilling to risk Meia to do it. He had already suffered enough this month, he wanted to be able to sleep easy again and not stare at his ceiling worrying.
He looked around; something was different…"Meia, is there more room in here?" He asked. Meia chuckled and leant forward,
"It was Angeal. He came by in the morning and tidied up, despite my plea's to leave everything as it was…" She looked up at him, "I've been trying to find my long pink socks all day…"
Sephiroth cracked a smile, and then surprised Meia completely by laughing. A full, happy laugh. She simply stared, awestruck. Normally, he covered his mouth or kept his head bowed, but here he was laughing and smiling like he did it all the time. Her own smile widened and eventually Sephiroth subdued his chuckling,
"The way your staring Meia, you'd think I grew a second head" He smirked at her.
"It's just nice to see you smile, Sephiroth, and laugh…I guess it's a relief for me, considering what I put you through this month" She replied, guilt laced into her voice. Sephiroth rested his hand on her ankle, without his usual hesitation this time,
"You need to take it easy from now on. Your abilities are still impressive, Meia. But the more you excel, the more Hojo takes it as a green light" His thumb circled the protruding bone on her ankle slowly, "Lazard is actually thinking of promoting you to First in spring, along with the other SOLDIER assessments. But you didn't hear that from me…" He told her quietly.
"Really? Wow…"
"Yes really" Sephiroth chuckled and rose, "I'm going to get some food, want anything?"
Meia nodded and made her request, watching after him as he left. She sank back into her pillows and sighed contentedly, closing her eyes and enjoying his lingering scent. She would listen to him this time. This time, she realised, being alive to enjoy Sephiroth's company was a far greater high than training herself into the ground. And if she made First, maybe the mystery surrounding her past could be solved…
Poor Meia, she loves getting beaten up...And Angeal just can't help himself~
Next chapter - Meia is sent on an assignment that she is sure will be the deciding factor for her promotion...worried about her physical limitations, will she pull it off?
Please review if you have a spare few minutes, I enjoy the feedback ^^