Broken Wings - Chapter Forty Five
"You know, this really isn't helping either of you, Seph."
Sephiroth ignored Zack's comment, still stroking Aralyn's pale hand, carefully avoiding the IV.
"Looming over her isn't going to make her better," Zack insisted. "And you don't sleep as often as most and you're still ready to collapse!"
"I'm not leaving."
Zack threw up his hands, wondering why he even tried. "Sephiroth, look. It's a miracle you got out of trouble for going AWOL on the President, and I wouldn't push your luck! Just go back and do a little work, drop by afterward. The doctors are doing all they can."
"I'm not leaving," he repeated, not taking his eyes from Aralyn's form. She was laid out on a steel framed bed, her entire body a sickly pale color. Her body was nearly covered in bandages, red seeping through in some places. She was heavily reliant on the oxygen mask, her breathing slow and labored. Every once in a while, she would moan and toss, but she hadn't opened her eyes as of yet, and it had been three days since the ordeal.
"Not until she wakes," he added softly, moving a strand of her hair from her eyes. Zack had never seen Sephiroth this gentle and sad.
"Well then I'll go and think of some excuse to give to the President…and the Turks…most specifically Reno…"
"You were right."
Zack stopped mid sentence, quite taken aback by the quiet admittance of defeat. "Well gee…thanks." He ruffled the back of his hair in confusion. "But to what do I owe this honor?"
"I can't live without her. If my mistake costs her life…I don't know what I'll do…"
"Hey," Zack interrupted quickly. "She's going to be fine. And as for you leaving her…the very fact that she stayed to wait for you shows that you've been forgiven."
"She shouldn't have stayed."
"Sometimes I swear she's as heard-headed as you. There was no dissuading her; you know that."
"Zack…" Sephiroth paused for a long time, then tore his gaze from Aralyn and looked him sternly and confidently in the eye. It comforted Zack to know that his old commander was still in there somewhere. "I need to go to town today."
"Sure," Zack shrugged, smiling. "But what do you need me to do?"
"I need something to distract Hojo. I don't want the slightest possibility that he'll be laying so much as a finger on her while I'm gone."
Zack grinned, obviously already planning a devious scheme. "Done! Reno and I owe the old buzzard a visit!"
"Thank you. I'll give you clearance to enter the chemical closet, if you should so desire."
"You read my mind!" Zack's smile faded. "By the way, what do you need in town?"
Sephiroth turned back to Aralyn. "Something to ensure that this never happens again." He gently leaned down and stroked her jaw before pulling himself up, his hand still lingering on her cheek. "I'll be back," he whispered to her. He hesitated, then kneeled down at her side again and pressed his lips to her forehead in a gentle kiss. Aralyn seemed to smile underneath the oxygen mask, but she didn't open her eyes.
Tearing himself away from her, he finally followed Zack. "You're not to tell her of that," he said solemnly.
"Whatever you say, General."
A/N: Sappy-sappy-icky-bleh. Sorry if I made anyone vomit. I rather like it, but that's just me.
A few people have expressed that they will be sad when this is over and...I have news. There might be a sequel. The idea has been nagging at me for quite a while but I'm not sure that it fits all the way yet. If I can make it work, you can be assured that Aralyn's story won't be ending for a long time. Things is, I'm afraid it will ruin this and then I'll have a horrible mess and GAH!
I do have another SephOC fic that I might post entitled "What I Couldn't Give". I found it yesterday in the gaping maw of my writing drawer and it just needs a little revamping. Slightly longer than a oneshot...like a threeshot or something. Anyone interested?