It's sad, I had to reread this story in order to remember what was going on. School is keeping me really busy.

Aeris slept on, oblivious to the waking world around her. Only the singsong of different birds and the occasional rustling of branches among the tall pines seeped through her half-awake mind. With the waking world around her, she was able to conclude that morning had come. Aeris kept her eyes closed as she rolled onto her back, choosing to enjoy the nature around her through her other senses. Her exposed skin could feel the crisp breeze as it swished calmly by. The slight tickling eventually made her smile.

Finally a yawn escaped her and she had no choice but to finally sit up and admit that sleep time was over. Aeris fully stretched and yawned to her heart's content. She didn't even have to look to know that the fire had gone out hours before, its warmth no longer needed. But it was the absence of Sephiroth that truly got her attention. However the young woman almost immediately dismissed it thinking that he was off probably hunting or gathering berries or something. That latter thought made her giggle at how funny that would look.

So while she waited for him to come back, Aeris busied herself with the mundane task of cleaning up around their encampment. There wasn't much to do except making sure nothing of theirs was left behind. As she walked around, she saw that Sephiroth was actually the one who had forgotten something: Masamune. Rapidly she connected the dots and they weren't painting a pretty picture. Sephiroth would never go anywhere without his prized possession… ever. She had yet to see him without it. And so her earlier assumptions about him going away hunting, unless he was doing it with his bare hands, were wrong.

A sinking feeling began to form in the pit of her stomach. Something had happened while she slept, of that she was now sure. Without a second thought, Aeris sprang forward, running blindly through the trees and high vegetation. She didn't stop not caring that she was going blindly and yelling his name hoping for a response. She was more worried that in her frantic state she would run right past him than of someone or something finding her first.

The ruckus she was causing however actually woke up Sephiroth from his deep slumber. At first he was lost as to where he was but last night's events came quickly to his sharp mind and he knew he had succumbed to sleep in the end. It angered him that he had allowed it to happen but he knew that considering the facts, he maybe couldn't have done anything about it at the time. Keeping quiet, Sephiroth raised himself from the ground and wiped his coat clean of the dirt and grass.

Sephiroth's eyes scanned the area to see if he could spot the running Cetra anywhere. He should probably find Aeris and tell her to calm down before she woke up the entire continent. Carefully he picked up the bag with the remaining vials thankful that he hadn't broken any. In the end these were going to prove to be very valuable to him.

One of the first things he noticed was how the pain had completely vanished. It was as if nothing at all had happened last night. He was impressed, albeit grudgingly. Sephiroth would never underestimate Nanaki's medicine again.

Focusing on the ruckus the small woman was causing, Sephiroth determined Aeris was somewhere on his left so he chose to walk towards that direction. She'd probably trip over him eventually which she did soon enough. It was his silver hair among the green colors that grabbed her attention and Aeris knew without a shadow of a doubt it was him. Relief flooded her and she couldn't help but smile now that she had found him.

She caught up to him quickly and didn't waste any time in asking where he had been.

"I woke up early and went for a walk," his voice rumbled.

"Uh huh," she raised an eyebrow as she crossed her arms. "So what's with the branches in your hair?"

Sephiroth chose not dignify her question by running his fingers through his mane to make sure she wasn't lying although it was tempting.

"We are in a forest Aeris and I slept on the ground, just like you," he answered simply as he abruptly reached out and gently removed a stick from Aeris' own hair. He showed it to her, the barest of smiles crossing his lips as he watched her blush in embarrassment.

"Right," she mumbled. "Well I'm all packed and ready to go. I was just waiting for you."

He merely nodded in turn as he set off towards their campsite just to make sure if indeed all had been taken care of. To his delightful surprise, he was impressed with the way Aeris had gotten rid of the more obvious signs of their being here. The logs that hadn't fully burnt had been discarded and the ashes spread out across the soil. It wasn't perfect but it was going to have to be sufficient.

He watched as Aeris retrieved her bag and he meanwhile picked up Masamune. He concealed his astonishment well at finding his weapon had been here the entire night while he hadn't. In his haste to put some distance between him and the sleeping Cetra, he had forgotten his precious katana. He couldn't help but feel a little sliver of fear at the pain that had blinded him so from his usual thinking.

Strapping it to his waist, he set out without hesitation in the direction they needed to go which was the nearest possible port. Aeris followed him without any doubt. She didn't realize that she was doing so or even when she had begun to trust his lead so much, but she did now.

The hike towards Costa Del Sol was once more done in silence but this time Aeris couldn't take it. She was going to get a conversation started even if it earned her a few menacing glares. It was a price she was willing to pay.

"So," she began casually. "What's the plan once we get to Midgar?"

"Very straightforward," Sephiroth answered, his eyes busy scanning the horizon for any signs of a port. He knew they were getting close to Costa Del Sol. He would almost smell the salt in the air. "I kill Abaddon."

Aeris rolled her eyes at his answer. Even she knew that was what needed to be done. "But what am I to do in all this?"

"I have no idea," he replied casually. "You were never part of my plan. It was always the Planet's insistence that your presence was required."

Aeris quickened her steps to be walking right next to him. "Really, what did she say about me?"

Sephiroth wasn't about to tell her the Planet had told him Aeris would be the one to set him free because it wasn't something he wished to discuss with the Cetra. So he lied.

"The Planet didn't mention the specifics to me." He was saved from explaining further when Aeris pointed to something in the distance. It was the town of Costa Del Sol again and with Aeris having fake papers now, it would be simpler to enter and exit any town. Taking a ship across the sea was going to be time consuming but it was better than taking the chance that he might not be strong enough anymore to fly them over. He couldn't risk Aeris knowing what had happened to him nor could he risk them both drowning even though he couldn't technically drown.

"We will book a passage to Junon via a passenger ship. We can buy necessary items as well as take the final few days to truly rest," he said. "That and I remember you trying to choke me the last time we flew."

Aeris immediately blushed at the memory. But not because of her acting the way she did, but because it brought back the feeling of being very closely pressed to him. At the time she didn't enjoy it but in retrospect, it wasn't a totally unpleasant experience. Sephiroth noticed her glazed look and immediately snapped his fingers in front of her nose to gain her attention. Aeris came back to reality and blushed a little deeper red but she was thankful he couldn't guess why.

The ship was at full capacity with every compartment occupied which meant a total of 60 people were on board, not including the crew. Sephiroth got a good amount of stares and a few lustful glances but he didn't care as he passed by them all. As long as no one recognized him as the great General Sephiroth, he was fine. Aeris looking like she did didn't attract any unwanted attention. They had to share a cabin together since each could accommodate two people. It was better that they be together than separated and sharing a room with strangers should the Seraphim be on board.

The ship seemed to be in better condition than the one she had previously been on during her trip to Palon. This one was made completely out of metal which as Sephiroth explained to her meant it was also faster than the previous patched up ship so they would be in Junon by 3 days. The cabin itself wasn't that big, but Aeris deemed it cozy enough.

"Cozy?" Sephiroth echoed in disbelief as he dumped their stuff on the nearest bed. "I've had betterlodgings during the war with Wutai and that was at least twice this size. This is minuscule."

"Well it's going to have to do General Sephiroth," Aeris said dramatically as she got to work on making sure her bed was comfortable by lying on it. The twin beds were next to each other and separated by a small bedside table between them. The identical green covers were neatly folded and the pillows were well fluffed.

"This is going to do wonderfully," she purred as she stretched her lithe body on the somewhat bumpy mattress. After sleeping on solid ground, any mattress seemed like a luxury.

Aeris took the left side and Sephiroth the right. They didn't really care who got which bed because they were identical. After an employee knocked on their door to verify their tickets and papers, they were left alone until the ship departed Costa Del Sol.

The ride was smooth with nothing eventful happening. Evening came at last and the two without much conversation went to bed, awkwardly at first. This was the first time they were sleeping in a confined space together even if it was in separate beds. This time it felt more intimate than the previous times when they just slept around a campfire. Here they didn't have the wide space of the wild to distance them. However they chose not to address this and forced themselves to sleep.

Sephiroth awoke later sometime in the middle of the night not really knowing what had woken him up in the first place. However he soon figured it out because from the small, circular window appeared violent lightning flashes occasionally followed by distant rumbling. Big waves splashed against the ship's hull accompanied by vicious raindrops adding to the cacophony. Turning around to check if Aeris was ok, he saw that her bed was empty.

Quickly, he jumped out of his own bed to see if she wasn't somewhere in their cabin. It didn't take long to search through it to realize she wasn't here. Running his hand through his hair, he worried that something had happened to her. With his usual senses dulled by the poison coursing through his body, Sephiroth wouldn't be surprised if he had slept through it, whatever it was. Before going to sleep, he had taken the serum as a precaution even though he didn't feel an attack coming on.

As he was about to wrench open the door to begin tearing apart the ship piece by piece, Aeris came in and practically bumped into his broad and clotheless chest. The glass of water she had been holding splashed some of its contents onto Sephiroth as well as onto her nightgown.

Immediately she started apologizing not letting Sephiroth get a word in as she automatically started wiping the water off of his chest. She didn't realize what she was doing because if she had, her embarrassment would have known no limit.

"Aeris."

She didn't seem to hear as another rumble of thunder roared far off in the distance. He was about to yell her name again when suddenly the ship was hit by a strong wave which sent Aeris and Sephiroth flying across the small room. They were thrown onto the floor with Aeris hitting the ground first, quickly followed by Sephiroth on top of her. Luckily he was quick enough to stop himself from crushing the small woman by halting his body by hitting the floor with his hands. He managed to hover mere inches over her, the position not strenuous in the least for him. Aeris noticed how he avoided hurting her but right then she couldn't take her eyes off him. Outside the lightning still roared basking the room in pure white light for a few seconds each time.

Aeris couldn't help but be mesmerized by the way it lightened Sephiroth's hair, making it look even more beautiful then before. Sephiroth hadn't dared to move a muscle as he watched Aeris intensely observing him. He had never seen her look at anything this way, least of all him. His breath had sped up slightly in response but he didn't even notice his own body's reaction. Sephiroth was totally captivated by the look in Aeris's eyes. The thunder and lightning brutally rocking the ship outside was all but forgotten by them.

Without hesitation, she reached out a slender hand and wrapped a strand of his platinum hair around her finger. She smiled slightly at the coolness of his hair on her skin. Her hand continued exploring strand after strand, each movement voraciously observed by Sephiroth. Her hand was getting closer and closer to his face but instead of being alarmed, Sephiroth found himself anticipating those slim digits touching his skin. Before she could do so, the ship shook again and this time the pair rolled off to the side by the force of it, hitting the wall on the opposite side of the cabin.

Sephiroth this time found himself under the small form of Aeris but neither seemed to care as each was captivated by the other. Aeris's light weight on Sephiroth didn't bother him because it was so slight. She didn't try to get off of him as he mimicked her previous action and started to wrap his fingers within her hair, working his way to her scalp. Aeris's breath hitched in her throat as she felt his fingers touch her skin. Another flash of lightning illuminated the room, but neither noticed. Aeris kept her hands resting on his shoulders and she fully enjoyed the sensation of his strong muscles under her.

He didn't know what was going on but he didn't feel like breaking this spell. Sephiroth couldn't begin to describe what was happening. Aeris to him at that moment was the most beautiful being he had ever seen. Her skin seemed like white silk in the darkness and he didn't waste time in touching her cheek. Aeris's eyes never left his as he gently caressed her face. Finally their lips drew closer of their own will, each breathing in the other's breath. Just as they were about to kiss, a loud banging on their door shook them out of the trance as they bolted upright and away from each other.

"What is it?" Sephiroth barked loudly, more so than usual.

"The captain wants to make sure all the passengers are safe and sound, sir. Sorry for the disturbance. Have a good night, sir." With that the employee hastily left to inquire about the next room.

Left alone, Aeris and Sephiroth looked at each other, none knowing what to do now. They were both replaying the near kiss in their minds and weren't sure if they were more relieved or disappointed that it hadn't happened. It was Sephiroth who in the end solved their problem by yawning.

Aeris couldn't suppress her giggle although it sounded a bit breathless. "I guess it is late and we need our sleep."

"Agreed. Good night," Sephiroth said awkwardly as he climbed back into his bed and turned away from Aeris.

However that wasn't lost on Aeris. She wondered if things were going to get worse between them because of what almost happened. Her eyes glanced at Sephiroth's immobile back wondering if he truly was asleep or if he was faking it to avoid talking to her and discussing the near kiss. Her heart had still to recover from its frantic beat. What was happening between them? It scared her to a point but what frightened her more were the emotions that were beyond the fear and those were excitement, anticipation and regret. Regret that he hadn't kissed her? Aeris gulped as the realization that she wanted Sephiroth to kiss her became clear.

All these days spent with him almost all the time was taking its toll on her. However she didn't want to think about her feelings too deeply tonight because that road held too much thinking and she was tired. That and she remembered that they were stuck on this vessel with each other for three more days. Tucking herself under the covers, she stared at the ceiling for a while before she finally fell asleep. That night, she dreamt of liquid, glowing eyes and the sound of rain.

If anyone is still reading, reviews?