(the first chapter was in present tense, but all the others will be in past tense)

CHAPTER TWO

Deep Inside I'm Not as Tough as I Seem, But I Won't Let You Know.

Today was so strange!

Never before had I ever gone to sleep and awoken filled with such purpose. I had a reason to live now.

I took Sephiroth into my room and cleaned him of the blood and dirt before bandaging him, drying him, and everything else I had to. By the time I was finished I fell asleep on the floor, exhausted.

But I awoke in the morning with newfound purpose. I had a reason to breathe in the morning. Happily skipping down the hall, I remembered that today would be the day I would clean Sephiroth's hair of the blood, sweat, and dirt. But after breakfast.

It was a sunny, yet dreary Friday as I ran barefoot in the cold air and retrieved the mail.

After being honorably discharged from the marines, I have floated through life relying on the monthly checks from the military to live. Literally, I live paycheck to paycheck, receiving little from the novels I write. Yes, I am a novelist, but not a great one.

But I set the payment aside with the bills in the dining room. Quickly, I eat a bagel and a vitamin before running upstairs to tackle today's work.

I loaded a tub with water and soap, grabbed some towels and some rags, and entered my room.

There he was my sleeping angel. My breath paused as I looked at him there, lying in the bed. How could anyone want to hurt such a beautiful being? What could he have done? Even as I think this, there is a sense of intimidation in me; Sephiroth did frighten me.

But he was a beautiful angel when he slept.

Moving in, I placed the bucket beside the bed. For me to clean his blood soaked hair, I would have to sit behind him. So, gently, I took his silken hair into my hands, and tried to lift his head into my lap as I sat. It worked, and I brushed all of his hair to the side of the bed.

He was so beautiful. I wanted to get close to his lips and feel his breath on my cheek. But I controlled myself. Instead, I wet a rag and began stroking his hair.

It was relaxing for me, and I think it was for him, too. He relaxed much more once I began caressing his hair. Slowly his tainted red hair became silver again, smooth to the touch. I gently dried it, and brushed it, until he was finally clean.

With a sigh, I removed his head from my lap, stood, and changed his dressings.

It was already noon by the time I finished and I was depressed at the thought. I enjoyed his silent company. So, I sat myself down on a window sill and watched him.

He was so beautiful…

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Late in the evening, I changed his bandages once again. I had spent all the afternoon working on my novel. It was coming along, but it felt so tasteless and dry. I actually felt sick just thinking about it.

Once I finished, I yawned, and tiredly climbed into the other side of the bed. Leaning beside him, I let my eyes shut.

I did not fall asleep immediately. The heat from his body kept me warm, and his breathing was steady and soon I fell asleep…

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I was dreaming. Everything floated and shifted with light and dark, dark and light. Twisting realities and slumbering thoughts coexisting with nightmares and homicides. It wasn't often I dreamed. And I soon realized it wasn't me who was dreaming.

Sephiroth was standing in front of me. A gut feeling told me it was his dream, not mine.

Why?

I heard his voice for the first time. Husky, deep, thick and strong. He seemed so sad.

Mother, why? Please don't leave me!

Sephiroth fell to his knees, sobbing. Instinctively I sobbed too; I didn't understand my connection with him. Suddenly, his pain was mine, my body and mind bogged down and shaking and electrified with pain. Desperately, I raced to Sephiroth to comfort him, as his anguished cries elevated above and beyond my dream…

My eyes snapped open. Sephiroth was beside me, his voice raised in agony, kicking and screaming as if he'd been stung all over by bees. The poor soul was tearing his wounds open wide, and frantically I gasped and swept over to him, doing all that I could; flinging my body over his, I tried to restrain him as his blood soaked me and his screams killed my eardrums.

He kicked my ribs, and my lord, he was strong. I heard something crack.

"Sephiroth please! I'm here for you, please be okay!"

I struggled to get a hold around his arms, and I don't think I could've if he hadn't been so weakened. Cradling him, I pressed my neck against his forehead, so that he would have a shoulder to cry on. As I murmured to him and tried to soothe him best I could, Sephiroth slowly awoke from his nightmare.

"Sephiroth, please be okay!" I was desperate, sobbing in worry. I didn't notice his screams end, I was so frightened. Sephiroth was breathing heavily on my neck. I realized he was awake and bleeding badly.

"No! Lie down, I'll fix it, I promise!" Scrambling for my medical supplies, I rushed to him. Sephiroth looked dazed, confused, and in pain, just like he was waking from a nightmare, which he was. Before I could tend him, he took firm hold of my wrist.

"You" he murmured, tired and questioning. I was lost in his wonderful eyes; they were brilliant green and cat like as I'd never seen before. Gasping for air, I barely hear Sephiroth's mutters. "You are the one he spoke of?"

I woke back up. "Who?" Sephiroth glowered.

"… Zack."

I remembered Zack all too well. But Sephiroth's wounds were more important. I gave him a pleading look.

"Please, you're hurt." Sephiroth gave me a strange look.

To my surprise, he silently lied back down and let me tend to him.

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Finally he was awake. My heart burst with joy and wonderment; to not be alone, to be needed! To have another life coexist with your own! Is this what fulfillment and contentment feel like?

I haven't spoken to him since my first time doing so. I miss his wonderful voice. Yet, I am content.

I have never felt so real! I have a reason to breathe, something to accomplish, a mission to stick to. Someone who needs me; though I can tell Sephiroth is not the type to say he needs anyone. Who knew being needed could feel so powerful? My legs are shaking, but I feel like I could fly.

That's how my days were. I procrastinated on my writing more and found myself lazing about taking care of Sephiroth instead. I was doing things I didn't know had to be done; dusting, cleaning out the attic, shelving books I never got to reshelf after reading. My house has been a mess forever, I realized, I just never paid attention to it. Thanks to Sephiroth, I actually had a decent house, for once.

Whenever I entered Sephiroth's room, (which was really mine) he would always stare at me, never leaving me with his eyes.

A week passed in beautiful silence.

Silently, I took a tray of food into the bedroom where Sephiroth lay sprawled, deeply thinking silently through every noon and midnight and day. After aiding Sephiroth in sitting up, I handed the tray to him.

His eyes were downcast today, sullen, which I knew meant he was thinking again. I had already decided he thought too much. Those green eyes of his were always full of contemplations and thoughts, as if it were his duty to solve all the mysteries of life.

"Where am I?"

The question came out of the blue and shocked me, and to tell the truth, I didn't know the answer. Could I say, you're in a hick town in Georgia? Or, the United States? Planet earth? What could I say?

Unsure of how to answer, I stumbled upon my words. Sephiroth gazed out the window, seemingly far away. I wonder if he was looking to the sky as if it would tell him were home was. The first star on the right? I laughed at myself.

"This is the Orphanage, isn't it?"

His words snapped me out of my daydreams. I wasn't sure what he meant. It sounded… beautiful; important. The word; "The Orphanage". Like, in a movie, like, Harry Potter; "Hogwarts". It's just one of those mystical words that means so much and represents something so much greater than all of us. What was the Orphanage?

"What do you mean, Sephiroth?" It felt so nice, murmuring his name.

Sephiroth was already finished down with his lunch; he must've wolfed it down, and there wasn't a crumb on him. Adjusting, he gently set his feet on the floor.

"Zack told me there was a place for us. For people who have absolutely no where else to go, but Hell. He called it the Orphanage."

I swallowed and let out the breath I'd been holding.

The Orphanage…

"And I am…?" I moved to Sephiroth's side as he attempted to stand. With a groan, the man stood on his feet and I moved to help him. He gave me that look, that warning glare to back off, but I refused to listen to his beautiful eyes. Putting my left arm around his back, the two of us began walking, slowly, steadily.

"I'm not the only one." He murmured the words as if there were curses. "Others will come."

I wasn't sure what he meant, and I wasn't sure I minded. Directing Sephiroth downstairs, I figured fresh air would do him good. Others… people sounded fresh and exciting. Heaven help me, I've had enough bland grayness in my life.

He still hadn't answered my question.

Sephiroth was so strong and cold. His gaze shook me to the core if only because I knew he could read me, as if he knew my every thought. This weird… attachment I had to him was strange; I was as if whenever he looked at me, he knew me, more and more, each time. Did he have psycho powers? I mean, psychic. I laughed.

"I don't know about more people coming, but if others come" I smiled up at the tall man. "I will take care of them."

Sephiroth scowled. "I do not need taken care of."

Laughing quietly, I arrived at the bottom of the stars with him. "No, I don't think you do. But maybe I do – would you take care of me?"

Giving me an incredulous look, Sephiroth frowned. "I care for no one."

My eyes fell upon the warm sunlight the light that tickles the skin and warms the soul. So blinding to look at directly, so soft when reflected upon you. Such a strong, strange beauty.

"Maybe I'm an orphan too. That's what I am; not a caretaker, or something. So, I guess we orphans will have to take care of each other. The two of us, and whoever follows after us, I guess we'll look after one another."

Sephiroth didn't soften, but I could tell he was thinking. That was just like him. I felt like I knew him… somehow…

Maybe I was getting to be able to read him, too.

My free hand reached for the silver door knob. Light streamed through the opening door. I think Sephiroth made a sound. It might've been a groan or murmur of discontent, but I want to hope that perhaps it was a tranquil sigh. I hope so.

"Come on, I think a little Georgia sun will do you good."

Momma, I'm falling for an angel

A lot of people think he's a monster, but I know better

He's really beautiful,

Momma

He taught me how to fly