Author note: Oh guys, it's been a week! Luckily this lovely fic helps me unwind. Five points if you know what movie is being referenced in this chapter, lol. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter start
I wasn't opposed to abandoning plans to suit other wants, and or desires. Last night Sephiroth had carried me carefully up the stairs, followed by our friends. Aerith with her perpetual giggling, Angeal's warm chuckle. Genesis with his blunt yet playful jabs and Zach's grumbling.
Once he'd entered the room, I waited for him to drop my languid form to the floor. Then I changed my mind. His hands were lingering around my waist, although he wouldn't meet my gaze. Head tilted, I kept my own arms locked around his neck.
"Miss me?" I hummed slightly, fingers idly slipping through the silk of his hair. Absolutely not fair, his hair. Ha… where mine would tangle and frizz given half an opportunity, the silver locks defied any attempt to muss it more than a few strands here and there. Every now and then.
Aerith slipped from Angeal, humming herself as she observed the scene. We exchanged a look, my grin much more languid and peaceful than her gleeful and evil one.
She ushered the other three SOLDIERS into the opened doorway, ignoring their confused noises. Then she merrily tugged the blankets and sheets from the first bed she'd reached, bundling them up into her arms.
"What on earth are you doing," Genesis asked curiously. He'd taken to leaning against Angeal, who was watching Aerith work diligently. She had dumped the first load of bedding to the ground, rummaging them around.
She giggled, before she stood upright again. She pointed to Zach, who grinned at her automatically. Sap. "I'm not finished with any of you yet. We're gonna have a sleep over!"
Zach had, predictably, been all for it. He certainly wasn't helping his image, if he wanted to one day shed his persona as a puppy to any of us. If he'd had a tail, it would have been wagging, eyes sparkling in excitement. Angeal had barely sighed a surrender before he'd swung the door open, scurrying to collect the bedding from the other two rooms as well. Angeal has sighed tiredly, as he'd left the keys to the other rooms. And had also, in his haste, left an obvious indentation into the wooden wall from the brass knob. One hundred percent, he was going to have to fix that.
"You know, this is the absolute worst way to get beauty sleep," Genesis huffed. Aerith merely stared at him, until he turned away, setting about shoving the coffee table against the wall, also yanking the couch cushions onto the floor.
"Well? You're okay with this, right?" I released my grip from his neck, feeling my body sag for a moment as gravity did its job. He finally let me slide to the floor, finally meeting my gaze.
Sometimes, I wondered what went through his brain. And not in a what will I do if he goes berserk way. More in a genuine curiosity, wanting to know how much of our needling he enjoyed versus what he tolerated. At this point, I didn't understand the deeper things he kept hidden. But what I could, well… indulgent of ones whims was the easiest way to explain things.
He glanced around the room, watching quietly while Aerith stripped anything that she considered soft enough to be bedding from everywhere. Zach and Angeal came back as well, and were settling things around as well.
"If we're going to be huddling up for warmth conservation, we simply must have something warmer than hot chocolate!" Genesis suddenly cried, hurling the comforter he'd been fiddling with over Zach, who whined. "Ah, and movies!"
"Genesis, here the legal age is twenty-one. Only us three would be able to drink." Angeal bonked him on the head with a pillow.
"Yes, here, in the middle of nowhere," Genesis waved him off. "We all know those two aren't strangers to alcohol."
He pointed at Aerith and myself in turn. Aerith glanced away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Me neither. Never have I ever drank." I leaned into Sephiroth, who snorted.
"I suppose it was some other duo we found in some random bar in Wall Market." He moved away from me finally, accepting a bottle from Genesis.
There had been a time or two, or more, that Aerith and I had wandered into random sectors, most notable of them being Wall Market. The whole, nobody said no to a Shinra thing was completely true, and we took advantage of that.
We had gotten completely smashed once there, our Turk being completely unable to deal with us. Sephiroth had been called in the middle of the night, and Angeal had accompanied, mainly to lecture us. He'd lectured us again about safety, and knowing ones limits, along with other Angeal tidbits while we nursed our hang overs.
Sephiroth had taken it in stride, never one to limit freedoms. He valued his far too much to limit ours, merely adapting for easier protection. Even he'd been vexed noticeably when Genesis and Zach started accompanying us on our explorations into drinking.
"Totally was," I agreed easily. I accepted the bottle Zach handed me, settling myself onto the fluffy mess they'd created. I patted a spot next to me until he relented and settled as well, Aerith curling into his other side naturally. Zach of course folded beside her, while I ended up with Genesis on my other side, already curling up next to Angeal.
"This better not be Loveless," Angeal commented, fiddling with the remote.
"Forever doomed I am, to being the only one with taste in this relationship." Genesis commented. "However, no. The pitiful collection didn't have the true gem among it."
"So, what did we end up with?" I suppressed a yawn, tugging a sheet up and spreading it over both Sephiroth and I. He smiled his thanks, both of us knowing he barely felt temperature. None of the SOLDIERS did, regardless of their class. Another thing I was jealous of.
"Some dragon movie," he said indifferently.
Needless to say, I had no idea how the movie ended, and didn't particularly care to watch the rest. It had started off with a girl getting married, and being kidnapped instead by the dragon. Who could look human, or was a human cursed, or some such thing.
Aerith and Genesis were completely and utterly hooked. One or the other were quick on shushing the rest of us up whenever we dared do more than yawn. Warmth burned from my right, Genesis a flame of it even when just casually reclining against a couch. Despite that, my form felt far more comfortable curling to the left, his arm a heavy yet welcome weight along my waist and hip. The steady beat of a heart echoed into my ear, breath stirring my hair faintly.
I wasn't one to enjoy a pile up usually. Yet, seeing the relaxation on all their faces was worth it. Not that I'd admit it out loud.
Aerith had swung her legs over Zach's lap, her head also cushioned against Sephiroth, her small hand tugging his arm around her as well, playing with his gloved fingers idly while she watched. It was the last tangible image I could recall that night, before a blanket of sleep covered me beautifully.
There was a distinct lack of birds chirping or anything gentle the next morning. Instead, the sound of what I assumed was a snowball hitting the window woke me up the next morning. It was followed by prompt giggling, the joyful calls of a gaggle of kids playing outside running away. Damn, right they should run. I groaned tired protest, spitting out strands of my messy hair, curling automatically tighter into delicious warmth.
When I felt the mass I was huddled against rise and fall rhythmically, I blinked. Somehow, Sephiroth was still fast asleep beneath me, arm wrapped casually beneath a pillow. Clicking my teeth I yawned, smiling faintly. His eye lashes were long, longer than mine. Still, his peaceful face in sleep, deep slumber that was rare for him, I knew Aerith had the right impulse.
The Ancient had shifted downwards in her sleep, face smashed into his thigh, hands gripping her improvised pillow. She'd somehow ended up with her body over Zach's, while he was folded over, snoring loudly. If only I could get a camera, I'd have blackmail for weeks. Or…
Maybe not, considering I now registered that Genesis had turned me into a pillow as well, head draped into my shoulder and pressing all along my back. His arms were woven through, tugging my body to him slightly, while Angeal had actually managed to reach over both of us to rest a hand against Sephiroth's rib cage. What a dog pile we made. Maybe next time, I'd try to settle on the outside of the pile.
As I woke more up, I registered things. Sunlight was filtering through the curtains, shooting light against the table Genesis had moved through. The movie we'd started last night had rolled off, opening credits playing again. It amused me to no end, sometimes. In many ways this world had things similar to what my old world had. It did tickle me, when comparisons could be drawn. This world's movies were similar to the Era of DVDS and BLU RAY, making me wonder when the digital Era would happen. Never, probably considering.
Humming, I set about gently disentangling myself from the confusing knot I'd ended up in. Genesis groaned when he rolled away, and Angeal grunted when the red-haired man glued to him, pressing him down onto his back. Mentally, I chuckled. Even in sleep, Angeal accommodated Genesis. Perfect couple goals.
Before I could push onto my legs, a hand grasped my wrist, tight. The fingers of my other hand fluttered, until I forced them lax. Resisted the urge to grab the hand wrapped far too tightly around the thin wrist. I kept my voice soft.
"Sephy, it's me."
No matter how comfortable he could be around us, some instincts were hard wired into his DNA at this point. His eyes had opened, narrowed as he quickly discarded the tiredness from his brain. I admired those lashes again, as they curve with the narrowing of his eyes, and then returned to his usual neutral position. His hand unraveled from my wrist, cradling his arm to his chest.
My wrist ached, and the skin was red from the pressure exerted. Again, I resisted the urge to flex the pressure away, or rub at it. He would see, and his eyes were already focused on the skin there. Cavalier was the best option, literally, considering a potion or cure would solve any potential bruise. His instincts would never be hated by me. Those instincts kept him alive in too many ways.
I chuckled lightly, and, probably taking my life into my hands, wagged my fingers once in his face. When he glanced from my wrist to me, I couldn't resist.
"Boop." My finger couldn't retreat quick enough, grabbed in his hand so much gentler than when he'd woken up suddenly. His face was questioning my sanity. After all, who on this planet would ever dare to playfully poke any part of him? Except, of course, for the people in this room.
"Gotta pee," I told him honestly. "Then wanna take a walk? Grab some breakfy for these ingrates?"
He sighed, eyes already at half mast again. Most likely I'd dozed first, followed by Zach. Goddess knew Aerith wouldn't go to sleep until the ending credits, with how vested she'd been. And the three FIRSTS slept less in general usually, and if the collection of bottles indicated anything, they'd drank well into the night. Good thing it was so damn hard for any SOLDIER to get drunk. Drunk Genesis sounded terrifying to deal with. I'd pass.
"Go back to sleep," I cooed. "I'll just settle for some hot chocolate for now."
He let me get up, helping my balance over Aerith and Zach before he settled back down. Aerith flipped, her hand slapping at his chest, curling into the material there. I watched his muscles tense then release, grabbing my boots and coat before I closed the bathroom door softly.
Humming, oddly enough music from the game I recalled, I finished my business with nature, and then spun the knobs to the shower. The sounds of the water pattering against the tiles filled the small room. To mask the fact there wasn't a body in there for the water to bounce off of I tossed a towel over the head slightly so the water fell in a different pattern, knowing the four SOLDIERS out there could probably discern those sorts of things.
I hopped onto the counter, lethargically brushing through my hair. Counting minutes in my head, fingers splitting the hair into three even pieces, folding it together into a braid. Once that was done, I tugged the supple leather boots into place, tying the strings around thighs. Slipping into the coat, tugging gloves on.
Really, the bathroom was basic for a supposed 'luxury suite'. A beautiful but old claw foot tub with a shower attachment, the toilet porcelain and stain free. The sink was large, and I supposed the mirror was antique. The counter had enough space to hop on to, and a corner cabinet held all the complimentary toiletries such as towels and shampoo, soap. The curtains were thick between my fingers, cotton, as I pushed them aside.
It was annoyingly hard to shove the window open. The cold rushed in, forcing my eyes to blink as actual snow drifted in. The drops melted as they touched my warm skin. Ignoring the chill, I heaved until my upper body was out. The drop would be bad, but the heavy snow looked decent in cushioning any falls. Slips, though…
I slid to the tiled floor, huffing. "I'm way too delicate for this kind of work."
Without thought, I grabbed the soaking wet towel, wringing the water from it, before I hurled it out the window. Then I closed it, brushing the curtain back into place, before I shut the water off. There would have to be plan B. Plan A, was an absolutely no way.
Quietly, I slipped back through the door and glanced over the pile of human limbs. Beyond some slight shuffling to cover the hole I'd created, they all seemed to be deeply sleeping still. Well, it wasn't tricky and slick like a Turk but, beggars couldn't be choosers. Luckily, these boots weren't my usual heeled footwear. As quietly as possible, knowing the slightest noise would give me away, I tiptoed to the main door.
Hissing a breath, carefully I slipped between the smallest possible opening, the door squealing. My body froze, heart pounding in my ears. Still, I slid it closed the rest of the way, before trotting down the hall. I kept an ear out, waiting to hear the door swing back open, for one of them to stop me. Relief didn't come until I was down the stairs, collecting a to go cup of hot chocolate.
The snow was deep. That was the first thought that hit, when I left the inn. The second was that the scenery could look pretty, on a postcard. In reality, annoyance for the cold and slush around was already bubbling.
Kids were all around, giggling and cavorting, all bundled up in coats and hats. Adults went about their business swiftly, used to the cold, yet not finding it as alluring as their youthful townspeople.
It would have been scenic, rustic and well-worn buildings all around. Multiple inns around, but also the usual stores. The small town was only slightly bigger than Nibelheim, and in much better condition. Then again, this place could pull tourism year round with snow board enthusiasts and people wanting a little cozy get away. Nibelheim maybe could pull campers, if they didn't have the heavier monster population. Only certain monsters could survive the bitter cold, whereas Nibelheim swung in both weather and monster strength.
I blamed the reactor. If Hojo was already running his stupid experiments there then the reactor was churning them out secretly. Hopefully, Rufus found that alternative electricity so he could corner the market and stop utilizing mako. Was it wrong I hoped Hojo and Hollander would be killed or, at the least, arrested after?
It took a while, admittedly, but I eventually found what I was looking for. Having had to ask for directions, being guided to a humble hovel on the banks of the town. Time had affected it with wear, the roof sagging under the weight of the constant snows. Broken windows were in the front, making it not even a decent shelter from the cold that permeated the air.
Boots sinking, steps crunching. Those were the noises I made when I moved through the snow. My awareness kicked into overdrive when I heard a single step close to my back, when I knew damned well, I'd been alone. The gun Rufus had drilled in me to always have came out, body spinning as I took a quick aim. Heart in my throat when the gun was too quickly knocked from my grip, body grabbed and swung into the snow. The figure kneeled over me, and I couldn't stop my groan.
Genesis was smugly kneeling over my form, his hand lightly caressing my throat as he tutted. "Tsk, tsk, is this the way we stay safe and protected?"
Sephiroth nudged him off of me, and Genesis rose up with a snort, tugging me up as well.
"I hate you both." I brushed the snow from me, giving Genesis a shove. He didn't even pretend it could move him. "Do you know what a vacation is? It means I can go wandering if I want. And you find your own thing… and you owe me a new chocolate, you jerk."
"You my friend, are the gift from the goddess." Genesis reached out, helpfully knocking some snow from my hair. "We chose to follow you. I think it's more than time you tried a little honesty with us, hmm?"
"Oh, it's a crime to take a morning stroll now?" I widened my eyes.
"Dearest recall I was there when Aerith threw a snowball at your face. You didn't speak to her for an hour."
"Ah, so the crime is when I stay quiet for more than ten minutes at a time, got it." My finger tapped my chin, then I nodded decisively. "Any other rules, dear?"
Genesis switched from brushing snow, to whacking my forehead. "For you two, you can't be quiet for ten minutes. You're always giggling together."
"Thick as thieves," Sephiroth added. He handed me the gun Genesis had knocked to the ground, and I grudgingly accepted it. And the new drink he handed me, apparently knowing I would want or need a new one. Couldn't slip a fucking breath past this one, could I?
"Even Rufus didn't buy your hot chocolate excuse. And he has a sister complex," Genesis scoffed, waving his hand. "So, time to come clean doll. What exactly is here in this town you're after?"