Final Fantasy - All Series Fan Fiction ❯ Path of Seduction ❯ Chapter Twenty Six ( Chapter 26 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

Note: My apologies for the wait, which has been ridiculous even for me. It's been one very busy year.

Disclaimer: Final Fantasy VII is the property of Square-Enix. No profit is sought from this work. All original characters and elements are my own.

Path of Seduction

Chapter Twenty-Six

It only took a few minutes for Sephiroth to stoke the fire back to full, blazing life and get Aeris wrapped up snuggly in her bedroll. Of course, he was all wrapped up right there with her for maximum warmth. He leaned heavily over her, enjoying the press of her soft curves against his bare skin. Aeris reached her arms around him, trying to pull him impossibly closer. Sephiroth obeyed her urgings, almost trying to meld his skin to hers. He overbalanced and slipped the side with a grunt and settled for spooning around her instead.

Aeris whimpered at the loss of his weight, but quieted when Sephiroth wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him. She wriggled her hips into place, earning a satisfied little groan from the man. Sephiroth nuzzled the nape of her neck and settled into the folds of the sleeping bag, finally comfortable. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the closeness. The fine hairs on Aeris' neck tickled his nose. He blew them softly away and kissed her lightly when she shivered.

Aeris sighed happily. “This is nice.”

“Mmm,” Sephiroth murmured and kissed her bare skin again. “I think I could stay like this forever.”

Aeris laughed. “We'd have to get up sometime.” She rolled over to face him. Sephiroth growled lightly but stilled when Aeris kissed him. She smiled up at him with all the warmth he had found himself longing for lately. She did not shy away from him in the least, able even to meet his oddly feline eyes without flinching. There had been so very few people in his life who had not looked at him with fear and he had to wonder why he did not really miss it.

No one had ever sought him out the way Aeris did, inching towards his warmth with no hesitation. She played with his hair, twining the strands around her fingers, trying to coax the stick-straight strands into some kind of curl. She was clearly comfortable being close to him. He had to remind himself that he had wanted that all along. He was comfortable with her too, in a way he never expected. There were so many things he had done and would do for her that had never crossed his mind before. He had never really sought this much closeness or been so open with anyone. It was the love, he supposed.

A deep breath failed to ease the tightness in his chest. Everything he wanted felt out of reach even though Aeris was lying right beside him, wrapped in his arms. How did one hold on to forever? Sephiroth tightened his hold on his little woman, as if to keep her from slipping away.

Aeris brushed his hair away from his eyes. “You okay?” she asked quietly. Sephiroth caught her hand and brought it to his lips.

“Always, when I'm with you,” he replied and began kissing her fingers.

“Hmm, you big sap.” Aeris' eyes sparkled. Her fingers twitched slightly at the feel of his tongue but she let him continue what he was doing.

Sephiroth leaned over to reach her lips and sank into the circle of her arms, taking care not to rest on her hair. He trailed his hands down her neck, brushing his fingers lightly over her pulse. He grasped her shoulders gently when she shivered. Aeris smiled against his lips then arched her neck to offer him her throat. She was learning what she liked very quickly. He bent low to nuzzle her. It was what she wanted. He loved it too, feeling the tender skin and the constant purring that rolled up beneath his lips.

He shifted lower to trail his tongue down her chest and carefully cupped a breast in his hand. Aeris murmured his name into his hair. She whimpered sharply when he squeezed her nipple but she did not ask him to stop. Sephiroth was really starting to like that. He did not want to hurt her but trying to be gentle all the time was just killing him. Aeris hardly looked the type, but she had definitely shown that she could handle quite a bit. Sephiroth loved not having to worry about roughing her up. He felt her fingers dig lightly into his back and remembered that she would rough back.

He stopped what he was doing and grabbed Aeris' hand to examine it. He peered down intently at her nails. They were neatly trimmed to a practical length and they were not particularly sharp but with enough force, they could still do some damage. Sephiroth felt a hundred fine lines burning down his back again.

“Something wrong?” Aeris blinked down at him.

Sephiroth shook his head. “It's nothing.” Then he bent down again to attack a nipple with his teeth. Aeris squealed and buried her hands in his hair. Sephiroth felt those little nails on his scalp and repaid the scratching with teasing nibbles. Aeris cried out, arching her back and pressing more of her bosom against his face.

Sephiroth trailed his tongue along crest and curve, following the soft lines to the shadows of her body. He took his time exploring points on her body that he had barely touched in his hurry before. Aeris whimpered and twisted with each new sensation. Sephiroth moved ceaselessly over her, burrowing further under the blankets. He glanced up now and then to take in her reaction. Slowly, he mapped the curves that drew the deepest gasps when touched and committed the places she liked to be nipped to memory. He could be bold now, without fear of hurting her and he could be patient.

He pushed the covers aside so he could reach lower. Aeris protested but Sephiroth distracted her with a line of kisses that went down to her navel. He made slow swirls and dips over her skin with his tongue. Aeris cried out and arched upwards. Her cries choked off and she froze, gasping for air. Sephiroth smiled slyly as he reached under her. He spread his hands on the small of her back and angled her body for better access. The tone of Aeris' cries changed. Sephiroth stopped and looked up.

She seemed almost pained, with her eyes shut tight as if to hold back tears. Each breath left her with a soft, wavering wail. Sephiroth set his chin lightly on her quivering belly and gave her time to recover, waiting for her permission to continue. She sank slowly back to the ground and lay there, breathing heavily. Sephiroth waited a while, then made a slow, experimental lick near her hipbone. Aeris keened and tried to twist away. Sephiroth had to grab hold of her thighs to keep her still.

“Not good?” he asked.

Aeris moaned and struggled to sit up. “It's… good. It's just kind of a lot.”

Sephiroth kissed her lightly just below her navel. Even that slight contact was enough to make her quiver. “You want me to stop?”

Aeris shook her head. “No, it's good, I just… I don't know how much I can take.”

“You can take more than you realize.” Sephiroth considered it for a moment. “Aeris, you do trust me, don't you?”

Aeris frowned slightly at the question, then ran her fingers through his hair. “I trust you.”

Sephiroth smiled. “I'm glad.” The words felt so small hanging in the night air.

He pressed a line of soft kisses from one hip to another, careful to hold Aeris as still as possible. He had to tighten his grasp when he licked his way down to her underwear. He took the elastic in his teeth and looked up at Aeris. She nodded.

Sephiroth tugged gently but eventually had to use his hands to pull the damp cotton down her legs. It ended up tangled around one of her ankles. Sephiroth sat up on his knees and stared down at the woman spread out beneath him. “Cold?” he asked.

“No,” Aeris said, but she reached down towards him as if she wanted to pull him close again. Sephiroth settled back down between her thighs, kicking the covers away to make room for himself.

“Tell me if you're uncomfortable,” Sephiroth insisted. “I'll take care of you.” He ran his arms down her body.

Aeris wanted to hug him, to use his body like a shield between her bare breasts and the open sky but he had resumed pressing moist kisses near her hips. The sensation spread though her, a slow heat. She put her hands on Sephiroth's head, torn between wanting more and needing to push him away to stop the sweet pain. His tongue circled her navel and dipped inside. Aeris almost cried. Her hands tightened, grasping full clumps of silver hair. She could not help herself from trying to pull him off.

He did not stop but he did slow down, brushing her skin with just his lips and letting his breath rush over her moistened skin. Aeris' head rolled limply back. All the bold certainty she had felt earlier was melting away. Sephiroth seemed determined to show her that there was still a lot she did not know about this. She was in no position to complain.

“You all right?”

Aeris looked down at him, blinking slowly. Sephiroth's eyes glowed up at her. She nodded weakly, unable to look away. He had beautiful eyes, brilliant and captivating, but they were strange, even a little frightening. They had scared her at first. They scared her now. Where there had been sly, cool speculation there was something impossibly warm and beautiful shining through. Her hands slid down to cup Sephiroth's cheeks. He turned his head to kiss her palm and resumed what he was doing.

Aeris breathed deeply, trying to calm down and get used to the feeling, but the slick tongue moving down the angle of her hip had her bucking against Sephiroth's chest despite her best efforts. She was not sure if she was trying to get him off her or to make him hurry up.

“Easy,” Sephiroth whispered, “Don't fight it.” He bent his head even lower.

At the first whispery brush of lips against dark curls, Aeris went rigid. She cried out and tightened her thighs around Sephiroth's head. “Seph!”

“Shh,” Sephiroth met her startled eyes. And when he kissed her, she thought she would die.

She writhed and fought against the first slow trails his tongue made between her legs. It was warm and slick and it made her tighten inside. He took his time, making long, slow strokes and pausing now and then to grant her moist clasping kisses that made her moan and buck against his face.

Breathing hard, Aeris stared down at the silver head. Sephiroth glanced up slyly at her, never stopping. When she began to shiver, he dived back into his task with twice the vigor, working his tongue inside her. It was too much. Aeris screamed and clutched at his head. Her back twisted and arched but there was no escape. Sephiroth held her thighs apart in a firm grip and the hips rolling against his face only seemed to encourage him.

The girl's cries tapered off into low moans and whimpers. She pulled Sephiroth's head closer, seeking more pressure. Her fingers tangled in his hair as she rocked him back and forth. He grunted and responded with a flickering motion of his tongue that drove the last shred of control from her. It was too much, too fast. She arched upwards with a broken cry of surrender. Sephiroth smiled in triumph at her rigid form.

Aeris collapsed into a limp heap, almost weeping. The air was cool against her heated skin and she was uncomfortably moist in some places, but she really couldn't do anything about it. Just lying there was enough for now.

“Aeris.” Sephiroth stayed where he was, resting his cheek against her inner thigh. “Are you all right?”

“Mmm,” Aeris said. She couldn't find the strength to lift her head, or even open her eyes. “Mmm.”

Sephiroth smiled and stroked her stomach. “Is that a good `mmm' or a bad `mmm'?”

“Mmm,” Aeris said again, only this time it trailed off into a light laugh. She took a deep breath, then another. “Good,” she said at last. “Kind of sudden, maybe.”

“Sudden?”

Aeris finally uncurled her cramped fingers from Sephiroth's hair and gathered the breath to speak again. “It was… a lot… all at once.”

Sephiroth made a low sound of pleasure. He slid Aeris' hand off his head and began idly nibbling at her fingertips. Aeris twitched slightly at the wetness on his lips.

She sat up as far as she was able and looked down at him. “What about you?”

“What about me?” Sephiroth glanced up at her and went back to sucking at her fingers. He seemed perfectly content.

“Don't you want to… ?”

Sephiroth shrugged. “I can wait. You rest up.”

“You sure?”

“I'm not some old man in danger of losing it, Aeris,” Sephiroth laughed. “It'll still be there when you're ready to go again.”

“Hmph, it better be.”

Truthfully, Sephiroth thought he had better wait and let things cool off a bit because with the state he was in he risked completely embarrassing himself, but he was not about to tell Aeris that. He let her lie quietly as he moved her leg off his shoulder. Aeris pulled her hand away and tangled it in his hair again. Sephiroth closed his eyes and listen to her idle humming.

“Seph,” Aeris mumbled after a while, “Come up here.”

“But I'm comfortable down here.”

Aeris pouted. “Can't you get comfy up here?”

“What's the matter? You don't like me down here?” Sephiroth turned his head to look at her and trailed his fingers up her leg. “Afraid I might get into some mischief?”

Aeris slumped back wearily to the ground. “I wanted to give you a hug but you're not getting it now.”

Sephiroth laughed and crawled shakily up the length of her body. Aeris kept her arms folded and huffed grumpily at him, but her eyes told a different story. Sephiroth laughed again and slumped down on top of her. Aeris did not move so he nipped her neck and held her close. “So, about that hug. Can I get it now?”

“Maybe.” Aeris held his face and studied him. Sephiroth did his best to look innocent. “I guess you can get one little hug.” Sephiroth took it gladly and settled down in a tangle of limbs with her.

“I'm not crushing you, am I?” he asked.

“No.” She answered sleepily and wriggled closer to him to prove it. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?”

Aeris very gently nudged the firm bulge in his pants.

“Oh, that.” Sephiroth frowned. “Well, I can wait, but it is a little uncomfortable. Uh, you don't mind if I…”

“No, no, go ahead.” Aeris said quickly. Sephiroth rolled onto his back and undid his fly. All he intended to do was give himself a little breathing room, but Aeris was watching the proceedings far too intently for his comfort. She actually seemed disappointed when he pulled his hand away without doing anything more, even though she didn't say anything.

Sephiroth pulled her closer and stared up at the sky. The air was still cool and he considered pulling the rest of the covers over Aeris, but she seemed comfortable enough at his side.

She rolled over and rested her head on his shoulder. Sephiroth slipped his hand from her waist to her hip. There was a softness about a woman's curves that let her press tight against the unyielding planes of a man's body. Sephiroth supposed he had always known it somewhere in the back of his mind, but it was a doubly sweet thought now. He let himself relax and felt himself sink as far into the bedroll as he could. His feet stuck out beyond the edge and there were pebbles under his heels, but they were rounded from years of surf and made just the barest flicker on his consciousness.

Aeris propped herself up on her elbow and spoiled the cocoon Sephiroth was building around himself, but she settled down on his chest before he could protest the loss of warmth. Her lips were on him, light and moist and her fingers were moving down to his waist. Sephiroth considered responding, but he wanted to see what she would do on her own.

She started at his throat and Sephiroth instantly thought that it was what it must have felt like for her to have his tongue working its way inside her. It was warm and wet and good but he felt so vulnerable and he could feel her teeth on his skin, right above his racing pulse. He shivered. Aeris took the hint and moved down to his collar bone.

Sephiroth stilled and let her do what she would. She was in no particular hurry. She leaned up once to kiss him quickly on the lips and went back to work on his chest. She teased his nipples with her teeth and her fingers traced the definition of his muscles, moving lower all the while. Sephiroth let her explore.

She slid the very tips of her fingers under the leather and caressed him lightly. There was definite heat there, but she did not reach for it immediately. She dipped a tongue into his navel, mimicking his moves. Sephiroth hissed and he could not stop his hips from jerking upwards.

Aeris glanced up at him. The mischief in her smile gave him a turn. “Aer, what are you-?”

She pulled his pants open and let his erection spring free. She giggled a little, more at the look of surprise on Sephiroth's face than anything else, but he could not help feeling that he had thoroughly corrupted an innocent. Now he was paying the price.

Aeris laid her cheek against his hip and began idly stroking his length. Sephiroth moaned a little but his discomfort would not go away. He did not like the position he was in, flat on his back with someone else having complete control over him, even if it was his brand new darling love. “Aeris, please…” He tried to pull her away.

Aeris pouted at him. “Hey, you got to play with mine!”

Sephiroth sighed. “I suppose…”

Aeris grinned smugly and continued what she was doing. Her touch was light, more of an exploration than any real attempt to pleasure him. Her fingers trailed over the ridges with no real rhythm. Sephiroth really hoped she would not start experimenting with her nails.

He gasped a little as she trailed one finger down the head, all the way down. “Hm,” she murmured. “Natural silver.” Sephiroth rolled his eyes. Why did everybody always want to check that?

Aeris shifted a little on Sephiroth's thigh to get a better view, moving in close enough for her breath to drift over the shaft. Sephiroth hissed. He was twitching uncontrollably in her grasp and he couldn't say he felt too happy about the naughty grin on her face, but he had asked her to trust him. It was only fair that he at least attempt to return that trust. Aeris glanced up at him and laughed.

Sephiroth frowned. “What's so funny?”

“You have a mole down here.”

“Oh, yes. That.” He looked away. “I'd almost forgotten about it.”

“Pretty interesting place for a mole.” Aeris laughed. “And it's a cute one too.”

“If you think such things are cute,” Sephiroth muttered and exhaled heavily. Aeris continued to pet him and his blood pulsed under her light touch. Sephiroth lay back, eyes closed and let Aeris continue to explore him. Her touch grew bolder. It was just enough to keep him firm in her grip. He heard her make a tiny sound in the back of her throat as her fingers brushed over the head. They trailed down his shaft, leaving a line of wetness in their wake. Aeris began to draw swirls that made his thighs quiver.

He opened his eyes again when he felt her make a strange sliding motion with her fingers. “Hey, are you measuring?” he screeched. Aeris drew back with a wicked grin. Sephiroth flopped backwards with a heavy sigh.

Aeris settled in with a soft sigh of her own and began to play with him again. Sephiroth said nothing, completely refusing to respond. Aeris supposed it was his version of sulking. She rolled her eyes and smoothed the fine silver curls out of the way as she pondered how to break the silence.

“Does it have a name?”

“WHAT?” Sephiroth sat up, eyes blazing.

Aeris tumbled into his lap. She blinked innocently up at him. “I was just wondering.”

Sephiroth stared at her and rubbed his forehead. “Where would you get an idea like that?”

Aeris rolled her eyes at him. “I'm not some ignorant child, you know. I grew up just a stone's throw from Wall Market.”

Sephiroth groaned. He sank back to the ground, flung an arm over his eyes and sighed. “Masamune-san.”

“What?”

“Masamune-san. Like my sword. That's its name.”

Aeris snickered and then burst right out laughing again. “Masa-, Masamune-san? Oh, man, you really couldn't be more original than that?”

“I didn't name it,” Sephiroth grumbled sourly.

Aeris blinked. “Well, who did? Wait, wait, wait, don't tell me!” She raised an eyebrow at him in a way that set Sephiroth on edge. “Old girlfriend?”

He weighed his options as carefully as he could in the heartbeat that he had to do it. “Something like that.” He drew back just the slightest bit but Aeris just kept laughing. He let out one breathy sigh.

Aeris pushed his shoulders lightly. He followed her urging and lay down again. Aeris curled up right where she was, resting her head against his hip so she could play.

“Well, hello there, Masamune-san,” Aeris said sweetly. “It's very nice to meet you.”

“Aeris!” Sephiroth protested. “Don't talk to it!”

“Why not?” Aeris' voice was all innocence but her eyes were something else.

“Because it's weird!”

“Aww,” Aeris pouted again. “But he likes it. Don't you, Masamune-san?” And Masamune-san bounced under her touch like a happy puppy.

Sephiroth groaned and let his head flop back down. “Fine, woman. Suit yourself.”

Aeris did exactly that, petting and stroking him as she had before. Sephiroth struggled to keep his breathing steady. Physically, everything was just fine, more than fine even but discomfort clawed at his mind. He was laid out this way of his own volition, but it was a vulnerable position nonetheless. He was exposed and helpless and he did not like that one bit.

Meanwhile, Masamune-san was having a whale of a time.

Sephiroth snorted lightly as the name crossed his mind again. “Damn that woman,” he whispered.

“Hmm?” Aeris looked up at the sound.

“It's nothing.”

Aeris smiled knowingly at him. “All right.” Then she tried to swallow him whole.

“Ah!” Sephiroth sprang up in alarm yet again. “What are you doing?”

Aeris gagged slightly and sat back, covering her lips. “Not… good?”

Sephiroth caressed her face. “You surprised me. You don't have to do that.”

“But I want to.” Aeris bent her head but Sephiroth could still see her cheeks flushing.

Somewhere far in the back of his head a voiced piped up. “Quit your bitching, you jackass! You're getting a blowjob!”

“All right, then,” Sephiroth conceded. He leaned back, giving Aeris' head the slightest push downwards as he went. He propped himself up on his elbows as she settled into position, glancing up at him for a final confirmation.

“Um, any preferences?”

“Just do what's comfortable for you,” he said. “And don't take any more than you can ha-AAH!” He collapsed flat on his back, gasping for breath.

It didn't take him long to acclimate again. Aeris did not seem able to keep a steady rhythm as yet. She vacillated between long licks and suckling. At one point her tongue curled around the side in a way that had him clutching handfuls of bedroll. He would have told her to keep at it if he had been able to form words but she moved on, experimenting and exploring at her own pace.

It was good enough at any rate, even if Aeris did not seem to be paying much attention to his responses. Sephiroth didn't really mind, more concerned that she be at ease with what she was doing. He couldn't stop from placing his hands on her head, but he fought hard not to force her into a more pleasing motion. He saw the way she scrunched up her face as she tasted him and couldn't keep his hips from jerking slightly.

Aeris whimpered a little as she felt him grow harder. She leaned back to catch her breath. Her nose twitched at the musky scent but it wasn't exactly unpleasant, just strong. Sephiroth reached to pull her up but she would not move. “I'm not done yet,” she protested, then closed her mouth around him again.

“Watch the teeth!” Sephiroth hissed.

“Shorry,” Aeris mumbled around a mouthful of cock. She passed her tongue over the abused spot and picked up a semblance of a rhythm that had Sephiroth moaning and twisting where he lay.

He fought it. Every part of him that Aeris did not touch was fading from consciousness and his mind fought to remain aware. There was a dark sky above him, scattered with stars. The blankets were twisted into uncomfortable lumps beneath him. There was sand under his nails from clawing at the earth and the fire was dying again but he didn't need it because he was warm enough where she touched him and her mouth was almost too hot. It didn't matter if he tangled his hair with his writhing or scraped his shoulders against the stony ground or that he was defenseless against attack. It was Aeris pleasuring him and just the knowledge of that was enough to shut down the last protesting portion of his brain.

He glanced down and saw her holding back her hair as she worked as much of him into her mouth as she could. Her lips were stretched thin around him and he could feel her free hand trying to work more of the leather away so she could touch him. Her breath was coming in tiny, strained gasps and her brow was furrowed in concentration. Sephiroth cried out and tore the blankets beneath him in the fight for control.

Aeris glanced up for a second. Sephiroth growled and pulled her off him. She let him go with a wet, slick sound and a whimper. “Did I-?”

“I need you now!” He sat up and roughly pulled Aeris into his lap. She leaned heavily against his chest and tried to move her hips into place. Sephiroth rocked upwards but couldn't steady himself enough for a smooth entry. He growled, then looked aside, breathing hard.

“Something wrong?”

“Just a second.” Sephiroth leaned over to the pile of clothes and armor and fumbled around for something. Aeris had to latch on tight to his shoulders to keep her balance. Sephiroth straightened up with something tiny in his hand. “Just a second,” he said again and began to struggle with it. “I need to get this thing open.”

Aeris stared at the thin packet he held and blinked. The logo was unfamiliar but there was no mistaking the contents. “Seph,” she whispered as absolute loathing rose up inside her.

“Almost got it.” Sephiroth succeeded in tearing the foil open. Leviathan's reptilian grin split raggedly in two, but the swordsman only had a split-second to see the circle of rolled latex before it was knocked out of his grasp. “Aeris! That was the only one I had!”

Aeris grabbed his hair and pulled his head a bare inch away from her own. “One's not going to be enough tonight, so don't bother,” she growled and pressed her hips down on him. Sephiroth answered her with a growl of his own and rolled her into the sand. He reached down to guide himself inside her and thrust hard.

Aeris cried out at the rough entry. Sephiroth didn't give her time to adjust. He couldn't. There was no finesse about the way he rode her. He heard her whimpering but it didn't pierce the fog around his mind. She clung to him, tucking her head against his shoulder. Her nails clawed at his back, drawing a hiss from his throat. He slowed just a fraction then, just enough for her strained voice to reach him.

“Don't stop!”

Sephiroth thrust and came hard, going rigid all the way to his toes. He collapsed on top of Aeris and lay there, limp and weak. Aeris murmured something he didn't understand and began to stroke his hair.

“Oh… hell,” Sephiroth breathed without any real fire. It had ended sooner than he would have liked, but Aeris didn't seem to be complaining. He moved to pull away but Aeris locked her legs around his back to keep him inside her.

“Stay.” She clutched his shoulders and rocked gently against him, her hips rolling up to meet his. Sephiroth settled back down again. He pressed as close as he could and let her ride, hoping that she would finish before he got too soft to be any good to her. She eventually sighed and went still, leaving him wondering.

Slowly he realized that the bedroll was almost ruined and that the fire had almost burned itself out. He had been fairly rough with Aeris and she was probably going to have bruises in interesting places but she seemed happy. He pulled himself up and tried to look at her past the tangled mess of fine hairs, his and hers, that stuck to his skin. She looked content enough at first glance but his senses had been blown open and there was more before him than what eyes could see.

Her skin was suffused with a rosy light. The fine points of energy that flowed within her pulsed with the beat he could feel in her chest. Sephiroth blinked the sight away. He had heard of women glowing after good sex but this was just bloody ridiculous. No way it could have been that good.

“Aer?”

“What?”

“Am I crushing you?”

“No.”

“Good.” Sephiroth let his head droop to the ground. The wind seemed to be picking up a bit, or it could have just felt colder because his skin was flushed and slick.

A rustle on the sand caught his attention and he glanced down just in time to see the torn Leviathan condom wrapper go blowing by. The condom itself was stuck in the sand, getting grainy beyond redemption. Sephiroth exhaled hard. Even though he had never been sick a day in his life he could still be harboring something nasty and transmissible. And there were other possibilities…

Aeris poked him in the neck. “Stop worrying so much.”

Sephiroth blinked. “How did you-?”

“You feel different when you worry,”

“I feel-?” Sephiroth stared down at Aeris but her gaze was far away.

“I can't really say how. You just do.”

Sephiroth didn't know what to make of that but he supposed he wasn't the only one who lost control of finer senses at times like this. “Come on.” He hiked Aeris up and tried to straighten the blanket beneath her. “Let's get comfortable.”

“But I'm fine.”

Sephiroth snorted. “Well, I'm getting cold.” He pulled out of Aeris despite her grumbling about it and pulled the rest of the bedroll over them both.

“You can feel cold? I thought SOLDIERs were immune to that kind of thing.”

“I'm less likely to die from it but I can still feel it.” Sephiroth hitched his pants up into a more comfortable position with a slight grimace and let Aeris pillow her head on his arm, sinking quickly into lethargy himself. “It's like getting caught in the rain for a normal person. Being wet won't kill you, but being soaked through isn't comfortable.”

Aeris idly traced patterns on his chest. “I don't know. There's never any rain below the plate. Once I got caught in a shower above and I thought it was wonderful. I stayed out in it till it passed.”

Sephiroth stared at her. “You stood out in the rain in Midgar? I'm surprise your face didn't get burned off.”

Aeris cocked her head at him. “I didn't feel anything strange. Besides, didn't you just say being wet wouldn't kill me?”

“That doesn't make it safe.” Sephiroth brushed her hair back and held her head firmly so he could look right into her eyes. “Promise me you won't do that in Midgar again. Or anywhere else with a reactor for that matter.”

Aeris blinked. “Okay, no more rain dance in Midgar,” she said quietly. “You'd worry yourself to death, apparently.”

Sephiroth pulled her closer so she could not see his face and let himself sink into the warmth, assured that she was safe as long as he held her. She sighed against his chest and kissed the skin softly while he played with her hair.

“Is the rain in Wutai safe?”

He threw a lazy glance up at the sky just in case, but it was a clear night. “It's fine. Nearly everything in Wutai is fine. It's about as far as you can get from Midgar, after all.”

“Is that why you like it here?”

“It's one reason.” Sephiroth kissed her hair to keep his mouth from blurting out the rest.

“It doesn't look the way I pictured it,” she said quietly. The words took a while to breach his post-coital haze.

“How'd you picture it?” The words slurred slightly and he had the feeling that he might fall asleep soon if he wasn't careful.

“Well, war-torn, I suppose. But it's so green and peaceful.”

“Hm, grass grows quickly.” And blood was surprisingly good fertilizer.

“It's a beautiful place.”

“It's not what it used to be.”

“Makes sense.” Aeris was close enough that every breath stirred Sephiroth's bangs. “War is war.”

“Hmm, yes… very destructive… on both sides.”

“You were really lucky then, weren't you?” Aeris continued. “All you lost here was a finger.”

“And my virginity,” Sephiroth mumbled. Aeris jerked and the thought slowly seeped into Sephiroth's sleepy brain that he had done something supremely stupid. He opened his eyes very slowly. “Said that out loud, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did.” Aeris arched an eyebrow at him. “Care to tell me about it?”

Sephiroth blinked, fully alert now. His mouth wanted to move and part of him wanted to let it. He didn't have a very good track record of keeping his thoughts to himself around her anyway.

But this was different. He didn't think a flowergirl, even one from the Midgar slums, was ready for the kind of secrets he had to tell, even if he knew they would be safe with her. He opened his mouth to speak but the first word would not form.

Aeris put her hand on his cheek and smiled just a little. “It's okay. I understand if you don't want to.”

Sephiroth closed his eyes. He turned his head to kiss her palm and couldn't stop. Aeris let him, stroking his hair and whispering soothing words he could not understand.

The twisting ache in his chest took its time fading, long enough for him to become aware of little things again, like the fact that the hole he had torn in the blanket had ended up on his side of the bedroll, which explained why there was a distinct breeze blowing over his bare backside. It was worth it though, so worth it to be near her.

He tried to push the feeling aside but it refused to move. It was an untouchable thing inside him and he didn't have the slightest idea of how to deal with such a foe. Anytime he tried to clear his thoughts and shoo that warm, fuzzy love away, it simply flowed around and settled in other parts of his head. Maybe, maybe if he had fully wanted it gone he could have driven it away and retained some semblance of sensibility, but whichever part of his mind it had chosen to take root in liked having it there.

“Quit fighting it! You're happy, aren't you?” The voice came at him from somewhere deep, where Mother used to be. She had been sounding more tired and resigned lately. Maybe she had grown tired of his willfulness and finally left him. Sephiroth wondered why he was not especially sorry that she had gone. He wished he could place the faint newcomer. The voice seemed familiar.

And it had a point, he supposed. Ayame had said nearly the same thing to him earlier. Why fight happiness? Just accept it and enjoy it for what it was while it was yours. Love was not supposed to be something to fear, even for big, bad soldiers with reputations to uphold.

Sephiroth buried his face against the top of Aeris' head. It was all still faintly embarrassing. He just knew he had been making a damned fool of himself. Aeris didn't seem to mind and there hadn't been anyone else around but Mother and Ayame to see. Sephiroth wondered how the woman had dealt with it, with the long years of pining over a first love who would never return the feeling.

“Thinking hard?” Aeris nudged his chest with her nose.

Sephiroth looked down. “You can feel that too?”

“I can feel a lot of things,” she said off-handedly. Sephiroth concentrated on a fold in the blanket and hoped he wasn't thinking too loudly about whether or not she could read his mind.

“Yes, I can,” she said.

Sephiroth nearly flew out of his skin. “You can?”

Her nose wrinkled and she burst out laughing at him. “No, I can't. I was just saying that in case that's what you were wondering.” She tweaked his nose and looked him in the eye. “Guess I was right.”

“Let go of my nose,” he said sourly.

“Sure thing, Mr. Grumpy.” Aeris leaned back in his loose embrace. “Care to tell me what you're chewing over so hard?”

Sephiroth made a non-committal sound and pulled her in closer. “Aeris,” he began, his voice raspy. “I'm… I was your first, wasn't I?” He actually felt her face grow warmer against his shoulder.

“Yeah, you are.”

“How come? I mean, you're a nice girl and you're old enough. Wasn't anyone else interested before?”

Aeris shrugged. “People were interested. Didn't mean I was interested back.”

“You never considered it with anyone?”

The woman's eyes fell and Sephiroth found himself staring at her eyelashes while he waited for an answer.

“There was somebody, years ago. My Mom didn't really approve of him and she kept me on a tight leash because she said I was too young but I liked him… a lot. We never got really far.” Aeris glanced up at Sephiroth and looked away just as quickly.

“What happened?” Sephiroth coaxed gently.

“I don't know,” Aeris whispered. “He left for work one day and never made his way back.” Her voice was close to breaking though her eyes were dry.

“And you didn't look for anyone else after that?”

“No.” Her head moved just a fraction against his chest. “There didn't seem to be any point to it.”

Love hurts, Sephiroth had heard, it hurts bad. Love gone wrong, it's a crippling blow. His arms tightened around Aeris and he found himself wishing he had more than idle talk and greeting card platitudes to go by. He sure as hell didn't have much in the way of experience.

He sighed heavily, mussing Aeris' hair. The slight upward tilt of her head was enough for him to gauge her concern. He swallowed. “Aeris… with this someone… how far did you get?”

“That's what you've got on your mind?” Aeris thumped her head against Sephiroth's breastbone. He thought he caught some comment about marking territory. She took a deep breath and looked up at him. “We didn't do anything like this, if that's what you're thinking. We'd planned to, but I didn't really feel ready and by the time I did he was gone.”

Sephiroth smirked into her hair, unable to keep himself from gloating at winning the prize, even if it had been by blind chance. “Yeah,” the voice in his head put in bitterly. “Worked out real well for you, didn't it?”

“Shut up!” Sephiroth shoved the annoying little voice away, but was puzzled by it. “Aeris, if you felt ready with him, why did you take a while with me?”

“Hey, the first time's a big decision for a girl,” she said with a playful little shove to his chest. “Just because I was comfortable with him doesn't mean I was ready for just anybody. You're a completely different situation all by yourself. I had to get used to you first.”

Sephiroth looked himself over. “Ah, yes, I see,” he murmured, “I suppose I am rather intimidating in certain respects.”

“Why, you-!” Aeris could not even finish the sentence and settled for smacking him hard on his shoulder and any body part she could reach, sputtering things like `egotistical' and `narcissistic'.

“Hey!” Sephiroth flinched at the first stinging slap and grabbed her flailing wrists. “Young lady, if you want to keep beating me up like this, I'm going to have to insist you get yourself a leather corset and a whip so you can do it properly!”

Shock gave way to slit-eyed certainty. “Oh, I can manage that.”

A chill that had nothing to do with the hole in the blanket ran straight up Sephiroth's spine. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the errant little voice advised him to shut his big yap and stop giving the woman ideas. Sephiroth gave the voice another shove and pulled Aeris closer, pressing skin to skin along the entire length of her body.

Aeris settled in with a satisfied smile. Sephiroth stroked her gently, lulling them both with the motion.

“Are you dozing off already?” Aeris looked up at him.

Sephiroth blinked. “I was asleep? How long?”

“Not too long. Just minutes.” Aeris' mouth twisted a little. Sephiroth tried to soothe it back into its normal tiny smile with his thumb. Aeris snapped and caught his thumb between her teeth.

“Hmph, are you hungry?” Sephiroth asked, half-joking but then Aeris gave him a look that told him she was. “Don't worry,” he said, propping himself up. “I brought you something. But I'll need you to give me my thumb back so I can get it.”

Aeris released him after a firm nibble. “Did you hunt down something on the beach?”

“Not exactly.” Sephiroth leaned over, careful not to pull the covers away as he scooped up the cloth-wrapped package under his coat. “For you.”

Aeris sat up and stared at the box in front of her. “What is it?”

“Open it and see.”

“Something edible, right?” Aeris took the box and shook it carefully, listening. There was a very light rattle. She set the package down on lap and worked at the knot. Sephiroth sat back a bit. He could not help staring. It did not escape Aeris' notice.

“Seph, are you watching me unwrap this thing or are you just staring at my boobs?”

Sephiroth did not even blink. “You're getting your something to nibble on. I want mine.”

“Oh, you'll get yours.” Aeris removed the lid. “Oh! You got me those flower sweet things! Where'd you-?”

“I have ways.” Sephiroth winked. “Eat up.”

Aeris' hand hovered over the small selection. “I can't. They're too pretty!”

“Hmph.” Sephiroth shuffled in closer, securing the covers around his hips. He picked up one sweet up at random and held it to Aeris' lips and laughed a little at how she tried to wrinkle her nose out of the way to see which one it was.

“It's a cherry blossom,” he informed her and wondered why the way she locked eyes with him as she took a bite left him breathless. He fed her another bite but Aeris shoved him away when he moved in for the third.

“I have to chew, you know.”

“Sorry.” Sephiroth set the uneaten portion back in the box and sent a spark to rekindle the fire. There wasn't much left to burn so he levitated a handful of spare twigs into the pile and set about gathering more without ever moving from his seat.

“Wow,” Aeris murmured, “you make that look so easy.”

“I've had lots of practice.” Sephiroth glanced over. “Want to learn?”

“Not now. Eating.” Aeris' eyes wore her smile as she finished up the sweet.

“Hmph!” Sephiroth plucked a stick out of midair as it passed by and poked randomly at the fire. “She's got me doing all the heavy labor and bringing her dinner too.” He idly wondered why he did not mind putting up with it.

“Must be love.”

If the fire had been alive, Sephiroth would have killed it with his stick. “Didn't I tell you to go away?”

“Yeah, but I couldn't do that and leave you all by your lonesome. You'd miss me.”

“Not as long as I have her.”

“Yeah, you have her. Lucky bastard.”

“You okay?” Aeris asked. “You seem a little tense.” She scooted over to close the gap between them and picked a sweet out of the box. “Here, have a bite.”

Sephiroth flinched away from the thing. He hadn't eaten anything in such a long time and he wasn't sure he should start now. There still had not been any sign of the tea he had drunk earlier. Sephiroth glanced down at himself and hoped his gut was in working order.

Aeris' face fell. “Don't you want to eat with me?” Her pleading eyes seemed larger and brighter than before in the firelight. She was beautiful and so forlorn.

Sephiroth wordlessly opened his mouth and let her feed him. She took a bite herself afterwards and chewed with a look of smug satisfaction.

“She's working you over big time, soldier,” the voice said. “About time someone did.” Sephiroth was too caught up in worrying about his digestive functions to make a snappy reply.

“I'm thirsty,” Aeris said suddenly and distracted Sephiroth most effectively by leaning across his lap to get to her bag. “I've got something in here. I'm not sure I should drink it though.”

She sat up again, hoisting the bag onto the spot in front of her and causing Sephiroth to mourn the loss of soft breasts pressing against his skin. She opened the bag and reached inside, completely oblivious to his pain.

“Here it is.” She pulled out what appeared to be a bottle of Wutanese rice wine. Her half-empty bag collapsed in on itself.

Sephiroth took the bottle by the neck and studied the label. “Where'd you get this?”

“Somebody gave it to me.”

Sephiroth set the bottle down very deliberately. “Somebody who was trying to… impress you?”

Aeris blinked. “I don't think so. What, is something wrong with it?”

“Your somebody really sprang for the good stuff.” Sephiroth stared into the fire and tried not to think about who it could have been.

Aeris gave him a little nudge with her shoulder. “It wasn't like that. Besides, I don't know anything about Wutanese liquor. Any attempt to impress me with the selection wouldn't go anywhere.”

Sephiroth stared down at the bottle and considered it. He sighed and cradled the bottle in one arm, rubbing it lightly with his free hand.

“What are you doing?” Aeris looked over his arm and snickered. “It's not a baby.”

“I'm warming it. Just a slight variation on a fire spell.”

“Oh.”

When Sephiroth judged the sake to be warm enough, he passed the bottle to Aeris with an excess of dignity. “Your drink, my lady.”

Aeris laughed and took the bottle. She gave her lover a sidelong glance as she got ready to drink. “Yeah, I wouldn't mind having you for a butler.” She took one good sip and sat back gasping.

Sephiroth rubbed her back. “You okay?”

Aeris nodded. “Yeah, just wasn't ready for it.” She passed the bottle back to Sephiroth. “I don't think I'll be chugging that in a hurry. You can have the rest.”

The swordsman stared down at the bottle. “Maybe later,” he said and set it gingerly aside. As an afterthought, he used a weak spell to shape an ice bucket around the thing.

“Showoff.” Aeris yawned and leaned against his side, tucking the folds of the bedroll in around her. Sephiroth pulled her in close. “Could you put this back with my clothes, please?” Aeris scooped her hollowed backpack up and held it in front of Sephiroth. He took it without thinking but did not put it back in its place immediately.

“What else do you have hiding in here?” He opened it up and peered in.

“Nothing that's any of your business.” Aeris gave him a shove but made no move to snatch the bag away. Sephiroth took it as implicit permission to look all he pleased.

“Ah, a hairbrush, of course, and a change of underwear.” Sephiroth jostled the bag to see what else was in there. “There's nothing fragile in here, I hope.” Aeris shook her head. “Potions and ointments all strapped in place, good,” the man continued to list, avoiding mention of the feminine products tucked away in one of the large inner pockets. “Oh, what's this?” He reached in to get something. “I didn't think you were the type to keep trash in your purse, Aeris.”

“It's not a purse and if I do keep trash in it, it's only because I don't care to be messing up the Planet.”

“I see,” Sephiroth replied, though he didn't seem to think much of such noble motives. He pulled a small, worn scrap of paper out. “What is this?”

Aeris started. “Oh, that.”

Sephiroth unfolded the tiny square and read the few words written there. He folded the note up quickly and looked away. “I can't believe you kept that thing.”

“Why shouldn't I? It was so sweet of you.”

“It's outright sap you can find in any two-gil paperback.”

“I know,” Aeris said. “But I still thought it was very sweet of you then.”

Sephiroth snorted. “I think it's very embarrassing now.”

“And that makes it even sweeter.” Aeris sighed contentedly and plucked the note out of Sephiroth's hand before he could think about tossing it into the fire.

Sephiroth tightened his grip too late and made an exasperated sound. “What's so sweet about tripe like that?'

Aeris rolled her eyes. “Please, Seph, that note's hardly long enough to reach tripe status. And what's cute about it is that you'd do something like that for me even though it's making you blush right now.”

Sephiroth glared. “I'm not blushing. It's the fire.”

“Right.” Aeris nuzzled his arm. “You're absolutely adorable when you're embarrassed like this.”

“I think you ought to be embarrassed for hanging on to it for so long.”

“Yeah, but you're the one who actually wrote it.”

“Don't remind me.” Sephiroth hunched down, thoroughly defeated. Aeris sighed and took the bag out of his slack grasp to rearrange everything neatly inside. A soft glow caught Sephiroth's eye. “What's that?”

“Hmm?”

“That bright thing there.” Sephiroth bent over the bag. Inside, nestled in one of the cups of a clean brassiere, was something resembling materia, but it was no materia Sephiroth had ever seen before.

Aeris hesitated a little, then delicately drew the thing out, cradling it in both hands as if it were an injured bird. “It was my mother's,” she said quietly. A pure white glow streamed between her fingers to light her face. “My birth mother's.”

Sephiroth wondered where his own mother had gone. He reached to touch the small sphere but something made him draw back. There was too much light inside it, not so much shining out but trapped within. His hands still looked like inky blackness against the glow of life. “Is it… materia?”

“It is.” Aeris nodded. “It doesn't actually do anything.”

“All materia does something,” Sephiroth said, wondering what materia with as much energy as the Planet in it would do. He could not begin to imagine. The thing was white.

“This one doesn't do anything at all.” Aeris sighed. “But still, it was my mother's so I always keep it with me.”

“In your bra?”

“No!” Aeris clutched the materia to her chest and fixed Sephiroth with a look. “That's only when I take the ribbon out of my hair.”

“I was just asking,” Sephiroth said, holding both hands up in surrender.

Aeris' look softened. She cradled the materia for a moment longer then tucked it back into its hiding space. “It's properly protected this way,” she explained, unable to meet Sephiroth's eyes. “I really should put it somewhere that it won't get mixed up with all the other things. She started feeling around for a spare compartment but most of them were already full of salves and remedies. “Nuts,” Aeris muttered as pocket after pocket turned out to be too full to take materia.

“What's this?” Sephiroth poked at a scrap of black lace sticking out of one of the open pockets. He smirked. “Well, that's certainly an exquisite little handkerchief.” He pulled it out, ready to tease Aeris about her girly, pretty things until he realized that it wasn't a handkerchief at all. He held it up with both hands to be sure he was seeing correctly. “Oh…” He blinked at the sheer, lace-edged thing. “If you were so concerned about your underwear not being cute before, why didn't you wear this for me instead?”

“Uh, Seph,” Aeris began shakily, “that's not mine.”

Sephiroth put a fantasy that involved Aeris wearing skimpy black lace lingerie on hold. “If it's not yours, why do you have it?”

Aeris nibbled her lower lip. “It belongs to a friend of mine,” she began slowly, measuring every word, “who, uh, doesn't want it anymore, but I thought it was too important as a keepsake to toss out… So I'm keeping it in case my friend… decides otherwise.”

Sephiroth frowned, wondering exactly what she meant by that. Bit by bit, the pieces began to come together, the caked-on feel of thick makeup, a hint of cheap cologne, the outright humiliation that was not his own.

“Spike's got great taste in underwear. Who'd have thunk?”

Sephiroth did not even have the wherewithal to tell the voice to shut the hell up. His hands made themselves busy, folding the thing into a neat little square while his mind tried to catch up. “Here,” he said quietly, passing it to Aeris. She took it without a word and tucked it away again. Sephiroth took the bag from her and began to repack everything, removing and rearranging to make more efficient use of space. He worked silently, concentrating very hard in an attempt to push the altered image of his fantasy out of his mind.

“They teach you how to do that in the army, right?” Aeris asked.

“Fold underwear into squares?” Sephiroth blurted out, mouth miles ahead of his brain.

Aeris laughed. “I meant pack properly.”

“Uh, yes,” the man mumbled.

“Come on, Sephy, get it together,” the voice coaxed. “It's not that big a deal.”

“Yes, it is!” Sephiroth snapped, jamming an elixir into place. “I touched it!”

“So wash your hands. It was most likely clean anyway. I don't think she's the type to hike across the world lugging somebody else's dirty drawers.” The voice sighed. “She might hang on to yours though, all things considered.”

“I don't wear underwear.”

“Why exactly is that, Seph?”

Sephiroth refused to answer. He did up all the zippers and buckles and set the bag down neatly near the pile of folding clothes. He glanced at the heap for a second. Aeris' dress was showing a hint of dampness where the runoff from his makeshift ice bucket had touched it. Sephiroth rearranged that too, then sat with his arms around his knees, staring at the ocean.

“Aeris,” he said, “promise me you'll never make me wear a dress.”

Aeris burst out laughing. “Don't worry about that. You're not built to pull it off. Too broad.” She leaned over took his face in both hands. “Your face is pretty enough, though. A little mascara, some lipstick…”

Sephiroth reared back, eyes wide. “You are not dressing me up like some dolly, Aeris.”

Aeris snickered. “Okay, okay, but I wouldn't mind undressing you right now.”

Sephiroth looked down. “Hm, I suppose I am overdressed for the occasion.” He maneuvered gracefully under the covers and slid his pants off.

Aeris hugged her knees to her chest and watched. “Much better.”

That cheered Sephiroth up a bit. He leaned back on his hands and let the blanket slip away. “At your service, my Lady.”

“I like that,” she replied and straddled his hips as she kissed him. Sephiroth knew exactly how to give Aeris the attention she liked best by now and she was not shy about receiving it. She was bolder herself, almost feverishly staking her claim on him with growls and bites. She had gotten quickly accustomed to being his lover.

The problem was that maybe she was getting too used to it. Her cries did not have the same sharpness as before. Her face was ecstatic and her skin was damp with exertion, but still, the first rapturous thrill of newness was gone. Sephiroth huffed and slowed down just a little. It was very nice to have a lover who knew the ropes but part of him twitched at the thought that he was not pleasuring her in quite the same way as before.

“What's wrong?” Aeris noticed his dismay right away.

Sephiroth frowned, slowing down just a little bit more. “You're getting bored with this, aren't you?” He punctuated the question with a more forceful thrust.

“No, I'm not,” Aeris said, meeting and matching him with hardly a gasp.

“Yes, you are,” Sephiroth grumbled, “Look at you, you're going to start yawning any minute.”

“I'm not getting bored, Sephiroth.”

“Well, you're getting too used to things.”

“Well, that's good, isn't it?” Aeris asked, breathing a bit harsher between words. “I mean, the first time was great, yeah, but I had no idea what to expect. I kept wondering where to put my legs and what to do with my hands. And then you had to just walk out the next morning.”

Sephiroth ignored her glare. “And the time after that?”

“Oh, hey, that was amazing but still, I didn't need all those bruises afterwards!” She rocked against him hard enough to make him lose his rhythm. He growled and redoubled his efforts in retaliation.

“Look, if I'm not meeting your expectations, it's perfectly fine to say so. I can't fix a problem I don't know about.”

Aeris met his violence in kind. “It's not a problem, Seph,” she grated.

“Of course it is! Do you really think I'm going to be satisfied if you're just lying there putting up with it? The fact that you're coherent enough to carry on a conversation in the middle of this...”

Aeris rolled her eyes at him. “I'll stay quiet if your ego can't take the bruising.”

Sephiroth leaned in. “Oh, no, you don't, woman,” he murmured, his voice low, “I'm not out of tricks yet.” He wrapped his arms tight around her, eyes glowing bright.

Aeris felt the blanket slide away and the sudden downward urging of her entire body. She glanced around, uncomprehending. They were a foot off the ground and still rising. “Hey, what the- SEPH! Are you insane? Put me down!”

“In a while, dear, when we're finished.” He adjusted his grip and increased the speed of ascent, grinning darkly when Aeris shrieked and wrapped her legs around him.

“Finished what, you loony? We can't do this in midair!”

“Oh?” Sephiroth smirked at her. “Says who?” There was definite satisfaction in watching Aeris sputter in outrage. The death grip she had on his shoulders was probably the only thing keeping her from taking a swing at him. He used his hold on her waist to move her against him. She groaned and shut her eyes tight. Her breathing was quick and shallow.

Sephiroth slowed down. “Aeris, it's okay. I won't drop you, I promise.” She did not move. Sephiroth halted where he was, hovering high above the sands. He made sure his grip on her was firm, then tilted backwards, curling himself slightly to give his lover a lap to sit on. He came to rest at an angle that put him between her and the ground. “Come on, Aeris, it's going to be all right.”

Aeris could not help leaning heavily against him. Her hair slid across her shoulders to blanket them both. Sephiroth petted her back gently with one hand, forcing himself to be still inside her.

“All right, Aeris, I'll admit it, this is a bit much.” Sephiroth glanced down at her, but she still had her eyes closed and there was no indication that she had heard him. He sighed and stared at the lights below them. The capital lay spread out like a child's play village.

“You know,” Sephiroth began, trying a different tack, “Wutai has very old laws on the books prohibiting certain kinds of behavior in public places. We certainly can't do this on Da Chao Mountain.” He waited patiently.

“Hmph,” Aeris said after a while, “Can't or shouldn't?”

Sephiroth smiled a little. “Both. If the authorities don't get you the fire in the caves will.” Aeris made a noncommittal sound. Sephiroth dredged his memory for more. “There are definite prohibitions on the grounds surrounding the Pagoda. It's illegal for women to do this under bridges. But just fine for men though.”

“Hmph.” Aeris nuzzled in closer to Sephiroth. “This is still crazy, you know.”

“There's no law against coupling in midair.”

Aeris snorted. “There's the law of gravity.”

“Ah, yes, that. A minor inconvenience.” Sephiroth gave her a little squeeze. “Want to give it a go?”

Aeris glared. “You're crazy.”

“That's a distinct possibility.”

Aeris narrowed her eyes at him. “You do realize that the only reason I haven't smacked some sense into you yet is that if I let go, I'll fall.”

“I figured as much.”

She exhaled hard, leaning in to rest her cheek against his shoulder. “It is pretty up here,” she said finally. Sephiroth ran his fingers lightly over what skin he could reach, still daring to hope. Aeris' fingers tangled in the fine hairs at his neck. “What if somebody sees us?”

Sephiroth pressed his head against hers and grinned. “Tell you what. If anyone complains, we'll take it out over international waters.”

There was some adjusting and a few false starts, but eventually they seemed to get the hang of things. Aeris ended up gripping Sephiroth's body tightly with her thighs, moving in a slow, steady rhythm with his guidance and support. “This isn't easy,” she muttered.

“Mmm, it isn't.” Sephiroth's brow was damp and furrowed from the effort it took to maintain the pace and the altitude.

“It's not bad, though.” Aeris pushed herself down a little harder, hissing slightly.

“I guess not,” Sephiroth murmured, his eyes fixed on the point where their bodies met.

Aeris blew a few strands of hair across his forehead. “You should still warn me next time you want to try something like this.”

“Yes,” the man almost moaned.

Aeris ran her fingers through his hair, growing bolder since he did not seem about to let her fall. “Sephiroth… Am I on top now?”

“Yes,” Sephiroth breathed, losing all other words, “Yes.”

“Oh, I like it.” Aeris grinned and settled herself down with a force that made the man gasp. They wobbled a bit in midair but Aeris did not seem to notice.

Sephiroth gritted his teeth and fought for control. “Am I going to be getting the top back anytime?”

Aeris graced him with a wicked smile. “I'll think about it.” Then all Sephiroth could think about was her teeth on his neck and her hair tangling around his arms and what her hands were doing at that very sensitive spot between his shoulders. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and tugged her head back so he could get to her mouth. He gave her no quarter and when her back arched and her body flushed warm against him, he swallowed her screams.

She collapsed against his chest and lay shivering in his arms, her body quivering around him still. Sephiroth gasped sharply and threw his head back, seeing the stars and then nothing at all.

There was a moment in the darkness when it seemed that the stars themselves were screaming down at him. “WAKE UP!”

Sephiroth opened his eyes to find himself plummeting to the ground with Aeris in his arms. He gathered himself quickly and halted the fall with such a crude use of force that a ring of sand blasted out around them and spread across the beach, smothering the fire as it went. Sephiroth hit the ground hard, automatically cradling Aeris to his chest.

“Aeris,” he rasped, “are you okay?” A slight murmur was her only response, but she seemed unharmed, curling up against him for warmth. “Good,” Sephiroth said and promptly passed out again.