Ethereal - Strike, Adapt, Abrupt - drabble

Pain exploded through his face. Eyes watered as Sephiroth staggered back holding his nose. He didn’t remember making a noise, but he must have done. When he moved his hand, it came away bloody. His nose didn’t feel broken, but that did not mean it wasn’t painful. He pinched the bridge and leaned his head forward. Tissue was stuffed into his hand and he placed it under his nose to catch the blood. “I suppose that is what I get for trying to sneak up on you,” he muttered.

“I am so sorry,” she said. “I had no idea you were there.” He could hear the regret in her tone, the worry and apology too. He should have known better than to sneak up on her. No matter that all he had wanted to do was pull her into an embrace and tell her how much he had missed her.

It had been a week since they’d last been able to get to their house. Not the ones behind the fence, but their home away from that life. It had been the longest week of his life, and it had taken all his will not to charge over to where she lived and carry her off. Part of him had been so tempted to do that anyway. He knew she’d not object. Shinra though, they would. They had them all living in this illusion and would deal with those who threatened that with severe punishment. Questions were already being asked to those couples who had not yet managed to start repopulating the world. Sephiroth suspected he already knew what the next step was. If he was right, there would be riots.

He pushed that from his mind and moved the tissue away from his nose. “Is it bad?” he asked.

“You need to wash your face,” she said. “I’m sorry,” she said again.

“It’s alright,” he said. “It was an accident.”

She patted his arm gently before handing him a damp cloth. “Does it hurt?” she asked. Sephiroth shook his head and wiped the blood from his nose. It had already stopped bleeding and the pain was all but gone.

“It was a bump, nothing more,” he said. A small smile touched his face, “Don’t worry.” The look on her face told him more than her words ever could. She pressed her lips together and looked down. He placed the cloth down on the table and placed his thumb under her chin. Lifting her face, he repeated, “It’s not your fault,” he said. She smiled a little then.

“You missed a bit…” Her little fingers touched the side of his face and brushed away the last of the dried blood. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. She clung to him, her little hands not touching behind him. Her delicate scent followed. Slowly, he closed his eyes, taking in the warmth of their embrace. No matter how often they found themselves like this, it never seemed to be enough. If he died in this moment, he would be content.

She pulled away, leaning back in his arms. Her forest green eyes met his lighter ones and she smiled. How could he ever resist such a lovely creature as she? Tilting his head a little, he met her lips with his. It was supposed to be a tender kiss, one that said that it wasn’t her fault at all and that he forgave him. However, when her lips parted in an open invitation, he couldn’t say no. The kiss deepened into something far more passionate.

As always, she was all honey and sweetness. Her taste was intoxicating, he couldn’t get enough of her. Tightening his grip on her, he wanted her to know he would never let her go, not while he had a choice in the matter. Her hands gripped his back, her breath echoed off his cheek. Soft hair brushed his hands, he pushed his fingers into her hair and plundered her mouth for kisses – making up for the lost time.

When he broke, both of their faces were flushed. The smile on her face was full of mischief. Her hand slipped into his and she stepped back. No words were needed and he let her lead him where she wanted to go.