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wing-ed-thing · 1 year ago

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Collaboration (Levi x Reader)

Synopsis: You and Levi, who has always treated you with the utmost disdain, are given a collaborative assignment. When you go over his head, you find that his feelings are a bit more complex than you expected.

Word Count: 4.7k

Tags/Warnings: No Reader Pronouns, Reader is referred to as “pretty” and “beautiful”, Minor Original Characters, Characters with Bad Takes, Canon-Typical Violence, Language, Yelling and Name-Calling, Assault, Workplace Harassment

Notes: Ensure you read the tags and proceed with caution!

You thought naively that all group projects would end when you left school.

Erwin spoke your title and name as he stood at the end of the table, staring punishingly down at the bundle of papers in his hand. He handed the stack to his right to Levi.

“I’m assigning these to you and Captain Levi. I expect to hear a report at the end of next week.”

You made direct eye contact with Levi over the polished wooden table, the both of you having the same thought simultaneously. Your brows raised in mild shock and acute horror. His gaze was piercing as he wrinkled his nose in disgust.

The corner of his already scowling lips twitched downwards as he separated the stack of papers. He flung your portion across the table flippantly. They landed haphazardly in front of you, parts of the pages sliding out of the paperclip. You sucked at the inside of your cheek as you glared back, leaning forward to take the disorganized pile in your hands. By that point, Erwin had long since moved the meeting on.

You flipped through the pages until the meeting ended. It wasn’t the most extensive project you had ever been assigned, but you didn’t feel ecstatic about collaborating with Levi.

You felt him eyeing you, and as he rounded the table, you held your breath for his presence to pass. It didn’t.

“I want you in my office at noon tomorrow.” Levi crossed his arms, his compilation of files clutched in one hand and pinned to his body by his elbow. You inhaled deeply, lamenting to yourself as to why every interaction with your fellow Section Leader always seemed to be a confrontation.

“You can want a lot of things, Captain, but I have a schedule as well,” you breathed, not quite in the mood for repartee. Given that his office was just down the hall from yours, a quick stop by wouldn’t have been the end of the world. However, you didn’t appreciate the demand of your time.

The other squad leaders and various leadership had begun to trickle out. Erwin stayed behind to put away his assorted folders and visual aids.

“I don’t know how you usually go about things, but I’m not a fan of putting things off.”

You resisted the urge to snort.

“I will swing by Thursday when I have a second to figure out a regular time for us to meet,” you nearly gritted, your tone sickly professional. Levi rolled his eyes.

All he said was, “Whatever,” before he pushed past you out of the room. A scowl overtook your face as soon as he left. Erwin had just finished taking down his various maps from the rolling corkboard.

“What a jerk.” You said aloud, not particularly to anyone. You crossed your arms over your chest with a huff. “You’d think I… I… killed his family by the attitude he cops with me.”

“Captain Levi does have his own unique… charm.” Even Erwin struggled with that one. With a shrug, he gathered up his things in the crook of his elbow. “He actually finds you quite pretty, I assure you.” An acute expression of amusement followed the single raise and lowering of his brows. His assurance didn’t do much for the deep frown on your face.

“What does being pretty have to do with anything?” You mirrored him, snatching your bundle of papers from the desk as you gestured sarcastically. “Has he been pulling my pigtails on the playground? Is that what you would say to me? Bad on you, Erwin.” The two of you slowly made for the door. He snorted at the swat you landed on his bicep.

“I’m sure he would if you asked him to.”

The corners of Erwin’s lips twitched up into an almost boyish smile. You continued to pout.

“You think you’re funny.”

“You know me well. As commander, I like to keep things light.” He adjusted his collar, squaring his shoulders back as he strode briskly down the hall. He plucked at his paperwork. You had to pick up your pace to keep up.

“You’re worse than he is,” you grumbled. “As commander, you should talk with him. His behavior is unprofessional at best.”

“Hm?” He hardly glanced up as he thumbed through his files. Erwin stopped momentarily in the middle of the hall, glancing back from where you just came and back to his papers. He fidgetted with them some more, and with a self-assured nod, he continued. You followed after him.

“Talk to him, Erwin. I’m sick of the non-stop attitude.”

“You’re grown enough to have your own conversations, Section Commander.” He hummed absentmindedly, making a sharp turn down the hallway and into the stairwell. The door almost hit you square in the nose.

“He’s your subordinate,” you petitioned, clutching onto the railing as Erwin rapidly moved up the stairs. Your words echoed as he reached the next landing. You hurried up the steps so as not to lose him. He held the door open for you, to your surprise, as you shuffled up toward him with labored breath.

“And your peer.” He gave you a pointed look before moving on. You continued your chase.

“Really, Erwin?”

—“Commander.”

“When my pigtails are at stake?”

“Ah yes, your metaphorical pigtails.” It took you a moment to realize you had reached his office when he stopped again. You stared at the large wooden doors, slightly taken aback. Erwin made a harsh jab at the folder in your hands. You could almost feel it through the paper. “It’s an assignment. I expect the two of you to get along.”

And before you could get a word in edgewise, he had already closed his office doors in your face.

***

The offices of the Military Police Brigade always had a drastically different feel compared to the Scouts. You walked past a stately courtyard and through stone halls. As you made your way up to the third floor, you couldn’t help but notice how everyone in the capital seemed so much more relaxed— if you dare use such a word. Not to say the Military Police lacked formality, but such decorum differed adjacently.

You rapped at an office door. You wouldn’t go as far as to say that it was decorated ornately, but the four brass curls that curved from the door’s hinges gave it a more elegant look. A muffled invitation came from the other side, and you let yourself in. The knob hardly creaked, unlike the one stationed at the entrance of your office. Captains in the Military Police probably didn’t have to deal with squeaky doors or broken locks, you pondered to yourself bitterly.

Captain Thatch sat behind his desk with a pen in his hand. His bright blue eyes lit up at the sight of you as he stood to welcome you with a wave of his palm. You closed the door behind you as he greeted you by name. The two of you saluted to each other before you held up a handful of documents.

“To what do I owe the pleasure, beautiful? I hope you Scouts haven’t gotten into too much trouble now.” You strode across the room to hand them over, rolling your eyes as you did—typical Thatch. You invited yourself to one of the chairs in front of his desk. Thatch settled into his comfy seat as he flipped through the folder, and his eyes bulged. “Captain Levi is on this, huh.”

“It’s straight from Commander Erwin.” Thatch chuckled to himself. He sat, continuing to flip pages.

“That guy refuses to tell me where he gets his hair gel,” he sighed with a shake. You always thought that Thatch looked like most men that served in the MPs. Lean and neatly uniformed, you considered that he wore his light brown hair in a barely practical style for combat. As an MP, he could get away with that.

“I’ll ensure it’s the first order of business at the next meeting,” you snorted, slinging an ankle over your opposite knee. You glanced around his office, taking note of all his little knickknacks as you typically did when you were here. MP officers certainly loved their useless little decorations.

“See, this is why I like you comin’ here.” Thatch clicked his tongue. The end of his quill brushed against his lip as he studied you. “You know I’m a man who likes to indulge in a bit of flattery.”

The comment escaped you as you launched into jargon and well-rehearsed lines about what support you would need for your and Levi’s project. You sat at the edge of your chair, gripping a pen as you motioned to various items that lay flat on Thatch’s desk. You talked for well over an hour.

“Well,” he leaned back, something about him oozing self-satisfaction. “I’m honored you came to me for support on this.”

“Support from the Military Police would be of the utmost help,” you responded diplomatically, glossing over that this issue was Thatch’s specific jurisdiction and, therefore, the only person you could’ve gone to.

“I’ll pass it along if it means I’ll see you around here more.” Thatch grinned as his cheek settled into the palm of his hand. You sighed. Perhaps lack of professionalism in the workplace extended to more people than just Levi.

“I’ll have someone reach out to you about a meeting to discuss further. Let’s coordinate something soon.” You stood, and with a quick salute, you let yourself out.

***

“I thought you’d never show up. Tsk, think you could send a little notice next time?”

You almost touched your forehead to the door as you entered, his rude words almost making you turn on your heel to leave. The latch clicked shut behind you as you made your way over to Levi’s desk. Another office door that worked better than yours did. You considered putting in a work order.

He lounged on his office chair, a warm cup of tea pinched between the pads of his fingers. He sat up, placing it on his desk as he rested his elbows.

“I’ll have you know I just finished up with Captain Thatch,” you said, trying to mask the bitterness in your tone. You let yourself in, sitting across from another desk for the second time that day. Levi arched a brow, staring deeply into the liquid of his cup. He traced the rim with his index finger.

“From the MPs?” he asked in consideration. His other hand ran through his undercut.

“We’ll need their assistance here.”

You braced yourself for his inevitable criticism, which came swiftly.

“So you went over my head.” You frowned with a huff. You crossed one leg over the other, shifting your collection of important documents as you did.

“I thought you’d be pleased to have the interaction taken off your docket.”

The two of you sat with eyes locked. The room sat still as Levi analyzed you. A vein in his forehead twitched. His glare was as scathing as ever.

“Let me be the judge of that next time.” His harsh words cut through the palpable tension in the air. The tension in his brow softened for the slightest second. You were too busy writing to notice. “I don’t want you meeting with Thatch without me.”

You didn’t even acknowledge him. You penned something down instead, making a minor adjustment to the plan in your lap before you turned it over to Levi. You flung it over his desk, and the page landed upside down in front of him. You leaned back in your seat.

“Does this work for your calendar?” He gave it a quick once over, flicking it back towards you. The neatly inked page fell off the edge of the desk.

“Why are you asking me? You’ve clearly gone through my schedule, you little creep.” You couldn’t help the scowl that contorted your face. Levi’s features were just as severe.

“Do you want me to consult you or not? Make up your goddamn mind.” Your nose wrinkled in displeasure. Levi searched one of the drawers of his desk, pulling out a familiar folder. It looked more worn than when you last saw it. He took it in two hands and let it fall onto the desk with a smack.

“I’ve already gotten my end of things done. I expect us to be able to move forward in a timely manner.” Levi smacked it toward you. The beefy file spun towards the edge of the desk. You barely caught it in time before the filled-out pages began to spill out. You matched his glare as you stood.

“You’re insufferable,” you spat.

“Took the words right out of my mouth.”

***

You deliberated for the days that followed.

Between your normal duties as Squad Leader, you funneled your efforts toward your project with Levi. Although, you considered that the measure had more to do with your mounting annoyance than your actual work ethic.

The hours you spent working overtime were proportionate to the amount of Levi’s hostile indifference you had to put up with on any given day. Each errand run outside headquarters was an excuse to cool down. Even if sending a new recruit for a signature was easier, you jumped at the opportunity to deliver clerical work personally. Levi didn’t have to know. Thatch was thrilled, to say the least.

For what it was worth, Levi at least got his work to you on time and with little fuss. Although you hoped the process would’ve been more collaborative, you appreciated being able to throw things together independently, no matter the strain.

You hurried down the hallway. The low heels of your boots clicked on the tile, producing a haphazard rhythm as you muttered apologies to startled cadets. You glanced at your watch, almost slamming into another cadet as you did. You exclaimed another rushed apology as you made a beeline for your office. You were already ten minutes late.

You slammed open the door.

“I’m so sorry, Thatch!”

Thatch turned in his chair, surprised by your sudden and violent entrance. You made for your desk, trailing papers as you did.

“Let me help you with that.”

Thatch was quick to stand. He scooped up the papers closest to him as he made his way toward the entrance. Luckily, the trail of important documents only extended to just a foot outside the doorway. You plopped the large crate of files on your desk and pushed it forward with your hip bone. Thatch glanced behind himself as you did, slowly closing the door and locking it.

“You wouldn’t believe how hard it was to haul this thing all the way from the basement,” you panted. You steadied your hands on your knees—the ache of your efforts seared through the muscles of your legs and buttocks. Thatch approached you, smoothing out the loose papers in his hands. He held them out to you, eyes glued on your backside. You took them from him when you caught your breath and fanned yourself. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” he laughed. You hummed as you took another look at your watch. You offered him a contrite look.

“Captain Levi should be here any moment. He had a meeting that overlaps with us, but—”

“Ah, he didn’t tell you? Captain Levi won’t be joining us today.”

You pursed your lips in confusion, tilting your head to the side as you continued to unpack the crate you had just pulled from records. Your eyes flickered to the neatly drawn schedule at your desk's edge.

“Oh…” That was all you said, your brows still furrowed.

You wished Levi would have told you that earlier. The whole point of holding the meeting in your office was so Levi wouldn’t make a fuss about the commute. You sighed. Well, there goes your excuse to get out of headquarters for the day.

“Is something wrong?”

“Not at all.” You shook your head. “I suppose we can just go over things, and I can fill him in later.” You hardly spared any attention toward Thatch, overwhelmed by the mountain of administrative work you had hoped you would’ve had a chance to sort out before Thatch arrived.

A wide, wooden shelf sat on the wall next to your desk. Each landing was filled to the brim with neatly labeled binders. A black binder dated two days back sat on the top shelf. You strained yourself to reach it.

“Here, I got it.”

Before you could even think, Thatch came up directly behind you. He caged you in as he plucked out the binder. One arm clutched the lower shelf by your shoulder, and the other held the bundle of neat papers, casting a shadow over your face. He positioned a foot next to yours as he leaned forward to look at your shocked face. Thatch’s chest made flush contact with your back.

“I’m sorry. I can’t help myself anymore.” You instinctively moved to pull away, but Thatch pinned one of your wrists to the shelf’s frame. The binder clattered to the floor. You felt a hand slide into the back pocket of your uniform pants. That was enough to set you off. “I told myself the next time you were in my office when we were alone; I would—.”

“Get off me,” you demanded, a shiver coursing through your spine. Thatch’s eyes widened in confusion. Shock filled your system as you processed your situation. His hand felt clammy wrapped around you. You assessed your options. “Thatch.” His name was spoken in warning.

With the slightest bit of hesitation, his grip on you loosened for a second. You took the opportunity to whirl around as you delivered a swift blow straight to his face. His hand flew straight to his nose as Thatch stumbled back to lean against your desk as you quickly composed yourself.

He stared at you with wild eyes. His trembling fingers lowered to reveal a disfigured and bloody nose. Thatch touched the blood pouring down his upper lip, smoothing it between his fingertips to convince himself of what had just happened. He ground his teeth.

“You little bitch… You think leading me on is funny, huh?”

You groped at the wall of books and files behind you, hurling one at Thatch as you made a break for the door. Papers flew around you as you tried to flee, but a large hand seized the back of your jacket. Thatch threw you to the ground, your head hitting the leg of the chair in front of your desk as you went down. You cried out a guttural sound of frustration and pain as Thatch continued to rage over you.

And in a blur of adrenaline and discombobulation, you heard a creak, muffled footsteps, and a hard smack.

You scrambled away, sitting on your office carpet as you held your arms up defensively. But no harm ever came to you.

Thatch clutched his head, holding onto your desk as he struggled to his feet. A bright, red blood stain smeared the side of your work area from where Levi had forced Thatch’s face. Thatch made a lunge for Levi as soon as he picked himself up. In his rage, you assumed he just wanted to take his anger out on anyone.

Levi made short work of him. Thatch never even landed a hit. By the time you rose off the floor, Levi was standing over Thatch, kicking and elbowing him mercilessly over and over into your desk. Blood splattered across your office. Levi took him by the hair, slamming his face into the side of the wood.

He had left the door open when he barged in. The loose hinges caused it to rasp open. Cadets and other soldiers gathered in the hall outside your door, gawking as Levi brutalized a Military Police captain. They flinched with hands over open mouths as Thatch’s bellows and whimpers filled the hall. You stalked over to the open door, causing a few passing soldiers to recoil physically.

You stood in the doorway as the violence continued behind you, your entire face stark.

“Someone call security!” you barked. A few people scrambled off to do as they were told. The leftover audience averted their eyes, some scrambling off to not get caught spectating.

You closed the door halfway as you turned back to Levi and Thatch.

“Levi,” you said in a quiet voice. You didn’t know if he had heard you.

He held Thatch’s battered face by his hair, bringing his ear close to his lips.

“Don’t fuck with the Scouts.” Levi threw Thatch down again, giving him one last kick. “Learn to keep your dirty mitts off my comrades, you filthy pig.” Levi stormed over to you with a fury in his eyes that you had rarely seen. He collected you, pulling you by the sleeve of your jacket and out the door. “We’re leaving.”

The crowd outside completely dissipated as soon as they saw Levi. They leaped out of his way as they scattered throughout the wing. Just three steps out of your office and the hall had completely emptied.

“Levi—”

“Shut up.”

He dragged you across the polished tile. A mop and bucket sat abandoned in the middle of the wing. You yanked yourself out of his grip, staggering backward. You wouldn’t be manhandled by Thatch, and you sure as hell wouldn’t let Levi do the same. You glanced back toward your office and then to where Levi burned with ire.

“What the hell was—”

—“No.” He cut you off sternly, coming up just a foot from your face. Levi continued to blaze with barely restrained rage. “What the hell did you think you were doing? I told you no meeting with Thatch without me. I thought I made myself clear, or are you just stupid?”

“The hell? You were—!”

“But no, you had to slink around with the massive creep under ten different investigations for being a massive fucking creep.” Your poised lips froze. You didn’t know that. Levi could read as much in your expression, and you could see the vexation in his dark irises. He continued to fume. “Maybe when I say shit to you, you should, I don’t know, listen because maybe you don’t know every fucking thing.” Levi jabbed you on the shoulder, and you smacked his hand away in disgust.

“How was I supposed to know you would back out last minute? You agreed to come to the meeting!” you shouted, and the hall went completely silent. Levi’s expression remained unreadable. He drew back.

“What?”

“That’s what—” The words you were about to say died on your lips. You stared deep into Levi’s expression. A horrific realization dawned on you, a realization that he figured out just before you. “That’s what… Thatch told me.” Levi rolled his eyes. You didn’t notice their appearance soften.

“C’mon, let’s go.” The clutch on your elbow was more gentle than you expected.

“Where are we going?”

“The infirmary, dumbass,” Levi scoffed. “You hit your head hard as hell.” He didn’t even look at you as he led the way down the hall.

You didn’t put up a fight this time. He escorted you to the infirmary, gave the nurse a brief explanation of what happened (leaving out the details), and left soon after that. As you sat through your testing, you replayed the imagery of Levi’s rage, which seared into your mind.

***

Thatch was suspended indefinitely and was later stripped of his rank.

Levi fell under investigation.

You were called in to answer questions in front of Commander Erwin and Premier Darius Zachary, among others. Apparently, the audience you had the day Thatch decided to act up in your office was enough to whip the military into a tizzy. Because of their mutual ranks and the publicity of the stunt, Levi also faced suspension, no matter how unfair you found it.

You waited outside of the hearing room with anxiety pounding in your chest. If anything lucky came out of the situation, it was that Levi hadn’t been put on a formal trial. After collecting testimony from you and several other witnesses, it was up to the military leadership to decide Levi’s fate. It gave you hope to think you had a little power over how they perceived Levi’s actions through your retelling. Not to mention, you were sure that Erwin had a plan to back up his right hand.

He had told you not to worry earlier. It didn’t do much for your nerves.

You shot up the moment the doors opened. Several of your uniformed superiors trickled out of the room. It only took you a few seconds to spot Levi. He stood by Erwin’s side as the commander exchanged a few last words with Premier Zachary. You stood off to the side a ways away, just outside a tucked-off part of the corridor, not wanting to make a spectacle. They spotted you at the same time. Levi tore off from the Scout’s commander, approaching you. His expression was as indifferent as ever.

“So?” you asked, pulling him around the corner. You pressed your index finger across the length of your lip in anticipation. “What did they say?” Levi sighed and shrugged.

“A slap on the wrist. Luckily nothing more, thanks to Erwin.” He glanced towards the slowly dispersing group of military leaders. Levi stood with his arms crossed with an almost pensive look to him. He quirked a brow at you. You must’ve been staring. “Is that all?”

You paused, thrown off by the question.

“I’m just sorry you had to go through all of this,” you admitted. “And I never thanked you for rescuing me.” You had more to say. You had questions, but for now, especially with Levi fresh from his hearing, you thought it best to keep your comments brief.

“I would have done it for anyone,” he scoffed with a notable shift in his demeanor. His words were true, but something about how he said them wasn’t quite believable. It made you think back to what Erwin had told you.

“I know… I, just, uh…” Levi studied you with dark, stoic eyes as you pondered to yourself. He noticed you pause, wondering what thoughts ran through your mind.

You decided to take a chance, casting your gaze downward as you closed the space between you. You raised a hand gingerly as your attention darted across Levi’s face. He didn’t recoil and continued to observe you carefully instead, letting you caress his firm jaw. His skin's natural texture felt warm under your fingers' pads. In a moment absent of thoughts, you pressed a light kiss to the corner of his mouth. You pulled away.

“The hell was that?” he asked, but his voice was devoid of bite in contrast to the nature of his words. You could’ve sworn you saw the undertone of Levi’s face grow increasingly pinker. You laughed, much to his disdain, something sentimental overtaking you.

“Maybe I should listen to Erwin more often.”

“You should already be listening to me, Squad Leader.” Erwin rounded the corner. He huffed, shaking his head as he reeled from the hearing. Despite meandering discourse being a significant part of his job as commander, even Erwin wasn’t immune to the occasional burnout. “I’m confident that the two of you have taken the time to talk about how you’ll be moving forward without Captain Thatch.”

“Yes, sir,” you responded, much to Levi’s surprise.

“Wonderful.” Erwin nodded between the two of you. “It’s good to see the two of you getting along.” You hummed in agreement, and with a last once-over, Erwin made for the stairwell directly behind him. “Come now, Levi. Plenty of other things to attend to, given that your rank has remained intact.”

Levi glanced at you. You met his concerned expression with a shrug.

“We’ll talk about it later. Your office.”

You turned on your heel to leave, and Levi followed after Erwin.

Thank you to all who liked, reblogged, followed, and otherwise supported. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.

Notes: Poor Reader, turns out having the only broken doorknob in the whole military really paid off this time. I read this to my boyfriend and I was like DID YOU GET IT??? DID YOU GET THE DOORKNOB THING????

The way this TOOK FOREVER, but I really enjoyed the new writing style. DON’T FUCK WITH THE SCOUTS 😤

#levi x reader #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman fanfic #attack on titan x reader #levi ackerman #levi #attack on titan fanfic #attack on titan fanfiction #shingeki no kyoujin x reader #shingeki no kyoujin #x you #x reader #reader insert #tw assualt #tw harassment

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xxwitchylanexx · 2 months ago

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From the Keys to Your Heart

Rebirth Retold Chapter 6

The parade in Junon isn't until the end of the week so maybe a little side quest to Crow's Nest to kill the time.

This is my longest chapter yet, and you should reread chapter 7 cause the beginning has changed a bit to fit in this new chapter. Thanks everyone for reading! Feel free to comment and let me know what you liked, and if you feel like this fits our Cloud <3

Masterlist

Chapter 7

Side quest spoilers

*~*

Under Junon didn’t exactly embrace your group with open arms, but you’d take what you could get especially since the members were labeled as eco-terrorists. The mayor, a hardened woman from years being crushed under Shinra’s boot, turned a blind eye and pointed you in the direction of a cozy inn in the heart of the fishing town. You had your reservations: the glint in her stare were practically made of dollar signs, and how she sat at the entrance like she was waiting for them, not to mention the bounty on your companions heads could drastically increase the quality of life for her residents. But who were you to turn down her hospitality when the prospect of a real bed outweigh your reservations.

You were eager to walk along the uneven cement pathways, the stone was so worn down from decades of traffic that the path was nearly just gravel now, as you imagined what these houses, warehouses, and businesses looked like before they deteriorated to the crumbling patchwork structures they were now. The town was probably charming, maybe gentle, before Shinra installed gaudy support structures and the big steel plate above their heads, what once gave hope for a city metropolis now sucked the life and sunlight from the very heart of the under city. You could almost see it in your mind, cute vintage houses made of the finest dark wood, with olive shutters on the windows. Aesthetically pleasing open verandas that connected right to a shopkeeper’s house so they could run their mom n’ pop shop right outside their homes. An intricately designed harbor that really gave the town its spirit with top of the line boats to fish, after all Junon was known for its fishing.

Now those darling houses were patched with driftwood and corrugated tin, most houses had spiderweb cracks in more than half of the windows, and the shutters were long since abandoned. The shops were still open but the owners eyes were hollow and shaky on their feet, too weary from the day to day fight to keep breathing. The docks were in shambles, the planks throughout its entirety had more holes than wood and what was patched was half assed with whatever material they had on hand, but the most devastating aspect of Under Junon was the ships and the sea. Each vessel was anchored on the shore under Shinra’s order. The nets were moth eaten and moss grew along the sides where the boat met the water. The sea was polluted and greenish yellow particles floated within it, the air was smoggy and thick. Without their boats you assumed the people were going hungry. What once was a bustling port town was now the slums 2.0. Meanwhile Shinra turned a blind eye, the only ones hearing the townsfolk’s protests were the foot soldiers who operated the elevator.

You sat in the town square on the circular benches near the anchor they immortalized when they first founded Junon, it was the very first anchor they dropped on their first deep sea fishing voyage, that's what the plaque says anyway. Your inquiring eyes moved over to the colossal skeletal fossil of the towns greatest rival, The Terror of the Deep. Its maw hung open and its empty sockets bore into your own. Funny how their symbol of liberation, now foreshadowed their impending doom.

The sun had set beyond the horizon an hour or two ago. The others split apart to gather any potential info on where the guys in robes were going next or any details on the big event that Shinra was preparing for at the end of this week. You heard whispers, but nothing solid. However one thing seemed pretty clear from a rumor that everyone seemed to be repeating. Rufus Shinra was coming to town, and where the president goes the Turks follow.

A shrill scream pierced through the evening chill, and panic followed. “Help! Priscilla is in trouble!” You seen Cloud dart out of the inn, a hand firmly wrapped around the hilt of his sword. The others soon joined him in a circle, hovering over the narrow stone stairway that led to the docks. Please…. just don’t get involved… Your inner voice pleaded. Your head wasn’t in the game. Aerith’s teasing and Gabe’s implications weighed you down significantly. Your body was sore and tired from falling down a mine, sleeping on a rough rocky terrain, and riding chocoback for a whole day. Overall your head was foggy and sluggish, your edge was dulled and your instincts lagged behind.

But of course they were going to help, they always did, and despite every muscle in your body begging for relief, you hauled yourself off of the bench to follow them into danger.

*~* Who would’ve thought you’d save two people from drowning within two days, and why on this floating rock through space does no one else know CPR? You groaned, your shoulders slumping with the breath that left your body, as you stalked back up the stairs from the utter disaster of battle. You reeked of fish, and brine. Your clothes were wet from the slimy terror splashing in and out of the too warm sea. Your back ached from bending so far back that you almost fell over, all to avoid being smacked by a fish tail. You only wished you’d stabbed the overgrown goldfish harder. The only thing reigning in your fiery temper was the free room, all to yourself, with a shower and a laundry facility.

The inn was one of the only buildings that still held a calming warmth. You traced the pattern of the sage green wallpaper with a fingertip as you passed through the halls, taking time to admire the paintings of sea creatures cased in handcrafted golden frames.

You ascended the staircase to the next floor and rounded the corner at the top, walking right past a door that was left ajar thinking nothing of it before stopping in your tracks just past the frame as Cloud’s voice filtered past the doorway. His words were dry, almost emotionless, but if not for that underlying sadness you would’ve thought nothing of it and carried on.

“Was that another test?” You braced your weight alongside the wall, your palm brushing against the ridges and dips along the surface.

“What? No!” Tifa sputtered, her voice high and defensive, before heaving in defeat. “Why try to deny it. I guess it was. I’m sorry.” Your pulse quickened as the room remained silent the only thing to be heard was the rush of blood in your ears. You didn’t need to be inside to feel the thick tension that built between the two much like the twisting nausea that crawled inside your stomach. >Just how close are they?

Cloud huffed. “We’ll find time to talk, just the two of us. Figure things out.” Your nostrils flared, your esophagus began to burn as the bile worked its way up. This was none of your business.

Your feet carried you swiftly away from there, much like a mouse running from a cat, past the next door and stopped in front of the room designated to you. Your vision tunneled and your surrounding grew hazy as his voice replayed ‘just the two of us’ in your head. Your eyes stared blankly at the 203 on the doorplate. You could faintly hear your name being called, but you were unsure if it was real or just the quiet yearning of your heart that you were struggling to accept.

You closed your eyes and propped your head against the door, inhaling deeply to calm your rapid heart beat, and turned the handle of the door and slipped into the comfort of the rooms closed walls. Your lungs expanded freely without the eyes of your friends around, as you sagged against the door frame. It's none of your business. You reminded yourself as you tilted your head towards the ceiling letting your eyelids slide close.

You slowly peeled your eyes open to look around. This room was similar to the rest of the inn as far as wall style went, only this one was a rich red instead of earthy green. A queen bed, all done up in blankets of cream and tan, was pushed right up to the right side of the room. It was well lit with a square fixture on the ceiling overhead and a few table lamps. A round rug covered the wood and provided a layer of insulation from the cold creaking floor.

With a strangled groan you pushed yourself off the door and shrugged off your equipment, leaving it to fall haphazardly to the floor. Every muscle in your body burned as you lumbered over to the bed, your clumsy feet catching on the rug a few too many times. But every moment of pain was worth the relief you felt as your face nuzzled into the plush mattress and warmth flooded you as you buried yourself under the blankets.

Regardless of the pure exhaustion that plagued you, sleep had continued to evade you. Your head swam with the event of the day and thanks to Aerith’s little accusation yesterday you came to the conclusion this horrendous feeling must be jealousy, though if you admitted it you’d have to accept the fear and anger that’s welling inside you too. Gods you angry. Not at her, or Cloud, or Tifa, but yourself. How the hell did this happen? You don’t do feelings, and you certainly didn’t do romance. Seduction and infatuation, sure, but never love. It was a liability, a weakness, one could exploit if they wished. So where did it all go wrong?

It didn’t help that his room was right next to yours. Only the thin drywall between your two headboards separated you, and his thumped against the plaster rhythmically, his raspy grunts muffling through to keep your rapid thoughts circling the thought of him. Were those reps he was counting? Leave it to him to have a nightly workout.

You sighed, and mentally imagined as the conflicting emotions, the jealousy, the wishful thinking, the ghost of possible feelings, all the warmth and comfort, and pushed them all into a tiny metal chest at the deepest and darkest place that house all the other memories you kept locked away. You can’t be jealous because you don't care. You just needed to keep your distance and in a couple weeks you’ll be at the saucer and can put this whole fiasco to bed. A tiny murmur of sadness shined from the useless organ in your chest, which you quickly stamped down too. This will pass. After all you’ve gotten rather good at separating your mind from pain. You don't see how this was any different.

Once you did finally achieve the sweet release of unconsciousness you were submerged into the hideous atrocities of your childhood. Usually your subconscious could identify when you were reliving one, and change the course of the dream world, but after all of the challenges today- and yesterday- brought, your body and mind were just to exhausted. Your collective presence was pulled down into the sedation of lethargy.

It started back in the saucer. You had just won the last race, beating out the slimy asshole Chuck, and now you stood in the glamorous stables, a brush in hand and a treat in the other. It felt as if your head, or eyes, was vibrating as you ran the brush through your silver chocobo’s feathers. You heard sniffling, but kept your eyes on your bird. The last thing you wanted was to catch his attention. “No…please, stop…” Your pulse spiked, and blood ran white hot with fury. You set your brush down calmly, and assured the bird in front of you that everything would be okay.

But when you turned around to beat the shit out of the guy, you were suddenly clawing desperately at the gritty ground. Adrenaline flooded your brain as pure desperation clutched at your chest and constricted your airways. No… not here… Not again… Footsteps dug into the gravel and the ground under you vibrated. A group of men circled around you, four at least. The one closest to you gripped your ankle hard enough that it would bruise and began to drag you back into their makeshift circle. Tears fell rapidly, and your nose ran like crazy. You tried to focus on the taste of your own tears to distance yourself from the burning pain in your fingers as your nails cracked against the tiny pebbles and pieces of cement as you clawed at anything to get away.

You found that escaping was futile, so changed gears trying to kick frantically to open a chance to escape, all you needed was an ounce leverage. A small part of you just wanted to stop. Your lungs burned. Your fingers were bleeding. Your vision blurred. Your ears rang. Why fight it? There was no hope. You will die here.

A sick sadistic cackle seeped through the static. His gravelly voice, like an old muffler that rusted through where it should’ve connected to the carburetor, told the others to stop. You couldn’t make out his words, your consciousness was distorted like you were being held just beneath the surface of water, but his tone sparked fear in every fiber of your being. And like a match the embers of your resolve caught flame and blazed brightly once again. You kicked and screamed and scratched and even bit, as the other men shuffled around trying to grab whatever they could get their hands around to hold you down, but the moment you heard the clicking and shuffling of a belt coming undone you crumbled.

Your eyes filled with tears that refused to fall. Your mouth felt dry and your own cries, pleas, and begging sounded funny to your own ears. You searched for anyone, anything that might help. You knew hope was lost when your frantic gaze landed on the nosy middle aged woman in the window across the street. She held her silk curtains open with her fan, her cold impenetrable chocolate eyes watching you like it was the best entertainment she’d seen that night with no intent or sense of urgency to help.

Darkness pressed in on you until everything faded to nothing. Whether it be that you didn’t remember exactly what happened or if it was just so horrible that even your unconscious mind didn’t want to relive it, you would never know, but when you came to everything was red. No matter how many times you’ve relived this nightmare it always returns here. Your vision was streaked in crimson, bodies lay in piles around you. Some were intact, others were heavily injured, the rest were in pieces scattered around you. All of them in pools of their collected blood. Their eyes wide, still, and lifeless. Their expressions frozen as if they were screaming for their lives that never reached your cotton filled ears.

You caught an image of yourself in the rippling reflection in the puddle around your bare feet. You looked like an emissary of Odin himself. S/c skin smeared with blood, and every fiber of your awkwardly torn clothes soaked as well, and dripping down the planes of your thighs. Your sunken eyes were hollow, and lifeless beyond the flicker of wrath held within. Sobs convulsed through your tiny malnourished body and the rusted knife shook violently in your hand. A scream pierced your ear drums and everything began to shake violently. Pressure began to build and squeezed and—

You shot up from the mattress like you were struck with magic, gasping for a clear breath and clawing at the clothes that clung to your form. Loud knocking rattled the door, and a voice you weren’t entirely familiar with yelled at you from the other side. Your thoughts were far away when you stumbled to the door. You took a deep breath and collection your carefully collected facade before pulling the wretched door open. The ninja girl that you saved yesterday smiled widely at you, her lips moving a mile a minute but nothing reached your ears. You weren’t sure if you should consider her a bad omen or a breath of fresh air.

She barely gave you enough time to fix your hair and put your boots on before she herded you into Cloud’s room for weird introductions and strategy planning. Only to find out that the mayor did, in fact, rat you out. You couldn’t find it you to be angry with her though.

An engine roared to life just outside the inn, as Yuffie escaped out the rattling window. The obnoxious revving made your ears ring again and your head throb behind your eye. You’ve met some weird people while traveling with the gang but you never would’ve guessed Cloud had a biker stalker, and surprise surprise hes another soldier. You’ve been awake for all of an hour, and you were so weary you nearly said your goodbyes and parted there. If it wasn’t for that small masochistic part of you that was comforted by the chaos you would’ve been on the first chocobo home.

Once you all regrouped you discussed what you should do now. Shinra wouldn’t arrive until the end of the week when the parade was scheduled to begin. You had three days to kill, and it didn’t seem like a smart move to go topside until the day of. Barret and Cloud didn’t exactly blend into a crowd. So Barret sought out the mayor with a bone to pick as you kept to the back. You just felt so out of place. You didn’t belong with these people. Every piece of you just fought to stay upwards under the immense pressure.

Though here you were, listening as the mayor explained why she did it. She even gave him a portion of their bounty in exchange for the trouble, and the argument stopped there. She pulled her dry brown hair back into a tighter pony before returning her gloved hand to her hip. “Well, since you clearly didn’t have anything better to do, think I could out source you to work?” The mayor, Rhonda, spoke. Barrett nudged Cloud’s shoulder before shuffling in front of him. “The remainder of your bounty- I need it delivered to someone. I’ve already got a porter picked out too.” She whistled and a gray whippet dog came running before sitting back on his haunches at her feet. “This here’s Salmon. Since he’ll be the one making the drop, it’s your job to get him there safe.”

“Doesn’t seem like too much if a hassle, but… who exactly is this money for?” Barret rasped, crossing his arms over his chest.

“My son. Haven’t seen him in a spell, not since he left town… and never looked back. This gil is me washing my hands of him.” She mimicked hand washing to accentuate her point. “He’s a grown man. Can’t be clingin’ to his mom’s skirts- or her pocket book.”

“We’ll take the job, for a price.” Cloud said as he shifted his weight.

“Much obliged. Once you make it to the Crows nest, find Toby. He’ll make sure you get the reward. But if I find a single hair outta place on Sam, you won’t live to enjoy it. You keep my boy safe.” She said with a finger pointed at his chest. You scoffed, you hardly doubt that she would last a minute against Cloud, let alone you.

*~*

You decided that Barret was just a man made up of intense contradictions. He was loud, brash, quick to jump the gun, yet could be incredibly gentle, and cautious. He was as stubborn as he was loud and nearly six feet and four inches of hulking muscle. A walking intimidation, yet the first to go to bat for his people. His face, while moderately attractive, was made of sharp lines, and a strong jaw. His glare struck in many through the dark lenses of his shades, and his resting bitch face had people running for the hills. Not to mention the gargantuan canon grafted to his arm. He was both a fierce, loving, and protective father, and the paragon of terrorism- something Shinra monopolized on that.

So the scene unfolding just before you really struck a chord in you. You were never intimated by him personally, you had nerves of steel and skills to back you up, but to see all that muscle, all that bark, hunched over this white and grey mutt scratching behind an ear and cooing his promises to keep him safe with puckered lips like he was speaking to an actual child really dispelled all illusions of his tough guy persona.

“Don’t you worry. Any monster that wants to getcha is gonna have to go through me.” He gave one more scratch under the dogs chin then straightened out to his full height. Salmon, the dog, turned on his heels and scurried down the beaten and barren path that led away from the rotting stench of the sea town. You followed along at the back like a captured spy now held hostage.

There was no joy right now, your circumstances and inner mockery only intensified the emptiness that lingered, but you tried your hardest to focus on the changing terrain, the rocky footpaths slowly fading into something a little more green. There wasn’t much of point you discovered as the back of Tifa’s head beckoned your scrutiny. Every swish of her perfect brown hair ticked like a bomb under your skin just waiting for the clock to hit zero. Her motherly nature shined brightly and lessened Aerith’s concerns, and in that moment you wished you were more like her. Tifa could easily validate someone’s feelings while providing a soothing direction. You actually envied her ability to connect with people, something you struggled with, and it occurred to you that this may have been the first time you’ve ever viewed someone as competition, and the notion left you uncomfortable especially since you truly did enjoy Tifa’s company.

There was still hours of hiking left, and you didn’t want to stare daggers at her back for the remainder of it, so you picked up your pace and slipped between the two of them until you took up a place between the guys at the front. Out of sight out of mind, right? Thankfully for you, Barret was loud enough to drown them out, although being up here came with it’s own challenges. You tried to subdue the rapid thoughts that created the lingering weight that plagued your body, and resisted the deep seeded temptation to sneak a peak at the blonde man to your right. You kept telling yourself that this new stubborn obsession stemmed from curiosity, that’s why, no matter how many times you swiped away the words that formed behind your eyelids, the question always circled back to the forefront of your mind. Was Cloud and Tifa an item? A wistful sigh slipped past your bow shaped lips. You didn’t need to see him to know his eyes were on you, searching for a reason for your distress.

You saw his mouth open to say something out of your peripheral, but before he had a chance to voice his concern Barret was barking out a question, and his heavy gaze finally moved on both giving you a sense of relief and longing. “Hey, Cloud! Remind me, how old were you when you left home?” Fortunately, or maybe not, Barret’s inquiry also piqued your curiosity. You certainly didn’t need to know anymore about him, but the topic was a good distraction from the chaos brewing in your head.

“Fourteen.” He answered simply, his attention returning to the trail in front of you. “No, wait, it was spring so thirteen.”

Barret sucked his teeth a moment in thought. “Suppose that’s usual for small town boys like you. What’d your mom have to say?” As if you didn’t have enough problems rattling inside your skull, as the word mom hit your ears your heart squeezed painfully in your chest. You didn’t think about mothers a whole lot, specifically cause you didn’t really have one. Though now that you were thinking about it, it was hard not to wonder what his mother was like. She must have been a strong woman to have raised such a stubborn man. What would you have been like if your own mother had survived?

“Not much.” The words left his lips so casually as he shrugged. “Didn’t try to stop me- like you said nothing unusual about it. But…”

“But?” Barret badgered.

“Two-thousand gil. She offered me that. ‘Make a fresh start’.” You looked to your shoes to hide the yearning look on your face.

“Guess mom’s are the same, all over.” You scoffed inwardly. Yeah, if only that was true. The mother-like figure you had to endure was a far cry from a good role model. She hadn’t even provided the basic safety and shelter, at least not for free. In her eyes you were just a cash cow, and the debt you racked up just living with her was enough to keep you there forever if not for Sam.

“I turned the money down though. Didn’t need it. I was planning to enlist straight away.” You raised your head to sneak a glance at him for the first time since yesterday. The slant of his mouth inched upwards, a ghost of a smile, like he was recalling the memory. You wonder, did she worry about him? Was she sad to see him go? Was she lonely? It might be sick to wish someone to be sad, but for his sake you did. What kind of mother would she be if his absence didn’t bother her?

“But you still can’t help settin’ your price at two grand. Sentimental ain’t cha?” Barret wiggled his eyebrows at him, Cloud’s lack of response answered his question.

About two hours in your party approached the coast line, and your inner turmoil seemed to mellow out like the slow crashing waves against the rocky shoreline. You held your hand above your eyes as a make shift visor as you looked up at the scorching high noon sun. Something course rubbed along your calf had you casting your stormy e/c eyes down to the source. Red’s large golden eyes, albeit spotted with burning circles that swam as your eyes readjusted, peered up at you as his fur brushed lightly against your skin.

“Are you alright?” He asked, the timbre of his voice so smooth it did put your heart at ease, maybe a litter bittersweet but it was something nonetheless.

“Yeah.” You lowered a hand to ruffle the fur on his head. “I appreciate your concern, but I'm okay. I didn’t get much sleep.” Your gaze wavered from Red to Barret briefly as Barret belted on a “Okay, hear me out.” which usually meant trouble for the rest of you.

“What?” Cloud snapped, his patience for the hulking man nearly spent already. You cocked an eyebrow at Red as you gave him a toothy grin. You angled your head towards the men hoping that Red caught your drift. You sincerely enjoyed the banter and nitpicking between the two.

“Ya know how some parents stop their kids from leavin’ the nest? Claimin’ ‘it’s too soon’ or ‘they’re not ready’” Barret ranted waving his arms here and there to make a point. “Any excuse to keep them at home.”

“What about it?” The crease between Cloud’s eyes returned and his frown deepened.

“Loads of parents’re like that, but I told myself I’d be different.” His big meaty palm thumped at his chest right above his heart. “I’d never keep my little girl from flyin’! I don’t wanna clip her wings! I want ‘er to soar!” Both arms raised through the air, flapping childishly like a bird. Cloud scoffed with an exaggerated eye roll, the barely noticeable smirk not going unnoticed. Barret swirled around to get into his space. “I hear you scoffin’. You think I can’t do it?! You think I’ll keep er all to myself!”

Cloud stopped in his tracks and crossed his arms, his baby blues amusedly gazing over the hulking man. “Oh yeah.” You snickered.

“And that’s what scares me!” Barret erupted, his arms falling heavily to his sides. The two of them moving their feet once again. “As much as I wanna let ‘er fly, I dunno if I’ll be able to let go when the time comes! Maybe I’ll panic- get in her way, hold her down, all to keep her safe! Oh, Marlene! I wish you could be my baby girl forever!” You stared wide eyed at his hysterics. You couldn’t believe what you were looking at. Is he crying? You shot a look at Red to see if he was seeing this shit too. He heaved a heavy sigh, and shaking his head. He wasn’t nearly as entertained as you.

Soon the coast line faded and the path led you higher up hills, and up a rocky cliff past an old decaying boat, an old weather worn flag still lamely adorned the mast. The crumbling brittle ferns were replaced with lush leafy plants and full swaying trees the farther you got from Junon. It wasn't until you passed one of Chadley’s information towers that the gravel path ended and you came across patches of little yellow flowers. Each patch bloomed with different shades of yellow; some light like the sun, others deeper like the hues in Red’s eyes and your favorites were pale and light like the color of a Woodland chocobo or the spikes of his wild hair.

“Oh my sweet baby girl!” His cries took you by surprise, but the tears streaming down his cheeks really left you dumbfounded. This can’t be the same guy who blew up a reactor. It just can’t.

“What now?” Cloud snapped, his steady loss of patience over the day coming to it’s end.

“Your daddy… your silly daddy… he’s gonna…” Barret’s sobs were briefly interrupted as he sniffled wetly between deep shaky breaths. “He’s gonna fail you! Oh, I can’t let you go! I just can’t!”

“Barret, get your shit together!” Cloud snarled. “Marlene’s barely out of diapers. You got time!”

“Right, right. I’m just getting worked up over nothing! Yeah! She won’t be leaving me for awhile!” His sentence started a bit crestfallen before perking up towards the end.

That seemingly was the end of the conversation, but then a few minutes later as you were passing one of the beaten down chocobo rest stops you seen a wicked smirk form on Cloud’s face from the corner of your eye. “Then again…” He trailed off in a mocking tone. You couldn’t help but burst out laughing. Barret chastised him with a stern ‘Hey’ then the two of them turned to look at you as you doubled over in hysterics. It just caught you so off guard. You hadn’t seen Cloud really joke around, but this fucker was turning out to be a mischievous little shit just like Aerith.

You straightened up and took a deep breath to compose yourself. You reached out and pushed against Cloud’s arm with a wide smile on your face. “You’re such an ass!” His smile faltered as the light force made him take a step back before it changed into something more gentle, more intimate, and you quickly turned to Barret. He stood there frozen and quiet which you didn’t actually think was possible. The girls giggled along behind you, Aerith giving you a pat on the back and then you started moving again. “I wouldn’t worry Barret. After all you clearly know what’s best for her.”

“You mean it?” he asked. You nodded.

“Just look at now. You left her behind to keep her safe, even though I’m sure you’re missing her.”

“You’re right!”

“Also…” you snuck a glance over at Cloud before finishing your train of thought, “Just like Cloud’s mom when she offered him money, you can let her fly and still be the air under her wings. Support is everything.” You heard him sniffle again and you rolled your eyes. Gods he was so unexpectedly emotional. His steps thundered loud against the ground was your only warning to the crushing hug he enveloped you in.

He wrapped his arm around you from behind and squeezed you to his body, picking you up off your feet in the process. You squirmed in his embrace, kicking your feet trying to free yourself before you submitted to your fate. The girls came to your rescue, and tried to pull you free, each pulling on an arm. Aerith even tried to tickle him to get him to release you. When he finally set you down your eyes caught Cloud’s again. The gentle smile, and softened eyes made your chest warm and fluttery. You swallowed it down, and chalked it out to be lingering exhaustion, and stretched out your now sore back.

Salmon started barking from up ahead, and your hand dropped to the hilt along your back out of habit. You couldn’t see anything, but your ears trained on a rhythmic flapping sound, and the hairs on your arm stood up. “There!” You yelled. The others looked up and seen the giant winged fiends. Sandstorm Drakes. “Take cover!” You ducked behind a giant red tank as one of them cast aerora, and you cursed under your breath. You peeked over the metal tank as Cloud grabbed your arm and pulled you back down to cover. Heavy winds soared above you as your chest heaved with adrenaline.

“You okay?” He asked looking no worse for wear.

“Yeah.” You let the quiet settle you as you thought out a plan. You weren’t bad at aerial fighting, but in this instance you didn’t have any long range weapons. You could jump, but you doubted you get a good enough range to land any hits. If you could time it right to use the tank for height you should be able to reach. Cloud shifted besides you and another idea formed in your head as you registered the sound of his sword clanking against the metal tank. You did have materia. You gaze flicked to his, and a sly grin spread across your face. “I can give you an opening.” You could hear Barret screaming at the flying creatures as he shot at them and chime like music of Aerith’s magic hitting its mark. The screeching of the drakes continuously got louder and louder along with the increase pressure of the wind whipping around the battlefield ringing in your ears.

He gave a curt nod before jumping back out there. You creeped around the side of the tank and clutched at the bangle around your wrist concentrating on the green materia slotted into one of the chambers. The orb began to glow before you released the spell and aerora was cast on the closest drake. Its wings beat heavily against the current, but its protective aura faltered and disappeared. You jumped into the fray and scurried behind Aerith’s shield clutching your bangle as you prepared another spell.

A sharp cry pierced the sky as one fell to the ground with an echoing thump as Cloud pierced it in a upward arc. Your second spell landed much like the first however as it’s shield flickered out it became enraged and locked its eyes on Cloud’s falling form. It began to swoop and before you could fully think it through you raced across the land and jumped. Of course you wouldn’t reach its height on your own but as Cloud descended he held his blade flat on its side. As you gained height you planted your feet firmly onto the blade and pushed upwards giving yourself more momentum to gain altitude.

You pulled your sword free from its scabbard and angled back. As soon as the you were in range you plunged the sword into its chest. It’s screech pierced your ears and made them ring painfully the proximity disorienting you for a moment. You firmly brought one foot to its chest and kicked with all your strength to free your sword the movement adding an extra distance between you and the carcass. As fell you realized the fiend was following the same path down only a few feet beside you and there was no way to change direction or move out of the way before it crushed you. You sheathed the sword, the weapon only to cause more harm if you were land on it, and turned you body so you would land sideways. The impact will painful, but you’ll be able to roll away before the drake’s crushing weight would flatten you like a pancake.

Here it comes. You thought as you tucked your arms in before your body met the unforgiving ground. You bit your lip to contain the scream that died in your throat as your arm took the brunt of the impact. You rolled three times before coming to a halt.

You flopped your head back for a second to just process the pain shooting through your body, a warm heat radiating from your forearm. You took a few shaky breathes as the intensity faded. Nothing that a simple cure spell wouldn’t heal. You propped yourself back on the uninjured elbow to make sure everyone else was okay. Aerith dusted of the bottom of her dress, Tifa was messing with the straps of gloves, Barret was adding extra bullets to one of the fiends, Red sat back licking a paw, and Cloud was faced away from you slotting his sword back onto his back. Looks like no one else is hurt.

As the fiends broke down and return to the lifestream in ribbons of twirling luminescent greens you tuned in to the way the Planet welcomed them home. You always wondered why humans didn’t return to the planet the same way. Souls, yes, but the bodies are usually sent out to sea or buried, sometimes even cremated. You weren’t sure if other people could feel it the way you do, but it felt different when the two species returned. Fiends are warm and accepting of the change as if that was what they were born to do. Humans felt more complex, though it could be because you were the one to send them ‘home’. Some fought it, other times the strands felt empty or sad, or extremely angry, but no matter the emotion the lifestream was there to accept them, leaving their empty husks behind. You could only hope that people who leave this life to cross to the next, who died of natural causes, went more peacefully.

Does Aerith feel them too? It was a valid question. As a Cetra you imagined she could feel the lifestream better than you. Could she hear them?

The hand that was outstretched towards you came into focus as you blinked yourself back to reality. “You good?” Cloud asked as you took his gloved hand in your own.

As he pulled you to your feet a sharp pain blazed across your forearm. You bit the inside of your cheek to keep from reacting though his blue eyes flicked down to the offending appendage. You huffed as you regained your footing cocking your good arm on your hip to mask the throbbing. Damn thing is probably broken. “Why does everyone keep asking me that today?”

“That wasn't an answer.” He shot back as he scratched at the back of his neck.

You huffed and poked his forehead with a finger. Your eyes narrowing as you studied him. “You’re to observant.” You spoke low and smooth, then retreated from where you wished to be.

Salmon barked down the road and if the windmills, and tattered fences were anything to go by you were close to Crow’s Nest.

*~*

Cloud followed after Toby into the wooden walls of Crow’s Nest and down the rocky trail that led into the fortress. Toby rambled on and on though it all went in one ear and out his other, you consumed every little thing that raced through his head right now. He’d taken his eyes off you for a second as seven of you entered and in that second you were gone, and if he was being honest he wasn’t sure if he’d find you again.

Walking in he couldn’t help but notice the sturdy structure, safety was always his top priority. It was smart that they used the rough rocky mountain as part of their defense, he’ll give them that, but they needed a much gate and guard system. Then there was these sand bags piled up along the left wall, and he could only hope they weren’t there to hold up the wall— it wouldn’t surprise him though.

At the bottom Tifa and Aerith also broke off the main group to take a look around, and with some luck one of them would run into you. The gravel under his feet turned to smooth stone, albeit uneven, as he descended into the heart of the town. He paused to scan his surroundings, that’s what his excuse was anyway, but really he was searching for you. He relented before climbing up the stairs to the bar after Toby, Barret and Red close behind him.

He caught the gist of what Toby wanted. Fiends at the lighthouse, and Kyrie causing more trouble. He huffed and rolled his eyes, a hand landing on his hip in irritation. With Red’s nose and his annoyance directed at the wannabe merc they decided they should probably deal with this. They could set out in the morning, take care of it, then make their way back to Junon in time for the big event.

He didn’t spend another minute taking about it though, he was already down the stairs and looking for their lodging for the night. With that injury he thought that’d be the best place to start his search.

When that came up empty, checked out the cliffs that overlooked the sea. More often that not he’d run into you- on purpose, but he’d never admit that- on your own away from their make shift camp for the night basking in the quiet of nature. He liked to think it was the privacy you craved, much like himself, though when you were asked you said you just felt more relaxed under the open sky. But, now as he stared out and the sunset over the cliff side you were nowhere in sight.

He seen the flow of the skirt of Aerith’s dress before he heard her. “Looking for Y/n?” He turned to see her better at the pier just up the staircase next to him. Both of her hands were clasped behind her back as she swayed along with the wind, the wood creaking beneath her feet as she moved.

He didn’t hesitate, or grow embarrassed, this time. “Have you seen her?”

She skipped down the steps her smile growing in diameter as she stepped up to him. She opened her mouth to tease him, he was sure of it, before her brows wrinkled and a frown replaced her smile. “Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen her since we came in.”

“Right.” He nodded and mumbled a quick ‘Thanks’ before stalking off, with just a bit more gusto, to resume his search.

You’ve been acting strange since last night- no-before that. Whatever Gabe said to you was the beginning. You distanced yourself from everyone leading your chocobo behind the rest of them. You masked it with a charming smile and deflected questions, but he noticed. He always notices. The light didn’t reach your eyes as you joked around, and you didn’t even try to scold Barret for being obnoxious. He seen the way your movements were sluggish, how you stumbled on your feet as you hacked at the Terror of the Deep. He waved it off as exhaustion, so much has happened in just two days. Even he was wearing down. He hoped a good nights sleep was all you needed.

But you looked worse than just exhausted as you slumped over the door in the inn. All worry and doubt he felt from his conversation with Tifa disappeared when he seen you. You looked so defeated. The door the only thing keeping you on your feet as you stared vacantly at it. His chest tightened and he stumbled closer. He didn’t know what to do. Comforting people wasn’t exactly his specialty though when called out to you that seemed to help. His heart dropped to his stomach when you just shrugged him off and slipped inside your room leaving him to stare where you were just moments before. He warred with him self for a moment between knocking on your door or leaving you be, ultimately he turning back to his down and going inside with a slump in his shoulders. Had you even noticed that he called out to you?

He couldn’t sleep of course, not that he ever did anymore. Even the tiniest of sounds were enough to have him stirring, but last night he was filled with a restless energy. Every time he closed his eyes your crestfallen expression appeared. He tossed and turned for upwards of an hour before giving up, settling on some sit ups until his muscles ached and his eyelids drooped.

When the first rays of sunlight filtered in through his window everyone was herded into the room, and that’s when he started to think he’d done something wrong. You lingered in the back, you didn't offer any suggestions, you wouldn’t look in his direction at all. Every time he checked on you you had that same far off look glued onto your pretty face. He couldn’t think of anything he did to upset you, unless he creeped you out in the mines- and honestly he wouldn’t blame you. The timing just didn’t make sense though. You got along fine until you left the ranch. He spent most of the day agonizing over how to mend the situation, and frustrated that he was too awkward to know what to say.

Then out of nowhere you brightened up again, your laugh as breathtaking as the radiant smile on your face. Pride swelled in his chest and a heat rushed to his cheeks. He made you laugh. His heart still throbbed when he thought about the way your hand felt so warm against his upper arm as you pushed him playfully. He didn’t think you’d been listening to Barret’s nonsense either, yet there you comparing the knucklehead to his mom.

He really thought that would be the end of whatever was going on with you, but now he thinks he may have overstepped. He was just going to tell you your fighting was good as always or maybe something less lame when he held out his hand to help you up. But he saw it. Your lips pushed together in a thin line, your eyes slid shut, and if it weren't for his enhanced senses he would’ve missed the sharp breath that you sucked in. His eyes flicked down to your arm. Your arm tensed creating an unnatural shift of bone underneath the skin. He just stared dumbly at it. “Why does everyone keep asking me that today?” Playful tone and a clever deflection once again. Maybe he shouldn’t have pushed the issue. You clearly were hiding it from everyone, which made him irrationally angry. What you said next worried him. With a finger pressed to his forehead your whispered words cut sharply into him, “You’re too observant.” Your eyes cold and hardened, but he swears there was an underlying fear beneath the icy exterior and then he realized maybe you two weren’t that different.

You built this solid wall around yourself to keep everyone a safe distance around you never being aloud to cross the distance. You can’t get hurt if you never let anyone in but in reality you just cage yourself in. He did the same, only he used his broody nature and impassive strength. Until the plate fell he was able to do a job with no concern for the client, keeping a barrier between their problems and his feelings, now with this journey being so entwined with Sephiroth it was hard not care. Maybe that’s why he feels drawn to you. For the first time he wants be the one to reinforce your strengths. He was determined to reach you even if he had to break the damn doors down himself.

His hand threaded behind his neck up to scratch at his nape as he went re-climbed the steps to the bar taking two stairs at a time. He stalled at the top as a familiar remedy. The gentle and harmonious hum echoed through the open frame leading into the unfinished bar.

Melancholy and nostalgia filled him and constricted his chest like a vice. He ambled slowly to the wooden framing and settled himself against the smooth stone to watch the scene unfolding before him. He had expected Tifa to be the one playing this old song. Instead there you were. Sat straight on the black wooden bench your fingers gracefully pressing against the old piano keys creating the melody song he heard growing up in Nibelheim. The song took him back to his childhood bedroom listening intently to the girl, Tifa, next door practicing it at all hours of the day. You were the only one consuming his thoughts now, and what a vision you were. Your e/c irises were hidden behind closed eyelids. The smooth planes of your face looked relaxed, but dejected. His awestruck stare followed down the slope of your perfect button nose, and over the bow shape lines of your down-turned lips The low lighting from the lights strung above the both of your heads emphasized the highlight in your hair swayed back and forth around your bare shoulders in time with the glide of your fingers as you recalled each note meticulously from memory.

He glanced quickly around the bar finding nothing but empty seats around round tables. His legs brought him closer to you out of their own volition as if the very thought of you beckoned him closer. “Where’d you learn that?”

Your fingers faltered on the keys, and your body lurched in fear, a tiny squeak escaping your lips. Cute. “Son of a-” You took in a deep breath to calm yourself before the full weight of your glare was on him. “You’re the only one that has ever snuck up on me! Stop it!”

He laughed, the noise sounding odd to his own ears. “Sorry.” He scratched at his nape once again as he shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He propped Hardedge against the wall then closed the distance between you. He felt silly for lowering himself onto the narrow bench so slowly but he wanted to make sure you had no objections. The bench had just enough room to sit comfortably apart, but with a newfound sense of courage he slid closer to you, feigning ignorance to the available space, so the sides of your arms rest against one another. His pulse pounded in his ears and his hands grew clammy as they rested on his knees.

“I was at a ranch near Nibelheim. The owner’s daughter taught me the song.” You looked up at him with curious orbs. “You grew up in Nibelheim, right?” He nodded his head. “Tifa, too?”

His throat clenched at your inquiry. Nibelheim wasn’t something he usually talked about, the mere memories enough to dredge up a rapid river of intense emotions. Fear, hatred, devastation. He often found it to be a topic of great discomfort. It could've been the song that eased the wounds or possibly all the discussion of his mother this morning, but for the first time in a long time he wasn’t so hesitant to talk about home. “Yeah.”

You looked back down at your fingers that hovered over the keys. “You guys must’ve been close.” You mumbled.

He shrugged, “Not really.” He was hyper focused on the way your arm brushed against his as he readjusted. “I was… I’ve always been… like this.” Awkward, and unsociable. He wanted to say.

He hadn’t realized the difference in your height before now as he towered a head and half above you. His soft gaze falling down to your lips. It was enough that he’d have to lean down to—

“But, you guys seem really close now.” You peered back up at him through the loose strands of hair framing your face. He quickly turned his head to stare at the wall to hide the heat that was spreading under his skin.

“I guess…” His relationship with Tifa seemed to be rocky as of late, but he couldn’t deny she was important to him. “She’s like a sister.” His answered lamely as he turned his attention to the keys before him.

“Really?” The inclination of your voice pulled his eyes back to your own, the warm hue soothing the wave of anxious jitters he was experiencing. “I would’ve pegged you guys to be more than that.” You bumped the ball of your shoulder against his bicep.

“What? It’s not like that.” He quickly huffed. His reaction pulled another musical laugh from you, something he was slowly becoming addicted to he feared.

“If you say so.” You teased.

The tension in your body practically dissolved with his answer, and the sparkle in your eyes that he’d grown accustom to returned casting the once dull and emptiness back to the recesses from which they came. He relaxed and exhaled the bout of nerves that plagued him before he settled into the comfortable silence. You returned to playing the Nibelheim lullaby, the warmth of your arm rubbing against his taking precedence at the fore front of his mind, when he remembered why he was worried about you in the first place. He observed your facial expression at first looking for any signs of discomfort and when he saw none he moved his attention to the offending appendage. His frown deepened as he looked for any unnatural shift beneath your skin. It appeared to be fine. There was no bruising or swelling. Your movement was clean and precise. You must have snuck off to mend it in privacy, but even with healing materia it must be sore. “How’s your arm?”

Your e/c orbs narrowed slightly, your nostrils flaring as you exhaled sharply. He was actually beginning to like this side of you. You’ve been level headed and witty the entire time, along with being a good conversationalist and polite when speaking to anyone. So to see your temper flare and an attitude when this didn’t go your way was almost refreshing to him. Perhaps something was fundamentally wrong with him, or maybe a part of him took pleasure that he was the only one to see it. “Nothing materia couldn’t fix.”

He itched to press the issue further to see more of your fiery personality, but her erred on the side of caution. Your answer was satisfactory so he supposed he could drop it. He peeled his eyes from you, now slightly embarrassed he’d been staring for so long, and looked down to the keys on the old instrument. He let his own fingers slide over the naturals and pressing onto each note softly creating a different song he’d learned in Midgar. Your fingers slide off and landed in your lap. He could feel the way you gawked at him the weight of it nearly burning holes into the side of his head. He felt heat rush to the tips of his ears as you propped yourself up on an elbow to watch him.

“So Mr. Soldier, when on Gaia did you have the time to learn piano? Or was that part of your training too?”

He realized he never actually told anyone this, and the thought of sharing it with you made him feel exposed. Yet he wanted to share this piece of himself with you. “I got homesick… when i enlisted. I had a lot of time on my hands before I climbed the ranks.” Your bought your hands back to the ivory notes pressing down on a few to play a complementary part the song. The two of you sat together of upwards of an hour side by side playing a few different melodies you’d learned over the course of your travels.

You movements stilled and fingers hovered above the keyboard. You turned around, your back now facing the piano, and looked above to the sky through the holes in the ceiling. He too let the music die there and angled towards you. As you admired the sky he shamelessly stared at you. His chest tightening as his eyes trailed over the slope of your nose and glazing over the smooth strands of hair illuminated by the twinkling lights and rays of moonlight.

Your irises moved down to meet his own as a smile graced your lips. “Thank you.” You voice sounding smaller in comparison under the stars. “I feel lighter now.” His brows scrunched minutely as he briefly pondered your words. He didn’t have to chance to linger on the statement, though, your soft warm hand inched towards his. You gently laced your fingers through his and giving his a small squeeze before pulling away and standing up. With one more pat to his shoulder you walked towards the entrance. “Good night, soldier boy.”

He gazed up and the night sky hoping to find what you found so intoxicated by the moon, and he caught himself smiling. He didn’t know if your growing relationship was romantic or not, but he decided that he wasn’t going to shy away from it like he did with almost everyone. No, if he wanted to be the air under your wings then he too would bare his soul to you.

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