Sunset

Disclaimer: As always, I don't own Final Fantasy VII, or any of the characters therein. They belong to Square, and I make no money of these fics.

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Temptation

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''It'll get taken care of, I said.''

''Yes, we know. You'll get to it on your own free time.'' Tseng looked mildly annoyed, but he further held his tongue.

Sephiroth glared up from the documents he was reading. He didn't like when the Turks took it upon themselves to try to order him around. They were sort of special, in a way, as well...they didn't have too many of the rules they had to follow, much like him. They could dress how they wanted-they chose the suits-and work as they wanted. They sort of handled more of the ''dirty work'' that even SOLDIER didn't like to touch.

They weren't all bad guys...but they could get annoying.

''I'm busy, at the moment. I don't read so well with people looking over my shoulder.'' He continued glaring at Tseng.

Tseng muttered under his breath and walked out. They didn't have any particular hatred or enmity toward one another, but Sephiroth could be a rather hard one to control, at times. Not that they were really trying to control him. They just needed his hand on some work that they knew he, if anyone, could handle quickly and quietly. The higher ups had came to them. Even the higher-ups didn't like going directly to Sephiroth half of the time, it seemed.

Sephiroth paged through more documents...dealing with Genesis, Project G, and other disturbing things which he wasn't too sure of. Things he wasn't sure he really wanted, or needed to be reading at the moment, what with everything going on. He was due to go off on another job for a few more days. It had been about three days since his last time in Midgar. It was perhaps good.

He sort of missed the calm of the church, though. The flowers were nice.

He shook his head and put the damning documents away for awhile, he felt that he had enough. His head was starting to hurt. He felt like things he had worked for were coming apart somewhat at the seams, and he didn't really need that, what with everything else that had been on his mind.

As he walked out of the room, he saw Zack walking down the hallway, looking a touch dejected. It was unlike him.

''Zack.'' He nodded his head in acknowledgment.

''Sephiroth.'' He saluted. ''Man, they're sendin' me away again! I just got in.''

''As I've said before, Zack. It's SOLDIER. Get used to it.'' He paused. ''I heard you were successful on your last mission.''

''I was.'' He managed to smile, puffing up a bit like the teenager that he still was. ''Very successful. You would have been proud.''

''We shall see when I come with you again on a mission.'' He was sorry that he was getting sent away again. He really wished he would have gotten to spend some time with Aerith. He thought it would have been a good thing for them to see each other again.

It would keep her from looking at me the way she does, and causing my dreams to be filled with pleasures of the flesh.

''Did you get a chance to go to Midgar?''

''No, damn it. They told us to prepare and go already.''

Damn. ''Well, go and come back. I'm sure things will work out.'' He turned to walk off.

''Right. Hey, make sure everything's okay down there, will you?''

Sephiroth stopped, looking down. He was silent for a minute. ''I will.'' Why did he have to ask me that?

Zack smiled, nodded, and ran off.

If they were actually together, I might be able to resist more. I know I could. I should be able to resist this, but...

He continued on, to get his briefing for the upcoming mission from Director Lazard. It seemed to be a more traditional mission; as in search and destroy. Easy enough. He could go, finish it, and come back.

He could get some more of that aggression out of his system while he was at it. Maybe more time away from that cursed Sector 5 would help things, in the long run.

Or as Genesis would no doubt say, absence makes the heart grow fonder, making things worse than they already are. On my side, anyway. Maybe she'll get over her mild teenage stares.

--

On his way out of the SOLDIER office, he bumped into Tseng, who happened to be walking down the hallway. He gave a curt nod.

''On your way out?'' he asked.

''Soon, yes,'' Sephiroth replied in a cool tone. ''No doubt you guys have some clever business to attend as well.''

''Perhaps we do. Any plans before you leave?''

''My room. Alone.'' I need it.

''I can't help but notice you don't go out too much.''

''I'm not like you guys.'' He had seen Reno walking around with a hangover more times than he could remember. He wasn't like the Turks, indeed.

''Hm. In a bit of a mood today, as usual.''

''Are you trying to annoy me today, Tseng?''

''Not at all.'' He turned to walk away. ''Perhaps you could go to pray, or whatever. I hear that church in Sector 5 is a nice place.'' He gave Sephiroth a look that said, I know where you've been.

Tseng didn't have time to move as the larger man had him against the wall, his forearm at his neck. He looked at him calmly, however. No one was around.

''It would be in your best interest, Tseng, if you knew nothing of that. Understood?'' He pressed harder into the man's neck. He gasped for breath, his eyes showing a small amount of fear; something they did not do very often.

''Y...Yes,'' he managed to say. He looked a bit surprised at Sephiroth's sudden and rather violent reaction.

Sephiroth pulled his arm away from his throat, and stepped back, allowing the man to breathe and stand up. He glared at him, before turning to walk away.

What did he say that for? Why did I react like that, anyway? He shook his head. He certainly wasn't acting like himself.

Going to his room seemed to be the best thing to do at the moment, right now.

--

Aerith stood back to look at the flowers again, which were growing nicely. She had spoken to Zack on the phone, and he had to run rather quickly; once again she would not be able to see him. She was disappointed, naturally, but understanding of his work. They hadn't even really had a proper date, yet. Just a small one.

She fixed a few more of the flowers, and saw some blooming in purples, pinks, and oranges...and thought of the sunset Sephiroth was telling her about.

''It was red, orange, pink, and purple...the yellow of the sun had gone away. It was reflecting on the water, on the ripples that formed...''

His words echoed in her head. She wondered why she was so afraid to see the open sky. She thought about that a lot. Both Zack and Sephiroth had told her there was nothing to fear from it. Maybe she would, one day, soon. After filling Midgar with flowers, she would step above, to the open sky, to spread more around, and maybe see her first sunset. A sunrise, too. Hopefully plenty of them.

She stretched, and breathed in their pleasant scent. She considered going back out to the market, but didn't want to leave the church yet. It relaxed her too much.

She heard a door open behind her. It wasn't Zack, she could sense. The footsteps were heavier, slower...more deliberate.

''Sephiroth?'' she turned around, to see him walking toward her, his silver hair streaming everywhere. She shook her head.

''It's me. Just doing...one last check of the sectors,'' he lied. I said I'd keep a look out here, besides. So I'm doing it for a good reason.

''Everything's been fine here. No more attacks since a few days ago.''

''Understood. I'm going off too...most of our good operatives are off. Zack will probably be gone for a couple more weeks.''

''He told me.''

''I'll be back in a few days. I's my duty to watch out for these sectors. So just...get in touch with me if something happens.'' It was only half a lie. He was sort of in charge of this at the moment, and he did say to Zack he'd keep an eye out. What he didn't say was that he volunteered for both, to let himself be closer to the girl. He had trouble denying it, now, even after a week.

She smiled. ''I trust you.''

You shouldn't. ''Here. Take my number.'' He handed her a piece of paper. ''This will...contact me directly, if there is trouble. I'll come to deal with it. It's a lot faster than having to wait for Shin-Ra to send some grunts, who may or may not be able to handle things.'' He managed a smile. ''I admit, it's better than getting sent to all of these...out of the way places to guard and investigate reactors.'' And hunt down my old best friends with the intent to kill them. But we won't talk about that.

''Ok, then. Good luck on your mission.'' She looked up at him. ''And thanks.''

He looked down at her, into her eyes again. She was standing a bit closer to him, this time.

''Just doing my job, Aerith.'' He looked at her a bit longer; waiting for her to say something, or for him to speak. He grunted softly, turned, and walked out, leaving her standing there, mildly confused.

What was that about? She wondered, taking the number into one of her pockets. The look in his eyes...it was...different than most of the other times. Or was it?

She blinked to herself. She again told herself she had no interest in the man...in that way...but yes, there was some sort of...kindred spirit in him, in some distant way she could not put a finger on. The more she was around him, the more she felt...something. She just wasn't sure what.

It sometimes made her a bit angry at herself. She was interested in another man already...but why was there some sort of...feeling inside of her whenever Sephiroth had been coming around the last week? She was still pure, she had barely even dated before. She was seventeen years old, and still lived at home with her mother, who could worry about her from being out in the slums with the constant monster attacks.

She had to stop lying to herself; she had thought about...things before. There was something about the beautiful, silver-haired man with eyes of the most unnatural blue-green she had ever seen; something enticing.

Forbidden, maybe. She knew he was older than her...by at least ten years, if not more...but it did not take away from his beauty. He was stronger than anyone she had ever met; and she knew he was probably the most dangerous man she knew as well.

So what is it? What is it about him?

She had recalled hearing things about women being attracted to dangerous men. She didn't really think about that for a long time. Zack, in a way, could be dangerous. He was a very strong fighter; stronger than any normal man she knew certainly, and had battled many, many monsters and enemies in his short time in SOLDIER. He was certainly someone who you didn't want to cross. Sephiroth, though, was different. Zack had a very pleasant, outgoing personality; you didn't sense danger from him. Skill, strength, conviction, yes...but also a more heroic attitude and a protective streak. Sephiroth, even though he was a renowned hero, struck her as infinitely more dangerous in any situation; he was a man not to be trifled with. The stories that surrounded him trickled all over the slums, that he fought a hundred men single-handedly, that he defeated powerful creatures with but one blow from his sword, that he was once captured after a unit was gassed but escaped, killing the captors of the Shin-Ra soldiers while his arms were shackled and he was blindfolded, even the stories of him wrestling a Midgar Zolom and killing it. She didn't know how many of these were true, and how many were tall tales-the people of the slums loved to talk, especially in the many watering holes where tales could grow to massive proportions, depending on the alcohol intake-but he was dangerous, she sensed, to be sure.

And I think I might somehow be attracted to that.

She had been trying to deny it. She wasn't that type of girl; she had pictured herself waiting for the right man, dating slowly, settling down, and perhaps then some children, as she tended her flowers. She thought of herself as traditional, even though she knew somehow she was different. When she was around Zack, she felt completely like this, in fact.

When she was around Sephiroth, even in this short time, she felt something else.

She wanted to call it lust, but she felt that might have been too strong a word. I hope.

Curiosity, perhaps. Curiosity about being with a man who knew what he was doing. Who was older, more experienced in everything.

Who was bloody beautiful, when you got down to it.

While Aerith felt different, she still felt human, and this was one of those moments.

She sighed to herself, fumbling around her pocket for the phone number. She thought about losing it; this way, she couldn't call if she was tempted. But she kept it, for some reason. Maybe monsters would attack, she thought as she tended the flowers...which were apparently the color of a sunset.

His soft, deep voice echoed in her mind, whether she wanted it to or not, apparently. He certainly had a presence and magnetism about him, so much that he could penetrate one's mind without even trying.

Another word I don't think I want to think about right now, she thought to herself, feeling suddenly dirty, like she wanted a shower.

She hoped that her mind would settle itself, soon. She wasn't sure she liked where it was going.

The scarier thing was, she wasn't sure if she disliked it, either.

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A/N: These chapters aren't huge, but I suppose they get the point across, enough. I suppose you can say the fic takes place over a three or so week time period, for those wondering.