Forever Love   von SephirothCrescent
================================================================================
                                  Kapitel 3: 
                                  -----------


He had been right. The afternoon had been torture. But apparently for both of
them, as they had barely spoken a word and whenever someone had enterd the
office both had avoided to look at each other  in order not to blush. And for
Gabrielle there seemed to be nothing of more interest than folders. It was
almost a relief when the clock was going to 6 pm and announcing the end of
working day. As the office was busy today Sephiroth had to think of another way
than inviting her to dinner openly.
“Cadet! As we have been busy all the day I must unfortunately tell you I need
your skills again this evening. There are some things that have to be finished
by tomorrow. So you might have  an hour off and then see me again!” , he told
her while some official was making copies. 
“Aye, General.” She replied, twinkling.

Later that evening he heard a familiar knock on his door and immediately jumped
off his sofa and opened the door. Sparkling eyes met his. There she was, still
in her cadet uniform, looking rather boyish. Her hair was dripping wet and bound
into a ponytail, which let him assume she had taken a shower just before.
“Come in, Cadet!” He said formally, just if some guard was outside and
listening.
As soon as the door was shut again the folders were lying forgotten on the table
next to the door and Sephiroth’s lips lay on Gabrielles, while he solftly
brushed through her hair. She seemed to surprised at first by his intensity, but
soon she was gently caressing his cheek and playing with the silver cascades of
his satin hair.
Their kiss eventually broke, due to needed oxygen and Sephiroth smiled at her,
his cheeks flushing, being a little embrassed of his behaviour as he was simply
not able to resist the longing to be close to that girl.
“Gabrielle, “ he whispered, “I…I am not sure if it’s ok. It’s all so
new.” He stunned at himself. Did he admit that he was feeling uncertain?
Nevermind. 
“It’s alright. Please be yourself. You don’t need to hide underneath the
General-mask anymore. It’s you I want to be with.” Her face went scarlet by
saying those words. So cute, so innocent.
“Come with me. Let’s relax a bit. I know the day was stressing.” He let
her to his living room down on one of the sofas. Candles on the table lightened
the room and gave it a soft shimmer. He was not quite sure about what do to
next. He didn’t want to push her to anything and he himself felt not quite
ready. It was the first time he had opened his heart to somebody. It was a bit
of a relief she seemed to be as uncertain as he was. And she was blushing all
the time around him. This was almost driving him crazy. 
He sat down next to her and they had a small dinner together.
“Sephiroth? Can I….um…can I hug you?” she asked suddenly with a shy
voice, her eyes still showing great repect next to love.  He gave her a gentle
smile and tipped playfully in her nose.
“Sure you can. Don’t be afraid of me. There is no need to.”
His voice was low and mild, almost the opposite of the harsh and strict tone he
used to have during work. Being with her made him feel just human, not like the
machine everyone seemed to see him as. Now she carefully placed herself in his
lap and hugged him, her head lying on his shoulder.
“Thank you, Sephiroth. I never thought this dream could come true. I…I
almost can’t believe this is real.”
“It’s the same for me, but I promise this is real. Though I am still not
able to really say what I am experiencing. It’s overwhelming. And I would love
to have the ability to stop time now.” He gave her another warm smile without
even noticing it as he bend his head down to kiss her again. This time more
fiercly, more intensive than the last testing kisses. He inhaled her scent and
lost his hands in her hair as she embraced him. He felt the heat rising in him,
his heart beating fast and also her blood rushing through her veins. Why
didn’t this urge to touch her just stop? It was only getting stronger every
second her sweet lips touched his.
When her hands slipped under his light shirt her touch send shivers down his
spine. She ran her fingers over his hard muscles  and carefully gave him a
little kiss on the neck.  He moaned quietly.
“Gabrielle? What are we doing?”, he whispered.
“Don’t you like it? Shall I stop?” She  looked at him in a fearful way,
being afraid of having gone too far.
“I…actually I like it ways too much I guess.”
He could her her soft chuckle.
“If you weren’t the great  General I would even call that cute now.”
He laughed. It felt good. Seeing her smile.  And it felt good to be able to
return a smile that freely.
“Me, cute?”, he asked sheepishly. “Never.”
He kissed her playfully on the top of her nose and she layed her head on his
chest, her warm breath was softly tickling his throat. As was her  almost dry
hair. Her sweet scent was teasing him as well as the fabric of her uniform and
again he was reminded on the fact that Gabrielle was doing all this just for
him. Pretending, fighting. 
Sephiroth could feel his hear burning and he drew her closer to him, whispering
into her ear.
“Thank you for everything, Gabrielle.”
He ran his hand over her back, feeling the hard bandages under the shirt she was
wearing. Didn’t they hurt?
“Sephiroth?” She had noticed his mind had drifted again. She was looking up
to him, smiling concerned into his eyes. He flushed. Then he gently pulled away
the shirt off her shoulders and tapped on the white fabric under it.
“I just was reminded on how you torture yourself. Don’t you want to take
them off?”
OK, he realized too late that this could be interpreted in two directions when
he saw her blushing to scarlet. 
“Yes, actually you are right. If you don’t mind I’d really like to get
them off.”
The blush on her face was not to be described in words and as he was and will
always be a gentleman the General turned away. He could only hear the shirt
being taken off and some quiet mumbling. Then a hand tipping on his back. He
dared a look.
“Um…I…um…well, I wondered if you could help me. That stupid thing
somehow won’t let me take it off.” Even her ears were burning red  now.
He gulped and stared at her, when it slowly came to his mind what she had just
suggested. No way of holding him back then…he worried. Meanwhile she pointed
to her back were the fabric had mixed up with itself. He nodded and closed his
eyes, trying to concentrate on just touching the fabric, not her pale,
all-so-tempting skin. She  held a blanket in her arms, hiding the free skin
already. His fingers were almost burning when he accidently touched her shoulder
blade  and he could feel the blood rushing into his cheeks. Behave. Sephiroth.
Behave.  But his hand refused to obey and caressed her shoulders, ran down her
spine and he found his lips on her neck again. The bandages slowly fell off. Her
hands held the blanket tight on her body. Her breathing was fast as his lips
finally touched her bare skin.



 She moaned softly feeling his gentle touch and slowly, shyly turned around to
face him, still holding the blanket. Her eyes met his, then closes when their
lips united in a kiss and he pulls her close to him, on his lap, caressing her
tender skin.
“Sephiroth”, she whispered out, overwhelmed by the waves of pleasure he sent
through her body.
He broke their kiss, he could feel his heart beating fast in his chest and his
blood rushing through his body. He wanted her so much. Could he really take
her?
He cupped her cheek with his hand and looked into her eyes. So much was in
them.
Passion, curiousity, fear and most of all deep and honest love that made him
feel warm and comfortable. Slowly bending down to her another kiss began while
he softly pushed her down on the sofa, lying on top of her, holding her tiny
body close to his.
“I love you.”
He whispered. Had he really said that out loud? Yes…he, the cold one, had
finally admitted his feelings, finally found someone he could trust with his
soul. Her arms wrapped around him and pulled him into a kiss this time, so
intense it made him gasp for oxygen when their lips separated again and
increasing the longing that had built up inside of him. His hands slid down her
body, allowing him to finally touch the one that he adored so much.
She was responding to his touch, moving closer against him, breathing fast,
letting her hands run over his back, caressing his muscles, moaning softly when
she could feel the heat arising between the two of them.
How could he do this on their first real evening together? Sephiroth! He scolded
himself for the lust that had taken over him. Yet her body was so tempting,
inviting.
“Hey…everything ok?” her soft voice whispered in his ear.
Sephiroth smiled and looked into her eyes once again.
“Yes…you are just so…adorable. I…I got overwhelmed.” 
Was he stuttering again? Gabrielle chuckled a little. “I am glad I am not the
only one!” she smiles, placing a hand on his chest.
His gaze showed how deep his lust was, how much he craved for her yet he had
managed to gain control over his body once again, at least slightly.
“Shall we wait?” he asks her, brushing a strand of her red hair out of her
face, tracing the lines of her jaw with his fingertip. He could feel her tremble
under his sincere touches. Her blush told him that she would give in if he
continued, the affection was just too strong. Not on the first date.
“We maybe should.” She whispered now then kissed him again, passionately,
softly tipping against his lips with the tip of her tongue. When they  loosened
their embrace they were both breathing harshly, trying to tell their bodies to
stay away from the other one for a least a while and even the great General had
a flush on his cheeks and a smile upon his face, even if all his body was tensed
up, burning. Yet when he looked at her he felt happy and calm just because she
was there with him. She leaned her head against his shoulder and started playing
with his hair.
“I am so glad Sephiroth. Thank you.”
His world had been changed from the moment he saw her. And it would never be the
same again. Who ever had thought the General would love someone?

Then a sudden knock on his door.
“General?”
“Get dressed in the bathroom. Hurry.” He hissed, changing back to the cold
General in the matter of a second, getting up, grabbing his uniform coat from
the chair and walking to the door, opening it, looking serious, hiding the anger
that someone destroyed his evening.
“Good evening.”
“General, good evening to you as well.” Said the  annoying voice that most
likely belonged to someone from the official offices of Shinra.
“President Shinra just wanted to have his thanks delivered as the dance was a
sheer success due to your presence there. We got  the most applications for
SOLDIER in ten years.” The man handed a parcel to the General, bowed and
vanished into the night.
Sephiroth almost rolled his eyes and shut the door again, locking it two times.
A thank you from the President? Now that was something new. Or not.
He unwrapped the parcel and looked at the platinum picture award with the
inscription 
“To General Sephiroth
the hope of SOLDIER.

Shinra Inc.”
He gave a deep sigh and laid the dustcatcher in the next board then walked into
his bedroom, staring at the bathroom door.
“It`s alright. He is gone again.” He said in a low voice, making sure no one
who might be standing outside the doors could hear him.
She shyly peeked out of the door, then walked in, dressed as young cadet again
with a somehow sad look on her face.
“I am screwing up your life. You will get in trouble if they ever find out.  I
am sorry Sephiroth.” She whispered, looking down on the floor.
He looked at her, truly surprised about that sudden outburst. Yes. If someone
ever found out they both would be in a huge dilemma. Gabrielle would certainly
be expelled from SOLDIER and the consequences for him? Well…how does one treat
a toy that is broken? He sighed again then got up and took her in his arms with
the hope to calm them both. A forbidden love. Yes, it truly was. Nevertheless it
was also the best and happiest experience he ever made in his life. To feel love
and loved. He nuzzled into her hair, inhaling her scent. He could feel her heart
beat and he could feel her fear. He did not want her to be afraid. She should be
happy.
“Hey,” he mumbled, placing a gentle kiss on her hair. “ Don`t worry right
now. Smile for me. You always think you disappoint me…but you don`t. You are
strong in your own way. Maybe you do not have my physical strength…but you had
the power to make the ice melt around my shell. I love you.” The words just
spilled out of him, faster than he was aware of it. But it did not bother him.
“You know…the only thing we should worry about right now is how to get you
in your room tomorrow morning…as I won`t let you go tonight.” He  grinned a
little mischieviously when he saw her blush and smile a little again. He could
feel her arms wrapping tighter around him when she cuddled into his embrace.
“ I love you Sephiroth. You are amazing.”
He brushed through her hair.
“You know…how about I fell asleep over all the paperwork you gave me and
that had to be done in one night. I mean…I`ve already finished that so
well…” she stuttered out then which caused him to chuckle about her random
cuteness.
“Sounds…acceptable, cadet. “ 
“You should get some rest, General.”
They smiled at each other.
Some minutes later they were lying in each others arms once again, covered with
a black satin blanket. Gabrielle was still blushing about wearing one of the
General`s private tshirts that reached down to her knees almost and the blushing
increased even more when she finally was aware that she could spend this night
listening to the heartbeat of the one person she had adored for so long and that
she loved so much. That she would be able to feel the radiating heat of his body
and the soft skin of his chest. It was almost a miracle that she fall asleep
that quickly, save in his arms.

Yet Sephiroth himself was lying there, his mako green eyes gazing at her, softly
stroking her back with one hand. His thoughts would not calm down. Or his
emotions. He did not know how to define it.
It felt somehow awkward sharing a bed with someone. Not a tent on the
battlefield, but a real bed. And even have her in his arms, breathing regularly,
nuzzling against him.
It felt so awkward to believe he was in love. And yet it felt so good.
Was it right to let her so close? Future. So unknown now. 
He gave her another soft kiss on her forehead then drifted off, sleeping the
most pleasant sleep he had ever had. Without dreams, without the sounds of a
laboratory or a war, without the voice in his head but skin on skin with the one
he loved.



The next afternoon Gabrielle was drowning once again in paperwork, as Sephiroth
was still a very strict boss, when he all out of sudden got up, grabbed his
Masamune and walked towards her.
“Cadet,” he said, keeping his tone as official as he could as there were
always others around. “I`ve decided you need to get a special training. You
have missed so many classes due to your work here and I want you to be a good
member of SOLDIER. Fetch your sword and meet me in training hall 05 in half an
hour.”
He walked out of the office, graceful as ever, smiling to himself about
Gabrielle`s stunned face. But it had been a right decision. He wanted her to be
safe in this world of corruption and  violence and he wanted her to be safe of
other men. And if it was him who trained her she would certainly find a special
style.
They met at hall 05, her with the big buster sword the cadets had to cope with,
making a grumpy face as she still despised its weight. But in his eyes she
looked adorable.
“Alright cadet. First lection:
Never only face the weapon of your enemy. You have to sense everything of him,
every tension in his muscles so that you can foresee each  of his attacks. Most
people tend to look at the move of the weapon only which has proved utterly
wrong as it is just not possible to see a fake attack soon enough to block it
properly.”
His voice was low and serious. Gabrielles soaked up every word from his lips and
buried it deep inside of her.
“Secondly. You need to become one with your weapon. Ok…I shall admit that
might be difficult with the buster sword you have , yet nevertheless I am sure
you will succeed somehow. Watch closely. I shall give you an example.”
With those words he took his Masamune sword and walked into the middle of the
hall, then closed his eyes. When he started to move it seemed almost like a
dance, his moves fluent and elegant, never stopping, yet too fast to escape, too
forceful to block. If his fight was a dance it would have been the most lethal
tango one had ever danced.
His silver hair shimmered and his coat was floating in his moves while his blade
cut the air in its wielding, making the high eerie sound of a whip in the air,
glancing in the light. The ones who saw him fight were indeed left without a
chance. They must have seen an angel dance before they realized it would be the
last thing they ever noticed.
When Sephiroth  finally stopped moving and looked at his cadet she was standing
there in awe, lost in her gaze. He know that moment would be forever saved in
her mind and yet he hoped it would help her for her own fighting.
“Thirdly,” he continued. “It is my special hope that you will fing a
special style of your own. If you have that you always have a benefit. Standart
attacks are well known. You have to be special. Therefore, take your weapon.
Sparring time. Don`t be afraid.”
He nodded at her, giving her a short, assuring smile before getting into
fighting stance again. He let her attack him a couple of times, once again
noticing her speed that was certainly hers more than the force of a blade,
correcting her on how to make steps and how to wield the sword in order to get
more power out of the move one was in. 
“Be one with your weapon. You do not guide it. You are it. Entirely. Not only
that piece of metal in your hand. That is harmless if you do not know how to use
it.”
She nodded at his words, practicing the attack again and again. Soon she was
covered in sweat while Sephiroth still seemed to be unaffected. But she was
already getting better. Her moves had become more coordinated already and she
had learned that she could use the power of her fast moves to wield her sword
and not to waste more for that than neccessary. Sephiroth was a good teacher.
Some more lessons and she would be able to win against everyone of her class,
even against some of the higher ranks.
When he noticed she was breathing hard, huffing and puffing he smiled gently.
“I think that is enough for today. Please go take a shower. And could you then
please try to repair the computer in my quarters? I think I somehow managed to
mess it up once again. I should not work that late at night.” He winked at her
and walked off, back to his office. This had been a nice training. Not alone for
once like his usual training he attented everyday before dinner. He hit the
button on his coffee machine and took an Oreo. His office had really changed. As
much as he was the perfect fighter – the less skilled he was with keeping an
office without chaos all around.


 From that day on Sephiroth gave her training lessons everyday, watching her
grow stronger. He could not surpress a content smile when he saw her graceful
moves now, the strength that lay within her elegant and slender body.
They somehow managed to spend most of their evenings together, keeping their
secret. Sometimes Sephiroth wondered if they really believed he had so much work
to do that his assistant needed to stay longer every day but nevertheless he was
glad no one asked about it. Everyday was new surprise for them.
Gabrielle had found a way to sneak into her room in the very early morning when
everyone else was still asleep and thanks to the general teaching her and
helping her with her classes in cadet school she was still able to keep up with
all her subjects.

Hosted by Animexx e.V. (http://www.animexx.de)