Chapter Text
It had only been a few days since Sephiroth’s mission in Costa del Sol had started, and I was missing him more with each passing day.
My thoughts were circling around that fact and the question whether he thought about me too, every now and then. Since he was there with his girlfriend, I assumed that he probably wasn't...
Over the past two days, I’d tried to fish for information about Sephiroth and her from Zack, though I was careful not to sound too suspicious. Unfortunately, Zack had been too swamped with paperwork to be much help.
Still, I managed to learn something. Zack mentioned a phone call Sephiroth'd had with her and referred to their conversation as “other means of stress Sephiroth was experiencing besides the negotiations and fighting.” That comment gave me hope. It was selfish, sure, but the idea of their relationship being less than perfect was enough to overshadow my guilt about wishing they’d break up. I wanted Sephiroth too much to let guilt stop me.
That evening, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I pulled out my phone and sent him a message.
*Remember that you told class you would take photos :)*
While waiting for a reply, I started preparing dinner—scrambled eggs and spinach, taking both ingredients out of the fridge.
*Hmm, you mean from the beach? Or the battles? ;)*
I grinned. 'You at the beach...' I answered mentally but chose to give a subtle hint first. *Didn't you mention in class that it was a nudist beach? *_* *
Obviously, I was hoping that he would catch my hint as usual. I cracked the eggs open skillfully – my mother had taught me – and placed the still half-frozen spinach into a pot.
Bzz bzz. *Yeah, of course... I will send you a photo of the old ladies and gents!*
I cringed but chuckled nevertheless. *Eww! … Then I’d rather take one of you, if I must... ;) *_* *
*Yeaa... Of necessity. And, of course naked! :P*, he answered me and my grin became wider.
I stirred my food briefly and then replied: *If you are already offering me that, I’ll graciously accept out of respect... Looking forward to it ;) ;)* At least he hadn't forgotten about doing this with me... I was glad.
*Wow, what a burden you are willing to take on... unbelievable! ;)*, was his reply.
That made me chuckle even more. It was easy to lose myself in his playful texts, forgetting everything else. The conversation reminded me of another dream I’d had recently. I hesitated, then decided to share.
I blushed a little, thinking back. It had just been one of these 'I only remember 2 minutes of it after waking up' dreams, but I certainly did remember one thing... *...which reminds me, I dreamed we were at the beach together...*
His response was immediate. *Really, is that so? Tell me more...*
Now, there I had his curiosity but didn't know what to do with it, since it was a tiny bit personal... 'How to explain...'...
*Well, I don't remember much... other than us walking along it... then we stopped at a cliff, looking into the sunset... then at each other...* my cheeks burned as I typed the next part, unsure whether to go on. *... and then we sort of leaned in...*
I had to find a way to become less tense, therefore I added a cheeky *Well, let's say, at least in a dream you are a damn good kisser ;) *_* *
Dinner was ready, and I plated my food, but the silence that followed my text made me feel anxious. Was it too much? Maybe he was busy.
Ten minutes later, my phone buzzed again. *Well, at least that ;)*
Relief and excitement washed over me. I couldn’t believe we were talking like this. It felt surreal, but also unbelievably good to message with him again, it had really been too long for my taste...
'I never would have thought I’d be texting Sephiroth about dreams, let alone one where we kissed...'
But as much as I enjoyed our banter, doubts began creeping in. Was I the only one he flirted with like this? Did he do the same with others—students, colleagues, anyone? The thought gnawed at me, stealing some of the joy from our conversation.
Lying in bed later, I couldn’t shake the feeling. Finally, I gave in and sent another message.
*By the way... do you get these compliments a lot?*
I worded it carefully, avoiding anything that might sound accusatory. If I asked outright whether he flirted with others, he’d probably shut down, which was counterproductive. I did want an answer, after all…
He actually did not take long to answer. *No... even though some people may suggest otherwise...*
Since I had asked it in a flirty context, I immediately felt relief when reading that. If he had been entertaining others like this, he probably would have dodged the question or given a different kind of answer. But this was clear—reassuring in a way I hadn’t realized I needed.
*No, I wouldn't have thought that, anyway!*
Of course, I couldn’t admit that I had been worried about it occasionally ever since we started texting this way. Though, when I thought about it more, I realized he really didn’t seem like the type of person to do that. 'So it's just me he does this with...'
I felt my face heat up.
Then again, had his reply even been about that?
If he’d taken it to mean compliments from students in general, then curiosity started to mix in with my relief.
In that context, I was actually surprised by his answer. Who wouldn’t compliment this man in some way? Sure, there was the usual, “Wow, you did great in that Wutai War” or “Your sword techniques are so inspiring!”
Between his prowess in battle and his commanding presence, he seemed like someone who would receive admiration constantly. At least, as for me… I had a whole list of things I could compliment him on.
Maybe people were too intimidated to compliment him on anything beyond his battlefield achievements. I wouldn’t blame them—his presence alone could make even the boldest hesitate.
Still, the idea of people holding back their praise amused me. Did they not realize there was so much more to admire?
*Thank god!*
His response was short, almost playful, but it made my heart stutter.
That felt like a good note to end on. I set my phone aside and closed my eyes, trying to focus on the exam I had tomorrow.
But even as I drifted off to sleep, I couldn’t help thinking about him—his words, his teasing tone, and the way he made me feel like the most special person in the world.