\ Commissioned By: Malice-and-Love (deviantart) | For: chinensisXIII (deviantart) | Fandom: Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts | Pairing: Sephiroth x Fuu /

Guide Me

The wind whips around the young woman as she stands at the rails, looking down into the churning blue water. She reaches a hand up to grab at her long, silver hair; attempting to hold it down. However, the shorter tresses crossing over the left side of her face stay in place. Her one crimson eye gazes out towards the land into view. Pulling her powder blue jacket tighter, she glances to her right. Nothing is there, that anyone can see, but still she gives a small nod. Her feet, clad in blue sandals, step lightly over the sturdy, wooden deck. The large white sails propel the ship forward as she calmly heads for where she'll be getting off. On her way, an older man with glasses passes by her, informing that the deck hands will deliver her things shortly after docking. She nods and continues on her way, unworried and sure of her decision to move back here – to Winhill.

Several months ago, the girl planned to move here. She scheduled to be on the boat's first voyage of spring. Of course she had already contacted the town to buy a small house. The only one available was a quaint home in Downtown Winhill at the edge, farthest away from the other buildings. Since it's only herself, she doesn't mind the low cost or the small living space it provides. Anything is better than were she was.

After passing the flower shop, the chapel, and the market; she's walking the road to where her little home sits. The building itself is two stories; the bedroom on the top floor and the bathroom, kitchen and living room on the bottom. The inside, as she unlocks the door and heads in, is just what she imagined on the way here. The floors are wooden and the walls all have tan or white wallpaper wrapping around the room. The furnishings are all still here from the previous owner and for that she's grateful. Holding up her wrist, she pushes the sleeve of the jacket away to view the watch. Figuring she has some time before the deck hands bring her bags, she steps back outside and locks the door. Slipping the silver key into the pocket of her tan pants, she turns around. She heads straight to the flower shop, where the road forks, so that she can get to the town square.

Compared to Downtown Winhill, where there's rarely a person outside, the center of Winhill is bustling with what must be every resident who isn't working. Although they're moving about, they seem to do so at a leisurely pace. After crossing the bridge, she takes note of Winhill Mansion sitting right across the round area. From her view, to the left of the mansion is what she remembers to be a pub run by a local woman. She can feel her throat start to itch and her chest constrict, signaling she should head there first.

As she does, she notices people looking at her from the corner of her eye. Not that it's ever mattered to her if people look… but she's not surprised that they do so today. Her slender fingers open the door to the pub and suddenly she feels like she's in a whole new place. Unlike the bright and warm atmosphere outside, as well as all the chatter, the pub is the exact opposite. The cool air is provided by the fans on the ceiling, circling lazily. The lighting itself is dimmed down to give some relaxation while the curtains are pulled to just enough to let only enough outside light in.

She moves over the bar, ignoring the five round tables, and looking up at the bartender. She doesn't recognize the dark haired woman with her sweet brown eyes, but it doesn't matter much to her. The woman walks towards her, setting down the glass she had been wiping. She wears a white t-shirt and a black apron around her waist.

"What can I get you sweetie?"

"Water…"

In seconds, a cold glass of water slides over to her with a thin straw sticking out of it. She begins to sip at it just as the door opens. Unbeknownst to her, the man striding over to the bar stares at her the whole time. He sits three seats away from her and the woman goes to get his order. However, before he can speak he watches as she tears a hand away from her glass. Using her sleeve to mask it, she coughs hard, several times. Out of breath after forcing the coughing to stop, she takes a drink – hoping to ease her throat which feels like it's on fire.

The stools at the bar move and suddenly, the man is sitting beside her. He sits towards her, one arm on the cool top of the bar. His voice comes out soft and even, despite his words being a question, "Fuu?"

Having her nickname called, she turns to look up at the man only to have her lips straighten out in a line. In all his glory, sits Sephiroth, her childhood friend. Despite it being years since she's seen him, he basically looks the same. His silver hair is long, pulled back by a ponytail, with his bangs hanging at the sides of his face. Piercing blue-green eyes still seem to go straight through her, making her feel as though he can tear down all the walls she builds up. He wears black, scoffed boots that rise up to his knees and tight pants of the same color; these going down into his boots. The only difference is that now he wears his black vest open, displaying his well-muscled chest.

Obviously, he's been working and he must have been one of the people that spotted her. Otherwise, Fuu doubts he would have come in here in the middle of doing something. That's when it hits her; maybe he's missed her…

"What brings you back to town, Fuu?"

"Visit," she says quietly, still trying to get her breath to even back out. Reaching into her pocket, she pulls out munny, hoping the currency rate, from munny to gil, is accurate enough, as she leaves a few on the bar next to her water.

"Leaving already?"

"Delivering my things," she mumbles.

Sephiroth gives a smile over at the woman tending the bar and he takes Fuu's money back, sticking it straight into her pocket – despite the glare she gives him. "I'll walk you home."

Fuu says nothing in return – nothing at all – as she walks out of the pub. Naturally, Sephiroth is right by her side the second he's able to be. She can feel the glances people continue to give her, but unlike before she seems to notice them a bit more. With his presence, they seem to look a little harder; trying to place who she is or if they recall her being in this town. This is why she couldn't be happier to cross the bridge and be heading back down to the residential area.

Nonetheless, the entire walk to her home is dead silent. Neither says a thing and even though he's taller than her and has hair to block her view, she can see him glancing down at her every so often – more of a feeling really. The tension of being away from a friend for so long, and realizing how much they could have changed, weighs heavy on her shoulders until she reaches her front door. The key is out of her pocket before she even gets there, slowly, but quickly, trying to get the teeth into the keyhole.

"Thank you," is all she says to him, her back turned as she lets the door swing open the slightest bit.

Just as she steps across the threshold, his voice tries to drag her back out. "Not going to invite an old friend in?"

She can't help but roll her eye, holding the door open so that his tall, rather intimidating height. The door shuts behind him, her gaze following him as he looks around the barren living room off to the right. As if it's the most natural question in the world, Sephiroth glances at her over his shoulder.

"Do you still see the faeries?"

It throws her for a loop. No one, no one, has asked her that question since she convinced them all that she didn't. The whole thing made her life conflicted and here is her dear, old friend asking it as if he were still ten; wondering what they looked like, what did they do, why were they around?

Her thoughts having consumed her, she remains silent long enough for Sephiroth to turn completely around. With his eyes locked onto her, she snaps out of her own mind and nods just as a knock resounds on the front door. Their eyes meet for a second, at best, before Sephiroth makes his way there.

"I'll come see you again soon."

The formal tone, with an underlying kindness, leaves her rooted to the spot as he leaves. The deck hands move forward the instant he's out of the way, carrying in her things and setting them down around her; after asking if they could move things any further for her. But once they've brought everything in, she shoos them away so that she can unpack. Even though her mind is occupied with placing everything and carrying it upstairs to her bedroom, her thoughts never stray away from Sephiroth for long.

(Guide)(Me)

Not one to break a promise, Sephiroth showed up early the next morning. Thankfully, Fuu was already dressed in light tan pants and a white shirt, covered by her trademark jacket. He practically drug her out of the house with the excuse of showing her around the town – more or less helping her to remember where everything is.

Even though she glares, she enjoys walking with him. He takes her through the winding pathways of Downtown Winhill before back to the town square. There he leads her straight for one of the small stands set up outside of a shop. A young girl stands beside it, apparently managing it for her mother who's dealing with another customer. She idles behind him with her hands in the pockets of her jacket, watching intensely as he talks to the child before pointing to one of the straw hats; wide brim, small dome, and a red ribbon to go around it.

It's not until he walks away from the kid, after paying, that she realizes just what he did. Neither utters a word as he places the hat gently atop her head, making sure not to snag at a single strand of hair. That's when she lifts her hands to take it off, only for Sephiroth to grab at her hands, holding them back down.

"It looks good on you."

She tilts her head down, as well as tugging her hands away from his. If anything, she's grateful the hat hides her flushing cheeks. Sticking her hands back into her pockets, more so to make them stop tingling from his touch, she moves back towards the bridge. Sephiroth smiles at her back, knowing he hit a button – just because it's been years, doesn't mean he's forgotten how and which ones to press.

But like a gentleman, he walks her to the fork in the road which is where she tells him good night. Her footsteps quickly carry her away, with her heart beating faster than she's ever imagined possible. Sephiroth merely watches with a hand on his hip as he slowly turns around.

(Guide)(Me)

Over the next couple days, Fuu passes him frequently in town as she gathers necessities from the shops. But it's the morning after that seems to stop her dead in her tracks. As she's walking out of the kitchen she hears a soft rap against the door.

Not thinking of venturing out today as she's been feeling weak lately, she dressed up in a white sundress trimmed in blue and white sandals to match. Opening the door to see the one and only Sephiroth, she wishes she had seen it coming; especially since she never has been one for wearing a dress unless it's absolutely required. Either way, she's stuck as his eyes travel up and down before locking with her gaze.

"Would you like to take a morning walk?"

"Didn't you just walk here?"

He's not sure whether to chuckle because of her sarcasm, or because that's the longest sentence he's heard from her since she's returned. Either way, she reaches out for her hand, "Stubborn as always."

Having no choice but to pull the door to and keep up with his pace, albeit he slows it for her, Fuu stares down at the ground. His hand remains clutching at hers even as they take the opposite away from town and begin up the hillside. She can't help but want to pull her hand away, only imagining how clammy it feels to him. But he never lets go, whether to keep her from tumbling down the cliff side or because he likes to hold her hand – he holds on.

It doesn't take them long, half an hour at most, to climb the trail to where stairs lead down into the flower fields; Winhill's famous export. Of all the places, they are said to have the most beautiful flowers. The flowers even hold legends, or myths, about how they've healed the dying and killed evil beings. Even so, she can't deny the beauty of the landscape and the site of all the flowers endlessly spreading from one edge of the cliff to the next with a path right down the middle.

This is when he lets go of her hand.

Sephiroth starts down the stairs, although she can see him glancing out of his peripheral to watch her. Fuu moves carefully, her hand on the man-made railing, until she gets to the ground. Still, he keeps walking forward until he's standing in the middle of the pathway, barricaded on either side by rows and rows of varying flowers. Curious, Fuu follows after just to watch him bend down and pluck a particular flower from its place.

He rubs at the stem to smooth it out, so that it doesn't poke in any shape or form, and swivels to her. Without a word he reaches forward and slides the stem behind her ear, making sure that the pink lily stays in her hair. As he does, he runs his fingers through the longer strands only to grasp at the ends just before they fall. He steps closer, only letting go once she looks up.

Of course she sees it coming. How can someone not when the scene is set up just so? Although, she doesn't dare to give any sign of disgust or pleasure. She only lets him lean down and gentle brush his lips against hers. When he doesn't feel her pull away, he cups her cheek and presses forward more.

Most men would be horrified that a woman didn't kiss back; they'd walk them home and never try again, as the woman obviously doesn't feel the same. But Sephiroth is different. He knows Fuu and he knows she hasn't changed even after growing into a beautiful woman. That is why he only smiles; an honest smile that shows no teeth, only happiness.

"I've missed you."

This time, he slips his hand down to grab at hers, he doesn't let go of her hand until they've walked all the way back to her home. There she pulls her hand free and retrieves her key; unlocking the door and letting both of them in. Before he can say a word she's darting for the kitchen and he takes it as a sign to go wait on the couch. As she's busy fiddling around in the kitchen, Sephiroth leans back and looks around. His brow furrows as he takes note of the lack of personal belongings strewn about. There's no books, pictures, or anything to suggest she'll be staying – and dare he say it, he's afraid of that.

Not that he'd ever admit that out loud. No. He'd just have to find a way to prevent her from leaving. Simple as that or so he thinks.

Fuu calmly strides out of the kitchen and toward the couch, where she sets down two mugs of herbal tea. He glances at it as she sits down, but the second she's next to him he turns straight to her. Unable to help himself, he pushes her down against the cushions and kisses her; rough, needy, yet gentle and caring all at the same time. His breath ghosts over her lips as he slowly pulls away, their eyes never leaving each other.

"Fuu… do you love me?"

No change in behavior, facial expression, or body language prepares him for her small hands reaching up and pulling his head back down so that their lips meet. The only difference is that her teeth run over his bottom lip before pricking at it ever so slightly; love bite. That's all the sign he needs to kiss her again, his hand steady on her hip. Her fingers tangle into his hair as his hand slides up to her stomach. Their mouths continue to meet consistently until finally Sephiroth pulls away, her fingers sliding out of his tresses.

Just as he used to do when they were younger, he stands up only to pick Fuu into his arms. Cradling her against his chest he turns to the stairs, heading for them. She makes no signs of protest even as he gets to the top of the stairs. The large room shows little signs of use and no signs of permanent stay, but he doesn't let that stop him from setting her down on the bed. She kicks off her white sandals and moves to scoot backwards. Sephiroth watches as the dress tugs tight around her, his own shoes being set next to hers. Not liking the restraint of his black jacket, Sephiroth discards that as well before reaching out and climbing onto the bed.

One hand runs up her leg, pushing up the hem of her dress to her mid-thigh. He leans up towards her, giving a kiss to her lips he squeezes at her thigh. She gives another nibble at his lip but as she does so, he easily slips his tongue between her lips. Delving into her mouth he suspects he has control, overpowering her own tongue. That is, until she scrapes her teeth over his tongue.

He pulls away instantly, smirking down at her stubbornness. Sitting back up onto his knees, he watches as her visible eye gazes up and down his torso. She lifts up her hand to run it over his chest. He grabs at it and brings her hand to his lips; kissing the top before letting it fall back. His fingers reach down to grab at the hem of her dress, need and lust getting the best of him as he tugs it upward. Using his other arm he helps her sit back up enough to pull the material away, tossing it over the side of the bed.

Cheeks tinting pink, Fuu glances to the side as his eyes rake over her body. His lips press against the side of her neck, trailing kisses from her collarbone to her breast. The second his teeth graze over her nipple she reaches out to thrust her fingers into his hair. She tugs at his hair as he does the same to her nub, unwillingly to give up first. He sees that she isn't either, letting his other hand squeeze roughly at the other breast. The small noise that leaves her lips and the slacking in her fingers tells him he's won the battle, returning his lips to hers for a spare moment.

He nips at her skin on the way down to the hem of her panties, plucking at them smugly. She only glares down at him, eyes giving her true enjoyment away. Sephiroth pulls the simple clothing down and off to meet the rest of the clothes. He looks back up to see her glare steady.

"Pants…"

Only able to chuckle, Sephiroth stands up off the bed to slide the rest of his own clothing to the floor. Fuu watches as he climbs back on top of her, eyes going straight to between his legs before returning to the ceiling. He reaches down between her legs and instantly brings her eyes back to meet with his own. Her breath comes out in a sharp gasp, body twitching slightly at the intrusion. His long fingers delve into her warmth, stretching and prodding until she reaches down to grab at his wrist. Her pale skin is flushed red and Sephiroth knows just what she wants without her having to say a word.

His touch is gentle as he removes his fingers, caressing the inside of her thigh. Even as he places himself at her entrance, he's slow and steady – watching the way her eyes stay glued to his abdomen. He smirks at her as he pushes into her, that crimson eye snapping up toward the ceiling. Teeth grit together in pain, eyes closing shut for just a second. Sephiroth leans over her, pecking her cheek. Knowing he's close, she reaches out and grabs onto his shoulders with her nails biting sharply into his skin.

She breathes out slowly, nails loosening their hold. Sephiroth starts out slow, their skin sliding together gently, before he begins to pick up the pace. Fuu tries to keep her breathing even as he leans over her. Fingers tangle into his hair and her lips find the curve of his neck. His thrusts become erratic and she presses her face further against his neck, fingers tugging roughly at his hair at every thrust. He only responds by moving faster, getting deeper inside of her. Palms running up her body, he feels as she trembles under his touches.

Fuu closes her eyes as white spots her vision, feeling as though her heart will just burst out of her chest. Every trouble seems to fly away as she bites at Sephiroth's neck, refusing to shout. Nonetheless he knows she's happy and he can feel the way her body spasms beneath his own. He can tell that she draws a few drops of blood from the bite, the liquid dribbling down over his collarbone. Waiting for her to let go, he pulls out of her. Once she has their eyes meet and they're able to see each other's flushed faces. All he does is lie down beside her and she willingly rolls over to be held in his arms. Not believing him to be the cuddling type, Fuu takes advantage of the moment to feel safe as his arm drapes over her waist – holding her close.

(Guide)(Me)

The morning after their escapade, Sephiroth rolls over onto his back. He finds himself staring up at her ceiling and he remembers just where he is; which leads to him realizing that she's nowhere near him. The sheets next to him are chilly and he can hear nothing beyond the closed bedroom door. Sephiroth swings his legs over the lip of the bed and gathers up his pair of pants. Rushing to the door, he swings it open and goes down the stairs. Getting closer to the bottom he hears noises in the kitchen. Once at the doorway he almost smiles to himself for being so foolish and love stricken.

"Good morning, Fuu."

Silence…

His brows furrow as he scans every body movement. In a plain, baby blue dress she stands before the counter. One hand is in front of her, that Sephiroth can't see, but the other is gripping at the counter – her knuckles white. Worry crawls over his feet and up towards his heart as she seems to move in slow motion. Her knees seem to give out, but her hand remains clutching the counter's edge. Time only begins to move once more when she hits the ground.

Rushing forward, he can't seem to get to her fast enough. The coughs rack her body as she goes into a coughing fit. He's kneeling beside her with his hand on her back, completely taken back by what's happening. But just as quickly as it came on, the coughing ceases. Sephiroth doesn't miss a beat. He scoops her up in his arms and takes her to the couch, settling down beside her as she takes shallow breaths.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm sick… my lungs."

"Where do you keep your medicine? I'll go-"

"Incurable."

Her gaze looks him over and instantly she can see the worry in his eyes – and it frightens her. Still, she smiles and takes hold of one of his hands in both of hers. "They'll guide me to the next life… and hopefully, to you once more."

He stares at her in disbelief. He can't believe that those words came out of her mouth. Wondering why she can accept her fate so willingly, Sephiroth stands. The man turns back to the stairs when she reaches out for his hand. Blue-green eyes look back down at her. He slips his hand away from her grasp and hurries up the stairs to gather his things. Once he's dressed he returns to her. Giving only a moment to her, he kisses her forehead. "I'll be back soon, I promise. Be careful and wait for me."

(Guide)(Me)

A week passes quickly and Sephiroth returns to Winhill empty handed. But he knows he can't stay away for long and he can get back quicker than any form of letter. It's simply easier to check up on her, himself. His eyes are heavy as he walks towards the flower fields, having lost sleep over searching for a cure. He visited everyone he could think of with no one having the slightest hint of a clue for him to follow up on. It almost makes him angry that no one has figured anything out – how is he supposed to save her now?

The silver haired man gets passed the flower fields, about to climb the stairs, when a flash of light grabs his attention. He dismisses it, but out of the corner of his eye it flashes again. Simply curious, Sephiroth turns around just in time to see a light sail through the air to his right, disappearing straight through vines that cover the rock face. Just in the corner of the rising mountain, Sephiroth sees no problem in looking into it further. He moves over to the spot quickly.

Getting close, he kneels down to see why the light went through the lower part. He grasps at the vines only to have his hand not scrape against rock but meet cool air instead. A slim eyebrow quirks up as he pulls the vines away completely. Getting onto his knees he crawls forward enough to see the light, faintly, hovering in the darkness. Sephiroth moves in further, unable to believe he's doing so, until he reaches the light. It moves above him, casting it's light down on a patch of gray flowers. The petals curve downwards around the stem and glitter underneath the pale light. The dead end proves that there's nowhere else he can go and that this is where he's supposed to be.

Reaching for the flower, he's surprised to feel water drip down onto his hand. He figures that there's a crack in the rocks above, assisting in the flowers' life. Sephiroth only picks a couple of the flowers, even though he can't quite figure out why he's doing this in the first place. The second the flowers are tucked into the pocket of his jacket, the light darts over his shoulder. As it does he can swear he heard a high-pitched whisper – 'Hurry...'

The second he backtracks out of the cave, he rushes along the mountainside. In his mind he seems to have taken forever to get back to Fuu's home, but in reality he made it there in record time. His knuckles rap against the thick wooden door. No answer comes to him and the worry creeps back up into his heart; worry for his best friend, his lover. Not waiting for anything, he shoves himself against the door – forcing it open. Sephiroth rushes forward and into the living room to slow down to a dead stop.

Fuu lies on the couch with her fingertips rubbing lightly at her throat, lips becoming pale. Sephiroth sits down on the edge of the couch and pulls out the flowers he had grabbed. He takes one of them and plucks one of the petals. He leans over her and runs his thumb over her bottom lip. "Open up…" Trusting in everything he is and does, Fuu does as she's told and part her lips just enough for the petal to be placed on her tongue. Sephiroth watches as her eyes squeeze shut, imagining that the petal dissolved almost instantly. Once she eyes, he grabs for another petal.

Several more later, she's able to breathe properly. "Petals?" is all she asks him.

Sephiroth gives a small shake of his head. "I have no idea. I happened to find the flowers on my way back."

Fuu glances over his shoulder and he can only assume that she's looking at the faeries she believes in so much. Leaning into his arms, she looks up at him with a small smile on her lips. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"Curing me… and believing in me and the faeries."