For Honor or Glory

Heart to Heart

Chapter 73

It was after noon when Alex woke again. She almost wanted to try and go right back to sleep. There was a weight in her chest that did not have anything to do with any lingering illness. Memories of the conversation that morning only served to make it worse. She finally decided that laying there and going over every detail once again was not helpful, so she got up to find Lorne.

Thankfully, the woman was in the next room as per usual. Angeal was with her, which helped to buoy Alex's mood a little. At least until she remembered they would be leaving soon. She didn't say it out loud, but she decided that she would do all she could to make sure they weren't separated for long. She would have to be blind to miss that they had already started to care for one another.

By that time, Lorne caught sight of her and frowned. Before the shorter woman could say anything, Alex held up both hands and said, "Please don't get mad. I haven't tried to do anything like lifting or such. I just needed some fresh air. If I promise not to go far, can I go for a walk?"

Lorne let out a deep breath and looked Alex over. Whatever she found seemed to satisfy her since she nodded and said, "Alright, but I don't want you to leave this level, and I want you back within an hour. If you still feel up to more after you eat lunch, we can see what to do then."

Alex wasn't going to argue. She knew that was the best deal she was going to get. She thanked the girl before she turned to her brother with a smirk as she said, "I'll see you both in a bit. Don't get too cozy."

Angeal's eyes widened before he frowned at her. She could tell that he wasn't actually mad because there was a light dusting of pink across his cheeks. Before he could get into the lecture she could see coming, Alex waved at Lorne and ducked out. Her smile faded as soon as she was alone. Seeing her brother make a connection with someone like Lorne pleased her, but that did little to keep the pain back for long.

She already knew where she wanted to go, so she headed straight for the small balcony that jutted from the nearby hallway. It afforded a great view of the canyons. However, before she made it far, Sephiroth came around the corner, and they both stopped.

Neither of them spoke for a few moments, but it was finally Alex that broke the silence. She gestured behind him as she said, "I was just going out for some fresh air. If you aren't busy, would you join me?"

He seemed to hesitate for a moment before he said, "I was on my way to see how you were doing. If you have no issue with me coming with you, then I will agree."

Alex managed a small smile at his formality. She shook her head as she started walking again before she said, "I'm the one that asked you. If I had a problem with it, I wouldn't have."

He fell into step beside her, but neither of them spoke again, not even once they were out on the balcony. They both stood there and stared out over the canyons for several minutes before Alex finally broke the silence. "Actually, I'm glad I ran into you. There is something I wanted to ask you."

He looked down at her with that furrow between his brows. For a split second, Alex had the urge to massage it to see if she could make it go away. Thankfully, she curbed the urge and held her hands together to keep from doing anything that would make this more awkward. It helped that he finally answered, "What did you need to speak to me about?"

Alex took a deep breath. This was not going to be an easy conversation. She couldn't look at him as she said, "It's about what Bugenhagen asked this morning. About our son. I had not thought about naming him, but it feels like something we should do. He—he would have been ours to raise had things been different."

Several seconds passed before Sephiroth gently turned her to face him. The furrow had been replaced with a frown, and his eyes held confusion and pain. She had rarely ever seen him this open. His words did not help. "I had not considered naming him. Are you sure you are alright with this? Would it not be easier to put it behind you? I can see that it pains you, even if you were initially unwilling."