Sephiroth was beginning to look a little worn around the edges and Albel had noticed. He'd noticed the changes in the man for awhile after the vision he'd had, though he hadn't approached the SOLDIER before. He'd felt too guilty. After all, in this supposed soon-to-be-coming future, Albel had let Sephiroth die and then he'd become involved with Terra! Terra, who was living with Sephiroth; Terra, who was very obviously romantically involved with Sephiroth. Albel had stepped into that. Even though Sephiroth had been absent (and in the vision, Albel had felt... well, comfortable with Terra, in love even), he felt guilty now for "stealing" Terra.

So he'd avoided Sephiroth. And the two women he'd somehow become involved with in the "future," though less successfully. Except that, besides the guilt, the feelings of loss that followed that vision, the grief of losing Sephiroth, still remained as well. And, while Albel didn't want to believe that that "future" he'd seen was necessarily coming, it didn't sit right with him to waste the time he still had with a man he so respected. Three months wasn't a long time. If Sephiroth did die, again, then Albel would hate himself for doing nothing in the meantime and knowing the possibility was there.

"How are you holding up?" he asked quietly when he finally did talk to the other man, taking advantage of a moment where Sephiroth was alone.