[Time just seems to lose all substance, the longer that they are stood silently in their embrace. It's punctuated by Sephiroth's strong, thundering heartbeat which seems to be creeping ever further up into his throat, stealing it's way into the space behind ears and eyes, as the moments slide by.
But he manages to keep his breathing steady enough, and his own fleeting tears are gone completely before Terra turns her head against his chest and looks up for his eyes again. Dampened thick black eyelashes look more prominent as a result and due to the angle he was looking down at her. The mako gleam that had been permanent in his eyes at one point seemed to come and go of it's own accord recently; tonight the color seemed almost hollow.
The smallest trace of moisture at one side of his eyes, obscured by jaw-length silver bangs.
They blink and widen, as if waking suddenly from a sleep, as Terra makes her confession. Not that Sephiroth hadn't dared to hope that it might be the case; indeed, she had mentioned several times in the recent past how fond she'd grown of him. But this was...well in this instance it was almost like being hit with a brick wall. It probably wasn't easy to tell his expression from the alarmed, yet at the same time satisfied flavor it seems to hold.]
But I-
[He doesn't know what he's done to bring this on himself. It had to be something he did or said but -fight or flight soon manifested itself in a rapid increase to his pulse rate, that all too familiar creeping tension which might have one or another reaction. To make it worse, he knew he didn't have the time to think what should be the appropriate response; this, indeed, would be it]
But you're sure?
[Knowing not only how much younger Terra was than him, a man now in his mid-rather-than early twenties, but how she had always had a naivety about her that wasn't natural either. Sephiroth doesn't want to take advantage; it wouldn't be right. He's still protecting her in a way...]
[Closed - Terra] <3
But he manages to keep his breathing steady enough, and his own fleeting tears are gone completely before Terra turns her head against his chest and looks up for his eyes again. Dampened thick black eyelashes look more prominent as a result and due to the angle he was looking down at her. The mako gleam that had been permanent in his eyes at one point seemed to come and go of it's own accord recently; tonight the color seemed almost hollow.
The smallest trace of moisture at one side of his eyes, obscured by jaw-length silver bangs.
They blink and widen, as if waking suddenly from a sleep, as Terra makes her confession. Not that Sephiroth hadn't dared to hope that it might be the case; indeed, she had mentioned several times in the recent past how fond she'd grown of him. But this was...well in this instance it was almost like being hit with a brick wall. It probably wasn't easy to tell his expression from the alarmed, yet at the same time satisfied flavor it seems to hold.]
But I-
[He doesn't know what he's done to bring this on himself. It had to be something he did or said but -fight or flight soon manifested itself in a rapid increase to his pulse rate, that all too familiar creeping tension which might have one or another reaction. To make it worse, he knew he didn't have the time to think what should be the appropriate response; this, indeed, would be it]
But you're sure?
[Knowing not only how much younger Terra was than him, a man now in his mid-rather-than early twenties, but how she had always had a naivety about her that wasn't natural either. Sephiroth doesn't want to take advantage; it wouldn't be right. He's still protecting her in a way...]