Even through the light sweater that he wore, the tension that roped through his arms down towards where his fists were clenched tightly was palpable. Very obvious even in the light touch that Terra's hand rested against his forearm; near to the elbow. The atmosphere his distress was emanating was similar to that of a coiled spring fighting against that which kept it tightly under duress. In the meantime, another sniff was pulled back as Sephiroth dropped his head so that he might look at the floor through barely opened eyes; trying to will yet-more tears away from surfacing and feeling the failure acutely as another fell in the wake of the first. Silver bangs, like the very curtains they were styled as, fell forwards on either side of his face if they could hide him away from the world.

Terra shouldn't have to put up with him like this, showing such weakness as he was. He took great pride in being the strength that she needed, it wasn't right expecting her to be able to shoulder the return. Now more than ever, Sephiroth felt that his life was more complicated than anyone else should have to bear.

"It's-" An instant dropped like a pin in a silent room and he snapped eyes back to Terra's face, the telltale streak of moisture down one cheek apparent as he turned his face more down and towards hers."-except it's not, Terra. It's never been okay."

He didn't even have much will left, which would have shrugged her hand away before. The longer that they remained stood there facing the coat rack made Sephiroth feel as if all his strength were being stripped away; his stomach twisted in on itself in an opposite direction to the way his heart swelled with warmth at the fact that Terra was trying to comfort him. He shouldn't need such comfort. He'd never needed it before, so why now? Nothing had changed but the facts that he now knew that had been silently eating away at him ever since that day.

He felt like a 10 year old again, wanting to crumple to his knees under the weight of the world.