Time of Transition

[giftsofglory]

He made no move to return Mello to his room when morning came. In fact, a good week later there was still no move being made to that extent, and on that morning, when Mello woke it was to the now usual configuration of Sephiroth being wound around him, pinning his hands. This time, however, the act was accompanied by the silver haired man actually being asleep still.

Not to say they hadn't been spending all their time together, but Mello hadn't had the chance to see him asleep until then, him holding out for the blond to sleep and then rising before he could.

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[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

He sighed then, genuinely sad about it. "I know."

[gunsandchocolate]

"If it's understanding you want, you're not leaving a good impression to start earning it," Mello muttered, catching that genuine sadness. The guy was fucking nuts, and he wasn't even surprised by it anymore.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

"I don't know how to do that." He wasn't going to be subtle about it. "That doesn't mean I don't miss it."

[gunsandchocolate]

"If you're looking for pity, I'm the last person you'll get it from," Mello informed him in a suddenly quiet, very serious voice.

"Get off me."

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

He shook his head, then hummed. "Don't do anything you'll regret now."

The words were followed by mental touch, deep and demanding, scooping what made Mello -Mello- out away from his body, sending him reeling into Sephiroth's mind in a way having his own mental abilities would have prevented, and letting him tumble into the open chasm that was the antechamber of his thoughts. His voice was from a version of him, just in front of him, not in the clothes he was used to seeing but leather and hair loose. "Let's see how creative you can be."

[gunsandchocolate]

Mello gasped, eyes widening as he felt--if it could even be called feeling--that sensation of another in his mind, pushing, pulling, something. He didn't know what was happening despite the topic of their conversation, and he panicked but he couldn't thrash or struggle, body going limp. The pain disappeared too, for now, and it felt like closing his eyes and diving into cold water.

When he could perceive things properly again, he could tell this was not only a place different from that room, but hardly a place at all. The surreal nature of it all was off-putting, perhaps even frightening, and he could feel his breath picking up speed even if he was sure there was no point in breathing here.

Sephiroth was different too, and Mello realized suddenly the reason he seemed taller was because he'd fallen to his knees, trying to get used to everything at once. "What- Where is--?" He gasped, stupidly though he knew what and where this was. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it yet. This shouldn't be possible.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

"Somewhere you said you wanted to visit." He laughed softly, offered his hand. "Up with you."

It was little more than a murmur, and he considered, then brought more reality into place, solidifying the sense of cavern into detailed caves.

[gunsandchocolate]

That actually helped a little, even if Mello was aware they weren't real caves. At least it looked more like there was a floor and actual substance, not just empty darkness.

He slapped away Sephiroth's hand, pushing himself to his feet on his own and then glaring up at him. Mello had no wounds here (though perhaps this was good to at least let his body get much-needed rest) and, despite the fact he hadn't had clothes in months, he seemed to have fashioned for himself at least a shirt and jeans, subconsciously. It made him feel at least a little less vulnerable.

"This is impossible," he muttered, somewhere between apprehensive and awed.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

"I don't know what you mean, my detective, but I do know you're acting very oddly. This trip was for you, after all." He tilted his head, watching him with extreme curiosity and a sense of quiet disappointment. "Perhaps we shouldn't continue, you might not be ready."

[gunsandchocolate]

"What the-- No!," Mello insisted angrily, dusting himself off quickly and glaring at Sephiroth. "You drag me in here and you expect me not to even need a few seconds to get used to it? You're an imbecile. Not everyone is a freak like you."

Deep breaths. Okay, so he was in Sephiroth's mind. His fucking mind. But that was okay. He was here by choice (more or less) and it seemed like... a place. So he could deal with this, pretend it really was a place and not some impossible dimension.

Trying to explain this logically was making him a little frantic again, so Mello suddenly and quickly dropped that train of thought. There was no explaining this in terms he could understand. He just had to accept it.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

He could feel the frantic thoughts coming off Mello and he smiled slightly, looking at him through his lashes and cocked his head. "Of course not everyone is a freak like me. I'm -special-."

There was a pause and he threw his hands out to his sides in invitations. "Show me what you can do Mello, I want to know."

[gunsandchocolate]

'Special' didn't even begin to cover it, Mello thought dryly, looking up at Sephiroth as he opened his arms out as if to say he was vulnerable for attack.

Of course, if this was his head, Mello had to be careful. He had a suspicion Sephiroth would have a lot more control (as if he didn't usually, the fucker).

Then again, since it was a world of thoughts, perhaps he could control things as well. So he tried, imagining his gun in his hands.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

The gun materialized with ease, and there was some sounds of movement off behind Mello shortly after, Sephiroth watching him intently, unmoving as he followed the blond's line of thought with ease.

[gunsandchocolate]

Pleased with that, at least, Mello cocked his gun as he glanced over his shoulder to see what had made those sounds, even so leveling the gun to aim between Sephiroth's eyes, almost without even looking.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

When he looked, there was nothing there, but looking back showed that that glance was more than enough for Sephiroth to vanish from in front of him, and there was another set of sounds, again out of his line of sight, like footsteps.

[gunsandchocolate]

Fuck. He'd fallen for it. Mello frowned, swore under his breath and turned quickly, waiting for Sephiroth to reappear.

Getting an idea, since the gun had worked, he suddenly tried very hard to imagine several mirrors in the space around. Not enough to be confusing, but enough to give him an immediate view of his surroundings.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

There were mirrors, and they showed everything... except Sephiroth, whose fingers ghosted down along Mello's spine and didn't show in a single one of those mirrors.

[gunsandchocolate]

Well, damn. All right-- Sephiroth's mind, Sephiroth's rules. Mello would just have to work around it.

He whirled at the ghost of a touch, trying to catch Sephiroth with the side of his gun, or maybe a stray elbow.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

"If you want me, then perhaps you should ask." The murmur sounded as though it was directly in his ear, though his attack hit nothing and there was nothing there to see.

[gunsandchocolate]

"Show yourself, you fucking coward!" Mello snarled.

It wasn't exactly asking but. Close enough.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

"Ah ah Mello. I said if you -want- me. That was just insulting." There was a soft laugh, the sensation of hands down his back.

[gunsandchocolate]

Mello tensed away immediately, trying to strike him again. "What I want is for you to show your smug face so I can shoot it," he hissed.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

"I know you do." His voice was soft, and when Mello turned around he was dressed in loose, form hiding clothes, peering at him from under the line of his bangs and looking -young-. "So go ahead."

[gunsandchocolate]

No. He wasn't falling for mind-games again.

Mello was unfazed by the suddenly young appearance, not buying a second of Sephiroth's innocent act. It was still the same fucker, no matter what face he put on.

Aiming between those large eyes, Mello pulled the trigger mercilessly.

[giftsofglory.livejournal.com]

And the form crumpled, even if there was no blood, even as arms slid around him, resting on his shoulder. "I should mention, Mello, that within one's mind there are all kinds of different facets the world never sees." It was a murmur directly in his ear. "Be glad that one isn't actually dead, just emotionally hurt, or you would have made things much worse for yourself."