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Sephiroth shuddered slightly. The eruption of his wing was never a pleasant experience, regardless of how much he prepared himself for it beforehand. There was always the burning sensation, the tearing of flesh, and a full-bodied wooziness that seemed to linger long after it had been manifested. Still, right now he had a very specific purpose for manifesting the wing, and he suffered through the unpleasantness with a strong resolve.
Wrapping it in closer to himself, Sephiroth studied the wing, trying to determine which feathers were the nicest. He needed several nearly perfect feathers, and once he had selected them, he took his wing in hand and began to pluck them.
It was, perhaps, a strange task; he had taken the time to ponder it extensively and decided that the sentimentality of the gesture would likely outweigh any potential strangeness. Zack had long expressed an interest in owning some more avant-garde jewellery, and he had also more than once commented on the attractiveness of Sephiroth’s feathers.
Once the task was completed, he retracted the wing, preparing for the equally odd sensation of de-manifestation, and the subsequent nausea that accompanied it. Select feathers in hand, he set about the task of attaching them to the post of an earring. He was no jeweller, but wanting it to look as professionally made as possible, Sephiroth had done extensive research and preparation in advance.
Once assembled, he put it into a small gift box, added an elaborate bow to the lid, and tucked it away in preparation for their upcoming holiday trip.
When the time came for everyone to exchange gifts, there were a fair number for everyone. Sephiroth chose to hold the earring back, opting to give it to Zack in private. “What’s this?” He asked, as Sephiroth handed him the box.
Sephiroth hesitated a moment. “It’s… possibly a little strange, so I didn’t want to give it to you with everyone watching.”
“Okay…” Zack replied, skepticism evident in his tone. Opening the box with clear interest, Zack’s face lit up as he looked inside. “Holy shit, amazing!” He exclaimed as he removed the earring from the box. After studying it for a moment, he continued, “Are these… are these yours?” Sephiroth nodded. “Oh shit, that is so cool!”
“I hoped you would think so,” Sephiroth replied, smiling widely.
“Well I do,” Zack smiled back, “And I fucking love it!” Excitedly, Zack threw his arms around him, squeezing so tightly it nearly left Sephiroth feeling winded.
“I’m glad,” Sephiroth sighed, resting his chin on Zack’s shoulder, and squeezing back. “I just wanted to give you something special.”
“This is special as fuck,” Zack replied enthusiastically, pulling away from the embrace, and bounding over to the mirror above the dresser. He took out his current earring and replaced it with the new one, then tilted his head side-to-side, admiring his reflection. “It looks sick,” he said, confidently.
“It does look good on you,” Sephiroth agreed.
“I just wish I had something else for you,” Zack lamented.
Sephiroth shook his head. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, “your happiness is its own reward.”
“Aw, Seph,” Zack smiled, “I love you so much.”
Sephiroth pulled Zack into an embrace, leaning their foreheads together, eyes full of joy. “I love you, too,” he said, “So much.”