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Heart hammering against her sternum. Palms sweating and knuckles turning white as she held onto the brown whisker basket clutched in tight fists. Meadow green eyes darting to and fro amongst the crowd of people all acting like she wasn't even there.
It was the first time Aerith came topside and already she was regretting ever coming.
The words of her mother's disapproving voice and Aerith, being headstrong and now technically an adult at 18, refused to listen, but right now she desperately wishes she had.
Sector 5 was safe. Home. The people all there knew her and appreciated her. The kids at the Leaf House always clung to her skirts and looked at her like she was their big sister. The adults in the Sector always happy to have her help around their businesses or brightening up their lives with the flowers she'd been growing since she was a child and stumbled upon the fledgling garden in the church…
But not these Topside People.
Sector 8, The Loveless District was turning out to be absolutely terrifying. Yet it wasn't the fact that people didn't spare her or her flowers any attention or even look at her when she spoke. Even the rude man who bumped into her and made her drop her basket didn't even say sorry!
…Yet that wasn't what was bothering her…
It was the sky.
Even darkened by night and sprinkled with stars from the little she saw amidst the smog and clouds - she felt sick just by its sheer enormity…
Aerith's heart thumped painfully harder and she felt the beginnings of sweat lining her brow as she tried to keep her eyes away from it yet there was this pull, this tether that wouldn't let her be. Feet shifting, Aerith made sure the coast was clear before backing up closer to the building behind her. It didn't help like she hoped it would.
All the Flower Girl could do now was curse her own damned stubbornness.
Selling flowers to the much richer residents of Midgar to help her mother with bills now sounded like the dumbest idea on the Planet and yet if she left now, she'd just be proving her mother right… Maybe just a little longer. She'd sold a few flowers thus far and she told herself if she only made just a few more sales that would be enough to at least make the trip topside hopefully worth the effort.
It had to be.
That still didn't stop her hands from shaking…
"Woah! Are those flowers real?" a voice said from right beside her and Aerith had to clench every muscle to keep from screaming at the sudden interruption into her chaotic thoughts. She had half a mind to tell whoever it was off for scaring her yet when she turned to greet the owner of the voice, her tongue wouldn't move.
Peering at the man who interrupted her inner torment, the entire world froze around her.
Standing in front of her was a man a full head taller than her with broad shoulders, thick sinewy bare arms, sun-kissed skin and raven hair that looked a little ridiculous in the way it seemed to defy gravity with the black spikes falling down akin to quills.
Yet as nice as he already looked, it was his face that seized her heart like it was caught in a merciless vice grip.
Never in her life had she seen a more beautiful man. She never even thought she could call a man 'beautiful' until this moment - but he was. Strong cheekbones and a sharp chiseled jaw, he was clean shaven with thin well manicured brows and regal looking nose. All gorgeous features made more rugged and handsome when accompanied by the cross-shaped scar adorning his left cheek.
But nothing could compare to those eyes.
Dark blue suffused with an undertone of an array of violets even more vibrant than the flowers she grew in her garden, the beauty of a galaxy all encompassed by a ring of bright green. The glow from streetlights and the stars overhanging in the terrifying sky glittered in his iris.
Never had she seen more beautiful eyes…
Aerith heart galloped like a stampede of Chocobo in her chest.
Those fickle childhood dreams and admittedly sappy and quite ridiculous romance novels that spoke of this very feeling suffusing in her chest. The very idea of falling head over heels in love at first sight felt almost poignant as she found herself lost in his bewitching gaze. She'd never taken the idea of such a thing to heart especially when living in Midgar amidst the poverty and stricken populace suffering beneath the towering steel sky.
Yet as she fell into that cloudless blue skies of his eyes, she wondered if perhaps this was what it felt like…
But the lofty idea of love at first sight truly was only for fairy tales when she suddenly allowed herself to take in the harsh reality in front of her.
It was only now that her eyes left his own that she noticed the blatantly obvious SOLDIER garb. The very moment when Aerith plummeted down back into the Planet from her castle in the sky. For as devastatingly handsome as this man was, as breathtaking a sight as he was, it was all a cruel mirage. He was a SOLDIER, let alone one from First Class given the black turtleneck he wore, and any SOLDIER, no matter the rank, was a sign of nothing but trouble. Her entire life, she'd been warned relentlessly to stay away from anyone who worked for Shinra.
This man should be no different yet every single sense of wanting to run fled the second he smiled at her.
"...So… Are those real?" he asked again and Aerith's face burned like Ifrit's hellfire when she realized she'd never answered him and instead had been staring like an absolute idiot, basically ogling the man, for who knows how long.
Lowering her head and staring at the yellow and white lilies filling her basket in order to hide her reddened face she finally replied. "Yes! Yes… They're real." Not wanting to act like a petulant child in front of him and her own stubbornness, Aerith lifted her head (blushing cheeks be damned) and looked up at him. "I grow them myself actually." she stated proudly.
There was no way she was going to let a stupidly handsome SOLDIER make her cower.
Yet the man merely smiled wider showing off ridiculously white teeth that was only more evident against his tanned skin. "Really?" he asked excitedly. "That's amazing! I had no idea you could even grow flowers in Midgar. Or grow anything really given all the veg and stuff has to be imported." The man's head lifted up and against her will, her heart skipped a beat when he suddenly winked at her. "You must have quite the green thumb."
With little else to say without giving out the real reason for the plants growth, Aerith replied, "Yeah. I've been gardening since I was a kid." And instantly cursed herself for even saying that! He didn't need to know anything personal about her so Aerith bit her tongue.
"Well, it shows." the SOLDIER said with a nod before he reached into his pocket and Aerith instinctively wanted to immediately take a step back but forcefully kept her feet planted regardless of how much every instinct told her to run.
Shinra meant nothing but trouble.
Shinra meant nothing good.
And that included everyone who worked there… Yet she refused to be afraid. The mastered ice materia lingering in her pocket made her feel secure knowing whatever this guy was planning could be deterred at least long enough to give her time to escape regardless.
Aerith may be a bit naive but she was far from stupid or ill-prepared.
Yet nothing happened other than the man taking pulling out his wallet. Aerith bit back a smile knowing if the man was in Sector 5, leaving a wallet in his pocket was just asking to be stolen from by the many pick-pocketing kids in the sector.
"How much for a dozen?" he asked with genuine interest.
A dozen flowers and any ill-intentions she believed this SOLDIER had dissipated. The man probably just got off work and just wanted to buy flowers for a wife or girlfriend and now she just felt shitty for even thinking he'd kidnap some flower seller (because that's all she was, dammit, regardless of what the Turks believed) in the midst of the crowd going about their business around them.
It still didn't stop her from feeling a bit bitter that she found an obviously-taken man so attractive in the first place, Aerith stated "Fifty Gil," more than the typically 3 gil per flower she had been charging the rich residents who lived here.
The man flashed her a strange look, but before Aerith could lower the price in fear he'd think she was swindling him, he spoke up, "Wait. That's it? You need to be charging more than that." Before she could say anything, he'd placed 100 gil bill in her hand like you'd toss a crumbled piece of paper in the trash bin. "Here. Keep the change." he stated and Aerith didn't even have the heart to tell him she didn't even have enough money to make change for that amount.
Aerith stared down at the paper gil in her hand like she'd never saw such a thing. So many emotions bombarded her at once but it all faded when he merely continued smiling with his head tilted a bit to the side. Almost like a puppy.
The sight made Aerith smile beside her better judgement, a bit of a hysterical laugh at her lips as she carefully folded and hid the largest monetary bill she'd ever held safely in her small coin purse. Money safely sequestered away, Aerith than began gathering a dozen of the most fresh beautiful lilies, six of white and six of yellow with long stems and bright green leaves with no wilted petals.
"So…" Aerith said conversationally as she arranged them, "You and your wife have an anniversary or some other occasion to celebrate or something?"
The look on his face was comical. His cheeks flushed scarlet and his eyes grew huge. "No!" he stated quickly. "I'm single! I - I mean, I'm not married so no wife, or girlfriend currently. Actually. I. …Heh." he lifted his hand to rub at the back of his head in an adorably bashful motion.
"Oh. Then who are these for?" Aerith couldn't help the teasing lit to her voice and the smile pulling at her lips.
"The flowers are actually for my ma." he said with a smile that warmed her right down to her toes, "She's here visiting from Gongaga. Being in SOLDIER, we really don't get much time off so I didn't have time to go visit so her and my dad decided to stop by instead. So, when I saw those flowers, I knew I had to get her some. Me and her actually used to grow some that looked a lot like that when I was a kid but they didn't handle the jungle weather too well so they always died off." he finished with a shrug and all the trepidation at this man and his intentions, regardless of his profession and employer, faded away instantly.
"That's really very sweet," Aerith said genuinely, "I bet she'll love them."
The SOLDIER smiled bashfully at her compliment and let out a nervous chuckle as he rubbed the back of his head again. Damn, he was just too cute. Incredibly handsome and cute as hell - a deadly combination. And just like that, he'd became almost distracting as she forcefully pulled her eyes away from him.
Aerith gathered the prettiest flowers together, arranging them in a bunch before she finished by tying the beautiful bouquet together with a pink ribbon she cut from the spool located at the bottom of the basket.
"All finished! Here you go," Aerith presented the bouquet to him with a flourish.
The man smiled as he reached for the flowers and a tingle went from the top of her head to the bottom of her heels when the leather of his glove brushed her hand. To have such a visceral reaction without even skin to skin contact was nearly electrifying - who was this man and why was he making her feel this way? It was as if she was basking in a fire yet plunged into an icy bath at the same time. Such a dichotomy of emotions she could hardly articulate yet the feeling was already addicting.
"Thanks so much! I really appreciate it." he said with a beaming smile that put the sun to shame with its illumination and sheer warmth. "Hope you have a good night and maybe I'll see you around." With a lazy salute and other arm cradling the precious bouquet to his broad chest, the man turned around and began walking away with a confident stride.
The clamoring voices, sounds of cars and the life around her she hadn't even heard suddenly blared in her ears. How lost she had been in that man's orbit…and she never even got to know his name…
A sudden fear overtook her and it wasn't one of the sky threatening to swallow her whole. Like the Planet was screaming and pulling her tightly to this tether that he rested at the other end.
A deep rooted fear that if she let him leave, she may never see him again.
She couldn't let that happen…
Feeling brave and finally obeying the pull of her heart as it reached for him, she called out, "Wait!"
The man immediately halted in his tracks as Aerith stepped forward to close the distance between them. Heart pounding and palms sweating yet she refused to show anything but a smile and cool confidence even if all the things she'd been taught about Shinra and all who worked for it were ignored in that beautiful face and bright blue eyes looking at her with genuine intrigue.
"You forgot this. Here." Aerith's hands were trembling as she reached out and slipped a single yellow lily into the strap of his SOLDIER armor. The golden flower against the slate black of his First Class Turtleneck made a beautiful contrast much like his black hair and intense blue eyes. "On the house."
Aerith's heart pounded, her palms sweating yet she dared not look away from his eyes.
The varying emotions as he looked at the flower than back to her face filled her chest with a strange form of trepidation and excitement. The world grew quiet again - like they were the only two people on the Planet. The very Planet and its voice a gentle, satisfied hum echoing in her heart as she watched the SOLDIER's enchanting blue eyes light up and he flashed her a crooked smile. He didn't even appeared bothered or ashamed of the gentle hint of coral blush staining his cheeks knowing the apples of her own were probably painted cherry red.
"Thanks," his voice was like a melody she never wanted to hear the end of.
"You're welcome. It suits you," Aerith smiled softly, her heart leaping as she watched him suddenly reach out a hand to her.
The man smiled. "I'm Zack," he introduced himself and the name struck something in her. Like she'd heard it for the first time out of a million more. Like she'd already known it and it echoed on the cusp of her tongue.
"Hi, Zack. I'm Aerith," she replied, gently grasping at his warm hand. The world continued around them and yet it felt as if nothing yet everything had changed as he gently gripped her hand and shook it.
Zack smiled, his eyes sparkling as he looked at her as if seeing her for the first time yet there was a familiarity in that gaze he didn't bother hiding, "It's nice to meet you…" he said before chuckling when he realized he hadn't stopped shaking her hand. He gently let it go and Aerith reluctantly let him and grasped the handle of her flower basket instead of latching on to his hand never to let go.
What was happening to her?
"Hey, uh. I was wondering. I-If you're not busy some time next week - would you let me buy you a coffee?" he asked.
Aerith let a teasing smile lift the corners of her mouth, "No."
Shock filled Zack's face, his expression looked like a kicked puppy for only a second before Aerith chimed in again with a sunny smile.
"I actually don't drink coffee, but you could buy me a cup of hot cocoa or tea."
Zack's face lit up again like it was Yule morning. White teeth greeting her between tempting lips as he replied, "Really? Awesome! S-Sure. I could even get you both!" he said excitedly and Aerith didn't bother holding back a giggle at his eagerness. He was so damn adorable.
Aerith flashed him a coy smile. "I guess it's a date."
"I can't wait," Zack replied with a wink before pulling out his PHS and handing it to her. Aerith's palms tingled as he placed the phone in her hand so she could type in her number and leaving her name with a flower emoji after it.
"So you won't forget who I am," she said while handing it back.
Zack looked down at what she'd typed and flashed her a heart-stopping grin, "You don't ever have to worry about that."
"Oh stop it, you!" Aerith giggled, face flaming as she pushed at his shoulder and although it was akin to moving a house, he allowed her anyway. His laughter as beautiful as church bells ringing on a bright Sunday morning. Everything about him nearly took her breath straight out of her lungs in the best way possible.
Zack chuckled but his eyes caught the time on his PHS and his eyes grew wide, "Dammit, I gotta go! My parents are waiting at the restaurant. But um, I'll call you so we can plan out when to meet next week, 'kay?" Zack said.
"I can't wait," she rehashed his previous words back to him. Zack smiled, turning around and giving her a lazy salute, he took off faster than she'd expected, even from a SOLDIER. He soon disappeared into the bustling crowd and left her standing in the street feeling as if the world came back into focus.
It felt as if nothing yet everything changed with that single interaction. There was still a crowd of people milling about, the too loud conversations, the music blaring from nearby restaurants and shops, people still bumped into her occasionally yet it didn't bother her… not even the sky above did.
Looking up, Aerith glanced into the dark night now free of clouds and all she saw was the dark blue and violet of his eyes, the flecks of mako from the reactors leaving streaks of green like the ring around his iris.
No, that wasn't so scary anymore…
Aerith's PHS suddenly buzzed in her pocket with an unknown number on the screen. A smile overtaking her face as she read the message inside.
"Hey its Zack! Thanks again for the flowers! my ma did love them btw. Ill text you my schedule when I get it 2maro so we can set a date. Have a goodnight. ;-) " it read and Aerith couldn't help but smile.
It was strange. She'd just met him yet she felt as if she'd known him her whole life already or even every lifetime. A feeling of rightness settling deep in her chest as she put her flower basket on her arm before writing him back, "I knew she would! Moms always love flowers. They're a perfect gift! Have a nice time with your parents. Yes, please let me know when you're free. I'm looking forward to it, Zack. You have a good night too." before she could second guess herself, she pressed send.
Placing the PHS back in her pocket, Aerith glanced back up at the sky and instead of fear, she smiled instead.
There was a warmth in her chest. A warm fuzzy flickering fire resting comfortably underneath her sternum as she took in the sky that reminded her of his eyes.
It was way too soon to tell, and Aerith had never known what it was like to be in love, but she imagined it felt a lot like this…