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Aerith took a long shower that morning, long enough that Yuffie’s pestering over the door became whispers, until her voice disappeared all together. The water ran down her skin as tiny river streams, easing the seemingly never-ending itch that tormented her body.
Sometimes, when she blinked, she saw her own blood instead.
And she might’ve believed it, were it not for the cold temperature of the water. She turned the knob in front of her several times until the showerhead turned off, then grabbed her towel from where it hung and wrapped it around herself. She squeezed the last couple of droplets out of her hair and stepped out of the small bathroom space and into the bedroom proper.
And she stood there for a while.
She could hear people scurrying around outside her room.
She stared at her materia, which sat hollow on her bed. It gave her a little hope to see it like that, if she was being perfectly honest. Her memories of the future were still scattered, she had only been going off assumptions and a lot of overthinking this entire time. There was still a chance that her fate was not nearly as doomed as she thought it to be, that she would get to live a long, happy life alongside her friends and the man she loved.
Then again, it was also just as likely that she was simply delaying the inevitable.
She shook the thought out of her head. As she was about to grab her dress, a glint of sunlight hit her eye, temporarily blinding her, and she looked out the window. The sky was blue but tinted with yellow, she could hear birds singing––the music coming from the main part of town was still quiet enough to not disturb the peace. It was still early, and if that was the case, surely no one would mind if she were to take one last stroll along the shore, right? Well, Yuffie probably would, she’d just have to avoid her.
Aerith scurried across the floor to the other side of the bed, trying not to shiver as the air hit her bare skin. She dug her swimsuit out of the little nightstand there; she left it behind after their last visit to Costa Del Sol, figuring she probably wouldn’t need it anymore. Frankly, she was surprised Johnny didn’t throw it out, but she appreciated it.
The shirt was way too complicated for her to do on her own––only reason she got it on properly last time was because Tifa was there to help her lace it up––so she settled for only wearing the bikini top she wore underneath it along with everything else. She tied her hair up but didn’t bother braiding it, last time she tried doing a cute hairstyle for the beach it ended with hours of detangling post-fight. A ponytail was good enough.
Her door creaked as she opened it, only enough to let her get a peek at the hallway outside her room. Completely empty. Perfect.
She walked out, bee-lining straight to the staircase, and just as she was about to take the first step down, she heard a door creak behind her. Even though she was looking at him from the corner of her eye, she could still recognize those blonde spikes anywhere. Shit.
“Aerith?”
She turned around slowly, trying her best to act like she totally wasn’t sneaking out. He probably wasn’t gonna buy it. “Cloud!” She smiled, because even though she just totally got caught red handed, she was still happy he was the first person she saw. Not such a terrible start to the day, after all. “Morning, how’re you feeling?”
“Fine, but… where are you going?” He asked as he walked towards her. His tone wasn’t an accusatory one, more curious than anything. She could also tell he hadn’t spoken much since he woke up, seeing as how deep and airy his voice was. It sent shivers down her spine.
“Weeeell,” She clasped her hands behind her back, “I just figured I’d go for a walk on the beach! Y’know, since we won’t be back for a while.”
“You really think we’re gonna be gone that long? We’re just grabbing the materia and leaving,” he pointed out, and she didn’t miss the subtle way the corner of his lips tilted up.
“And who’s to say the journey to the temple won’t take us days, huh?” She put her hands on her hips, giving him one those cute, mischievous smiles of hers that made him blush. “We’ll be out in the open seas for who knows how long, and not to mention when we reach dry land, it might take us weeks to find the temple itself! And what of the temple itself? We don’t know how big it is, it could take months to find the black materia!”
Cloud rubbed his chin, humming as he contemplated her options. “You might have a point with that second one.”
She huffed. “Just the second one? Really?”
“Maybe the first, too.”
“Whatever you say, mister,” she sighed, still smiling. She couldn’t help it, alright? As moody and broody as she wanted to be, all the dark thoughts in her mind seemed to fade whenever she was with Cloud. That cute, rare genuine smile of his was enough to make her forget about everything.
A breeze passed through the two of them, and they both looked towards the soon-to-be bustling town, and she remembered that she couldn’t forget. “Anyway, I’ll go change. We’re heading out soon, right?”
Cloud looked at her again, sending butterflies to her stomach, and tilted his head. “Says who?”
Aerith blinked. “Uh, Yuffie was-”
Cloud shook his head, sighing, “Yuffie just wants to get there A.S.A.P. so she can nab the materia––I mean, that’s a good reason to head there quickly, I guess––but we still got a couple jobs we gotta finish. It’s like you said, we don’t know for sure when we’ll be back, so better finish what we’ve already started in case we take a while.”
Her chest felt warm, and she nodded. “Right! Then-”
“But.” He looked away from her, his stance crumbling a bit. “That… that doesn’t mean we can’t take a couple minutes to go for a walk.”
Her eyes widened, heart soaring, and she held back a giggle as she took the opportunity to tease him. “Oh? We?” She leaned towards him, and his cheeks reddened at the lack of distance between them. That, or because he realized what he had said. “We as in the whole team? Or… just you and me?”
She could tell he was racking through his brain for a response that would fit the “cool-guy” persona he put up, and that did manage to make her giggle. Finally, he settled on: “W-Well, I can’t just let you go alone, and everyone else is scattered, so…”
“Just us, then!” Oh today has gotten so, so much better. “Go on then, get changed. Don’t tell me you’re planning on going to the beach in all that SOLDIER get up.”
“Uh-”
“I’ll wait for you out here, now go, go, go!” She jokingly shooed him away with a wave of her hands, and Cloud, left with no other choice, reluctantly walked back to his room as per her request.
Aerith was happy, really, really happy. She was always happy whenever she was with Cloud, but somehow this felt extra special. She ignored the dooming thought that appeared alongside that, because, for now, she wanted to bask in how light her chest felt.
Cloud emerged not long after, outfitted in his chocobo top with matching pants. There was just one teeny tiny problem: he wasn’t wearing the shirt he wore beneath the blazer last time, leaving his torso almost entirely exposed. She averted her eyes back to his face before he could notice her ogling––and man it was gonna be hard not to.
“Well then, let’s get going shall we?” She grinned, holding her hand out to him.
His cheeks reddened, but he took it anyway. “Yeah.”
She guided him out of the inn and towards the beach house that led to the beach itself, at least until she felt a small tug on her arm. Cloud pointed down the main path of Costa Del Sol, towards the chocobo stable. “Let’s go to the other beach.”
She tilted her head. “The one where we collected seashells?”
“Yeah, it’s probably less busy than this one,” Cloud said, and before she could ask about the implications of that statement, he added, “Plus… we still got that chocobo ride we haven’t gone on.”
“You remembered!” She grinned.
“‘Course I did, now c’mon,” he spoke quickly, wanting to avoid her noticing how nervous he was, but of course, she did anyway.
She skipped the whole way down the path, her smile widening upon hearing Cloud chuckle. Once they got to the stable, they rented out a single bird, just like she had wished for way back when. Cloud got on first, then offered her a hand and pulled her up, and she quickly wrapped her arms around his waist so she wouldn’t fall off. He froze for a moment, body going completely stiff, before he clumsily grabbed the reins and set the chocobo trotting.
It was just like she wanted, a slow, peaceful, ride to the beach; it gave her enough time to appreciate all the little things about Costa Del Sol that she didn't have the time to appreciate before, like all the different flowers that bloomed from the grass, the bunnies that hopped their way back home to their little huts beneath the rock formations, even the few people they encountered on their way, who looked like they were having the time of their life. Everything about the planet was so beautiful. She adored every single part of it, even the ugly ones.
Her chest felt heavy again, and she hardly realized it when she leaned her head against Cloud’s back, and if he noticed, he didn’t say anything either. They were silent the entire ride, and once they finally arrived at the beach, Cloud hopped off first, then, again, offered Aerith a helping hand.
She giggled as she took it and slid off the Chocobo. “Such a gentleman!”
“Just makin’ sure you don’t twist an ankle, that’s all.”
“Hey! I’m not that clumsy.”
“If you say so.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, making him chuckle, then walked to the shore with him following close behind. She took shoes off and tossed them behind her (unintentionally almost hitting Cloud in the process) and dipped her toes in the water. It was warm and somehow comforting; a Feeling bubbled in her gut, and she held back the urge to jump further into the water and let it consume her entirely.
She stared out at the open sea, the sea breeze brushing past her shoulders. This was the planet she was meant to take care of, the planet that provided a home and happy life for her friends, the planet that she loved. She had to save it–– from Shinra, Sephiroth, Jenova; whoever it was didn’t matter, nor did it matter what happened to her in the end. So long as her friends were alive, then…
“Aerith?” She turned around, meeting Cloud’s concerned eyes, and her mouth tightened. “You okay?”
She mustered one of her fake smiles, “Don’t I look it?” Cloud gasped, a crease forming between his brows as they furrowed, and she broke the act a little. “What?”
He blinked a couple times then shook his head. “No, it’s nothing. You just… haven’t been talking much.” He walked closer to her, his gaze on her so tender it made her knees weak. “Are you nervous?”
Of course he would notice. She really should’ve held herself together better. “A little,” she admitted, clasping her hands together to fidget with her fingers. “Silly, right? You’d think I’d be excited to go to a place so full of the knowledge of my ancestors––oh, and don’t get me wrong I am excited! I think that, maybe, I’ll finally get some answers to all the questions I have.”
She turned around again to look at the water, struggling to hold her composure around him. “But… I’m also scared. Scared what awaits us there. It probably won’t just be Shinra we have to deal with, something tells me the Cetra wouldn’t want any ordinary person in their temple.
“And… and I’m scared of what I’ll learn. What if it’s something unpleasant?” Her breath hitched, and she fought to keep the burning in her eyes under control. She had to be careful about what she said––she couldn’t let too much of her knowledge slip––but after spending so long keeping everything in, it all seemed to spill out of her. “Something… unavoidable?” Her hands dropped to her sides, fists clenching. “What if… what if we’re too late, and we can’t save the planet after all?”
“Hey.” The haunting thoughts ceased when she felt his hand wrap around hers––a gentle and secure hold that made her heart skip a beat. She looked up at him and met his soft gaze, noticing hints of shyness in his blue irises. “Do you remember what I told you last time we were here?”
She tilted her head slightly, “You mean how you said you didn’t care about your food and I told you you’d instantaneously combust?”
“...No. At the other beach, I mean. Although I still have no idea if the combustion thing is true or not.”
Aerith chuckled. How could she possibly forget his words? They were one of the few things that brought ease to her unruly mind. They replaced the thundering, dark clouds with white, fluffy ones that were soft as cotton. Just like he did.
“‘Worry about the future when it comes’,” she quoted, looking back at the sea. The sun was higher in the sky now, they should probably start getting ready to leave. “I’ll know what to do.”
“You forgot one part.”
“Hm?”
He squeezed her hand, his eyes full with determination. “I’m with you.”
Her eyes widened.
He turned so his entire body faced her. “I’m with you, Aerith. No matter what happens, no matter what you do, I will always be with you. So don’t worry so much, even if something does go wrong and you feel like you can’t solve it on your own, then we’ll figure it out together.”
Oh god, in just how many ways was he going to make her fall in love with him again? How could she not love him when he spoke such tender words that made her heart soar with glee? To know that he wouldn’t leave her, like so many others had, that he would be by her side always made her so happy. And she wanted to make him as happy as he made her, too. She wanted to love him the way he deserved to be loved, to love every part of him, even the part of him he doesn’t realize exists. And maybe, in some world, she can.
She grabbed his other hand, chuckling when she felt him tense up. “Thank you, Cloud, for everything you’ve given me.” She looked up at him, a smile that illuminated the darkness blooming on her face, “Really, you have no idea just how happy you make me.”
She sensed it within him again––a sense of discomfort––and she tried not to frown. Maybe she was pushing it. But a tight, reassuring squeeze on her hands let her know everything was alright. “I haven’t done much,” he said, cheeks tinted pink.
“Sure you haven’t,” she teased.
A seagull squawked overhead, flying off into the vast ocean. Aerith stared at it, a dull ache forming in her chest. How good it must feel to fly freely whenever you want, wherever you want, without having to worry about anything reaching you. Was it going back home to its family, she wondered? If that was the case, she had no idea what it would be doing on this side, but she hoped it made it back safely.
She let go of Cloud’s hands and followed after the seagull, not paying much attention to everything else. She was waist deep in the water when she stepped on a particularly smooth, slippery stone, and she completely lost her balance.
“Aerith!” Was the last thing she heard before she fell face-first into the water. That said, she didn’t even have time to register what happened before a pair of arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her up, above the surface. “Aerith! Hey, hey, are you okay?!”
She coughed, brushing aside a couple strands of hair that managed to go into her eyeballs. “I-I think so? It’s just my…” She finally cleared her vision, just to be met by Cloud’s bright eyes staring at her, but they weren't just staring at her: they were very close. And she finally noticed right then and there that her entire torso was pressed against his. Shit. “I just… I got some hair in my eyes.”
“And that’s it? Are you sure?”
“Mm-hm,” she nodded slowly, her lips pressed into a thin line. Hopefully she wasn’t blushing furiously at the moment.
Cloud nodded, the tension slowly leaving his body as his hold on her loosened. Only loosened. “Okay,” he sighed, and a smirk that made her stomach flip appeared on his face, “I thought you said you weren’t clumsy?”
“I said not that clumsy, actually,” she giggled. Her hands naturally drifted to his shoulders, hovering above them for a moment before settling down. They felt so natural there, like the curve between where his neck and shoulders met had been perfectly designed so her hands could rest on them. His hands touched her bare waist and set fire to her skin, and a part of her wanted him to touch so many other parts of her.
But she couldn’t be that greedy. Her hands drifted to just below his collarbone, and in one last act of selfishness, she leaned her head against his shoulder. Some twisted part of her wanted him to move away, to push her away, to contradict his earlier words; to let her know he didn’t care about her, and that he would be fine if she were to leave him behind.
Of course, Cloud would never do that. He wrapped his arms around her back, fingers lightly tracing her arms, and she could feel him looking at her with those sweet, worried eyes of his. “Aerith?”
“I’m okay,” she reassured in vain, “Just… just for a little while. I know we have to go soon, but…”
“It’s fine,” he said, “We’ve got time.”
Her chest tightened, and she moved closer to him and closed her eyes. She wished she could tell him everything, maybe it would spare him the hurt he would experience. Or it might make it worse; knowing him, he would do everything in his power to prevent her fate, and in the end it might all be for nothing. She wished she could stay here, in this moment, drifting along the beach together with him. Small waves crashing against them, a breeze flowing through them, a bright blue sky above them. Serenity, peace, adventure, and love. That was all she had ever dreamed of.
A soft touch glided across her cheek. She looked up to meet Cloud’s flustered gaze, stammering to find the right words to say, “S-Sorry, you just had some hair on your face and I figured… y’know…”
She smiled. He was so damn cute. She leaned into his hand, desiring the warmth that radiated from it, “It’s okay, Cloud,” her eyes were sincere, “I don’t mind.”
He stared at her, and she could sense he was having some kind of internal debate with himself. Over what she wasn’t sure, but whatever it was she hoped he wouldn’t think too much of it. She didn’t like seeing the crease between his eyebrows.
Then his hand pressed a little harder against her cheek, still so gentle and soft, and her eyes widened when he lifted her head slightly. He kissed her forehead, such a delicate touch she hardly even felt it, yet it sent a wave of calm through her entire body. It was like an entire flower field had bloomed within her heart, flower upon flower opening rivers of joyful nectar that spread all around her.
He moved away before she could cherish the feeling more. His eyes held uncertainty within them, and a longing that she wished he would act upon. But she was already being too greedy, letting him do all this while knowing this might be the only time they can.
She smiled up at him, cherishing his blue eyes and the smile that formed on his lips upon seeing her expression. She rested her head against his shoulder again, one last time, cherishing the warmth of his arms as they wrapped around her and held her close and tight. She mouthed her feelings for him and hoped he would understand, and that he might return them too. And, more than anything, she hoped he could forgive her.