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"Anybody around? Guess it's just us."
"It's still warm."
"Should we relight it? Have our own campfire?"
---
"Look at you, Mr. Everything!"
Cloud hadn't even skipped a beat, going straight from a fight to lighting them a fire of their own. He moved the hot logs around with the steel tips of his gloves, setting new kindling below. The slightest touch of fire magic brought the camp back to life again. Cloud scoffed at her while he did it, just the slightest little breath off his teeth, but his brief glance at her was far more friendly.
"Mr. Everything?"
"Mmhmm. You can do everything. Is there anything you aren't good at?"
He paused, bless his soul, to consider it. Aerith crouched down beside him, smoothing her dress under her thighs so it wouldn't trail against her heels. Finally he said:
"It doesn't really matter."
He said it without looking at her, like it embarrassed him.
"Something just came to mind," she chided him. "What is it?"
He ignored her just a little, focusing on rearranging the firewood into a frame, even as the kindling below was engulfed in stronger and stronger flames. He withdrew when a flame caught the underside of the wood, slicking up its side like a tongue. Aerith decided to settle in, shifting to her bottom. Cloud remained on one knee.
"Are you a bad dancer?" Aerith asked.
He shook his head.
"Combat training is all about body movement," he said. "SOLDIER transforms your body into a weapon. You can move it however you like."
She didn't think that was exactly the same thing, but she liked that thought. He was plenty loose and limber. He'd made quick work of the fiends blocking their path, but it was just long enough to get a feel for him in action. Quick footwork, strong arms. Plenty of balance, hefting that big sword around without tumbling after it. Aerith wasn't much of a dancer herself, but she wasn't a complete stranger to the night life, and she could picture him amongst it. Shame about his stiff upper lip, though.
"Are you a terrible cook?" Aerith asked. She tilted her head, letting her bangs fall into her face.
Cloud shook his head again.
"Servicable," Cloud confirmed. "I grew up helping around the house. It was just my mom and I, so I learned. I haven't ever had a place of my own to cook in, though."
"Lots of take-out," she remarked.
He nodded.
"Better than rations in a mess hall," he replied.
She knew those complaints all too well. Aerith nodded too, and she smiled.
"Then you can't whistle."
Cloud didn't even crack a smile, but she thought she saw one around the creases of his eyes, the little quirk of his mouth. Almost a smirk.
"Not a problem for me," he said.
"Prove it," she challenged him, and he met her with a quick one, just two little notes, almost like a cuckoo. She grinned, and she scooted into closer to him. "Alright. You're a bad driver!"
He raised an eyebrow, lifting his chin just a touch. He was cocky. She thought he enjoyed being that way, but something about him seemed too soft to commit to it. She could see him behind the wheel, she thought. Maybe a motorbike. Cloud would like to look cool, and a motorbike was a little more effortless. He kept his eyes on her for a moment, as if challenging her to try another.
"What about drawing?"
"Who cares about something like that?" Cloud replied.
"It was just a thought."
"You're not going to give up, are you?"
"Nope." She gazed upon him, magnaminous in her offer of mercy: "It'll be easier if you just tell me, you know."
"You find plenty of ways to make fun of me as it is," Cloud said. "I don't think I need to give you ammo."
He looked away, but that faintest trace of a smile lingered. He looked even more handsome to her when he gazed into the fire, trying his damnedest to ignore her. Aerith waited, and she was prepared to wait all night. Let him squirm.
"Well?"
"Well..." He trailed, still looking into the fire. And then, carefully: "I've never been good at talking to girls."
Aerith laughed, leaning back on her hands. Cloud made a soft sound of frustration. What a liar! She'd just have to let that one go.
"Like I said," she sighed. "Mr. Everything!"