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Cloud felt the breeze ruffle his hair, the clammy coldness dampen his skin, the rumbling in his stomach—felt every little goddamn jolt and jerk of the airship. The sight of the metal flooring between his feet was fast becoming a familiar view, and he had to constantly force himself to breathe in shallow breaths. Was it really worth having an airship at his fingertips when he spent the majority of the time with his head down between his legs?
Tired of feeling like shit, he tilted his head back with a low groan to lean against the wall and close his eyes. The cold metal felt like ice as it pressed against his back, and he couldn’t tell if it was making him feel worse or better. Just as he was about to feel sorry for himself again, the faint noise of a door creaking on its hinges could be heard.
“Cloud?”
His eyes snapped open in surprise. Aerith was peeking out from behind the door with a sheepish look on her face before pushing it wide open and practically bouncing —though in a limited way because she was still injured, and she had promised the doctor to be careful if they would just discharge her—across the deck. If he was sure that he could open his mouth without emptying out his stomach, he’d be telling her to be careful.
As it stood, all he could do was shoot her a reprimanding look that she would no doubt ignore anyway.
There was a twinkle in her emerald eyes as she beamed down at him with a playful grin stretched across her lips. “I got the grand tour from our captain,” she said, her hand motioning around the entire airship with excitement. And then she peered down at him with a sympathetic smile. “He said I’d find you in the machinery room or up here.”
He shook his head, but even that small movement made his stomach heave, and his head went back between his legs. “Just need some fresh air,” he managed to croak out after breathing in deeply a few times.
Her hand laid on his shoulder, squeezing him in a comforting manner for a fleeting moment before her touch disappeared. When he didn’t hear her voice, or sense her footsteps, or feel her presence, he felt the sudden onset of fear and panic grip him.
Had it all been a hallucination?
Forcing himself to look up again, he was immediately relieved when he caught sight of her with her back towards him; it was probably going to take him a while to realize that it wasn’t a dream, and that she was here to stay.
The sky was clear and blue and beautiful, but at that moment, none of it mattered to Cloud or even registered in his mind. Instead, he was studying the way her pink ribbon fluttered in the draft, the way her brown curls drifted in the wind, and the way the hem of her new dress flapped in the breeze—her old one was sitting in a plastic bag, still caked with blood.
He could recall the overwhelming feeling of disbelief when Tifa called to give news about Aerith waking up. And now, days later, he still couldn’t believe that she was still here—still alive—with him.
When Aerith finally turned back around to face him, her characteristic smile was on her face, though a little more subdued than usual. “I’ve always imagined being on the Highwind,” she murmured, her soft voice carrying through the whipping wind, and he watched as the corner of her lips wavered just slightly; his perceptive gaze caught the flash of sadness that disappeared almost as soon as it appeared, and her mouth lifted back up, the corners of her eyes crinkling in happiness. “You promised you’d take me, and here we are! Except…” she trailed off, her tone teasing, “who knew Mr. Bodyguard had motion sickness?”
Aerith blocked his view of the sky as she leaned down at him, her practiced grin on her face.
He knew she wasn’t ready to talk, and he wasn’t about to push.
“Shut up,” he muttered disgruntledly, his lips pulling upward into a cross between a grimace and a smile as he shot a mock glare her way.
Instantly, she laughed, the sound tinkling in the air. His chest swelled until he felt like he would burst, and he wanted to hear her laughter over and over and over again. With a shake of her head, her braid swished along as she flopped down next to him. Their legs brushed against each other, and he felt the warmth of her skin through his pants before she threaded her bare hands boldly through his gloved ones.
She took a deep breath before she spoke. “I’m glad I’m here.”
There was a comfortable silence between them, and he didn’t feel the need to fill it with small talk. Nonetheless, he wanted her to know how much she meant to him, and he made the decision to turn his head to face her, despite his stomach growling in protest.
“I’m glad you’re here too,” he said truthfully, a half-smile pulling at his lips. “It’s not how I intended our first ride on the airship to look though,” he added dryly.
Her eyes glowed softly, and the smile that broke over her face was so bright that he had to remind himself to breathe. Without warning, she leaned towards him, fingers brushing against his cheek as she cupped his face in one of her hands.
Her soft lips brushed against his for a fraction of a second before she pulled away and leaned her head on his shoulder. His heart skipped, and he tightened his hand around hers.
“It’s perfect,” she hummed.