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Cloud let out a sigh of content as he continued to study the wispy clouds fade into pink streaks. The stars began to appear against the purple tint of the sky in little dots and specks that grew larger as night crept its way through the horizon. And just for a moment, it was as if they had fallen backwards through time where every second of their life mattered, where every single decision they made was between life and death, and where every choice he made meant the difference between a life of happiness or sorrow.
It seemed like a lifetime ago, now.
He could feel his eyelids begin to droop, threatening to fall closed despite everything telling him otherwise. There was something peaceful about the stillness of Cosmo Canyon at night, about the fire crackling softly in front of him, about simply gazing upwards at the sky above them, reminding them how far they had come.
It was quiet, it was perfect, and for once, he wasn’t trying to think of anything else but what was right in front of him. Cloud let out another sigh, closing his eyes just a bit longer and leaned into the warmth next to him. For once, he could take comfort and simply be, sitting here and watching the world turn from day into night.
He was so deep in thought—so close to falling asleep—that he almost missed it when a soft huff erupted from next to him. A warm hand rested atop his knee, and he felt her head lean against his shoulder as the floral fragrance of her hair wafted up to his nose.
“I won’t be able to carry you if you fall asleep on me, you know.” Aerith’s soft voice broke the silence, and even with his eyes closed, he could hear the laughter in her tone.
“I’m not falling asleep,” he protested weakly with a murmur, reaching one arm around to pull her a little closer. It felt so natural to just relax and enjoy this moment because it wasn’t often that he allowed himself to do that these days; there was always something that needed to be done, someone that needed assistance. And it didn’t help whether it was a mission he had agreed to help Reeve with, or a delivery he had promised to deliver, or an errand he had decided to run because his plans always went awry—things always went wrong and took way longer than expected to complete.
“Mhm,” she hummed teasingly. “Of course not. After all, what kind of bodyguard would fall asleep on the job?”
Cloud let out a snort of amusement before turning his head just enough to brush his lips on top of her head; a gesture he knew would always bring a smile to her face. He didn’t need to open his eyes to see it, though, because he could feel it in the way her body relaxed against his, in the way her breath hitched ever so slightly.
As he drew back, he finally opened his eyes to peer down at her; her gaze remained locked onto the dark sky above, her features illuminated by the soft flames dancing across their faces, and the corners of his mouth couldn’t help but twitch upwards.
“I don't think I’ll ever get used to the sight of sunsets,” she whispered, her thumb drawing mindless circles against his knee.
“You said the same thing about the view of Edge from the WRO building last week,” he mumbled.
Aerith let out a small laugh. “Well, yes, but… the whole world looks so different when the sun is sinking beneath the trees.” A pause followed her words before she leaned away from him and turned her head towards him, her lips curving up. “I told you it was a good idea—taking a vacation. When was the last time you actually let yourself rest?”
Letting out a small grunt, Cloud rolled his shoulders back to try to alleviate some tension. She wasn’t wrong; he hadn’t really taken a moment to just sit back and relax—or even breathe—for as long as he could remember. “It’s been a while,” he admitted quietly. “There’s just so much to do and—”
Aerith shook her head fondly. “And there’s always going to be more,” she finished for him gently. “But you need to slow down—”
Almost as if on cue, the shrill chime of his phone cut her off and with a groan, he reached into his pockets to pull it out. Without even checking who the caller was, he pressed on the red button to decline the call and set the phone on silent before shoving it back in his pocket.
She gave him a half-exasperated, half-amused look. “That doesn’t mean you should be ignoring calls.”
Cloud shrugged. “I told them I was busy. Whatever it is, I’m not interested.”
“Did you even bother to check who it was?” Aerith teased, her tone light and carefree. “What if it was something serious? Someone important?” she asked with a small laugh, leaning back against him as her gaze returned to watch the clouds above them.
“Then they’d just call you,” he retorted easily, pointing out the obvious. Where one of them was, the other was never far away. She had taken to travelling with him on his deliveries, and he could be frequently found at the rooftop garden above the Seventh Heaven or at the old Sector Five church. He watched with amusement as her cheeks pinked and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards, and he couldn’t stop the faint smile that pulled at his own lips.
“Hm. I guess you’re right.” Her hand reached over and threaded through his, pressing her palm to his knuckles as she intertwined her fingers with his. Cloud looked down at her for a long moment before he squeezed her fingers, and he felt his expression softening.
An easy, comfortable silence settled between them, each lost in their thoughts as the calm of the evening washed over them both until the last rays of sunset disappeared below the horizon.
Eventually, he heard Aerith shift beside him, but it wasn’t until she let out a quiet sigh that he was pulled out of his thoughts. When Cloud finally looked over towards her, their gazes met, and she looked uncharacteristically nervous. Before he could ask what was bothering her, she spoke.
“I need to ask you a question.”
Cloud’s eyebrows rose slightly at the serious tone in her voice. “Uh,” he muttered, a small frown tugging at his lips as he tried to piece together why she sounded so hesitant—so apprehensive. His fingers tightened their grip on hers before releasing them. “Sure. What is it?”
He saw her drop her gaze before looking back up towards the sky once more. Cloud shifted to move a little closer to her, his hand resting slightly against her lower back as he listened intently to what she might say. She glanced to the side before letting out an uneven breath, and she removed her hand from his. Leaning sideways so she could reach into the hidden pocket of her dress, she let out another uncertain sigh before taking out her hand.
His heart dropped. What was in her grasp was the last thing he had expected to see. And it was something he had sworn he had kept hidden deep inside the drawer of his bedside table in their little homely apartment in Edge.
“H-huh?” The collar of his shirt suddenly felt tight and stifling and constricting; his mouth felt dry as his face whipped up to look at her in bewilderment, and a choking sound escaped his throat. “H-how?”
In her hand lay a small, simple ring box—black and velvety smooth. It was the same one he had held in his times countless of times before, the same one he had stared at for countless nights wondering how he would ask her without it seeming too forward, too awkward. The ring that had spent days and weeks and months in his pocket as he agonized over it, trying to decide exactly what he wanted to say to her—how exactly he wanted to ask her.
And now here it was, laid out in front of him, almost as if it was mocking him for his inability to just ask because if he had, then maybe it wouldn’t be sitting here on her lap as he stared helplessly at her.
“How did you find this?” he finally asked. His mind was still reeling from shock, and he felt numb. There was nothing else he could focus on other than the ring box sitting in her palm, and a part of him was expecting to wake up because this couldn’t possibly be real.
“I…” she started before trailing off. He could tell she was struggling to find the right words. In fact, the uncertainty she was feeling seemed palpable; her brows knit together, she swallowed hard, and her hand curled around the velvet box. “Yuffie found it in your pocket one day,” she explained, averting her gaze for a few moments. “You remember how we went drinking a couple of weeks ago?”
Cloud nodded slowly. He remembered that night. She had returned home from girls’ night unusually bubbly and he remembered wondering if something happened. However, in true Aerith fashion, she had deflected most of his attempts at asking her about it with vague reassurances of having had a great time but saying nothing else.
“She had a little too much to drink and spilled the beans,” she continued, a small smile creeping onto her lips. “I thought she was joking, so I went looking, not expecting to find anything. So imagine my surprise…” she trailed off as she glanced up at him, her eyes bright as she searched his face.
“I’m not sure if I should yell at her for digging through my pockets again, or if I should be mad at her for having a loose tongue,” he murmured with a sigh in an attempt to lighten the mood.
At that, a quiet laugh escaped Aerith before she shot him a look of amusement. “Neither. She felt so bad once the hangover wore off that she didn’t stop apologizing for days. That, and because who knows how much longer you would’ve waited to ask if not for her,” she said quickly. As she spoke, her fingers popped open the box to reveal the single ring nestled within. “No more objections, right?”
Once more, he stared at her, bewildered, as the reality of what she was holding—of what was happening—sank in. And just as quickly as she had spoken, he realized she was waiting for a response. Slowly, he released a shaky breath as he felt all at once like his world was shattering around him.
“O-objections?” he choked out. And then it dawned on him then, and he could feel his stomach twisting itself into knots as he began to realize just how much he loved her. “You… you want me to marry you?” he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
Her smile widened. “Of course, silly!”
A sudden rush of warmth flooded through Cloud as realization hit, followed immediately by disbelief as the implications clicked. He shook his head. “This isn’t fair,” he deadpanned, and a smile tugged at his lips despite himself, “I had a whole speech planned.”
Aerith giggled softly, the sound filling the air around them, before she pressed the ring box into his hands. “Really? Well, I’m all ears.”
He felt unable to tear his gaze away from her. With slow deliberation and shaky fingers, he lifted the ring free and ignored the way his chest tightened or the way his pulse thundered in his ears.
“Aerith, will you…” he started, but the rest of the words were caught in his throat.
Her gaze softened as she gazed at him for a long moment, but when he didn’t say anything more, the corners of her mouth curved up. She lifted her hand closer to his, and as if he was on autopilot, he slid the ring onto her finger. The delicate silver band nestled comfortably against her, the stone gleaming brightly against the campfire’s orange glow, and all he could focus on was how perfectly it fit.
“Yes, Cloud.” The sound of her voice broke through the haze in his head, and he blinked himself back into awareness. He swallowed hard. This was happening. This was actually happening. Her smile grew wide, if possible, and he took one, deep quavering breath before he took hold of her hand and brushed his lips against the back of it. “Of course, I’ll marry you. Were you worried I’d say ‘no’, you silly goose?”
Maybe. But he was never going to admit that to her now.
His heart skipped a beat at that soft, teasing tone, and a small chuckle escaped him. The familiar warmth spread through his body once more, and the happiness coursing through his veins made his chest feel as if it was bursting. He could no longer contain the smile stretching over his own face, and suddenly, it felt like he couldn’t breathe.
All his worries melted away, and he forgot why he even had any in the first place.
“No,” he murmured, leaning towards her until their foreheads touched. “Never.”