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English
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Published:
2024-03-18
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398
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1/1
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13
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292

counting the stars (with you)

Summary:

Aerith couldn't sleep. The sky she had know was gone. Now they were surrounded by an infinite blue. It was only their first night out of midgar and she was already wanting to return home. It was even worse at night. It's a good thing she isn't alone with her fears. Even if they aren't afraid of the same things.

Work Text:

Aerith sighed as she sat inside the tent. She could hear Barrett's snoring from his and cloud's shared tent. She crawled out of the tent and sat under a tree, leaning her head against the trunk. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly, the cold air filling her lungs. She looked at the moon. It wasn't that high in the sky quite yet. She closed her eyes and breathed out.

"What are you doing out here?" Aerith heard Cloud say to himself. She felt a blanket wrap around her and Cloud sigh as he sat down next to her. "Cloud?" She said as she opened her eyes and looked up to the boy. "Hey Aerith." He said, the tiredness showing in his voice. "What are you doing out here?" Aerith asked him. "Couldn't sleep. What about you?" Cloud asked her. "The sky. It's too- infinite. It goes on forever. Even though the air is fresher out here, I miss the steel sky sometimes. It was a cover, it wasn't infinite." She told him. Cloud went quiet for a minute.

"I've got an idea." He said quietly. "Take off your jacket, lie it on the ground and then lay on it. So you don't get your dress all dirty." He said. "Then just look at the sky." He said. "But that's what's scaring me?" She questioned as she starred at the glittering stars. Cloud laid next to her and pointed up. "See that giant cluster of stars? That's called chocobo major." He said. "When I was younger, I think about why people talk the stars. But now I know, They are the only thing that will keep every secret. They will always listen" Cloud said, dropping his arm to his side.

"The stars might be better than the blue sky." Aerith said. She reached her arm over and put her hand on top of Cloud's, he turned his hand over to hold her hand. Aerith closed her eyes, breathing in the cold air again. She drifted into a calm sleep with Cloud laying next to her under the tree. With cloud falling asleep soon after her. Aerith dreamed of going home,of going shopping with Tifa, of playing with Marlene and the kids at the Leaf house, of running a flower shop. But most of all, she dreamed of many more nights looking at the stars with Cloud.