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Cloud sighs softly, watching as the flames of the bonfire at his feet crackle quietly in the night. Golden sparks spiral upwards into the starry sky, mingling with the shimmering constellations above.
He looks up at the flying particles, chest heavy with thoughts that swirl as chaotically as the flames. Smoke rises up in thin, wispy tendrils, disappearing into the cool night air. Will she see it? Will she find him?
He chuckles, but it’s dark, melancholic, as he remembers the day he last saw her. The joyful look on her face forever etched to his mind, her playful grin tainted by the sadness of departure. He saw it, the flicker of hesitation in her movements, the strain in her voice. He should have stayed with her. But how could he when they were worlds apart? He shakes his head, trying to dispel the regret that gnaws at him, ever unsuccessfully.
The group is heading north because of him, though he doesn’t quite know how to explain to everyone the sudden need to turn their path that direction. Call it intuition, something deep running inside him, urging them onward, lacking reason or rationality. The others trust him, but he knows they’re only complying because they feel lost themselves.
After they left the forgotten city, any path they’d take would be a desperate gamble.
Barret only speaks a handful of words each day, he’s broken, tired, plagued by the losses he’s endured. He carries himself with the weight of memories and past regrets, each step heavy, as if trying to bury them beneath the ground he treads.
Red roams around quiet, pensive. It’s hard to tell what he’s thinking, his expression hides beneath the shadows of his gaze.
Tifa says the bare minimum to Cloud, the casual agreement to whatever he decides to do, the vague small talk… she can’t even look him in the eye properly. And he doesn’t blame her. Overhearing a conversation between her and Red, Cloud understood her perception of reality sounds distorted from the actual truth. The truth he remembers… that he had saved Aerith… that his sword clashed with fate itself to keep her safe.
But doubts linger in his mind, still; memories blur and shift, making him question everything.
If only she would reassure him.
“Cold, isn’t it?” Her voice breaks through his thoughts like a gentle chime. She sits beside him, skirt whispering around her ankles as it brushes against the ground. Immediately, his skin crawls at her proximity. She’s close but not close enough to touch him. “The night…”
He looks at her for a long moment, mind dwelling with what is real and what is not. Maybe he’s only imagining her. Can he trust his senses when even his memory fails him so often?
Her lips curl up into a small smile as she looks at the flames of the bonfire. She hugs her knees to her chest, gazing into the flickering light, mesmerized. Her hair falls around her face, casting fleeting shadows that dance with the firelight, her bangs sway in the breeze. Her eyes sparkle green and golden and lively, always curious, always holding a hint of mystery, reflecting the fiery light. She’s beautiful, her presence alone is able to calm his racing thoughts, if only for a moment, and he can’t help but feel a pang of longing.
She looks real, as real as him. But should he lift his hand to touch her, will he be able to feel her, will his hand wrap around hers, or will it pass through like mist, an illusion conjured by his own uncertainty?
“Aerith…” he says gently, voice a little rough. Her name feels like a whisper on his lips, almost too sacred to utter. He hasn’t called her name in two weeks and the pronunciation of it feels foreign, yet achingly familiar, achingly comforting.
“Mmm-hmm.” She hums but doesn’t quite look up at him.
“You’re here.” He says foolishly, as if he had lost the ability to act normal around her, say something normal… did he ever, anyway? There was always the awkward tension, the anxious beat in his chest every time she neared, his body betraying his calm facade.
“You sent up smoke.” She finally turns to him, smiling, her eyes curve, her face lights up. Yet, tears pool at the corner of her eyes. She sniffles, then blinks rapidly, trying to hold them back.
“I would have done it sooner if I knew you’d…” he trails off because she suddenly leans forward, resting her hands on the ground on her sides, kneeling in front of him, the scent of wildflowers radiating from her like a soft, invisible aura.
“I miss you.” She says and she closes her eyes to press her forehead against his. He flinches first, afraid he wouldn’t feel her touch, her skin, her warmth, but as she presses closer, the reality of her presence becomes undeniable. She’s solid, skin hot and soft, her breath mingling with his, in the space between them.
She hesitates for a fleeting moment before she takes a deep breath and presses her lips to his. And her kiss is hesitant first, trembling, warm skin and sharp hurried breaths blending together. He feels his heart pounding, still unsure if this is a dream or a very real reunion.
Her hand travels up to the back of his neck where her fingers tangle in his hair, pulling it gently.
He lets out a low growl as he leans forward deepening the kiss, his hand moves hesitantly to her hip, gliding up the small of her back where it touches the soft fabric of her dress, curling it up and pulling her closer. She’s real, he keeps repeating in his head, as he clings to her even tighter, the longing so overwhelming it’s physically painful. His heart swells in his chest, his stomach churns, his muscles tense, his jaw clenches as she pulls away to kiss the corner of his mouth, tracing a path down his chin with her lips.
She pauses, then, keeping her forehead pressed against his, her breathing rapid and shallow. “I’ve missed you,” she repeats, the words heavy with emotion.
“Me too.” He replies, and his hand wraps around her arm like a lifeline, grounding himself in her presence. His thumb traces small circles on her skin, seeking reassurance.
“Where are you?” He asks, knowing he needs answers. She’s there but not really. The maddening mix of emotions within him demands clarity. Ever since they got separated, it has been growing inside him, consuming him, tearing at the edges of his sanity.
“Well, I’m here!” She lilts, sitting back down beside him, closer now, touching her shoulder to his, their hands travel to find each other. Fingers entangle in a warm clasp.
“Come on.” He breathes out, voice failing.
“Near.” She says, a smile illuminating her features. But maybe not even she can tell him. “Always near.”
“Aerith…” he scoffs, wishing she’d be more specific.
“Remember our deal.” She says. “We’ll meet again.”
“I’ll send up smoke every night.” He says, and he doesn’t care if he sounds desperate, he’s past any sentiment of pride. All that matters is finding her again.
She shakes her head, biting down on her lip and he knows by her reaction it must not work that way. He’s still going to do it anyway, every night, until he sees her again.
“I’m not lying when I say I’m near, even though we’re not in the same place. Remember, we are connected in ways that go beyond anything physical.” She explains. The breeze rustles the leaves of the trees around them, lifting strands of her hair in a fleeting dance.
“It’s been hard, without you.” He says. Like the light of day turned into an endless darkness. “I should have—
“You did everything you could.” She turns to face him. “It has to be this way, it’s the only way it’ll work. Defeating him.”
“But we changed fate..”
“We did.” Her other hand lifts to cup his cheek. “But we also didn’t.”
He frowns, struggling to understand.
“Hey… it’ll be okay.” She says. “Do you believe me?”
It takes him a moment, maybe for it to sink down. She’s there but the distance in between them is too much to bear.
He nods slowly, weakly.
She smiles, nodding as well.
“Remember to keep your strength.” She says, as she stares at him, taking a moment to examine his features. “Have you been eating? Who’s been cooking?”
“Surprisingly, Cid.” He says with a low chuckle.
“Well…” She laughs, the sound is like a melody he missed dearly. “I wish you luck with the meals.”
“Yeah…” he says. The feel of her skin on his lingers in his lips. The taste of her kiss, faintly sweet, fairly salty, etching to his memory. “Remember when you cooked us dinner that one night? You almost burned down the whole cabin.”
“Hey!” She bumps his shoulder playfully. “The stove was pretty old!”
“Sure.” He smirks. “Blame it on the stove, birdie.”
She tightens the grip around his hand she’s still holding, smile widening, her eyes sparkling with the warmth of old memories. “I’ll never get tired of hearing you call me that.”
“Stay… and I’ll call you that everyday, forever.” He doesn’t even think before speaking anymore.
“Forever, huh?” She murmurs softly, gaze turning distant, dropping to the fire. “I’d like that.”
“We’ll get it.” He reaches for her, lifting her chin up so she could look at him. “You said I will love future you.”
“I did…” she says. Her eyes search for him. “And we’re getting closer to her each day.” She smiles.
“Tell me about her.” He asks. “Please.”
She thinks on it for a moment, before turning to him with a cheerful wink, her finger lifts up pointing to the sky. “She has a flower shop that opens up early in the morning. She grows yellow flowers in a field out in the open, near a quaint little town. Every sunset, she takes a walk down by the river, humming softly to herself.” Her eyes fill with tears, she swallows hard, breath catching. “And you—
“I’ll be right there beside her.” He shifts, leaning closer against her.
She nods, letting out a teary chuckle. “What do you think?”
“I’ll be looking forward to it.” He smiles, brushing a tear from her cheek, thumb slow and careful as it trails down her skin.
“Well, until then, you should get some sleep.”
“I don’t want to.” He shakes his head rather stubbornly, knowing she won’t be there when he wakes up.
“Cloud.” She warns.
“Aerith.” He calls, pleadingly.
“It’s almost morning.” She says softly.
“Time to go, right?” He asks and it cuts deeper than the first time she’s said it. “I don’t want you to go.”
She leans in to kiss him one more time, before he closes his eyes and holds on tighter to her hand, to the moment, as if it could anchor her presence to his side.
He presses her closer to him as they lay down against a tree, mind threatening to drift, it takes everything of him to keep conscious.
But he eventually succumbs to sleep, fatigue taking the best of him. She stays, caressing his hair, fingers gliding gently through blond strands until sunlight starts streaming through the trees above him and the first rays of sunlight shimmer her into particles of light. Until golden dust floats around him, painting the forest floor as birds begin their morning chorus.
He wakes with a startle, reaching out for her, but only the empty space beside him meets his touch. He clenches the mossy ground she had been sitting on, feeling the damp earth beneath his fingers squashing. He wipes his eyes of unshed tears, trying to hold onto the last remnants of warmth she left behind.
He sits upright, resting an elbow on his bended knee. He looks up at the sky where the rainbow veil of clouds and light divide it in a crack across the blue dawn.
“Wait for me.” He says quietly to the wind, as if hoping the breeze would carry his words to her.
“I’m coming for you.”