[ She doesn't speak for a little while, just gazing at his inbox with a soft little smile, but when she finds the words they're gentle, soft and sweet. ]
I'm not surprised to find you here, you know, Mr. Cloud.
[ hearing things isn't unusual for cloud. he isn't surprised when the screen of his device lights up and the sound of her voice trills from it. he isn't surprised at first. she was almost his bargaining chip, almost what he asked the representative for in return.
( just bring her back to us. )
and then the familiarity of hearing and seeing things that aren't there wears off, because he hasn't experienced any of that here ( yet ), and when he speaks, it's fumbled, nearly croaked out. ]
Aerith?
[ he feels lucky he can manage her name with how heavy his tongue feels and how hard his heart is drumming in his chest. ]
[ She doesn't mean to laugh, not really, but she has quite a good idea of what must be going through his head. Here she is, sitting in her brand new house, breathing and not feeling herself fall apart in the wake of the world, and Cloud is- here. He's here too, and she could find him if she wanted, but this is easier for now.
Her heart is rushing so fast in her chest and, for a moment, all she can do is sink into the giddiness. ]
Hello, you.
[ If her voice is flooded with emotion that she doesn't try to hide - she doesn't think anyone could blame her at all. ]
[ despite himself, cloud pulls a face — too young for how old he feels, but the muscle memory is there. he lets out a breath, shaky at best, but even with the way his chest tightens, there's a warmth.
but with aerith, there's always a warmth. ]
How did—
[ he interrupts himself, tries to gather his thoughts in a way that makes sense. he isn't sure he wants them to, though. not if it means she's alive and she's here. ]
When did you— [ no, try again, strife. when he lets out a breath this time, it's lighter, happier. ] I thought I'd be better at this by the time I saw you again.
[ but there's still guilt there, gnawing its way at the lining of his stomach. there wouldn't be a how if she'd never met him, would there? ]
[ She knows, without being at his side, how he must feel. She knows him, of course she does, and the burst of warmth inside of her is something soft and fond. Even if she had been unsure, a little nervous, this is proof enough. This is Cloud, her Cloud, and she makes a soft noise as she settles to make herself comfortable.
He's here. ]
That's okay. I like you just like this.
[ Just the way he is, no changing, just... Cloud, the person he is in his heart. Hadn't she wanted to get to know him better? The real Cloud? Not the person he thought he had to be? That hasn't changed here. ]
I came here this morning. They didn't tell me you were already here, sneaky.
[ sneaky and it prompts the corners of his lips to twitch, the threat of a smile. no hallucination or vision could even hope to be like this, so real and so perfectly her, right down to the very cadence of her voice. he isn't at his apartment, but he's close. she caught him during his trek back. ]
You always did like to tease me.
[ which is bordering a joke, but there's too much of that lingering warmth bleeding into it for it to hit its mark. she saw through him from the very start, he thinks. it makes him feel transparent, now, but she's the last person he'd duck away from. ]
But I think they're sneakier than they let on. It's a good deal. There has to be some kind of catch, right?
[ Which isn't true, really, Cloud was the worst person to poke and prod at because he was so stern and serious all the time, but she did her best. She's helping, though, to nudge at those walls and see them come falling down, and Aerith can't help her laughter - this is perfect. Just... Perfect. ]
Hm... A catch...
[ She makes a show, even through voice, of considering it, before she snaps her fingers. ]
[ it isn't true and he knows it. if it coaxes some kind of breathy chuckle from him, he isn't going to bring attention to it. instead, he punctuates it with a low hum to further dissuade it. aerith is sneaky, too, though. she suckered him into being her bodyguard, after all.
( belatedly, he thinks she got the raw end of that deal, seeing how poor of a bodyguard he made in the end. he couldn't save her. ) ]
No flowers? You know, I didn't even notice. [ he did. it's one of those things he'll always take notice of, now. ] There's a park and I think I saw a flower shop a few days ago.
[ In her opinion, Cloud had been a very good bodyguard. He might have reminded her of Zack - hence the question, the offer of a date, the whispered words of the reminder of her first love, the pain of Zack's hometown and the misunderstandings - but he had been brave, and strong, and capable. He had done everything he could for her.
Aerith knew her fate. She knew that she had done what she had been meant to do, to save the planet. She had made her wish, and now she gets to make another.
Her fingers brush over the little picture of cloud and she smiles. ]
Maybe we can go together.
[ Taking Cloud to see flowers... It sounds almost too easy. Too perfect. ]
My house is so empty. It's going to need a lot of flowers to make it home.
[ there's a part of cloud that takes it at face value, the suggestion they might go flower sight-seeing together. it feels surreal having her here, surreal talking with her in a capacity that doesn't make him feel like he's wrapped up in his head. he's still waiting for the moment when he comes to, wakes up to another day with the loss of her heavy in his gut.
but asking her for forgiveness isn't an option, not right now. now, cloud's pretty sure he would jump through any hoop he had to just to see her again. flowers aren't such a big leap. ]
Sounds like they didn't properly prepare for your arrival.
[ this time the hitch in his voice touches base with the tease, even if it is a lightweight one. ]
You're right, though. We could probably do something about that.
[ we now instead of you. he isn't sure he deserves it, but he can't say he doesn't want it. he misses it too much, maybe. ]
Mm, you think? They were very nice, really, other than the flowers.
[ They're promising to keep her friends - their friends - safe, and she breathes out, soft. She wishes she could go and see him, right now, this instant, but she's sure that she has to tuck herself together and make sure that she reigns herself in. She knows that Cloud is Cloud and she can't overwhelm him. ]
Is there a flower shop? Maybe we could go there and see what they have.
[ It won't be the same as the ones in the church, of course, but that's not the most important thing. He's the most important thing - Cloud. Always Cloud. ]
[ cloud's been there before, though. he hasn't just passed it or spotted it from across the street. there's a daisy on his table in his tiny starter apartment as proof, solid and fragrant. he went from falling asleep to the scent of flowers to, well, here. it's a hard habit to break.
( maybe he needed a little reminder of her here, too. ) ]
Hey, I thought we were decorating your new home. Kind of defeats the purpose if some of them come and go with me, doesn't it?
[ but he doesn't sound too upset. if it makes aerith happy, he'll wear flowers in his hair every single day here — but only if she puts them there. there's always a catch. ]
[ She wants to know - she needs to know. A part of her is a little afraid of the idea that she might somehow lose him again, as if he might slip through her fingers and end up out of reach, beyond her touch. It's impossible here, of course, in the sense that Aerith is more than aware of the fact that Cloud is as real as she is in Eudio - he has to be - but the familiar strike of fear...
Her eyes close, hair falling over her face as she bows her head. Cloud. ]
If we get enough flowers then it won't be a problem, will it?
[ Of course she'll do it; every day if she can, each morning, decorating him for the day. As long as she can be at his side. ]
[ there are promises he's broken, be it because he had no control, or the world simply didn't work in a way that favored them. here in eudio, though, there's an agency he has that he didn't elsewhere. he feels like he can keep promises to aerith, now. it's a shaky faith, but it's his. he only hopes it's enough, for now. ]
I guess it won't. Always a problem solver.
[ and there's that bloom of affection again, warm in a way that causes a hitch to his breath and another quirk to his lips. he's stopped to lean against his apartment's door, taking in the fresh air paired with the sound of her. he doesn't want to take it for granted, can't. ]
Aerith, you know, I— [ a rush of air, his lungs pushing the breath from them, and he clears his throat, dropping his gaze. his voice quiets, and: ] Missed you.
[ And she believes he'll keep it too. Cloud does his best, he really does, and that warms her heart; it makes her feel buzzed and excited, deep within her, settling around her shoulders. Under his faith, his trust, she feels like a flower in bloom, as if she's unfurling into a world that she wants to live in - a world that, again, she wants to protect. A world with Cloud Strife in it. ]
That's me! Someone has to have a head on their shoulders, you know.
[ She can hear the gentle tease in his voice and it softens her, making her feel like something under her fingertips is buzzing. Where is he? Can she come and find him now, before they go rushing off for flowers? Just a little time, that's all she wants. Just... Just a little more time.
When he speaks again, her hands lift to cover her mouth and her reply, soft, is muffled by her fingers. ] Mm. Me too, Cloud. I missed you.
[ it feels like his world stops with those last three words, like everything comes to a head, and he has to take a breath, fight for air a little. the desire to find her is burrowed bone deep and cloud has to combat against it, tooth and nail. this alone is more than he deserves. to hear her voice, to hear that she misses him, too.
it's too much and not enough all at once. he's quiet for a numbing stretch of time, every word he tries to summon gets stuck in his throat. if he closes his eyes, it's the memory of water, of the feeling of her under his fingers, damp and cold and light, that he has to suppress. he's not cut out to be a hero, never was. not like zack. ]
Can I see you? Maybe not now, but— sometime. When you're ready. [ and it sounds weak even to him, but he isn't hiding from her. he won't. ]
[ Aerith can hear the emotion even if he really doesn't want her to - the hitch in his breathing, the way he pauses and goes silent, and for a moment she closes her eyes and bows her head. Hands clasped in front of her, she gives herself a moment to wish - a little thing she had given up on so many years ago, hoping and hoping and wishing and giving them all up for one single thing.
It's different, now, after her White Materia, and she knows it - wishes and prayers are too heavy for her heart, even as she keeps doing it.
When she opens her eyes again, it's to Cloud's voice, and a small, slow smile settles across her lips. Easily enough, she nods, even if he can't see it, her heart beating faster and faster in her chest. ]
Of course. I'm ready now! I want to see you, Cloud. [ She needs to see him - needs to see him smile. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
voice.
I'm not surprised to find you here, you know, Mr. Cloud.
voice.
( just bring her back to us. )
and then the familiarity of hearing and seeing things that aren't there wears off, because he hasn't experienced any of that here ( yet ), and when he speaks, it's fumbled, nearly croaked out. ]
Aerith?
[ he feels lucky he can manage her name with how heavy his tongue feels and how hard his heart is drumming in his chest. ]
voice.
Her heart is rushing so fast in her chest and, for a moment, all she can do is sink into the giddiness. ]
Hello, you.
[ If her voice is flooded with emotion that she doesn't try to hide - she doesn't think anyone could blame her at all. ]
voice.
but with aerith, there's always a warmth. ]
How did—
[ he interrupts himself, tries to gather his thoughts in a way that makes sense. he isn't sure he wants them to, though. not if it means she's alive and she's here. ]
When did you— [ no, try again, strife. when he lets out a breath this time, it's lighter, happier. ] I thought I'd be better at this by the time I saw you again.
[ but there's still guilt there, gnawing its way at the lining of his stomach. there wouldn't be a how if she'd never met him, would there? ]
voice.
He's here. ]
That's okay. I like you just like this.
[ Just the way he is, no changing, just... Cloud, the person he is in his heart. Hadn't she wanted to get to know him better? The real Cloud? Not the person he thought he had to be? That hasn't changed here. ]
I came here this morning. They didn't tell me you were already here, sneaky.
voice.
You always did like to tease me.
[ which is bordering a joke, but there's too much of that lingering warmth bleeding into it for it to hit its mark. she saw through him from the very start, he thinks. it makes him feel transparent, now, but she's the last person he'd duck away from. ]
But I think they're sneakier than they let on. It's a good deal. There has to be some kind of catch, right?
voice.
[ Which isn't true, really, Cloud was the worst person to poke and prod at because he was so stern and serious all the time, but she did her best. She's helping, though, to nudge at those walls and see them come falling down, and Aerith can't help her laughter - this is perfect. Just... Perfect. ]
Hm... A catch...
[ She makes a show, even through voice, of considering it, before she snaps her fingers. ]
There's no flowers!
voice.
( belatedly, he thinks she got the raw end of that deal, seeing how poor of a bodyguard he made in the end. he couldn't save her. ) ]
No flowers? You know, I didn't even notice. [ he did. it's one of those things he'll always take notice of, now. ] There's a park and I think I saw a flower shop a few days ago.
[ it's not the same, of course.. ]
You might have to fix that.
voice.
Aerith knew her fate. She knew that she had done what she had been meant to do, to save the planet. She had made her wish, and now she gets to make another.
Her fingers brush over the little picture of cloud and she smiles. ]
Maybe we can go together.
[ Taking Cloud to see flowers... It sounds almost too easy. Too perfect. ]
My house is so empty. It's going to need a lot of flowers to make it home.
voice.
but asking her for forgiveness isn't an option, not right now. now, cloud's pretty sure he would jump through any hoop he had to just to see her again. flowers aren't such a big leap. ]
Sounds like they didn't properly prepare for your arrival.
[ this time the hitch in his voice touches base with the tease, even if it is a lightweight one. ]
You're right, though. We could probably do something about that.
[ we now instead of you. he isn't sure he deserves it, but he can't say he doesn't want it. he misses it too much, maybe. ]
voice.
[ They're promising to keep her friends - their friends - safe, and she breathes out, soft. She wishes she could go and see him, right now, this instant, but she's sure that she has to tuck herself together and make sure that she reigns herself in. She knows that Cloud is Cloud and she can't overwhelm him. ]
Is there a flower shop? Maybe we could go there and see what they have.
[ It won't be the same as the ones in the church, of course, but that's not the most important thing. He's the most important thing - Cloud. Always Cloud. ]
I could put some in your hair!
voice. ninja tags you from bed
[ cloud's been there before, though. he hasn't just passed it or spotted it from across the street. there's a daisy on his table in his tiny starter apartment as proof, solid and fragrant. he went from falling asleep to the scent of flowers to, well, here. it's a hard habit to break.
( maybe he needed a little reminder of her here, too. ) ]
Hey, I thought we were decorating your new home. Kind of defeats the purpose if some of them come and go with me, doesn't it?
[ but he doesn't sound too upset. if it makes aerith happy, he'll wear flowers in his hair every single day here — but only if she puts them there. there's always a catch. ]
voice. cries about them
[ She wants to know - she needs to know. A part of her is a little afraid of the idea that she might somehow lose him again, as if he might slip through her fingers and end up out of reach, beyond her touch. It's impossible here, of course, in the sense that Aerith is more than aware of the fact that Cloud is as real as she is in Eudio - he has to be - but the familiar strike of fear...
Her eyes close, hair falling over her face as she bows her head. Cloud. ]
If we get enough flowers then it won't be a problem, will it?
[ Of course she'll do it; every day if she can, each morning, decorating him for the day. As long as she can be at his side. ]
voice. my heart
[ there are promises he's broken, be it because he had no control, or the world simply didn't work in a way that favored them. here in eudio, though, there's an agency he has that he didn't elsewhere. he feels like he can keep promises to aerith, now. it's a shaky faith, but it's his. he only hopes it's enough, for now. ]
I guess it won't. Always a problem solver.
[ and there's that bloom of affection again, warm in a way that causes a hitch to his breath and another quirk to his lips. he's stopped to lean against his apartment's door, taking in the fresh air paired with the sound of her. he doesn't want to take it for granted, can't. ]
Aerith, you know, I— [ a rush of air, his lungs pushing the breath from them, and he clears his throat, dropping his gaze. his voice quiets, and: ] Missed you.
voice. falls over oh no
[ And she believes he'll keep it too. Cloud does his best, he really does, and that warms her heart; it makes her feel buzzed and excited, deep within her, settling around her shoulders. Under his faith, his trust, she feels like a flower in bloom, as if she's unfurling into a world that she wants to live in - a world that, again, she wants to protect. A world with Cloud Strife in it. ]
That's me! Someone has to have a head on their shoulders, you know.
[ She can hear the gentle tease in his voice and it softens her, making her feel like something under her fingertips is buzzing. Where is he? Can she come and find him now, before they go rushing off for flowers? Just a little time, that's all she wants. Just... Just a little more time.
When he speaks again, her hands lift to cover her mouth and her reply, soft, is muffled by her fingers. ] Mm. Me too, Cloud. I missed you.
voice. rises from the grave ughhhh
it's too much and not enough all at once. he's quiet for a numbing stretch of time, every word he tries to summon gets stuck in his throat. if he closes his eyes, it's the memory of water, of the feeling of her under his fingers, damp and cold and light, that he has to suppress. he's not cut out to be a hero, never was. not like zack. ]
Can I see you? Maybe not now, but— sometime. When you're ready. [ and it sounds weak even to him, but he isn't hiding from her. he won't. ]
voice. my hEART
It's different, now, after her White Materia, and she knows it - wishes and prayers are too heavy for her heart, even as she keeps doing it.
When she opens her eyes again, it's to Cloud's voice, and a small, slow smile settles across her lips. Easily enough, she nods, even if he can't see it, her heart beating faster and faster in her chest. ]
Of course. I'm ready now! I want to see you, Cloud. [ She needs to see him - needs to see him smile. ]