Chapter Text
Cloud wasn’t sure how long he sat there staring at his phone; his friend’s words still ringing in his ears.
“She was really upset when you disappeared, you know that?”
Cloud shook his head in disbelief and incomprehension. Why would Aerith be so upset that he’d left? She’d seemed so happy with Zack by her side, and all things considered, Zack was basically just a better version of Cloud, right? Zack was better and more desirable in every way, so Cloud was sure his presence hadn’t been missed – that Zack must have been mistaken.
He let out another frustrated groan and brought his head down to rest on top of his crossed arms on the table; frantic, anxious thoughts buzzing like bees between his ears.
If Aerith had been upset, maybe it was because Zack was leaving, and the man had just misinterpreted? Clearly, they didn’t spend the night together, but maybe she’d wanted to? Cloud grimaced painfully at the idea.
At least there was one thing Zack had said that rang true – Cloud had messed this up. He’d been messing this up for three years, and now it seemed that all those years of inaction were coming back to haunt him.
Cloud briefly considered calling back and demanding answers – demanding that Zack stop playing games and just tell him the truth.
Then came the knock on his door.
Cloud jumped a little at the unexpected noise but didn’t move. He was in no mood to entertain guests at the moment – he was still in his pajamas for crying out loud. It was probably just a neighbour coming to tell him that it was early and ask him to cry a little more quietly or something.
He ignored it; hoping whoever it was would soon give up and leave him to wallow in peace.
But after a few moments of silence, there was another knock, and a voice called tentatively from outside.
“Cloud?”
He froze. He knew that voice all too well – it was the voice that spoke softly in his sweetest dreams; the voice that brought him joy and comfort that no other voice could.
And it was the last voice he could handle hearing right now.
He still refused to budge, but she didn’t give up; she never did. That was Aerith and god he loved her so much for it. A fresh ache rose in Cloud’s chest.
“Hellooooo… Aerith to Cloud? I know you’re in there.” Though her voice was muffled, there was no mistaking the gentle insistence it carried.
He sighed. Despite everything; despite his own aching heart, Cloud knew that he couldn’t just ignore her. He had bailed on her birthday party after all, and at the very least he owed her a face to face apology, however painful it would prove to be.
Cloud took a deep breath and slowly rose from his seat, trying to make as little noise as possible and hide the fact that he’d been sitting there ignoring her for a good three minutes. He couldn’t bring himself to knowingly hurt her feelings, even after she had unknowingly hurt his own.
He shuffled haltingly over to the door – each step a concerted, focused effort to force his feet to keep moving, before flicking the lock and turning the handle. The door swung open slowly; teasingly; taunting him, like the curtain as it rose on a Shakespearean tragedy.
And there she was. Aerith was standing outside his door with a soft smile on her lips and a look of deep concern in her eyes.
Cloud’s heart thudded uncontrollably at the sight of her – the familiar, lovesick nervousness now mixed with a sour, throbbing pain that lapped at his heart like boiling water. He stood there silently; unsure of what to do as his insides squirmed; somehow aching to be both as close to and as far away from her as possible.
“Mind if I come in?” She asked softly, her gentle prodding bringing his thoughts back into focus.
Yes. Yes, I do mind actually. Cloud couldn’t help but notice how her hair was a little disheveled; her shirt was a little wrinkled. It looked like she’d woken up and left immediately; throwing on an old pair of sweatpants and a pink t-shirt instead of her usual dress and jacket.
Cloud swallowed. She was absolutely perfect – stunning in her simple, effortless beauty.
All the while, he still hadn’t answered her question, and Aerith crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow at him in the way she always did when she feigned annoyance; never failing to send a spark down his spine. He nodded.
“Right. Sure.” Cloud stepped aside and allowed her to pass; just now taking note of the general disarray of his apartment and hoping she wouldn’t mind. Although, as he closed the door, he realized glumly that it no longer mattered what she thought of his place. He knew first-hand that Zack’s was nicer anyway, and another sour pang shot through him at the thought.
He turned from the closed door to face her and found that she had rounded on him and once again adopted her ‘Annoyed Aerith’ persona. Cloud froze like a deer in headlights, and she pressed her advantage.
“So, mister. Mind explaining what happened last night? I looked everywhere for you.” Underneath her outward show of vexation, Cloud could clearly detect the note of genuine worry in her voice, and how similar it was to the tone Zack had adopted just minutes before.
He broke eye contact and looked to the side. “Oh…yeah sorry,” he began slowly; vowing not to let his emotions get the better of him as he had with Zack. “I just had…a headache,” he mumbled unconvincingly. It was so damn hard to lie to her.
Aerith sighed. “Come on Cloud, I know you better than that.” Cloud hated how kind her tone was; hated how easy it was to love everything about her. “If there’s something wrong you can tell me,” she said kindly.
He didn’t answer. Though they only stood a few feet apart, it felt like a chasm had opened up between them that had never been there before.
Aerith let out another small sigh as she turned away to fiddle absently with the saltshaker on his kitchen counter, almost as if she were nervously fidgeting. But why would she be nervous?
“You’re gonna tell me what’s wrong eventually, you know, whether you like it or-” Aerith’s voice died in her throat as her eyes landed on the necklace; still sitting there on the counter for all the world to see.
Cloud’s brain imploded. How could he have been so stupid as to leave that out? There was no way in hell he was capable of explaining that – up until now – he had planned on using it to finally confess his hopeless, undying love for her.
“Cloud…is that for…” She turned back to him as comprehension dawned on her face; eyebrows knit in concern. “Cloud…tell me what’s going on. Please.”
Something about the gentleness of her tone gave rise to a huge swell of bitter emotion within him. How could she be so kind and worried about him after unintentionally ripping his heart out mere hours ago…
He couldn’t help it. The words spilled from his lips of their own accord. He’d never had any self-control when it came to her anyway.
“I saw you and Zack last night.” His voice was monotone; numb and resigned.
Aerith’s eyes went wide when the words reached her ears and then narrowed in sympathy as she cocked her head to the side. “Oh Cloud, I’m so sorry. I know how that must have looked but you don’t understand, it’s not what you…” She trailed off and looked at the floor; cheeks growing red in embarrassment.
“You know, you’re the second person who’s said that to me today,” Cloud said humourlessly. “What exactly don’t I understand, Aerith? It seems pretty clear to me that you two-”
“We were talking about you.” She spoke quickly; as if afraid the words would burn her if they lingered too long in her mouth.
Once again…not at all what he was expecting.
“What do you mean?” He asked softly. Why on earth would they be talking about him? And they’d been so close together; so intimate… “And when you hugged him?” Cloud hadn’t meant to pry, but he did anyway – he couldn’t help it.
She looked at him – a combination of panic and desperation and sympathy played across her face.
“Cloud…” she whispered.
He loved it when she said his name.
Aerith took a deep breath; suddenly evasive; refusing to meet his eyes. He’d never seen her like this before.
“He told me…that you love me.” She spoke to the floor.
Cloud flailed in confusion as heartbreak and panic fought each other for what little space there was left in his brain. Why would Zack tell her that? Had he been making fun of him – laughing at Cloud’s hopeless infatuation?
He was indignant – sure that he was being played for a fool; that this must be some cruel joke. “Well,” he began, perhaps a little more harshly than he’d intended, “I don’t see why he would bother-”
Now it was his turn to have his voice die in his throat as Aerith looked up to meet his gaze, and finally, it clicked into place what now shimmered in her beautiful, green eyes. It smacked him across the face like a slap. It was hope.
“Cloud,” her voice had gone slightly hoarse. “Do you love me?”
He couldn’t lie now. He couldn’t pretend; not when she was standing in front of him – so vulnerable and gentle and sincere. Even if this meant that he would never see her again – that she would vanish from his life like smoke and leave him hollow for the rest of his days, he owed it to her to tell her the truth.
Cloud took a deep, slow, shuddering breath in and out. “Yes,” he breathed. “I do.” He broke eye contact and jerked his head to the floor – terrified of the pity that had surely filled her expression.
This left him completely unprepared when – in the blink of an eye – Aerith had leapt towards him, thrown her arms around his middle, and buried her face in his chest with a shaking laugh. “Oh Cloud, thank god,” she whispered into the fabric of his shirt; her breath warm on his skin, and her body pressed against his.
Cloud must have felt like a statue – paralyzed in shock at what had just happened, but Aerith didn’t seem to mind as she pulled back slightly to look up at him with a quivering smile. “The truth is, Cloud…I’ve been so scared. I was scared that you didn’t feel the same and I didn’t want to ruin our friendship.”
Cloud’s brain was in overdrive; there were too many things to process; too many emotions fighting each other inside his head, so he just stood there dumbly and let her continue. “And Zack…god he’s such an ass,” she let out a choked giggle. “He said he’d been watching us dance around each other for so long and he was sick of it, but he knew you would never be the one to make the first move…”
Cloud couldn’t believe what he was hearing – his brain was simply incapable of accepting it. After all the pain of the last few hours; after how certain he’d been that Aerith was lost to him and never coming back…now she was telling him that it was Cloud she’d had feelings for?
No way, there must have been a misunderstanding somewhere in there, and Cloud opened his mouth to refute her. “But…Zack…”
Aerith cut him off. “What about Zack?” She sounded almost annoyed with the fact that Cloud kept bringing him up.
Cloud shook his head and forced himself to speak. “I thought you always…had feelings for him.” The words stung as they escaped his throat. “And after seeing you two together, I thought…” He couldn’t continue; it hurt too much.
But Aerith was smiling now, so sweetly that the wounded creature in Cloud’s heart couldn’t help but raise its head and sniff the air hopefully. “Really Cloud?” She grinned in amusement. “That guy is such a ladies-man I don’t think I could trust him even if I did want to try being with him again.”
Gears turned furiously in Cloud’s brain; putting up an almighty struggle in an effort to understand what exactly it was she was telling him. But he just couldn’t let himself believe it; not now. She must just feel sorry for him or…
“But why me? I mean…you’re…” Cloud broke off; searching for the words to properly express what he so badly needed to; to air the insecurities he’d held on to for so long. He looked wistfully down into her eyes; she was still clinging to his shoulders and gazing affectionately up at him. “You…deserve everything,” he began haltingly and gestured around at his messy apartment; at himself. “More than…this.”
“Cloud.” Her grin was gone; replaced by a look so tender and kind that Cloud swore he felt his heart melt into his feet. She broke away and reached for his hand; pulling him towards the counter and silently directing him to lean next to her. She stroked the back of his hand with her thumb; her eyes now locked together with his. “Remember that time when my landlord threatened to have my shop shut down if I didn’t agree to an extra rent increase that year?”
Cloud did remember, and it still made him angry to think of someone trying to take advantage of her like that.
Her hand began to stroke soothingly up and down his arm, sending shivers through his body as she continued. “Remember how I was too busy to fight it, but you stayed up for days researching and made sure that I got a fair deal?” She smiled sweetly at him. “Remember when my mom got sick, and you spent your days off working as a florist for me so I could go visit her in the hospital?”
Cloud grimaced at the memory of his, admittedly, very poor attempt at masquerading as a flower merchant. But he’d done it gladly; anything for her.
He opened his mouth to speak, but she wasn’t done. “All the times I’ve been too sick to get out of bed and you took care of me? When I’ve been sad, and you’ve brought me chocolates and gone out of your way to bring me all sorts of new flowers to cheer me up?”
She raised her hand to gently cup his cheek and force him to hold her gaze. He could see tears shimmering in her eyes as she looked at him with an expression of pure, genuine love.
“Don’t you see, Cloud? It’s you. It’s always been you.” He couldn’t help it – there were tears in his eyes too now; her words were finally sinking in, and he understood what it was she was telling him.
“Cloud…” she whispered. “You are my everything.” She raised her other hand to cradle his face. “I love you.”
Cloud sucked in a sharp breath as those words escaped her lips…those three, beautiful words that he’d been afraid he would never hear her say. His eyes went wide as the realization finally dawned on him. His tortured, shattered heart began to lift and stitch itself back together in his chest as he gazed into her eyes – so full of love and warmth and happiness that Cloud was sure he would drown in them.
She loved him. Aerith loved him.
She giggled at the poleaxed expression on his face. “So,” she teased, “can I kiss you now, or what?”
YES! Cloud’s mind screamed out in longing, but there must have been a communication error between his brain and his mouth, and he found himself incapable of answering.
So, he simply nodded and watched in amazement as Aerith smiled sweetly up at him before pulling his face down towards hers. Cloud’s eyes fluttered closed as their lips met.
The world melted away, along with all the pain and heartache that had been welling up inside since the night before. It was all replaced by her, and Cloud breathed her in. He savoured the moment – the feeling of Aerith’s soft lips against his own; of her hands on his cheeks and her body pressed against him. She was everything – she had already claimed all five senses and Cloud resented that he didn’t have more to give her; he would have done so gladly as they stayed locked together in their embrace and he slipped his arms around her waist as she kissed him.
They broke apart far too soon, but before Aerith could say anything, Cloud had surged forward and wrapped his arms around her; burying his face in her neck as relief and love and joy swept through him.
“Aerith…” he whispered, no longer able to hold back the tears; but finding he didn’t mind so much anymore. “I thought…” He didn’t know what he thought anymore; it was all a mess of shock and happiness in his heart, and he clung desperately to her; grabbing handfuls of her shirt and reveling in finally being allowed to hold her as he’d so often dreamed. With his face pressed against her shoulder, he whispered the only words he could.
“I love you, too,” he choked and squeezed her tighter.
She laughed – a joyous, bell-like sound that rained down on Cloud and soothed his aching soul – and hugged him back; wrapping her arms around his shoulders and gently twining her fingers through his hair.
“Good,” she whispered playfully. “Now, mister,” the teasing undertone she so often adopted with him had returned to her voice. “I believe you still owe me a birthday present.”
Cloud pulled back and gave her a watery smile before nodding and once more picking the necklace up from where it lay on the counter.
Aerith smiled at him and bunched her hair up in her hands, allowing Cloud to reach around her neck and fasten the jewellery into place.
It matched her eyes perfectly, just as he’d hoped; three bright, shining emeralds staring back at him and sparkling in the sunlight.
God she was beautiful; she was perfect; she was here, and she loved him.
“Oh Cloud, I love it.” Aerith’s fingers ghosted over his cheek as he stared in absolute wonder at her. “Although,” her eyes flashed with mischief as she leaned towards him once again. “I think I like this present a little more.” And with that, she kissed him again fiercely.
Cloud gathered her up in his arms and held her tight as he kissed her back. “Yeah…me too.”
She giggled into his lips and draped her arms around his neck, pulling her body flush against his. “Happy birthday to me.”
Epilogue
“Hey Cloud! Buddy! Why the long face!”
Zack’s voice rang out and cut through the din of celebration as he sauntered towards where Cloud leaned against the wall on the edge of the party.
“Oh, hey Zack…I’m just…” His voice trailed off as he nervously fiddled with the small box in his pocket. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
“Cloud,” Zack wrapped an arm bracingly around Cloud’s shoulders in a brotherly show of affection. “You love her, right?”
Cloud glanced indignantly up at the taller man. “Of course, I do.” Was it even a question?
Zack just rolled his eyes. “And she loves you, right?”
Cloud’s words caught in his throat. Of course, Aerith loved him, but did she love him enough? That was the question that had been playing on Cloud’s mind for weeks as he’d carefully devised his plan of action.
He cast his gaze across the room to where Aerith stood, chatting merrily with Tifa and Barret. She was wearing that same red dress that never failed to take Cloud’s breath away; her face was lit up by a radiant smile as she laughed at something Tifa must have said.
As if sensing his gaze, Aerith turned her head to lock eyes with him across the room and gave him an affectionate wave together with a wink. Cloud smiled back nervously; hoping he’d come across as relatively normal hadn’t let her on to what was playing through his mind.
He and Aerith had been together for almost exactly four years, and once again, her house was filled with the sounds of laughter and frivolity as they celebrated yet another birthday.
Well…in reality it was now their house, as Cloud had moved in with Aerith about a year ago.
Zack shook him a little to break him out of his trance. “She does.” Cloud glanced up at the devilish smile that played across Zack’s lips. “Now,” the older man continued, “you know what to do. Just get in place, and I’ll send her out.”
When Cloud showed no signs of movement Zack gave him a shove. “Get going, Romeo! You got this man; I believe in you.”
Cloud shot an annoyed look back at his friend but continued to stumble towards the door that led to the backyard.
The cool night air washed over his face as he stepped outside into the quiet tranquility of the yard. It was a beautiful night – the sky was clear, and the crescent moon shone down, bathing the space in a soft glow that illuminated the countless flower beds and planters strewn about.
Cloud smiled to himself. He figured he could probably name every type of flower out here by heart at this point – he’d taken to watching Aerith as she worked outside; gently tending to the plants, turning the soil, planning out which flowers would go where. He loved watching her – he could do it for hours and never tire of seeing how her face lit up with delight as she ensured that her babies were doing well.
“Heya.” A soft voice rang out behind him, and Cloud’s heart jumped into his throat as he turned to see Aerith standing at the door with her hands clasped behind her back. “Zack said you wanted to talk to me?” Her expression was unreadable, and Cloud fumbled over his words like a lovesick teenager.
“Uh…yeah, I do.” It was becoming very hard to form proper sentences; his heart was pounding in his chest as he stared at her. She was simply angelic in the moonlight, and for the millionth time, Cloud wondered how on earth he had gotten so lucky.
Aerith giggled at his stunned silence. “Sooooo? What is it?” Her eyes sparkled in the darkness as she looked at him affectionately.
“I uhhh,” Cloud swallowed. He knew he couldn’t screw this up. He’d spent too long planning it to back out now, and he wanted this. He wanted this so badly. “I just…wanted to ask you something.” His hand found the box in his pocket and he dropped his gaze to the ground in embarrassment as he fiddled with it anxiously.
“Yes.”
Cloud’s head shot back up in surprise to find that the sparkle in Aerith’s eyes had become a shimmer, and a knowing smile played across her lips.
“B-but,” Cloud stammered, caught completely off guard. “You didn’t even let me finish!”
But it was too late – Aerith had already leapt across the grass and thrown herself into Cloud’s arms, laughing joyfully.
“Oh Cloud,” she cried. “Of course I’ll marry you, silly!”
A torrent of happiness flooded Cloud’s body and he lifted her off the ground; a silly, lopsided grin pasted across his face as he spun her around in his arms.
When at last he put her down, they simply stood there; gazing lovingly into each other’s eyes; Aerith’s hand lifting to cup his cheek as tears glistened in her eyes. “I love you, Cloud.”
He grinned down at her and finally produced the small box from his pocket before sinking to his knee in front of her; ever the traditionalist.
Inside sat a thin band of silver encrusted with a line of diamonds, and highlighted by a single, sparkling emerald. He removed the ring and extended his hand; which Aerith gracefully took and let him slide the ring onto her finger.
“Cloud…” she whispered – her voice nearly breaking with overflowing emotion. “It’s perfect.”
Before he could answer, she’d launched herself forward again – throwing her arms over his shoulders and bending down to kiss him.
“I love you too, Aerith,” Cloud murmured into her lips.
As he stood up again – lips still locked together with hers, a cheer erupted from inside the house, and the couple turned to see Tifa, Barret, Jessie, Biggs, Wedge, and Zack standing with their noses pressed against the glass.
Cloud smirked, “so much for being private and romantic,” he said sheepishly.
“Oh, let them stare, they’re just jealous.” Aerith grinned up at him before pulling him down into another kiss.
FIN