A/N: Between FF VII, Advent Children, and a lot of pent up desire to write SOMETHING for FF VII - this came out. With many more couples/singles screaming at me to be written. As I said before, this is meant to e a series of one-shots and drabbles on the relationships and/or emotions between/felt by different characters of the FF VII cast. Suggestions, requests, and ideas are always welcome, but I have outlined many of the one-shots and who they will be about, so if you can come up with a pairing (romantic or otherwise) that I haven't gotten already, then I take my hat off to you in respect.
As usual, constructive criticism is always welcome and craved, please don't flame, and although the sentiment is very nice and appreciated, I'd prefer if you left more than just a "I like it, please continue," or something along those lines. I'm writing these to provoke thought and opinion, so please share your views and criticism.
Updated A/N: I revamped this chapter, as well as the other one. I think I explained it in the third chapter.
Characters: Tseng and Aerith.
Pairing: One-sided Tseng/Aerith.
Genre: Romance(duh)/slight angst?
Setting: A year-ish before the game.
Music Listened To During the Making Of This One-Shot: Flower Blooming in the Church (FF VII soundtrack), My Confession (Josh Groban, Closer…one of those 'what the crap!' things).
Thank you, and please enjoy.
The golden rays of light that shone down between the cracks of the roof seemed to make the flowers glow. Luminescence that contrasted greatly with their poverty-stricken surroundings. The dilapidated church seemed ready to collapse from even the slightest pressure, yet somehow miraculously managed to remain one of the sturdiest buildings in the Midgar slums. Old church pews stood as a sort of reminder that once people flocked here for forgiveness, for guiding, for assurance that they had somewhere to go for acceptance, someone to whom they could return. Now, all that remained were the flowers. Beautiful plants that seemed to glow with innocence and purity, a sort of respite to all the depravity and despair around them.
Perhaps these flowers were angels, manifestations of heavenly creatures come to Gaia to give hope to those who'd lost it. Perhaps they had come to shine in the midst of the polluted darkness they grew within, but not from.
Between these angelic plants was a girl, clothed in a pink dress with a red vest. Her long chestnut hair was partially pulled back by a red ribbon, a few bangs loose to frame her emerald eyes and loving smile. She kneeled between the flowers, picking them and placing them in a basket to sell. She seemed to hum a little mindless tune to herself, at ease in this holy place, this oasis within a polluted desert of darkness.
The sound of footsteps sounded out, causing her to forget her little tune and become a little startled. Turning, the girl saw a talk, navy suit-clad figure walking towards her. She immediately recognized him, recognized the long ebony hair, the deep violet-black eyes. She knew him from many memories, from many encounters. The brunette studied him momentarily, before turning back to her flowers.
"You came again."
Onyx-Amethyst eyes never left the girl, and the man masked the attention he gave to her.
"And I don't suppose you're here to buy flowers?"
This time a humorless, emotionless smile curved his lips. It wasn't the happy smile at all like hers; it was the smile that showed sadness.
"Hojo sent me."
The girl froze a moment, almost trembling.
"I told him you eluded us again."
A sigh of relief escaped the pink lips of the girl and a smile returned to her face.
"Thank you, Tseng."
The man, Tseng wondered if she could hear his heart beat faster, because he could and he hated it. However, he retained his mask of calm, acquired after seeing so much of the opposite. His eyes never left the girl.
"I miss it from when I was a child."
"Hmm?"
"I miss it from when you protected me instead of hunted me for Shinra."
Tseng could fee something being struck within him, a weak spot he'd forgotten he had.
"Aerith, you know I'd change it all myself if I could."
Aerith sighed again. Her face still seemed to retain a smile, one of resignation,
"I know. But there's no harm in wishing every once in a while?"
Tseng stood silently, watching as the girl placed flowers in the basket, her fingers moving with gentle care and loving grace. Her entire body seemed to retain an ethereal glow, making the flowers in her hands pale in significance. And her eyes, those emerald orbs that shone with grace and sensitivity, of acceptance and assurance. If he'd been religious, the raven-haired man would have thought that she might have been an angel sent by Gaia to give hope to those who'd lost it, to bring light to once-dark hearts.
"What practicality is there in wishing? There's no point if what you always wish is never granted. There's no point if that which you desire most can never be yours."
"Tsuru-tsuru, tsuru-tsuru! That's no way to talk now, Tseng!"
Aerith turned to face him, her brow bent in mock scolding. Soon, she smiled again, and Tseng looked down at his feet, so as to hide any indication that he'd seen.
"It's the truth. Nothing more. Nothing less."
The Wutaian Turk looked up, and they held each other's gaze for what seemed to be several long minutes. Tseng always silently lost himself in those eyes, so full of kindness after seeing so much of the exact opposite. The silence was awkward, and Tseng hoped it would soon end.
"I know, Tseng. And I know that things can't change. And even if they could, I'm still waiting for Zack to come home. But, you'll still always be my friend. You'll still be there to watch over me, right?"
Aerith's eyes were pleading with his, and Tseng felt his head bow again. There was no way he could refuse her. Even if it meant refusing himself, he just couldn't refuse her. Oh, how he hated himself for that. He could lose his job over this girl. But, somehow, in this very moment, it didn't matter. He'd watched out for her since she was a small child, and he couldn't abandon her now.
"Hmm."
Aerith smiled again, knowing that this was his unsocial way of affirmation. Tseng never really was one to talk much, even with her. She knew how Tseng felt about her, and knew that she could never really look at him the same way. Even if circumstances had been different, he was still a sort of older brother to her, despite the horrific crimes Shinra forced him to commit. Deep beneath that cold exterior mask, Aerith knew that there lay a fierce loyalty to his companions, true courage in the face of adversity, and somewhere very deep within, a shadow of a heart that still cared about others.
Aerith rose, her basket full of the angelic flowers that thrived here in this abandoned sanctuary. Tseng's eyes rose, following the chestnut brunette as she began to walk out of the church. He wondered at her, still unable to understand how someone could be so content with so meager a living.
"Why do you always sell those flowers, Aerith?"
Aerith turned back towards him, that content smile playing upon her soft lips as usual. The flowers seemed to add to her angelic aura, and she almost glowed with innocence and grace.
"I don't know. I guess I feel like I'm giving people a small piece of a miracle even though we're all trapped inside this darkness. Everyone deserves a moment of happiness at least once in their life. Why not give it to them with something that rarely ever grows here?"
With this, Aerith turned and walked away, the echo of her boots and her little tune becoming the only sounds in the church. Tseng turned back to the flowers when she was gone, thinking on what she'd said.
"At least you still believe in miracles, but I've never seen them. Then again… I guess you just don't know how much you're like these flowers to the world."
The raven-haired Turk turned on his heel, quickly departing in that brisk Turk walk from the church, a haven for peace that Tseng felt he just didn't belong in. This place was just too Holy, too pure for someone so bloodstained as him to remain. Somehow, he knew then. He knew why he and Aerith were just never meant to be. They were too different. She was just too pure, too great a person for him. She would somehow shine one day, a beacon of light within the darkness of the world like the flowers she so lovingly tended to and gave away, like miracles of hope to those with none.
"Maybe one day you'll do the same as those silly flowers of yours and give hope to those who so desperately need it."
"…I look forward to that day."
Tseng headed back to the Shinra Building, stepping back into the darkness and leaving behind the flowers that so faithfully grew like little miracles.
A/N: For some reason, this didn't exactly come out as I intended, but I'm still relatively satisfied. However, I am a bit worried as to whether or not I characterized Tseng correctly. I wouldn't be so worried about it (other than my normal obsession with keeping people in character), if Before Crisis had not been created, so naturally I'm terrified.
Again, please review and constructively criticize, as I crave this greatly.
Oh, and if anyone has any information on Before Crisis, what it's about, and whether or not it will be released in the US (and if so, on what), please please PLEASE tell me everything, because it looks too unbelievably cool and it has the Turks in it. 'Nuff said.
Ja ne!
The Psychotic One
