Wells. Random drabble... I was working on it last night and this morning before church. Got good reviews on dA so I thought you guys might wanna read it.

Enjoyyy.

He wondered how on earth he had possibly survived away from her for nine years.

She had been with their friends the entire time, and they had cared for her and been there for her whenever she needed them. He, on the other hand, had been alone. Not once could he remember coming across a friendly person. Everyone he had met thought him not worth speaking to, or too ominous and frightening to even be near.

Aerith could never be frightening, not even if she wanted to. But Cloud... Cloud could send chills down people's spines just by looking at them. And so he had grown used to being alone. His shadow was his only company, and more often than not it scared him too much for him to bother. What he had become horrified him. As terrified and helpless as a sheep in the midst of wolves, he dragged himself through each day in hope that eventually, maybe somehow he would be reunited with his love.

Always, always, Aerith had been in his heart. She had been his only reason to go on living, to continue fighting, and to last until the next day. If he would survive to see the very next day, he had thought, it might be the day he found her. And he kept telling himself that with almost every waking moment he spent away from her. It was the only thing that drove him on. She was his reason to live. She was the dim light at the end of the tunnel.

And yet, sometimes it seemed that the light was not getting any brighter. It was hard for him to go on. The darkness pulled at him from every direction, trying to snare his heart for all eternity. Physical strength had always been his, but his heart was weak and easily manipulated. If he hadn't had a brain telling him right from wrong, he surely would have turned out wicked. And occasionally, he was sinister. Sometimes when he used the darkness at his disposal, he lost himself in the malevolence that came with shadows. He only used the powers of darkness because at the time, it seemed like it would help him get to her. The mere thought that he would never see her again hurt him. The pain, at times, was almost unbearable. Often, it put him through so much agony that he felt he would implode. He hated being alone. He hated the darkness and the cold it brought and wished more than anything to find a warm light. For nine long, hard years, it seemed he would never come across such a thing. All that he found was more loneliness.

So he journeyed farther every day, praying that he would see her again. All he wanted was just to gaze upon her; fair hair, radiant eyes, elegant body... Simply having her picture in his mind was enough to give him ten times the strength he would normally have. If he could just refresh his memory so her image was perfectly clear, he would be content.

Of course, he dreamed of other things as well. He imagined what their wedding would be like, and figured that there would be a lot of pink, and ribbons and flowers strewn about. He envisioned how beautiful she would look in a wedding gown. And later, he would muse to himself how wonderful of a mother she would make. She cared deeply about those close to her, she was so gentle and sweet... They were perfect traits for a parent. If only he could measure up to that.

What he daydreamed about often was spending the rest of his life with her; growing old and still treasuring her as much as ever, and being treasured by her. Meaning anything to her would make him absolutely thrilled, but being adored by her? Just the thought made him lose his head with ecstasy.

Now here he was, beside her, safe and warm. She had had their friends and been cared for, so she would most likely be able to get by without him. But Cloud knew that he couldn't survive long without Aerith, and he appreciated very much that he had found her. Despite the insecurity he had always felt, he had known that they would be together again. There was just something about her that made him believe in miracles. She was the light in the deep, dark night of his heart and he knew well enough to cherish her forevermore.

Oh yeah. Cloud and Aerith are belong to Squeenix. ;o