The sunlight was a warm blanket over Cloud's face. Still semi-sleeping, the blonde stirred mildy.
Not quite asleep enough anymore to be unaware of his surroundings, Cloud was quizzical about the sudden feeling of a hand gently stroking his face. The sun intensified, as did the touch of the soft fingers against his cheek. The boy's eyebrows squished together, as he stirred more, releasing a small grunt. A tiny, amused giggle was audiable, as the hand returned to smooth his cheek once again, and brush locks of his spikey, light colored hair from his closed eyes.
'Marlene..?' Cloud questioned himself silently, not opening his eyes to satisfy his queary just yet. Mainly because he quickly realized the hand wasn't the small one that finger painted, played with Tifa's make-up, picked flowers and braided the wool hair of dolls. This was an adult sized hand. And even the soft touch of such a pure child as Marlene, couldn't compare to the way this hand felt, gently brushing his skin. Only one person Cloud had ever known had a touch like that-
Cloud was suddenly terror stricken, as he ripped himself up from the bed and into a sitting position. The sun was pouring in from the window constantly, beating down on his head. His eyes kept themselves busy examining the room for other signs of life, regardless of still being blurry and drooping with the lingering effects of an afternoon nap.
And yet he was and still a little startled, Cloud released a breath of air that was struggling to be removed from his lungs. He glanced around the room, goosebumps crawling like small, invisible bugs all over his flesh. He slipped off the bed, his feet grazing the cold hardwood before he stood completely dependant on them, glancing out the window.
It was opened just an inch, but still a gentle breeze floated in, the sunlight continued to intensify and fade on the bedspread, an unending cyle of warm comfort. Cloud still felt the clinging, eerie feeling all about his being; thinking about her tended to do that. Send shivers up and down his spine, goosebumps infecting his skin.
And yes, he had made conclusions about her- oh yes. Conclusions about her unending connection to his surroundings, things that were once hers to share with the rest of the people. Her connection to nature and life.
Whenever there was single patch of blue sky surrounded by and enveloped in thickening, billowing grey clouds, almost like a shining ray of hope in a world of sin; it was her. Whenever there was a beautiful, serene flower, blooming regardless of its wilting and dying brothers, something that was so simple yet seemed so strong; it was her. Whenever the wind blew just delicately enough to sway a wind chime and make it sound like bliss, a song about how you feel inside; it was her. Where the rainbow ends, where the birds sing regardless of the warfare and gunfire, where waves crashed and sprayed against the shore and rocks, where the rain thundered through the trees like a stampede of frightened animals; it was her. It was always her...
For Cloud, she was all of these things. Aerith had been, and still was, everything. The sea, the sky, the land...and of course, the air in his lungs. Breathing her gave him strength, and sometimes, when he would lie in the sunlight, he would experience her touch; soft and delicate like a pearl, touching his soul and somehow warming the cold depths of his heart.
She was like heaven on earth; everything was at peace in his raging mind with her angelic hand on his mortal face. Damages could not be repaired, mistakes could not be unmade. However, sometimes he felt... As if he could fly, too.