Disclaimer: Don't own FFVII in any shape or form.
A/N: There needs to be more CxA fics! So I'm writing 100 short little fics for them. I will continue to update over time, so story alert if you want to stay informed of more! Thanks for reading!
061. Winter
It just wasn't Cloud Strife's season. As soon as the first chill hit the air, and the vegetation started to die, he zoomed off as fast Fenrir could take him. Sometimes he fled to Cosmo Canyon, where it was warm to the point of being uncomfortable. Other times it was Wutai, or Costa Del Sol where there was bright sun and lush vegetation all year round. Unless there was something urgent to call him back to the snow locked continent, he would not return until the weather turned once more.
Red XIII who nearly always accompanied him, having a low tolerance for winter weather himself, had never asked why Cloud had felt the need to flee to tropical or desert climates. He didn't have to. Not everyone else seemed to understand, questioning the red creature until he growled at them to go away. "There's nothing wrong with him," he'd tell them irritatedly. "Let him be."
But if he noticed about the worry he was causing everyone, the blond didn't care. While blizzards raged back in Midgar and Edge, he would surround himself with plant life and run his delivery services to local areas. Once, forced back into the winter-chocked Edge to help Tifa and Barrett, he had become so despondent and moody that Tifa had feared he was sinking back into that deep depression. But as soon as the task was completed and he had returned to the warmth and sun, Cloud had perked up at once.
Red knew the real reason, trotting at Cloud's side as he ran an errand for a flower shop, watching as the spiky haired man paused to sniff deeply the scent of the fresh, dewy blooms. The look that crossed his face was indescribable, but anyone who knew Cloud would recognize it. It was the look he wore when he remembered her. Aerith had always loved the warmth. It was simply easier for him to bear her physical absence where the planet's plant life thrived.
Winter just wasn't his season.