Promises

Jaelawyn Noble [ Love 'em, dun own 'em.
Warnings: sap
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Rating: PG
Pairing: Zack, Aeris
Archive: http://nobelia.envy.nu
Summary: Zack and Aeris talk about children…and Cloud.
Feedback: 'm a whore for it.
Notation: Requested by Rachia on my drabble/ficlet thread on LJ.

Zack laid on an old pew, thoughts drifting as Aeris tended to plants nearby. It was a quiet afternoon, something that was rare, but quite welcome. It had been a week since Cloud's unit had shipped out, and Zack found himself in Aeris' secret garden every afternoon that Cloud was gone. Not that he told Aeris what the reason was; she'd laugh at him...

Setting down the watering can, Aeris sat down next to Zack and poked his arm. "You going to tell me why you come to see me and then sulk?"

"I'm not sulking," Zack grumbled, sitting up. "I'm just...thinking."

"Oh, better be careful so as not to hurt something," Aeris teased.

"Gods, you're worse than Cloud," Zack sighed.

"Speaking of..." Aeris grinned, "when am I going to meet this wonderful person?"

"Not anytime soon," Zack grumbled. "His unit shipped out last week."

"All alone?"

"Waiting for my marching orders now."

Aeris sighed, playing with the hem of her skirt. "You don't want children, do you?"

Zack looked over at her, startled. "What? Wait, what? Children? Uh, Aeris, you know, I can't, I, uh..." Zack said in a rush, making Aeris smile. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "I'm SOLDIER. SOLDIERs don't have kids."

"Do you want them?"

"Uh..."

Aeris rested her head on Zack's shoulder. "This have anything to do with why you're pining for a certain someone?"

"...I'm not 'pining.' I'm simply worried. He tends to act first, think later, which can result in him getting hurt badly."

"You are such a bad liar, Zack," Aeris said sternly.

Zack sighed, head falling forward. "Yeah, I am. Can't even fool myself."

"He know?"

"Who, Cloud? Hell no!"

"Why not? You love—all right, fine—you care for him. Why don't you just tell him? I'm sure he won't hate you."

"Don't want to take the chance," Zack muttered.

"Zack, you deserve to be happy. From the way you talk about this boy, I don't think he'd be adverse to the idea of being with you."

Zack looked away, over towards the flowers Aeris always tended to. "Do you want children?"

Aeris laughed softly, "I already have children. My flowers are my children, and you, Zack, are one big baby all of your own. If I don't care for any of them, they can't do anything on their own. I already am a mother."

"You're also a pain in the ass," Zack grumbled. He laid down again and looked up at the broken in ceiling. "Maybe I will tell him."

"And then you better bring him to see me," Aeris said, poking Zack in the ribs. "I want to meet this amazing person."

"You will," Zack murmured, mind already working on ways he could corner Cloud. "I promise, one of these days you will."