Written for nautilusopus on tumblr as with Comfort Food. This one is a follow-up to Stealing Freedom.

Half a year since they guided the Highwind into a ravine near Cosmo Canyon and did their best to obscure its appearance from the air with what felt like a forest's worth of foliage. Half a year since the three of them agreed to not attract too much attention. Five and a half months since that plan failed to pan out. Aeris, it turned out, was bad at subterfuge. She pursued and engaged the elders of the canyon on archaic topics relating to the ancient past. There were legends the people here seemed to take more literally than expected and that Aeris in turn took a very personal interest in.

When the answers Aeris received were not what she expected she pressed on further, spending days in amongst the canyon's records. When her options finally ran out leaving her rudderless and despondent, all Cloud could do was be there to comfort her. She spent maybe a week at her lowest ebb; still cagey about what she had been looking for and how she was less than sure of what to do now.

Aeris was the last of her family-line, or something like that - Cloud was a little vague on this point. She had been searching for her past it seemed and his immediate reaction was to assure her that while her relatives might be gone, she still had a family. He was there for her. So was Cid - to a point. And so was the striking, red-furred creature Nanaki who swiftly proved to be something of a kindred spirit for Aeris.

Together with Bugenhagen, Nanaki and Aeris began some new research centred around an old meditation technique. Whatever they were doing lifted Aeris's spirits and she turned her attention outwards, reading everything they had about the world beyond Midgar and Junon. Cloud asked a few times just what the meditation involved; it proved difficult for her to articulate. Was it somehow connected to her newfound empathy to the recently bereaved? Whether they had known of a love one's passing or not, Aeris was there to impart some mysterious whispered words to so many. Or was it connected to the odd moments she spent with her head cocked to one side as if listening to something? Aeris was evasive when asked and he soon let the subject drop.

Cid also found plenty to keep him engaged in the canyon, though he was happiest when holed up in a workshop; fixing broken machinery, talking shop with Bugenhagen. There was always something that needed fixing or something that needed refining - as long as the mechanisms did not use Mako. That proved a tough hurdle for Cid to cross but before long he was also enthusing about the alternate ideals on display.

The same was not true for Cloud who at first found himself at more of a loose end as his co-conspirators engaged in new pursuits. He started running errands for something to do and before long many of the older residents depended on him to ferry shopping to their homes. He still wanted something more; his older dreams of joining SOLDIER impossible to truly dismiss. To Cloud's delight, the canyon boasted a few skilled close-combat experts. It would not be via SOLDIER but perhaps he could learn to wield a sword as well as Sephiroth and thus began a daily sword training regimen.

And after six months living in Cosmo Canyon, Cloud felt able to visit home at last. Enough time to be confident they had somehow escaped Shinra's clutches; as much as they had seen no sign of the company trying to hunt them down. The Highwind would stay where it was for now. Best not to tempt fate, and in any case Nibelheim was easily close enough to hike to.

Cid asked to tag along; he needed to go to Rocket Town for some unfinished business. Aeris chose to come too after a thoughtful minute. "Though, I'm going to go onto Rocket Town with Cid and then head back." She grinned; his expression must have belied his worry. "I'm not going to run off and leave you. There's still so much here anyway and I need to figure out where to go next once we get back. But I am going to see the rocket." Cid insisted he would be the first man in space when the chance arose. Aeris always chimed in on the discussions when they met up; she wanted in.

All decided then. Cloud was going to spend a few days in Nibelheim while Aeris and Cid made their way to Rocket Town, sorted things there and at least one of them came back. While Cid was unsure if he was going to return right-away, he insisted he would at some point. The Highwind's current hiding place was nothing like his choice of a permanent home for his airship.

A few days later the trio waved goodbye to their friends in the canyon and set off for Nibleheim. The red rock gave way to grassland and the landscape became more and more familiar, hills and mountains towering up ahead. The noxious stench of Mako as it rolled down from Mount Nibel seemed worse than ever before. Junon's underwater reactor had hidden so much it seemed.

Nibelheim was familiar enough, though the decrepit pile of the Shinra mansion looked worse than ever. Had another section of the roof had caved in sometime during his absence? A bad reminder still; the site of his failing as a child. Young Cloud was too fearful to even walk in the grounds, let alone make his way into the interior and touch the stained glass window at the back. No matter how bad the jeering of the other boys became he would not enter the grounds. Cloud shivered. The rest of the town was more comforting. The general store had a new coat of paint and Tifa's house had new curtains. Home was pretty much as he remembered.

Aeris pulled Cloud into a long hug followed by an even longer kiss at the foot of Mount Nibel. Cid left them to it and stomped away. "Have fun," Aeris said and kissed him again. "And say hi to your mom for me."

"We could go and say that in person you know?" Cloud gestured back towards town.

She smiled. "I know, but company is better for travelling. And Cid is not patient." The man in question was smoking as he stared at the mountain and muttering to himself. "I will say hi on the way back though." Another kiss.

"You are sure you two are going to be okay?" Mount Nibel towered up in the near distance; as twisted and inhospitable as it always had been. "People never liked going up there without a guide and-"

"We'll be fine." Aeris patted his arm. "Relax, have a nice time, and if disaster happens you have my number." She curled a ringlet around her finger. "Just say the word and I will be right here to rescue you."

Cloud blinked. "Uh. I think I'll be okay. I mean-"

"Good." She grinned. Another kiss. "See you soon then!" Aeris kept her gaze locked with his as she walked backwards, hands clasped behind her back. She span around once she drew level with Cid and the two of them made their way onward. A last wave to him and his friends were off. He waited until the two figures vanished around a turn in the trail, took a deep breath and made his way back home. His stomach was in knots as he knocked on the door and waited. Agonised seconds of silence from the house, the approach of footsteps and- The latch clicked; Mom stared at him in disbelief as the door swung open.

"Hi Mom."

Home smelt familiar; distant traces of Mako mixed with wood, incense and what might be mould. Hard to believe he could miss the house and Mom as much as he had. His old bed was an amazing luxury now, his embarrassing scrapbook of Sephiroth cuttings still hidden beneath it. It was impossible to keep anything back from Mom; despite an initial reluctance, he answered everything she asked. Lots of apologies for his failure to keep in touch no matter how much she insisted she did not mind.

Also not clear if Mom took his request for secrecy seriously; she assured him she would, but seemed reluctant to believe Shinra were ready to sweep out of the sky the second they knew where he was. Which was fair; the worry remained somewhat far-fetched, but still represented an unwanted risk given the situation. What interested Mom far was Aeris. For whatever reason, the knowledge that she was a year older than him pleased her no end, and she was eager to meet his girlfriend.

The remainder of the day passed in something of a blur; a lot of catching up, a lot of home-cooked food. While Cloud's life might have had that burst of massive excitement a while back there was not much to talk about regarding Cosmo Canyon. Well, not stuff he wanted to say to his mother anyway. Time spent with Aeris had been good, but-

There was little of real interest for Mom to talk about, but that did not stop her. She talked with animated gestures about the last two years in town - so little had changed from the sounds of things, but there was so much for her to say. Tifa's father was still wary around her, the Mako reactor seemed to be getting worse, Tifa was always going up Mount Nibel; minutae about friends, neighbours, day to day life, her kickboxing regimine. Nothing new. Cloud tried to call Aeris before bed but his phone displayed no bars of signal. So much for that.

The next morning Mom sent him out for groceries, reluctant to listen to any concerns about someone recognising him. In the end she relented to his request for a disguise and dug out a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap. "Not that they'll fool anyone," she said as he put both on. "People will think you're a Turk trying to look inconspicuous."

"It's fine," Cloud insisted. That kind of mistake was unlikely; Turks were always better dressed than him in his t-shirt and shorts. "As long as no one recognises me." He held up the shopping list. "Just this?"

Mom smiled. "Pick up something nice to share too. Your choice."

Not many people about even at mid-morning in the town square. Few he recognised and no one he could put a name to. Neither Tifa nor her father were in sight. While it might be good to see her again, more contact with people in the town than was necessary was risky for all involved. A few more hasty glances around and he hurried to the convenience store.

After piling the groceries up in the basket, Cloud settled on one of the fancy cream cakes in the chilled cabinet for the 'something nice' request. Fresh cream was hard to come by in Junon without paying over the odds and there was nothing close to it in Cosmo Canyon. Here it was available without fuss. Amazing. The girl behind the counter only glanced at him as she scanned the shopping and stuffed it into a bag.

Did he know her? There was a faint sense of familiarity, but he could not place her. It had only been two years; if he knew her, he should recognise her quicker than that. But despite his efforts he came up with nothing. Maybe Mom would know who she was.

He gave up trying to figure the girl out, paid with a muttered thanks, got called back for his change, his heart skipping a beat and he hurried back to Mom's house without further delay. "Cloud?" a voice called and his heart lurched again. He was half-way home; if he kept moving he could be back in the house in under thirty seconds. There he could at least try to convince Mom to deny all knowledge if anyone asked after him.

"Cloud Strife?" Keep walking. The voice was not put off and a set of footsteps approached at speed. Despite all his efforts, curiosity got the better of him; Cloud glanced around. Tifa Lockhart tipped a wide-brimmed hat back on her head and stared at him with a grin. "It is you!"

"Hi, er, Tifa." Another glance around. No one was paying them attention. How long could that last?

"Didn't expect to see you so soon." She stepped closer. What happened to her blue dress? Now she was in boots, a short-skirt and- He stared at her face; Tifa had grown up while he was away. "When'd you get back?"

"Just yesterday." He gestured over his shoulder. "Catching up with Mom and stuff." Cloud licked his lips. His voice was steady for the most part. "Not staying for long."

Tifa nodded. "Didn't realise SOLDIER got time off so soon with all that training."

"Well, it's, ah-" He cleared his throat. "Can we talk about that? The promise?"

Tifa went red and glanced around. "Don't worry about that," she hissed as her colour returned to normal. Another glance around. "I don't know what I was thinking." Tifa let out a nervous giggle. "Surprised you even remember that. Look-" She gestured at the groceries. "You've got your hands full and I have a few errands to run. How about we meet up later tonight or something?" Cloud said nothing. "Please?"

"Okay. Later. Trying to avoid people seeing me." Another glance. A few people were looking at them, but again, no one he recognised. They in turn were probably trying to figure out who Tifa was talking to.

"Didn't know SOLDIER were so secretive." Cloud opened his mouth to reply but Tifa kept on talking. "Let's meet at the well? Like before? Around eight?" She was already walking away.

Cloud sighed. "Fine."

"Don't be late!" She called over her shoulder as she started running for Mount Nibel.

"I won't!" So much for hiding away. Well. That was still an option.

"No you cannot just hide in here." Mom put her hands on her hips and shot him a stern expression when he related the encounter. "Tifa's your friend. You should catch up while you have a chance."

"She's not really my friend-" Cloud tried to protest. Futile.

"Yes she is," Mom interruped with a roll of her eyes as she turned back to the stove. "How can you think otherwise? You made such a fuss about saying goodbye to her when you went to Midgar didn't you?"

"Yeah, but-" Cloud tried.

"But nothing." Mom turned back to him with folder arms and a tapping foot. "Go talk to her."

Nothing he said after had any more appreciable effect and so Cloud wound up swinging his legs on top of the well at seven forty-five. And - despite Mom's recommendation - with the sunglasses and hat in place. Aside from the disguise, this was so much like the last time he met Tifa right here; a pleasant evening, clear sky and so many stars.

"Hey!" A familiar voice called to him as someone scrambled up the well. Tifa hauled herself up onto the platform beside him. "You made it then." She glanced around. No one visible in the square at this time of night. "Hope you weren't followed," she whispered.

"I wasn't," Cloud said unable to resist a smile. "My diguise helped I think."

"Or people don't want to mess with a Turk on holiday." Tifa smiled back. Maybe a different disguise tomorrow? "So; how've you been?"

"Pretty good." Had to let her know the truth. "Before we go any further, I have to tell you something." Deep breath. "I never made it into SOLDIER." His failure laid bare to her.

Tifa shrugged. "Your eyes kinda gave that away." She'd noticed. So much for working himself up to confess that. Cloud sighed as Tifa sat down beside him. "You thought I wouldn't notice?" She shook her head. "So. This not getting into SOLDIER situation. That a permanent thing or a temporary thing?"

"Probably permanent." Might as well tell her everything now. "I'm kind of a fugitive from Shinra." To a point anyway.

"What?" Tifa started giggling. Cloud turned to her and little by little she stopped. "Wait, you're serious?" He nodded. "Shinra's after you?"

"Kind of?"

Tifa folded her arms. "'Kind of'? That sounds less than certain. What did you do?"

Cloud swallowed, unable to stop the grin. "We er, kinda stole an airship and-"

"You stole an airship? You?" Cloud nodded. Tifa's eyes narrowed. "You and who else in your new life of crime?"

"Oh." Cloud blinked. "That was me, Cid - he's a pilot and he built the airship - and-" Deep breath. "Aeris. She's a research scientist." His cheeks warmed.

Tifa studied him for a moment and then broke into a grin. "Aeris huh?" She patted his arm. "And how long have you and her been an item?"

"Wha- How did you know?" Cloud protested.

Tifa shrugged. "Any boy who blushes that much just saying a girl's name is clearly head over heels for her. You said she was a research scientist? Her name makes me think she should be frollicking in meadows and picking flowers or something. I suppose scientists do have to do field work too." Tifa cocked her head to one side. "Okay, so maybe she wouldn't frollick much like that but-"

"Okay, okay," Cloud interrupted. "Anyway. The whole stealing the Highwind thing was her idea."

"The airship?" He nodded. "So you really did steal it?" Another nod. Tifa glanced around the skies. "So where is it?"

"Not here. Too thought it too risky to bring here. It's in a crevasse near Cosmo Canyon." Tifa's eyes were wide. "Um, if you like we can show you on our way back? If you want to come with us I mean." The others should be fine; Tifa was not about to betray them.

Tifa nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, that would be something." She chuckled. "Of all the people you could hook up with, you managed to find the master criminal scientist with the fancy name. She sounds like a handful."

"She-" He blinked even as he continued to talk. "-likes to take charge." His cheeks blazed with heat at the obvious implication in his words.

Tifa coughed and stared up at the sky. "Not something I need to know about." She gave him a judging stare. "Aside from that, what's she like?"

"Well." Cloud willed the heat in his cheeks to dissipate. "She's- Hey, you can meet her when she comes back. I think you'd get along."

"I'd like that. Anyone who's stolen a whole airship sounds interest-" Tifa broke off. "How long had she been planning to make off with it?"

"Maybe an hour before I met her?"

Tifa gaped at him. "Seriously?"

"Seriously." Cloud frowned as she started laughing. "What's so funny?"

Tifa replied between gasps. "You went to join SOLDIER. And come back with a stolen airship and a research scientist as a girlfriend who randomly decided to steal on the spur of the moment!" She shuddered with laughter. "You couldn't make that up."

Aeris and/or Cid were due back the next morning. Eager to see the scientist with an sideline in airship theft and dating Cloud, Tifa met up with him again the next day. He wore the same baseball cap and sunglasses despite Tifa's teasing - Mom had no more hats he felt comfortable wearing. While Tifa might have seen right through his disguise it did not mean anyone else would figure him out as easily. She knew him a little better than the town other town residents, though the margin was slim.

There was a good view of the mountain from the top of the well - anyone making their way down the trails should be easy to spot. Spending all their time on the wooden platform was uncomfortable so they took it in turns to grabs snacks from the store and pass the time with a deck of cards.

Around mid-morning, an odd buzzing grew audible in the distance, the sound reaching them some seconds after something shiny appeared at the peak of Mount Nibel. The object plunged down the mountain at speed, a flickering brightness at either side. The object was metallic blue and that buzzing got louder by the second. Shinra? Cloud was ready to run. Send Mom and Tifa up Mount Nibel and then try and get hold of Aeris-

"What is that?" Tifa asked leaning forward. "Never seen that before."

"Hopefully nothing." Cloud gripped the wood platform tighter. It might not be Shinra, but then what else could it be? The buzzing rose into a roar; the object looked like some kind of plane. Nothing like the Gelnikas back in Junon; it was almost like the Highwind with those long propellers at the tip of each wing-

The plane shot over the town at speed and its wake threatened to blow them both off the well, Cloud and Tifa clutching their hats as they clung onto the wooden structure. Only one vehicle? And a small one at that. Shinra would have sent more than one tiny plane right?

The plane circled back around to the town, approaching at a slower speed. It slowed down to a halt in the open space beside the well, wobbling mid-air as it descended towards the cobbles. Whatever it was, it would be the talk of the town now. Fearful faces peered from windows, soil from gardens lay blasted across the square, dust everywhere, a new thicker Mako taint from the craft's exhaust clinging to the air.

The propellers finally slowed and as a hatch popped open as they juddered to a halt. A familiar figure rose into view; Aeris Gast looked around as she pushed a pair of goggles up onto her forehead. Cloud pulled the sunglasses off and leapt down from the well. That got Aeris's attention; she grinned and waved to him. "Hi Cloud! See? Back like I promised! How was your mom?" Aeris's voice was a little too loud. So much for hiding. How noisy was that thing?

"Hi Aeris." There were a couple of hundred he wanted the answers to right now. "It's been good."

Her gaze shifted to Tifa. "So, I guess this is Tifa right? Your friend?"

"Right," Tifa said after a moment. "Wha-"

Aeris leant on the side of the hatch. "Good to meet you!" She blew an errant strand of hair from her face and when that did not work, brushed it behind her ear.

"Aeris?" Cloud took a few careful steps towards her and the plane. The plan seemed very different to what they agreed; no one said anything about her coming back via plane. "What's going on? What is that? Where's Cid?"

Aeris's grin grew wider. "This is the Tiny Bronco; I, er, borrowed it for a while while Cid's sorting some personal stuff out."

"Borrowed it?" Cloud frowned and reassessed the plane. "Cid does know you have that right?" Aeris's grin vanished and she found the sky interesting all of a sudden. Cloud sighed. "What are you going to do with it?"

Aeris's grin was back in a second and she pulled the goggles back over her eyes. "Get in losers; we're going exploring."