Final Fantasy VII (c) Square Enix
AN: Made for Earth Day for my friend.
Strong hands grasping the white wagon, wheeling it forward, it was after a long day in the slums market and Zack and Aerith were ready to throw the towel in. Not only were they tired, but they had also ran out of stock. Who knew that flowers could bring such happiness?
"Do you have to leave so soon?" Aerith asked, even though she felt grateful enough to even have time with the 1st class SOLDIER.
Smiling softly, a part of Zack just wanted to pick the brunette girl up and swing her around like they do in the cheesy romance movies he enjoyed more than he would admit to. "Yeah, I have to get back to headquarters," Zack replied, thoroughly upset by the fact.
Shaking her head, Aerith sighed. No matter what, Zack always had somewhere to be after their time together. Which was one of the many things that made them different; Aerith never had anything to do when the raven wasn't around.
"Oh!" Zack interjected with so much enthusiasm it caused Aerith to flinch. "Why don't you come back with me?" Zack suggested, capturing Aerith's small, pale hands in his own larger ones.
Averting her gaze to the ground, Aerith wanted desperately to say yes, but she was still frightened by the thought of being exposed to the sky… And that wasn't about to change anytime soon either. In response to Zack, Aerith said, "I don't think I'm ready yet." Zack pouted, but dropped the idea. Without another word, Zack exerted force on the flower wagon and guided it through the somber streets.
Strolling alongside Zack, Aerith's eyes scanned the district for something to focus on. That's what brought Aerith's gaze to what was within the wagon Zack was stationed at, hauling it along with him. A single, wilting flower. "Zack!" Aerith shouted and shielded her mouth, pointing at her discovery. On natural impulse, Zack reached for his buster sword on his back. "The flower!" Aerith stated and ran to aid the perishing plant. Relaxing his muscles, Zack put his oversized sword back in place and moved his attention to something just a little more important: Aerith.
"What about it?" Zack questioned, running his hand through his hair casually. It's not like one unsold flower would be the end of the world… Right? Then again, with everything that goes on these days, anything seemed possible.
"It's dying…" Aerith mumbled and inspected the flower. The flower was snow white with a baby blue barely circling the rim. At first glance it would look pathetic and sad to anyone, but once you stared at it long enough it became something greater. Beautiful. Aerith then attained an idea, "We need to help it!"
Zack's eyes squinted as he examined the flower. If Aerith wasn't there, then he might've ditched it, but something about the girl made him decide otherwise. "Alrighty, let's plant it riiiight," Zack closed his eyes and spun around, "here!" When he came to a complete stop and opened his eyes he discovered that he was pointing at scraps of metal. Aerith laughed at the sight and shook her head in disapproval.
"We can't put it there!" Aerith said and looked around until she saw a patch of grass on the path next to them. "Here, it can go… Over there!" In the slums grass was a rare sight, so why not make it better with the help of a flower? Aerith reached for the flower, but before she could, Zack stole it from her.
Disembarking to the green patch, Zack squat down in front of it. Copying the man with mako enhanced eyes, Aerith waited for his next move. "I have a proposition for you," Zack said and grinned at Aerith's angelic face.
"I dunno…" Aerith teased and returned the kind gesture.
"Aww! C'mon!" Zack pouted and batted his eyelashes, putting on the puppy look act. After all he was nicknamed "The Puppy" so it had to work! No doubt about it!
"Okay, fine," Aerith gave in, even though she never said no to start with. "What is it?"
"I feel odd saying it now, but since you really want me to," Zack began with a smirk plastered to his face, knowing how Aerith disliked when he dragged things out too much. "I've been thinking about it for a long time and I wanted to know how you felt about it… Aerith, I'm in love with you and I can't hold back anymore. So I need to know if you feel the same way about me," Zack blabbered, his face flushing crimson. Why was confessing his feelings so hard? He'd jumped out of a helicopter, killed Angeal for god's sake! But of all those things, confessing his love proved to be the hardest.
Astonished by Zack's words, Aerith could feel her own face heat up. In truth, she did return the same feelings, she just didn't know how to express them. What if things just aren't the same between us afterwards...? Aerith caught herself wondering, worry clouding any trance of previous thoughts.
"Zack… I…" Aerith said slowly, giving Zack the wrong impression.
"You don't, do you?" Zack declared, his cheerful attitude long gone. It was hard for him to confess his feelings to Aerith, but he at least expected her to reject him a bit gentler. Not that he wanted to be rejected in the first place…
"No! I do, Zack! I love you more than anything!" Aerith blurted impulsively, which only happened when she was under pressure. She never expected anyone to ever tell her those three words everyone desired, but now that Zack did, everything was different, she finally understood why so many people craved it.
Not yet convinced, Zack raised a questioning eyebrow, "Do you mean it?" Nodding far too quickly, Aerith could only hope that Zack believed her. After a minute of no response, Aerith's heart quickened until the small hint that he believed her came around. He smiled. He smiled with the pearliest white teeth she had ever laid eyes on in her fifteen years. "Okay then, you'll be my girlfriend then, right?" Zack requested, quickly recovering from his almost rejection.
Aerith opened her mouth to begin the whole teasing bit again, but though better of it. "Who wouldn't?" Aerith replied with a question of her own. Throwing herself on to Zack, Aerith's head fit perfectly in the crook of his neck. Embracing the girl he loved, all of his thoughts washed away with one big wave. Right now, holding the girl was his top priority… Until he caught a glimpse of the flower still wedged between his fingers.
Detaching himself from Aerith, Zack focused on the flower again. "I have one last thing to say… I want this flower to be a symbol of our love; as it grows strong, so will our love. When it grows weak, so will our love, but we'll just have to trust that it'll get strong again…" Zack recited the poem that was formed in his head, which sounded much better there. It honestly wasn't that great of a poem, but it'd have to do for now. Aerith tilted her head to the side when Zack grew silent, enjoying the rare silence between them. A booming laugh then exploded from Zack, Aerith falling onto her buttox as a result. "Wow that was cheesy," Zack sighed in a dreamy tone.
"I liked it," Aerith admitted and snickered with her newly found boyfriend.
"Good 'cause I had no idea what I was doing," Zack proclaimed and ceased his laughing to nothing. Noticing that the darkness had enveloped the once bright area, Zack said, "We should get you home. It's getting late."
Aerith assented in agreement, "Uh huh. I'll get the wagon." Rising to her feet, Aerith rushed into the distance to retrieve the white wagon Zack built a while ago. Following Aerith go with his eyes, Zack unconsciously excavated a hole in the ground. Realizing this, Zack embedded the flower in the chamber of dirt with such perfection that only he could accomplish it. Then patting that soft earth back into place, Zack admired how the sight really was.
"Zack! It's gone!" Aerith yelled from afar. The SOLDIER's head snapped up at the sound of a panic filled voice. "The wagon's gone!" Aerith cleared up the fact on what was gone. Ascending from his area on the ground, Zack was soon met by a pair of arms encasing him.
Caressing Aerith's face, Zack soothed her, "Don't worry. I'll make you a new one. Let's just get back." Finding no reason to go against him, Aerith proceeded with Zack by her side, their hands clasped tightly as if it were their last day together. Puppy love always was said to be the best kind of love. Aerith knew it.