During the later days in November at the Smash Mansion, the fiery red, orange, and yellow leaves would fade into more soothing browns. As the month went by, one by one, each decayed leaf descended to the ground until over two thirds of the trees were completely bare. Temperatures generally ranged from the mid-50s to mid-30s, perfect weather for donning scarves and sweaters and drinking cider by the fireplace.

This evening was unusually cold for this time of year. It was around 30 or 31 degrees Fahrenheit, just below the freezing point. There had been rain in the forecast for that day, but no one had anticipated the current hazardous conditions.

In one of the chairs under the small roof next to the door, Cloud Strife sat, motionless, as darts of icy rain plummeted from the sky. His clothes felt damp and clung uncomfortably to his skin as a result of the wind blowing sleet in his direction. The occasional droplet of water fell from his hair and rolled down his face. His nose, cheeks, ears, and uncovered arms were numb from the cold, but he didn't care.

He couldn't go back in there.

He couldn't let them see him like this.

In an effort to stop tears from spilling out, he took two fingers, pinched the bridge of his nose, and squeezed his eyes shut. It wasn't enough. A single, thin tear escaped. Then another. Then another. Soon, his gentle crying turned into harsh sobbing.

Shaking violently, he curled his arms around himself and choked out one word:

"...Aerith..."

"Daisy, these are beautiful! How were you able to obtain them during this season?" Zelda asked.

Cloud stopped in front of the entrance to the mansion's library. He'd been going there to hopefully find some warmth next to the fireplace, as well as peace and quiet from the other Smashers' shenanigans. Since some of the female Smashers were inside, it wasn't the most ideal place for him to find solitude, but it was good enough.

"Flowers are kind of my thing, remember?" Daisy grinned at Zelda and Peach as she held out what appeared to be a flower pot. "I have my ways!"

"I'm still amazed that you're—Oh! Hello, Cloud!" Peach greeted as the ex-SOLDIER entered the room.

Cloud waved at the group with a bored expression. "Hey."

"Good evening," Zelda said with a smile. "Would you like to see the flowers as well?"

"I grew them myself! Have a look!" Daisy held out the pot towards Cloud.

He hummed slightly as his tired gaze moved from the princesses to the bright yellow flowers. The light coming from the fireplace almost made the flowers look like solid gold. As he examined them more closely, it registered in his mind that these were lilies.

Yellow lilies.

Aerith.

Suddenly, a tightness in his chest began to form, and his mouth felt dry. His heart began pounding rapidly, like a series of claps of thunder, each beat louder than the last.

Damn it...

Zelda's brow knitted together with concern. "Cloud? Are you a—"

Before she could finish, he sped out of the room.

"Uh...Cloud?"

The ex-SOLDIER winced at the sound of Ike Greil's voice. The hell was he doing here? Go away. He dug his fingers into his arms as a soft sob escaped his lips.

Ike frowned at the sight before him. Normally, Cloud seemed like a person who kept his emotions hidden. But...this? He'd never seen him this upset before.

He let out a deep sigh and shut the door behind him. "Well, I was about to ask if you're doing okay since nobody saw you at dinner, but...I, uh...take that as a no." He proceeded to walk out into the sleet, pick up a dripping wet chair, and sit down next to Cloud.

As the mercenary set down his chair, tiny droplets flew up and onto Cloud, making him flinch. As he did so, his head moved in a way so that Ike could get a better look at his face.

He didn't look like himself at all. His nose and cheeks were red from the cold, and his eyes were red-rimmed and puffy. Stains from where he'd been crying covered almost the entire right side of his face. He didn't look like the stoic fighter who won the last tournament. He looked broken and vulnerable.

The ex-SOLDIER covered his mouth with a hand and lowered his head as more tears fell. He didn't want the mercenary to worry. He didn't want anyone to worry. This was embarrassing.

Figuring that he must have been out here for a while and was undoubtedly freezing, Ike removed his cape and placed it over Cloud's shoulders—he pulled it around himself as a sign that he appreciated the gesture.

After a few more minutes, his crying, for the most part, ceased. "...Thanks," he murmured, sniffing.

"No problem." He leaned forward and looked at Cloud. "...It's perfectly fine if you don't want to, and I won't make you if you don't want to, but...do you want to talk about it?"

He took one arm out of the cape and used it to wipe his nose. "No, it's... Earlier, something...something reminded me of...someone."

Ike took note of his hesitation in saying "someone". Remembering his own fallen comrades, he sighed and ran a hand through his damp hair. "I know that feeling."

As the sleet became more intense and the temperature began to drop more, the two sat in silence. Eventually, realizing that Ike must be cold too, Cloud removed the cape and held it out towards him. "You can have this back."

"You sure?" Ike asked as he took the cape. "We could always just go back inside... You okay to go back in? We'll probably both get sick if we stay out here much longer."

"Yeah." Cloud stood up as he and Ike prepared to go inside. It had gotten quite dark; how much time had even spent out here?

When they got inside, they were welcomed by the embrace of the heating system. Cloud closed the door to the courtyard, and the chill from the outside was no more. They agreed to part ways there.

"Now go eat something," Ike insisted. "It'll help you feel better."

"...Right," Cloud said before turning around.

As the two began walking in opposite directions, after a few steps, Cloud paused.

"Ike."

The mercenary turned his head slightly. "Hm?"

"...Really...Thank you."

A/N: So...I just felt like writing a sad one-shot. Kind of. Yeah.

Hopefully it was okay. Thank you for reading.

-AwesomeDuskAngel