I love Cloud and Aeris, and when I wrote this story I loved it, too. I'm just glad I recovered the notebook it was in, as it was temporarily lost. This story is actually based on a beautiful picture; if I ever find the original artist of it I will ask them if I can post a link for all to see.
Please enjoy and as always, thanks for your time.
Cloud didn't notice when the streetlight had come on. In his mind, when he stared at her, Aeris always let off sort of a glow. Maybe it was the Mako playing tricks on him, but he doubted it. Her hair shone differently under simulated light- as if it knew the light were fake and wanted to recreate the actual sunlight of its own accord.
"It's going to rain," she said.
"What, tomorrow?"
"No, now."
Cloud felt a cool drop on his head a moment later and flinched, then reached up to feel it. "How did you know?"
Aeris looked at him and her eyes narrowed just a bit; he could tell she was trying to be playful. After a moment of deliberation she admitted, "I felt a drop on my hand."
Cloud scoffed and looked towards the road. "If it's going to rain, we should go."
"Why?"
He knew she knew what his answer would be. He hadn't a clue about hers.
"Because," he stated flatly.
"Hmm." She looked into the light and blinked as a rain drop fell on her face. She giggled; just a whisper really, and placed her hand on his. "Just a little longer."
A little longer turned into a lot longer, just as Cloud had thought it would. The sky was dark blue and purple where the sun set just beyond the gray clouds, and for lack of being able to imagine anything more beautiful he thought it looked like a bruise. Looking at it felt a bit painful, and Cloud understood a little bit why people would say the sky was crying when it rained.
Aeris didn't have the same hesitant look on her face as he did. Of course. At first she'd been looking up at the sky, but once her eyes had been battered one too many times- and yes he had been watching- she turned her attention to ground level. The rain was lukewarm but her hands had subconciously moved to her arms anyway. Her hair was starting to look a little droopy, maybe it was finally getting wet. Cloud wished for an umbrella but regrettably didn't have one, although he did have something that might work. He reached for his heavily used, heavily damaged buster sword set in the ground at his side. Its width would cover their heads, at least. He lifted it with one arm with a careful, practiced ease and held it up as a shield.
Aeris raised her eyes to it and chuckled.
"Ah, there's my knight once again. How gallant."
Cloud averted his eyes and shrugged. She giggled again.
"I like the smell of rain," she looked forward once more. "It smells clean. I like the sound of it, too."
Cloud adjusted his position slightly. The sword was a bit difficult to hold over their heads for a prolonged period of time with one arm. "Knowing you, you probably like everything about it."
"No," Aeris cautiously held her hands out from under the makeshift shelter. "I don't like the way it feels against my skin. I don't like feeling water. Not... Not anymore."
The tone of her voice was somber and quiet, it seemed foreign coming from her.
"Aeris..." he looked down at her and tried to think of something comforting and clever to say, something that he hadn't already said a thousand times. He was just lucky his face said it all.
"Don't worry. I'm fine."
"I... I'll protect you," he said, every inch of him meaning it.
"I know," she said; and she did.
"Aeris, I..." the sword shook overhead, not badly but noticably. He looked up at it and cursed every single one of his weaknesses, arms included. He hadn't had as much exercise since the end of the world, after all.
"Cloud."
He looked back down at her.
"Kiss me."
He was glad it wasn't light and that he was shaded even more under the sword, but he was sure she could still see his face color. He tried awkwardly to lean down to kiss her and the sword shifted at a weird angle. He screwed up his face as he attempted to bend down to her and balance it at the same time.
Aeris laughed; a happy laugh and not so much at his expense but more to show that she was happy. She nimbly slid off the playground equipment and skipped into the rain. For not liking the feel of it, she sure was willing to experience it any way.
Cloud frowned and, his previous concern of keeping her dry gone, put his sword back down.
"Aeris?" His tone was questioning, concerned, and yes maybe a little bit on the whiny side.
"Clo-oud," she replied, clearly amused. She raised an arm and beckoned him with a finger. He didn't hesitate to go. He approached her and stopped, staring down at her and trying to comprehend all that she was.
"Kiss me."
He bent down, his hand on her shoulder- he needed to feel her, to know she was really there. She was.
Their lips touched. His eyebrows raised. His hand slid around her back, and then tentatively to her hip with the inexperience that a feeling of newness brings. He loved her, needed her. All he could do was reach out to her and hope she understood just how important she was to him.
There was a moment, however small, where he became nervous this wasn't what she really wanted- he wasn't what she really wanted- even though she was the one that asked for the kiss. But then he felt hands, two small hands on his chest, one seeking out his heart and holding on tight. They were loving hands, and they were hers. And for a moment, even just for that one moment in the rain, everything seemed right, everything seemed together, everything seemed okay again, and he was so in love.