He parked in front of a modest white house and walked up to the door, his fist suspended just above the door. But he hesitated, turning his back to the door, wondering whether or not he should be there. After all he had nothing but grief to share and she didn't deserve that. She deserved so much better. But he felt for her, just as Zack had. Cloud shook his head, trying hard not to think about the friendly first class SOLDIER. Trying not to think about the similarities and the questionable feelings for Aerith that came along with them.

"Cloud?" He hadn't even heard the door open. He turned around, feeling a little bit foolish. "Do you want to come in?" He could hear the laughter in her voice and it made him even more aware of the differences between them. When was the last time he laughed? Aerith began to fidget in the doorway and Cloud realized he was staring. He tore his eyes away and tried to come up with a good excuse.

"I...can't." He sighed. Brilliant. Aerith pursed her lips and propped her hands up on her hips.

"And why not? Cloud Strife, I know you didn't just come over to stand on my doorstep." Cloud knew he'd been caught. She'd even used his last name and he knew what that meant. For someone so small and sweet she sure could muster up quite a commanding voice. Before he knew it, she'd grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. "You can sit on the couch if you like, I'll be right back." Aerith disappeared into another room with the flourish of her pink dress and reappeared quickly with a tray of what looked like blueberry muffins. "You want one?"

Cloud shook his head and sat down on the couch. Her apartment was small but still quite nice. He took notice of a vase of flowers on the table, suddenly feeling a bit nostalgic. "Do you like them?" He looked up quickly to meet her eyes.

"They're familiar." He said pensively. Aerith sat down next to him trying to hide her smile.

"They should be." Cloud looked at her, confused. "I guess they are kinda how me met."

She took one of the fleshy yellow flowers out of the vase and twirled the stem between her fingers. Cloud suddenly realized. Suddenly thankful that he had stopped to buy a flower from the flowergirl in the slums a time ago. She really did stick out that day, dressed in pink and a great deal prettier than the very flowers she was peddling. He could just imagine the looks she probably got from the scum down under the plate.

The only girl that had ever caught his eye like that was Tifa, but that was a long time ago. At least that had been of his own choice. It wasn't as if he didn't have a choice in his love for Aerith but would he love her still, even if he'd never met Zack? His love couldn't be fraudulent, could it? No, there was something there. There had to be. Feelings so strong as love could never have arisen from his stolen identity. He came out of his thoughts to see a pair of emerald eyes staring at him with concern.

"Cloud, are you okay?" Why am I here? He asked himself.

"There's nothing left for me Aerith. I don't know wh-" Cloud stopped ,almost as if he was trying to find the right words. Cloud wondered, how exactly he could say that he felt like a nobody. How could he explain how detached and permanently removed he felt from everything? How could he say that to her, when she was the one who tried so hard to reveal who he truly was?

"You have the opportunity for a fresh start. You have the willpower, and... you have me." Aerith blushed and Cloud nearly smiled. That was true, but he knew that finding a solution to his problem would mostly be up to him.

"I know that I do. But this is for me to solve." He looked at her and she wondered if her knew how intense his gaze really was. She would have flinched under it she were anybody else, but she knew he would never hurt her, even if he was shooting looks at her that could probably burn holes in the sofa. She realized that he probably didn't even mean to. She supposed that after all he'd been through, it just came to him naturally.

"You don't have to do it alone."

"It's probably best that I do." Aerith looked away, dejected.

"But why?"

"I think it's the right way. Aerith I came because I have to-" Cloud stopped again. Did he come just to see her, to make sure the feelings were still there? Did he come to tell her the depth of those feelings? No, he couldn't tell her just yet. Not until he figured himself out. Not until he made sure.

"What Cloud?"

"I should go." Cloud got up and headed for the door.

"Wait, Cloud don't go!" Cloud stopped, startled by the desperation in her voice. She walked up to him. She wrung her hands uncertainly. Cloud looked down on her, blue eyes expectant. "I'm sorry...I guess I'm just selfish. I don't want to see you go." Aerith looked down at her hands. "But I know you have to, so I just wanted to say-"

"I don't think you shoul-"

"Tell you that I love you?" Cloud felt it coming but was shocked nonetheless. A long silence hung between them and it became clear that he wasn't going to say it back.

"I'm sorry." Cloud said. He leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips, before turning towards the door. He began to turn the knob and for Aerith it was almost like slow motion. Suddenly he stopped, and with his back to her he spoke.

"I'll come back. I promise." he closed the door behind him and Aerith summoned all of her willpower not to go after him.

Only a few hours later, Aerith found her doorbell ringing. She ran to the door hoping it was Cloud, but it wasn't. She kept on thinking about the pain in his eyes and the uncertainty. She couldn't help but feel worried knowing he was going to do it alone.

"Hi Aerith! Uh, is this a bad time?" Aerith snapped to the present.

"No, you're always welcome Yuffie." Yuffie came in an immediately lounged on the couch.

"Wow, you're doing pretty well for yourself, I'd say! Nice pad!" Aerith laughed and sat down next to her friend. Yuffie kept on talking and somewhere along the line her voice faded and Aerith's thoughts wandered to Cloud again. Why did he have to go off like that? She was a little down about him not being able to reciprocate her feelings, but she was more worried about him.

"Aerith?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry Yuffie."

"You're zoning out on me, was I that boring?" Yuffie laughed and observed the sad look on her friend's face.

"Something wrong?" Aerith shook her head and put on a instant smile, not wanting to bother her with her problems.

"No, I'm fine. Want some muffins?"

"Of course! Man I'm famished! How did you know?"

"Just a lucky guess." Aerith chuckled, and breathed a sigh of relief. Distracting Yuffie with food had worked. She knew it was a dirty trick, but Yuffie didn't need to hear her problems. Aerith was so deep in thought that she didn't realize her young friend, though stuffing herself indulgently, was still watching her, and indeed had not, as Aerith thought, been fooled.

Meanwhile, Cloud found himself on another doorstep. He didn't know what had possessed him to stop by, but as he raised his hand to knock he felt a reassurance he hadn't felt on Aerith's doorstep. Maybe it was the length of time they'd known each other. He knocked and waited. The door opened and blue eyes met deep wine colored ones.

The woman stared in awe, as if something extraordinary had occurred.

"Cloud?" she breathed. Tifa couldn't believe he was standing on her doorstep. After so much time of being absent...

"If you're busy, I'll go." Cloud said. Tifa shook her head.

"No, of course not. Come in."