Drabble #71: Trust

Summary:

Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix

"Hey Cloud, have you ever been a bodyguard?"

Cloud blinked awake slowly as a soft feminine voice echoed dully in his head, fading gently away as his senses awakened. A soft sigh escaped his lips. That voice and that line of speech, the very day she had asked him to be her bodyguard...they were only memories now, memories that would lie forever in the back of his mind.

"Aerith."

He brought a hand to his forehead rubbing gently at the sudden pain that had appeared. It always happened when he thought too much about her. And it always followed a sharp pain in his chest, where his heart was.

"Not getting up this morning, Cloud?"

He sat up so fast, he heard his back crack lightly and he groaned gently while still looking around the room in a vain search for a familiar pink dressed brunette. Unsurprisingly, she wasn't there and he lay back down, assuming that he was just imagining her there with him. It wouldn't be the first time.

"You sure drag around a lot," the voice continued, followed by a light giggle. Cloud closed his eyes, trying to block it out. He didn't want Tifa and the kids to come in and think he was crazy for hearing the voice of a dead woman.

"I know you can hear me Cloud, look at me!"

He did as he was asked, still certain that he would be alone. His blue eyes widened as they took in the form leaning against the bedpost at the foot of the bed. The green-eyed beauty smiled, a delicate laugh passing through her full pink lips. She tilted her head to the side, regarding him playfully as he continued to stare, completely gobsmacked.

"You didn't trust me to be here, did you?" she asked, her voice laced with playfullness. Cloud swallowed the sudden lump in his throat, still unable to think of any words to say. She moved around the post to sit on the end of the bed, her smile never leaving her face. Cloud swallowed again and finally found his voice.

"How can I see you?" he whispered.

"Do you not want me here?" she replied teasingly, leaning her body closer to his. Cloud flushed slightly and looked away.

"You know I do," he answered quietly. Her smile grew a little bit wider but she didn't move any closer to him. Instead, she stared closely at him, tilting her head to observe from every angle.

"You dream of me a lot," she said softly, looking away from him for the first time. Cloud was thankful she had, if his cheeks had burned seconds before, his whole face would look sunburnt now. Still, now was his chance to ask for the forgiveness he needed from her.

"It's because I let you die, without doing anything to help."

Instead of agreeing, she rolled her eyes at him. "You didn't let me die Cloud. What could you have done?"

"You trusted me to protect you!" he yelled unintentionally. He bit his tongue to calm down for a moment before he spoke again, his tone more gentle. "I was your bodyguard." She slowly shook her head as she reached forward, clasping her hand into his and squeezing in reassurance.

"I trusted you to be there for me...and you were. My death was meant to happen Cloud, I wish it didn't but it did. I just wanted you to be there, so I could see you one last time. I trusted you to come for me. And you did. That's all that matters."

"So you don't hate me?" he asked tentatively. She raised an amused eyebrow.

"Hate you?" she repeated. "Of course I don't hate you!"

"Promise?" he continued, grinning a little. She returned it, bringing their lips dangerously close.

"Trust me," she whispered.