Drabble #31: Grateful
Summary: He was grateful, despite his heartache.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything but the plot. Characters and places belong to SquareEnix
It was the one place that he loved, and hated the most for it was where he had laid her to rest, but it was where he met with her in his dreams.
They were standing back to back, as they always had done. No matter how much they wanted to turn around and embrace each other, no matter how much each wanted to look into the deep, expressive eyes of the other or how much they wanted their lips to touch, they knew they never could.
"You're being extra quiet tonight," she commented after a moment. He closed his eyes as he felt her hand touch his arm comfortingly, as she had done when he suffered from Geostigma. He sighed, realising that he had never actually thanked her for that.
"Aeris, I…thank you," he said, turning his head a little.
"Thank you?" she repeated in puzzlement. "What for?"
"Everything," he replied, moving his hand to take hers, causing her to jump slightly.
"Cloud?" she asked after a moment of silence. He remained how he was, enjoying the feel of her hand in his.
"I owe you so much. Everyone does really but I owe so much more to you, and I'm grateful."
"I owe you many things too Cloud," she answered. "I'm grateful for all you did for me. You came for me, that's all that matters,"
"I know," he sighed. "I just wish it didn't have to be this way,"
"Me too but be thankful for the times we had together. The Planet blessed us with that at least," she replied, squeezing his hand gently. "You should go," she added with a hint of sadness in her voice. He closed his eyes, willing time to stop for just one more minute.
"I know," he whispered, feeling the calming feeling of sleep leaving him. He was waking up, no matter how much he willed his body to stay asleep.
"It won't be forever Cloud," she assured him gently, the last words she said before he opened his eyes to look at the ceiling of Seventh Heaven. He sighed softly though a small smile was still on his face. He hated being apart like they were but was at least grateful to the Planet for allowing them to see each other in his dreams.