A/N: don't own this stuff.
Aeris is up now, set at the Costa del sol, not at the first trip but lets just say they had a lil break there before going to the temple of the ancients.
"Come on, I mean who's going to know?" Whispered Cloud, he was sitting at the foot of Aeris's bed.
"Hmm, I don't know, I'll need convincing." she replied suppressing a giggle.
"They have little bits of marshmallows in them." Cloud said waving a cookie in front of her nose.
Aeris pressed a finger to her lips and feigned indecisiveness, "Hmm okay."
Cloud posted it into her mouth.
"Good right?"
"Yum, but weren't these supposed to be for everyone, that's what my mom said." she took another one.
"That's why we are eating them in secret." he pointed out.
"Hehehe, oh you are a rogue!"
"Shhh, what's that." Cloud listened to the noise coming from the room next door.
"Please could you stop smoking, it's the middle of the night!" Tifa's voice could be heard.
"Ah Shaddap! crack a window or something?" Replied an antsy Cid.
"Would you all be quiet, I'm trying to sleep." interjected Vincent.
"Didn't you sleep for ages and ages? I'd be totally wired if I were you!" added a hyper sounding Yuffie.
"All of you hush up, please!"
Aeris shook her head and gave a sympathetic look, "Poor Tifa, it sounds like she's having a hard time with the new recruits."
"Yeah, they seem like hard work but they want to help and beggars can't be choosers." Cloud shrugged.
"How come you got the room with the quieter members of our group?" she asked motioning to the sleeping Cait Sith and Red XIII.
"Yeah, but he gets hair everywhere so it evens it out."
Aeris seemed unconvinced but she dropped it, "Hey Cloud, do you want to go for a walk out on the beach."
"Right now?" Cloud asked.
"Yeah, well its not like we'll be getting any sleep for a while." As she spoke a thud on the wall interrupted her.
"No, I don't want to have a pillow fight." sighed Vincent, a sound followed which sounded very much like a pillow smacking up side the gunman's head.
"Fine then, Tifa? Want a pillow fight?"
"NO, please just go to bed." Tifa's voice wavered as she tried to keep calm.
Aeris chuckled and climbed out of bed.
Cloud followed her out the back of the inn and down on to the beach. It was quiet and empty, the sky above was filled with stars that shone down on to the ocean, which reflected them.
"Wow, it sure is beautiful isn't it, I guess I've gotten so used to staring up at concrete." Aeris stepped barefoot on to the sand.
"Its still so warm. It is great to get out of Midgar, even if it means going out on a dangerous adventure." Cloud held his hand out to Aeris.
"Yeah but I guess that even though we are off on an adventure it doesn't mean we can't have a fun time doing it." She grinned and took his hand.
They strolled along the deserted beach.
"Hehehe, lets paddle." She dragged him towards the ocean, caught of guard he stumbled forward, drenching the bottom of his trousers.
"Aw Aeris look, my pants are soaked!" Cloud complained.
"Don't be such a baby Cloud." she teased.
"Oh I'm being a baby, a baby couldn't do this." He grabbed Aeris and slung her over his shoulder, he dipped her down until the top of her head was brushed with a wave.
"ARGH, my hair, You are so dead!" She kicked her legs wildly, "Let me down!"
"Oh you want me to put you down? Okay then." Cloud pretended to drop Aeris into the water. She screamed out, he caught her before she fell in.
"Oh my, hahaha, oh Cloud, you got me okay!"
He shook his head with amusement as he put her down. It was too late, just as he caught the devilish gleam in her emerald eyes she tackled him and they both fell into the ocean.
Their hair fell flat against their faces, "You look so funny without that big spike!"
"Aeris, so harsh, and after I shared all those cookies with you."
His words did not stop her laughter.
They eventually dragged their soggy bodies out of the sea and sat themselves down on one of the sun loungers.
Aeris wrung the sea water from her long plate. "Oh no!" she shrieked.
"What is it? What's wrong? You didn't get stung by a jellyfish did you?" Asked Cloud, he inspected her arm.
"No, no its not that, I lost my ribbon." Aeris looked down sadly.
"Is it such a big deal?"
"I guess not, its just that it was given to me by somebody a long time ago."
Cloud couldn't stand seeing her so sad, he wanted this night to be filled with fun and laughter.
"Right then!" Cloud eased of his shoes.
"What are you doing?" She asked as he removed his shoulder guard.
He gave her a reassuring wink and rushed towards the ocean. The young blonde dived in and began swimming out.
"Cloud!" Aeris stood on the shore, her mouth hung open with shock. "Don't you dare drown! You hear me!"
The minutes ticked by painfully slowly, Cloud even disappeared from her sight a few times.
"Oh Thank goodness!" she sighed as he reappeared, he was now completely soaked.
"Here." he handed her the item in his hand.
"Eh? Cloud this is a piece of seaweed." She said as she held the slimy object up.
"Oh right, that probably would start to smell if you wore it in your hair, it's a bit of luck I found this then." Cloud grinned as he presented her with her ribbon.
"AH you actually got it, oh thank you Cloud!" She gasped flinging her arms around his neck with a huge smile on her face.
"Anytime." he said softly wrapping his arms around her waist.
Aeris leant up and kissed his cheek, Cloud tried to fight his blush but failed.
"You really are my Hero, you know that?" she giggled.
"Well now that's an honour, I hope I can live up to it."
"I bet you will do just fine. You make me laugh so much Cloud, I always have fun when I'm with you."
"I feel the same way Aeris." He tied the ribbon back on to her hair.
"I really mean it, spending time with you and getting away from the slums, I feel like my life is really starting now." Aeris released him and gave a twirl. "I love my mom so much, but I feel like now I'm seeing so much of the world that it would be a step back for me to return to living in Midgar. I want to live somewhere with a sky."
"I understand, it was hard for me to leave home at first. While I was away in SOLDIER, I guess I changed a bit and it was hard to go home." Cloud brushed water off of his nose.
"Where is your home?" The cetra asked.
"Now? I don't really have one." Cloud shrugged.
"Are you looking for a new home too?"
"I suppose I am….. When we are done with all this AVALANCHE stuff do you want to, I don't know, I mean tell me to shut up if you want, but…well I don't really have a home, would you want to live near me or we could get a place together. I think it would be fun."
"That sounds like so much fun. I'd worry about my mom though, would she be okay on her own?" Aeris bit her lip.
"If we set her up with Barret then she wouldn't be alone." Cloud suggested.
"AHHAHAH, thats brilliant! He'd be my step-dad. We need to make that happen, it would be so great for both of them."
"That's that sorted then." he said with a nod.
"Oh hey?! When we live together could we get one of those fridges that make ice?" She asked, taking him by the hand, they headed back to the hotel.
"We'll see, I don't really have a fulltime job."
"I could bring the cash in with my flower selling."
"I've seen how you bring in the big bucks missy." he joked as he reminiced about the time outside the HoneyBee Inn.
"Heheh, oh and a lava lamp?"
"Alright."
"Oh and a big log fire!" she said with a clap of her delicate hands. "And we'll get you a big walk-in-closet for all of your ladies clothes."
"It's not a habit of mine you know." Cloud protested as he opened the door to the inn.
"You looked far too comfortable in those shoes for it too have been your first time." she persisted.
"First and last."
"Yeah whatever."
They looked at each other, with their flat hair styles and their soggy outfits and broke out in giggles, Completely oblivious to the events which would tear them apart in just a few days time.
a/n: don't usually do Clerith but it doesn't hurt now and again, in fact i love it but she did die and she isn't coming back :'(. Review if you want