As you can blatantly tell, I'm not the best with grammar. I make shit up and use words incorrectly and spell everything wrong. I just don't have the time or energy to reread shit a billion times. So if anyone's interested in being my personal spell checker, that would be amazing. Just send me your email and we can get crackin.
The next day Zack showed up at the Sector 5 church. It took him no more than a feeling to realize Aerith wasn't there. But he wanted, no, needed to see her. He waited until he could wait no longer, called away by Shinra to do their bidding. He was required to work at least three missions per day, and he was already late.
With pain in his eyes, he took one last agonizing look back at the church before turning, slowly, on his heels. He could smell her for fucks sake. He could see her, in his mind, kneeling by the flowers. He could just feel her presence all around him. But it was dull. She was not there.
He went through the rest of his day as any normal day, all the while staying a close range to the church. Every few hours he would come back though, and check for Aerith, waiting impatiently for her to return. He wanted to believe that if he wished her there hard enough, she would show.
But morning turned to afternoon, and afternoon to evening. Still no sign of Aerith. He wondered again if he should show up at her house, but something told him not to. He was already being too forward, he had to wait for her to show interest. A game can't be played with one player, right? That's no fun.
Shit.
He was starting to revert back to his hard pressed ways. This wasn't a game and this was no casual fling. This was about Aerith. This was the girl he had spent the last two days fixated on.
He felt like a virgin all over again. He had no idea how to act on the feelings he had for her. Hell, Zack had no idea what those feelings even were. He felt lost for a second.
He was consumed in thought as Aerith approached him.
"Zack?"
He could see her perfectly in the inky darkness, his eyes well adjusted to the black. She looked puzzled, conflicted, but her barely noticed her expression. He was drinking her in. A whole day had been too long to go without seeing her. Everything looked new and refreshing. Every hair on her head seemed to glow with life.
"Aerith." He breathed, smiling broadly. She walked towards him almost mechanically. She made her way up the church steps, still hesitant and unsure, but still quick.
"I-" She started to say, but his arms wrapped around her in a smothering hug. She was going to ask him what Tseng had meant. She was going to ask him about Wall Market. But, as her face pressed against his hard chest, she began to forget the pain. She didn't care about anything but the moment. Her senses were drowning in Zack. He would never hurt her.
Tseng had lied to her in the past, and he would lie to her again.
She was pressed so closely to Zack, and he was holding on so tightly to her. They clung to each other, desperately. She was on her toes, reaching up to wrap around his neck, but he was so tall that she could barely clasp her hands around. And then he was lifting her and pressing his forehead into the crook of her neck and, without thinking, her legs curled up on either side of his body, as if she were trying to climb her way up his immense frame.
His SOLDIER uniform was made of soft, ribbed wool, and she pressed her face against it. She breathed in. His smell was indescribable in its uniqueness. It was like nothing she had been exposed to. He smelled like salt, and water and air and life. She ran her cheek along his chest and took in the intoxicating musk.
Her hands were running through his black hair, gently tugging to pull him closer. His lips were at her neck, but they didn't touch against her flesh, they just hovered there, suspended. He was breathing though, heavily, tickling her ear with whispers.
He laughed quietly, but she could hear and feel it. She let go of him and fell, softly, to the ground. He was still smiling and she looked away, mortified that she hadn't controlled herself. She wanted him so fucking bad and he knew it.
"That was nice." He said, sounding somewhat dazed.
Aerith just looked down at her feet. She was still so closed to him, making her head feel numb and her heart hurt more with each throb. He reached out casually and took her hand in his by just barely brushing his fingers to hers. He grasped her hand gingerly, rolling it over in his worn palm, as if examining it. It looked like a doll's porcelain hand, in size and in texture, against Zack's tan skin.
He looked up, meeting eyes with her, the ghost of the smile still lingering on his face quickly replaced with concern. "Why aren't you at home. It's dark out. Do you know how dangerous -"
"I live here Zack. I know what happens to girls at night. But I didn't come earlier today and I owe it to the flowers to water them because they will die without me." Aerith was fervent, but retained her soft, gentle voice.
Zack shook his head and moved closer to her, "As long as I get to see you."
"Well . . . here I am." She murmured. He ran his hand along her jaw, but she ducked under his arm and trotted backwards with a sly smile, "I have work to do. Are you going to help or not?"
"Of course."