Hello! Instead of reading my humanities homework on Marx…I'm writing this chapter! I'll read about marx later! Thanks to those who read and reviewed the last chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it! Im excited because now I have a new turning point that leaves me open to so many more options! Anyways, trying to get used to my new keyboard here so I'll try not to make many mistakes, as this thing allows me to make spelling errors easily for some reason. Too close together or something. Hope you enjoy this new chapter! –Annubis
The decision between life or death:
A second chance.
Chapter 14
"Amnesia?" Zack backed up against the wall of the tiny hospital room.
"When will she be able to remember?" Tifa asked quietly.
"There's no telling." The doctor shook his head. "It could take weeks, months, years, or possibly never."
"Never!?" Zack exclaimed.
"You'll just have to be patient and wait to see what happens. The best thing you can do now is talk to her. Tell her some things about her past. This may trigger something in her memory. Try taking her to places she's been but does not remember." The doctor suggested.
"I can't believe this." Zack sighed.
"What's the last thing you remember?" Cloud asked.
"Um…I don't know." She shook her head slowly.
"What day is today?" the doctor asked.
"I'm not sure. My birthday's coming up!" She grinned.
'That's not right. Her birthday isn't for months.' Zack frowned.
"How old are you going to be?" the doctor stared at the charts beside the woman's bed.
"Seventeen…" Aeris frowned. "That doesn't sound right at all!" she stared at her reflection in the tiny mirror beside her bed.
'Seventeen!? That means…she doesn't even remember anything at all! To her, we haven't ever even met!' Zack rubbed his forehead.
"I'm sorry." Aeris lowered her head. "I don't mean to be so much trouble."
"You're no trouble!" Tifa smiled. "It was all an accident, I'm sure you'll remember everything in no time!"
"Of course! Who can forget all the things we've been through? I bet you'll begin to remember things by tonight!" The young ninja girl beamed.
"I hope so." The green eyed woman smiled. "I'll try my best."
"How do you feel Aeris? Do you think you can walk around a bit?" the doctor asked.
"I feel fine. I would love to get some fresh air if that's alright?" the Ancient stared out the window beside her.
"That would be a great idea. Just don't overdo it. You need your rest." The man in the white lab coat helped the woman from her bed. The nurse opened a small cabinet and pulled out Aeris' clothing. The Cetra eyed the outfit curiously, not recognizing it.
"I won't be long." Aeris grinned. The group left the room, giving her privacy to change into her clothes.
"I wasn't expecting this. Not at all." Zack shook his head.
"I think everything will turn out alright in the end." Tifa placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "Hey. Why don't you join her outside? You can explain things to her, refresh her memory."
Cloud fidgeted uncomfortably. He worried about Aeris very much. Because she didn't remember anything made Cloud very nervous. She obviously did not remember their date together, the times they shared and the conversations they had had. Deep down, he felt a jealousy towards Zack being the only one with her at the moment. Of course the events that happened in the cave were still fresh in his mind. Aeris had kissed him and said that she loved him, and now she remembered none of her feelings for the man.
"I'm goin' back to my ship. I'll make sure everything prepared so we can leave as soon as she's ready." Cid waved a hand and headed out the door.
"Maybe then we can go on that vacation you girls were talkin' about." Barret smiled. He loved the idea of relaxation, though he did miss Marlene. "Maybe I should bring Marlene."
"Naw! Don't worry about it. I'm sure Reno and Elena have everything under control with those two. Besides, you would like to have a little fun on your own I bet." Yuffie smirked.
"True. I'll have to bring Marlene a nice gift so she won't get mad at me." Barret pondered.
"Vacation?" Cloud eyed Tifa.
"It's a great idea! We won't have to worry about the kids. I'll call Reno and let him know about what's going on. I'll tell him it's an important mission. Besides, we can show Aeris all the places we've been and see if she remembers anything." The dark haired woman grinned cheerfully.
"What about my delivery…" Cloud began.
"No work, Cloud! Fun!" Tifa put her hands on her hips.
"If you say so…" the blonde nodded.
Zack stared out the window. "Can I and Aeris visit my parents?"
"…" Tifa and Cloud stared at each other a minute.
"I think that would be a good idea." Tifa nodded. "They were devastated to hear the news about you and Aeris."
"I'll take her there later, after I tell her everything." The Ex-SOLDIER said to himself more than to anyone else.
"Did I keep you all waiting?" Aeris' voice rang out in the waiting room.
"No." Cloud shook his head.
Aeris stared at the man a moment. He was new to her. This man wasn't as tall as the other man with similar, dark hair, but they both shared a lot of the same characteristics; glowing blue eyes, spiky hair, muscular physique though the blonde was bit thinner than and not quite as muscular as the other and similar body postures. She blushed, thinking of how she could have possibly encountered these two men.
"Zack will take you outside if you don't mind." Tifa spoke up. "He can explain things to you and answer any of your questions." The blonde gave Tifa an aggravated look. She stuck her tongue out at him. Her actions shocked him. Did she know what he was thinking?
"Zack?" Aeris glanced at Cloud.
'Maybe he's Zack…' she grinned. 'Or maybe the other one. Either way, I'll be alone with one of these studs.' She then eyed another man with dark hair whom had a metallic claw. The thought made her nervous. Lastly was the tall man in the corner with a gun arm. 'What have I been up to?'
"I'm Zack." The man with dark hair held a hand out to her. Aeris turned to Zack. Her eyes stared into his a moment. She was intrigued by the mystical glow.
"Hello." Aeris grabbed his hand, shaking it lightly. "I'm Aeris." She had an astounded look on her face. "But, of course, you already knew that!" She laughed nervously, her cheeks turning red.
"Would you like to go for a walk?" The man asked awkwardly.
"Sure." She giggled. "But what about everyone else?"
"We're going to get the ship prepared for departure. I'm also going to see about getting some dinner." Tifa grinned. One of her favorite hobbies was cooking.
"Oh." Aeris grinned. "That would be lovely. Should I help?"
"No! Don't worry about a thing! We'll handle it all. You need to relax." The woman answered quickly. "Come on, Cloud. We've got a lot of things to do before the end of tonight."
'Cloud. His name is Cloud.' Aeris took mental note of the blonde.
"Oh, and my name's Tifa!" the woman shook her hand. "We're good friends! I'll take you shopping sometime."
"I'm Yuffie! That's Vincent and that's Barret." The ninja girl pointed around the room. "Cid's in the ship. You can meet him later. Cait Sith and Kadaj are there as well."
"And I am Nanaki. You can call me Red XIII…or Red." The fiery red beast walked up to the woman.
"Amazing!" Aeris crouched next to the creature, running her fingers through his mane. "You can talk…I'm sure you get that reaction a lot."
"It's alright. I am the last of my kind, so it's expected for people to be surprised when they hear me speak."
"Well, let's be off." Tifa rushed to the door. "We'll talk later, Aeris! Zack you behave around that young lady, you hear me!"
"Behave?" Aeris turned to the blushing man.
"What? Well, I…Tifa!" Zack watched the door to the hospital slide shut, leaving him alone with the now curious Aeris.
"Are you a trouble maker?" Aeris leaned forward, scrutinizing the man.
"Something like that I suppose." Zack rubbed the back of his head. "Anyways…let's get some fresh air."
"Sounds like a plan." Aeris nodded. The two headed outside to the center of Mideel. As they headed for the outskirts of town, Zack explained where they were and what had happened to Aeris.
"I fell?" the woman stared at the giant waves of the ocean. "That far?"
"You gave us quite a scare." Zack glanced at the wide eyed woman. "We…thought you were done for."
"If I wasn't an Ancient I wouldn't have survived." She sat on a log, kicking her boots off.
"But you're safe now and that's all that matters." The dark haired man stared at the lowering sun on the horizon. He took a deep breath, smelling the salty air.
"I suppose." The woman sighed. She raised her sand covered feet to set them on the log and rested her head on her knees.
"You suppose?" he looked at her curiously.
"I want to remember things." She said quietly. "And I'm sure everyone else wants me to remember as well. I feel like such a bother, not knowing anything about my past with any of you."
"We'll make sure you remember, I promise." Zack sat down next to the woman. She watched the breeze shuffle through his hair.
"I want to remember everything now." She said irritably. "Who knows what I'm forgetting. There can be something extremely important that I don't remember." She eyed the bent bracelets on her wrist.
"You shouldn't worry too much. If you try too hard you may only make things harder for yourself." Zack said quietly.
"Like these!" she raised her wrist. The bracelets clanged together. "I don't remember these, but for some reason I feel they are very important to me, like something I could never get rid of even if they are broken."
"You wear those all the time." Zack informed the woman. "I think they are your favorite jewelry."
"Where did I get them?" She asked. Zack held his breath.
He didn't want to tell her that they were from him. He didn't want her to know that they had a relationship in the past. He wanted her to figure things out on her own. With her forgetting everything she'd be able to figure out what it was she truly wanted. He was interested in her reactions to him and Cloud. He wanted to know if she had any feelings for him, if she could ever form them again for him or if she would choose Cloud instead.
"They were a gift." He said.
"A gift? For my birthday?" she spun them on her wrist.
"Something like that." Zack nodded.
"Who gave them to me?" She stared at the man curiously. There was something in her face that made him worry.
"I…I'm not sure." He lied.
"Hmm." She stood from the log, feeling the texture of the sand. She grinned widely. "I don't remember the last time I left Midgar. I haven't been outside and out from under that plate in ages."
"You always did enjoy going to other places. You hated it under that city." The man said.
"Where have I been? What places have I been to?" She danced in the sand, twirling back and forth.
"You've been around the world, to many places." Zack chuckled softly. "You always spoke of returning to those places."
"I would love to go!" she was excited with the idea. She hopped up and down and grabbed the man's hands. "Zack, will we be able to go to these places? All of us? I would love to travel the planet once again with all of you."
"Without the threat of being killed…" Zack sighed. He plopped into the sand.
"Killed!?" She held her hands against her chest.
"You may seem surprised by it but you saved the planet." Zack smiled at her.
"What!?" Aeris fell into the sand before the man. She leaned forward, staring into his eyes. "You're not serious!?"
"One hundred percent serious." Zack nodded. "There's this man, Sephiroth."
"Sephiroth!?" Aeris gasped. "He's that great war hero, right?" she giggled.
"That's right." The man said slowly.
"I remember! One day he bought a flower from me!" she laughed to herself, staring at the orange colored clouds. "I was blushing for a day after that."
"…" Zack sighed. He brought his gaze to the sky as well. "But he isn't the same. You remember the old Sephiroth."
"Old Sephiroth?" her head whipped downward.
"We went on a mission to Nibelheim. He went crazy, killed everyone and burnt the village to the ground. He found out he was one of Hojo's experiments." Zack explained.
"You? You were there?" She asked. Her eyes widened once again.
"Um, yeah. I was in SOLDIER." The man scratched his head.
"SOLDIER!?" Aeris hopped on her knees. "You were in SOLDIER!? No way! I bet you're so strong!" she poked him in the chest. She felt the chiseled muscle beneath his long sleeved shirt. Her cheeks turned a shade of pink.
"One of the best!" the man stood. He leapt onto the log beside them. "I was SOLDIER, First-Class. I was the fastest, the strongest, and the…" he thought a moment.
"The greatest SOLIDER in the entire world?" Aeris stood. She giggled as the man nodded his head quickly.
"Of course! I worked beside Sephiroth! I worked beside Angeal and Genesis! I fought in many countries and trained daily!" He lifted a stick from the ground. Aeris giggled with delight as he spun and stabbed the stick into the air. He showed off his skills as the girl clapped her hands.
"Sounds like you were the best!" the woman trotted across the sand to keep up with the energetic man.
"But…" He stopped; the stick fell from his hands. "Those days are long gone."
"What happened next?" Aeris asked.
"I tried to fight the man…but I lost." He clenched his fists. Aeris bent down and picked up the stick from the sand. "I was too weak to beat that monster. The man who planned to destroy the planet, who killed our friends and family, who killed us…"
"What?" Aeris stared at him in disbelief.
"Um…nothing." Zack turned to her quickly. "I was just thinking out loud."
"Cloud." Aeris spoke up. She twirled the stick in her fingers.
"What about him?"
"Is he in SOLDIER too?" She stared at the man's clenched jaw.
"Yeah." Zack nodded. "Well he was an MP. He tried hard to be in SOLDIER. He and I are best friends."
"Really? So you've known each other for a long time then?"
"For about 10 years now…" Zack nodded. "Damn, I'm just getting too old."
"How old are you?" the woman asked in an interested tone.
"Only about a year older than you." He glanced at her. He had no idea how old he was anymore. After being dead for a few years, he didn't necessarily age. He decided to go ahead with his birthday. "I should be about 28 by now."
"You don't know for sure?" the woman tilted her head.
"Well…no I'm 28. I just have been through a lot; it's hard to remember sometimes."
"Wait…so that makes me 27!?" Aeris pulled the man to a stop.
He stared down at her, watching her green eyes. The setting sun cast a red-orange glow across her face. The cool breeze twisted her hair about her. He very much wanted to hold her in his arms at that moment.
"Yup." He nodded. He actually was getting close to 24 and Aeris was on her way to 23 if they didn't count the years they were dead.
"I don't feel that old." She muttered.
"You don't look like it either." Zack smiled. "You look just like you did the day I met you."
"Really?" she began walking towards the water. "And how long have we known each other?"
"Oh um… how long?" he laughed nervously.
'Let's see. I've known you for almost 10 years now. We dated for a majority of that time…' the man debated with himself as the woman gave him another curious look. 'Damn it, I can't say that. It could cause tension between us if she knew we dated. It would put her in an awkward position…and now she's staring at me like I'm a complete idiot!'
"A few years. Cloud and I met you during the time we fought Sephiroth and prevented him from destroying the planet. You helped with that. Because of your abilities you cast Holy which kept a giant meteor from hitting the planet." Zack rambled on about their past journey. He talked about Sephiroth's crazy attitude, Jenova, Cloud and the others, and about the new information about the Ancients and the city they found. Aeris was very excited to hear this news and was very happy to know that Hojo was no longer around.
"Sounds like I've been doing a lot these past years." Aeris stuck her toe in the cold water. She squealed and drew it back quickly. "Cold!"
"Cold?" Zack asked. He raised an eyebrow as an evil plot began brewing.
"The water is freezing!" Aeris pointed at the ocean. She screamed as a wave washed upon the shoreline and crashed against her ankles. She turned to run away from the next wave but was caught by the arm.
"Scared of the water?" Zack asked.
"Let go!" She shrieked as more water hit her legs. Zack chuckled as she lifted her into the air and carried her in his arms.
"What are you doing?" she panicked. "Let me go!"
"Nope." Zack smirked as he took a few steps into the ocean. Aeris kicked her feet quickly, trying to get away.
"You're an evil, evil man!" the woman shrieked. This only made Zack laugh harder.
"Ready?" He asked. His lips were close to her ear. Aeris shivered. She looked up at the man. His eyes glowed brighter as the sun lowered. There was a tiny scar along his chiseled jaw line. His dark hair hung in front of his eyes a bit as a gust of wind blew around them.
"Don't you dare!" the woman glared.
"It's only water!" he stared at the approaching waves in the distance.
"Cold water!" She struggled to get out of his arms.
He held onto her as a wave crashed into his legs. The cold water splashed upwards, spraying the woman in his arms. She squealed once again and began slapping him on the chest.
"I will kill you!" She screeched, laughing. Even though she couldn't remember the man, she felt deep down that she knew him. She was completely at ease with him and did not mind one bit being in his arms.
"Kill me? Can you take on someone who was in SOLDIER?"
"You don't want to see me angry! It's scary." She giggled.
"That ain't no lie." The man took another step into the water. He didn't care about the ice cold water that now soaked his pants.
"Please don't." the woman begged.
"Here it comes!" Zack watched as a high waved came pummeling toward him.
"No!" The woman screamed. "Please don't! ZACK!!" her arms instinctively wrapped around his neck. Her head nuzzled against his neck.
The man turned around and leapt high into the air. Aeris yelped as he flipped and landed softly on the sand once again. He held onto the girl for a second, watching her. She opened one eye at a time and glared at the man.
"Put me down." She hissed. Zack frowned and quickly set her on the sand. She turned away from the man and began walking away.
'Oops…went too far.' The man ran after her.
"Aeris! Wait!" he called out. "I'm sorry! I wasn't going to drop you! I swear! I was only picking on you!" he was worried. He had no intention of letting her leave angry with him.
"Aeris. Please…" He reached out for her as she picked up her boots. She spun around quickly and launched the shoes at the man. He dodged them with ease. He looked back at the items as they dropped to the sand. Next thing he knew he was stumbling backwards.
"You jerk!" Aeris shouted as she shoved him numerous times. "You are such a jerk!"
"Wait! Ow! Hey!" the man stumbled as she repeatedly pushed and hit him in the chest. "I said I was sorry." He regained his balance. He stared at the woman before him and gave her a puzzled look. She was smiling.
"Tifa said you had to behave." The woman grinned.
'She's not mad?' he smirked nervously as her grin turned into one that was mischievous. 'Uh oh.'
"You're in for it now!" She laughed as she leapt onto his chest, knocking him to the ground. Sand flew into the air as he scrambled to get away. She cackled loudly as she chased him towards the water. He twisted and turned away from her, escaping from her very easily thanks to his training in SOLDIER. "No fair!" she huffed and puffed.
"You're getting outta shape." The man stood with his hands on his knees, the water right behind him. Aeris smiled and then looked into the sky.
"Oh my-!" She gasped. "What is that?!" she held her hand to her lips. Zack felt a chill run down his spine caused by the look of fear on her face. He twisted his head to look up and behind him, still leaning on his knees. Aeris darted for the man and shoved against his shoulders. He lost his balance and toppled backward, completely off guard. He splashed into the icy water and muddy sand.
"Aeris!" he shouted in shock. His hand wrapped around her wrist and quickly tugged her downward with him.
"No!" She screamed as she plopped onto his chest. She felt her legs immediately ache from the cold water that soaked through her clothing.
'COLD!!' She shivered.
Zack chuckled underneath the woman. He ignored the water that now drenched his clothes. Aeris lifted her head slowly. Her gaze was locked in his. The sun was almost gone. Purple clouds floated overhead. Zack's eyes glowed like a cat's. She shivered once again, this time being cause by his shining orbs. His hand was around her waist. The woman stared a moment longer before she tried to sit up. With a red face she quickly got to her feet and ran to the sand. Zack sat up quickly, rubbing the back of his neck. He came to his senses and finally realized how much his body hurt from the freezing water.
"You're trouble, I know it." Aeris said as she shook her head back and forth. Her wet strands of hair stuck to her body.
"That was all your doing." Zack pointed a finger at her.
"Excuse me? You started it!" She put her hands on her hips.
"Yeah but I apologized and look what I get!" he turned around, displaying his wet outfit.
"You get a wet butt!" Aeris giggled.
"That's right!" the man nodded. "Wait…so you were looking at my butt?"
"No!" She turned away, covering her face. "You need to be quiet."
"Quiet?" The man acted offended.
"Yeah!" She turned towards him and lifted her chin. "Or you'll feel my fury once again."
"I'm so scared!" he waved his hands in the air, mocking her.
"That's it!" She slapped him repeatedly against the arms. He laughed at her which only made her angrier. She shoved him once again. For her amusement he fell over in the sand. He rolled backwards and got back to his feet.
"You're vicious!" he laughed at her.
"That was only a sample of my monstrous strength." She said sarcastically. The woman grabbed her boots and carried them as she walked. She shivered; the cold water was having its effect on her. She suddenly felt very tired.
"Cold?" Zack asked her. Without waiting for her to answer, he ran his hands down her arms. "Sorry, I shouldn't have pulled you into the water."
"…I shouldn't have pushed you in." she watched his hands as they gently ran over her. "Though you did deserve it."
'This guy is so cute!' Aeris mentally giggled to herself. 'But I better be careful. I don't want to do anything weird…or make him feel uncomfortable. Maybe I have a boyfriend. Oh my!'
"Zack?" She asked.
"Yeah?" He said. She felt butterflies in her stomach as he spoke.
"Do I have a boyfriend?" she asked softly.
"…" He thought a moment. The last thing she ever really said to him was that she didn't love him. He figured that meant 'no'. "Nope. You're single."
"Oh…" She lowered her head. She seemed a little disappointed by Zack's answer.
'He's probably dating Tifa or somebody else. I've never been good with the boys. I knew it was too good to be true to be traveling the world with someone like Zack.' She felt her heart skip a beat. A giggle escaped her lips. 'Maybe he and Cloud are gay…'
"What's so funny?" Zack asked.
"Oh, nothing. Say…" Aeris lifted her head to look up at the man. "Is Cloud gay?" she couldn't help but ask.
"What!?" Zack asked incredulously. He let go of her arms. "Are you serious!?"
"I'm just curious!" the woman laughed. 'What a stupid question, Aeris!'
"Well…" Zack began. "There was this one time with him and a dress."
"What!?" she cackled. She wasn't serious at all, but maybe she was right.
"AHAHA!" Tifa covered her mouth to suppress her fit of laughter. "My only regret was not having a camera!"
"Does he still own it?" Aeris giggled.
"Can we talk about something else?" Cloud asked, irritated.
The entire group sat at the table enjoying a home cooked meal made by Tifa. The airship's coordinates were set to go to Wutai. Soon they would be at Yuffie's home for holiday. Tifa shared with Aeris the story of their adventure in Wall Market.
"I don't know!" Tifa turned to Cloud. "Do you still have that horrid looking thing?"
"…" Cloud shifted uncomfortably.
"What!?" Barret and Cid sputtered on their tea.
"You still have that thing!?" Yuffie choked on her food.
"…No." Cloud tore his eyes away from their stares. Aeris smiled at his gesture. She thought it was cute.
"Bullshit!" Cid pointed his fork at the man.
"I don't!" Cloud pouted.
"Then why'd you hesitate?" Vincent retorted.
"Vincent!? Why does everyone have to make fun of me for that?" Cloud rolled his eyes.
"Ohhh…" Tifa purred. "Poor Cloud! He did it to save us girls!" She winked at Aeris.
"Cloud had to dress up as a girl in order to save us!" Aeris nodded. "It was a very noble and….unique idea, Cloud."
"It was your idea!" Cloud pointed at the woman.
"Me!?" Aeris laughed. "You serious?"
"Yes!" Cloud poked the vegetables on his plate.
"I think it was the greatest idea in the entire world!" Tifa giggled. "He even had on lingerie!" all the men in the room burst into laughter.
"I shudder at the image in my head." Red XIII sat on the ground.
"Lingerie?" Kadaj asked.
"I'm sure Tifa could show you what that is, Kadaj." Yuffie smugly stated.
"Yuffie!" Tifa slapped the table.
"…" Cloud gawked at the woman beside him.
"So?" Tifa eyed the man next to her. "You were never home to notice." She said quickly before turning back to her food.
"Oh my…" Aeris gasped.
"That's…dangerous." Zack chuckled. "See what you're missing!?" the man wrapped an arm around Cloud's shoulder.
"I'm glad he's gone all the time. Tifa! You're not allowed to wear anything like that ever again!" Barret cut into the large piece of meat on his plate.
"I can wear what I want." The woman stuck her nose in the air.
The group joked, told stories and ate their meal peacefully. Aeris stared at Cloud. Was he upset with Tifa? Aeris wondered what their relationship was. Were they dating? Tifa had mentioned they lived together,
but it seemed that things were not going well. Obviously, Cloud was a workaholic who loved to be alone. That was one difference that Aeris was able to pick up between Cloud and Zack. Zack was more friendly and outgoing, a big flirt. Cloud, on the other hand, was more serious. Aeris liked a man who was serious. Then he'd be able to keep her safe and not think everything was a game. She frowned. Zack was strong though, he'd be able to keep her safe, but he did like to flirt. She wondered how much he flirted with Tifa or any other women.
'This is silly, Aeris.' The woman shook her head. 'It's not like any of them would want to date me anyway.'
"Hey. You awake?" Zack's voice rang in her ears.
"Huh?" Aeris looked up. The man was leaning in front of her, hands on the table, face inches away from hers.
"You kinda spaced out." The man gave her a wry grin.
"Oh." She looked around the room. Everyone was about doing their own things and the table they sat at had been cleaned up. "Sorry! I didn't even realize."
"I figured you would be tired. Why don't you go get some rest?" Zack stood, straightening up.
'To think I spaced out cause I was thinking of boys! How on earth did I ever become responsible enough to help save the world?' the woman stood, stretching. She made a soft moaning noise.
"I think that sounds good." Aeris grinned. She was so happy the doctor allowed her release from the hospital. He figured that as long as she got plenty of rest, her healing capabilities would take care enough of her.
"Would you like me to show you to your room or have you had enough of me for one day?" the man asked.
"Sure!" Aeris beamed. Zack held out his elbow to guide her. She gave a silly laugh as she wrapped her arm around his.
"Right this way!" the man led her to the stairs and into the basement of the airship. "You've had a long day."
"Yes, I have." She nodded. "But I am ready for tomorrow already. I can't wait to hear more stories."
"If you would like, I could tell you some more." He looked down at her.
"Oh no, you don't have to do anything like that." The woman waved a hand.
"You sure? It'd be like a bedtime story." He chuckled. "But if you're tired maybe you should just rest."
"Hmm…" She looked to the side. She was very tired, but she also wanted to ask Zack more questions. She bit her lip. "Well…maybe…um, never mind."
"What?" he stopped next to a door.
"It's nothing. I'll just go to bed." She put on a fake smile. Zack knew what that meant.
"What's wrong, Aeris?" he folded his arms.
"What?" she was shocked he knew that she was hiding something.
'He really does know me.' she felt embarrassed.
"Well…maybe one tiny story." She held up her hand, her pointer finger and thumb were held apart about an inch.
"All you gotta do is ask and Zack will make sure you get what you need." He bowed to her and opened the door. She raised an eyebrow at him and entered the room slowly.
"You're a cornball." She shook her head from side to side; her bangs flopped in front of her face.
"It's all part of my charm." He stared at her; a boyish grin crossed his features.
'Is he really as old as he says? He reminds me of a teenager.' She slightly lowered her head and looked up at him; she bit her lip trying to hide her smile. The look she gave him was like a weapon. He stared at her, his lips parting. He felt his heart pounding. It had been a long time since he and Aeris spent any time together that didn't involve arguing.
"Charm?" She asked.
"Am I not charming?" he questioned.
"Why do you ask?" she held her hands behind her back.
"…" She had turned the question around on him and put him on the spot. "Um…because you blush every time I talk to you." He pointed to her cheeks.
"No I don't!" She covered her face.
"You do, and you're doing it now!"
"Stop it!" she slapped his hand away, giggling.
"You also giggle, nonstop."
"I don't!" she turned away.
"Do I make you nervous?" He asked.
"No." She turned to the man, a smug look on her face.
'What's that look?' he gave a sideways grin.
"You want me to be like this, don't you? You like to tease the girls. Make them blush, make them giggle, it's all a part of your plan." She crossed her arms and tilted back her head to stare at him in the eye. "You're just a big old flirt."
"Flirt!?" he shrugged.
"You heard me." She poked him in the chest.
"Well what about you? You've been flirting back just as much." The man leaned down, bringing his face in very close to hers. Aeris stepped back.
'What am I doing? I've just met this man and I'm acting like a complete idiot.' She shook her head. 'What if he's trouble? Maybe he's one of those weirdoes who like to flirt and try to get in bed with the girl? Then he'll leave and act like nothing ever happened.' She turned away and headed for the bed.
"I think I should get to bed." The woman fidgeted.
"Did I say something?" Zack asked. He had a worried expression. "Make you uncomfortable?"
"No. You didn't do anything." she insisted.
"O, okay…" the man turned to the doorway. "If you have any questions about anything you can just ask me alright?"
"Okay." She bobbed her head up and down.
"See you in the morning." Zack shut the door behind him. It clicked softly.
"Oh, Zack-?" she called out. The door flew open quickly and the man's head popped through the hole. This brought another laugh from the woman. "Why are we going to Wutai?"
"Holiday, to celebrate both Yuffie's birthday and her becoming Empress of her country." The man informed.
"Oh…Empress?" she thought a moment. "She's so young."
"She's really nervous. I think she's mostly excited though. She gets to take you there and she's about to go through a major event in her life. It takes a lot of responsibility." Zack mumbled. "Anyways, anymore questions?"
"Nope." The woman smiled.
"Ok." He poked the side of his head. "Remember…just ask." His head left the room in a flash and the door shut behind him once again.
Aeris listened to the silence for a couple of minutes. She removed her clothing and hopped into bed. Her thoughts jumbled in her head.
'Why do I feel like this around you?' She sighed and dropped her head into her pillow.
Ok! That's the end of this chapter. Threw in a little Zack/Aeris romance. It's been quite a while since I've had any. Expect a lot more to come in the next few chapters! Thanks for reading and reviewing! -Annubis