Disclaimer:Characters © Square enix
Request for: Heroes4
Pairing: ZackxAerith
Summary: Just a moment between the two of them.

Some people said they were meant for each other, but it was clearly not that simple. He was a cocky, confident First Class SOLDIER, unafraid of everything and with a slightly skewed moral compass. She was a beautiful, honest and pure flower girl whose sole joy in life came from spreading goodness around her. It was that innocence that attracted him, gave him hope. He started to make an effort to be around her.

"Aerith!" The church door swung open and he swaggered in, throwing his buster sword down and letting it clutter across the ancient stones. She was there as always, eyes down and staring at her precious flowers. Zack walked over, wrapping his strong arms around her waist and pulling her back against him.

She spun in his grip, throwing her arms around his neck, nuzzling up against his face before gently kissing his lips. Her laughter pealed through the church in response to his embrace.

"What took you so long?"

He shrugged awkwardly. "I had to check on Cloud, he's gone missing again." The concern was obvious on his face until he she kissed it away.
"He'll be fine Zack, he's a fighter. You worry too much!" Sometimes even she felt jealous of the friendship between the two men. But she pushed such selfish thoughts aside.
"I have a present for you!" She led him back to deeper inside the church, where a bundle of fabric lay. It moved slightly as she approached and she scooped it into her arms.

She slowly lifted off the layers, handing him a pair of black shorts and a red vest top emblazoned with a single red rose with silver thorns while facing away from him.
"To replace your old ones." She then turned to face him, cradling a small black puppy in her arms. She grinned at him while the puppy yapped and wagged its tail. "He'd been hit with a motorbike; this little boy's been looking after me for you."

Zack stepped forwards and stroked its fur.

"Good boy." He turned to Aerith. "What's his name?"

She smiled her famous enigmatic smile, and pointed to the tag on the puppy's collar.
"He's called Zack!"

"Hey!" He laughed and threw his arms around them both.
"I'm not a puppy." He smirked and licked the side of her face. "Not much." His hand ruffled the puppy's fur. "You look after her." The puppy yapped again and wagged his tail more.
Aerith tightened her hold on the puppy, allowing her intrinsic healing abilities to cure it from the last of its wounds.

"There, he's all better now." She placed him down and his once broken legs carried him to amongst the flowers.

"You are so sweet." Zack murmured, nuzzling his nose gently against hers.

"Cloud? Can I pick the flowers?" Marlene's voice rung out from outside, and Cloud nodded, pushing the door open. He stared around the empty church and shook his head slightly. For a second he had thought he had seen them.

He ran forwards into the church, glancing around desperately. He could have sworn he had seen his two dead friends in an embrace. He sighed, shaking his head. He was imagining things.

Then twin voices whispered in his ear.

"Just keep going Cloud, you'll make it." The words were cut off by the bark of a dog that wasn't really there, and then the silence fell again.