It's here! The lemon! That… I never actually intended to write back when this was a one-shot. In the end, it felt like the natural resolution of where their relationship would go. I've tried to make it tasteful and as much of an M-rated scene as possible. This chapter starts off steamy and continues to ramp up as it goes. If, at any point, you're uncomfortable reading, feel free to skip ahead to the final chapter.

Aerith was in a daze—she'd never felt this happy before in her entire life.

The date had been beyond incredible. Seeing the chocobos—Melonpan in particular—had been wonderful, and then winning Snowy had felt so good—especially considering that sleazebag had tried to cheat her after giving her that disgusting look. The haunted house, on the other hand, had been less than ideal. Thankfully, Aerith felt like after she'd stepped in, Cloud had recovered quickly—which had been a relief. And of course, her heart was still racing from the three words he'd said at the peak of the night, followed by their first kiss.

Now, as she and Cloud staggered back into their room after he'd struggled to open the door while still kissing her, Aerith was filled with anticipation for what the rest of the night still held in store.

"Shower or bed?" Cloud asked, stopping outside the bathroom with her.

She paused in thought for a moment, desperate to get into bed with Cloud, but also not wanting either of them to be gross and smelly after the long day. "Shower," she eventually conceded, and then for clarity, "Together." Giggling as his eyebrows nearly leaped off his face, she moved into the bathroom, Cloud close on her heels.

Aerith was incredibly self-conscious as she stripped out of her clothes after starting the water. She hesitated once she was down to her underwear. Before committing to removing the last pieces, she unbraided her hair, tossing her ribbons onto the pile of discarded clothing. Cloud had also stopped, down to only his boxers. She smiled sheepishly at him—Cloud giving her the exact same look—and they finally removed their last articles of clothing in sync.

She knew she was staring as she took in Cloud's whole body, but didn't feel guilty about it since he was looking at her in exactly the same way. Even though she'd already seen most of him last night, it was completely different without the towel. From the tips of his adorable spiky hair to his toes he was perfect—rippling muscles and rugged planes.

"You're so beautiful," he whispered in awe, causing her face to heat up.

"You're pretty good looking yourself," she teased, unable to tear her eyes away from him.

A cold draft of air caused Aerith to shiver slightly, and she reached into the shower to check the water, relieved to find it warm enough. Stepping in, she poked her head back out of the curtain. "Take as much time as you need, you're welcome to join me whenever you're comfortable."

She grabbed her shampoo and began her normal shower routine. With her eyes closed, she was surprised to hear the noise of the curtain moving before she felt Cloud step into the shower behind her.

"Here, let me help you with that," he said softly, his hands moving to her scalp.

Aerith dropped her hands to her sides, more than willing to let him take over. "I thought it might take you a little longer to—oh that feels so nice."

She lost her train of thought as Cloud's hands gave her an incredible scalp massage, a feeling of peace and relaxation settling over her like a heavy blanket. This went on for several minutes until, regretfully, she felt him washing the soap from her hair, being extra careful to keep it out of her eyes.

"That was amazing…"

"I'm glad you enjoyed it so much, not sure it was really anything special," Cloud said as he finished.

"No, I'm serious, it was incredible," she stated. "Here, let me wash yours, then you'll see."

They shuffled around in the cramped space so Aerith was now the one under the water, behind Cloud. As their bodies slid against each other, her breathing hitched. She gave him the same treatment she'd just received, smiling as he made soft noises of enjoyment during the process.

"Okay, you're right," he admitted as she washed the shampoo out. "That does feel surprisingly nice."

Aerith nodded happily, glad she'd been able to return the favor as Cloud quickly soaped himself up. Once he'd finished, they swapped places once more so he could wash the soap off, while Aerith began cleaning her own body, starting from the top.

"Mind if I help again?" Cloud asked, a hint of hesitation in his voice.

She shook her head and giggled softly. "Not at all, be my guest."

He reached around her and rubbed his hands against the loofah, soaping them up before he began to wash her back. The feel of his hands gliding across her skin was heavenly, and it made her so happy he was comfortable enough now to touch her like this. Aerith continued to scrub her arms, giggling softly when his hands circled around to wash her stomach.

She was pleased to notice Cloud's reluctance from the night before had vanished, his soap-lathered hands not hesitating to make their way upwards to her breasts. As his thumbs circled over her nipples, she let out a low sound of pleasure, tilting her head backward.

"Mmmmm, that feels so good," she whimpered, gasping again as his mouth kissed her now exposed neck.

"You taste a little soapy, but I still love your neck," he murmured into her skin, causing her body to heat up even more.

"You're making it very challenging to focus," she pointed out playfully.

"Sorry, I'll try to behave," he replied, but she didn't think he really meant it. Not that she minded. If she were completely honest, she very much wanted him not to behave.

Bending down to quickly wash her legs, she giggled as she bumped into something hard. Heat pooled between her legs. Cloud laughed as well before she suddenly felt him gently squeeze her butt. She squeaked in surprise, jumping upright and spinning around to face him.

Cloud lightly stepped forward, pinning her back to the wall as he stood directly in front of her—his chest brushing hers. He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Something amusing you?"

She could feel her heartbeat in her ears, almost drowning out what he'd said. Her legs wobbled slightly, and she was thankful for the support of the wall behind her. Not wanting to allow him to maintain the upper hand, Aerith reached down and softly wrapped her hand around him, looking up at him with sweet seduction.

"Oh, not really. Just something I plan on getting very intimately acquainted with shortly," she whispered, slowly stroking her hand up and down.

He almost toppled forward onto her. Quickly recovering, Cloud leaned in closer, his mouth capturing hers in a passionate kiss. She felt his tongue pressing lightly against her lips, and she opened her mouth slightly, welcoming it with her own.

As their tongues introduced themselves, Aerith continued to gently stroke him, feeling his hand, in turn, slide up her leg until it found her core—a gentle brush of his finger causing her to moan loudly into his mouth. She saw stars as he slipped the finger gently inside, her own hand stilling as she focused entirely on the feeling of his movements.

Having Cloud touch her there was causing fireworks to go off inside her, and she was starting to worry—even with the support of the wall—she might not be able to remain standing for much longer. Her body was burning with desire. Realizing this was rapidly reaching the point of no return, she raised a hand to Cloud's chest and gently pushed him back, struggling to catch her breath.

"As much as I'd love for you to take me against the wall, right here, I really want our first time to be in bed," she panted. His eyes were full of his love for her as he nodded his head, and she was relieved to see he wasn't upset at all that she'd pulled the breaks.

Cloud shut off the water and they stepped out together, quickly drying themselves off. Aerith let out a squeak of surprise as he lifted her off her feet once she had finished drying herself, spinning her around so they were facing each other again. She wrapped her legs around his stomach, giggling, as he slowly walked them towards the bedroom, being careful to duck down as they went through the door so she didn't hit her head.

She let out yet another moan as Cloud's mouth found her breast, his tongue flickering over her nipple, twirling around it in the most incredible way. "Not fair!" she breathed, causing him to laugh. The vibrations from that only increased her pleasure.

"You should know a SOLDIER doesn't play by the rules," he replied, pulling his head back to look up at her cheekily.

"Ex-SOLDIER," she playfully reminded him, gasping as his tongue moved to her other side and resumed its delightful dance. She could get used to this. Very easily.

"What about your hair?" Cloud asked, pausing as he reached the foot of the bed. "Don't we need to let it dry?"

Aerith blinked, coming out of her pleasure-filled fog at the question. "Nope. Don't care. Bed. Now," she demanded between kisses. She knew her hair would be a nightmare to deal with in the morning, but at the moment, she couldn't care less.

Cloud laughed, turning so he fell onto his back, Aerith on top of him before he rolled them onto their sides. It didn't take long for them to resume exactly where they'd left off in the shower. Her hand wrapped around Cloud. His fingers between her thighs. Their mouths locked together in another passionate kiss.

She couldn't contain the gasp of pleasure that broke free as she felt Cloud's fingers continue to swirl around her most sensitive spot. She was used to the feeling from the times she played with herself, but with Cloud's fingers instead of her own, everything was amplified, elevated to an entirely new level she'd never experienced. It wasn't even that his technique was shockingly good—she was even tempted to reach down and guide his fingers to show him what would really set her off—it was simply the fact it was his fingers that were the ones touching her. Another cry escaped her lips as she arched her back slightly, feeling herself rapidly drawing closer to that moment of supreme bliss.

Unable to take it any longer, she rolled over onto her back—her hand on Cloud going slack—as the sensations coursing through her demanded her complete attention. Her legs stiffened as the pressure continued to build. Still Cloud's fingers continued their circular motion, until, at last, she couldn't hold out. Her toes curled—her hands firmly gripping the sheets at her sides—as her entire body erupted. Pleasure surged from her core to her brain and then spread delightfully throughout the rest of her—tingles of pure bliss. Her muscles which had just felt so taut were now a gooey mess.

It took Aerith several long moments to get her breathing under control before she lolled her head to the side to look over at Cloud. A gentle smile rested on his delicious lips as he watched her, a burning spark of warmth in his eyes.

"From the way you looked and sounded, it seems like I didn't manage to mess that up," he said, looking somewhat proud of himself.

Aerith grinned as she nodded in response, still coming back down from her high. She'd been so consumed by the feeling, she had no idea what kinds of noises she'd been making. Given how much she'd enjoyed it, she wasn't even remotely embarrassed with whatever they might have sounded like.

"You were incredible," she replied honestly. "That was… amazing." She felt her face heating up as she stared into his eyes.

"But I want more."

Cloud was shocked with how bold he'd been since he'd decided to playfully squeeze Aerith's butt in the shower. He was thankful everything afterward had seemed to just happen, gradually feeling more and more natural as he allowed himself to have fun together with her.

Seeing the end result of what he'd been able to do to her—with just his fingers—filled him with so much happiness. He was overjoyed to have been able to give her such a positive experience. He didn't need Aerith to clarify what she meant, he also wanted more. Rolling over so he was between her legs, he leaned in to kiss her, her mouth hungrily meeting his.

As he easily slipped inside her, they broke off their kiss, both moaning at the overwhelming sensation of being united. He paused for a moment, giving them each some time to get used to the feeling while taking in the sight of the woman who had come to mean so much to him.

Aerith's emerald green eyes were locked on his, filled with a look of desire so raw, he felt his heart race even faster. Her hair was strewn around her head—all over the place—and the contrast from her normal braid took his breath away. Her breasts were rising and falling with her heavy breathing. All of these sights combined blew Cloud away with how beautiful she was. He was so thankful she'd come into his life. So lucky.

"Cloud, please," she breathed.

He nodded his head, needing the same thing. Internally, however, he was freaking out. It had been so long since he'd last done this. He hadn't forgotten what to do, of course, but this was as terrifying as his first experience had been. Given how badly hers had gone, he wanted this to be so much better. It had to be.

"Cloud," she said firmly, raising a hand to caress his cheek. "Stop worrying about it. Just do what feels natural. And for the love of the Ancients, please just fuck me before I lose my mind."

He couldn't help but laugh with her at this—his eyes widening at her word choice—before their laughter turned into soft gasps as it inadvertently caused their bodies to move together. As he slowly pulled back, he was completely overwhelmed by the feeling of her surrounding him, wondering if she was experiencing the same. He got his answer as he pushed back in once more, her guttural moan of pleasure telling him all he needed to know.

Cloud fell into a steady rhythm. The sensation of the movement was just as enjoyable as seeing and hearing Aerith's reactions to it. Her gasps and moans clearly indicated how much she was enjoying it. As he picked up the pace, he accidentally ended up slipping completely out, both of them crying out in disappointment at the sudden absence of connection, before she started to laugh.

He found himself chuckling along with her, wondering why he'd been so nervous in the first place. Getting to share this experience with her was incredible—the culmination of everything they'd been through. He shifted and slid back in, their bodies melding together perfectly once again. Cloud leaned down and devoured her mouth. He would never get tired of feeling her lips against his own. They shared another deep, passionate kiss before Aerith's lips broke free, unable to contain another moan as he resumed his earlier motion.

She was working in tandem with him now, her hips moving in time with his own, driving them both closer to release. "Cloud… I'm so close…" she gasped out, her legs wrapped tight around his waist.

"Me too," he panted, increasing his thrusts.

Aerith's back suddenly arched under him, as she clenched even tighter around him, a loud cry escaping her lips. This sensation, in turn, was all it took to push Cloud over the edge. He felt his body convulse as pleasure flooded him, his body going slack immediately after. He caught himself with his elbows to her sides before he completely fell on her, both of them breathing heavily. They shared a tender kiss, their chests repeatedly bumping together as they slowly recovered.

Cloud moved to roll off her, but she held him in place with a firm hug. "A bit longer, please."

He grunted in amusement but was more than happy to remain in place, making sure to use his arms to keep his full weight off her as he stared down into her eyes.

Staring up into Cloud's sapphire eyes, Aerith was drowning in the ocean of sensations they'd created together. His face was so close to hers. She loved every little detail she'd come to know so well already. The slant of his nose. The quirk of his lips. The hard line of his jaw. She wanted to lean up and kiss all of them, but her body was still recovering—her muscles a happy mush. Pure love was radiating off him, and she settled for basking in its wonderful warmth.

"Okay, now I understand what people are talking about," she panted, still struggling to slow her breathing.

She smiled as Cloud laughed at this, his nose bumping against hers. "So it was as good for you as it was for me?" he teased.

"Better," she cheerfully responded, poking her tongue out at him, causing him to grin.

Aerith loved hearing Cloud's laugh, it made her feel all warm and gooey inside. And the way his eyes seemed to see directly into her did decidedly more pleasurable things to her. She was eternally grateful to her past self for deciding to give Cloud a chance by inviting him to breakfast that one day. It had been the start of what she hoped to be a very long journey together.

Eventually—too soon—Cloud rolled off onto his side, and she shifted to follow him, not wanting to lose contact. They ended up in the same position as the previous night, her head resting on his chest. As she drew lazy patterns on his back, she whispered into his ear.

"I love you so much…"

He squeezed her even more tightly to himself before he responded. "I feel like there has to be a better way to express how much you mean to me, but I can't find the words. I love you. Always. Forever."

Aerith felt happy tears running down her face at his words, and she vigorously nodded her head against his chest. "I know exactly what you mean," she whispered. "It's not enough, but I love you, I love you, I love you."

They held each other closely for a long time, enjoying the feeling of skin on skin, gentle hand tracing, and lazy kisses. As Aerith felt her eyes drooping, she rolled over so Cloud could spoon her, and they fell asleep.

Cloud woke up the next morning with Aerith still wrapped snugly in his arms, loving the feeling except for the fact his arm under her had mostly fallen asleep and was tingling. As he shifted slightly to try and restore blood to it, he felt her stir softly against him.

"I see someone's already alert and eager," she teased, her voice still heavy with sleep, gently wiggling her butt against him.

He blushed. "Sorry."

"Don't be silly," Aerith immediately responded, reaching back and briefly running a hand along his arm to reassure him. "It's natural, I don't mind at all."

Cloud's muscles relaxed as he used his free hand to move Aerith's hair away from the gentle curve of her neck, before leaning in to softly kiss it. At the low mewl of pleasure that came from her in response, Cloud marveled he was able to make her feel so good. The knowledge of that, in turn, filled him with a deep sense of happiness.

"It's our last full day here," Cloud noted as he broke the kiss. "Anything, in particular, you still want to do?"

"You mean besides spending all day in bed with my boyfriend?"

"If that's what my girlfriend wants, I'm certainly not going to object," he laughed, lifting his hand from her waist to gently cup one of her breasts.

Aerith let out one of the soft moans he was quickly becoming addicted to, rolling over to face him. Before she could say anything, however, he leaned in and kissed her—unable to stop with her face so close to his. She didn't seem to mind, her mouth eagerly meeting his, their tongues uniting in a now-familiar dance. After several blissful moments, Cloud was disappointed when she pulled back slightly—catching her breath.

"You're really not helping with the whole getting out of bed thing, here," she pointed out playfully.

"Oh, does that mean we're not spending all day in bed?" he pouted, pretending to be upset.

Her laughter in response was music to Cloud's ears, easily the sound of hers he'd come to love the most. "As nice as I'm sure that would certainly be—as you pointed out—it's our last day here and it would be a shame to spend it all indoors."

"But for right now," she continued, pushing Cloud onto his back before rolling over to straddle him. "I want to have some more alone time together."