I cannot with these two, I just cannot. If you feel me, I hope you enjoy.
Tbh, the fact that I haven't seen my girlfriend in like two months because of this damn virus is not helping me get over these two in the slightest. Yay for projecting emotions!

"Hey Barret," an exhausted Tifa called up from the back of the group. "Where'd you say that inn was again?" Though she'd tried her best to maintain an air of innocent curiosity, there was no mistaking the hint of annoyance in her voice.

"I told y'all," Barret fired back indignantly, "it's gotta be just around the next corner. I remember it like it was yesterday." Though he sounded confident enough, Cloud couldn't help wondering if the man had ever actually been here before, or if he was just stacking one embellishment on top of another out of pride. Something about the defensiveness of his tone seemed to suggest that it was the latter.

As expected, after what felt like hundreds of 'next corners' later, there was still no sign of civilization.

It had been weeks since any of them had slept in a proper bed, and nights spent under the stars had long since lost their charm. Tifa, in particular, seemed to be severely missing the hot shower that she so often dreamed of, and the prospect of a proper meal was becoming more enticing with each successive day spent scavenging.

They had been travelling through a seemingly endless expanse of dusty hills surrounded by narrow, plunging canyons that fanned out across the plains like spiderwebs. It was a barren and desolate country – further evidence of Shinra's destructive influence, according to Barret. He made a point of regularly reminding everyone of how the company had drained the life out of the soil with its insatiable thirst for mako and fractured the land with its invasive mining projects. "It ain't just Midgar," he repeated. "Shinra wants the whole damn Planet wrapped up with a bow and served up with a smile."

To Cloud, however, the landscape was nothing more than an annoyance. The hilly terrain made it difficult to scout for potential danger, and the general lack of flora and fauna required longer and more isolated detours to search for enough food and water. There was something else too; something he couldn't quite put his finger on, but which hummed quietly beneath the surface.

Seeing the earth around him cracked and scarred filled Cloud with a strange feeling – somehow both foreboding and familiar, that he could neither interpret, nor explain.

All in all, he was just as eager as Tifa for a night spent in relative safety, though far less likely to admit it. The girl in question had now caught up to Barret and seemed to be on the verge of letting her long-tempered frustration with the stubborn man boil over.

Cloud sighed and sent a brief glance in Aerith's direction, who – sensing his gaze – placed a finger to her lips and winked at him before returning her attention to Red, with whom she had been discussing the different varieties of cactus in the area. Cloud flushed a little; suddenly much more aware of all the spots where his own hair tickled at his skin. It was maddening; it had been maddening since the day they'd met.

His eyes lingered on her long after she had turned away.

…

…

…

A brief moment of fear swept over him as he watched her lose her footing and fall from the rooftop. He sprang into action; leaping forward and catching her deftly in his arms.

"My hero."

Cloud blushed and looked away. Only a fool would claim that she wasn't pretty, and the feeling of her nestled in his arms; the intimacy and proximity…

Cloud shook himself and banished the thought. "Never a dull moment with you."

"That a compliment?" Something about how she quirked her eyebrow at him sent a spark through him. He had to get away from her…quickly.

He dropped her to the ground; trying his best to find a happy medium between exasperation and indifference. "Not really."

She hopped in front of him. "Thanks anyway," she shot back with a wink.

Cloud's heart skipped a beat.

Shit.

…

"You boys made a trade – a normal life for power." The stern-looking woman shook her head definitively as she finished. "You can't have it both ways."

Cloud struggled to find a response; his thoughts caught at the crossroads of confusion and embarrassment. What in the hell was Elmyra talking about?

This was just another job.

Right?

…

"So, Cloud…you were a SOLDIER First Class, right?" Aerith's voice floated through the cool night air after a brief moment of silence.

Cloud paused; it seemed that's all anyone ever wanted to talk about these days, but he decided to humour her. "Yeah."

"Weird."

"What's weird about it?"

"It's just…you were the same rank." Her voice was different; softer; more melancholic than he'd become used to.

"As who?"

She seemed to take a moment to gather herself; as if afraid of the answer to his question. "The first guy I ever loved."

So that's what Elmyra had meant. A tiny, unwelcome pang of jealousy shot through Cloud's chest.

Oh.

…

"Ready to go?" She asked; a small twinge of sadness dancing around the edge of her tone; nearly undetectable.

This couldn't be it. He couldn't leave her now.

He didn't even understand why; he just couldn't.

"No."

"Aww you big softie. Gonna miss me?"

Yes.

…

"Cloud!"

"Aerith!"

In an instant, she was gone; swept away by the sinister black tornado of otherworldly wind. Cloud frantically whipped his head around; searching for any sign of where she'd been taken; panic beginning to swell in his chest.

Her sudden absence cut a hole right through him; as if a part of him had been ripped from his body – how had she come to mean this much?

How had he allowed himself to care for her?

In the distance, he thought he could detect the faint sound of crying, and he took off in its direction without a second thought.

I'm coming.

…

"Whatever happens, you can't fall in love with me."

But I don't…that shouldn't be a problem…right?

Oh, who am I kidding...

"Even if you think you have…it's not real."

"Do I get a say in all this?" It feels pretty damn real to me.

"It's almost morning…time to go."

"I'm coming for you."

I'm sorry.

I wish I could tell myself not to.

…

…

…

"Helloooo…Aerith to Cloud?"

He jumped slightly as a soft voice in his ear yanked him back to reality. He turned to see her shooting him a sidelong look from behind her parted bangs; a self-satisfied smirk on her face – likely proud she'd managed to scare him. She reached over to poke him playfully in the shoulder.

"So…what were you daydreaming about, Mister Merc?"

He could have been honest. He could have let the torrent of confused feelings spill out of his mouth and wash over her like a tidal wave. All it would take was a single word.

You.

But he didn't – even if it had been the right time, he wasn't sure he would have the courage. Not after what she'd told him.

"Well," Aerith let out a huff of annoyance at being ignored. "Probably something boring like swords or guns or whatever else you mercs think about." She stuck out her tongue at him for good measure.

As usual, she was absolutely merciless in her teasing, but he found he didn't mind so much anymore. As long as he got to see her smile; to hear her laugh, he would gladly take all the playful abuse she could throw at him.

Before he could think of an appropriately snarky reply, a thunderous roar shook the ground beneath their feet, as if the earth itself had taken violent exception to their presence. Cloud – still half daydreaming – reacted a fraction of a second too slowly; head whipping around to locate the source of the cacophony.

A massive behemoth was barreling down the steep hill to their right, heading straight towards them with its deadly, spear-like horns lowered. Cloud desperately reached for his sword and charged up to cut it off, but it was too late – the monster overran him; knocking him to the ground as it passed by.

"Bastard must be hungry!" He heard Barret shout amidst the sound of gunfire as he struggled to take air back into his lungs.

After a mighty struggle and a broken gasp for oxygen, he was able to leap to his feet, and his stomach dropped at the sight of the monster with its tailed poised to strike directly at Aerith, who hadn't had time to conjure a barrier for herself.

All thought of self-preservation abandoned him, and he launched himself towards her; praying that he would make it in time. What happened next was a blur.

"CLOUD!"'

A terrified scream pierced the air; cutting through the roar of wind whistling in his ears as he was thrown across the road by the behemoth's massive tail. The world seemed to slow; giving him just enough time to glance back and make sure that he had made it; that she was safe.

He saw Barret and Red desperately trying to draw the beast's attention. He saw Tifa circling behind it, looking for an opening to take it down. He saw the buster sword on the ground where he'd discarded it; knowing that he wouldn't be able to reach her otherwise.

Frantically, he kept searching, until finally, his gaze landed on Aerith. She was sprawled on the ground where he had pushed her out of the way of the behemoth's attack; taking the brunt of the hit himself. Her hand was stretched out towards him as if praying that the gesture alone would be enough to pull him back to her. Her eyes were wide with fear.

Then, with a crack, his head hit stone, and there was a brief flash of blinding light before he was plunged into darkness.

TO BE CONTINUED

Obviously, he will be fine, I'm not that evil.
Oh, also there will probably (definitely) be sex in the next one because I'm trash.