As it turns out, Zack was being serious about wanting Cloud to meet his friend, if the speed at which they completed their mission meant anything. Razorweeds were normally pretty damn annoying, in Zack's own words, so that could've also meant something. Either way, they finished the mission pretty quickly, with about an hour to spare before dinner. Which was pretty nice, in Cloud's opinion.
After they were done clearing away the last of the monsters, Zack turned to him with a questioning expression. "You ready to go?"
Cloud hesitated for only a moment before nodding and falling into step beside his friend as they left. He fought the urge to fidget. He might be a little apprehensive about who exactly Zack was going to introduce him to, sure, but there was no going back now. He had already given his word that he'd come, and with a day as bad as it's already been, Cloud didn't want to end it by upsetting Zack.
Cloud glanced at Zack from the corner of his eye. His friend seemed so excited at the prospect of introducing him to this other person when the idea was brought up, but now. . . Well, the excitement was clearly still there, but there was something else, too. Was Zack nervous? What would Zack be nervous about? Cloud bit his lip and looked ahead as they came upon the Sector 5 slums. This was starting to feel like a bad idea. If Zack was nervous, then this was either going to go very good, or very, very bad.
No matter. Cloud took a deep breath, and turned to face his friend. "Hey, Zack?"
"Yeah, Spike?"
"It's going to be okay. Alright?" Cloud told him, and gave what he hoped was a reassuring smile. It felt odd to be the one telling Zack it was okay, but he really didn't like Zack being nervous. It just wasn't right.
Zack blinked, caught off guard. He then chuckled and shook his head. "I know, it's just. . ." He rubbed the back of his neck and looked back at him. "I don't think anything's gonna happen, it's just, y'know, important to me, is all. Don't worry, 'kay?"
"I could say the same to you, you know." Cloud shot back, and raised an eyebrow. Zack laughed nervously, and Cloud couldn't help but join in. Soon, it died down a bit, and they fell back into a comfortable silence. Zack looked notably less tense than before, and Cloud smiled. Better.
They walked on for a few minutes more before Zack led him to what looked like a church. It was old, run-down, with rotting wood and vines covering the walls. Still, Cloud couldn't help but stop and stare at it for a moment. Something about this place gave him a sense of peace, like a soothing wave washing over him, his previous doubts and second thoughts forgotten in the face of a calming sort of familiarity. He didn't precisely know what was familiar, be it the design or what, but the feeling was there, and he didn't find himself uncomfortable with it. It was then that he noticed Zack waiting for him in front of the giant double doors marking the church's entrance. Cloud sped up a bit to catch up, and walked inside alongside Zack. Cloud gasped.
If the outside of the church was a soothing wave, then the inside was an ocean. It was a bit more torn-up looking than the outside, yes, but somehow that just added to the atmosphere. Broken pews and debris lined the walls, accentuated by pillars and shuttered up windows. What little light was present in the slums shined through slits in the shutters, giving the whole interior an almost ethereal vibe. But that was nothing compared to what was at the end of the walkway. A bed of flowers, golden and white ones, lay growing amidst upturned boards, casted in light from a whole present in the ceiling. The flowers were everywhere, somehow, and full of life one wouldn't expect from such a place. And, in front of the garden, was a girl.
Upon hearing the doors opening, the girl got up from her position crouching over the flowers, and wiped her hands on a light blue sundress. She turned around towards them, and even from his position at the other end of the church, Cloud could see her expression light up once she caught sight of Zack.
Zack, as well, seemed to brighten as he sped up down the alley to meet her. There was laughter from both of them as they met in the middle, and Zack picked up the girl and twirled her around before setting her down with a kiss on her cheek.
The girl giggled. " And hello to you too, Zack. What brings you here?" She tilted her head as she asked. Her voice was soft, and joy apparent.
"Aw, aren't I just allowed to see my beautiful girlfriend every once in a while?" He smirked and gave her another kiss on the cheek. Cloud shifted where he stood, trying not to feel like a third wheel.
The girl seemed to notice, because the moved out of Zack's hold and turned towards him. "Who's your friend, Zack?"
Zack smiled while he walked over and slung an arm around Cloud's shoulder. "Aerith, this is Cloud. Cloud, this is Aerith. She's the gal I wanted to introduce you to." He gave a pat on the shoulder to each of them, respectively, as he introduced them. He then stood back, and on his hips, and looked at them both expectantly.
She walked forward to meet him, a curious look on her face. Cloud looked into her eyes, the intensity in the green hues startling him.
Aerith stared back into him, as if searching for , seemingly content, she smiled. She grabbed his hand, never breaking eye contact, and covered it with her own. "The Planet is very fond of you, Cloud."
He gulped. What does that mean?
Cloud opened his mouth to say something, glancing at Zack for a split-second before going back to her. "Uh. . . Thank you?" He settled on, not entirely sure what he was thanking her for.
Aerith noticed his hesitation and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." Even as she said this, she didn't let go of his hand. Cloud expected that to make him even more uncomfortable, but found it had the opposite effect.
"No, it's fine. Just. . . caught me off guard, I guess." He reassured, and smiled back at her. Something about her being upset just made him feel antsy, like it wasn't natural for a girl like her. So, he felt immensely better when relief showed on her face at being forgiven.
They were silent again, Aerith staring at him still with that odd curiosity, and Cloud desperately looking for something else to talk about. There was a reason he didn't have that many friends, and his atrocious social skills was it. Finally, he found something.
"Are those flowers yours?" He asked, and tilted his head at the growing blooms in question. Aerith blinked, and then smiled. She nodded and pulled on his hand to follow towards the garden. He came without protest, admitting to himself that he was interested in the small garden.
She sat down at the edge of the flowers, with Cloud following suit. She finally released his hand to tend to the plants in front. He carefully reached out a hand to caress a golden bloom, feeling the softness of the petals on his hand. He smiled, and whatever residual irritation and fatigue from earlier that day drained away in the peace and beauty of the flowerbed. After that, he found conversation with Aerith to be easy and comfortable.
Zack was right about him needing this, Cloud thought. There was just something about her, about Aerith, that was calming. She was special. Kind, and eccentric, but in a welcoming way. Aerith was the kind of person that just sets you at ease, which was exactly what was happening.
Meanwhile, still in the middle of the alley between the pews, Zack watched the two chatting in front of the flowers. He was a bit nervous when Aerith mentioned the planet the way that she did, but ultimately relaxed as she and Cloud seemed to be getting along well. He'd been wanting to introduce his best buddy and his girlfriend to each other for a while now, because, hey, they were both awesome! Seeing the two talk and tend to the plants the way they did, as if they've known each other for years, was a huge relief. Even if Aerith's earlier comment was a bit strange.
Zack checked his PHS for the time and was a bit dismayed to find that it was getting pretty late. They were definitely going to miss dinner.
Somehow, though, Zack got the feeling that Cloud wouldn't be too upset.
