Warmth

Note: Hi y'all! ^_^; This is gonna heat up a bit more… Loveeeeee is in the aaaaaiiiiir… *sings loudly, gets pelted by snowballs* O.O Nevermind then…

For everyone who read Sakura, you'll notice the chapters are longer. ^-^ Hee. I decided I'd get more in if I wrote it longer. But, oh yes, there WILL be cliffhangers, darlings. ^_^ There always are with me. ~Aeris-chan

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Aeris blinked. She found herself waking up, but a soothing hand on her head, which she recognized as Tifa's, coaxed her back to sleep.

Tifa blinked worriedly at her befriended flowergirl, patting at her matted hair. "Cloud, don't you think we're moving a little too quickly?"

Cloud watched the two girls thoughtfully for a moment. "Yea, we're going a little bit fast," he reasoned with himself, "But if Sephiroth gets to the temple of the-"

"Sephiroth is only human! He has to walk or ride everywhere he goes…" Tifa flushed, embarrassed, "Or he flies head-long, whatever his choice, I guess."

"Sephiroth is not human, he's a different being, Tifa. We don't know enough to worry about it."

"Still, we're moving a bit too quickly in the cold." Tifa narrowed her eyes. She was GONNA win this fight.

Cloud backed off from the viper-like Tifa that sat in front of him. "W-Well, what's the next town?"

"Lets find out." She said harshly, grabbing the map from Cloud's pocket with one swipe.

While Tifa gazed over the map, Cloud glanced down at the sleeping Aeris he had failed to notice. Her hair spread neatly around her like a halo, her sweet eyes were sealed, lips parted ever so slightly, curled in a little ball. Her chest heaved a sigh. Aeris looked exhausted, but quite content.

Cloud smiled and patted her head absentmindedly as he glanced over Tifa's shoulder.

"Kalm looks like the nearest town." Tifa concluded.

"Then let's go there and rest a while."

"Alright, then." Tifa nodded.

Cloud stood up and dusted off his pants. They both took down the fragile campsite, careful not to wake little Aeris up. She yawned sweetly, and nuzzled her head into her hand. She curled into a smaller ball, yawning again.

Cloud shoved all of the items into a parcel, and woke the drowsy chocobos. He tied the packages neatly- he knew if he did them sloppily, Tifa would give him grief about it for weeks.

"Hey Cloud, we should let Aeris sleep…" Tifa said quietly, nimbly stepping over Aeris's sleeping form.

"Yea... but… who's gonna carry her?"

* * *

Sephiroth walked quickly, over the fields, the harsh snow getting to his numbed senses. He blinked his sore eyes painfully, but kept proceeding. Snow lovingly caressed his cheek as it fell onto his skin. He glanced at the snow on the ground.

How you loved the snow…

He knelt on the ground, and pawed at the snow with his black gloved hand. How cold it was now! It had been numbing earlier, but now all he felt was cold. He ran his hand along it with fascination, dragging the back of his hand across the powder.

Cold… just like your skin.

He envisioned her grassy-green eyes, large and child-like, smiling at him. She looked so warm, but her body was so very cold all the time. He had tried many methods to warm her freezing hands, but to no avail.

Sephiroth laid his hands deep into the snow and leaned forward. He pressed his lips against the ice, savoring the taste that escaped into his lips.

Is this what your lips would have felt like?

Sephiroth stayed there, knelt in the snow for a long time. But then he lifted his head, and directed his glazed green eyes to the blue tiled village ahead of him.

"Kalm…" He whispered.

He tore himself away from the relaxing cold, brushing his cheek against it one last time as he sat up. He shifted his weight back onto his legs again, and stepped onto the fresh handprints he had just left behind, heading for the town.

* * *

There was an agreement. Aeris slept placidly, Cloud's arms around her stomach, while she sidesaddle on the bird. Her head rested on his shoulder, icy forehead laid against his neck. With every step the bird took, she seemed to bob. And each time, Cloud took a tighter grip on her. Strife tried to keep a straight face as the satin hair-ribbon Aeris wore tickled his neck. He fought back giggles, but was unable to battle the warm smile across his face.

Tifa rode on her own, by his side, also sidesaddle, carefully looking ahead of her. What should she be afraid of? Aeris was asleep, she wasn't intending to seduce him or anything. And most of all, she was her best friend. Tifa trusted the flowergirl.

Nobody made a sound, except for Aeris's sighs every now and then and Tifa's small stretches. The birds clucked every now and then, tossing back their heads.

Aeris yawned gently, and stirred from her deep slumber. She felt Cloud's warm arms around her, and kept her eyes at rest. She relaxed, half awake and half dreaming, she snuggled her head into a cozier spot.

Cloud flushed red, and looked away quickly. It was utterly silent for miles.

He glanced to Tifa, who nodded gently.

"Aeris? Aeris…" He cooed to her, trying to rouse her.

He shook her shoulders very gently, reluctant to disturb her. She moaned a bit and her body tensed up. Her eyes fluttered open, she quickly squeezed them shut again, sore from the white light.

"Ouuu…" She whimpered.

"Sorry, We're almost there." Tifa reassured.

"Almost where….?

"Kalm." Cloud responded.

"Okay…"

"Aeris? You don't look well, do you feel alright? You need medicine?" Tifa demanded.

"No, no. I'm fine."

Her heart pounded in her chest, her palms were sweaty, even though they were freezing.

She lied.

* * *

No one paid heed to the man with the long sword on his back. He slid easily into town. Mistaken for a Goth teenager or perhaps a beatnik, they showed no alarm. His hair fluttered in the arctic breeze, He shuddered, and pulled his black cloak around him.

Sephiroth quickly entered a café, yearing for the warmth of a fire or heating.

The café smelled of hot Java, he breathed it in. The dark-colored café was filled with chilly people desperate for heat.

He shuffled to a chair and sat down. The waitress smiled pleasantly and waited for an order. He asked for a hot cup of decaffeinated coffee, and watched the world outside the window. The warm café began to sooth his weary muscles, he rested his arm on the counter, watching.

I never wanted you sad… He blinked.

But when it snowed, you always were.

The waitress set the cup next to him with a clink, he sipped it, pacified by it's heat.

It just slowed you down… like an anchor being dragged behind a beautiful ship.

He closed his eyes and breathed in the warm steam rising from the cup. He stayed that way for quite awhile, occasionally taking deep sips of his coffee. He opened his eyes halfway, and flicked his head to the side casually to get rid of a stray lock of hair on his shoulder.

Then he saw her. He spilled his coffee onto the floor in alarm. She was here.

Continued….