Well, it's me again! I hope you guys liked the last chapter. it was just a hint of what's to come next. oh! If you've read them, don't mind the strange reviews that Moon-Girl keeps on leaving. The girl's not all there, if ya know what I mean. J/K!!

Chapter 5

And so the day passed by like a regular day, like a regular day in the life of regular folks. I took Aeris to the beach after treating her to a new pink, string bikini, which I helped pick out. We spent a couple of hours at the beach, but we knew that we had to go see Red XIII. I was surprised with Aeris that she might still want to go to the beach, even with the ugly bruises that she had all over.

"Come on, Aeris!" I hurried her as she refused to leave the waves, "We gotta get going."

"Oh." she moaned, "But it's so much fun here! Can't we stay just a little longer?"

She gave me the puppy dog eyes and with those emeralds, I just couldn't resist. "Oh, alright!" I gave in, like a parent with a child, "But just remember, only a few minutes more."

"Yay!!" she yelped out.

"Don't think for a second you're gonna have fun though." I told her jokingly, "You gotta get some punishment, ya know!"

She let out a quick, "Huh?" but didn't expect me to pick her up and throw her into the deeper area. She swam back with difficulty because of all her laughter.

"Yeah, well guess what?" was her response between giggles, "I bet you didn't know that I'm a class-A tickler!"

Oh, no! I shuddered. I was just about the most ticklish person on the planet and she had finally found my weakness.

"Nuh-uh, Aeris!" I warned as she neared me menacingly, "No tickling allowed!"

"Oh? And you were allowed to throw me and get my hair all wet with salt water?"

"Well, you see, I didn't really."

"Too bad!!" she interrupted as she threw herself my way and started tickling me ruthlessly. I could not contain my laughter as we rolled around on the sandy shore, Aeris tickling the life out of me.

"A-ha, ha!" I let out, "Stop, stop! Everyone's looking!" It was true; everyone was looking, but Aeris and I were having too much fun to stop.

"I'm not stopping till you say sorry!" she laughed happily as she teased my stomach with her slender fingers, causing me to chuckle loudly.

"I. I won't do it!!" I said as best I could throughout my erupting chuckles. The other people at the beach stared at us disbelievingly. Aeris continued to tickle me ferociously.

"AHHH!!" I let out, "Holy crap!! That TICKLES!!"

"You gonna say sorry?" asked her sweet feminine, but now sarcastic, voice.

"Fine! Fine!" I gave up, "I'm. SORRY!!" She suddenly stopped tickling me, but her laughter didn't cease. We were now lying side by side on the sandy beach, chuckling at our juvenile games.

"Gee." she sighed after she had stopped laughing, "I haven't had that much fun since I was about sixteen!"

"Yeah." I agreed, "I-I don't think I've EVER had that much fun!"

"Anyway. we better get back so we can get ready to go see Red."

"Yeah. But I'll take you back here at night. It's really beautiful then I'm certain you'll love it."

"Alright! Will do then!" she said with a smile before dragging me back to the villa to get ready to leave. Now I was the one who didn't want to stop playing.

~~~~~**********~~~~~

We arrived at Cosmo Canyon in late afternoon. Red XIII was excited to see us visiting him.

"Ah!" he greeted as we entered the laboratory of his late grandfather, "What a pleasant surprise. How are the two of you?"

"Well," I started, "I guess not too bad, but we've got an issue, Red."

"Well why don't I make us all a cup of tea and." He started to speak, but I cut him off.

"No, it's quite alright. We've just got to talk matters through."

He nodded in agreement. "Very well. What seems to be troubling you?"

I explained everything, other than my latest dream, to him. Aeris kept quiet throughout the whole story and listened to the words from my point of view. Red XIII again nodded when I had finished.

"I see," he concluded with an intent look on his face, "Well, I have heard of The Bond. In fact, when I was a good deal younger, I studied it deeply during my schooling with my grandfather."

"So tell us," said Aeris, "How can we make sure to keep The Bond strong and powerful?"

"Hmm." Red pondered, "I believe the most efficient way would be to spend a good amount of time together, to build a good sense of trust and friendship, or whatever it is that you two share."

"Yup, friendship!" I said, a little nervous that he might find out about the short kiss we had shared, "That's all. You got it!"

Aeris looked down at her feet when I said this, perhaps unhappy that I might think of our relationship as only a friendly one. Red XIII continued. "If you are only friends than trust and friendship should be sufficient to your relationship. But be aware that if there's more to your relationship than just friendship, you best be nurturing it in a different way.

"Well, we are just friends, but if we weren't." came my cautious voice, "Like what do people who are, uh, not just friends supposed to do?"

"For those people, marriage is an absolute necessity. Also the Bonding Ceremony is a little different for them."

"Bonding Ceremony?" I asked. I wondered why Aeris hadn't told me about this new discovery of mine, but when I looked over, she looked just as puzzled.

"What would it involve, Red?" she asked inquisitively.

"It's quite simple actually," he began, "The ceremony starts with candles and incense lit. The Bringer, who is like a priest, must make a blessing and then the two who are bonding will speak vows. In the end of the ceremony, the two will feel a definite connection. And that bond will be something which can accomplish much."

"Sounds like a wedding," Aeris commented very casually, "But if all this ceremony stuff is needed then how did Cloud and I even have a bond between us to start with?"

Red XIII nodded approvingly as if a good question had just been asked. "You see, the Bonding Ceremony is only good if there is a predisposition for the Bond. It is not a necessity however. With a natural bond between the two people, the ceremony will do nothing. But the ceremony will just make sure that in the end, the bonding couple will remain stronger in their relationship and with the ceremony, very little can come between them."

"Then a ceremony should prove to be pretty useful in our situation, huh?" I said before the red lion nodded once more, "When do you suppose we could do this ceremony?"

"We'd need the Bringer first, who would have to be a very knowledgeable Elder. This ceremony is not something very common nowadays, so it might be difficult to find someone."

"Can't you just do it, Red?" asked Aeris encouragingly.

"Well." he considered, "I don't have training. I'm not sure of the blessings that I'd have to give either."

"Well look them up!" I told him, "We'd like to have you there, Red. C'mon!"

Red looked over to Aeris who gave him a comforting smile. He finally gave in. "Well, I suppose I could."

"Great!" said Aeris, "So when are we gonna do this then?"

"I really don't have too much on my schedule," Red explained, "I'm available pretty much anytime. How bout you, Cloud?"

"I'm not too busy either," I said, about to tell him that whenever was a good time, but Aeris disagreed. I felt her squeeze my hand, causing me to look down at the sweet young lady who was shaking her head from side to side to tell me "no". "Alright then," I started up, "I guess we could do it sometime next week. We could invite the whole gang too. How does that sound, Aeris?"

"That would be very nice," she finished with yet another nod of the head.

~~~~~**********~~~~~

We arrived back in Costa del Sol late into the evening. We decided to tell all of AVALANCHE about this whole deal some other time, considering its detailed complications and the late hour. Instead I took Aeris out onto the beach.

"You were right, Cloud," she whispered as the waves crashed against the quiet seaside, "It is. beautiful." She slipped her hand into mine for reassurance. With the exception of the relaxed sequence of the ocean's returning and leaving from shore, everything was silent. Was she scared? Was she nervous? Was she lonely?

"I gotta know something," she said quietly as we continued walking, "Is our, ahem, bond just a friendly one?" She stopped and looked up at me.

I thought for a minute, hoping that whatever I might end up saying would not hurt her feelings, because I did so love her. "Aeris. back at Cosmo Canyon. I said what I did, because, well I wasn't sure of, you know. how you were feeling and stuff. I didn't want to say anything that I might regret later on your behalf."

"Hmm. then? What kind of bond is ours?" She peered up into my eyes, her own so piercing in their astonishing stare. How beautiful she was! Everything was perfect about her. Her hair was pinned back neatly into a French twist and she wore a cute sundress that made her look so innocent and carefree. I wanted to take her, right then and there, but I restrained myself as best I could.

"Ours is a romantic bond, Aeris!" I told her passionately as I took her by the shoulders and looked down at her, "I gotta tell you. I just gotta."

"What is it, Cloud? What?"

"I." I couldn't say it, "I. I love... you."

Her eyes sparkled at that moment in amazement. She resembled a young girl on Christmas morning opening a box full of marvelous surprises. She looked so vibrant, so happy, so alive. I was relieved to have that burden off my back. now she knew and now she and I were both happy.

"Oh, Cloud." she said with tears in her eyes, "I love you too!" And not a breath after she had finished her sentence did she wait to throw her arms about my neck and press her lips willingly against mine, just like earlier that morning. And again I began to massage her waist as my hands snuck their way around her small contour. But this kiss was much more passionate than the one earlier. There was more hunger in everything we did than innocence in this one and I liked it.

We continued to caress each other as the waves found their way back to the ocean bank, creating an unforgettable atmosphere. I didn't want it to ever end. I wanted to stay locked in that moment the rest of my life, never letting time control our lives.

She soon let her hands slide down from my neck and down onto my chest as she drew back from my lips. And for a minute she just leant again me, savoring the youth of our blossoming love. I lied down on the sand and she did the same, curling up against my side for protection.

"This is." she whispered in my ear, "This IS beautiful. Please. please don't leave me, Cloud."

I looked down into her pretty face. "I would never ever leave you. And I promise. I promise that I'll never let Sephiroth touch you.

~~~~~**********~~~~~

How was that? Again, I hope it wasn't too corny or unrealistic. Thanks so much for the REVIEWS! Geez, are those ever FUN!!! Till next chappie.