A/N: And now for something totally different. I wanted to write a story with the FF7 gang as pop-stars, based on my love of the teen-pop acts of 90s, and my goal is to turn this into a multi-chaptered novel. For now, I wanted to write the story with the backstory in there just to get it out.

So... enjoy!


Why'd it have to be only appetizers?

It had been a while since Aerith attended one of these fancy MTV pop-star parties. There was ample amount of free liquor, the music was way too loud, and there were most likely back rooms for more illicit things taking place. All things Aerith didn't really care for. This party had everything your celebrity heart could need, except actual real food.

Catering staff circled the gigantic ballroom with various plates of hors d'oeuvres to take. All the items showed such promise, but when they came into full view, Aerith realized just how paltry they really were. So far she had seen a mixture of olives, pickles, cheese slices, and vegetables- all of these items contorted into whimsical shapes and each one extremely miniscule. How many had she had at this point? 10? 20? No matter the amount, none of them seemed to quell her rumbling stomach. How many before people would get suspicious? She clearly should have eaten before hand, but it was too late now.

"Note to self," she muttered under her breath, "The next time in ten years when you attend one of these things, don't come hungry."

She was already feeling awkward and the lack of food wasn't helping her mood. Earlier that night, she had performed on stage with an assortment of pop-stars, the majority of which had peaked in their teenage years (including her). They all had come together to honor the great Zack Fair, the former boy-band member of SOLDIER turned solo star whose career still seemed to be riding high, despite the occasional controversy. He had been presented with a lifetime achievement award, and each of the acts had gotten the opportunity to perform their one biggest hit put together in a medley of sorts.

It had been the first time Aerith had performed with her girl group Cetra in over ten years. They had sung a verse and chorus from their biggest hit "Promised Land," doing their best to recreate the iconic dance moves that had accompanied the infamous video, and then they had passed the mic onto the next act to continue the medley. They weren't as sharp with their movements as they had been in their hey-day, but the audience didn't seem to mind. The crowd had still cheered, screamed, and sang along with every word as though the song had just been released and was still dominating the airwaves.

Aerith was grateful to be invited. She got a nice performance fee for what was not much of a performance, all things considered. But she knew there was another more devious reason she was invited; she had history with Zack. A little over ten years ago they had been the "it" couple, and seemed to have had it all. They had both been the attractive lead singers of their pop groups, their songs had been riding the charts, and it had only made sense that eventually their hearts would collide too. Everyone had profited off their romantic entanglement—the record label, MTV, the paparazzi—and with each outing their star power just continued to rise, showing no sign of stopping.

During that time, another power couple had also started rising through the ranks. Cloud Strife, one of Zack's bandmates, had started dating Tifa Lockhart, another up-and-coming popstar. Together with Zack and Aerith, they had become fast friends and hung out together every chance they got. It certainly didn't help that their tabloid appearances had directly correlated with their burgeoning album sales. With their star power combined, they had been able to get into practically every single club, party, or event they had ever wanted—no lines necessary. Aerith had the guy, the fame, and the friendship, too. For a moment, Aerith foolishly had believed she could be this happy forever.

Eventually, it did end though, almost as spectacularly as it had begun. Rumors of cheating had begun to swirl, Zack had started acting differently as his solo career was taking off, and before they knew it, he officially ended his relationship with Aerith. And just as the pop world had built her up, they had also enjoyed watching her fall from her throne. The only worse thing than having to go through a breakup, is having the world watch as it happened in real-time. Her friendship with Tifa had crumbled, too, and the once perfect pop life had finally started to show its cracks.

Aerith's mind snapped back to the present at the sight of another appetizer plate headed her way. Maybe this one might have something of substance? Her face fell as the food came into view; this one was just cleverly cut up cucumbers with some sort of cheese spread on top. As per usual, the portions were the size of a quarter. Better take a few anyway.

"Thanks," she said, reaching out to grab a handful. She thought she caught the waiter giving her a curious look, but she pretended not to notice.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted the man of the hour—Zack. He was surrounded by a crowd of people, his spikey black hair bounced effortlessly as he talked and laughed. Meanwhile, Aerith was against a back corner of a wall, all alone and eyeing all the minuscule food portions that she could find. Zack was so much better at playing this pop game, and it showed.

That's not to say Aerith couldn't have had it all, but she also knew what it would have cost. As Cetra's first album sales had started winding down, the record label had made a big push for her to go solo. It had made logical sense, after all, she had been the lead singer and the breakout star. Plus, with Tifa's pop career on the rise, the label had wanted some friendly competition. And Aertith would have been all for it, except the label had a new set of demands. She would have to dress more provocatively and her songs would have to reflect that more mature subject matter too. It had been the thing all the solo acts were doing; controversy meant money, after all. But that's not what Aerith wanted. She just wanted to write emotional songs and play her guitar, just like she had done all those years prior before she had first been discovered. She had no interest in sexy clothing, party songs, or pretending that she cared about any of it. She had released a couple of songs that she had thought would have been a fair compromise, but the label had wanted "sexy" and "sultry," but also somehow "innocent," too.

The record label had tried so hard to mold Aerith into the next perfect pop star, until one day she could no longer take it and had left it all behind—Cetra, her burgeoning solo career, and the MTV life entirely. She was almost about to completely give up her music career too. Thankfully, she didn't. After taking six months off, she had grown her fanbase back up through this magical new invention called "the internet" and "message boards". It hadn't quite been at the level she once had when she was an MTV star, but it had been enough to keep her musical career afloat. She had loved being able to interact directly with her fans and had felt like she enjoyed this much more than the pop life she once had. Conforming to the label's demands would have earned her a fortune, but this was her true passion. Online, she could simply play guitar and write the songs she had always wanted to play.

Aerith turned her attention towards Zack on the opposite side of the room to see if she could pick out any of the people surrounding him. There were a few new faces she didn't recognize, and a few old faces that she did. There was one individual in particular whose face she couldn't see, but could still have picked out in an instant. His silver streaked hair and foreboding presence was something forever etched in Aerith's memory.

"Sephiroth," she said under her breath, and even just saying the name gave her a shudder.

This was someone she had tried so hard to forget. He had been the one who had discovered her in the Leaf House Coffee Shop she had used to play in all those years ago. Coincidentally, he had just discovered the boys in SOLDIER, too, and was also working on boosting their career. Aerith had just turned sixteen and had started played a few nights a week to a very small crowd. No one had known who she was about to be or how much she was about to blow up. She had planned to go to university and become a music teacher; life was perfectly normal and so simple.

That had all changed when Sephiroth had come into the coffee shop and spotted her playing. His eyes had lit up watching her strum her guitar and sing her familiar tunes. He had promised he would turn her into a star, and had committed to both of them being able to prosper from her musical career. He would live up to his promise, of course, but it had been at the expense of Aerith leaving her guitar behind and replacing it with a repertoire of dance moves and themed group outfits. She also had three new members that she ate, danced, and practiced with at all hours of the day. In the beginning, Aerith had been too distracted with the group's rise to fame to stop and process it all. But once she did, she had realized it was not all as rosy as it seemed. It had been Sephiroth who initially set her up with Zack, pushed her to go solo, and had eventually tried to corrupt her…

Aerith was shaken out of her thoughts by a tap on her shoulder. She turned around in the direction of it and saw a face with tall and spikey blond hair staring back at her with a drink in his hand.

"Cloud!" Aerith exclaimed as the face came into view.

"Hey," he said back. The pair stood awkwardly for a moment before Aerith reached out to give him a hug.

"Gosh, I haven't seen you in… a long time."

"Yeah," he agreed, temporarily breaking eye contact as he tried to mentally calculate the time. "It's probably been about ten years or so."

"Wow. Has it been that long? It feels like yesterday we were all on that tour bus together for the Mako Energy Summer Tour."

"That was a fun summer," Cloud said with a nod. "So, are you having a good time tonight?"

Aerith contemplated lying, but with her stomach rumbling and the music way too loud, she decided to be honest, for once. "I feel a little out of place, honestly. Also, I'm really hungry and need something more substantial than appetizers." She immediately regretted it as soon as she said it, but it was too late to back out now.

Thankfully, Cloud just laughed. "I'm actually feeling a little out of place, too. And you know they have a huge spread of food outside, right?"

Aerith shot him a confused look. Wait, actual food? And all this time she was scavenging hors d'oeuvres when she didn't have to? "Sign me up!"

"Follow me," he said as he waved his hand, leading her in the direction of a rather inconspicuous door off to the side of the main ballroom. How on earth was anyone supposed to find this under normal circumstances? As soon as they walked through the door, the cool night air immediately hit her. The loud music began to slowly drift away, and she felt an instantaneous sense of calm. Why didn't she come out here sooner?

The door closed behind them and Aerith took a second to study her change of scenery. It was a huge balcony with only a handful of people on it, unlike the party room she just came from. A string of lights hung from up above, casting a soft glow. Cloud moved to a long table a few feet away, and she followed closely behind.

"Here you go," Cloud said, extending his hand to the table spread. "Hope this is more up your alley."

Aerith's eyes widened as she examined the contents. There were sandwiches piled high, assorted deli meats placed throughout, and full-size vegetables sprinkled in the nooks and crannies. The spread appeared mostly untouched. She didn't know where to start first.

"This is perfect," Aerith said, reaching for a plate. Everything looked so good, but she only grabbed a few key items to start, so as to not look like a total pig. "Thank you! So, how did you know about this?"

"I've been to so many of these MTV parties," he replied. "It's always fancy appetizers and party upfront, sandwiches and quiet in the back."

"I'm definitely a sandwiches and quiet-in-the-back-type girl." Aerith took a big bite of her food as Cloud gave her another laugh. As they talked, she led Cloud to a corner of the balcony, away from the food, so she wouldn't be tempted further. She tried to be subtle and not appear ravenous, but she was so, so hungry. She swallowed fast and then remembered his earlier comment from a few minutes ago. "So, you were saying you feel out of place, too?"

"Oh yeah," Cloud said, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Nothing like a party to honor the great Zack Fair to remind me of my failed solo career."

"It wasn't a failure," she piped up. "You had several hit songs."

"I had two songs that charted," he corrected her. "And the majority of my success was from overseas. Then I had the failed follow-up album that went absolutely nowhere. Sure, it was something, but nothing like the multi-album success I had with SOLDIER."

Aerith suddenly felt bad bringing it all up. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he assured her. "I don't mean to sound so bitter. For the most part I'm okay with it. I've gotten lots of TV and movie gigs out of it, so I'm doing okay. Just some nights, like tonight, I'm reminded of what could have been. I've always felt like I've lived in Zack's shadow for the majority of my career."

"I understand," she said in between bites of her food.

"And what about you? We all thought you were going to be the next big thing. The breakout star from Cetra."

Aerith sighed, unsure of how much detail she should go into. "It… didn't work out. It was better that I left this whole world behind. But, it's okay. I ended up building a grassroots fan base, and now I can actually make the music I want." She immediately took another bite of her sandwich, hoping to steer the conversation back towards Cloud.

"That's right," he said with a nod. "The Aerith Heirs, I believe they call themselves."

Aerith nodded back as she chewed her food. She was impressed he knew that little piece of seemingly useless trivia.

"Yeah," he continued. "I've actually peeked at your website. I've been thinking of building one, myself. Being able to make whatever music you want and talk directly to your fans, that sounds like a dream."

This was something Aerith could talk about all day. She eagerly swallowed her food and opened her mouth to elaborate. "It is a dream. It's a lot of hard work, and not nearly as much money. But not having to rely on this…world… makes it all worth it." She took a free hand and waved it around as she emphasized "world."

"I don't blame you. This world can get pretty exhausting, and I'm barely a part of it myself. By the way, great job tonight with Cetra, tonight. You could tell the crowd was loving it, too."

Aerith laughed. "Not nearly as much as they were loving SOLDIER. I forgot how magical it is when the five of you perform. Perhaps a reunion tour is in the works?"

"Not if Zack has his way," Cloud said with a sigh. "Part of me would love to, even without him. But then I remember the long nights of rehearsals and constantly having to stay in meticulous shape. I don't know if I could put myself through that again. I think I'd rather just continue my game show hosting gigs, instead. Much less stressful and the pay is surprisingly decent."

Aerith finished up the last bites of her first sandwich that she had practically wolfed down. When she finished swallowing, she took a moment to reassess her surroundings and noticed the handful of people on the balcony earlier had now disappeared. In the distance, she could see the table of sandwiches still relatively untouched.

"I think it's just us," she noted.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah, they are doing some big cake-cutting celebration for Zack with some grand champagne tower. I'm not in the mood, but I don't want to keep you if you want to check it out."

As if right on cue, loud and muffled cheers could be heard from inside.

"I'm actually enjoying it better out here," Aerith said with a smile. She looked up at Cloud, his green eyes reflecting the subtle glow of the balcony.

Cloud returned her smile, his eyes locked on hers as well. "Me too."

"It's a shame Tifa couldn't come tonight."

Cloud broke their eye-contact at the mention of her name, and looked down at his drink, his smile disappearing. "Yeah."

"S-sorry if I brought up a sore subject," she blurted out at the immediate shift in mood.

"It's okay. The whole thing is just…sad."

"We don't have to talk about it," Aerith assured him.

"It's fine," Cloud said. Aerith started on another sandwich as he talked; this time she tried to eat a little slower now that she wasn't quite as ravenous as she had been moments earlier.

Cloud continued. "Talk about someone who became a victim of this world. I just feel really bad. I know her mental health hasn't been great, but I heard she is doing a little bit better than the past years. Still not good enough to perform, but maybe one day. We dated for three years and I really thought she was the one I was going to marry. But then she broke my heart and I let the record company talk me into making a nasty break-up song that was obviously directed at her. I still feel bad about it, even though it was the biggest hit I had."

"Sephiroth," Aerith said in between bites and Cloud nodded. Sephiroth had his hand in so many bad things, and knew how to milk the industry for all its drama.

"Yep, who else? But he's also the man that gave me my career, so it's a complicated situation. Zack and I would be just two washed up child actors if it wasn't for Sephiroth giving us another chance. I know your history with him is a little more…complicated."

Aerith took a break from her half-eaten sandwich to acknowledge his statement. "It is." She didn't really feel like going into the details right now. Luckily, Cloud continued talking, allowing her to resume chowing down.

"I really miss those early days of the Mako Energy tour where the four of us would spend so much time together. You and Zack, me and Tifa. Everything seemed so simple, then. This was before things got messy with all of us. I'm sorry Zack was such a jerk to you near the end of it all, and your friendship with Tifa fell apart. You didn't deserve any of it, and I should have been a better friend to you."

"It's okay," Aerith assured him. "I know you had your own stuff to deal with."

Cloud shrugged. "I did, but that's not an excuse." He took a sip of his drink that he had been nursing for a while, the ice long since melted. "I wonder if Tifa would be jealous knowing I was opening up to you like this."

Aerith was about to take another bite of her sandwich, but paused at the mention of this curious word. "Jealous?"

Cloud shifted his gaze downward and became very interested in his drink. "Yeah." He struggled to make eye contact as the words came out. "She knew I had a crush on you."

Aerith set her plate off to the side at a nearby table. She suddenly was no longer interested in her sandwich anymore. Her hunger seemed to magically fade away. "You did?"

He ran his fingers through his soft blonde locks. "Yeah, it's stupid. But, you were Zack's girl and I wasn't going to disrespect either of you like that. I really did value our friendship, too. Even though it all fell apart in the end, so I guess it didn't matter."

Aerith was having a hard time processing all these words that came spilling from Cloud tonight. She wanted to press for more, but hesitated for a moment. Then, without too much more thought, she decided to ask anyway. "Is that why you and Tifa broke up?"

Aerith was almost certain she was pushing too much now, but Cloud surprisingly gave an answer to her question. "We broke up for a lot of reasons. But, I'm sure that didn't help. Anyway, forget I said anything. I didn't mean to make the night awkward. You're probably happily in a relationship and I'm not trying to mess—"

"I'm not," Aerith confessed, cutting him off. "I'm not in a relationship, I mean. I've actually spent a long time being single. After Zack, I dated a bunch of other celebrities trying to fill the void, and I felt like my life was just defined by men. So, I took a break, and decided to focus on my career."

"Oh," Cloud said with a slight smile. "I wish I had the foresight to have done that. After Tifa and I broke up, I went back to my high-school sweetheart Jessie. We dated for many years and even got engaged."

Aerith had remembered hearing about this in a distant conversation, but was hazy on the details. The night was young, she had food in her stomach, and she was in the mood to pry. "But it didn't last?"

"No," Cloud replied. "After some soul searching and a little bit of much-needed therapy, I realized she was in love with the idea of me, not the actual me. She wanted the song and dance member of SOLDIER, not the guy I had become. That was a hard pill to swallow, and I eventually broke it off. So the short story is, being single is really great for finding yourself, I just wish I had realized it sooner instead of wasting someone else's time. But this past year of being single has been really good for me, and Jessie is actually doing really well with someone else."

"So it all worked out," Aerith commented.

"Yeah, something like that." He paused and his expression shifted. "I'm sorry if I'm saying too much, tonight. I know we haven't seen in each other in years. This just feels oddly cathartic to get it out, especially with you. I hope I'm not being too weird."

"You're not," she assured him with a smile. "I feel like I'm learning more about Cloud Strife than I did ten years ago when we used to hang out all the time. I remember you being more of the strong and silent type."

"Yeah," he agreed. "That guy was definitely not as in-tune with his feelings. There was so much I didn't know, and too much time I spent listening to other people around me. So much I wish I could change, but I try not to dwell on it. Anyway, enough about me and my regrets. What about you? Do you think you'd ever date again now that your career seems like it's in a good place?"

She was a little taken aback by his question, especially as the topic shifted without warning. She had given it a lot of thought over the years, but was still unsure of how she felt. She struggled to form a coherent answer. Cloud had been so open with her, she felt she owed him something. "I'd like to, but I want to make sure it's the right person and the right reason. It's also been many, many years for me. I'm a bit…rusty with everything." She laughed at her own words and instantly felt guilty saying anything at all. She wasn't used to opening up like this and she felt extremely vulnerable. She shifted the conversation back to him. "What about you? Would you ever date again?"

"Definitely," he said without hesitation. Then, as if realizing how eagerly he had just answered, he took an extra long sip of his drink. When he finished, he spoke again. "This is probably the alcohol talking, but part of me wishes I would have pursued you all those years ago. I guess the timing never felt right, and then before I knew it, it was too late." After that confession, Cloud took another way-too-long gulp of his drink.

For the first time of the night, Aerith found herself speechless. As Cloud was talking, the memories came flooding back to her—the memories she had tried hard to suppress. She tried not to think about her pop star past very much these days, but as she reminisced with Cloud, she remembered just how much she had liked him, too. And how, just like him, she had learned to silence her feelings, since she didn't want to make things more muddled. But here they were now, both single and free of complications. What better place than here? What better time than now?

"It's not too late," Aerith spoke up. She watched as Cloud stopped drinking, his glass suspended in midair for a moment.

He slowly put his glass down at his side and their eyes met. "It-It's not?"

"I liked you, too, Cloud. But for a long time, you felt too much like Zack, even after he and I had broken up. I think I must have seen him again, in you..."

Cloud set his drink down safely on a flat surface beneath the railing and stepped closer to her. "And now?"

"You're different. Things are different. I see that you're not the same person you were. No way the Cloud from ten years ago would open up to me like this and be this vulnerable. It's refreshing."

"He definitely would not open up like this." Cloud paused, his eyes breaking their gaze for a moment as he surveyed the empty space around him. Then, he moved even closer to her. "Look, Aerith, I really want to kiss you right now. I know there's no one around right now to see us, and no one will really care since there are way more important things at this party. But, I feel like we're just getting to know each other again and I don't want to mess anything up."

Aerith paused for a moment upon hearing his words. She was usually so calculated and prepared, and she rarely lived in the moment. But now that her stomach was content, she found herself with a new sort of hunger—one she hadn't felt for many years.

"Go ahead," she said, closing the gap between them.

And with that, he leaned down and softly pressed his lips to hers. It was a very light kiss at first, as Aerith took it all in. It had been so long since she had done this, and all the sensations started to wash over her, reminding her of what she had missed out on all these years. She felt a jolt throughout her body and pressed into him a little harder this time, with a renewed sense of vigor. He matched her energy and moved his lips more forcibly too. All those years, all that waiting, and it was finally starting to spill over and engulf them both. She couldn't believe it was finally real.

He pulled her even tighter into him and she ran her fingers through his hair. It had been so long since she had kissed like this and she was worried she had forgotten how to do it, but their lips moved so effortlessly together it felt as though no time had passed at all. His hands brushed along the outside of her back as he moved them in time with his mouth.

She moved her fingers up along his neck, feeling his spikes of short hair. Her fingertips prickled and a tingling sensation fell over them both. A soft moan escaped his lips, temporarily breaking them apart, before he pressed his lips harder into hers. She moved her hands down his shoulders and onto his arms, feeling his toned arms from beneath his shirt, and giving them a small squeeze.

They continued to wrap their mouths around when another when suddenly—

"Hey," a figure said. Aerith and Cloud broke their kiss, abruptly turned around, and saw a waiter with an empty tray in his hands. "Sorry to interrupt, but we're about to close this area down. There's still plenty of drinks back inside, though. Do you want any more sandwiches before we clean up?"

Aerith laughed, realizing her original hunger was long since satiated. "I'm good, thanks."

"Me too," Cloud said with a nod.

They both slowly stepped away from their isolated corner. With their hands still intertwined, they made their way toward the door.

Aerith was the one to break their hands, dropping them at her side. She reached for her cell phone in her purse to check the time. "Wow, I didn't realize how late it had gotten."

"I was having too much fun," Cloud said with a smile.

"Me too," she agreed. She paused for a moment, briefly closing her eyes as she gathered her thoughts. "I want to see you again, Cloud. But, I think we should lay low for the rest of the party. I don't feel like answering any questions, or overshadowing Zack's big night."

Cloud let out a heavy sigh. "If that's what you want. But I will see you again?"

"Definitely," she assured him. "Just maybe next time, somewhere a little less loud. And with much more substantial food."

They both laughed and Cloud fidgeted with the empty hands at his side. "Okay, let's head back in and pretend to just be friends."

With that, Aerith reached for the door and the loud music that neither of them had missed began to envelope them both.