After Aeris had excused herself so that she could head to her next flower selling spot, I started for home. Zack was out for the day, a mission had come up.
"Nothing important, Spikes," he had said on his way out the door. He always usually used that as an excuse to leave after he'd had a one night stand, but since his bed was empty, I'd come to the conclusion that this time he was telling the truth. That meant the place was empty, leaving me some time to reflect. I smiled, thinking about Aeris, and the conversation we'd just had.
I'd wanted to learn a little more about her, the places she'd been, the things she liked, and she'd sat us down on a bench in the square, and told me that she'd lived in Midgar for as long as she could remember. She'd never seen the outside world, never seen blue skies, sunshine, and never seen the sunrise over the ocean early in the morning. Of course, she'd seen them on television, watching documentaries on the wildlife around Mideel she'd seen pure sands and seafoam, but she'd never seen a real sunset with her own two eyes.
She asked about me, and I told her about the places I'd seen during my time in SOLDIER, neglecting to mention, of course, that it was now over. The lazy town of Costa del Sol, where people relaxed on the sand, reading newspapers as the sun beat down on their skin, or propped up the bar in the pub, drinking the day away while the teenagers gossiped in the corner about the latest sports trends. The village of Gongaga, surrounded by jungle, where we'd been sent to clear up after a reactor explosion, and Wutai on the the westernmost continent, once at war with Shinra, now a resort town populated by tourists wanting a glimpse of Da-Chao, or to listen to legend of the Water God, or just to buy souvenirs in the Turtle's Paradise, a bar at the entrance of town.
And Aeris had listened with wide eyes and a curiosity that was almost childlike, asking questions every so often and smiling as I answered her, or recounted a particularly humorous incident from our travels, usually something to do with Zack, he was always like that. I told her about how I'd sit by myself, when I needed some time to think, to be away from SOLDIER for a while, to just be Cloud for a few minutes. My favourite towns were on the coast, where I could watch the ocean for a while. Somehow it made me feel better, cleared my head.
Aeris had said that her favourite place to go to think was a church in sector five. She told me that to be in such a place could calm her even when she was in the worst of moods. The tranquil air of the church cleared her mind, and she'd relax there for hours, tending to the flowers growing in the centre of the boarded floor, in front of the old pews. She looked like she wanted to say more, but the city clock chimed twelve, and she flashed me an apologetic smile before standing up, her flower basket in her arms, and telling me she really needed to be going.
Sitting on the couch in front of the TV, I pondered where to take her on this date we'd arranged. Zack would probably know the perfect place, but this was something I wanted to think over myself. I wanted Aeris to enjoy herself, which wasn't likely if we just went to some bar in the slums. Besides, given the reputations of most of the bars here, we'd be lucky to be there five minutes before a brawl started.
I found myself wondering exactly what Zack was up to right now. He'd been out of the door at seven thirty, and it was now twelve fifteen. If it were a mission outside Midgar, who knew when he'd be back? I could have been there with him though, I thought darkly, remembering how we'd trained for SOLDIER at around the same time. If only I'd have made it, perhaps things would be different.
Right now, I was unemployed and lazing around the apartment all day while Zack earned our rent. Which didn't exactly make me feel too good about myself. My official title was 'mercenary' but there was little demand for me here in Midgar. Perhaps outside, but now wasn't a good time to leave, what with just getting to know Aeris and all. Anyway, if I'd have made First Class, I may have never met Aeris at all. So, I reasoned, that was one positive thing about being, to be blunt, a failure.
The next day, Zack woke me way too early, slamming doors and loudly announcing his return. He'd been in Kalm, a small town east of Midgar, called out after wild creatures, enhanced by mako, began venturing into the village. After dispatching the 'monsters', he was on orders to stay there and calm the civilians. Zack had sighed, tugging at his hair, which looked as though it hadn't seen a comb in days, and muttered that he was tired of dealing with such small missions, and that he wanted something big to come along.
"Zack," I said, glaring, "I'd hardly call monsters attacking civilians a 'small' matter."
"Maybe so." he answered absently. "But still, I wish there'd be something a bit more serious."
"Monster activity's been increasing for a while." I reminded him. "Maybe that mission was a taste of things to come."
He nodded, and I stared past him, out of the window. The sky was a steely grey this morning, and the first drops of rain hit the glass as I watched. Last night had been quite cold, and I hoped that by Friday things would change. I had an idea of where to take Aeris, and the last thing I needed was the weather, of all things, to ruin it.
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A/N: It's been quite a while, eh? Sorry, but inspiration's been elusive for quite a while, so it took me a long time to get motivated. Thank you to all of you for your kind reviews, hope I didn't disappoint you with this chapter.