Disclaimer: FFVII? Mine?? I wish!

Author's Notes: I realize that I need to finish up my Shaman King yaoi fic, but this story's been bouncing around in my head ever since I started playing the game. And if I don't get it out soon, it'll just stew in my head and drive me insane (er). So "It Always Comes Back to Haunt You" is temporarily on hold. Now that the PSA is over, let's move on to Chapter Two!

Remembrance

Chapter Two: Midnight

Floating in warmth, Cloud turned over and smiled a bit. It felt nice, a gentle pressure, as if he were lying on his back soaking up the rays of the sun. He tried to turn over but found there was something huddled possessively close to him...

His eyes flew open. The warmth was still as pleasant as ever, and he felt an odd sense of security. But he quickly realized that he was, in fact, lying flat on his back in one of the bedrooms in Shinra Mansion. Where was Sephiroth...?

He looked down...and his eyes opened wide. The gentle winding limbs, graceful curves, long chestnut hair...it was like being in a dream. Shakingly, he reached up one hand and brushed the soft strands away from his companion's face. It was her after all...Aeris.

Cloud swallowed hard. "A-Aeris?"

She stirred at the mention of her name. Those intense green orbs opened slightly, and she looked up at him in wonder. "Cloud...is that really you?"

He sat up a bit, and realized that he was bare from the waist up. Thank whatever gods there were that Aeris was still clothed..."How... I mean, why..."

"I don't know," she whispered quietly. "I just woke up, and I was here..." She smiled a bit. "With you."

Cloud shook his head. "This isn't possible. It has to be a dream."

He flinched as Aeris playfully pinched his cheek. "Oww!"

"There...does it feel like a dream?"

He rubbed his cheek. "No...but Sephiroth...I saw him kill you."

Aeris snuggled closer, her body pressed firmly against his. "Oh Cloud, don't you get it? The Planet has brought me back! I've been given another chance."

"Another chance," Cloud repeated, letting the entire scene sink into his mind.

"Yes," she whispered, her breath at his neck. "And Cloud...there's no other place I would rather be right now than here, with you."

He shivered at the sensation and sat up fully, capturing her mouth to his, breathing in the scent of her hair and skin. Almost like lilies...

Aeris allowed him to deepen the kiss, entwining her fingers in his hair. Cloud was a bit surprised when she lay back on the bed, pulling him on top of her. He'd never known Aeris to be this way...she was always so shy and quiet.

As he craned his head to place soft kisses on her collarbone, there was again the faint smell of lilies. Strange...when I held her that time...

Cloud's mind flashed to when he held Aeris' lifeless body in his arms, waist deep in the clear crystalline lake below the City of the Ancients, gazing into the beautiful, serene face he would probably never see again...

He bent his head down slowly to whisper in her ear, breathing in the scent of her hair. "I'm sorry...Aeris."

Pulling back, he released Aeris' body, watching with tear-blurred vision as she sank into the depths. Ever since he hadn't been able to catch that blessed scent on the wind without thinking of Aeris. But it hadn't been that of lilies.

It was the scent of cherry blossoms.

Now realizing that something was wrong, he pulled away from the "resurrected" Aeris. "Wait...wait a minute."

"What's wrong, Cloud?" She sat up, embracing him tightly, her green eyes imploring him. "Aren't I beautiful to you?"

He was about to answer when Aeris eyes flashed bright iridescent green. Growling at Sephiroth's nerve—and indeed it was Sephiroth, disguised as Cloud's beloved flower girl—he flung his archenemy off the bed, knocking Sephiroth's illusion out. The silver-haired man propped himself up, his green eyes narrowed dangerously.

"That was a little uncalled for, don't you think?"

"You bastard," Cloud snapped, rubbing vigorously at his mouth as if to erase the memory of the kiss. "What the hell is your problem?! First you kill her, then you try to seduce me while masquerading as her?"

Sephiroth stood, obviously back to normal, brushing the dust from his dark jeans. "You know, Cloud...if you could remember clearly, you wouldn't be so uptight about just having kissed me."

Cloud looked frantically around for his weapon. "Shut up! Where's my sword? My Materia..."

"I took the liberty of hiding them," Sephiroth replied, his voice somewhat muffled by the strand of hair held between his teeth. He was pulling the majority of the silver strands back, tying it in place with small wisps. "Don't worry. I'll be giving them back in the morning."

"Listen, I don't know what you're trying to—"

He tried to finish, but in a split second Sephiroth had his hand cupped to Cloud's face, his mouth pressed firmly against the younger man's. How did he move so fast?!

Cloud twisted, trying to free himself from Sephiroth's grip. As Sephiroth began pushing him onto his back Cloud began shoving at his oppressor, even hitting at him with closed fists. He might have been beating at a statue, for Sephiroth pinned him easily, sitting on Cloud's stomach with his knees on Cloud's wrists.

As Sephiroth broke the kiss Cloud spat to the side. "Get off me!"

Sephiroth ignored him and bent his head down, kissing Cloud's neck again while his hands began a soft, insistent stroking across Cloud's chest.

His blue eyes blazing with defiance, Cloud thrashed violently. "I said get off!"

But whether it was his enemy's careful ministrations, or the annoying sense of deja vu that kept playing in his head, Cloud found his will dissipating. Every touch and gentle kiss reminded him of...something. He wished he could remember...!

As Sephiroth kissed him again, this time much deeper, Cloud felt himself float away from the entire scene and into the depths of his scattered memory.