Would you stand up and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears and I'll sing you a song
And I'll try not to sing out of key!
"I can't do this!" Yuffie cried in despair. Aeris smiled.
"Yes, you can."
"Aeris, it's been two weeks and I haven't learnt a thing!" Yuffie replied, running her hands through her short hair.
"Yuffie, you can't expect to learn it instantly."
"I know… I just get so frustrated. I just end up concentrating on one hand and forget to move the other one."
"You do the right hand part and I'll do the left." Aeris said, placing her fingers on the keys.
Yuffie nodded and, with a look on intense concentration, she started to play. Aeris stopped her.
"Hang on a second. I can see what the problem is."
"What? What am I doing wrong?"
"It's the way you're playing. You're hitting the keys. Don't hit, just press them. You're trying to force the sound out. Just let it flow out instead."
Yuffie nodded and turned back to the keys. Aeris said,
"Take a deep breath… that's right. Just relax, OK? It's not the end of the world if you get it wrong."
Yuffie pressed the keys. Aeris joined in, playing in time to her. They reached the end of the song and Yuffie's face broke into a wide grin.
"I did it! I didn't mess up, not once!"
"I know! Come on, I'll buy you a coffee."
Tifa was on duty at Barret's. She wiped a table and looked up as the pair walked in.
"Hey guys. Hold on a sec and I'll get you a coffee."
"Tifa, you read my mind." Aeris said, sitting down on a stool at the counter. There were a few other customers. Aeris noticed the dark young man sitting at his regular table. He was sketching again. She had seen him in here nearly every time she had come in. She wondered who he was.
Tifa handed her a coffee and a doughnut.
"The doughnuts are on the house." She told them. Yuffie bit into hers and a large stream of jam squirted onto her top. She groaned and pulled a face.
"Every single time!"
As she went to the bathroom, Tifa laughed.
"Boy, she cracks me up! I'm feeding her doughnuts just to see that happen."
"You'd think she'd learn!" Aeris agreed, giggling. She brushed a few crumbs off her skirt. She was wearing a long, pale pink skirt and a white t-shirt. A denim jacket hung over the back of her chair. In stark contrast, Tifa was wearing her usual short skirt and t-shirt. She went to wipe a table and groaned.
"What is it?"
"Vincent left his sketchbook." She said, holding up the pad. Aeris stood up.
"He only just left. I'll see if I can catch him."
She took the sketchbook and ran out of the café. Looking from side to side, she saw a dark figure turning the corner of the path. She ran after him.
"Hey! Hey, wait up!" He was the only person on the path and he paused. She caught up.
"Sorry… you forgot your sketchpad… Vincent." She said, quickly reading the name on the cover of the pad. He looked down at her. He was a lot taller than she had realised and his eyes were dark red.
"Thank you." He said, taking the book. Aeris smiled.
"No problem." She said. Vincent nodded to her and his eyes scanned her. She felt herself blush.
"What do you draw?" she found herself asking. His eyebrow rose and she found herself blushing again.
"I draw anything that catches my eye."
"Oh… OK."
"I have to go. Thank you again, Aeris." And he turned and walked away.
Aeris frowned. How did he know her name? But he was disappearing around a corner. She walked slowly back to the café. Tifa was waiting for her.
"Did you catch up with him?"
"Yeah."
They sat down again and Aeris asked.
"Who is he, anyway? He's nearly always in here."
"Vincent Valentine. Senior. Takes art, obviously. Apparently he's fantastic, but I've never seen his stuff. Hardly anyone has, and nobody really knows that much about him. Very mysterious. But seriously good looking!"
"Talking about me?" Cloud said, sitting down. Yuffie came back from the bathroom and Cloud looked at her.
"Doughnut?"
"Yeah."
Cloud, Tifa, Yuffie and Aeris now hung out nearly every single day. Yuffie took Business Management with Tifa, and Tifa took Media Production with Cloud. So they were nearly always together and often worked together in the café.
Aeris turned to Yuffie.
"I never really pictured you doing Business Management."
"That's my dad's fault. He's a huge businessman and insists that if I take music, I also take a business course."
"Really? What's he called?"
"Godo Kisaragi." Yuffie said, drinking her coffee. Tifa nearly dropped a cup.
"No way! Your dad is THE Godo Kisaragi?"
"I know, that's why I never tell anyone."
"Wow, Aeris, looks like you're not the only one with famous parents!" Cloud said, elbowing her. Yuffie and Tifa looked at her.
"Who are your parents?" Tifa demanded. Aeris rubbed the back of her head.
"Um… Infalna and Matthew Gast."
Their jaws dropped.
"No WAY! I just saw them on the news a few days ago! Didn't they discover a cure or something?" Yuffie said excitedly.
"Yeah. A cure for some kind of blood disease. I'm not too sure what." Aeris said vaguely. Tifa smiled.
"Well, this is a day for surprises!"
"And I've got another one. Well, for Aeris at least. Mom called this morning. The parents want us back for Sunday dinner."
"Geez, it's only been two weeks." Aeris said. Cloud nodded.
"Yeah. Still, you know them. They want to celebrate our leaving home by having us home."
"Fine. What about you two? Got any plans for the weekend?"
"Martial arts competition." Tifa said. She was an accomplished martial artist and regularly took part in tournaments in Midgar.
"I'm gonna practise this piano piece with Shera. And I've got some singing lessons too." Yuffie said. It amazed Aeris at how different and how similar the four of them were. Barret came out from the kitchen.
"Tifa, get in the kitchen and start making some more pastries. We're running out." Tifa jumped up and ran into the kitchen. Cloud started to tell Aeris and Yuffie about his Media Production class.
Vincent Valentine sat on a bench in the park. It was early on Sunday morning and he was sketching again. He was always alone and sat in the shade of a tree, watching the few passers-by.
His ran the point of the sharp pencil over the paper, shading a little here and there. Art was the one thing he could put all his emotions into. All too often he found himself shutting people out. Well… he had reasons for that. He hadn't let anyone in for a long time. A few girls had tried, flirting in a blatant manner. But he had always dismissed them without a second thought.
A girl was jogging on the other side of the park. She was wearing a navy blue outfit and was circuiting the park. Vincent continued to draw. But a few minutes later he looked up and found the jogger nearby. She stopped and stared at him.
It was Aeris.
She smiled and waved. He nodded to her. Only polite to acknowledge her. She came over.
"I didn't expect anyone to be out this early." She said, almost apologetically, as if she was intruding him.
He shook his head.
"I prefer it at this time. It's more peaceful."
"I know what you mean. Oh, I didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Aeris Gainsborough."
"I know. Vincent Valentine."
"How do you know who I am?" she asked, curiously. Vincent looked up at her closely.
"My father knew Professor Gast."
"Oh, right." She said.
Vincent studied her face closely. She was pretty. Very pretty. Her large green eyes were framed by delicate features and her long brown hair was tied into a ponytail. She saw him looking at her and blushed.
"I have to go. But I'll see you around?" She said questioningly. He nodded.
"I expect so."
"Great. See you later!" she said, turning and jogging away.
Vincent frowned and opened his sketchbook. Inside were several drawings. Drawings of a girl. Drawings of Aeris.
How strange it was, how fate brought people together like this.
Vincent idly started to sketch her again. His pencil drew a heart-shaped face, a small nose, a smiling mouth. He stopped and looked down at the picture.
Aeris Gainsborough.
"Aeris! Cloud! Matthew, they're here!" Infalna called into the house. She hugged them both tightly.
"It's so good to see you both!"
"Hi Mom." Aeris said, hugging her mother.
Jenny and Daniel Strife appeared and launched themselves at Cloud while Matthew greeted his daughter.
"Hi Aeris. How are you doing?"
"I'm great."
"Did you lose weight? You look thinner." Infalna said, frowning. Aeris laughed.
"Mom, I weigh the same as I did two weeks ago when I last saw you."
"You can't blame her, Aeris. She's had no one to fuss over while you were gone." Jenny said, laughing. Matthew Gast shook his head.
"Actually, that's not true. She's been making a great fuss of the cat."
"Poor Nanaki!" Aeris said.
A ginger cat ran into the room and leapt up into her arms. She stroked him.
"Hey Nanaki. Mom been torturing you?"
"Aeris, really! Now come in, we want to hear all about university!"
After a few minutes they all settled down in the Gast's back garden. Jenny turned to Cloud.
"How are your classes?"
"They're great! Cid's got a short temper, but he really knows what he's talking about. And Professor Jenova is a good teacher."
"Have you made any friends?" Infalna asked, handing Aeris a cup of tea.
"Well, my roommate's cool. She's called Tifa Lockheart. And there's Yuffie as well. She's so much fun. And Cloud's roommate… well, we don't really see a lot of him. He's normally in the lab, building stuff." Aeris said, glancing at Cloud. He nodded.
"Yeah, Reeve's cool. He's working on this remote control robot thing. He was showing it to me the other day."
They told their parents about the café, about their classes, their professors, their friends and what they did in their spare time. Eventually Aeris said,
"And that is everything that has happened in the last two weeks up to the time we knocked on the front door."
By this time lunch was ready. As they sat down to eat, Infalna asked,
"Aeris, why don't you play us something?"
"No." she replied shortly.
"Oh, please Aeris!" Her mother wheedled. Aeris rolled her eyes.
"Mom! No!"
"Infalna, let her be." Said Matthew. Aeris gave her father a grateful look. Infalna suddenly remembered and said,
"Oh, Aeris, I forgot! Your father and I have been asked to speak at number of conferences over Christmas. Which means we won't be here."
"But you're welcome to stay with us." Jenny said.
Aeris and Cloud looked at each other.
"Actually… Aeris and I were thinking about staying at the University for Christmas."
"There's all sorts of things going on over the holidays. There's the concert for one, and there's the Winter Dance."
"And you've always said that you'd like to go to Costa del Sol for Christmas." Cloud pointed out.
"Well… if you're sure." Jenny said slowly. Daniel touched her arm.
"He's got a point. We could go away, relax for a while."
"See? Everybody wins!" Cloud said triumphantly.
After lunch, Matthew Gast walked them to the train station.
"Your mother worries about you." He said, taking his daughters hand.
"I know. She must have been bored. She gave the cat highlights for crying out loud." Aeris pointed out. Cloud laughed and Matthew smiled.
"You will be careful?"
"I always am, Dad."
"Good. I worry about you too, sometimes. You've been feeling alright?"
When Aeris was a child, she had often been in ill health. Although she rarely got sick these days, when she did it was usually quite serious and she had been in hospital more than a few times.
"I've been fine. If I feel sick I'll go to the doctor."
"Good. Well, I'll see you soon. Stay safe." He said as the train pulled into the station. Aeris kissed him and climbed aboard. He shook Cloud's hand.
"Keep my girl safe, Cloud."
"Always do, Mr G."
As they sat on the train back to Midgar, Cloud looked across at Aeris.
"Are you ok?"
"Yeah… it's just weird coming home, and then leaving again."
"It's OK. You'll get used to it."
"I know. I've got you, Tifa and Yuffie to keep me going."
"I must be the luckiest guy on campus!"
"How do you figure?"
"Three gorgeous girls for company? I'm sure you can work it out."
She kicked him under the table.