Chapter 32: Blessed

When I think how life used to be

Always walking in the shadows

And I look at what you've given me

I feel like dancing on my tiptoes

I must say

Everyday I wake

I see you're lying by my side

I know I'm truly

Blessed

For everything you give me

Blessed

For all the tenderness you show

Do my best

With every breathe that's in me

Blessed

To make sure you never go

Blessed – Christina Aguilera

For the next week, Aeris went to class as usual. And then the video came out and it seemed like every spotlight in the world was pointed at her. Eric Gainsborough rang her to congratulate her.

"I heard the song. Did you really write that?"

"Yeah!"

"Amazing! God, it was incredible!"

"Thanks." The door opened and Tifa came in. Aeris said,

"I've gotta go. Homework."

"OK."

"I'll call you tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. Speak to you then."

"Bye."

She hung up.

"Who was that?" Tifa asked.

"No one in particular. How was Media Studies?"

"It was good! I got the grade for my short film back."

"What did you get?"

"How does an A- sound?"

"Tifa, that's great!" Aeris said, hugging her. Tifa laughed.

"I know. I've got work now; Cloud's meeting us over there."

"OK, I'll just get my lyrics book. I feel very inspired lately!"

"Oh, I wonder why!" Tifa teased her.

The café wasn't too crowded thankfully. Aeris sat at a corner table while Cloud got his coffee.

"So, what did you get?" She asked. Cloud grinned.

"Do you really want to know?"

"Cloud, stop teasing!"

"OK. I got an A!"

Aeris gaped at him.

"Oh my God! Your mother is going to have a heart attack!"

"I know, that's why I'm not going to tell her. Anyway, how many autographs did you get asked for today?"

"6." Cloud laughed.

"Well, I've got the very first one. And the single's doing well."

"I know! It's been played so many times!" Aeris said. Cloud looked around and then asked,

"Hey, how's it going with your dad?"

"It's… OK. We're talking quite a lot now. And he said that he's planning a trip to Midgar soon, so we might be able to meet up."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Cloud, stop worrying. It'll be fine."

She sipped her coffee while Cloud looked at the lyrics she was writing.

"What's this one?"

"This one's private."

"Private? Ooh, naughty lyrics, eh?" Cloud said, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. Aeris rolled her eyes.

"Oh grow up. It's not that kind of song."

"Really? Then why can't I see it?"

"Because it's private!" Aeris said, pushing the book into her bag. Cloud stuck his tongue out.

"You're so mean. So, when are you doing your next television appearance?"

"I don't know. Mike gave me a mobile phone so he can reach me whenever he needs to. He's gonna call tonight."

Vincent came in, looking cross. He sat down and Aeris looked at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He muttered.

"Yes, because you're hiding it so well." Aeris said. Vincent shook his head.

"It's just…"

"I'll leave." Cloud said, standing up. Vincent waited until he had gone before turning to Aeris.

"Look at this." He handed her a newspaper. Aeris felt her heart sink.

"What is it?"

"Page 4."

She opened the paper and scanned the page. There were two pictures. One of them was of Vincent and Aeris, sitting in the park. Aeris hadn't known they had taken the picture. And the other one was of her and Reno leaving the studio the previous week, after the confrontation with James. Reno had his arm around her shoulder and she was laughing. The headline read 'Aeris Gainsborough, shooting to stardom!'

She didn't read the whole article. The gist of it was clear, by the labels under the pictures. Aeris and ex-boyfriend Vincent Valentine and Reno and Aeris get friendly after work.

"Oh my god, Vincent… this isn't true, I swear."

"I know."

She looked up at him, surprised.

"Huh? How do you know?"

"Because James wrote the article." Aeris scanned the page again. Sure enough, there was his name.

"I don't believe it… After breaking up with Vincent Valentine, it appears that Aeris and Reno of the Turks are growing closer. I'm going to kill him."

"Aeris, calm down." Vincent said. She looked up at him.

"No! He's gone too far this time!"

Before Vincent could say anything, she had charged out of the café. Vincent seized her bag and ran after her.

Aeris knew that when James didn't have class he liked to sit in the park to write, so she headed there first. James was sitting with a group of people from their music class. He stood up as he saw her coming. Before anyone could speak, Aeris had marched up to him and hit him in the face with her fist. He staggered and stared at her, clutching his jaw.

"You bastard!" She spat at him.

"Aeris, what-?"

"What the hell is this?" She said, waving the newspaper at him. James looked at her.

"Aeris, I was just-"

"Why are you doing this? Why are you trying to ruin my life? What have I done to make you do this?" Aeris demanded. James rubbed his red face as Vincent ran up behind Aeris. Vincent stared his girlfriend.

"You hit him?"

"Is there a problem?" Aeris asked him. Vincent shook his head. Aeris turned back to James.

"Why did you write this?"

"You know why." James replied. Aeris rubbed her head.

"No, I don't. But I think I can guess. You're trying to break Vincent and me up."

A girl from their music class, Sarah looked at the article. She looked up at James.

"You wrote an article to try and break them up?"

"James, do you really think that I would ever want to go out with you again? I mean seriously?" Aeris asked. James looked uncertain.

"I… I just…"

"Just stay the hell away from me and stop writing articles about me! And the same goes for my parents, for my friends and for Vincent." Aeris said. She turned to Vincent.

"Let's go."

"Aeris, wait! Just hear me out!" James shouted after her. Aeris laughed derisively.

"Remember what happened last time I heard you out? You ended up being banned from a café."

She and Vincent walked in silence out of the park. Aeris didn't dare look at Vincent. They went to the apartment, still in silence. Aeris made tea while Vincent started to sketch. Aeris looked at Vincent. He was staring at his sketchpad. Eventually she opened her mouth… and her phone went off. She answered quickly.

"Hello?"

"Aeris, it's Elena."

"Hi El."

"Have you seen the paper?"

"Yeah, I saw it." Aeris muttered, pouring hot water into a cup. Elena said,

"James, right?"

"Yeah."

"Vincent knows it's not real, right?"

"Yeah."

"Good. Reno's been worrying; scared that he'll think it's your fault."

"It's OK. Tell him there's nothing to worry about."

"OK… oh, Mike said to tell you that we've got a meeting tomorrow at 4."

"OK, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye. And don't worry about the article."

"I won't. Bye."

She turned off the phone. Vincent didn't look up from his work. Aeris looked down at her tea. Neither one spoke. Eventually Aeris picked up her bag and said,

"I've got to go."

Vincent stopped drawing but he didn't say anything. Aeris stared at the back of his head and then closed the door behind her.

She wandered around the campus, not paying any attention to where she was going. Eventually she heard someone call her name. Hopefully she spun around but it was just Cloud and Tifa. Cloud said,

"What happened? You and Vincent just went charging out." Aeris pulled the paper out of her bag.

"Is it me or is this getting a bit boring?" Tifa said in disgust.

"Is Vincent mad?"

"I don't know… we went back to his apartment, but neither of us was talking and then my phone went I just had to get out of there." Aeris babbled. She sank down onto a bench.

"Aeris, Vincent probably isn't mad." Cloud said. Tifa looked at him.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to be helpful."

"Don't do that anymore. Aeris, you have to talk to him. This is probably getting blown way out of proportion."

"Yeah… you're right. I'll go talk to him. Oh, one good thing happened today!"

"What was that?" Tifa asked. Aeris grinned.

"I got to hit James."

"What?! And I missed it?! This is SO unfair! When do I get to hit him?" Cloud whined. Aeris hugged him.

"Aw, you can hit him whenever you want to." She said. Cloud grinned happily. Tifa laughed.

"So adorable. Anyway, go Aeris."

"OK. See you later."

She opened the door to the apartment.

"Vincent?" She called. No reply. Aeris closed the door and looked around. His sketch lay unfinished on the table, with a half-finished cup of coffee.

"Vincent? Are you here?" She asked. Nothing. Aeris went to the sofa and sat down, face in hands. Where was he? Did he get mad and leave? WHY hadn't she stayed?

"You're such an idiot." She told herself.

She had been sitting there for an hour when the door opened. She stood up and Vincent came in, carrying a bag. He stared at her.

"Hi."

"Hi." She replied. Vincent cleared his throat.

"I… I was looking for you. Tifa said you'd come to find me."

"Yeah…"

"Aeris, about the article-"

"I swear, it isn't true! Don't be mad."

"I'm not mad." Vincent replied.

"Yes you are. That's why you weren't talking to me."

"You were the one who wasn't talking."

"I wasn't not talking to you." Aeris objected.

"Then why weren't you talking to me?"

"I wasn't!"

"I know, that's why I'm asking!" Vincent said. Aeris shook her head quickly.

"The why are you mad?"

"I'm not mad!" Vincent replied loudly. Aeris stared at him.

"Then… then what are we fighting about?"

"I'm not sure. We're fighting?"

"I don't know!" Aeris cried.

They stared at each other. Then Vincent said,

"So we're… not fighting?"

"I don't think so. I think I got lost somewhere." Aeris said, trying to figure out what had just happened. Vincent scratched his chin.

"Um… couldn't we just… pretend it never happened?"

"Yeah, I think that would be best." Aeris agreed. Vincent nodded and then reached into the carrier bag and pulled out some flowers.

"I… I got you these. Because I thought you were mad and we were fighting. But apparently we're not."

Aeris stared from him to the flowers. Slowly a smile spread across her face. Vincent smiled too. Then Aeris started to laugh. She crossed to him and hugged him tightly.

"Thanks…"

"It's nothing. Really."

"Wow…our first fight. Maybe. Was it a fight?"

"I don't know. Let's just forget about it." Vincent said. Aeris nodded.

"Yeah…" She took the flowers and looked at them. Then she looked up at him.

"I love you."

"I love you too. That's why I bought flowers." Aeris laughed and kissed him. Vincent smiled.

That evening, they lay in bed. Aeris put her head on Vincent's bare chest and listened to his heartbeat. Vincent looked down at her.

"What are you doing?"

"Just listening." She replied. Vincent smiled, tracing patterns on her hand. Aeris tapped her fingers along to the heartbeat.

"It's so regular."

"I hope so. Otherwise I'd be in need of medical assistance." Vincent replied. Aeris laughed.

"No… I just meant, so much of the time you're unpredictable. In a quiet way. It's weird that in here you're so ordinary."

"There's a lot of chaos inside me." Vincent said quietly. Aeris looked up at him.

"Really?"

"Yes. But I think you've calmed it down."

"I can do that?"

"You can do anything." Vincent told her. Aeris smiled and he returned it. She said,

"I want to know something."

"What is it?"

"How do you make me feel so special?" She asked. Vincent looked at her.

"Because you are special."

"That's not what I meant. I mean… everyday I look at you and think what did I do to deserve you?" Aeris said. Vincent smiled slightly.

"I think the exact same thing."

"Really?"

"Really." He whispered. Aeris felt a smile stretch across her face then she raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question."

Vincent kissed her. When he pulled away she shrugged.

"You can answer later." And he kissed her again.

(A/N: OK, way too much fluff there. And more repetitive James bashing. But hey, I hate that guy and wanted Aeris to hit him. And guess what? I'm the author so she can hit him as much as I like! LOL, anyway I promise something interesting will happen soon. So please keep reading! Fewer and fewer people are reading it since it's getting ridiculously long. And the end is quite a way off. So it's probably going to end up so long no one will ever read it. Oh well. I'll finish it anyway, if only for personal satisfaction! However, those who do read it, please review. It's kind of reassuring to know that someone is reading it! Love ya loads.)