As the first rays of sunlight penetrated the small dusty window of the bedroom, Cloud's eyes flickered open unwillingly to register the dawn of a new day. He felt neither remorse for the loss of sleep nor a desire to rise from the warm comfort of the sofa. He stared vacantly up at the ceiling of the small room which had come to be his home, reluctantly counting the number of missing tiles. The mundane nature of the task was almost successful in its task of returning the blonde to his pleasant dreams before a sudden abrupt cough from his bed forced consciousness upon him once more. In the early morning light he could clearly make out the figure of Tifa as she slept uneasily beneath his sheets. Her uneasy movements suggested that she was struggling with a nightmare, yet Cloud could not help but watch her silently. He made no attempt to wake her, although his conscious suggested loudly and frequently that he should do so. He could not tear his eyes away from her struggle.
When eventually she came to rest once more, Cloud felt a mostly unfounded sense of guilt wash over him as the sound of a bird singing in the daylight echoed through the window. He rose quickly but uneasily, and throwing on the first clothes he could lay his hands upon departed silently from the bedroom. As he slipped silently down the stairs of the inn, he could not help but feel that he had betrayed Tifa in some strange manner. It made him shiver, inspite of the traditional humidity of the Costa Del Sol. Launching himself out the door, he staggered into the dazzling sunlight which immediately forced him to shield his eyes, although he did not stop in his aimless escape from the inn. In his blind desperation to find somewhere he could collect his thoughts, he found himself drawn towards the docks. There were certain areas clear from the grip of tourists where the locals could find peace and salvation from the continuous chatter of excited visitors.
The cooling sea breeze always worked wonders upon Cloud. For him it carried promises of adventure in far off lands he had yet to visit. It appealed to the dormant desires that lay within him, suppressed for Tifa's sake. He shook his head, eager not to bring his friend to mind right now. That was the reason he had escaped here in the first place. He just needed some time alone to gather his thoughts.
"I didn't picture you as an early riser…"
The teasing voice was familiar, and as Cloud reluctantly resigned him to the fact that he would get no solitude he turned to face Aeris, who smiled politely at him. She looked far more suitably dressed for the warmer weather today having left the heavy pink dress in the wardrobe. Cloud smiled back as politely as he could, eager to return to his solitude without insulting his new companion.
"I like to come here to think," he explained, not through a desire to explain himself but more in the vain hope that Aeris might take a hint.
"Mind if I join you?"
'Obviously not…'
The brunette moved closer to Cloud, standing alongside him while staring longingly out towards the sea. Unable to focus properly again, Cloud instead let his gaze wander onto Aeris' face. She had an expression on her face that he instantly recognised. It was one he often wore himself.
"Something on your mind?" he asked cautiously, not wishing to pry into her personal life. She sighed slightly, keeping her gaze focused on the sparkling waves.
"I guess… I miss my mother," she said, choking slightly on her words. "This is the first time I've been away from her. I didn't want to leave, but she forced the ticket into my hand and…" She trailed off, cautious of revealing too much information. Cloud sensed this and attempted to change the focus of the conversation.
"So what do you do for a living?" he asked, realising that he was actually genuinely interested.
"Well, I used to sell flowers in Midgar." She answered before she could stop herself.
"You're from Midgar? I guess you're living out the dreams of most people there, escaping to another part of the world." Cloud realised he was being insensitive, but elected that he should not deny his own feelings about Midgar. He had lived there long enough working for Shinra to know that he never wished to return.
"I didn't want to leave," Aeris stated bitterly, shooting a glance at Cloud which instantly created a feeling of remorse within the blonde. "But I had no other choice."
"How do you mean?" asked Cloud, cautious once more under her gaze. Aeris stared at Cloud's face, putting every feature under intense scrutiny. She clearly was unsure as to what extent she could trust him, but something in his eyes swayed her judgement. They reminded her so much of his eyes…
"Shinra are after me." The simplicity and bluntness of the statement almost made Cloud laugh, but the sincerity in his friend's eyes was enough to kill the humour. He looked at her awkwardly, trying to establish how best to respond.
"Why?" A simple enough response.
"It's complicated," Aeris replied bluntly. Her eyes had shifted from Cloud to the ocean once again, unable to hold his gaze. "That's why I had to get out of Midgar."
Cloud struggled to contain the awkward question on his tongue, but could not help but let it escape. "How do you know they won't find you here?"
She smiled sorrowfully at him, her eyes shimmering slightly as tears threatened to develop. She shrugged gently.
"I don't."