It was decided after many fruitless attempts to take Aeris into their custody, that she would have to be lured more patiently then most. Tricky little minx, that half-Ancient girl. And they needed her. Whole and undisturbed. It was not only for the benefit of Shin-ra but her own as well.
As it were, Tseng was attempting to warm her to them, and she was, though with extreme caution. She seemed fond of the young Turk, nevertheless--Or perhaps she just liked having someone to talk to besides herself and the 'Planet'--and Tseng was encouraged to vist her every so often.
He was currently walking down to her church, shadows dancing in the early evening sun, while he was off-duty, not really sure of why. Aeris probably wouldn't even be in the derelict building built long ago for reasons unknown and now falling apart, its pews coated with layers of plaster dust, grime and warped in places by rainwater dripping down through the less-then-intact celling, having gone home long ago to care for her mother.
He found some sort of strange serenity in the crumbling church, it and the area around, like the girl who spent much of her time there, a sharp contrast to the verminous slums that housed it, and there was sunlight here, where you usually couldn't see the sky. There were living things, grass and flowers--white and yellow lilies--a rarity even on the top plate, and nonexistent in the slums.
He futilely brushed off one of the front pews and sat down, relaxing and stretching like a cat, tilting his head back and closing his eyes.
"Oh, he--Tseng! Hi, there!"
Tseng's head shot up, Turk reflexes throwing him onto his feet in a matter of maybe two seconds, only to find himself face to face with Aeris herself. A meek smile slipped onto his face, and he bowed his head. "Aeris. I was just--"
"It's okay," she chirped, bounding over to her flowers, "Sit down."
Tseng did as he was told, feeling slightly foolish for his sudden reaction before, settling himself in the worn wooden bench again, watching her pink bow bob around in the tall, healthy flowers. After a moment, she finished whatever she was doing and came and sat down next to him.
There was an uneasy silence, at least to him--Aeris seemed quite unaware of the awkwardness of it, humming and arranging flowers in a basket.
"Tseng," she was saying, "I only pick flowers that I know are going to die anyway. It's--" She looked for a word. "Humane, one could say! They die, but they bring someone happiness in their last minutes!"
Tseng thought this more then a little silly, but nodded non-commentally, almost enjoying her chatter, it taking his mind off of work if only for a moment, and of Veld, his mentor who he'd always been too fond of in ways students shouldn't be of their teachers and that had been that, but now it had gone farther, too far--
"So, Tseng," she went on, interrupting his fearfully wondering thoughts, and tying a flower into his ponytail, "Do you have someone?"
"... What do you mean?" He tugged on his collar. It seemed to grow tighter around his neck as he sat there.
"You know! Someone!"
Tseng bit his lip and shook his head, no.
Aeris clambered over the pews to have full access to Tseng's hair, which she was now braiding, and her demeanor changed from frivolous to thoughtful.
"... Not Veld, then?"
Tseng shifted uncomfortably, turning a bright red tone, reminded of last night's tumultuous events, and Aeris' face fell, realizing what she'd said hadn't been well received, and she climbed back over to sit by him again.
"It's okay," she murmured, taking his large, dark hand in her delicate and pale one, leaning up against him, "It's okay."