Confining his vision to 2 narrow walls, he watched the grid of tiles, waiting for the shapes to appear. Slowly, the air became warmer, and his eyes danced around the steamy pattern – pausing at areas of interest.
A giggle bubbled from his lips. A laboured sigh escaped the others, and calloused fingers rose to gently wipe away the froth from his mouth. There was a faint recollection of the touch, and he tried to understand, but the spark of memory extinguished as quickly as it had appeared.
Defeated, the hand moved to a less taxing area, and slowly ran down his left leg. It paused, and then smoothed upwards again, massaging the flesh.
Unable to feel, he watched, entranced by the rhythmic motion. The pattern wavered, and bright blue eyes followed the hand as it flicked upwards, anxiously sweeping through dark hair. Met by a curious expression, Tifa attempted a more direct approach.
"Cloud?" she questioned hopefully.
The intense gaze lingered a moment longer, before the shimmering tiles seemed to reclaim his attention.
The fuses flickered inside. He turned away to collate the rush of tangled thoughts - eyes glazing over as forgotten pieces connected. A soft feminine voice…the heady scent of flowers… a knowing half-smile… Frantically picking through the remnants of a broken mind, he struggled to remember the word.
"Aeris." he concluded, looking up expectantly.
Her face was different. All sliced angles and stiff lines. Clenched jaw. Hard eyes. Frozen.
She sucked in a breath and abruptly stood up. Unable to meet these new cold eyes, he looked lower, trying to decipher the sound from her lips.
"I'll get your medication."
Tifa swept towards the door with air of proud indifference, forced though it was. Grasping the handle a little too firmly, she paused. Her mouth twitched, but she didn't look back. She left him.
The door slammed, signalling the return of solitary blankness which seeped through his head. He had gone, and she was alone.