Hello nyall! Today marks the middle of this calendar, yaaay! I'm currently with SaphirActar so that we can work on our remaining prompts. Fun fun fun!

Please read this fic, it's exactly not fun fun fun!

"Look at all the flowers, Cloud! It's beautiful!"

And she was right. It was truly a place that seemed to be out of a dream. The King, Ansem the Wise, had really gone far and beyond to decorate the hall, with garlands of fresh flowers on the walls, more cakes and appetizers than Cloud had ever seen in his life, and yet still enough space left for every guest to dance.

This day marked the first anniversary of the New Radiant Garden, a safe haven for all who had been lost once, and to celebrate, the Kingdom wore its brightest colours and had scheduled a ton of events, including this ball. After a lot of hesitation, and a good dose of courage, Cloud had finally asked Aerith to accompany him, and she had wholeheartedly accepted.

She was wearing a gorgeous red dress that made everyone look at her with amazement. Her curled hair was ornamented with matching flowers, and her delicate makeup made her look even prettier than usual, her emerald eyes standing out. Cloud could very objectively admit she was the most beautiful person in the room, perhaps in this whole world.

"Shall we dance?"

He was glad she asked, because he wasn't very good with words, especially not these ones. He took the hand she offered, and soon enough, they were waltzing in the hall with every other couple.

She was looking at him, and he could see how happy she was, how much fun she was having. But it wasn't the only thing he could see there. He could see the love. He could see the longing. He could see the reflection that wasn't him.

Cloud was dancing with Aerith, but Aerith wasn't dancing with Cloud. Her face would lit up not when she saw him, his spiky blonde hair, his rare smiles, but when her eyes would fall on his very own, cerulean, mako infused eyes. His eyes.

This wasn't a dance for two, but for three. Cloud, waltzing with Aerith. Aerith, waltzing with Zack.

This was how it always was. He wasn't really sad, or disappointed. He wasn't even sure he actually held any romantic feelings for her. She was a dear friend, and Zack had been too, once, and maybe that was why Cloud felt it was his duty to make sure Aerith was safe, happy, and lacked nothing. A silly unspoken promise between two best friends, one alive, one long gone.

He didn't know if Aerith was aware of that. He didn't know if she, too, noticed that when he looked at her, he also saw bits of Zack. Expressions she had taken from him, smells he had shared with her.

It wasn't just Aerith and Cloud, or Aerith and Zack, and neither was it Cloud and Zack. It was, had always had been, and always will be Aerith and Cloud and Zack.

Friends, Lovers, and Comrades. Two living souls and one ghost, dancing together in the most beautiful place they had ever seen.

United for the time of a dance.

Tomorrow is "I'm alright". Take care of you, physically and mentally, folks!