Firstly, I would like to say that it has been a really long time since I've played the original Final Fantasy VII, so I don't remember much details. The only stuff I recall is major events and even that is hazy at best. So, bear in mind all of my work is written based only on the remake and creative liberties.

And yes, that title is absolutely a Game of Thrones reference.

Enjoy.

There was no time to act.

Cloud didn't have the luxury of counting time, but he knew it was mere seconds. Everything seemed to slow down once he caught sight of the monster descending toward Aerith. She was kneeled in prayer, and seemingly oblivious to what was about to happen.

He was too far to reach her.

He was too late to save her.

Cloud didn't hesitate, didn't think.

He only acted.

Gripping the buster sword in both hands, Cloud threw the weapon as hard as his enhanced muscles possibly could.

At Cloud's side, Tifa was already in motion. As the blade sailed through the air, the woman was making a mad dash for Aerith with every ounce of speed her powerful legs could carry her. Cloud followed, but he could never match Tifa's agility.

One second.

Two.

Three.

Just how many was it? Cloud couldn't tell even if he wanted to.

CLANG!

The buster sword found its mark and struck the monster's sword with enough force to send it veering off course.

But not enough.

A scream tore from Aerith's throat as the blade effortlessly sliced through the thin material of her red jacket and even thinner fabric of her dress. No one, save the monster himself, was close enough to catch her as she fell. Her body hit the stone at their feet with a thud that Cloud swore he could feel in his chest.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU BASTARD!" Tifa roared at the top of her lungs, having reached Aerith less than a fraction of a second after the older woman went down.

Not even the monster that was Sephiroth was fully prepared for the brutal haymaker Tifa landed to his impossibly smug face. The former greatest SOLDIER in the world was sent reeling back. He would have recovered quickly, but Tifa was far from done.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Tifa was lost to all reason as she laid into the monster with a flurry of punches and kicks. Sephiroth attempted to retaliate, but Tifa's rage was so great, he could do nothing but defend himself while being pushed away from the fallen Aerith.

It was no secret Tifa hated killing. She tolerated fighting, seeing it as more of a chore than anything, and a necessary one at that. But this was not Tifa Sephiroth fought, oh no. Tifa was gone for now, this was someone else. Someone even less human than Sephiroth himself.

This was the raw personification of fury and hatred.

Coming up behind Cloud, Barret dropped to one knee in front of Cloud and Aerith, minigun leveled and letting loose a torrent of gunfire any moment Tifa's erratic movements allowed him a clear line of fire. Cloud didn't miss how Barret was using his own body as an additional shield to protect the fallen woman.

As much as Cloud would have enjoyed joining his companions in their assault, Cloud had another battle of his own to wage. One that Tifa was trusting to him and him alone.

"Aerith!" Cloud had skidded to a stop on his knees beside the fallen woman. Sephiroth's sword had indeed been forced off course but the damage was still horrifyingly severe. Instead of piercing through her back and out her front, the sword tip had gone down and sliced a deep gash down Aerith's back, missing her spine by inches.

Clouds hands immediately pressed to Aerith's flesh in an attempt to stop, or at the very least slow, the bleeding. It didn't do much good, though. The sticky crimson fluid still flowed freely between his fingers no matter how hard he pressed. His gloves soaking through with more of the crimson liquid.

Cloud was no stranger to blood or injuries, it came with the territory of a mercenary, not to mention the life he lived. He was accustomed to things like this. Whether it was his own flesh, or his enemies. Cloud was unfazed by the sight.

But not on Aerith.

The sight of her blood pooling on the floor, staining his skin and clothes red, was Cloud almost ready to vomit. Only his constitution of steel preventing him from doing so right then and there.

Far too late, Cloud noticed Aerith wasn't moving.

"Aerith?" Cloud was growing desperate. "Aerith!"

"Cloud?" Came the weak voice.

"Oh." It was quite possibly the greatest sound Cloud had heard in his whole life. "I'm here. Tifa and Barret, too."

As if to give further credence to Cloud's words, Tifa let loose another round of vicious screaming and yelling, pressing her attack even harder on their enemy, if such a thing were possible.

"Hold still, goddammit!" Barret joined in on Tifa's battlecries, minigun laying down another burst of fire.

"Hold on." Cloud urged, even as more blood continued to pool around them both. It was already far too much to be healthy, Cloud knew from experience. "You're going to be okay. Just… hold on."

"You're…a bad… liar." Even as she slowly bled to death, Aerith found it in herself to smile.

Damn it, the bleeding wasn't even slowing. They needed healing materia, but the only one they had was currently in Tifa's gauntlet, broken and useless.

If Cloud didn't figure out something quick, Aerith was going to…

No, no! Cloud would not allow it!

From the side of Cloud's vision, he caught sight of a different green materia orb locked into the housing on Barret's minigun. It wasn't healing, and it was a beyond horrible plan, but it might be Aerith's only chance of survival.

Hopefully she'll forgive him for what he was about to put her through.

"Barret!" Cloud yelled over the sound of Barret's gun. "I need that green materia!"

Barret didn't ask questions or even hesitate. Pausing his fire just long enough to do so, he popped the item in question out and tossed it over his shoulder.

"I'm so sorry." Cloud caught it and plugged it into the bangle on his wrist before focusing his energy into the sphere.

"It's alr…" Aerith began but the words degenerated into an eardrum shattering scream as Cloud's hands erupted into flame.

Aerith didn't resist very much, blood loss had seen fit to sap almost every ounce of her strength. It made Cloud's work of cauterizing her wound that much easier. However, it did not make it the slightest bit more bearable having to hear one of the most important women in his entire life howling in pure agony.

"You're saving her life." Tears welled up in Cloud's eyes as he forced himself to continue, the words repeated under his breath over and over like a mantra. "You're saving her life."

At the sound of Aerith's scream, Barret looked over his shoulder at the commotion. Cloud's eyes found his darker ones for only a couple seconds. The large man said nothing, merely nodded his head and returned to the fight. There were no words spoken, but Cloud felt his reassurances that he was doing the right thing.

If only they had a materia that would allow Cloud to feel the pain in Aerith's stead. He would happily bear every part of it if it would spare her even a fraction of a second.

"Almost done." Cloud spoke, but he doubted Aerith could hear it over her screaming. Assuming she could process anything but the terrible pain.

At last, Cloud was able to stop. Aerith's back badly scarred and burnt, but the bloodflow had finally ceased.

Cloud was relieved, right up until he noticed Aerith had gone still again.

"Aerith?" Cloud called out to her.

No answer.

Terror rising once more, Cloud's fingers went to the woman's neck in search of a pulse.

It was faint, but Cloud felt the tiniest tremor of a heartbeat. Weak, but still very much alive. Aerith must have simply passed out from the pain. The fact she remained conscious for as long as she did was a testament to the girl's fortitude.

"Cloud!" Tifa's pained voiced brought Cloud's attention back to the battle unfolding nearby.

Tifa lay on the floor, clutching what was undoubtably a badly injured arm, maybe even broken. Her working hand reached out in an attempt to catch hold of Sephiroth's ankle. She succeeded, but the monster simply yanked his foot free and stomped on her fingers for good measure. It had to hurt, but Tifa refused to show it.

"Hey!" Barret yelled and opened fire once again, but it was useless. Sephiroth's sword moved so fast as to be a blur. The metal swatting the bullets out of the air like they were annoying insects.

One swift kick to Tifa's ribs later, and the crippled woman was sent flying away and out of sight.

"Son of a…" Barret clicked something on the side of his weapon, likely in an attempt to produce a far stronger shot, but Sephiroth was faster.

In the literal blink of an eye, he'd crossed the distance. In a second blink, he's swung his blade and separated Barret from his minigun with a single slash.

Barret didn't make a sound beyond a growl of anger and pain, his fist coming up for a punch. A blow Sephiroth easily caught with his hand. Before Barret could do anymore, Sephiroth twisted the hulking man around and threw him away like he weighted nothing.

The buster sword lay close by, but Cloud wasn't sure if he had the time to grab it, let alone raise it into a defensive stance.

Sephiroth was already charging.

Aerith had to admit, she always thought death would feel… different.

Returning to the planet and joining the lifestream would be peaceful, serene. All worries faded away into blissful tranquility, becoming one with the planet. It was what most people who believed in planetology believed in, Aerith included.

This begged a simple question…

Why in the sweet holy hell did it hurt so much?!

Aerith's head was spinning in a daze as she attempted to sit up, but her body wasn't allowing her. Almost like there was a huge weight pinning her down. Try as she might, her limbs just refused to respond.

Was someone talking? There was a strange mumbling sound reaching Aerith's ears but it sure wasn't in any language Aerith understood. Was the planet speaking to her again? Usually it was a bit clearer than this.

Wait… why did it sound suspiciously like Cloud?

"Aerith!" The voice came a little clearer.

"Wha…" Aerith tried to speak, but her mouth felt drier than the desert. A desert during a huge drought and stuffed with a billion balls of cotton.

"You have to stop!" It was definitely Cloud speaking. Aerith's scrambled brain was starting to unscramble. "Please!"

At last, the world ceased its annoying spinning, and Aerith's eyes began to regain their focus. Not by much, but enough to process a few things.

She lay in a bed, a lumpy and horribly uncomfortable bed, but a bed nonetheless. The temple nowhere to be found, and a panicked and terrified Cloud sitting beside her trying to keep her laying down on her front with his hands pinning her arms down.

Turning her head to the side, Aerith could see Cloud's silhouette, the familiar image of the buster sword leaning against the wall beside the bed.

At the sight of both, Aerith's heart sank.

"Oh, Cloud." Aerith felt tears starting to form. As hard as it was to do so, she made herself talk. "Why did you follow me? You weren't supposed to die with me…"

Cloud was silent, staring at her in… whatever expression he wore, Aerith couldn't actually tell what it was from her position. His body was still more than a little blurry.

Just as tears threatened to fall, Cloud chuckled.

Cloud, the master of stoicism himself, chuckled.

In Cloud-speak, that was the equivalent of him laughing until he was rolling on the floor unable to breathe. It was… jarring to say the least.

"Aerith." Cloud's hand found hers, the sensation of his bare fingers on her skin sending tingles up her whole limb. "You're not dead, neither am I."

"W… what?"

"Here." Cloud offered her one of their canteens of water, as awkward as it was to sip from while laying down, it was a welcome reprieve from her dry mouth.

"What about…"

"Tifa is fine. See?" Cloud gently took her hand and guided it to a familiar head of soft hair on the edge of the bed. "She's right here. She's… out cold, but she's fine. Barret, too."

Was it Aerith's imagination, or did Cloud swap a word out at the last second? One thing at a time…

"Where are we?" Aerith still couldn't see as well as she would have liked, but it was improving with each passing moment.

"Some cabin." Cloud looked around. Knowing him, he'd searched the place top to bottom before even considering allowing her to lay here. "Been abandoned for a long time. We were pretty lucky to find it. Plus, some supplies. Especially the alcohol…"

Aerith struggled to recall what happened. She'd made the trek to the temple on her own. Not a wise move, sure, but it didn't matter when one was preordained to die at that time. It would have been far better for Cloud and Tifa not to have to watch her die right in front of them. The thought of them going through that… it was more than Aerith's heart was able to bear. They would grieve but eventually the duo could move on.

At least, this was Aerith's original plan.

"Last thing I remember…" Aerith tried to focus. She could recall Sephiroth's blade cutting her, but everything that save a couple details became hazy. "It felt like you set me on fire."

Cloud let out an anguished choking sound. "I didn't have a choice! You were… were…"

"It's alright." Aerith patted Cloud's bare knee. "I understand. How long have I been out?"

"A while." Cloud was relieved she didn't want to talk about him burning her, anymore. She could tell he was pretty upset about the whole thing. Best not to mention it ever again if she could help it.

"What about…"

"He's dead." Cloud answered before Aerith could finish voicing the question. "Didn't make it easy, but he's gone."

"You mean…" Aerith didn't dare to hope.

"Cut his head off myself." Cloud didn't sound triumphant like one would expect to be with a notch like that under one's belt. He sounded more… relieved, than anything. "Holy stopped Meteor dead in its tracks. It's… all over. We did it."

"Help me up."

"Aerith, I don't think that's…"

"Cloud, help me up, or I swear to Gaia, I'll… I'll…" Aerith struggled to come up with some kind of threat. "I'll do something you won't like! Just as soon as I figure out what that is…"

"Don't make this harder." Cloud pleaded. "You were hurt bad and I don't want…"

"Help me up, or I'll do it on my own and hurt myself worse." Yes, Aerith was going for the jugular with that one, but it was Cloud's fault for being such a stick in the mud. She was… well, not fine, but fine enough.

Cloud said nothing, merely let out a sigh of defeat and moved to assist Aerith in her demand.

It hurt, sweet planet did it hurt, but Aerith needed to do this. It would have been easier if she wasn't so sore, but at least some of the stiffness of her limbs was fading. Exactly how long was she laying down for? Cloud said it was a while but did that mean days, weeks?

None of that mattered, what did matter, was seeing Cloud and Tifa with her own eyes.

And see Cloud she did.

"Whoa…" Aerith took in the appearance of the mercenary before her and didn't know what to think.

The first thing to catch her eye was Cloud wearing Barret's jacket, the green garment on him comically oversized, but his usual SOLDIER uniform was nowhere to be found. At any other time, Aerith would be thoroughly enjoying the view of Cloud in nothing but his underwear and an oversized jacket, but her gaze was captured by his face. His mako rimmed eyes, usually so bright and full of suppressed but powerful emotion, were now dull and dark circles were reigning supreme. His skin was pasty, his hair ragged and messy, more so than usual.

"What happened to you?" Aerith blurted out.

"Blood." Cloud whispered, looking down at his state of dress. Aerith didn't miss the way his voice hitched in a decidedly not Cloud like fashion. "Too much…"

"And the…" Aerith made a motion to wave at her own face.

"Me and Tifa wanted to make sure… that you wake up to someone familiar." Cloud explained, but he wasn't telling her the whole story. "We've been here the whole time. Tifa went as long as she could. I'm better at handling lack of sleep because of my enhancements."

"Oh." Aerith didn't know what to say to that. "Hey wait, where's my dress?"

Cloud wasn't the only one in a strange outfit. Aerith's customary pink dress and red jacket were nowhere to be found. In their place she wore Tifa's white top, which hung far too loosely on Aerith's meager-by-comparison-frame for her liking, in addition to Tifa's miniskirt. Somebody had tried awfully hard to adjust the garments with an assortment of knots and tweaks to make them so they didn't fall off at the tiniest movement.

"Your clothes were ruined." Cloud explained, dark look returning. "Tifa's were the only ones a little… not as… you know."

Blood soaked, Cloud didn't say the words, didn't have to, but Aerith knew what he meant.

"Who dressed me? Was it you? Tifa?" Aerith's lip raised in a grin in a blatant attempt to lift Cloud's down spirits. The man looked like he badly needed some levity.

Had it been anyone else done the deed, Aerith would have been upset, but if it were Cloud or Tifa? Nah, Aerith was perfectly okay with that. Hopefully, they'd enjoyed the view.

"Me and Tifa did it together." Cloud looked anywhere but at her. "We looked away as much as we could. Sorry."

Aerith's smile quickly faded. Normally, Cloud would blush or stammer or do some other thing Aerith found adorable when she was a little flirty with him, Tifa too for that matter.

Cloud was badly shaken, far worse than Aerith could have ever imagined. His emotions, so tightly packed away where you would need an industrial drill and high explosives to dig them out, were splayed all over his face. He'd been keeping it together since the moment she woke up, but Aerith could see the cracks rapidly forming in his front.

Fear.

Worry.

Guilt.

"Hey…" Aerith spoke gently. Cloud?"

"Y… yeah?"

"Look at me."

Cloud said nothing, his gaze directed at a very interesting thread on the sheets.

"Cloud." Aerith almost begged. "Look at me, please."

The mercenary didn't move for the longest time. His eyes changed targets a number of times, but the closest he came was Aerith's bare leg. Until, finally, his face tilted up and he looked Aerith in the eye.

Aerith didn't think she'd ever seen so much pain in a person's eyes than in that moment. Tears were formed but barely holding back in those beautiful mako rimmed orbs.

"We almost lost you…" Cloud sounded so vulnerable, so small, more so than Aerith had ever heard him. "It was… inches away… and…"

It was too much for Aerith. Before she could stop herself, moisture was forming in her own eyes. She didn't care how much the action jostled her wounds and made her body feel worse. Aerith closed the distance between them and threw her arms around Cloud.

"I'm sorry…" Aerith sobbed quietly, holding Cloud as tightly as her weak muscles would allow. "I shouldn't have gone off on my own…"

'But I was supposed to die.' Aerith didn't say it out loud, but it echoed within her mind. She'd tried so hard to spare Cloud and Tifa any more pain than she was already going to cause them and only made it worse in the long run.

Cloud didn't return the embrace, but Aerith knew it was because of the wound on her back. He didn't want to risk hurting her even worse than she already was. Instead, his hands found her shoulders, and he buried his nose in her hair. Aerith was okay with this, she would hold him tightly enough for both of them.

"Aerith?" A sleepy voice from the side caught Aerith's ears.

Tifa was rising up slowly and wow… Aerith didn't think it could be so, but Tifa looked even worse than Cloud. The black circles darker, her ruby eyes almost devoid of life. It was almost like staring into the face of someone already dead. Her features brightened up a little upon seeing the awake Aerith, but far too little for Aerith's comfort.

This was all before Aerith even noticed the injures. Half of her face was taken up by an enormous bruise that might have been a black eye but so much skin was covered by it that it was hard to tell. Her arm clung closely to her chest in a makeshift sling. Wearing only her sports bra and shorts, Aerith saw a lot more skin on her than normal, and most of it was covered in ugly purple and black marks.

Aerith felt a fresh wave of tears rapidly approaching as she frantically motioned Tifa closer.

Tifa did so, but Aerith could see how every movement was painful for her. Yet, she didn't let a single noise of suffering escape, the only hint was an almost unending grimace. The look appallingly wrong on her gorgeous features.

With Tifa in range, Aerith shifted one arm to pull her into the embrace between her and Cloud. It took much of Aerith's willpower not to squeeze her too tightly like she was doing him. Like Cloud, Tifa didn't put her arm around Aerith, choosing rather to join Cloud's hand on her shoulder.

It wasn't long before Tifa was shaking slightly. Seconds later and the dam broke, and she was sobbing right along with Aerith. Cloud cried too, but he was never very vocal.

Aerith would have laughed if she wasn't too busy crying her eyes out. They must have been quite the sight. Three grown adults bawling, two barely able to sit up, and all clinging onto each other like it was the only thing keeping the world from utterly collapsing into itself.

How long were they like that? Minutes? Hours? It was impossible to tell, not that Aerith cared.

At some point, the trio ran out of tears to shed but none wanted to move. Their position was causing an enormous amount of discomfort for Aerith, but the gods themselves couldn't have torn her away from Cloud and Tifa.

They'd done it, even when Aerith thought it was impossible, thought her fate preordained and inescapable, they went and told fate exactly where to shove it.

It made Aerith want to do something that she hadn't dared to do for fear of the effect her death would have.

Taking a deep breath, Aerith steeled her nerves. She wanted this more than anything, and so did Cloud. He was too afraid to make the leap, Aerith too afraid of the consequences. But they had just averted the end of the world.

The time for fear was over.

Aerith didn't say a word while her hands reached up to cup Cloud's cheeks.

"W… what are you doing?" Cloud's voice caught in his throat as his eyes stared deep into Aerith's emerald orbs.

"I just saved the whole world. We just saved the whole world." Aerith corrected herself, thumbs tracing small paths on Cloud's skin as she drank in every detail of his countenance. "I'm claiming my reward."

Slowly, painfully slowly because Aerith didn't want to spook Cloud too much, Aerith closed the distance between them and pressed their lips together.

It was far from romantic, Cloud just sat there and took it like a statue, too flabbergasted to do anything else but. Not that Aerith minded, she was free to savor the feeling of his rough and chapped lips against her smoother ones. Every scrap of detail and sensation she committed to precious memories.

"I should probably be going…" Tifa sniffled, voice filled with hurt and heartbreaking sorrow. "I'll be outside if you two need any…"

"Where do you think you're going?" Aerith broke her kiss with Cloud, far sooner than she would have liked. She still had a while of air, for crying out loud! The man himself was still staring ahead like he was trying to process just what the hell happened.

"I was…"

"Nuh uh." Aerith pointed back to where Tifa was sitting a moment ago using her head. An action that hurt a lot more than he would have liked. "Sit."

Tifa immediately sat back down.

Aerith tried to grab Tifa by her sports bra, but the garment was too snugly attached to Tifa's body and there was nothing to grip. If Tifa wore a necklace of something like that it would have worked. In the end, Aerith just made a fool of herself.

"Just…" Aerith scowled at her failure. "Just get over here."

"Okay…" Tifa moved closer, wondering what Aerith was getting at.

"I said I'm claiming my reward." Aerith cupped Tifa's face in the exact same manner she'd done Cloud's. "All of it."

"I…" Tifa was silenced by Aerith's lips mashing against hers.

Eerily like Cloud, Tifa went tense in confusion but practically melted into Aerith's arms after a couple seconds of contact. Tifa's lips were strikingly different from Cloud. Whereas Cloud had instinctively surrendered and let Aerith have her way with him, Tifa reciprocated a little more, but not by much. She clearly enjoyed It, clearly wanted more, but didn't know what to do or how to ask for it. These lips were rough, not as much as Cloud's, but still undeniably feminine. Aerith honestly couldn't decide which was better, both felt too perfect against hers, just in different ways.

It occurred to Aerith then that neither Cloud nor Tifa seemed to have any experience whatsoever. And considering what she knew of the two of them and their lives before coming to Midgar, which was substantial, there was a very high possibility that she'd just claimed both of their first kisses.

The thought made Aerith's heart swell with affection.

"I'm getting some… uh…" Cloud wondered aloud once he'd regained some of his senses.

"Mixed signals?" Tifa provided, face flushed and out of breath from her turn with Aerith.

"Yeah." Cloud nodded.

"Nothing mixed about it." Aerith took one of Cloud's hands in hers, Tifa's in her other, and planted a kiss to each of their hands. An extra light one to Tifa's bruised knuckles.

At Cloud and Tifa's confused look, Aerith decided a little more elaboration was in order.

"Mine." Aerith touched her lips to Cloud's for a few seconds before moving over and doing the same to Tifa. "Also, mine. You're both mine." Aerith sealed the deal by wrapping her arms around both of their necks. "And I'm never letting you two go."

"No point in talking her out of it." Cloud sighed, having decided to just follow along with the flow. "Still not sure what's going on, but not like we could ever talk her out of anything."

"Nope." Tifa let her head droop to land on Aerith's shoulder. "Not once."

"Aww." Aerith's beamed. "You both get me so well!"

"Yeah, yeah." Aerith couldn't see it, but she imagined the merc was smirking that rare smirk that gave her butterflies.

"Now that that's outta the way, it's you guys' turn." Aerith pulled away, practically giddy with anticipation.

"Our turn?" Cloud's face crunched up in curiosity. Aerith had to admit, she was starting to like the look on him. It was cute.

"To kiss." Aerith rolled her eyes, like her words were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Wha…" Tifa looked from Cloud to Aerith and back, blush deepening.

"We…" Cloud flushed even more than he already was before he risked a look at Tifa. A look, Aerith noted, was focused on her lips. "I thought we just… ugh… why are women so confusing…"

"Hey." Tifa's face contorted into a frown.

These two and their obliviousness! Did Aerith need to take a hammer to both of their heads to get it to sink in? The longing glances, the errant touches, the insistent need to be close together. How is it two humans could feel so deeply for each other yet be too dense to notice?

"Don't give me that." Aerith admonished. "I've seen the way you look at each other. You've wanted this every bit as bad as I have. You're both just too thick to spit it out. I've had my turn, now it's yours."

Much to Aerith's chagrin, the two were not moving. Looks like some direct input was going to be needed, after all.

"It's easy, just look into each other's eyes." When they finally, after an annoying amount of hesitation, did as she said, Aerith put a hand on the back of both Cloud and Tifa's heads. "Good, just like that. Now slowly…" As Aerith spoke, she eased both closer and closer until they were inches apart.

Aerith didn't know who closed the final distance, but it wasn't her. Cloud and Tifa, much to Aerith's delight and happiness, did that on their own.

Aerith watched the pair's first kiss with each other, heart nearly overflowing with happiness.

Eventually the duo was forced to part for air, but both remained close to the other, eyes closed and foreheads resting against one another's. The sight was almost enough to make Aerith let out a squee.

More importantly…

"Room for me?" Aerith pouted.

Cloud scooted over so Aerith could take her spot alongside them, head joining theirs.

"So…" The silence was broken by Cloud. "What does this mean?"

'I know nothing about romance or what comes after, so please help me.' That was what Aerith heard. It was alright that her Cloud was clueless. It was a good look on him.

"I think it means we look to the future." Aerith took a hand from each of them and pressed them into her cheeks. "And whatever it holds. But together."

"Together." There was that smile on Tifa that made Aerith all warm and fuzzy.

"Together." It was only a half-smile from Cloud, but to Aerith it was like the warm rays of the sun itself.

Aerith wanted to say more, just three extra little words. Yet those three little words had the power to move mountains and destroy entire cities. Powerful as they were, Aerith wanted to say them. To preach it from the rooftops, just as soon as she healed enough to get to a rooftop.

Yet, sitting here, in Cloud and Tifa's arms, Aerith knew they didn't need to be spoken aloud to be heard.

That was more than enough.

Not afraid to say this one got away on me. I never expected it to be so long so hopefully it isn't too long or tedious. I'm also not sure of the quality here, but I've always had a problem with my written work never being good enough for my liking.

And to those curious, I'm thinking about having my Clerifa works a part of a shared narrative. Each works on their own, though.

Let me know what you all think/any suggestions you might have!