Aerith glanced over at Leon from behind the shelves. She knew he was pretending as if nothing had happened; and she was grateful for that. But that didn't hide the fact that something was happening.
She had broken his fragile heart.
Leon was strong on the outside; his cold attitude was his armor, to protect his heart from being hurt. He wasn't one to let anybody become close to him easily. Heck, Yuffie, herself and Cid were probably the only people who knew him for who he was. He had let Aerith into his heart, into his very being. She had become so special and precious to him, breaking their engagement was like literally ripping out his heart.
It hurt a lot.
Aerith looked down at the ring on her finger. She had put it back on as a last favour for Leon. She had put it on out of pure sympathy, and she hated herself for that reason. What she had with him, it was special, but she didn't know whether or not she was really ready to move on, or if she was still yearning for her first love.
But now she knew; Cloud was alive, and he was coming home. After 9 long years, he was finally going to come back. She was finally going to be able to see him, to hold him, to love him all over again. It was what she had wanted for so long. Aerith looked back at Leon. Her smile faded.
But she loved him too, and she knew it was going to hurt him. He was the man who stood by her for the last 9 years, always being there, always so caring and protective; her knight in shining armor. She was supposed to marry him, to become his wife. Aerith let out a sigh. She didn't know what to do. Would she choose Cloud, the man she had waited for all these years, her first true love, or would she choose Leon, the loyal childhood friend who had protected and comforted her, the one who had always been there, through thick and thin? Aerith shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Guess she'll just have to decide when the time comes.
Yuffie walked up to her from behind. She placed a hand on her back.
"Aerith?" she said in a whisper. Aerith turned around to her. "I think you need to talk to Leon." Yuffie looked at him over Aerith's shoulder. "He's taking it pretty hard." She noticed Aerith was wearing her ring. "What…? So you didn't break up with him? What's he moping about then--" Aerith immediately covered Yuffie's mouth with her hand.
"He wants me to wear it," she said. "Just until Cloud comes back." Yuffie pushed her hand off. Her expression was serious.
"You do realize that it's just going to hurt him even more." Aerith closed her eyes and nodded grimly. She gazed over at him.
"He's a brave soldier," she muttered, shaking her head. "I feel really…really bad. I don't even know what I'll do when Cloud comes back." Yuffie wrapped her arms around her shoulders.
"Stop thinking about the future that way," she said to the older girl. "Like I always say, you'll know when the right time comes." Aerith managed a small smile.
Leon glanced over at the girls from the corner of his eye. The woman he loved, the one he had given his heart to, she had torn it into a million shreds. She had officially given him back his ring, only wearing it so he wouldn't go into another sulk. Why had all this happened? He loved her; he was never ever unfaithful, always being true to his word and always there to protect her from harm.
He had fulfilled his promise to Cloud. The only problem was… he had fallen in love with his best friend's girl. Love wasn't something you could simply erase from your heart and soul, you could merely forget about the person who had made you feel happy. You just couldn't forget.
His relationship with Aerith, it wasn't just a fling. It wasn't just about the fun, the company or the connection they shared. It was more than all that. It was special, it was beautiful. But somehow, Leon knew that one day, something would surely come between them. And that day had come. Cloud was coming back; coming back to take his everything away.
Leon shook his head. What was he thinking? Why was he being so selfish?
His best friend was coming back, after all the years of searching. He would finally be reunited with them. He should be happy and grateful his friend made it out alive. He should be happy.
He remembered how broken and devastated Aerith was when they had to leave. Now she would finally be able to see him again. He should be happy for her.
Leon walked slowly over to her, his gaze on the ground. The girls turned to face him. He lifted up his face to them and tried to smile.
"What do you think Sora's doing right now?" he said, acting casual. He kept his eyes on Yuffie; he didn't want to look over at Aerith. Yuffie noticed. She smiled softly at him; he was so brave.
"He's probably doing well," she replied, looking over at Aerith. She just nodded, her eyes down. Leon reached his hand over to her and gently brought her face up. She was slightly surprised.
"Let's just enjoy the time we have left, huh?" he said softly. The pain was so unbearable, looking at her beautiful face, knowing that he wouldn't be able to hold her the way he used to anymore. Aerith sighed and nodded.
"Yeah," she whispered. Yuffie placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a small smile.
"Guess it'll be just like old times again, huh?" she said softly. "While it lasts…"
Cid crouched down by his new project, trying and trying to tie the two wires together. They started to shoot sparks. He backed away, annoyed yet satisfied.
"That'll probably last until I reached Hollow Bastion," he muttered. Cid stood up and stretched. He wiped his forehead with a cloth and took out a fresh piece of straw. He closed up the engine with a slam.
"Excuse me," a voice behind him said. Cid turned around. His eyes widened and the straw fell out of his mouth.
"Son of a gun," he said incredulously. "So you're finally here." He chuckled. "Long time no see, kid." He circled the man, examining his features. "Looks like you grew up right, too." He laughed again, and went over to the Gummi Ship's door and opened it. He stood to one side and looked at the stranger.
"Well, what are you waiting for? Get in."
"What? Where are you taking me." Cid grinned.
"We're going home. Someone's gonna be real happy to see you."
Aerith's cell phone started ringing. She took it out of her pocket and opened it.
"Hello?"
"Hey there, darlin'," Cid's voice said. "Hey, I've just arrived back at Hollow Bastion. The place's a wreck."
"Yeah," Aerith replied grimly. "We know."
"Where are you kids? I'm just outside the castle now."
"We're in the Library."
"Okay, then. Don't go anywhere. Stay where you are. I got something here that you'll like to see."
"Alright. But be careful. There are more Heartless here at the moment."
"I will, I will. See ya soon, Aerith."
"Bye," she said, smiling. She closed her phone and put it back into her pocket.
"Was that Cid?" Yuffie asked. Aerith nodded. "What did he want? Is he here?"
"Yeah. He says he brought something with him." She smiled. "I wonder what he's planning to show us." Leon crossed his arms and sighed. He had an idea what it might be.
They arrived at the Library door. Cloud stood there for a moment, staring at the doorknob. He didn't know if he could face her yet, he still had darkness in his heart. He was afraid she might not accept him for the monster he had become.
"Are you gonna stare at that door all day or are you gonna go in and see her?" Cid asked with a chuckle. Cloud took a deep breath as Cid brushed past him to open the door. He walked in first, as Cloud followed behind. The first thing he saw was mountains of books. It seemed that the Heartless had not harmed any of them. He stopped at the entrance as the door behind him closed. There was a group of three people standing in a circle in the middle of the room, quietly talking. Cid stepped forward, turning the trio's attention to him.
"Look who I found walking around in Traverse Town," he said, jerking his thumb back at Cloud. The girl in the pink dress looked over at him, and he instantly knew that it was her.
Aerith's eyes widened slightly but she forced herself to stay calm. Cloud watched her for a moment, but dropped his gaze to the ground. He still didn't know if he was ready.
Slowly, they walked towards each other. Aerith calmly clapped her hands behind her back and leaned forward at him, trying to get his eye contact. Cloud knew he couldn't hide anymore, and slowly he lifted up his face.
She was beautiful. The radiant features of her face shone so brightly. Her sparkling green eyes, her soft chestnut hair. She had grown to become an enchantress. Cloud suddenly felt good, more than he ever had. The cold loneliness in his body slowly melted away as a warm feeling grew. All his angst and worries were banished from his mind. Slowly, he smiled at her.
Aerith's eyes widened as she let out a stunned gasp. She clapped her hands over her mouth, to muffle her sobs as she began to cry of joy.
It was really him.
She couldn't believe it. She stared into his face. He was so much more handsome than she had thought; he had grown so much more than she thought. But it was him; his spiky blonde hair, to which she remember she used to tease him, his deep blue eyes, to which she used to drown in.
It was her Cloud.
Cloud slowly raised his right hand to her face, cupping her cheek and wiping away a stray tear with his thumb. Her skin was so soft. Aerith moved her hands over to his, holding onto the warmth. He smiled again.
"What's that you always used to say?" he said gently. "As long as our hearts are connected…"
"We'll…" Aerith whispered, choking back tears. "We'll always be able to meet again…"
"And our love…" Cloud continued, still staring deep into her emerald eyes. "… will reunite us as one…"
"Always…" Aerith let out another gasp as she threw her arms around his neck. "Oh, Cloud…"
Her body was so warm; he wrapped his arms around her. He gently pressed her head onto his shoulder as she cried. Everything else around them disappeared, all they had was each other and their moment. Aerith felt, and she knew Cloud was feeling the same, that the deep lonely hole in her heart was finally filled again. Her prays had been answer and her first love had returned.
In each other's arms, for the first time, they knew they were finally home at last.
The End.
No! Wait, don't go! I was only kidding! hehehe
Yep, the sappy reunion, hope you liked it. Don't you dare think this is anywhere near to being finished. There's going to be a HUGE tangled web, and no one's even been caught in it yet! Remember to review!