The party had come to the stage when it was calm, and the guests could talk among themselves.
The cake had been cut, and the newlyweds were serving them out. Most of the cake was gone already, but some of the men sometimes came for seconds, and not all the time just for the cake.
Gathered around in a small circle in the corner were three young men, old classmates of Aerith from Traverse Town; Zane, Buck and Leto. They had been friends with each other since the 4th grade, and none of them ever seemed to grow out of their old selves.
Zane was the cute, yet slightly annoying one, always has been, with the boy-next-door good looks and personality, athletic and energetic.
Buck was tall and broad-shouldered; having a serious ego problem of thinking he was the world's biggest chick-magnet, while in reality he wasn't the slightest.
Leto was sort of between the two of them, always putting on a I-think-I'm-so-cool attitude and was constantly changing his hair colour. They were arguing over a single flower left in the vase on the nearby table.
"C'mon!" Buck said, annoyed. "Let me give it to her!"
"No way!" Leto rebelled. "You gave her one last Valentine's!"
"But you gave her one on her birthday!" Zane told him hotly. "It's my turn!"
"You?" Buck gave him a strange look. "You've got a girlfriend already, for crying out loud! Remember? Hien? Let someone single have a go for once!"
"Um… hello? This is her wedding!"
"Whatever! She liked me more than you!"
"No, she didn't! I scored a date with her in the 11th grade, and neither of you did! Beat that!"
"That was because she felt sorry for you after you broke up with your girlfriend… again!" Zane looked like he was ready to tackle Buck.
"Okay, okay," Leto said, pushing them apart. "There's only one way to settle this… Rock, Paper, Scissors!" He raised his fist into the air, Zane and Buck doing the same. "One… two… three!" They shook their fists, then positioned them in the centre. Leto pulled out an open hand, Zane a fist, and Buck two fingers.
"Paper covers rock!"
"Rock smashes scissors!"
"Scissors cuts paper!"
"Paper covers rock!"
"Rock smashes scissors!"
"Scissors cuts paper!" Leto let out a sigh and rubbed his forehead.
"Okay," he said, withdrawing his hand. "Let's try this one more time. One… two… three!"
This time, Zane got an open hand, Leto two fingers and Buck a fist.
"Paper covers rock!"
"Rock smashes scissors!"
"Scissors cuts paper!" They all let out a groan.
Yuffie walked over to them, carrying Rose, who was crying loudly. Yuffie tried hard to comfort her, but it didn't work. She sighed and looked over at the trio.
"Hey guys," she said. "What're you all yelling about?" Zane pulled the flower out of the vase and showed it to her.
"There's only one flower left in the entire building," he said. "And we all want to give it to Aerith for good luck. We just can't figure out which one of us will do it." Yuffie blinked.
"Uh… hate to break it to you, guys, but I think the bride has more than enough flowers." Buck stood up and snatched the flower from Zane's grip.
"Look," he said to her, holding it in her face. "You choose which of us should go." Yuffie scratched her head as she stared at it.
"Uh… um… well…" Just then, Rose stopped crying. She grinned widely as she saw the flower. She started giggling and clapping her hands. Yuffie noticed.
"What's the matter, sweetie?" she cooed. "You like the pretty flower?" She grabbed it off Buck and handed it to Rose, who started fidgeting with it playfully. The boys were less than pleased.
"Hey!" Yuffie merely smirked.
"I've made my decision," she announced. "Rose will give Aerith the last flower." She simpered to herself and turned at her heel, marching off. The three men were left speechless and deeply disappointed.
Yuffie headed over to Aerith next to Cloud, who was still carefully cutting out pieces of cake. She let Rose down and she dashed towards Aerith.
"Hello," Aerith said as she spotted the little girl. She bent down to her, smiling. "What have we got here?"
"A flower," Rose giggled, holding it out to you. Aerith laughed.
"For me?" Rose nodded enthusiastically. Aerith took the flower. "Oh, it's so beautiful." She hugged her. "Thank you very much." Rose beamed.
Aerith stood up again and Cloud handed her a plate of cake. She looked back at Rose.
"Would you like some cake?" she asked. Rose's face filled with sunshine, and she nodded again. Aerith smiled. "Well, I'm going to give it to Aunt Yuffie, and she's going to help you eat it, okay?"
"Okay," Rose chirped angelically. Yuffie gave Aerith a nod and took the plate, leading Rose away towards the table where her mother was sitting.
Aerith smiled as she watched, but then something else caught her eye.
Someone caught her eye.
Her smile faded as she saw the sad lonely figure sitting at his table in the shadows.
Leon.
She sighed sadly, and turned back around. She continued to cut out some of the cake and place them onto the plates. Cloud noticed.
He shifted his gaze over her shoulder to Leon in the far distance, and he knew what Aerith was thinking. He smiled.
"Leon hasn't had any cake yet," he told her. Aerith looked up at him. He smiled again. "Maybe you should go bring him some. He could use some company." He took her hand and pulled the knife out of her grip. She continued to stare at him.
"Really?"
Cloud nodded. He pulled her close and kissed her forehead tenderly.
"Go ahead," he whispered. Aerith couldn't help but smile. She picked up a plate and glanced at Leon, then back at Cloud. She kissed his cheek softly and mouthed a 'thank you', before slowly making her way over.
Amaya was talking to the pianist below the stage, and as Aerith passed, she had an idea. She went towards Amaya and tapped her on the shoulder. Aerith muttered a few words into her ear, earning a dubious look from Amaya. However, she nodded and resumed talking to the pianist, though clearly for a different reason.
Aerith approached Leon's table cautiously. He was staring at the glass of water in front of him, lost in his thoughts. Aerith sighed softly and smiled. She walked up closer, tilting her head to see his eyes.
"Hey," she said gently. Leon looked up at her, but immediately dropped his gaze.
"Hey," he replied quietly. Aerith smiled and held out the plate to him.
"I brought you some cake," she said. Leon looked at it, then at her. She grinned. "It's your favourite, butterscotch." Leon turned away to hide his half-smile.
"No thanks," he muttered. "I'm not hungry." Aerith stared at him for a moment. She sighed and placed the plate on the table, sitting down in the chair. She continued to stare at Leon, who tried hard to keep his gaze on the ground.
After a moment that felt like eternity, Leon closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
"You don't have to do this," he said, still not looking at her.
"Do what?" Aerith asked innocently. Leon sighed again.
"You don't have to sit here with me," he said softly. He lifted up his head and gazed at her. "I don't want you to feel like you have to."
Aerith smiled.
"I already know I don't have to," she said lightly, leaning forward on the table at him. She smiled playfully. "But I want to."
Leon shook his head and stared down at the plate.
"I don't want to be in the way anymore."
Aerith's face softened and she smiled again gently.
"I know," she muttered. She sat up. "I just don't want to see you all sad, sitting by yourself."
Leon rubbed his face roughly with his hands, exhaling heavily. Aerith smirked, tilting her head to the side again.
"That speech was a little harsh on yourself, don't you think?" She placed her hand across the table onto Leon's. He slowly pulled it out of her grip.
"I'm sorry," he muttered, looking away again. Aerith watched him for a moment.
"You're acting like you're never going to see me again after I leave today." Leon didn't answer. Aerith cast a sympathetic, understanding look at him.
"Oh, Leon…" She smiled sadly. "I'm not going anywhere. Just because I'm married doesn't mean you're going to lose me." She reached forward and lifted up his chin. Aerith's eyes softened. For him. "It doesn't mean I've forgotten you." She leaned back on her seat.
"I'll still be me," she said. "I'll still be Aerith. I'll still be that girl next door, who'll always come over every afternoon to play, who'll always give you punches and kisses for no reason." She smiled. "Who will always be there for you."
Leon couldn't help but smiled just a little as he remembered the memories they had.
"Hanging out like old times…" he added unconsciously, a noticeable hint of regret in his voice. Aerith nodded.
"I don't want you to think that's all going to change," she said. "I don't want you to think you're not still important." Aerith stopped and turned away for a second, seeming sadder than Leon had seen her been all night. She turned back and gazed at him, smiling softly.
"You'll still be in my life, and you'll always have a place in my heart." She took his hand, holding it tightly, staring reassuringly into his eyes.
"You've done so much for me, I can't thank you enough." Leon looked away once again, not wanting to look at her. Aerith tilted her head to the side.
"I know how much you've done, and I know how much pain it caused you to get me here today…" Her eyes saddened. "I want to make it all up to you."
Leon shook his head.
"You don't have to," he said truthfully. He gave her a small smile. "I just want to see you happy."
Aerith then was the one who shook her head.
"I can't let you think I'm not grateful, because I am. You've done more than I could ever ask for; you don't know how much it all means to me." She leaned in closer, looking at him sadly. "But I want you to be happy too."
She saw the toll the whole situation had taken on Leon, he was beyond heartbroken. She couldn't see him like this; it made her feels so sad. Aerith sighed.
"I know what you're thinking," she said. "You think now Cloud's my husband, I've let go of all the memories we had together, and I've forgotten completely what they mean to me."
Leon didn't answer. Aerith just smiled.
"But I won't," she said. "Not for anything in the world."
Leon slowly turned around to her, taken aback slightly by her words. Aerith let out a soft chuckle.
"You're still kind-hearted, intelligent… sexy." She smirked. "Yoy're still every girl's dream." She smiled gently. "And you're still important to me." She slowly reached her hand forwards and cautiously touched Leon's face. She felt a stab of sadness as she stared into those grey eyes. "Leon… you're my best friend." She bit her lip, pausing for a moment to control herself as she felt her eyes fill with tears.
"I'll never forget what we had. You were one of the best things to ever happen to me." She placed her hand over her chest. "I promise… I'll never regret falling in love with you." She shook her head firmly. "Not for a moment."
Leon was speechless; Aerith had poured out her heart to him, true to every word. She blinked away her tears and sat back, blushing slightly. After a moment, she took a deep breath and exhaled very slowly. She looked back at him and stared for a long moment, before dropping her gaze again, as if embarrassed. She smiled to herself.
"I love you, Leon," she said softly. She looked back over at him. "And don't ever think I'll ever stop loving you."
At that, Aerith glanced over her shoulder at Amaya and nodded. Amaya nodded back and stepped onto the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen," she said in a clear loud voice into her microphone. Everyone turned to her direction, except Aerith who sat back to face Leon. Amaya beamed at the audience.
"This next song I'm going to sing…" She smiled at Aerith. "… was requested by the bride." Amaya closed her eyes as the music started to play, and started singing.
# For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life… #
Leon's eyes widened as he lost his breath. He immediately looked back at Aerith.
# For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you … #
Aerith smiled sweetly at him. She stood up.
"I saved you the last dance, Leon." She took a step towards him and extended her hand.
# I'll be forever thankful, baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all… #
"It's our song," Aerith muttered. She smiled. "Remember?"
Leon slowly stood up.
# You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me… #
"Yeah," he replied breathlessly. He couldn't believe Aerith still remembered.
She smiled, holding up her hand.
"Will you dance with me?"
Leon stared at her hand for a moment, then at her emerald eyes. he couldn't help but smile.
# Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me… #
He gently took Aerith's hand, and she led him to the dance floor. She glanced at Cloud in the far corner, watching her with Cid and Yuffie. He smiled warmly at her, the look in his eyes reassuring Aerith that he knew what she was doing for Leon, and that he was proud of her.
Aerith returned the smile lovingly, then turned back to Leon. She beamed at him.
# You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach… #
Aerith took his hands and placed them around her waist, and she wrapped hers around his neck, resting her head on his shoulder. They danced.
# You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me… #
No one else danced at first. They just all watched, but Aerith didn't care. She just wanted to share the moment she had with Leon.
However, Yuffie sensed many would get the wrong idea, so she grabbed Cloud's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor, though a reasonable distance away from Aerith and Leon. She wrapped her arms around Cloud and tried to get him to dance.
# Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you… #
"Yuffie…" Cloud hissed. "What the hell are you doing?!" Yuffie shot the groom a quick glare.
"Do you want everyone to think the bride is having a love affair with the Best Man?!" she whispered hastily. Cloud glanced at the couple.
She had a point.
Cloud awkwardly raised his hands and placed them on Yuffie's waist.
# You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me… #
Aerith let out a soft sigh and closed her eyes, burying her cheek into his shoulder.
Leon tightened his arms around her, what he was feeling was beyond awe. He felt so happy, so wonderful. He embraced her warm body in his arms, bittersweetness corrupting.
# Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me… #
She had changed his life so much for the better, as he did for her. The beautiful moment they felt as they danced to the song that first ignited their love for each other, it felt like goodbye.
# You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life… #
A tear fell from the corner of Aerith's eye.
But it wasn't goodbye. It wasn't the end.
It was thank you. The perfect thank you.
Dancing to their song, to Leon it felt like the perfect last gift Aerith could ever give him.
One last time to hold the woman he loved before he'd step aside for her to live her life with the man of her dreams. Leon smiled, truly happier than he had ever been in his life. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on the back of her head, pressing gently.
# You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you
You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'coz you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me … #
As the song ended, the dancers stopped. Many of the guests had joined into the dance before, having quite enjoyed it.
Aerith slowly pulled away, looking deep into Leon's eyes. She smiled warmly, taking a white flower out of her hair. She held it out to him.
"You're still amazing," she whispered. He silently took it, staring sadly at it in his hand. He lifted his eyes back at her. She smiled again, her eyes saying it all. She backed away a few steps, turning towards Cloud who was approaching her.
He gave Leon an appreciative nod as he and Aerith went back to their table. Aerith flashed him another smile before going, giving Leon the chance to returning it too.
He sighed, still feeling happy from the last few minutes. He looked down at the flower again, tucking it into his front pocket, and making his way back to his quite table again. He glanced at the bride and groom across the distance. They looked so in love, and so perfect.
Leon smiled as he watched.
The crowd went wild as the newlyweds came out. They were instantly showered by rice thrown in the air. Aerith and Cloud made their way to the centre of the crowd.
Aerith took a step away from Cloud and held out her bouquet. She glanced excitedly at Yuffie, Aly, Patricia, Lynn, Rosey, Sachi, Rachel and Meghan before turning her back to them. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes and threw the bouquet over her head.
There were squeals of excitement behind her as one of the bridesmaids caught it. Aerith spun around to see Yuffie joyfully jumping up and down, waving the bouquet up high so the other bridesmaids couldn't reach it. Everyone burst out laughing.
Cloud took Aerith's hand as they ran through the crowd to the exit, stopping along the way to farewell some of the guests.
Leon tried to push his way through, hoping to grab one last glimpse before they left. But he couldn't. Everyone was pushing him further and further into the back, and he struggled to keep his balance.
He reached out as he was drawn away, but a hand saved him. A small, soft, warm hand.
Leon stood back up quickly, almost stunned to see... Aerith. She smiled.
She then wrapped her arms around him and hugged him close. Leon was quite surprised, but he had to smile at this. He raised his arms to hold her as he felt her pull him in tighter, as if she didn't want to let go.
After a moment, Aerith pulled away. She smiled.
"Thank you," she said in a whisper, so only he could hear. She reached up and brushed his hair lightly with her fingers before being pulled back into the crowd. Leon watched with awe as she and Cloud ran outside.
There was a limousine waiting for them. Cloud got in first and he slid to the other side for Aerith. Leon ran quickly outside, through the crowd of people, after them.
Aerith stepped into the limo and closed the door. She looked out the window and saw Leon standing a few feet away, his entire attention on her. She smiled at him one last time and blew a kiss, just in time for him to see before the limo drove off.
Aerith waved to him, but then she forced herself to look away. She felt another stab in her heart and she rested her head on Cloud's shoulder. Cloud wrapped his arm around her, holding her tightly. He knew how she was feeling.
"He'll be fine," he told her softly. Aerith blinked away her unshed tears and let out an exhausted sigh.
"I hope you're right," she whispered.
"He still loves you." Cloud said calmly. That fact was no threat to him anymore. Aerith sat up and looked at him.
"Will it always be this way?" she asked sadly. Cloud cupped her face with one hand and smiled wisely. He shook his head.
"Leon loved you so much, he was able to let you go," he told her. "He was able to see what made you truly happy." Cloud took her hand and kissed it. "Us."
Aerith smiled softly at him.
"Not many people are like him," he continued. "To love someone enough to sacrifice your own happiness for theirs. I know the one thing that would make him happy is to see that you really are." He moved closer to her. "Even if it's with me." Cloud kissed her softly on the lips. Aerith smiled again and rested her head back on his shoulder. He kissed her temple as she let out another sigh.
"You know I love you," she whispered as she closed her eyes. Cloud smiled and stroked her hair.
"And I love you." He held out his left hand. Aerith peeped opened her eyes and chuckled softly, doing the same. They stared at the gold rings.
"The Eternity Rings accepted us," Aerith said. "We're soulmates. We don't need anything else." Cloud nodded.
"Yeah," he said, looking at her. "That's why it's so special."
"It connected our hearts and souls," Aerith continued for him. She smiled. "So even if we're apart…"
"… we'll always have a part of each other with us," Cloud finished. Aerith laughed and snuggled her head warmly into him.
Cloud let out a sigh and leaned back on his seat, tired. Slowly, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. It had been a long night.
Aerith watched him, amused. She smiled and brushed his blonde hair out of his eyes. She glanced out the window at the sky.
The brightest star was visible, just below the moon.
'The Northern Star,' she remembered him say. 'It guides us through the Darkness.'
Aerith smiled again to herself as she continued to watch it, holding onto Cloud securely as he slept.
Thank you.
Leon sat on the sidewalk outside the building while all the guests were back inside. He sat there, thinking. The cold wind started to blow hard, but Leon still sat there. He thought about everything Aerith had said, about what she had done, and he thought about her.
Yuffie was still partying inside, surprisingly, having powered up a day early with caffeine. She suddenly spotted Leon sitting alone outside through the door crack and stopped. She could see what he was going through that moment. She sighed sadly and excused herself, grabbing Leon's jacket. She pushed the door open and quietly walked up behind him, placing his jacket over his shoulders. Leon turned around to see her.
"I thought you'd be cold," Yuffie said. Leon nodded and put the jacket on. Yuffie took a seat next to him. She sighed and looked over at her friend.
"You alright?" she asked softly, giving him a kind smile. She raised her hand and placed it on his shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. "I know how hard it must be for you." Leon glanced at her and smiled a little.
"I'm okay," he said. He exhaled and stared down at the road in front of him. "I mean, Aerith finally got what she deserved. Peace and the life she wanted so much. With Cloud." He smiled as he pictured her radiant face filled with joy and happiness. "It feels good." He shifted his eyes back at Yuffie and smiled. "I know it was the right thing for me to do. I'm happy for them." Yuffie returned the smile.
"Yeah, it was," she told him. She put her hand on his back and pushed herself off the ground to her feet. She stared down at him. "Let's go inside. It's cold out here." Leon nodded at her. Yuffie smiled again and walked ahead first. She leaned against the doorframe as Leon slowly stood up.
"Amaya has one more song to sing before she goes," she said. "You might as well get in on this before the party ends." Leon smirked and nodded.
"I'm coming." Yuffie beamed and ran in first, immediately towards her group of friends. Leon let out a sigh as he went over to the wall, leaning against it. He watched Amaya get ready on stage. As soon as she was done, Leon could have sworn he saw her smile at him.
"This song is based off a real love story," she announced in her mike. "A love story that has finally ended, but in a beautiful way." She smiled again, and she shot a glance at her colleague. The lights dimmed, and a guitar began to strum, and drums began to play an even beat. Amaya flicked her hair out of her face and raised the microphone to her lips.
# I'ts time to let ya go
it's time to say good-bye
there's no more excuses
no more tears to cry… #
She flashed a wink Leon's way.
# There's been so many changes
I was so confused
all along you were the one
all the time I never knew… #
Leon's lips curled into a small smile, the song was like a river from his very soul.
# I want ya to be happy
you're my best friend…#
Leon emitted a sad sigh and leaned his head onto the wall as he watched Amaya sing.
# But its so hard to let ya go now
what could have been
I'll always have the memories
she'll always have you
fate has a way of changing
just when you don't want it to… #
Leon found himself drawn towards the window, and the night sky. He opened it and let the cool wind gush whip against his face.
# Throw away the chains
Let love fly away
Till love comes again
I'll be… okay #
He reached into his pocket and pulled out the engagement ring he had once given to Aerith, when she was still his. He examined it for a while.
# Life passes so quickly
ya gotta take the time
you'll miss what really matters
you'll miss all the signs… #
Leon too a deep breath and looked back up at the sky. This time, the brightest star caught his eye instantly. He felt a surge of serenity and tranquility as he gazed at it.
# I've spent my life searchin
for what was always there
sometimes it will be too late
sometimes it won't be fair… #
"I still love you, Aerith," he muttered as the wind blew harder. "But just seeing you so happy like this…" He smiled. "… it's more than enough for me." He glanced down at the ring in his hand and held it up in front of his face. He ran his fingers around the jeweled edges once last time and kissed it lightly before throwing it with all his might into the night sky.
Gone, once and for all. Leon smiled to himself, feeling better.
# Throw away the chains
Let love fly away
Till love comes again
I'll be… okay #
He kept his eyes on the Northern Star. His promise to protect her would remain unbroken, for always.
# I won't give up
I won't give in
I can't recreate
What just might have been… #
He would support Cloud and Aerith, be genuinely happy for them and be there as the lifelong friend they both needed. Leon knew he would never stop loving Aerith, but he no longer yearned for her. He didn't have to.
# I know that my heart
Will find love again
Now is the time to begin…! #
Leon turned away from the window and glanced at Yuffie, who was chatting busily with her friends. He smiled as he remembered all the advice she gave him, and he knew she had been right all along.
Aerith was happy, and he was happy for her. He wasn't scared anymore.
Not anymore.
# Throw away the chains
Let love fly away
Till love comes again #
Leon glanced over his shoulder at the star one last time before closing the window.
# I'll be okay
I'll be okay
I'll be okay… #
He smiled, making his way towards Cid and Yuffie, who were waiting for him.
He was happy for her now, he really was. Leon smiled to himself again, his eyes wondering back to the window.
"I'll see you around, Aerith," he muttered. He let out a chuckle, a genuine one.
"I'll see you around."
# Can't hold on forever baby
Can't hold on forever baby
Can't hold on forever baby, yeah yeah
I'll be… okay #
The end!! Based off My Best Friend's Wedding's ending!!
I hope I kept my promise for a perfect ending!
I am planning a sequel right now I'm calling it Beautiful Madness, but it might not happen for years, or at least until after I graduate high school. Not for a while, folks, so don't get your hopes up.
I have written the trailer, though. I think I'll post it as a bonus chapter!
Again, thank you so much, everyone!
DD198 aka. Anna oxoxox