This one is as fluffy as fluffy can get. But there will be a nightmarish chapter up tomorrow.

Cloud dropped the pumpkin to the table. Carving knives were spread out. A happy smile was plastered on Aerith's soft features as she glanced over pumpkin to pumpkin.

"Okay, you'll do the cutting—because you're good at handling pointy things. And I'll do the emptying on the inside. So cut a hole-thingy in the top." Cloud smiled shyly and cut a wide hole in the top of the pumpkin's head.

"Done."

"Okay! Now get to work on the others while I empty this suckers insides out."

Cloud saw the wide grin on Aerith's face that seemed to show that she really enjoyed this kind of thing. He, however, dreaded doing these childish games, but for her, he'd do anything. As he continued to cut tops on a few more pumpkins Cloud glanced over at Aerith; she was working hard to clear out the inside of the pumpkin's head. She looked so cute to him.

Only a few minutes passed by and all the pumpkins were finished being hallowed out.

"Okay. So now we gotta come up with some ideas for their faces." She turned to Cloud as they sat on their own chairs; "Have any ideas?"

Cloud shook his head; "Sorry. You're the imaginative one."

Aerith bit her lip and thought for a second; "Not to worry! I've got an idea."

"What?" Cloud leaned closer to Aerith, listening to what she was going to say next.

"We carve our own pumpkins—it could be of anything we want. Whoever has the better pumpkin wins."

Cloud smiled at her innocent game, "She forgot to say what we win…"

Cloud nodded his head, he didn't care if he didn't actually win anything her smile was a prize by itself. He scooted a pumpkin in front of himself and picked up a knife; "Okay—do we start now?"

Aerith took her own cutting utensil; "Start! And no peeking!"

Cloud held back a weak smile; "Of course not."

He started to carve into his pumpkin but stopped; "What the hell should I carve?"

He peeked over at Aerith, she was biting her lip as she cut into the orange skin of the fruit. Her brow was narrowed in a fashion as if she was carving a masterpiece. "She's taking this so seriously… I love that about her…" Cloud trailed from his thoughts as an idea struck him. He picked up the knife and began to carve into the flesh of the orange fruit.

Aerith glanced at Cloud; "Wonder what he's carving…?" she tried to see what he was making but he tugged the pumpkin away;

"Thought you said no peeking?"

Aerith turned back to her pumpkin; "I wasn't peeking. I was—looking for a better knife."

"Right." Cloud smiled lightly and continued working on his own masterpiece.

"Oh, shoot!"

Cloud looked over at his girlfriend and saw a lopped off pumpkin piece on the floor. She cut off a piece she didn't want gone. Cloud hid his smile with a stern face;"Miss?"

"No—" She went back to carving the pumpkin, a look of determination in her soft green eyes.

The whole time Cloud carved his pumpkin he could hear Aerith growl with annoyance as she messed up and restarted. He gave her brief glances, just to see how she was doing. Her cheeks were puffed out, a normal sign she was displeased with something. He wanted to ask her how she was doing but knew she would just say she was doing fine… even if she really wasn't.

After just a few minutes Cloud had finished his carving of his jack-o-lantern. He put a small lit candle inside of the pumpkin, and leaned back against the chair, his arms crossed as he waited for her to finish.

It took a few more minutes until Aerith was done and she finally exclaimed; "Done!" she was so lost in her own carving she hadn't noticed Cloud was already finished.

"Are you—have you been done this whole time?" Cloud opened his mouth to answer but decided to shake his head; "I—uh, just finished after you."

A victorious smile spread on Aerith's face; "Oh, well, good. Okay, time to show them."

"Don't we need the lights out first?" Cloud stood and walked over to the kitchen light switch, turning it off.

"Mine first!"

Aerith turned her jack-o-lantern around, showing Cloud her carving and what a scary sight it was indeed.

Its eyes were lopsided and one was bigger than the other. One of the eyes was a diamond the other a sloppy triangle. Its nose was cricked and looked as if it took a few times to get it cut. Its mouth was a badly cut jagged smile.

Cloud stiffened his mouth as he realized he was smiling; "That's—uh… really good, Aerith."

"I know! The nose took a while to make, though. Okay your turn."

She reached over for his pumpkin but Cloud grabbed her hands; "Uh, actually—yours is a lot better than mine, I lose." He didn't want her to feel like hers was bad.

"No, come on show me!" Aerith moved away from Cloud and turned the pumpkin until she saw his carving.

Aerith smiled at what it was; the glowing yellow candle lit up its carving perfectly, it was three words;

"I love you"

Aerith covered her mouth, trying to hide her smile. She turned around and wrapped her arms around him as he took her mouth in a sweet kiss. After a few seconds, they broke away, allowing Aerith to murmur; "I think you win."

Cloud smiled and seized her lips in a deeper kiss.