Disclaimer: Do not own them.


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"So where do you take a bath here?"

"A bath? Hm, let's see… on the river?"

"R-river?" The next day, they were discussing of taking a bath. Aerith tilted her head to the side. "You mean, we take off our clothes there?"

"Yeah, I do that." Zack bobbed his head to the side, in thought. "Yeah, but not all of it, of course."

"…"

"What's the problem with that?"

"Aren't there animals, like snakes?"

"Nope, never encountered one, at least."

She gave him a disapproving look.

"I mean, there's none." He noted sheepishly.

She still had the disapproving look.

"Fine, just call me if you saw one or something…" He propped his hands on the back of his head again.

"I guess that'll do…" She nodded unsurely. "But… together?"

"Together what?"

"…" Aerith blushed.

"What together? Together…" He stared at her red face and he quickly stood up, realizing what she meant. "Together? N-n-no, no. We take a bath separately, of course. M-maybe I'll go to the other side or something…" He pulled the hem on the neck of his top, laughing nervously.

"I see." Aerith blushed deeper.

Zack quickly ran towards the doorway for fresh air. He scratched his head. "Uh. Maybe we better get going."

"Yes."

Ololololo

"No snakes here," Zack assured her as he glanced around the bushes and at the river. "You fine here?"

"Yes." She smiled as she tugged on her ribbon. Her chestnut hair flowed down her back gently in curls.

Zack just stared at her in surprise. He blinked. "T-then I'll be over there." He pointed at the other side.

"Okay." Aerith smiled meekly. "Don't peek over here, okay?" She called out to him.

"Yeah, yeah." He laughed.

ololololo

Aerith cleansed herself, polishing her fair-colored arms. When she thought she was already clean enough, she got out of the water and gathered her clothes towards the bushes so she could change.

She checked if all of her clothes were there. She did a double take. "Wait, where's my ribbon?"

She looked around the bushes and peeked at where she left her clothes when she took a bath. It wasn't there. "Where is it?" She frowned worriedly. She stood up but stepped on an almost detached rock.

"Eeeeeeeep!" BAM! "Ow!"

Zack immediately came running in his under-shorts. "Aerith?"

"Please, don't look here!" Aerith lay on the river just wearing her undergarments with a sore back. "Ow." Her clothes sprawled on the river, all soaked.

Zack's eyes widened and quickly turned around. "W-what happened there?"

"I just fell…back." Aerith bit her lip as she rubbed her back.

Zack resisted the urge to look at her. "Well, uh, can you stand?"

Ololololo

Aerith covered her face. "I don't want to show my face. That was so embarrassing, Zack."

Zack scratched his head and glanced at the girl. "Does it still hurt?"

"Yes, but not that much anymore. Is it fine to use this?" She stared down at herself. She'd use his bedspread as a substitute of her dress that was now hanging out to dry. She just knotted it here and there and just like that, she made it look like a dress. She looked like a goddess at the moment.

Zack had his mouth hanging as he stared at her. "Y-yeah. Use it, sure."

She stared at him and smiled a little. "Thanks." She sat beside him- they were at the tree where Aerith had saw Zack lying the first time they met- sighing loudly.

"Why did you fall anyway?" Zack asked as he yawned, slowly falling back into the grass.

"I lost my ribbon. I looked everywhere for it and I… couldn't find it."

"Yeah? Is it really important to you?"

She glanced at him, embracing her knees to her chest, a pained expression flashed by her face. "Yes, it came from someone who is very very important to me. I didn't want to lose it at all."

"I see." He nodded and turned on his side so he could face her. "I'm sure the person who gave it to you would understand and knows you've treasured the gift. No need to get yourself into danger."

Her heart skipped a beat as he stared back at him, the wind blew pass them, petals falling from the tree. "Zack, you gave it to me." She stated.

Zack blinked at her. "Really?" He sat up. "I did?"

She nodded.

"Well," He shrugged. "…don't worry. I'm not mad or something, I don't really remember." He scoffed.

Aerith stared at him then looked down, gripping his bedspread that she was wearing. "But," She squeezed her eyes shut and tears squeezed its way out. "I really really liked it…" She sobbed.

"Aerith…" Zack's eyes widened.

"It's really important to me…" She quickly wiped away tears that were just flowing back. "I want it back. I…"

She was suddenly forced to face him, his hands gripping her shoulders. "Hey…"

"Zack," She sobbed as she faced him. "I want you to remember me…" She sniffed, raising her hands to touch his face. Then as if waking from a dream, she broke away and looked down. "I-I'm sorry…"

"I'm sorry I'm selfish… I know it hurts you-" She was suddenly tugged closer and enveloped in his arms, her eyes widened. "I-I'm sorry…" She said, her voice was muffled on his shoulders. "P-please remember me…"

Minutes passed and they just stayed like that. Aerith calmed down as she rested in Zack's arms. She gulped and pulled away after a while. "I'm sorry…"

Zack smiled as he stared at her. "There you go again." He brushed back her hair that was on her face. He had a strange look on his face. A sad look. "I should be sorry. I couldn't remember you…"

"No, I…"

"I'll… try."

"What?"

"I'll try to remember."

"You don't need to! I was just, I'm really okay now…" She looked down, embarrassed at what she made him think. "Don't think about what I said. I wasn't thinking of what I was saying…"

Zack touched her face and lifted it up so she could face him. His thumb wiped off the trails of tears she had cried a while ago. "Don't cry anymore, alright?"

"…"

"I don't like to see you cry."

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