Trust Me

            "Watch your left!" Cloud yelled while slashing the heartless, that kept coming on his way, with his huge sword and at the same time looking at Rinoa to see how she was doing. Rinoa quickly turned left in time to see three dark creatures jumping towards her. She threw her Shooting Star at one of them and the weapon as it came back to its owner, slashed another heartlesss by the middle, as for the other one missing it was kicked by Rinoa's foot which made the creature go flying until it hit the ground lifeless. Cloud jumped and rounded on his feet until the two friends were back to back, surrounded by the creatures. Rinoa looked back at him and smirked.

            "Let's go!" She said as she ran to fight.

***

            Cid lighted his cigarette between his hands and led it to his mouth with his right hand. He looked out of the window, to the dark streets of Second district. Silence. There was no one around, no one passing by. He let out a small laugh. No wonder.. everyone was afraid to go out  at night these days or even by day light! It scared him though, what every single world out there was becoming with the heartless attacking. It had reached Traverse Town already. By this time he was used to see people walking around when it was safe to wander around those streets. But not anymore... And it scared him to know that it could get worse.

***

            Rinoa sat down on the cold ground of Third District back in Traverse Town and sighed exhausted. She looked up at Cloud and smiled.

            "After a long fight with some heartless you still show no signs of tiredness..." She said shaking some dust off of her clothes, making Cloud stop and look at her for a second. "What?" She laughed slightly. He just shook his head and sat next to her, resting his arms on his knees and looking blankly at the sky. Rinoa stared attentively at his eyes and suddenly the memory of Squall crossed her mind. She quickly shook her head and laid her back on the floor, looking at the dark sky along with Cloud. "Tell me about the person you're looking for..."

            "Don't wanna talk about her now." He said cooly. The girl in blue sat up again and her eyes looked down at the floor.

            "Squall... was just like you. He kept everything to himself.... His pain, his thoughts, his feelings. No one could ever take something out of him when he didn't want to. But you know what's funny? He was easy to read... he was like an opened book. When he felt embarassed he would show it even if it wasn't on purpose. His actions showed almost everything in him." She said calmly. "I'm not surprised if he's still somewhere out there... He's strong... And something tells me he's not that far away."

            "What makes you say that? They could be dead already." Cloud said, feeling despair surrounding him as his words came out that way. He knew that what he just said was pointless, meaningless and yet possible in a way. He rose to his feet and started walking calmly around the place. The girl stood up after him, but remained in the same place. She looked at the restless man and then lowered her head.

            "When we love someone so bad... we feel them right with us." She started, but Cloud turned back at her getting annoyed.

            "Stop... Just stop talking...! I've been looking for Aerith for days, months! And everytime I get a little hope that maybe I'll find her in the next minute and... I... She's not there!" He bursted, not holding it anymore. In a sudden movement, his fist hit the rocky wall near them and due to the force Cloud put into it, small pieces of rock jumped out of the wall to fall on the ground, next to his feet. He looked at his hand, trying not to let it shake. A tiny line of red blood formed between his fingers but he didn't care, it didn't hurt. That was nothing compared with what he has been through in his life.

            "Please calm down..."

            "How can I calm down?! I don't even know what I'm doing here... standing here... When she's out there... maybe alone... maybe lost. And I'm here without her... It just makes me wanna end it right now..." He said squeezing his fists tightly. She noticed him trembling and for a brief moment simpathy was shown in her brown eyes.

            "Cloud.... Listen... I'm sure we'll find them. And please don't say you wanna end it... Then... our quest, our lives and their quest to find us would be in vain. Hey, I have an idea!! Let's go to the cafe at the entrace of this town!" She suggested jumping softly. She thought that maybe doing something that didn't imply thinking  about the people they were looking for, would distract him for a while and leave him free from the so many feelings he kept inside him, boiling inside him. "That way we could relax a bit and think about something else."

            "No... I don't wanna go to a Cafe!" Cloud Strife said crossing his arms and looking at her in disbelief. How could he go to a Cafe to relax in times like those? How could Cloud Strife even sit down for a moment without thinking of her?  But Rinoa Heartilly didn't give up. She gave two steps towards him and placed her arms behind her back, she smiled kindly, looking up at him.

            "Come on! It'll be good for us!" She said touching his arm friendly. He looked away from her.

            "No." He insisted subbornly.

            "Please?"

            "No."

            "Aaahh... You meanie!" She said spinning around on her feet so she wouldn't have to face him. As she turned around, Cloud noticed the little white wings drawn on the back of her blue clothes.

            "Ah so you're an angel! Thought so..." He said in a sarcastic smirk. She quickly turned back at him and placed her hands oh her waist.

            "Hey!" She replied showing him a glare that turned into a warm smile. "Oh Come on now!" Rinoa picked his hand and dragged him towards the First District.

***

            "Is she gonna be fine?" Leon asked leaning his back against the wall of the red room where Aerith was resting peacefully. Yuffie nodded, making sure Aerith was warm in her bed.

            "She just needs to rest a bit. And you should do the same Leon. I mean... you could have died there! And you're not totally recovered yet, it wouldn't hurt you to lay a bit and rest your mind too." She suggested turning to look at him. "I wonder what Sephiroth wants now... And the way he looked at Aerith? Huummm... Oh anyway! Are you staying here? Or are you gonna go to your room? I need to know if I have to stay with her just in case, but since you're here I-

            "Yuffie?" Squall interrupted the girl who blinked. "Shut up. I'll stay with her, don't worry. Go and have a nap yourself, I'll take care of Aerith."

            "Fine!" Yuffie said agressively as if she was mad at him for interrupting her. "If you need me, I'll be dowstairs....  with Cid..... doing something........ downstairs." As she said that, the door of the room closed behind the Ninja making the room silent again. Leon walked towards the windows and carefully draw the curtains so the light wouldn't wake the girl up. He turned to her and slowly sat on the floor next to her bed. He leaned his head on the small wooden bedside table and closed his eyes. Some minutes later, Aerith woke up with a headache. She sat up on the bed and looked around the bedroom figuring out where she was. Her thoughts went to one person then... Cloud Strife... She wondered what he was doing now, where he was, if he thinks about her... Only she knew how much he missed him... Her green eyes watered. Cloud... I miss you so much... I need you...I have to find you so fastly... I sometimes feel like I can't take it anymore... But I have to continue... for you...   Then, her eyes finally met Leon sleeping beside her bed. She smiled softly and pushing the blankets away from her, she rose to her feet, to sit next to him. Raising her hand softly, she touched his cheek as her delicated fingers started exploring his face. But suddenly, his eyes opened when he felt her touch and she quickly lowered her hand.

            "Oh sorry I woke you up... I was just, I just..." Aerith started, but Leon just shook his head. He got up and helped Aerith to get up too. She smiled and without thinking, she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for being there for me." As he heard that, Leon's lips formed a tiny smile, but it suddenly vanished as he stared into her glowing green eyes.

            "Yuffie is downstairs with Cid. We should go join them. They are worried about you." He said. But when he realized that Aerith was opening the door of the room to go meet the others he regreated ever saying those words. Stupid! Why did I say that, and in that way!

***

            Rinoa sat down on one of the chairs from the Cafe next to the items shop and Cloud followed her although he would rather be out of that place.

            "See? It doesn't hurt you to sit down for a moment and rest." She said with a friendly smirk on her face. Cloud rolled his eyes.

            "It's not that it's gonna hurt!" The blond soldier replied crossing his arms to his chest, like he always does when he is annoyed with something or when he is thoughtful.

            "I just think you should relax a little. Oh and being more kind wouldn't do any bad either!" She said closing her eyes as she spoke.

            "Well I think being kind is up to you. You see... It's not me having two little white wings drawn in my clothes." He teased her again, making Rinoa innocently glare at the young man.

            "Can you stop making fun of me and my 'little white wings'?" She asked him softening her brown eyes, and making him smile slightly at her reactions. For some reason, Cloud started to feel comfortable with her presence and the same thing was happening with Rinoa towards Cloud. He started feeling Rinoa as a friend. A friend he could count on, though his thoughts were still and only about Aerith.

***

            "Aerith!" Yuffie shrieked seeing her friend up. She wrapped her arms around Aerith and laughed. "I'm so glad you're recovered! You gave us quite a scare! For a minute, when you were with Sephiroth, I thought you were gonna pass out. But now you're here! You're fine! And with us again!" The girl grinned as she noticed a wide smile crossing Aerith's lips.

            "But you know I'm not that fine..." Aerith whispered in Yuffie's ear. The girl looked tenderly at her friend, realizing she was talking about how she missed Cloud.

            "Hey we're gonna find him!" Yuffie whispered back in her ear.

            "Are you really fine Aerith?" Cid asked worried. Aerith nodded and smiled at him. "Good... Then... What the hell were you thinking young girl!!??? Do you have any idea of the danger you've put yourself into?? I mean... taking one of my gummi ships alone, I can tolerate it but going to the Coliseum with some kids, oh by the way they said they won the tournament, that they would be fine and they hope you get better soon and to see you again; and running into Sephiroth!!"

            "Aah so sorry Cid!" Aerith bowed appologetically. "It won't happen again I promise!"

            "Good... But if it does happen again, I want you to know that we're here for ya!" Cid said tapping softly her shoulder. The girl giggled at Cid. It felt great to have friends like them, that were there for her and cared about her like that, they were now her only family. The ones she could count on always.

****

            "And then there's Zell! He's so funny! He's a little bit clumsy but he's so lively! And you know, he loves hot dogs. And the hot dogs of the Cafeteria of Balamb Garden were really great! But the poor Zell always gets there when the hot dogs are all gone!" Rinoa giggled as she told Cloud about her friends. They were walking through Second District, talking and meeting each other better. "I think Selphie, you know I've told you about her already, well I think she had a little crush on him... They would make a very cute couple. They have many things in common!" Rinoa always kept a smile upon her face as she was speaking. Cloud would talk about the moments he had passed with his friends, but for him, those were just memories, those times would never come back. It was always good to remember them once in a while, it made him smile for a few moments. But things move on, and he had to move on too... He couldn't be held back in the Past because that would never lead him to the Future. He would never forget those times because they were part of him, but he could only be glad they had occured. They had existed, they were there now, part of his Past.

            "But you talk as if they were somewhere in another place but at the same time near. As if they belong here. You talk in the Present." Cloud interrupted her, a serious expression on his eyes. The girl paused and looked at him.

            "Yeah... Because... How- How am I supposed to talk about them? There's only this way Cloud... They're not dead!" Rinoa's smile faded as she spoke now. Because he could be right. She could be just trying to find a way to believe they were somewhere around. She could be just fooling herself to believe they were fine when the opposite could have happened. "I...

            "Look I'm sorry Rinoa... I shouldn't have said that..." Cloud interrupted again. They stopped walking. Rinoa shook her head and gave him a quick smile.

            "It's ok, Cloud. Everything is possible right now." Without warning, Rinoa approached the blond man, he noticed her eyes were watering. She wrapped her arms around Cloud's neck. The soldier's blue eyes widened. What..?! The hell? What am I supposed to do now? His arms slowly and nervously went up to her back. He wasn't expecting that coming from the girl. But as they were there, as he felt her head on her shoulder and tears falling down her eyes, he stopped thinking and friendly returned the hug.  

***

            Squall left the hotel they were staying  to be at his own for a moment. He needed to be alone. I'm running away again... He said to himself. He felt it like that. Wanting to be alone he feels he's running away from people, from the world, from his friends, from Her.... In front of the main doors of the hotel, he walked up to the wall that leads to the stairs that go down to the large courtyard downstairs. The light from the lamps inside the Inn and the houses of the street, through the window panes, faintly iluminated him from behind. He placed his elbows on the wall, resting his arms. But something caught his eye. He turned right, in the direction of two people. It was dark where the two were. He would have thought it was just a normal couple going out for a night walk, if it wasn't for the girl's clothes. He walked alongside the wall till the stairs started to get a clear view of the two hugging. The girl had her back turned to him. He saw them... the little white wings... the unique wings drawn on her blue clothes... her brown hair...

Rinoa...

He gave one step forward to meet her, but he stopped... How could she be hugging that guy? A stranger to him. And in that way? She never did that to him... Was she falling for that man? He didn't know... He didn't want to know... He turned back to the Inn. He didn't care anymore. He had to go back in. Back inside... Back to Her...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for the reviews and special thanks to Ms. Heartilly and to my dear friend  Maryn for the help!