Christmas Flower

Chapter 2: Aerith

Aerith sat on the soft brown sofa silently, feeling incredibly out of place, but that feeling was becoming familiar to her. The clock hanging on the wall behind her clicked the seconds by as she clasped her hands on her lap, sitting still as she could. In the kitchen leading off from the dining room, she heard Cloud busy himself as he did…something.

Why was she here? By all accounts she should have been slipping out of the apartment and running while Cloud was distracted. She had no business being here. She couldn't deny it, the handsome and oddly charitable man intrigued her. Why had he helped her, what did he want from her? She had nothing but twenty-three gil, a worn picture and the clothes on her back. She had no place in this penthouse of luxury and respectable tastes, this world of DVDs, televisions, studies and lavish living rooms.

"What do you want to drink?"

Aerith jumped and turned to see Cloud staring at her from the entrance of the dining room. He had still had on dark blue pajamas, but had put on a black robe once he had gotten up. It was then he had asked if she wanted breakfast. Aerith, unable to stop herself from jumping at the idea of a good meal, had said yes.

"Huh?"

"What do you want to drink? I'm having a coffee, if you want something hot. I have cocoa, coffee, tea, orange juice, soda…" Cloud listed and waited. Aerith thought for a moment. Did he expect some answer in particular? Was there a right or wrong answer to this?

"Uh…tea?" she replied, almost asking. Cloud nodded and went back to the kitchen, and Aerith relaxed.

"You can watch TV if you like," Cloud called. Aerith blinked and looked around, spying a black remote on a table beside the sofa. She reached over and took it, staring at it in quiet panic. There had to be a hundred buttons, the device looked more like a calculator than a television remote. Aerith calmly placed it back.

"I'm fine," she said back. Cloud came back with two coffee mugs, one with the telltale string from a teabag hanging from the side. He carefully placed the two on the coffee table and went back to the kitchen. Aerith reached out and picked up her drink, lifting the teabag from the water and watching it drain. She hadn't had tea in…well, come to think of it, she couldn't remember the last time. Her mother drank tea, but she couldn't quite recall if she had ever tried it herself. Cloud came back with two plates, interrupting her train of thought.

"Hope I didn't make too much," he said softly, sitting down on the second sofa. Aerith looked down at her plate and felt her mouth water.

"No…it looks good," she said truthfully. Hashbrowns, three breakfast sausage and a fried egg. Aerith picked up her fork and turned an eye as Cloud began to eat, cutting up one of the sausages and popping it in his mouth. Aerith slowly picked up her fork and speared one of the sausages, holding it up to eye level. Was he actually feeding her?

"I hear if you stare long enough, they sprout eyes and stare back," Cloud said, watching her for a moment. Aerith took a small bite and chewed slowly. She was hungry, of course, starving as she had been for years now. But something in the back of her mind was bothering her. Why was he doing this? He didn't even know her. Aerith took a second bite and tossed a glance at Cloud as he sipped his coffee. He put down the cup and paused for a moment, putting a hand to his mouth and thinking. As she watched, Cloud's eyes darted about the room aimlessly, before he made a small sound and resumed eating. There was a ringing, and Cloud looked up.

"The phone," he said, standing up and crossing to the table. Aerith ate silently as Cloud picked up the receiver. "Hello," he said, bringing it to his ear. "Oh, it's you…really…when? Hold on, I made a note of it, I'll check." Cloud lowered the receiver back to the phone and hit a button on the device. "I'm going to take this in my office, it'll just be a moment," he offered. Aerith nodded as Cloud left the room, and she heard a click from the hall a moment later. Satisfied Cloud was gone, Aerith popped the half-finished sausage in her mouth and stood up. She stepped around the sofa and approached the front door, sliding back the chain lock.

"Aerith." Aerith froze, the door half open, as Cloud emerged from the study. "What's your…" Cloud trailed off as he noticed her slipping out. "What's wrong?" he asked, lowering the cordless phone. Aerith closed her eyes.

"I was just leaving," she replied. "I'm sorry for being a burden." Cloud frowned.

"I'll call you back Yuffie," he muttered, setting the phone inside the door of his office on a bookshelf. "Burden what, now?" he asked, walking towards Aerith. The brunette slowly closed the door as Cloud stopped a few feet from her.

"I appreciate…this. The nice nap and the breakfast. But I can't repay you for any of this, so I'm sorry I'm just mooching off of you."

"Repay? Did I ever say I wanted anything for this?"

"Why else would you help me?" Aerith turned her head to look at him.

"Because I want to," Cloud said honestly. "There are decent people in this world you know. People who offer help to those who need it and don't ask anything in return."

"But why me?" Aerith asked. "You don't know me at all. You know my name and that's it."

"You're right, I don't know a thing," Cloud shrugged. "Feel free to remedy that whenever you like."

"You're incredible," Aerith muttered. "You give me a meal and expect me to tell you my life story?"

"Well if you seem so convinced I'm going to want some sort of repayment for that meal, then yes. Or, if you really want to repay me, you can actually trust me. I don't want to lay a guilt trip on you, but I took you from a cold alleyway, gave you a warm bed, my warm bed, and made you breakfast. I think I've earned trust, if nothing else."

Cloud fell silent, and Aerith stared at him for a moment. He stared at her expectantly, and Aerith realized he was serious. She sobbed and turned away, slamming her forehead against the wall.

"He, hey!" Cloud protested, moving towards her. He put a hand on her shoulder, and felt Aerith's shoulder shake. "I'm sorry," Cloud said, slowly turning her to face him. Aerith held her head down, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"God, I'm such a bitch," she said.

"No you're not," Cloud replied. "Come here." He slowly led her back around the sofa and sat her down. Aerith hiccupped as Cloud turned and picked up a tissue from the table. "Look up," he ordered, placing a hand on her chin. Aerith turned her head up, and Cloud leaned in, wiping off her face. She watched him in confusion, until Cloud finished and balled up the tissue and threw it in a wastebasket nearby.

"I want to know what's going on," Cloud said. "You can walk out that door if you want. But I don't think you want to run from me, do you?"

"Why do you say that?" Aerith turned away. His eyes were too damn distracting for her to focus on his words.

"Because if you did, you would have bolted out that door when I called your name," Cloud explained. "Just…explain it to me. What do you have to hide from me?"

"Just how do you think you can help me?" Aerith asked.

"I can give you a ride home."

"Try the alley where you found me."

"Oh…um, call your relatives?"

"Try the obituaries."

"Oh…I'm sorry." Cloud's shoulder slumped as the true weight of Aerith's situation fell on him. "What happened?" Cloud asked. Aerith let out a sigh and lifted her head, staring off into space.

"I was about…twelve, I think. My dad died when I was little, so it was just mom and me. She did her best, she did, loved me and took care of me, but the bills kept piling up. When I was twelve, she found a way out, so it seemed. Some small-time developer or something wanted to set up a plant in the neighborhood. Don't remember the details, I was a kid. But they offered mom a good settlement and to pay for moving expenses if she sold the home to them. We were going to lose the house anyway, so mom took the offer. The company did pay for moving expenses, alright, moved us to a new home within a few weeks. Mom made an agreement to pay for it once the check for the settlement came."

"So then what?"

"The company didn't give her the settlement, found a legal loophole or something. Whatever they did, mom didn't get a cent, and when we couldn't pay for the house we had to leave. Mom sold most of our stuff trying to get the money to stay, but it didn't help much. We were on the streets and broke."

"What did your mother do?"

"She worked hard, tried to get us back up. I had to drop out of school, no point in going when I had nothing to use, no books or pens or anything. Mom got killed in a gang shootout a few years later. Went down the wrong street on the way to our shelter and was caught in the crossfire."

"So…you've been on your own how long now?" Cloud asked lowly.

"Going on…I think seven or eight years now, once the shelters refused to keep me and I refused to stay with a foster family. Counting mom's death, bump it closer to ten," Aerith replied. Cloud blinked, stunned.

"Ho…how do you…?" he trailed off, unable to finish the question. How could this young woman, who he had found half-frozen in an alley, survived for so long?

"I'm stronger than I look," Aerith said fiercely, turning to look at him.

"Obviously," Cloud agreed. "Sorry, I just don't know what to say to that."

"You don't have to say anything. I know this will sound mean, but you can't possibly understand what I've had to do to live. But I've gotten this far alone, and as much as I really do appreciate your help, in the end it's just a short reprieve. You can't help me, not really."

"There has to be something I could do," Cloud insisted. "I can't just let you walk back out into the streets."

"Why not? I'm not your responsibility," Aerith asked. "How can you help? Can you get me a job, a home, new clothes, a new life?" Cloud was silent for a moment, and Aerith stood up. "Thought so."

"Yes."

Aerith looked down at Cloud as he raised his head to look at her.

"I can do those things. I know a few people, I could make some phone calls. Clothes, food? I can help."

"Oh yeah, and you can buy me a house too? I'm still homeless," Aerith said. Cloud nodded his head behind her, and Aerith turned to see a door next to the entertainment unit she hadn't noticed before.

"The guest room is free, have to pull out the spare sheets and pillows but it's there," he said simply. Aerith whirled around, her hair dancing about her shoulders with the motion.

"You're joking, right?" she demanded. "Cloud, breakfast and a night is one thing. But you can't ask me to move in with you."

"I'm not. Just for a few days," Cloud corrected. "I know a friend, he could hire you. It's just, Aerith…I can help."

"It's easy to say that Cloud, it's a little harder to do it."

"Then stop telling me I can't and let me try," Cloud insisted. Aerith shook her head slowly.

"You're for real…this is real?" she asked softly. "You…how…" Aerith fell back on the sofa, blinking. "W…why?" she turned to Cloud, who looked away.

"I…" Cloud thought for an answer. Why did he? Because he pitied her, felt obligated, found her attractive? A bit of all three maybe? "I want to," he said simply. "I'm a defense attorney, Aerith. It's my job to help people avoid suffering they don't deserve."

Aerith stared at Cloud, then lunged at him. Cloud tensed as Aerith hugged him from behind, buring her face between his shoulder blades.

"Thank you…"Aerith whispered, her eyes tearing up again. Cloud turned his head.

"My housekeeper comes by on weekdays, she can help you tomorrow, get, uh…"

"Cleaned up?" Aerith suggested.

"Yeah," Cloud admitted, not wanting to offend her. "I'll call Cid later today, he runs a little toy store downtown. It doesn't pay much, but he has really low standards for his workers."

"I still don't understand this," Aerith said. "Last night I fell asleep in an alley, and this morning…"

"You don't have to understand something to appreciate it," Cloud said. Aerith sobbed slightly, not in sadness this time. The two sat in silence for a moment, before Cloud broke the moment.

"Breakfast is getting cold."