Thank you so much for the reviews guys! I read them when I'm in math usually (haha I obviously have nothing better to do) and it really brightens up my day. I love getting them and hearing what you guys have to say. To everyone who I can't thank personally (Happy-people, Rin, Ladyfaffalot, MyChemicalFantasy16, Shroud of the Shylands and Brinster) Thank you so much! I appreciate every single review I get!

On a side note, I should be writing this essay thing about To Kill a Mockingbird right now, but wheres the fun in that? I'm a junior in high school and I still have trouble getting my homework done...college is gonna be a breeze ammirite?

Zack watch intently as Aerith sat, frozen. She looked mortified and terrified at the same time. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to continue more than anything in the world, but he knew Aerith wasn't ready. He could tell in the way she kept swallowing that she was trying to keep down the lump in her throat. Painfully, achingly, he decided to stop this.

"Aerith," He started gently, "Its getting late."

Her eyes were downcast for a second, looking off to the side. "yeah."

"Hey . . ." He touched his hand to her chin and moved it slowly to face him. "We'll see each other soon."

She looked at him, smiling slightly. She felt stupid and naïve, but managed to swallow her pride. "I hope so. But your . . . right, I should be getting home." She could sense that he had stopped because of her, and that made her feel horrible. She was having such an extraordinary time, why did it have to get tarnished? Why did things always have to change so fast? And why was she always so behind?

A pregnant pause. Neither of them moved.

"So," Zack started, trying to be gentle, "You've never . . ."

"What? Oh – umm" Aerith brushed a curl behind her ear as she felt her face go hot, "No I've never . . . I mean I haven't even kissed a guy before you."

"Oh yeah? Coulda fooled me." He remarked with a lopsided smile.

She laughed, but her heart wasn't in it. Something felt off and she couldn't place it.

"No, really. Your lips are so . . ." His voice was a feather on her jaw, his head cocked to one side, "Soft." He stole another slow and short-lived kiss. Aerith barely could reciprocate as she tried to remember what was so important . . .

Tseng.

She pulled away quickly.

Zack looked at her, confused. "What's wrong?"

Something in the way that Zack acted proved to her that Tseng had been telling the truth, whatever that truth was.

They lived in kill or be killed world, and Aerith had been trained to trust no one. It seemed like everyone she met had ulterior motives, so why should Zack be any different? Inside, deep in her heart, she could feel that Zack was a good person, but her guard didn't not want to come down. Her shields were up again.

But then again, Tseng could be lying . . . he always had ulterior motives. Nothing he did was without benefit to himself.

"If I did something wrong . . ."

Aerith, the enmity-on-the-inside type of girl, shook her head fiercely. "I'm just . . . tired."

Zack gave her a look, seeing through her weak bluff, but dropped it. He could feel the ice she was giving off. "You sure?"

She forced a smile. "Yeah."

Zack rose and extended his hand for Aerith to follow. She grasped his hand, tentative, unsure, and pulled herself up.

They walked to Aerith's lonely house in darkness. Every dozen yards there would be a dim lamp to light the way, but most of the trip was black for Aerith. Zack, on the other hand, could see perfectly fine with his Mako eyes. Aerith held tightly onto the back of his knit shirt as he paved the way. She felt safe with him. She felt like she could . . .

No, she shouldn't trust him. He worked for Shinra. He might as well be another Tseng.

She startled herself with that thought, but realized it was probably be true. Why would a Shinra SOLDIER suddenly show interested in her? She was nothing special to look at, and she was too shy to be funny. So, why did this man seem to like her?

They stopped walking. Aerith felt a lump growing in her throat. Had this whole evening been a lie? Her face grew hot with grief. She had let herself believe that she was worth something, when all she really was was an outcast. Zack didn't have any feelings for her. And eve if he did like her, how many other girls had he 'liked' in the recent past?

"Well, here we are." Zack murmured reaching behind to touch her shoulder. "Window?"

She turned away, trying with all her might to hold in the tears, and nodded. She barely noticed as Zack gathered her in his arms and scaled the two story building with one arm. After Aerith was safetly in her room, Zack stood on the pane, looking as if he wanted to say more. Then, as if clockwork, his phone vibrated.

He looked longingly one last time at Aerith. She smiled, "See you soon." And kissed him tenderly on the cheek. He touched her face gently before flipping open his phone.

He didn't say a word before closing the phone, only listened to the man on the other line.

"I leave for Modeoheim tomorrow."

"But -" Aerith protested. She needed to talk to him about everything.

"I know, but I promise to stop into the church tomorrow morning." He tried to smile. "Modeoheim isn't that far away. I'll be back before you know it."

"I know, I just -" She tried to say.

"They're expecting me back at Headquarters." Aerith noted the fierce seriousness in his voice. He didn't take his job lightly.

"Okay, just . . . be careful." She said quietly, forgetting he confusion for a moment.

"I'll call you."

And then he was gone. Words could not describe the utter hysteria that was tumbling around in Aerith's mind. She didn't even know where to begin thinking.