A brand new piece, since Aerith is somewhat under-representented in this fic. She is particularly angsty in this piece... oh dear!
Links to 'Dreams' in 'Silence and Motion' (Squall's drabbles) and the italics come from there. Just felt that more cross-overs were needed.
Disclaimer: SquareEnix own the recognisable bits.
Aerith.
Resentment: indignation or ill will felt as a result of a real or imagined grievance.
"You dream about her don't you? You even talk to her."
She had resented Leon for that.
He dreamt of her, could even talk to her in his dreams.
Aerith dreamt of no-one.
At least, she didn't remember dreaming of anyone.
Sometimes, she thought there might be someone, but she could not remember them…
…just a vague feeling, like this was someone important to her.
"We're all here with you. Yet you act like you're all alone."
He wasn't the only one.
In fact, they all lived solitary, individual existences… as removed from each other as it was possible to be whilst still being physically close.
It was simply that Leon made no effort to hide this.
She resented him for that too.
"You think it's ok to just give up? To never let anyone in?"
Wouldn't life be easier if such a thing was possible?
If your heart was never touched…
…never bruised…
…never broken.
She wished such a thing was possible.
"Why do we have to lose out to a memory?"
Why did she have to live without such a memory?
Why did she have to struggle on, day after day, without a face or a name?
Why did she have to exist without love?
"It's hard to share you're life with other people, I get that. But that doesn't mean you should give up when it gets hard."
She had wanted to give up so many times.
And yet, she could not…
There had been that moment, when the Heartless had surrounded her and the world had been crumbling beneath her feet…
In that moment she had thought of …
Had remembered…
And knew that she needed to live…
…needed to wait…
…for…
"Leon… I know you don't want to be alone."
Nobody wanted to be alone.