So broken yet so strong. Hopeful for the future. That's what she saw when she looked into his eyes and she couldn't help but admire the way his eyes shone with such brilliance as he would talk to her over the makeshift fire. Aerith didn't know where they were going but for some reason she thinks anywhere is okay as long as she is with this young man. Cloud. She learned his name early on and ever since then she would constantly find herself dreaming of him and a group she can't seem to remember when she wakes up. For the past 2 years she has gotten recurring dreams about Cloud and the group. She knows she is their friend but for some reason all she can remember is Cloud when she wakes up. She always thought that these dreams were just that; dreams, so she never tried to search for a Cloud Strife in fear of having these blissful dreams come to an end.
"Hey, Aerith, how many more boxes do you have down there? There is no way one woman needs this many boxes full of face cream."
Zack gently set down a box of what he assumes to be face cream before he stood up straight, setting his hands on his lower back and then proceeding to lean back to try and stretch out his back. He had been helping her for the past 2 hours and even though he has been doing most of the hard work the smaller woman still had the audacity to boss him around. This was always their dynamic though so he didn't mind much.
"Of course they're not all face creams! Geez Zack, you would think after us knowing each other for so long you would bother to learn my skincare routine. Cleansing, exfoliation, cleanse again, lotion, let it set. And then, if I need it, I add some oil. Speaking of skin care, I may need to set you up for a spa day with me because your face could use a little work."
She teased as she gently pulled on his cheek which made him groan in slight annoyance, pulling himself away from her grubby little hands. Massaging the sore cheek he began to look around the room that was beginning to fill up with some boxes. Just yesterday this apartment was empty and full of dust since it had not been in use for a good few years but he knew that soon it will be alive with greenery all thanks to Aerith and her green thumb. Zack looked at the brunette and couldn't help but let out a huge grin, excited for all the plans they would make. Though they only met in passing when Aerith's family passed by Gongaga all those years ago, they immediately clicked and for a short while they even dated but decided that long distance wasn't suited for them so they decided to simply stick to being good friends. When given the chance to leave Gongaga, Zack's family immediately took it and had been at Midgar ever since, though Zack almost immediately moved out of the house when he was 18 since he wanted to live his life freely and also be able to let his parents relax without having him in the house. It was the same for Aerith but it took her a bit longer since she wanted to finish her college education back in her hometown before moving to the big city. She was currently in the process of working some part time jobs to save up money to open up her own flower shop and she was really close to her goal which motivated her to only work harder.
"Zack, if you keep grinning at me like that I'm going to assume you're having weird fantasies."
"Oh, you flatter yourself" Zack teased, getting back at her by pinching her cheek gently which made her pout and turn away, returning to taking things out of their box.
The two returned to their respective duties, Zack bringing in the boxes and Aerith unpacking them, making sure that all her belongings are placed away nicely. They were working quite fast since Aerith's first day at her new part time job was that same day and she needed to be there in a few hours.
"I really don't know why you decided the day your belongings arrive at your new apartment is the same day you start at your new workplace. Why not at least wait until tomorrow to start?"
Zack worried that the woman would overwork herself since he knows from the constant letters they sent to each other for years that she tends to overwork herself quite a lot and because of that she often got sick. He knew her parents loved her and truly cared for her but because of their jobs they were not able to be home as much as any of them would like so when Aerith got sick she would often have to take care of herself which he knew Aerith hated since she always felt so alone when she did so. Now that they are in the same city though, hopefully she won't feel like that anymore. His goal was for her to never feel alone again.
"You have a point Zack, but you have to think positively here! The sooner I start, the more money I will have to open up my flower shop and you know that's been my dream for years now! It's the whole reason I went to college and that was hell to finish."
She shuddered at the mere memory of waking up early in the morning to go to classes and listen to lectures. Zack gave her a sympathetic look since he himself hasn't experienced the 'wonders' of college, instead deciding to enlist in the military as soon as he could so he could get training out of the way. He was honorably discharged just this year but Aerith still doesn't know what exactly happened since Zack has refused to talk to her about it which she understands but still wishes he would talk to her about it. She remembered the months when she wouldn't receive letters in the mail after he told her that he was being sent out to the field. Each night she struggled to sleep, in fear that one day she might receive a letter saying that he has passed. Luckily one day, out of the blue, she received a letter from him saying that he had found a perfect apartment for her if she ever wanted to move into the city which led to where they are now.
"Well. It did sound hellish from the letters upon letters you sent complaining about it. All that hard work led to you getting here though, I'm proud of you Aerith, you've come so far. It seems like only yesterday I locked eyes with a scrawny looking brunette by pure chance in Gongaga."
He loved Aerith, he truly did but he also loved to poke fun at her because she would always tease him right back.
"Oh yeah? I bet if I didn't decide to be a florist I would be super buff and the military would be begging me to enlist so they can have these puppies on their side!"
He watched as she flexed her nonexistent biceps and pretended to smooch them before her persona cracked and she began to laugh at the stupidity of what she had just done. Zack couldn't help but join in, laughing loudly as he clutched his stomach. They soon tired themselves from laughing too much and decided to take a break. Luckily the couch was one of the first things that Zack brought in so they sat down, leaning back against the couch cushions, letting out a loud sigh before they looked at the floor. The two were very close, having written letters to each other for years and even dated for a bit in the beginning of their friendship but that had only lasted a few months before Zack broke it off. Now though, they were living near one another, heck, they were almost neighbors and the two could not get any closer since they were each other's best friend.
'Maybe I should take the leap now.' Zack snuck a glance at the woman beside him, seeing that she was also in deep thought.
Secretly, ever since he wrote that letter where he recommended this apartment for her to live in, he hoped that they could give them another chance. The reason he broke off the relationship in the first place was because for him, the distance was too much and it hurt him to be so far from her when he always wanted to be near her. He never stopped caring for her and he honestly thinks that he never will. He wanted to spill everything to her, tell her that he has never stopped loving her and that they should give it another try but her alarm signaling her to water her plants went off which snapped the two out of their daze.
"I'll be back, I need to water my babies." She playfully said, smiling at him before she ran off to the small kitchen to fill up her watering can.
The watering can was already full since she filled it up when Zack was bringing in the previous box but she needed just a bit more time to think. Her parents always told her that she was always capable of reading people better than others, maybe even capable of reading their minds a bit so she kind of had a gist of what Zack was thinking. She cared for Zack a lot, she always had. If he had told her that he wanted to get back together 3 years ago she would have happily agreed but she couldn't anymore. Not now. She wouldn't be able to completely devote herself to him anymore now that another man preoccupied her mind every night.
"Cloud.."
She wanted to kick herself for having a silly crush on a man that appears in her dreams. How could a grown woman crush on someone she has never met! But she has.. Not in real life though! He might as well be a figment of her imagination because she was so lonely.
'Oh Gaia, not me having an imaginary friend at this old age..'
She shook her head to try and clear her head up a bit before having to go back and confront Zack. Rejecting him will be one of the hardest things she will ever have to do since she worries how he will be like afterward. Aerith remembered one time Zack tried to go out with someone else after her. The girl's name was Cissnei and she seemed like such a kind girl but after trying to pursue her for a good few months she ended up rejecting him. The memory of the sullen written letters made her frown, making her not want to have to reject him even more. So what would she do instead of rejecting him? Avoid the problem at all costs! She pumped her fist to psych herself up before going to water her plants one by one, making sure to do so with a lot of care. As she watered each plant she would talk to them, telling them about her move, Zack, the new job, the same old same old.
When she got to the yellow lilies she paused for a moment to look behind her to make sure that Zack had not come to check up on her. Once the coast was clear she turned back around and began to slowly water the flower, gently stroking its petals with her thumb. These are the flowers she has deeply cherished ever since she first started to get those dreams.
"You signify reunion, huh? You already led me to this reunion with Zack and in my dreams you led me to that unforgettable reunion with Cloud. If only you could do that again in real life.."
After she finished watering the flower she set down the watering can on the counter, not moving from her spot in front of the potted plant before she gathered the courage to talk about her most recent dream that has her worried.
"Last time we talked was before the move and in that dream nothing new happened. I was just traveling with the group and we were all chasing this big bad guy who was trying to rule the world since he believed that he was the superior being therefore deserved to be almighty God of the planet or something. Big ego alert, am I right? He really needs a therapist... Anyway, in this dream I didn't really see much but what I did see truly broke my heart. Cloud was crying and seemingly yelling at someone. I couldn't hear much but I knew that he was really upset. He isn't one to express himself like that so seeing this act like that really has me worried. Did.. did something happen to me?"
She pursed her lips, deep in thought as she tried to figure out what could have gotten him so upset before hearing a knock behind her. Letting out a soft gasp she turned to see Zack peeking into the kitchen.
"Hey, didn't mean to bother you but I was thinking we could go out to eat and then walk over to your workplace so you could go to work all nice and full. I can help you unpack the rest of your stuff tomorrow so let's just leave these boxes out, kay?"
The brunette would be lying if she said she wasn't hungry. Putting everything away was much more tiring than she previously had anticipated so the promise of food was just too good to reject. Placing the potted plant she was talking to in a more appropriate area; she smiled as she looked at Zack with an excited glimmer in her eye before she nodded.
"Food sounds great right now. Seeing as I'm new to the city I leave it up to you to pick the place."
Being given such a task was not particularly difficult for Zack. He liked to think that he knew Aerith the best and he has yet to be proven wrong. One may think that Aerith was a vegetarian seeing as she is a gardener but it is quite the opposite. She loves meat and knows that she will empty his wallet if given the chance to go to a place where you can grill your own meat so he knows to stay away from those kinds of places.
"How do you feel about going to a pizza place? Luckily there happens to be one by your workplace so it works out! It's somewhere where we can just be casual, no stress."
He could see that she liked the sound of that since she let out a soft hum and what seemed to be a nod of approval before walking over to him and patting him shoulder as if to say 'good job' which made him let out a snicker.
"Think of me as your puppy or something?"
"Well, you were called Zack the Puppy in the military right?" Aerith joked but those words seem to have struck some kind of cord since he immediately got silent, looking away from her and instead focusing on one of her plants with a blank stare.
"Uh-huh. Um, I'll go grab my coat, you should do the same."
"Zack, wai-"
He left the room before she was given a chance to finish which frustrated her a little but she shook it off, thinking it may have to do with his discharge from the military. Angeal, Genesis.. Sephiroth. Those 3 names are what made his head ache as he walked over to where he threw his coat before he slipped it on. Zack did feel bad about keeping the truth from Aerith but he just couldn't tell her, not yet. Sure, call him a coward but for him it was better to not tell her what he experienced while on the field on his last mission. Just thinking about it made him shiver, feeling his body get cold. After putting on his jacket he turned to see that Aerith was making her way over to where he was with a sad look on her face and the sight of that left an aching feeling on his heart. It wasn't her fault, she never knew what he had experienced out in the field so how was she supposed to know that the words she spoke bring back such painful memories.
"Hey, Aerith."
He caught her right before she grabbed her coat from the hook on the wall, placing his hand on her shoulder gently. The brunette immediately paused her movements to look up at him, her eyes looking a little anxious after what happened in the kitchen which only made his heart hurt even more. He never wanted to make her feel like this.
"Zack, you don't have to explain why you acted the way you did back there."
"I love how understanding you are but sometimes you are too kind for your own good you little plant nerd. I'm sorry about how I acted back there. I promise I'll let you know everything in the future. Just..Just please give me time."
"We have been long distance friends for years and the last time I saw you in person was when we were both teenagers, Zack. Personally, I like to think that I can be quite patient so don't worry. I'll wait."
A smile appears on both of their faces as they both begin to relax. Zack, being the gentleman he believes he thinks he is, grabs her coat from the hook and then proceeds to spread it out so she can easily put it on.
"M'lady, our pizza awaits us."
He says in a posh voice, earning a giggle from the woman which makes the smile on his face get wider.
"Why yes, I do declare that I, the madam, am quite famished."
She replied in a matching posh accent before putting on her coat with his help.
"Before we leave though, there is something that I have been meaning to give you since I arrived but haven't gotten the chance to until now! Which is perfect since we are just about to head out. Wait here!"
She made a mad dash for her bedroom, leaving him at her front door. Zack couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he heard her complain about how she had to organize all these boxes when she got back to the apartment. Not that much later she came back with a navy blue gift bag in hand, a shy smile on her face before lifting it up for him to take.
"Aerith, you shouldn't have.. Now I feel like a dick for not getting you anything."
"Language! And you hooked me up with this apartment, helped me rent the van to move my stuff, and helped me move my things in here Zack. I think you more than deserve this. Besides, it isn't much."
She pressed the bag against his chest, urging him to take it which he finally did. A soft 'thank you' escaped his lips before he opened the bag and let out a gasp, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Aerith Gainsborough, when the hell did you learn to crochet? And wow, it looks great!"
Setting the bag down, he took out the scarf and marveled at how soft it was and how well the color compliments him. "You must have paid a pretty penny for this material. It's so soft, holy sh-" He stopped himself when seeing the girl give him a stern look. Though he was older he knew to watch himself around the woman, she has a hell of a kick which he has been a victim of back in the day.
"Holy moly is what I totally meant to say.." He nervously said before wrapping the scarf around his neck and letting out a hum of delight, enjoying the feel of the material on his neck that was a bit cold after having to come in and out of the apartment.
"There's a note in the bag but I think we should get going now, it's getting late and I am still starving" The brunette complained before fixing up his scarf a bit to make it look more presentable. When she decided it looked nice enough she smacked his chest and headed out the door.
They leave the apartment and make their way to the pizzeria while making small talk here and there before settling on a comfortable silence. Midgar is the city that never sleeps so of course the streets were bustling and it didn't help his nerves that they were in the slums so to keep Aerith at a safe distance and to not lose her he held her hand, feeling his heart beat faster than usual when he felt her squeeze his hand as if to say she's with him. When he looked back at her he saw that she was smiling, admiring her craftsmanship and how well it looked on him.
"If you keep looking at me like that I'm going to assume you're having weird fantasies Aerith" he teased, getting back at her from earlier today. She simply rolled her eyes, the smile not leaving her face as she looked everywhere, amazed by all that was happening around her.
Stalls were everywhere selling multiple things, people giving shows with music, dances, magic shows, puppet shows. There was so much going on that Aerith almost felt like she was getting dizzy. To ground herself she looked back at Zack who had stopped walking and presented to her a door.
"Behold, Nonno's! The best pizza for the best prices. Now come on, we gotta get some food in that stomach before your first day."
The smell of freshly baked pizza coats the establishment which only makes their stomach growl with anticipation. Zack ordered themselves a pie before taking a seat in front of Aerith. She chose a seat by the window, most likely so she can watch people.
"She said it would take about 15-20 minutes. Good thing we're nearby." Turning to face him again she nodded and looked at the scarf again, a big grin on her face. "I still can't get over how good it looks on you. Maybe I should give up gardening and pick up crocheting full time."
"Why not do it as a side gig instead? A fun little hobby could earn you some cash to treat yourself. You'll be needing money to buy that store you wanted. I know you have some money saved up but a little more money wouldn't hurt."
The advice made her let out a thoughtful hum, nodding as she took out her small notepad and began to write down what he said since she was honestly considering it now.
After talking for a good amount of time they called out Zack's name to pick up the pizza and when he did so she went back to looking at the people out in the streets. 'I wonder if in this big city I could find him..' Snapping herself out of her thoughts she shook her head. 'Be realistic here, there is no way he is real! Aerith, as much as it hurts you need to try and forget him.' The smell of pizza brought her back to reality.
"You okay? You kinda seemed out of it."
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Just wondering about what you were talking about, no worries!"
"Okay, but if something is wrong you know you can talk to me about it, right?
As she was taking a pie she nodded and took a generous bite, not wanting to continue this conversation anymore. Zack could see this and simply let out a sigh as he did the same. He looked out of the window and saw that the sun was starting to set which made him start to worry. The days were getting shorter since it was almost the end of fall.
"I'll pick you up after your shift ends, okay? It can be dangerous when it's dark."
Aerith looked up at him just as she finished her slice and was about to take a sip from her drink, giving him a confused look. "Why would you need to walk me back? Think this gal can't look after herself" To try and prove her point she sat up, puffing out her chest to try and be intimidating but was only met with a laugh. She stuck her tongue out at him in reply before finishing up her drink and wiping any grease from her hand and mouth with a napkin.
"Maybe in your fantasies Aerith but this isn't that, you need someone to walk you home." They both cleaned up their tables, not wanting to leave a mess before leaving. The street somehow got livelier which made Aerith stick a little closer to Zack in fear of getting lost but she of course didn't want to admit that out loud.
"I get your point Zack but I can look after myself. I need to start now or I'll get used to you babying me and that simply cannot happen."
Zack frowned but didn't want to challenge her right now, wanting the food to settle first before continuing this conversation so he hummed in response, handing her his hand to take which she accepted before he made his way through the people of the street. After walking for about 5 more minutes the crowd was starting to die down since they were entering a street that didn't have as many shops so Aerith took this chance to let go of his hand much to his dismay. When they finally arrived at their destination he decided to give it another shot before he had to part ways with her.
"Aerith, you sure you don't need me to walk you home afterwards? This area can be dangerous at night."
She giggled as she walked in front of him, her hands settling on her hips before she looked at him with a confident look.
"You worry too much Zack! Ever since I've come here you've been by my side constantly and even though I do care for you a girl needs to breathe a bit! I'll be fine and if it really is that dangerous I'll ask a coworker to walk me home. I'm not a little girl."
Time seemed to slow down for Aerith as her wrist was grabbed and turned to face eyes that she had only dreamed of before. Her eyes widened in surprise, all those dreams she had were rushing back to her as she stared at his eyes. The electrifying blues that stole her heart, the reason that she wasn't able to be with Zack since she has dreamed of this man for the past 2 years. In front of her stood her bodyguard, Cloud Strife. Why? He wasn't supposed to exist, he was just supposed to be some guy she dreamt up..right?
'Wait, who's that?'
She gazed behind him to see a woman with dark hair and beautiful ruby eyes looking at them with concern. That woman looked so familiar but she couldn't get why but she seemed close to Cloud. Does this Cloud have a lover? Does he have someone already? She must have been too late since she never took the proactive chance to look for him. There were so many things rushing through her mind that she didn't notice Zack walking up and push the blonde away from her which made him let her go.
"Aerith, this is exactly why I walk you everywhere! Guys will literally grab you out of nowhere, it's dangerous!"
Snapping out of her trance she looked at him with a nervous smile and shook her head, not wanting anything to happen, especially outside of her workplace.
"Zack! It's okay, I'm alright! Clo- I mean, he doesn't look like he could hurt a fly. Lets.. let's just go inside so I can get my uniform."
Once entering the building the two stayed quiet for a minute before Aerith led Zack away from the door and to a corner to talk things out. She didn't want to leave things awkward before he left so to try and calm his nerves down she held his hand as she looked at him with a small smile.
"Zack, maybe you were right. Meet me here after I get out at 7, okay? I'll be waiting inside of the building so just shoot me a text when you get here and we can walk back to my apartment later."
He simply kept quiet, only responding with a slow nod as he gently squeezed her hand which made her smile. She was going to let go so she could go clock in but was held back, making her look up at him with a confused look before she was gently pulled in for a hug. Stunned, she ended up keeping her arms hovering around him for a second before reciprocating, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a gentle squeeze before patting his back.
"I was worried something could've happened.." He muttered against her hair, seemingly not ready to let go just yet.
"But nothing did since you were right there so it's okay, I'm here. "
That seemed to satisfy him so he pulled away and smiled, letting his hands fall down beside him before he ruffled her hair affectionately which earned him a playful pout. Now in a better mood, they parted ways with a wave before she went to the front desk to introduce herself to the clerk.
"Hi, my name is Aerith Gainsborough and I'm here for my first day as a mail processing clerk."
Hello everyone, sorry for the late introduction but I'm LemonHika and this fic is brought over from my Ao3 acc since I felt like this fic should also be shared here! I have nothing else to say other than I hope you all enjoy the fic and please do leave a review to tell me what you think of the fic or some helpful constructive criticism! This is technically my first fic so I would appreciate the reviews to motivate me to keep going!