Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts, its characters or storyline. This story is mine, as are Jake, McCallister, and Beverly. Like I mentioned last chapter, this chapter will serve as a sort of finale to the first arc of this story. Chapter 16 will begin the second arc. I'm pretty happy with how this turned out. Language warning for Cid's mouth. Enjoy!

..:-X-:..

043 – Slip of the Tongue

"I'm…I'm glad you called me." Aerith said sincerely, sitting huddled on the couch in Rinoa's and her apartment with the phone to her ear. "I was starting to think…"

She trailed off, preferring not to verbally complete that thought.

The other end of the line was quiet for a beat, then a low response. "Yeah."

Aerith rubbed the top of her knee. "How, uh, how have you been?"

"I've been okay." Cloud responded quietly. "You?"

She started to respond with the usual default: I'm fine, I'm all right, I'm okay, but stopped herself. This wasn't anybody she needed to have a wall around. This was Cloud, for all accounts and purposes her boyfriend. She should feel comfortable to let her guard down, even if he didn't extend her the same courtesy.

"I've been better." She confessed. "I got evicted from my apartment."

"Yuffie told me. Sorry." He replied.

She winced, "Yeah…I'm living with Rinoa now."

"…Why?" was his hesitant answer.

She blinked. "I got evicted—"

"I know that…but…why didn't you…talk to me about it?"

"Why didn't—" She inhaled sharply. "I didn't think you wanted to talk to me. It was right after our argument. You're not the easiest person to talk to, Cloud."

"It was an argument. Not…I mean, it wasn't like…the end." He stammered.

Aerith straightened a little in her seat. "Oh, I didn't think—" Yes, she totally had.

She had suspected that Cloud wanted out. He had always been a lone wolf, and she thought she could change him, break him in, get him used to the idea of opening up and being comfortable with sharing his emotions. She had basically wanted him to change his personality for her. She had feared that she had pushed him too far, and then with all of her research.

It wasn't so out of reach to ask him to bear with her while she explored this new part of her world, was it? Not after she had had to bear with him for those years when he was chasing Sephiroth. That was how relationships worked. Regardless of how emotional or closed off you were, this had to be how relationships worked. But hearing him admit it now, affirming that he hadn't been trying to get an out, lightened the burden on her heart.

"I would have helped you." He was saying.

"I know, but…how?" She asked.

There was a long pause.

"Well…I mean…You could have…I mean, I wouldn't have minded if you…if we…lived together…if you needed a place…"

Aerith sat bolt upright in her seat. "Y-you mean…us live together? Just…us?"

"…Er…"

Her heart was suddenly hammering in her chest. Live. Together. With. Cloud. Just the two of them. Sharing an apartment. A space. One kitchen. One bedroom. One living room. She stared at the poster on the wall of sunlight poring through trees in monochrome, not really seeing it at all. Panic was building in her entire body and she started hyperventilating. On the other end of the line, she could almost see Cloud frozen in the same ramrod position, eyes wide at what had just tumbled out of his mouth.

They weren't ready for that! What the heck was he proposing them moving in together for? Up until half an hour ago, she hadn't even though there was a 'them' to live together! They weren't solid or steady enough for that! The idea made her stomach turn to knots. They were barely…and with everything…there was no way…

"Do you like living with Rinoa?" He squeaked, sounding hopeful.

"Yes!" She burst out. "I really, really do."

The front door of the apartment swung open and Rinoa bounced in, gesturing wildly for Private McCallister to come in too. The soldier, however, was also on the phone.

"C'mon! Stay and hang out." Rinoa was begging.

"I can't…My landlord says there's an emergency at my apartment." McCallister was saying, and quickly made her escape.

"Living with Rinoa has been amazing." Aerith prattled on.

"Good, good." Cloud responded quickly. Too quickly. Like he was relieved.

Aerith smiled through her own relief, sinking back onto the couch. Bullet dodged. Rinoa gave her two thumbs up and headed back into her own bedroom.

"So…" Aerith rambled, eager to change the subject. "Um, I should probably go."

"Yeah, okay. Me too." Cloud said, sounding more relaxed now. Then, "Aerith?"

She smiled, more at ease now after hearing his voice. "Yes?"

"…I love you." He blurted. "Bye."

Then he abruptly hung up.

"You too." She replied and then also hung up…then froze solid again.

Wait, what had just happened?

..:-X-:..

044 – Setting the Record Straight

She had no right.

Cid missed his mouth with the top of the bottle and ended up nearly punching himself in the jaw with the bottle of whiskey. A splash of the alcohol spilled out and he cursed, wiping his mouth. The world tipped sideways as he stood from the pilot's seat. He staggered to remain upright and knocked the side of his fist against the wall of the cockpit. There was no way that he was flying back to Radiant Garden tonight.

He hadn't stopped drinking since the incident with Beverly last week. Booze helped drown the little voices in his head and all their little questions. Fucking questions. Questions like: WOULD change be so bad? How did she keep her hair so fucking RED? And, he had never had a lay like her in his life.

But that wasn't right, he cursed again and staggered out of the cockpit and into the cargo area of his Gummi Ship. She wasn't just a lay, was she? Dammit, not talking to her this week had been Hell. Just the act of not fucking TALKING to her had sucked. Sucked big, hairy balls. What was wrong with him? She had messed it up. Everything had been fucking perfect and then she had to go and get FEELINGS. Fuck feelings.

She had no fucking right.

And he had half a mind to tell her so to her ugly, gorgeous fuckin' FACE.

Well, he had HAD half a mind a few hours ago when he had landed the Gummi outside the entrance doors to Traverse Town. He had had half a mind to go in, sit down, have a civilized conversation with this woman, and get to the bottom of this. This…nonsensical idea of hers that they would…COULD possibly be anything more than what they were…which was fuck buddies. Fuck buddies was a simple relationship. Uncomplicated with shit like emotions and hurt.

And damn it all to fucking HELL that she was convincing him of it too.

Now, however, he had more than half a mind. He had just enough mind to convince him to get out of the Gummi, march up to her in the middle of her bar, in front of all the drunkards and everyone, and tell her that she was an idiot. That she was a fool for having feelings, and most of all a moron for having feelings for HIM.

Anybody with half a brain knew he was trouble in that department. Hell, at least Leon and Cloud were willing to work on it. Cid was an old dog set in his ways. He had learned painfully early on that that shit wasn't in the cards for him, and he was damn well comfortable with it.

And right after he finished this whiskey, he would tell her that to her stupid face. She could do better than him. She deserved better than him. He didn't want that mess. He didn't want to deal with the mess and the shit that came with relationships. He got front row seats on a daily basis to that. The emotionless sex was a nice break. Besides, what if they did change the agreement? And what if it all went to Hell? Then what? Then everything would stop. The phone calls, the inside jokes, the shared opinions and the ability to speak to someone in true confidence. Her horrible joke telling skills that made him laugh anyway. The way she always tried to be coy right before they hooked up, and the way she became suddenly shy after they were finished.

Dammit, he would miss that.

And she had put him in a situation where he basically had to choose between losing her now and losing her later. He wasn't gonna put up with that shit. He was going to go down there and set her straight and make her see reason.

With that thought swirling around in his drunken mind, Cid polished off the whiskey and left the Gummi. He somehow found his way from the docking bay to the Tavern without getting lost in the First District, though he nearly wiped out on a street lamp at one point. He decided to go around back for whatever reason, and knocked twice with loud, heavy knuckles before barging in anyway.

Beverly was in her apartment, wearing her reading glasses and poring over papers at the dining room table. She looked up abruptly when he barged in. "Cid."

"Listen!" He slurred, pointing at her and swaying on his feet.

"You're drunk." She exhaled, looking disappointed.

"Yes I am!" He stomped over to her. "I got summin' to say, and gahdammitall, yer gonna list'n!"

She stood as he approached, taking off her glasses and looking at him, a mix of apprehensive, fearful, and hopeful…FUCKING HOPEFUL. "Okay."

"I—" He roared, making a wild gesture.

This was it. He was gonna give her the what for now.

But whatever came after 'I' was lost in his foggy mind, and he could only think that she looked…hopeful. And it damn near stopped his heart.

He closed the distance between them and pulled her to him. She came willingly and he kissed her. He kissed her long and he kissed her good. She returned it and wrapped her arms around him. He picked her up and she immediately looped her legs around his waist.

They eventually broke apart for air, and she was smiling, breathless.

"I like you too." Cid drawled at her. "And it scares me shitless."

"Okay." She nodded, hands on either side of his face. "We can work on that."

"Later?" He suggested, already carrying her to the bedroom.

"Later." She agreed, clinging to him as he carried her, kissing him again.

..:-X-:..

045 – Operation Paper Crane Part Three

Of all the days…Tabaeus had nearly a dozen reports due tomorrow, and she was nowhere near done with any of them. And today, of all days, something happens at her apartment. The landlord cut off the phonecall with the mere instruction to: go see for yourself, before she swore she heard him chuckle and hang up.

So here, she was, finding her apartment door unlocked and ajar. Wary, she pushed the door open, already exasperated from the day's events before this. She looked up and her legs locked. She froze where she was, two steps in her doorway, eyes wide and staring.

Jake Alms stood in her living room. The confident, perpetual smirk was gone. The swagger in his posture was missing. Even the cheerful air that followed him around had disappeared. He was just…standing there. All of that she immediately noticed, and then she noticed everything else.

Masses of colorful wads of paper were hanging from her ceiling. Bright blues, oranges, reds, and greens, yellows, purples, and browns. Paper bunches in different sizes: from the size of a fist to the size of a binder clip. Utterly confused at the bizarre decorations, she looked past the mass of paper wads and instead focused on Jake.

"How—" She started.

"Leon." Jake started. "Gave me a spare key. He said you gave it to him…in case you ever locked yourself out or…something." He fidgeted. "I told him what I was doing, and he…gave it to me."

She mouthed soundlessly, unsure what to say or do.

Jake remained where he was. "I'm not…I don't want to make you uncomfortable—"

"You snuck into my apartment and decorated it." She said shakily.

"I got your landlord to call you, so you wouldn't be so shocked." He offered. "Please, let me get this out." He lifted his hands, "I don't want to trick you. I'm not trying to hurt you. I just…" He ran a hand through his hair, looking at her. "I can't get you out of my mind."

She stared at him.

"Maybe…maybe that's crazy to you, but it isn't crazy to me. You…I was fine. I was doing great the way I was living. Different girl every week. Parties every weekend. No regrets and no shame." He went on, and she was physically unable to stop him. "Then you got into my brain." He pointed at his temples. "You broke in and made yourself at home in a part of my mind where you were NOT welcome."

She continued to stare, bewildered at this side of him showing.

"And…And you didn't even know it. You couldn't even see…" He trailed away momentarily, getting his breath. "I think—I know—that you're so strong. So strong. You're independent and you're smart and you're beautiful."

Tabaeus stopped him there, moisture surprising her eyes at that word: beautiful. "No, I'm not." She averted her eyes to one of the paper wads.

"Yes. You are." Jake took one step toward her, no more. "I see you. And I see how beautiful you are. And…I don't want another notch on my board or another story to brag about. I'm not asking for anything."

"You're asking for everything." She held her arms around herself. "I can't—"

"I'm not asking you to." He sounded pained. "But you have…ruined my life in the most spectacular way." He smiled tentatively. "And I just want you to know…that if you ever find that you're tired of being strong all the time…that I want to be there. I can be strong for you. If you'll let me, that's my wish."

It was a bit of a strange phrase, and it jolted her mind as she stared at the paper wad in front of her. But, she registered, it wasn't a 'wad' at all. It was angular and pointed. The paper had been folded and bent and formed into what looked like a bird. She inhaled sharply and looked around her apartment again as it dawned.

There were one thousand paper cranes hanging from her ceiling.

Emotion choking her, she looked to Jake. "You—"

He held up his hands again, showing now several tiny red lines from a dozen paper cuts. "It took me two days straight." He said sheepishly.

"And—" Her voice faded.

"So I wish for you." He said plainly, looking at her in all seriousness.

The tears that had moistened her eyes began to break free and she swatted them away. She sniffed and cleared her throat.

"There's a superstition," She mumbled, "That a wish won't come true if you say it out loud."

Jake gave only a small smile. "Then how is anyone supposed to make it come true?"

Heart hammering, Tabaeus hesitated, and then slowly crossed over to him. When they were arms' length apart, she looked up at him, painfully aware of her security bubble still between them. Her skull buzzed and she wiped at her tears again, clearing them this time.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she stepped up and kissed him. Briefly and slightly off center in her haste, but he returned it all the same, without trying to pull her to him or hold her close. He just let her be as the quick kiss ended. The buzz spread down her entire body and she leaned forward, touching her forehead to his. Then she began to cry.

He held her then, gently, as they stood in her living room surrounded by paper cranes.