―――ᴖᴗ―□―∞―◊―●―○―ᴖᴗ―□―∞◊―●―○ᴖᴗ―□―∞◊―●―○ᴖᴗ―□―∞―≡―◊―●―○―ᴖᴗ―◊―――

Aerith grinned at the intense look of concentration on Cloud's face. It was adorable!

The blond was currently sketching out plans for the first Slum Flower Playground. Cloud's worktable had been constructed out of the remains of the non-rotten pews from the newly gutted left aisle and some scrap metal he had picked up. The worktable was off in one of the side-rooms, but Aerith could see Cloud just fine because there was not a door to that particular room. It had been about a month since Cloud proposed the idea of making the Flower Playgrounds and they had actually done a fair bit of planning. However, with only two of them it was taking a while.

Technically there were a few playgrounds already, but a lot of those suffered from lack of care or were in areas controlled by crime lords or the even more lawless smaller gangs.

Aerith had thought she might need to keep encouraging the blond- as she had been rather nervous about the impact his missing arm might present to their tentative plans- but she had found that Cloud was incredibly stubborn once he set his mind to something.

It was rather endearing, that resolve.

However, there was such a thing as tunnel-vision and Aerith wanted her blond healthy, thank you very much! "Cloud~!" She chirped mischievously when she saw him take time out to stretch. "Come here!"

"Hum?" Cloud hummed as he made his way over to her, his toolbox and everything being left behind.

"Take a nap with me!" Aerith demanded with an outrageous pout once she has bounced over and wrapped him up in a warm hug.

"Aer, I don't think-" Cloud began, stepping back from her quickly, his eyes wide with almost-panic.

"Look." Aerith chided him, wagging a finger at him with one hand and planting the other hand on her hip imperiously. "If you really don't want to I won't force you to, but-" Here Aerith dropped her playful demeanor and gave Cloud a very soulful sort of stare. "-I want you to be able to rest, Cloud. For all that I tease you, I know you're still a grown man. You have wants and desires just like everyone else, but if you're ever gonna get comfortable enough to be able to face that part of yourself, you need to learn to trust yourself again." Aerith's mouth curved into an even fonder, more tender smile. "Itrust you, Cloudy. With my life. But you've gotta learn how to trust Cloud again before you'll really be able to accept that."

Cloud's face was a study of bitter anguish, the expressions telling a wretched tale of unreserved heartbreak. The blond had turned his troubled gaze towards the flowers early on in her small speech and he seemed to sort of curl in on himself a bit, but he did not entirely withdraw from her. Something he would have done even a month ago- so Aerith held her breath and prayed.

Cloud's hand clenched and unclenched a few times, his breathing grew ragged- though not fully panicked- and he kept his eyes fixed on the flowers. Finally, after what seemed to Aerith a small eternity, he hesitantly looked up to meet her patient, steady gaze. "I-" Cloud swallowed harshly, his teeth clenching shut involuntarily as he clenched his hand so tightly his blunt nails nearly broke skin. "I don't think I can sleep beside anyone."

"That's ok-" Aerith started kindly, keeping her disappointment far away from her voice and her body language. She wouldn't risk making Cloud feel bad just because she was secretly certain he made an excellent teddy bear and wanted to find out for certain!

"But." Cloud gave her a small half-grin at her playfully shocked expression at his audacity to cut her off. "But I think I could lay down with you? While you take a nap?" The end was tilted with a questioning lilt and Aerith could nearly see Cloud's train of thought derail. "That sounds weird, does-"

"Yes!" Aerith cheered excitedly, lunging forward and latching onto Cloud's arm and dragging him towards the small pallet of blankets she had set up in one of the other empty side rooms with a door.

Truthfully it was a mini blanket fort made from things she had scavenged from a thrift shop and then taken home to cobble together. The fabrics were all mismatched, but it was fairly cozy, if she did say so herself! She had set up a small battery-powered fan, even, because she knew Cloud had trouble with the heat. The window was stained glass and this time of day let in just enough light to be pleasant for napping instead of irritating.

"Plan ahead much?" Cloud muttered wryly after Aerith cheerfully ordered him out of his boots and belts.

"A girl has to have her schemes." She replied cheerfully without an ounce of shame. "Besides, we need plenty of rest if we are to keep our shenanigans operating at full capacity!" Aerith- having shucked off her boots and her jacket, leaving her in the sleeveless dress she had chosen to wear that day- gleefully took a bit of a running jump and dove into her blanket fort. "It's even comfier than it looks." She sighed happily.

Cloud chuckled quietly- Aerith internally cheered victorious- and sat gingerly on the edge for all of a moment before Aerith huffed impatiently and pulled him down beside her. "Pushy." Cloud huffed amusedly as Aerith rearranged their bodies to her liking and snuggled up close to her new teddy bear.

"You're even snuggly-er and cuddlier than I thought you'd be." Aerith sighed happily as she half-sprawled out over Cloud. A situation that would most likely be highly inappropriate and-or weird with just about any other man. But with Cloud it was different. Not because he was any less of a man, or unattractive- Aerith admired his spectacular muscles quite often, actually- but Cloud just felt safe to her. Safe, secure, and fiercely, unquestionably loyal and she hoped that he understood that she felt just as attached to him. Cloud was easily her best friend, partner-in-crime, her brother and her safe place to land all rolled into one.

Meeting Cloud was like meeting her soulmate. Like he was the other half of her that she had not known she was missing, but now that he was here she could never survive losing him. To go back to not having Cloud with her was akin to letting a flower mature into a brilliant, vibrant blossom and then demanding it return to the seed from which it had sprouted from.

It was so far beyond nonsensical it spiraled into outright cruelty, the mere thought of her existing in a world without her Cloud. Cloud made her feel brave.

As terrified as she was of her past catching up with her, Aerith felt that she could be brave enough to break the sky as long as Cloud was beside her.

Their connection was purely nonsexual, but it was still soul deep. The bond they shared incredibly complex yet so ludicrously simple it was nearly maddening in its magnificence. She was Aerith. He was Cloud. Together they were Aerith and Cloud and Cloud and Aerith and nothing made sense anymore without Cloud being a part of it.

Aerith blinked slowly as she slipped off towards sleep. "You'll be here when I wake up, right?"

There was no pause. "Of course."

"Promise?" She murmured sleepily as she snuggled a bit deeper into her mostly-human resting place, breathing deeply one last time- and wow did Cloud smell nice!- before she slipped off into sweet oblivion; comfortably cocooned in that sense of utter security that Cloud's presence always seemed to immerse her within.

Aerith was fully asleep by the time Cloud answered. "….I promise." Tears dripped onto her hair and he tightened his arm around her peacefully sleeping form as a way to reassure himself that she was here and this was real. "I promise."

Yet they were more than empty words. It was an oath, this swearing of undying allegiance to their bond. It was a tentative step towards the light that he had believed had forsaken him, as punishment for surviving that catastrophe; that light's absence his due for not joining his fallen squad mates in the Lifestream. But with this verbal acknowledgement his bruised and battered psyche finally acquiesced to permanently accommodate this vibrant young woman. To afford her a cherished place in his closely guarded heart. Above all else, it was a valiant declaration of his resolve that he would never let her go.

Cloud never quite relaxed enough to fall asleep, but by the time Aerith unexpectedly stretched and began to rouse, he was surprisingly refreshed.

"You're still-" Yawn. "-here." Aerith mumbled in sleepy happiness as she slowly returned to full alertness a few hours later.

"I promised." Cloud informed her solemnly, just before he reached out and laid a tender, chaste kiss against her forehead. "I always keep my promises." He murmured to her, a bit shyly, as he withdrew. His natural reticence causing a small flush to creep up the back of his neck and sprawl easily across his pale features.

Aerith laughed delightedly and wrapped her Cloud in a thrilled, triumphant hug. "I know, Cloudy. I know."

―――ᴖᴗ―□―∞―◊―●―○―ᴖᴗ―□―∞◊―●―○ᴖᴗ―□―∞◊―●―○ᴖᴗ―□―∞―≡―◊―●―○―ᴖᴗ―◊―――

Feel free to leave me a note on your way out~!

―――ᴖᴗ―□―∞―◊―●―○―ᴖᴗ―□―∞◊―●―○ᴖᴗ―□―∞◊―●―○ᴖᴗ―□―∞―≡―◊―●―○―ᴖᴗ―◊―――