Cloud awoke the next morning to the bright light coming in the window. But something was different about this time. There was a presence in his bed that wasn't there before—Aerith—and he had his arm wrapped softly around her waist. So it wasn't a dream. It really happened.
Wait, did they…?
He took stock of what they both were wearing. He had his sleeping shirt and shorts on, and she was still in her familiar pink nightgown. So, they must not have. He searched his brain, trying to remember the details of the previous night.
He remembered watching the fountains, and then her being tired soon after that. She had offered to share the same bed with him if he was comfortable with it, which, of course, he was. And then he had held her in his arms while she had slowly drifted off into sleep. He had spent a few more hours awake in a state of shock, but eventually he succumbed to sleep himself. And here they were the next morning.
Cloud had a thought to check his phone. He tried to slowly remove his hand from her waist without waking Aerith, but it was no use. As soon as he lifted up his arm, she stirred awake, and she turned to look at him. He searched her face for any hint of regret from last night, but all he got was a smile forming on her lips when her eyes met his.
"Morning," she said sweetly, the words coming out slowly as she began to wake up.
"Morning," he replied as he debated his next move. His eyes moved towards her lips and he studied them carefully, debating if he should act. What was the protocol with the morning after? Was it okay if they kissed last night? Should he be worried about morning breath? So many new things to consider that he hadn't thought of in quite a while.
As Aerith awoke, he could see her recognize his hesitation. She moved ever-so-slightly closer, and Cloud took it as the sign he needed. He closed the distance between them, threw caution to the wind, and softly pressed his lips to hers. Her lips were just as magical as the night before, and they both found the new rhythm of the early morning. The fountains weren't quite awake either, but they might as well have been.
He pulled himself away to get a look at her blue eyes once more. "Should we have…? I hope you're not disappointed we didn't…" He couldn't bring himself to say the words, even though they both knew what he meant.
Aerith shook her head. "I think you had the right idea. We should move slowly." She reached out her hand and gently stroked his face. "This isn't a 'what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas' type thing, right?"
He chuckled and reached for her hand, their fingers intertwining. "I was hoping not. I want to see you again when we get back home."
She smiled back at him and squeezed her hand in his. "Again, huh? One date ought to do it, then."
Or maybe more, but Cloud didn't want to get ahead of himself just yet, even though it was very hard not to.
She reached for her phone to check the time, temporarily breaking their gaze, and then turned back to Cloud with a somber expression. "Ugh, we have to check out of here in a couple hours. And I haven't even started packing because someone distracted me last night." She playfully pointed a finger at his chest.
She started to get out of bed, but he gently pulled at her waist, and she fell back onto the sheets.
"Can I get one more kiss?" he asked, scooping her towards him.
"You mean you want more? Even though you've got a priceless reward coming your way when we get back home?"
"Just a quick kiss then," he bargained.
But it was not quick, at all. Their lips met again and she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself closer to him. He tightened his grip around her and ran his hands along her back. Their legs and lips intertwined as the sun slowly made its way up into the sky. Cloud could have stayed in this moment forever.
With much reluctance, Cloud and Aerith eventually escaped the bed and did their respective packing. As Cloud zipped up his stuffed duffel bag, he took a moment to look up and take in their room one final time. The sun glowed through the window and illuminated the mixture of marble and wood in the room. In the distance, he could see the fountains outside the window; they were sleeping for now, but would awake later in the day to dazzle the new inhabitants of this room.
His eyes moved towards Aerith, her ponytail swaying as she maneuvered her things inside her suitcase. She was so focused on maximizing her luggage for optimal space, that she didn't notice he was looking at her. He was a little sad that the trip was finally coming to an end, but he also was hopeful of what was to possibly come.
Soon, Aerith had finished her packing too. The magical check-out time had arrived, and they both made their way to the doorway with their suitcases trailing behind them.
She took one last glance at the room. "I'm gonna miss this place. I don't wanna leave, but we gotta check out and meet up with the guys." Cloud certainly did not want to leave either, but he knew that practically he had to. All wonderful vacations must come to an end at some point. Aerith turned to face towards the door, and she reached for the handle to open it into the hallway.
"Wait," Cloud said, extending a hand out over hers before she could complete her task.
She turned around to face him. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, his lips found hers and they enjoyed each other's warmth once more. He savored the taste of her as though it was the last time they would kiss, even though he knew—or at least hoped—it wasn't true.
She broke away from him with a dazed but pleased smile on her face. "We'll have to save that for later. I don't want to keep your friends waiting."
Cloud nodded and they both reluctantly head out through the doorway and into the hallway, where Biggs and Wedge were waiting a few doors down.
Wedge acknowledged the two of them with a smile and a wave. "So, did you have any luck last night?"
Aerith looked over at Cloud and then back at Wedge, a big grin forming on her face. "You could say that." Cloud even smiled a bit himself, a rarity for him that told the two guys all they needed to know.
"Nice," Biggs said as he and Wedge exchanged subtle sly grins.
The group made their way back through the hotel, down the elevator, and through the lobby. As they came to the final set of doors leading to the outside, they all spun around and took one more look at the gorgeous hotel. The marble floors were still pristine, waiting for a new set of guests to arrive. The machines were starting to bustle with activity and the false promise of good luck. In the distance, he could see the conservatory with the colorful array of flowers, a few of which he could now recognize thanks to Aerith.
In his past Vegas vacations, Cloud was usually ready to leave after a four-day stint. His wallet was empty and the neon lights had worn out their welcome. But this one was a little bittersweet. He turned his attention to Aerith; she broke from her glance off in the distance to meet his eyes. They exchanged smiles and, for a moment, time stopped. Then, as time resumed, the group finally made their way out of the doors towards the parking garage.
Upon finding their car, they began the task of loading it back up with their respective suitcases. Cloud was put in charge of making sure everything fit, including Aerith's monstrosity. Once the trunk was full, the lid closed with a thud, signifying it was finally time to head out.
Biggs opened the driver side door. "Do you need the front seat this time, Aerith?"
Aerith shook her head and raced to open the driver-side rear door. "I think I'd prefer the backseat, actually." She gave a playful smile and climbed into the car. Biggs and Wedge both gave Cloud very enthusiastic thumbs ups before heading inside the car themselves. Cloud gave a small roll of his eyes, opened the passenger-side rear door, and hopped inside as well.
The group made their way back through the familiar terrain as they headed home. Biggs and Wedge did most of the talking, recounting their night escapades that included almost getting roped into a time-share presentation from hell and finding a speakeasy in an unassuming shoe store. While the pair shared their story, Cloud and Aerith traded smiles and the occasional sweet text message back and forth.
Cloud and Aerith stood next to one another, the suitcases out from the car, at the entrance to Seventh Heaven. Biggs and Wedge remained in the car saying their goodbyes.
"I guess this is it," Wedge said to both of them. "It was a great trip and I'm glad you could come along, Aerith."
She blushed a little at his comment. "Thanks for having me."
Biggs nodded and then turned his attention to the road. "Well, it's time for us to be off. You two get home safe, okay?"
Aerith and Cloud nodded in unison as their vacation ride took off and disappeared into the distance. He turned to face her and couldn't believe they were finally alone. It was just the two of them and their vehicles, parked next to one another, as if they had predicted their respective owners' fate.
They stood for a moment looking at one another, their luggage sitting comfortably by their side.
"So…" they said together, both not wanting to go home just yet.
Cloud chuckled as they both moved closer to one another, closing the distance between them. He reached out his hand towards her face and brought her lips to his. She pulled her arms around his neck and leaned into him, letting the sensation swallow them both. He ran his fingers through the small strands of her hair in front and worked his hands down near her neck as their lips danced upon one another. She moved her hands through his hair, as well, letting the soft strands brush against her fingertips. He moved toward her waist, feeling the curves of her hips. As the sun began its descent, their mouths continued to move in sync, now better understanding the pace of one another.
Aerith was the one to eventually break away. "I could do this all night. But I do have to work tomorrow. And get some sleep, too."
Cloud let out a sigh as the coolness returned to his lips, now absent of hers. "Okay. But you said there would be one date, right?"
"At least one." His heart skipped a beat at the mention of her comment.
"So, maybe we could do dinner and a movie. Maybe… tomorrow?"
Aerith smiled even bigger and nodded her head. "I'd like that. But first, I might need your help getting this suitcase into my trunk."
Cloud laughed and happily obliged at her request. He couldn't resist an opportunity to help. With the trunk secure, Aerith opened the driver's side door of her car and climbed in. The engine started up with a roar and she turned her attention back to Cloud.
"Well," he started, "It's been a really fun trip."
Aerith nodded. "I've really enjoyed it. All the moments and the memories. Thank you again for inviting me."
Cloud gave her a reassuring smile and took a moment to look into her eyes. He wasn't ready to let her go just yet. He put his hands on the edge of the bottom window and leaned in towards her. She moved closer to him from the driver's seat, helping to meet in the middle. Their lips locked together, and he savored her taste one more time.
She moved her head away and let out a giggle. "Okay, now I'm really going."
Cloud returned her laugh and pulled his head away to give Aerith clearance. He watched as she pulled out of her parking space, waved goodbye, and made her way into the distance of the highway, too. Once she was out of view, he turned around and leaned on the trunk of his car. He stood still for a moment, staring into the sky, reliving the memories of the past few days. He knew he'd have to go home soon, too, but for now he let the happiness wash over him. For once, he was excited at what was to come.
A/N: I did it! I finally get to mark a fanfic complete. Thanks for sticking with me if you made it this far. And I made it in before Rebirth is released (no spoilers plz - since it will probably be a little bit before I play it)
While the story is complete, you may see occasional updates of bonus chapters. I have some reworked scenes I may post and I really want to rewrite Chapter 1. Maybe even I'll post a future chapter if the mood strikes.
Thanks again for all the love and here's hoping Clerith gets a better outcome in Rebirth than the original game.