The familiar touch of her fingers locking wih his sent his neurons firing in all directions. She was otherworldly to him, ethereal. The most beautiful woman hed ever seen in his 25 years. He remembered fondly the moment he first laid eyes on her atop sector 8 amidst the destruction. The way she spun and their eyes locked. Her knowing smile that shone only for him as the world fell away. Cloud was never really interested in women up until that point, sure he had a childhood crush on Tifa but thats all it ever was. Yet here he was faced with a beauty that made him breathless. Not just her eyes either, it was the way her bangs curled up then came down to frame her face perfectly. It was her walk and the gentle sway of her hips, the way her pink ribbon bobbed as she strided towards him with confdence. The way her feet faced inwards that somehow made her even cuter as she walked... the way her eyes lit up the most vivid, gorgeous emerald under the streetlights after one of his very first visions subsided. Gorgeous. Thats what she was and thats what she is. Breathtakingly, painstakingly gorgeous and to Cloud her beauty never faded. No matter how many times they shared a tent, or how many times he saw her bangs stick to her face in sweat after an arduous battle. She was radiant and for the briefest few days after their gondola ride, she was his. Not his charge but his lover, sure they never had time to physically bond as that was the next step but their hearts were one and thus, here she was.

Somehow.

Walking beside him once more, fingers locked, brushed up against his arm as they circled the lake. An utterly surreal feeling and one that he knew was brief but even death couldn't keep them apart and if he was indeed Cetra then he would fight through hell and back if it meant she could return to his side. Hundreds of thoughts shot through his head at this realization. Foremost of them was; what does it mean to be a cetra? Aerith searched her whole life for the meaning and what her purpose was. Cloud wasn't even sure if he was one. Yet what Ifalna had said rang true. He did have visions and blinding headaches and ringing in his ears. They did start hours before meeting Aerith. They were visions of a future that came to pass.
"Aertih, does your mum truly believe I'm cetra? What does that even mean? What am I supposed to do with this knowledge? I can't hear the planet at all. You already know that, talking to your flowers for 3 years without as much as a "go away". If I was lost without you before, I'm truly fucked now. " the blonde pondered.

"Cloud you'll never be without me. We'll figure this out together like we always. Though I admit the revelation took me off guard too. It makes perfect sense though. You don't know your father do you?" she mused casting her gaze at the giant marble husks of the cetran capital the other side of the lake.

"No, never had that pleasure. He went missing shortly after I was born."

"and the parallels just keep coming huh. Ironic how you found out about my father before I did." she chuckled lightly.

"yours didn't go missing though." he was struggling to see the connection she was making.

"no but I still grew up without one." she turned her head to meet his gaze and he turned away berating himself for overlooking that simple detail. "don't Cloud, please. It's not worth beating yourself up about. What matters is you and what this means. So I'll impart what knowledge I know of." Aerith let go of his hand and motioned for them to sit at the waters edge. "I hope you've eaten well! This might take a while."

"a huge stack of pancakes with syrup for breakfast. Will that do?" Cloud deadpanned enticing a soft giggle from the brunette.

"Okay now I am jealous. I bet she's got you moved in to my room and everything." Aerith beamed at him as he groaned.

As Aerith sat down Cloud decided he would sit behind her, spreading his legs so she was in the centre he wrapped both arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. Aerith in turn laid her arms atop his and relaxed into his core like she was made to fit.

"Oh this is wonderful. Have you always been this cosy mister? I kinda feel like I've been missing out all this time." she hummed quietly as his hold tightened.

"You were the one hiding for the last year." Clouds voice was soft but hurt. He needed this as much as she did but as she explained in the church, she wanted him to move on. She couldn't watch him crumble any more vying for the love of a dead woman. But now? Now she accepts the way things are. Like Cloud, she accepts the circumstances and that there is no other way for him to feel joy. She desperately hoped Tifa would be the one to heal his open wound in his soul but any advances she made were shut down instantly. Whether it was under the highwind, during the advent or otherwise. Cloud was just not interested, in fact Aerith summised that Cloud did indeed react with disdain at the monk coming onto him days after Aeriths death and shooting her shot.

Aerith recalled watching with tears in her eyes as Tifa approached Cloud as seductively as she could and Cloud actually getting the message. She watched as Cloud humoured her well enough to play her at her own game. Allowing Tifa to make her move before cutting her down with one of the coldest replies Aerith had ever witnessed in her life. She recalled the joy that Cloud kept her in his heart and didn't give in to such base wants. She recalled how it made her sick that she felt happy that Cloud upset Tifa without an ounce of holding back. Of how Cloud felt his love for Aerith was violated in such a way. The anger he felt at how Tifa held Aerith so high as a friend in life yet here she was, trying to seduce him mere days after he, himself laid her to rest. As for Cloud? It was clear as day he'd never forgive Tifa for the list of violations he felt she imposed on him that day and afterwards Ever since then, their fractured friendship has been one sided at best. Cloud visited for Marlene. He visited for Denzel, the boy Aerith brought to him as an orphaned son who's resemblance to the cetra was uncanny. Yet he'd be damned if he had to suffer Tifa's presence any more than he had to.

"I'm truly sorry for that. I wanted you to move on and live but it seems-"

"That's never what you wanted Aerith. It's not even what you hoped for." Cloud cut her off quietly as his eyes closed. Taking in her warmth and her scent in equal measure.
"You got me. No, I wanted to live. Obviously. Then I wanted to be around you as much as I could. To heal your wounds and make you whole. But then my strength faded. Time doesn't move very fast when you're in the lifestream so regaining my strength took forever. I got frustrated. I couldn't even summon a physical form most of the time. All I could do was watch as you cried yourself to sleep. Every. Single. Night." tears began to well up in her eyes." It was torture Cloud. Even in death, the cetran in me laughs and goads me. My consciousness lives on for what? So I can watch the man I wanted to marry fall apart without me? so I could scream at him while he twirls his sword debating whether he should end his life 5 feet away from me without him ever knowing I was right there? So I could never run my fingers through his hair or ever feel him cuddle me at night when that's all he's asking for?" her sobs echoed throughout the giant chamber as Cloud raised his head and watched her with a solmn expression,

" So I could see our daughters eyes every time I looked at you? "

Clouds eyes blew wide at what he thought he'd just heard.

" Our..." he mumbled

"I could see the future. It was our very last night in the gold saucer. Remember when we returned before we headed to the temple for the keystone? I'd just got out of the shower and Tifa had seen my materia. I mentioned it was my mom's and it was passed down from each generation. Tifa made a remark about my daughter and that she wondered who she would become." Aerith barely stopped to breathe as she recalled the event in fine detail. Cloud just listened to her as he always did with wild intent. She loved that about him, he always held onto every word, every lesson, every detail and could recall all of them.

"I never thought about it until then of course; the future. The far future. For some reason I lived every day as it was my last. At the time I wasn't sure why but when you returned the full maeia to me I realised that my time really was running out quickly. Anyway. That night I had a dream. We was older... By a couple of years I'd say. I had a ring on my finger," Aerith finally turned to Cloud with a full smile and leaned back into him as she continued to look at her hero." It was gold with the most intricate inlays and craftsmanship and had a single blue tourmaline in the centre flanked by two diamonds. Oh Cloud it was beautiful. You had a similar one on your hand but yours was a single emerald on its own."

"Vivid dream this one." Cloud didn't know what to say. He was still stuck on the topic of a daughter.

"As far as my visions went I rarely saw them while awake. In my dreams though. Oof, they were vivid alright. Right down to the pain." she lifted her left hand and rubbed her stomach absentmindedly before Cloud gently wrapped her hand in his.

"I'm sor-"

"shhhh. Don't." she smiled as her kiss cut him off before finishing her little story. "we'd walked up to the steps of a house in Kalm. It was a lovely house within view of the markets and clock tower. Anyway, when I opened the door there was a teenage Marlene sat at the dinner table painting with a little girl. Hair like mine and a bright yellow bow but it was her eyes Cloud. Wow." the brunette gazed deep into Clouds eyes taking in every bit of the tourmaline orbs." They were yours Cloud and they were beautiful." tears silently welled once more in Aeriths eyes as she tried her hardest to smile.." We could've had a family. We... Had a family."

Aerith turned towards Cloud and bawled into his chest as he pulled her in. She had held this in since the gold saucer which only reconfirmed that Aeriths as indeed the strongest person he'd ever met. Cloud held her for what felt like eternity before he too succumbed to the realization that Sephiroth not only stole his soul mate but also his future. One where both of them would have had a place to truly call home. A place where they belonged. Where there was infinite love and warmth and protection. No shinra, no Sephiroth, no judgement from folk outside of their bubble. Nobody to threaten the life they had forged themselves. A life they had rightly earned.

-
A couple of hors passed before they finally calmed down. Even in each other's embrace his world was rocked once more by another revelation. A revelation of which he no longer desired but full on hungered for. His childhood was robbed and as such he was the stunted man he grew up to be. Then shinra robbed him of his home and his mom. As for Aerith she was a labrat for half of her life, Hojo taking her mom early too. Neither of them had a pleasant upbringing and knowing that he could've given one to a child such as his own stung far more than it had any right to. Both him and Aerith had a life together in another world.

In another world.

"Aerith. Tel me what you know of the cetra." Cloud put his thoughts on hold as he remembered why he was truly there.

"Right." Aerith was almost at a whisper in her response. "So you know that the cetra were the bullies of the world just as much as the protectors, right? Depending on the region, each cetra would be different. In my families case we were profoundly strong in healing magic. Sure we were adept at other kinds but my magic is firmly rooted in healing and nature. I don't even have to try to summon a sorcerers storm, it's just natural and when I need to I can heal like how I cured geostigma. She explained.

"Yeah, neat trick in the church by the way. Pushing past your limit in the lifestream like that." Cloud was seriously impressed at the time and Aerith just blushed in response.
"Anyway... Our job is to find out your bloodline and see what innate abilities you have. Some cetra were masters of destruction. Like Queen Minerva, who according to the souls I've spoken to could sommon comets without materia. There were those that specialised in status effects. There were those that could affect time and space, think Gravity magic and the like. There were healers like me that also specialised in summons and finally there were the Guardians. I don't know much about them as they were specially honed fighters that were chosen to serve the queen. These ones could augment their magic with a weapons, bending reality and manifesting their powers at will, making them incredibly powerful. These were the ones we saw in the temple visions that fought Jenova."

"But they looked just like the classic fairytale mages" Cloud hummed.

"They did yes but that doesn't mean they weren't powerhouses as melee fighters. You don't need armor if you have one hell of a barrier spell." Cloud laughed at Aeriths reasoning. She was right of course. His head swayed side to side as if to wordlessly admit" point taken".

"Do you have any idea which ones I could be... Or not be?" Cloud questioned curiously.

"I do as a matter of fact. In all my time of fighting by your side I got to know all your little quirks, movements, and most importantly, how strong your spell types were. Frustratingly, you are a really good spell caster. Your status spells are by far the weakest though so thats a start. "she tapped a finger on her chin as she rifled through her memories.

" wait. You don't need materia to summon spells. How will seeing how strong I can cast a fire spell with a materia tell you anything? "

" Easily. What is materia if it's not the power of the ancients?" Again, Cloud was shot down quickly with an obvious answer. Again, he groaned in frustration as she giggled and bopped his nose with her own.

" I'd wager... You're either destruction caste, time caste or... God forbid, Guardian." this time Aerith was the one who groaned as the thought crossed her mind. "Thing is Cloud, there were these things called Aeons in ages past. What we refer to today as summons. The healers of the land would go on pilgrimage to collect summons and gain power. Guardians were the titles given to those who would protect the healers. From what I can gather, the best Guardians entered service as the Queens Guard if the pilgrimage was completed. Unfortunately, it looks like not many made it to the end of their quest otherwise I would've found a Guardian to commune with by now. My mom's searching too to no avail. So we really need you to be from the first two castes I mentioned. Please!" she begged jokingly at the swordsman as he took all the information in.

"Ill do my best." Cloud replied with rolling eyes illiciting a giggle from his girlfriend. He soon entered into a scowl as he retreated into his mind.

"Uh oh. The cogs are grinding." Aerith teased.

"If I have to be any. I want... I Need it to be time." Clouds voice had an unfamiliar determination to it.

"Any particular reason you'd like to levitate?" Aerith teased as she closed the gap between their faces.

"Levitate? no. What I want is to save ypu."

Aerith reared back with her own eyes blown open this time.

"Cloud that's a lovely thought but I don't think you under-" she started to reason.

"I. Want. To. Save. You." Cloud repeated. Gone were the glassy, unfocused orbs that were hopeless when he arrived.

"Actually, fuck it. I was your bodyguard. I'm probably a Guardian, right? Maybe I'm adept in both time and destruction. I can imbue my sword with magic when I'm pushed past my limits. Usually resulting in explosions. All the while time seems to come to a crawl, right?" Clouds determination was dangerous and starting to fill Aerith herself with hope but for once she wanted to be selfish.

She wanted this.

They needed this and they deserved this.
They earned this.

Aeriths own eyes lit up with determination." Alright Cloud. Will you stay the night with me? I have enough strength for the next 24 hours. I'd like to spend it with you." the brunette blushed as she turned away at her request.

"Like I'm going anywhere." Cloud deadpanned.

"Alright, I'll speak to my mom as you sleep. See what she's found out. Normally I'd like more evidence before jumping to conclusions but if she thinks you almost died with that migraine then I'm not going to argue. She's a full cetra and a healer at that. She'd know her stuff. We need to harness your powers and quickly. It's obvious you have time magic, it goes without saying due to your visions of the future but your destruction magic hits like a truck too. So in hindsight, maybe you are a Guardian?" Aerith retreated back into her own thoughts once more as Cloud pulled her out of her little world with a powerful, deep kiss. Wrapping his arms around her and pulling her on top of him totally taking her breath away.

"you have the voice of an angel but even angels need to breathe" he smirked against her lips.

"Is that your way of saying shut up? Because that was smooth for you" she shot back.

"If you want me to spend the night here don't expect me to just sleep it away. I've needed you for 3 years. I've missed you so fucking much. IF I can find a way to save you I will. To hell with the cetra, jenova or sephiroth. I'll go back, I'll relive the moment and I'll set things right. Not as a Guardian. But as your Guardian. I need this hope to hold on to. I've had none for 3 years. I need this. " Clouds determination was infectious and between that and the deep kiss she didn't expect Aerith was indeed set aflame.

She didn't even know she could be set aflame down there but this man always did do things to her she couldn't explain. How in Gaias name could a spectre, a ghost, such as her feel anything sexual? Yes she used her abilities and her energy to manifest herself physically but she wasn't alive. Yet when their lips met once more with total, unadulterated passion her heart was about to explode out of her chest, her head felt light. Such strange feelings that she'd never felt before and yet here she was. Not for the first time today she decided to go with it and be selfish. Letting her arms dangle as he jacket dropped behind her.

Pushing Cloud to the ground in surprise at her forwardness her found their lips locked passionately once more as one hand of hers cupped his face while the other undid the buttons on his trousers.

If he didn't care, why should she?

Aerith yelped a little as he lifted her by her waist easily and effortlessly swapped positions, her hair spraying over the floor underneath her.

Utterly ethereal in every sense.

He dived down caressing her neck with his lips as one hand supported him and the other travelled up her calf, then over her knee...

"How are you... How do you..." the cetra was totally at a loss. She knew he was a man of action but this was something else. She also knew neither of them were versed in he art of lovemaking. At all. Cloud refused anything Tifa offered or anyone else and Aerith? well, apart from her sheltered life the only guy who ever showed interest in her was Cloud. There was Zack but he showed interest in anything with two legs Aerith summised.

Yet Cloud was powerful, he was on autopilot and all encompassing. He seemed to know what he was doing which made Aerith even more of a puddle. We're they seriously going to do this?

In her... Condition?

The answer, much to her excitement, was a resounding yes.