Cloud nervously paced from one side of the room he'd been provided to the other.
His concerns didn't actually stem from the dream Aerith had shared once he and Vincent had finished their trip and returned to the house—although he was very much worried about the Weapon attacking Midgar—or from the fact the Council was in a closed, all day session as they debated what to do. No, his worry was entirely focused on the green-eyed woman in the other room and what he could possibly do to try and help her.
Aerith had wanted to join the Council session that had begun in the morning, but Lucrecia had told her that, unfortunately, wouldn't be possible. Something about Council proceedings and the future of the Cetra. The Archmage had said that the two of them should take the day to recover from their travels and to prepare for what was to come once the Council settled on a decision, but it was already the middle of the afternoon, and based on the increasingly frustrated noises coming from Aerith's room, it didn't sound like she was terribly relaxed.
He didn't want to intrude, but given the stress she was undoubtedly under, it did feel like Aerith would benefit from taking some time off to focus on doing literally anything other than worrying about all the things that were going wrong around them. The question was how he could best help to accomplish that. Only one idea had come to mind so far and he'd been frantically trying to come up with anything else.
And failing.
Realizing he was just wasting time at this point, Cloud came to a halt in the middle of the room, steeled his nerves, and then marched out into the hallway to gently knock on Aerith's door.
"Come in," she called out almost immediately after.
He pushed open the door to find her rising from the desk she must have been seated at when he'd knocked. She was wearing a smile, but combined with the faint wrinkle in her brow and how well he knew her, Cloud could tell she was forcing it. Despite that, she still looked beautiful. Not that he'd ever say that out loud. "Hey," he said, his brain still scrambling to come up with the best way to go about this.
"Heya," she chirped back. "What's up?"
"How are you doing?" he asked. It was the first thing that came to mind and as soon as the words left his mouth he wished he'd come up with something better. He was supposed to be taking her mind off her worries, not focusing on them.
Aerith sighed. "Honestly? It's kinda exhausting. Everyone expects me to have all the answers, just because I happen to be a Seer, but I'm as lost as they are. And then, despite that, it still feels like I'm letting people down. I should be able to do more. I have to." She gave him a closer look. "Why?" she asked, cocking her head slightly to the side as her eyes pierced through him. "Are you worried about me?"
"I—" He floundered. She wasn't wrong, but he couldn't just admit that. Or could he? "Maybe? A bit? It's just, you've been locked up in here all day and I get why you're so stressed out, but maybe it would help if you took a break, or something. I thought, maybe, if you were interested, of course, and this is just a suggestion, but we could possibly go . . . look around the city, or . . . something. I dunno . . ."
It took all of his remaining willpower to not flee the room. That had somehow been worse than a complete disaster.
"Oh? Are you asking me out on a date?" Aerith's surprise quickly changed into a smile, one of those ones that caused her eyes to light up and his stomach to start flip-flopping all over the place.
A date? Was that what this was? Cloud swallowed nervously. Dates were Zack's thing, not his. He had no idea what he was supposed to do in this situation. "Umm, maybe? I mean, sure, I guess. But, only if you want to!" His cheeks felt like they had to be on fire after all of that. Even if he didn't know what he was doing, it was painfully obvious how much of an idiot he was making himself look like. And now he kind of did want her to say yes, but that was obviously out of the question at this point, especially after he'd—
"I'd like that very much. Is there anything in particular you had in mind or should we just make it up as we go?"
"Of course not, I never should have—" Cloud cut off, blinking several times. Had she just . . . No, he must have misheard. But he had to make sure. "Sorry, what was that?"
"I said," Aerith replied, taking a step closer with an amused look on her face, "that I would love to go on a date with you. Where should we start?"
His brain short-circuited. "Uh," was all he could form as a response.
"Well, let's start off by walking around. I'm sure something will jump out as fun before long." She grabbed his hand—deftly intertwining her fingers with his own for some reason—and gave him a gentle tug, pulling him along in her wake.
Not wanting to be dragged and make it seem like he wasn't on board, Cloud hurried to catch up with her, falling in at her side as they left the house. They walked in silence for a while, their linked hands swinging gently between them as they made their way down the leaf-strewn road. The leaves were all from the smaller trees that made up the buildings of the city, not from the giant one looming above everything else. He wondered what happened when one of those did come crashing down, they seemed large enough that they'd crush anything under them.
"Don't worry, those ones never fall."
He blinked, then realized she must have seen him looking up. "Oh, well that's good. Would be pretty scary otherwise."
"Never thought I'd hear you were frightened of a plant," Aerith teased.
Chuckling, he ruefully shook his head. "I'd rather fight a behemoth than a leaf that size."
"Fair enough, I don't think it would be much of a fight in the first place. Probably just squish you flat."
"Unless it landed like a dome, then I could turn it into a base—like that pillow fort we made as kids."
Her eyes twinkled. "I'm surprised you remember that."
"What? Of course I do, that's easily one of the highlights of my childhood."
He was surprised when Aerith didn't immediately respond, then began to worry he'd said something wrong as the silence dragged out. Just as he was about to ask her what he'd done wrong, she finally spoke up.
"I . . . never realized how much that meant to you. It's one of my favorite memories as well."
Her voice was surprisingly soft, and when he glanced over at her, the look she was giving him immediately caused his face to heat up and forced him to look away. Cloud opened his mouth to respond, but then couldn't find the words he wanted. They kept getting all tangled up which was frustrating because he knew what he wanted to say, but not how to say it.
And then the moment was gone, as Aerith broke the silence he'd been unable to. "Anyways. Is there something in particular you'd like to see? I'm not terribly familiar with the city, but I'll do my best to be a good tour guide."
Cursing himself internally, Cloud looked around for inspiration, not wanting to let her down again. His eye caught on one of the many flower decorations he'd seen hanging around the city since they'd started walking and it seemed like as good an option as any. "Is there something special going on with all the decorations?"
Aerith smiled softly as she followed his gaze. "With everything that's been going on, I'd completely forgotten it was that time of year. Those are made by children for the summer solstice festival. There will probably be a lot more closer to the center of the city if you're interested. Although . . ." She looked thoughtful for a moment before her face seemed to light up. "That reminds me of one that I made of a chocobo as a child, and now I know exactly what I want to do first."
"Oh?"
"Chocobos! They're much more common here in the capital, I'm positive we could find a petting zoo or something."
Cloud wasn't all that sure what was so special about a large, oversized bird, but to be fair, he'd only heard stories of the animals, and with how excited Aerith looked, there was no chance he was going to let her down. "Alright, sure. Let's do it!"
They set out on their quest to find a chocobo, and after receiving some directions from a helpful guard, it wasn't long before they arrived at a stable close to one of the gates leading out of the city. Aerith immediately raced over to the fence as they drew close, her hand slipping free from his, and only then did Cloud realize how much he suddenly missed that connection to her.
A man who had been taking care of the three chocobos there—two yellow and one a shocking blue—turned to greet them as the birds all looked over in interest.
"Why, hello there. How can I help you on this here fine day?"
Aerith glanced between him and the animals. "I don't mean to impose, but . . . I've loved chocobos ever since I was a kid, and I was wondering if I could maybe feed, or even ride one if that's possible."
Watching from a few steps back, Cloud couldn't help but smile at how excited she sounded. The man seemed to pick up on it too, as he chuckled slightly. "I don't have any problem with it, but it's more up to them than me." He reached down and picked up a bucket before holding it out toward Aerith. "Go ahead and grab some greens, the birds will let you know what they're comfortable with."
Cloud took a step closer as Aerith reached out and grabbed some leafy green plants from the bucket. He didn't think the animals were dangerous, but they were quite large, and if anything did end up going wrong then he wanted to be able to quickly do something about it. This close, he realized that one of the yellow birds was actually much more of a darker golden color as Aerith stopped in front of it and slowly held out the greens.
"Wark." The chocobo cocked its head slightly, then took a step forward and carefully began to eat out of Aerith's hands. She laughed, the sound bright and full of joy.
"Huh, would you look at that," the man said with a clear note of surprise in his voice as the bird settled down onto the ground at her feet. "Aura doesn't usually like strangers much, but that's the sign that she's willing to let you hop on if you'd like."
Aerith apparently didn't need to be told twice, as she eagerly pulled herself up onto the chocobo's back and settled in. A moment later, the bird stood back up and ruffled its feathers slightly. "Kweh!" She looked so happy at that moment—smiling brightly atop the giant bird—that Cloud vowed he would do everything in his power to end this war so that Aerith could spend the rest of her life making more cheerful memories like this one.
After a few laps around the enclosure, the chocobo eventually settled back down on the ground and Aerith hopped off, briefly petting her on the head as she whispered something he couldn't make out before turning to face him. "You want a turn?"
He blinked in surprise, before holding up his hands and shaking his head. "I'm good."
"Boo. You're missing out, but once this is all over I'm going to bring you back, and then we can go chocobo riding together in the woods."
That . . . honestly didn't sound bad at all to Cloud, and was yet one more reason to find a way to reach that happy future. Aerith thanked the owner before walking back over to his side and grabbing his hand once again. This time, he was the one to slip his fingers between hers.
"Thanks for going along with that. Before we got sidetracked, you were asking about the decorations, do you want to go check out the city square and see some more of them?"
He quickly shook his head. There would be a lot more people there, he imagined, and right now he was enjoying that they were completely alone and free to look around without drawing any looks. "No, that's okay, I was just curious." Then he realized he did have an idea where they could go. "Actually, it should be done by now, and I think I remember how to get there."
Clearly puzzled, Aerith didn't resist as it was his turn to tug her along as he led them in the direction he thought Vincent had taken yesterday. This was going to be incredibly awkward if he was wrong, but Cloud felt confident enough that he knew where they were. That feeling grew as they reached a more occupied section of the city and he began to recognize a few of the shops.
"Where are we going?" Aerith asked, her head swiveling as she took in both sides of the street they were walking down.
"It's a surprise," he replied. Part of that surprise would inevitably be ruined once she saw the destination, but he wasn't overly worried about that.
As they turned down one street, a man jumped directly into their path, and Cloud immediately shifted to put himself between the stranger and Aerith.
"Can I interest you in a flower for your lovely girlfriend?" the stranger asked, pulling his hands out from behind his back to reveal a bouquet of flowers in each, both filled to the brim with an absolutely shocking variety of colors.
"Ooo, how about it, Cloud?" Aerith asked as she stepped to his side to take a closer look. "I do love flowers, and we are on a date after all."
Cloud could feel his face heating up as he struggled to figure out what to do. While Aerith was almost certainly teasing him about the date, if he bought her a flower did that mean they were actually dating for real? She'd probably be sad if he turned the man down, though, and he didn't want that either. His eyes settled on a yellow flower he recognized from her clearing—a lily, he thought—and before he could second guess himself, he plucked it from the bouquet and handed it to Aerith. "How much?" he asked the man, studiously not looking over at Aerith.
"For such a lovely couple as yourselves, consider it a gift." With a smile, he turned and moved off, leaving Cloud feeling even more embarrassed at his words.
Shooting a glance over at Aerith, he saw that she'd tucked the flower behind one of her ears. It fit her so perfectly that it left him speechless, and he was forced to look away again as he lightly tugged her after him. "Come on, we're almost there."
She giggled softly, her hand squeezing his as she matched his pace at his side.
Before much longer, he saw the familiar sight of the tailor's shop Vincent had brought him to the other day. It stood out from the buildings around it thanks to all of the cloth on display—bolts and bolts of it in more colors than Cloud had thought existed. It had been a shock to realize that the friend Vincent had referred to as "knowing a thing or two about cloth" was apparently a master tailor, renowned throughout the city. Cloud had felt a little silly about how small his request was, but the man had been adamant about taking it on as soon as he learned the details, spouting embarrassing lines about the power and glory of young love being the strongest weave of all.
Aerith made a small noise of surprise as he led them up to the front door which he held open for her before following in behind her. Inside, there was somehow even more cloth on display, although here it was predominately actual outfits and not just the fabric itself. A man stepped out from behind a mannequin displaying an elegant red dress and approached them with a warm smile.
"Hello, how may I help the two of you on this fine summer day?"
Cloud cleared his throat nervously. "I was here yesterday with the Warmaster. We placed a special order with Irian. I know he's at the Council, but he assured me it would be completed by this afternoon."
"Ah yes, the ri—"
"Yes, that," Cloud hastily said, his eyes shooting over in Aerith's direction before jerking back.
Thankfully, the man seemed to understand and nodded his head instead of continuing. "We did indeed just complete work on it. Let me go fetch it. I imagine you'll want it wrapped?"
"Yes, please," Cloud said. He was painfully aware of Aerith's curious gaze boring into him.
With a slight bow, the man walked away into one of the back rooms.
Aerith made her way over to one of the display models—wearing a blue and green dress—and gave it a quick look over before spinning to face him. "Hmmm. What are you up to, mister? I was wondering what business you had with a tailor and now you're acting all suspicious."
Doing his best to look as un-suspicious as possible, Cloud shrugged lightly. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Just placed an order and came to pick it up, nothing strange here." He cleared his throat. It was time to change the subject before she dug any deeper, he wasn't confident he wouldn't fold under pressure and he did want to have a special reveal later on. "I'm starving, how about you?"
The look Aerith gave him indicated she was very much aware of what he was doing, but instead of pressing she only nodded her head. "Yeah, I could go for a bite. It's getting close enough to dinner time and I'm just now realizing we completely skipped lunch."
They only had to wait a few moments longer before the tailor returned with a small box. "Here you are. Master Irian said there would be no charge, he was so touched by your story and the depth of your lo—"
"Yes, yes. Thank you," Cloud said, snatching the box. He knew he was being rude but he really did not want that sentence to be finished.
Looking slightly perturbed, the man shifted his attention to Aerith. "And is there anything I can do for the lovely lady? Perhaps a new dress to add to your wardrobe?"
"It's certainly tempting," Aerith said with a wistful smile, "but I'm afraid I'll have to pass for now. Once this war is over I'll be sure to visit again."
"Of course. Well then, if that's everything, I'll wish the two of you a bright and cheerful day and shall get back to my work."
Cloud followed Aerith out of the store, clutching the box in his hands. He desperately wanted to open it to check on the final result, but not only would that ruin the wrapping, there was also no way Aerith wouldn't be able to see what was inside. Instead, he was left hoping that it had turned out well.
"So," Aerith began, spinning around to face him once they were out in the street, her hands clasped together behind her back. "Since you're not going to tell me what's in that box, what kind of food did you have in mind?"
Shifting said box behind his back—as if that would do anything—he considered the question. "I'm not sure. Maybe something we could take away and eat under a tree? I don't really want to stay in a restaurant and have everyone stare at us." Which might have seemed like a strange concern, if they hadn't already been drawing curious looks from everyone they passed in the street. Being a Human, Cloud had expected to draw the most attention, but as far as he could tell, people seemed more interested in Aerith. Apparently, word about her being a Seer had gotten out, because the looks were filled with awe and respect. For her part, Aerith hadn't given any indication of being bothered, but that didn't stop him from worrying about it.
"Oh, like a picnic! That sounds wonderful. I guess in that case we should keep an eye out for a food stand that looks popular, they'll be more likely to have something we can grab than an actual restaurant."
They spent the next few minutes wandering through various streets, looking for anything that might work, before finally stumbling across a huge gathering of people all waiting in a winding line in front of a stand where people were frantically, but enthusiastically, cooking.
"What do you think about trying this place?" Cloud asked. "Seems like it might be a bit of a wait, but presumably the food is worth it if all these people are anything to go by."
"Sure!" She went up on her tiptoes to try and get a better look. "Seems like it's some kind of build-your-own meal too, so we shouldn't have to worry about not liking it."
As they waited, Cloud kept fiddling with the box behind his back. When would be the right time to give it to her? By this point, she had to be aware that it was a present for her, but Aerith hadn't brought it back up. Doing it now felt like an absolutely horrible idea, but maybe after they'd finished eating? Then there was the question of if she'd even like it. He watched as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She had to.
"Gil for your thoughts?" Aerith asked, pulling him out of his head.
Desperate for something to say that was anything other than that, he spoke without thinking. "Your hair is beautiful."
Aerith's eyes widened in surprise and her cheeks flushed lightly, right as Cloud processed what he'd said.
Panicking, he scrambled to salvage the situation. "I mean, I was just—I didn't—"
"So, what can I get for you two?" a woman asked.
It took him a second to realize they'd made it to the front of the line and the person speaking was waiting on their orders with a bemused expression. Leaping at the opportunity to change the subject, he quickly scanned the menu. "I'll take the triple meat wrap, please."
"Well in that case," Aerith said, "I'll have the veggie wrap. That way I can share and make sure he gets at least some vegetables." She gave the stall owner a wink.
"Triple meat and a veggie!" the woman shouted to the people cooking behind her before turning back to them. "I hope you don't mind me saying so, but the two of you make for an incredibly cute couple."
Cloud's previous embarrassment immediately returned, tenfold. Again? Why did this keep happening? "Uh. No, it's . . . we're—"
"Thanks!" Aerith said brightly. She was smiling widely, but her cheeks were painted in strokes of pink. "We were actually planning on taking your food and having a little picnic. Do you have any recommendations on nearby places that would be nice?"
The woman tilted her head slightly and looked upward in a thoughtful manner, fingers drumming on her chin. A moment later, she snapped her finger. "If you head down the street over there," she said, pointing to the right, "you'll reach a large park. It's got several wooded ponds that should work perfectly for a picnic date and I think you'll also get a great view of the festival fireworks that'll be going off tonight."
There was that word again. It was a reminder that this wasn't just a casual hangout with someone he liked, it was supposed to be so much more. A date. That . . . was different, right? Because, so far, he was struggling to tell how this wasn't the same as all the previous instances they'd spent time together. A sinking feeling came over him. Had he been botching the date this whole time, not making it special enough? Where the hell was Zack when he needed him? There were so many questions Cloud wanted to ask his friend.
"Order up!" one of the chefs called out and the woman turned to grab their food, placing two paper bags onto the countertop. Even folded closed, the smell coming from them made Cloud's mouth water. At his side, he heard Aerith's stomach lightly grumble.
"Thanks, that sounds perfect!" Aerith said, laying down some gil and grabbing their food. "Happy summer solstice!"
"Same to you," the woman said with a smile and a wave as she turned to help the people behind them in line.
Cloud followed after Aerith as she led the way down the street in the direction the woman had indicated. "Fireworks?" he asked.
"Hmm? Oh, they're displays of light in the sky. We didn't have many when I was growing up, but I'm sure the shows here in the capital will be incredible."
"That sounds fancy. I imagine magic is involved, isn't that . . . going to be a problem?"
She shook her head, her hair flowing like waves from shoulder to shoulder. "Most firework shows are done with specific Materia, and those are still working fine. You're right though, in the sense that any custom alterations likely won't be possible."
The idea of a show in the sky made by magical fire certainly had Cloud interested, but before he could ask any more questions, they reached what must have been the park the woman mentioned. All that set it apart from the rest of the city around it was the lack of buildings. Otherwise, it was largely the same, only with uninterrupted fields of grass instead of any roads.
Other people appeared to have had similar ideas for picnics as there were many families gathered and Cloud even saw a few couples too. He and Aerith wound their way around the other people, keeping a wide distance so as to not disturb them. Eventually, they made it far enough into the park that they stopped seeing anyone else and Aerith led them over to a small pond where she settled down on the grass at its edge, giving a little pat on the spot next to her.
He moved to join her, his knee gently bumped into hers as he took the bag she was holding out to him. He carefully placed the gift box behind him in the grass—far from the water—and eagerly opened the bag. The already delicious smell coming from it exploded into the air around them. Unable to wait any longer, he reached in, pulled out his wrap, and took a huge bite. Cloud wasn't sure how it was possible, but somehow it managed to taste even better than it smelled. The meats harmonized together perfectly and combined with the peppers, cheese, and some kind of spicy sauce to easily form one of the best meals he'd had in years.
"Seems like we hit the jackpot, huh?" Aerith said, her eyes wide in appreciation as she looked down at the wrap in her hands. "This is delicious."
Cloud only nodded in agreement, too focused on eating more to want to try and talk.
"Here, want a bite of mine?" she asked, holding out her wrap. "I know it's all veggies, but I think you might actually like it."
"Hey, I'm not a kid anymore," Cloud complained, once he finished chewing his most recent bite. "I eat vegetables now." To prove it, it leaned closer and took a bite. Despite what he'd said, he still wasn't a huge fan of vegetables in general, but now he found himself forced to re-evaluate that stance. Aerith was right, even though her wrap had no meat in it, he almost liked it more somehow. He had no idea what was inside, but the flavors melded together in a way that left him wanting more. So he went in for a second bite.
Aerith laughed, the sound filling him with warmth. "We can trade if you want, I'm curious what yours is like too."
He held his wrap out for her to try and she took a bite and chewed before making a noise of appreciation. In the end, they didn't trade but instead continued to share until both the wraps had been finished off and they were lying down side by side, staring up at the darkening sky above them as the sun slipped below the trees on the horizon.
A large flower appeared in the sky above them, causing Cloud to partially sit up in surprise before settling back down. It was so sudden and so large that the lack of any noise caught him off guard, but since it was magical in origin, he supposed it wasn't that unusual. More shapes continued to appear, one after the other, before slowly fading away. Most were just colorful balls of varying lights, but some had shapes. A star, a crystal, a heart, and even—amazingly—a chocobo.
At some point during the show, Cloud realized that Aerith's hand was in his own, resting in the cool grass between them. He squeezed it gently and she tilted her head to the side to look at him, her eyes gleaming.
"Think we should add one of our own?" she asked. "I'm pretty sure I could figure it out."
"If you want to then go for it, yeah," he said. Her enthusiasm was infectious, causing his lips to curve upward.
"You pick the color and I'll pick the shape."
He thought for a moment and his eyes settled on her face. Even though he couldn't make out the color of her eyes with how dark it had gotten, he knew what his answer was. "Green."
"Hmmm, something green, huh?" Aerith was quiet for a moment before she sat up and pointed her other hand up into the air. "Got it. Here goes nothing."
A faint green streak shot out from one of her fingers and soared upward into the sky until he couldn't make it out anymore. There was a brief moment where he thought it hadn't worked before a massive green explosion went off directly above them. From the size and shape, he realized it was one of the leaves from the tree at the heart of the city, only this one actually was falling. It didn't make it more than halfway down to them before seeming to explode again, this time into hundreds of smaller leaves that slowly faded away.
In the dwindling light, he saw a large smile on Aerith's face and with how happy she looked, he realized that there wasn't going to be a better time than now. "Hey, I know you've already figured it out, but I got this for you," he said, picking up the little box and holding it out to her nervously. "I hope you'll like it."
She noticeably perked up, her hand regretfully breaking free from his as she took the box in both hands. "A present? What for?"
Cloud scrambled to find an answer, only to come up with blanks. "Uh. I'm not sure. I just thought . . . Open it and you'll see."
He said a silent prayer.
Gently pulling the lid off, he heard her gasp softly as she saw what lay inside, one of her hands shooting up to cover her mouth. "Oh, Cloud. Is this . . ."
"A new hair ribbon, made from your old one," he explained. "Irian added little flower patterns with some type of magical thread. Supposedly, you can focus your magic into it to change the color of the petals."
"Cloud, it's—" She cut off for some reason and he thought he heard something like a faint sob. Did she hate it? Had he gotten it all wrong? Was making a new one from the remains of the old one a terrible mistake? "It's amazing. I love it. I can't thank you enough."
It felt like a weight had slid off his shoulders. "Here, let me put it on," he said, scooting closer and gently taking it from her before reaching around behind her head. Almost immediately, he realized this wasn't going to work very well. First of all, he wasn't even sure how to properly tie a ribbon into her hair, not to mention he couldn't see what he was doing at all. What he could see, was Aerith's surprised face, incredibly close to his own. Closer than he could ever remember it being, in fact.
He could see little flecks in her eyes that almost looked like leaves and . . . had her lips always looked so . . . soft? His heart felt like it was going to beat out of his chest as he sat there, completely frozen and unsure what to do as his fingers gave up on their weak attempt with the almost forgotten ribbon.
She was so beautiful.
Her presence in his life had changed everything, ever since the very first day he'd met her. Back in school, he'd learned about how the moon circled around their planet due to gravitational forces, and that was exactly how he felt with her. As long as he could be around her—see her smile, hear her laugh—he felt like he could be happy. But maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something more.
Aerith's eyes fluttered as her head tilted back, her face moving ever so slightly towards his own.
Cloud swallowed nervously, hoping he wasn't misreading signals, and leaned in closer. His nose brushed against hers for the briefest of moments and then—then he kissed her.
As it turned out, her lips were actually softer than they looked.
He had no idea if he was doing a good job or even what he was supposed to be doing at all. The only thing he could focus on was how nice it felt and how badly he wanted to keep going. From the way Aerith was kissing him back, she seemed to be enjoying it as well, and he took that as an encouraging sign that he wasn't botching this too badly.
Pulling her closer to him, her arms wrapping him in a tight embrace, Cloud finally allowed himself to acknowledge the truth he'd been shying away from for so long—he was madly in love with Aerith.
Well, the slow burn is officially over, hehe. I hope everyone enjoyed the Clerith date, I know I'll certainly never get tired of writing scenes like this for them. Turns out that Cloud wasn't buying clothes, but rather getting Aerith a new ribbon, although I imagine this isn't too much of a surprise with all the hints leading up to it. Writing this chapter from Cloud PoV was also a complete blast, as he tries to figure out what is going on, what to do, if this is actually a date, and just generally being the silly little goof we all know and love. There's a lot packed in here too, from chocobos, to flowers, to shopping, to picnic dinner, and lastly, of course, the kiss. I'd love to know what your favorite part was!
Next week we'll pick back up with the main storyline, now that our fluffy diversion is complete, although obviously, things are going to be quite a bit different between them from this point. We've got some interesting developments to look forward to next time!
Next Chapter: Summon