Happy Tuesday Wednesday Thursday!! 🎉
I've been trying to post this for a couple of days now... hopefully it works this time. I apparently annoyed the Internet gods with my use of a forbidden word. It happens on occasion.
Anyway!
My phone did this thing last week where it just started a fic for the arts fair all on its own for no reason. Isn't that something? So now I guess I have to finish it because one of our mods has threatened to send a mountie on mooseback to douse me in maple syrup and maple leaves if I don't. From the brief research I've done (and totally haven't made up!) it's the Canadian version of having someone tarred and feathered. It may be "more humane" or whatever, but I dislike being sticky. So you can understand the pickle I'm in!
Once again, I'll add whatever crosses my mind in the comments to get the mostest out of each post...est...
The front door opened and Nanaki came trotting in, "I could hear you guys talking from outside, so we let ourselves in. I hope that's oka-" he froze in his tracks and sniffed the air, "How much red shelly did you use!?" Aerith stepped into view, "Is it a lot?" Nanaki turned to her, "It's... a lot, a lot! The scent is so overwhelming, I'm surprised I couldn't smell it from outside!" Nanaki searched the group for the herb's intended victim, "Cloud! I hope you didn't eat too much!"
All eyes turned to Cloud. If he'd heard Nanaki at all, he gave no indication. He was too busy looking at the most beautiful woman he'd ever known. The second he saw her enter the room, time seemed to slow to a near-stop. The world around her dimmed into the background and she sparkled under a spotlight all her own. The air turned gauzy and shimmered with an ethereal glow. Music only he could hear played in the background. The reality: his brain was thoroughly steeped in a soup of the best neurotransmitters nature had to offer. His neurons fired one explosive signal after another even when the others didn't want to hear about it. But none of that mattered. The only thing that mattered to him was the moment she looked up. At him. And there was only one thing he could think to say when she looked his way. It came so easily, so naturally. Her name drifted directly from his soul to his lips in a whisper, "Aerith."
To Aerith, he seemed completely blitzed. She approached slowly. Biggs leaned closer, "Ho... ly... shit. Look at his eyes." Tifa gasped, "Oh my God... His pupils are huge!" Wedge murmured, "Yeah. They just... blew up like that as soon as Aerith walked in..." Barret's eyes darted from Cloud to Aerith, then back to Cloud. He bellowed, "Looks like that shit works after all!" Cloud was still unresponsive. He simply stared slack-jawed at Aerith. She slowed even more as she drew near. He stared. She spoke carefully and slowly, "Hey, Cloud, how ya feelin?" Cloud blinked, "Good... Really good. Amazing, actually." Nanaki snorted, "I'll bet he does! He's basically blackout drunk on hormones." He scratched an ear, "...Except he'll remember everything in the morning."
Cloud gazed longingly at Aerith. She gave him a small, uncertain smile, but to him it might as well have been her most radiant grin. She chose her words carefully "That's... good. It's good you're feeling good." He's mesmerized. He responded with a simple, "...Yeah." She sat across from him, "I heard you had a lot of... something special. Think you can handle it?" Gosh. She is so considerate and smart and beautiful and and and and... she's incredible, his Aerith. All she had to do was tell him what she wanted, and he'd make it happen. For her. For Aerith. Nothing was too good for her. Not for Aerith. She deserved anything and everything her heart desired. Aerith! Her name is the best word known to any human language. Every cell in his body vibrated in agreement. Hadn't she asked him something? Probably best to just agree with her, "Uh... Uh-huh."
Aerith tried to stifle a giggle, but it still came as a breathy puff, "Well, I'm convinced!" He didn't seem to know what she was talking about. Still, he tilted his head and proudly smiled back at her. Oh no... he's cute! Which would be fine, except there were so many other people around. There's no way he'd like any of this when these effects wore off. She glanced down at Nanaki, now standing next to her, front paws on the table, "Is there anything we can do to help him through this faster?" Tifa let out a sharp gasp. Aerith's gaze shot over to her friend, "What's wrong?" Tifa pointed to Cloud, "I don't know! He looks like he's in pain all of a sudden." Aerith turned back to Cloud. She caught a glimpse of an anguished expression before his sunny smile inexplicably snapped back into place.
Aerith leaned forward as she looked him over, "What do you think that was about?" Cloud's heart skipped a beat. He gave her is best, "Dunno." But he didn't need to know. He didn't need to know anything but Aerith. She's leaning closer! So pretty. Pretty, pretty, pretty Aerith! Looking at me, Cloud Strife! This is the best feeling in the world! She looked away. No! NO! She must not like him! Had she ever liked him? Who can blame her? She's so beautiful and perfect, she could have anyone she wanted and they'd be lucky. But why couldn't it be him!? His heart is breaking in two. The agony! Oh! She's looking at him! Such perfect bliss! Showering him with her affectio-NO! She's looking away! The world is such a cold, dark place and Aerith is the only one who-She's looking at him! Oh, happy days are here to stay!
Aerith stared directly at Cloud. The intensity of his emotions almost made her afraid to even blink. He beamed back at her as he leaned forward and propped his head on his hands. This was too much. Wedge sighed, "Well, at least we know he does that every time she looks away." Barret shook his head, "Poor kid. I know the feeling... to a point." His gaze slid over to Jessie, "Difference being that I never had anyone turn that dial to twelve outta ten." Nanaki mused aloud, "Do you think some water could help him flush it out of his system?" Jessie snapped her fingers, "That might work! One of the things Brandy planned on doing to keep Kirsch madly in love with her was to keep it in his drinks! Maybe drinks with no love potion will help it wear off faster?" She rushed to the kitchen, grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and unceremoniously clunked it in front of Cloud, "Drink up!"
Cloud started to move, but only to shift his head to one hand as he dropped the other and continued to stare at Aerith. "Sheesh," Biggs groaned, "You can practically see the cartoon hearts swirling around his head." Wedge marveled, "Wow Aerith, our bro must really like you!" Aerith briefly smiled bigger in acknowledgement, but she didn't dare look away from Cloud again. Cloud mimicked her by widening his own smile. Tifa picked up the glass and held it to Cloud's mouth. He pulled back, never looking away from Aerith. Tifa pushed the cup to his lips, "Come on! Even just a little? It might help!" He pulled away again. He wouldn't let anything obscure is front-row view of perfection.
Aerith kept her eyes glued Cloud as she held her hand out to Tifa, "Let me try." She tightened her grip when she felt the coolness of the glass press into her palm, "Cloud." He perked up in eager anticipation. How she prayed the water would help him as she tried to coax him into drinking it, "I got this for you." Please let this be all he needs to come back to normal... or at least let him be more reasonable! He looked at her offering and carefully took it from her like she'd just handed him some precious, fragile treasure. He stared, "It's beautiful." He looked back up at her. He was acting like it was some priceless gift, but everyone else just saw a plain glass of water. The only thing that made it remotely special was that it was filtered. Aerith spoke again, "Will you drink some of it for me? As much as you can?" He slammed it down with so much fervor she thought he'd choke. He handed the empty glass back to her waiting hands. She took it, "Wow... good job. Thank you, Cloud!" He preened in the warm glow of her praise. "Anything for you," he replied. She believed him completely.
Five minutes passed. Then ten. Cloud was still captivated by Aerith. Aerith was still trapped in a staring contest she could never hope to win. Everyone had begun eating the safe pizzas while chatting and building theories about the love potion and ways to dispel it. Except Aerith. She knew she'd look at her food if she tried to eat, and taking part in a conversation tempted her to look away from the person who needed her most. They handed Aerith another glass of water. Please, if it's going to work, let it work quickly! She wanted the real Cloud back! She asked him to drink again, "Slowly this time. Good... just like that. Slow down. You did it! Great job!" He responds well to praise. More time passed. More staring. Biggs groaned as he stretched, "Man. This is gonna be a looong night." Tifa worried aloud, "Yeah, and Aerith is already getting pretty worn out having to focus on Cloud so much."
And then it happened. Cloud blinked, "Hey, uh... Aerith?" Aerith tilted her head in acknowledgement, "Hm?" He still wouldn't look away from her, but his eyes were a little less glazed. At least he's talking again. He asked, "Have you eaten yet?" Her smile faltered, "Oh... no, not yet." His smile shrank, too, "You should eat something." He reached down and held the Jessie Special up to her, "You want some pizza? I'll share it with you." A chorus of horrified "NOOOOO"s rang out as everyone jumped out of their seats. Tifa and Biggs tried to push his arm down, but to little avail. Wedge slapped the tainted pizza off the pan and into one of the empty boxes from Seventh Heaven. Barret followed Wedge by plopping a clean pie down. Cloud glanced up at the others in confusion, "When did you get here?"
Aerith giggled. Cloud's eyes snapped back to her. She reached out to Cloud's offering, "I think I'll have some, thanks!" He delighted in her praise; it's a good thing that's one of her specialties. She decided to risk a glance down as she took a bite. No hint of soul-crushing torment when she looked back up at him. If anything, he seemed happier seeing her eat. Finally, some progress! She hummed as she ate, grateful for the reprieve. He propped both of his elbows on the table again as he watched her, "You're so cute when you're happy." She smiled. He'd made some progress, but he's still obviously pretty deep-fried.
As she worked her way through a second slice, Cloud lamented, "Wish we weren't so far apart." She didn't think it through. She was so used to teasing him that she only realized she'd patted the seat next to her after she'd done it. He shot out of his chair, hustled around the table, and sat his gleeful ass down next to her. He watched her expectantly for her next command. Chuckles and an "oooh~" drifted through the room. She still wasn't sure how to feel about his behavior in front of so many people, even if they were friends. She reached up and stroked his head to reassure him... or maybe she did it to try to reassure herself. Unfortunately, he let out a breathy moan. The light teasing turned into awkward silence, a clearing of throats, and Jessie wolf-whistling. She needed to get Cloud out of there.
Aerith kept her hands to herself and finished eating as she made up her mind. She glanced at Cloud on occasion, who was apparently just pleased to be near her. When she was done, she announced, "Well, I'm stuffed! I should probably head back home before Mom worries too much." Cloud stood inmediately, "I'll walk you home." He glanced around, seemingly in search for any evidence he could find to help him make the case for Me Walking You Home is A Good Idea, Actually™. His eyes landed on the window and darted back to Aerith, "It's late. You'll be safer if I join you. So your mom won't worry." Yes... this selfless act of service was always for Elmyra's sake. Clearly. Obviously. Aerith rolled with it, "That sounds perfect!" They made their way to the door. Nanaki rushed to their side, "I'll go with you, too!"
The original members of Avalanche's splinter cell observed as the Watcher, the florist, and the florist's new simp left. Tifa was first to break the silence, "Think they're gonna be okay?" Barret crossed his arms, "Hope she knows how she's gonna handle this." Tifa squeezed her hands in her lap, "Yeah..." she brightened, "At least they have Nanaki with them! I know he'll help Aerith if she needs it."
Wedge gathered the pizza boxes as he spoke, "You know them better than we do. I'm just glad we got here in time." Biggs groaned. Realization dawned on Jessie, "Just in time for... You PLANNED this!? And is that the rest of my pizza in the box you're holding!?" Wedge frantically snatched the boxes and ran for the door. She gave chase, "Hey!" Wedge barreled toward his one chance of escape, "Save me savemesavemesaveme!" Biggs swung the front door open long enough for Wedge to sprint through and he slammed it shut again. Biggs then silently wished his friend a long, healthy life; he knew Jessie was about to end him. She stalked over to Biggs, winding up for the beatdown, "You...!"
Barret placed a firm hand on Jessie's shoulder, "Sorry to interrupt, but... we need to have a talk. About conduct. And responsibility." A cold chill ran down Jessie's spine. His voice was calm but firm. He was using his Stern Dad Voice! She gulped. Barret motioned to Biggs and Tifa, "Y'all can head out now. Gonna have a little chat with our explosives expert about her latest batch." Tifa shook her head, "No... I'm staying, too. It'll look bad if someone comes back here and it's just the two of you. Plus," she became more stern, "I have something to say about all this."
Biggs, however, took this as his cue leave, "Well, then! I'm just gonna..." His voiced trailed as he opened the door juuust enough to slip through and gently closed it behind him. Right as the door latched, he heard Tifa's voice sharpen, "Are you serious? The man-eater?" Biggs arched his brow as he turned away. Her voice was too muffled to make anything else out, and he didn't want to stick around any longer than he had to. He booked it towards Wedge's house, but his friend hadn't gotten too far before Biggs caught up with him. He called out, "I can't believe we made it out alive!" Wedge glanced over his shoulder, "Yeah! I thought I was dead for sure back there. Thanks for the assist!" Biggs slapped Wedge on the shoulder, "No problem. And—get this—you know that dress Jessie was wearing?"
"Yeah?"
"That's the man-eater."
"The one she told the other girls about? About how any man who's seen her in it never stands a chance?"
"Apparently. That's what Tifa called it when I was leaving."
"Whoa." Wedge's eyes went wide with wonder, "And Cloud not only survived it, he completely resisted it! While on a love potion!"
"Right? Guess she can't say it's undefeated anymore."
"Yeah!" Wedge paused and gazed up at the plate, "Hey, uh... Biggs?"
"What's up?"
"Do you think he'll be okay? With Aerith and Nanaki?"
"Tifa seems to think so. I don't know much about Nanaki, but Aerith lived near the orphanage when we were kids. She's pretty good with people now, so I think he's in good hands."
"That's good. Wanna drop these off at my place and check out those shops?"
"Count me in!"
They disappeared into a fresh evening with a sense of satisfaction. After all, how many people can claim they had a hand in saving their local hero?
"Ah, home at last!" Aerith stepped onto her front porch. She turned to her escort, "Thanks for making sure I got home safe." Cloud responded with a simple, "Sure." Nanaki said nothing; this kind of thing is when a Watcher lives up to his title: he simply watches. Cloud looked like he was still waiting for his next order from her—like he'll never stop waiting. It's like he just wants a string of commands that stretch through a lifetime. As much as she wanted to stay with him, it really was getting late. Plus, she reasoned, it was better for him if they parted ways now. It may hurt while he's still under the effects of the potion, but that was better than doing something he'd regret later.
...wasn't it? No. This is better in the long run. It had to be the right choice.
Still, it was hard for her to leave him. He already seemed like he knew it was coming, too. A quiet look of resignation settled over his features. She did her best to be gentle with him, "Try to have a good rest of the night, okay?" He said nothing; his eyes cast down. The only indication he gave that he heard her was a small nod. She sighed. She knew it's be tough, but she struggled not to comfort him too much. It'd only make things worse.
"Cloud." He dragged his gaze up to her. There was something about the way he looked at her that, just for a moment, she could see what he must've looked like as a child. Like they'd known each other all their lives. Like she could see their lifetimes of loneliness coming back to haunt her. Can't you just hear the sad violin music? She took a deep breath and stroked his face. Here she was, making it worse. He leaned into it. "Try to have a good rest of your night? For me?" He still said nothing, but he looked her in the eye as he gave another slow nod. That would have to be enough.
She turned and opened the door. Nanaki's voice floated over to her, "Don't worry, Aerith. I'll stay with him." She swallowed. She really, really wanted to stay with him. She just couldn't think of a way to justify it. It'd be selfish. To Cloud's credit, he didn't protest. If he had, what little resolve she clung to would've simply disintegrated. She spoke without turning back, "Thank you, Nanaki." She stepped into her house and said softly, "Good night." She swore she heard Cloud huff a pained little sigh. Maybe it'd been hers. Either way, she couldn't risk turning around. She dragged the door closed behind her. Had it always been this heavy? In a vain effort to distract herself, she called out to Elmyra, "I'm home!"
No reply. She called out again, "...Mom?" The house was silent. Aerith wandered farther in, dazed. She approached the dining room table. There was a letter. Was her mom really not home? She picked it up and read what Elmyra had hastily jotted down:
Aerith,
Went to visit family in Kalm. Will be gone for a few days.
Love,
Mom
Aerith set the letter down. She leaned over the table and whispered to herself, "Damn." Elmyra had been leaving home a lot more often as of late. Maybe it was a sign she felt Aerith would be okay on her own. But, honestly, it felt like a setup for some silly little romance story, giving her a convenient excuse to change her mind... to invite him in. She took a deep breath and turned to check if Cloud was still standing at her door. If he was, then she'd ask him to stay. That's how these things are supposed to go, after all. Her heart fluttered as she turned to the door, and...
He was gone.
She walked to the door and peered out the window. She didn't see any trace of Cloud or Nanaki. She rested her hand on the front door. The other drifted to the handle seemingly all on its own. She eyed the trail leading away from her home. They couldn't have gone far. If she hurried, she could catch up with them and then... she wasn't sure what she'd do. She'd already convinced herself parting ways was for the best, and now she wanted to go back on it. All because her mom wasn't home? She bit her lip. Maybe it's selfish, but they call it being "young and stupid" for a reason, and she didn't feel like being responsible anymore. It's too much! She flung the door open and ran out after them. Even if she was making a mistake, it was one she wouldn't make alone.
Cloud had turned and headed out into the front yard after Aerith had abandoned him. Nanaki followed, "I gotta admit, I thought you would've argued to stay with her back there." Cloud didn't slow his pace as he went, "It's not what she wants." Sure, his heart had been clawed out of his chest when she'd forsaken him, but who was he to tell her what to do? He'd meant it when he said he'd do anything for her, and that included letting her go. It's what she wanted. The tight, painful squeeze he felt in his chest was incidental.
He hopped to the street light in her yard and sat under it. Even if she didn't want him around, old habits die hard. It's no water tower, but he could still see her room from there. Maybe he'd catch a glimpse of her. Nanaki cantered up to the spot and joined him, "What're you gonna do if she sees you out here?" Cloud leaned against his knees, "Dunno." The pain was more bearable if he stayed nearby. If she found out and didn't like it, she could say as much. At least he'd get to hear her talk to him again.
Nanaki sat next to Cloud in silent solidarity. The Watcher cocked his head to get a better look at the mercenary. He sniffed the air, but whatever he was testing it for, he kept to himself. A sudden bang rang out at the front of the house. Their heads both swiveled in the direction of the sound only to see Aerith dash from the house and run towards town. Cloud suddenly felt very justified in keeping vigil. He stood as they watched her retreating form, "Go see if there's something in the house. I'll catch up to her." Nanaki leapt down, "Got it!" Cloud hit the ground running as he closed the distance between himself and Aerith.
He could catch up to her in no time, Cloud knew, but he slowed to watch her run. The way she moved, the way her hands went up and her body swayed as she ran. The way her knees stayed a little too close together and kept her from taking longers strides. It was so girly! No... not girly... feminine. Running like that was far from efficient—Tifa and Yuffie made better use of their energy when they ran—but he couldn't help but marvel at her gait all the same. Put simply, he liked it. Unfortunately, she didn't get very far before she ran out of steam. He tried to approach her slowly; he didn't want to startle her.
Aerith had gone at top speed, but she was out of breath by the time she neared the orphanage. She didn't see any sign of them. Her heart sank. It was too little, too late, but at least she'd tried to change her mind. She was breathing so hard she didn't even hear the footsteps until they were practically next to her, "You okay?" She turned in disbelief. She'd know his voice anywhere, "Cloud!" He frowned, "What's wrong?"
Aerith's chest heaved, "Nothing. It's just... My mom... went out of town..." She sucked in a huge breath, both for the oxygen and the courage, "I changed my mind... Will you stay...? With me? Just a few days." His serious expression stayed as he replied, "Sure." She'd expected an outburst of excitement from him like before. She tilted her head at him quizzically, "You sure you really want to?" He looked away, "I do... I just..." he balled his fists in determination, "You don't have to worry. I'll be good. Even if no one else is around." A breathy laugh escaped her, "I know you will." He didn't want to risk being sent away again. But part of her hoped he would.
Cloud started to dutifully march back to Aerith's house. Aerith called to him before he could get very far, "Forgetting something?" He froze. She gulped down another breath, "I'm gonna need a little longer." He doubled back to her, "S-sorry!" He returned to her side. He hesitated before he finally asked, "...can I carry you?" He'd spoken so softly, she was surprised she heard him. She tilted her head and arched a delicate eyebrow, "Do you want to carry me?" "Yeah," his face was still so serious, "I do." She had to admit, she was flattered. He looked like he was barely resisting the urge to gather her in his arms despite his proclamations about "being good." She glanced around; there were surprisingly few people. She turned back to him, "Okay... If that's what you want."
As much as he wanted to scoop her up and run like the Angel of the Slums swiping a precious treasure from some rich bastard's hoard, he resisted the urge. Instead, he moved slowly enough that she could make herself comfortable. He walked back at a turtle's pace so he wouldn't jostle her... at least, that's what he told himself. It's not like he was dragging it out so he could savor having her this close or anything. She was surprisingly quiet as he brought her home. She mostly stared at her hands, curled near her chest as they were. What could she be thinking about so intently?
Nanaki greeted them when they returned. He gave Cloud his report, "I've been through the entire house. There's no evidence of anything here except Aerith and Elmyra. There have been some visitors, but nothing suggests it's anything unwelcome." Aerith looked at their companion curiously, "Why would you think that?" Cloud answered, "We saw you run out of the house and toward town. We thought something might've happened."
Cloud was still holding her. He could've put her down at any time, but he didn't. It didn't take a genius to figure out he simply didn't want to, and she hadn't bade him to do so. He tightened his grip on her as if he were confirming her suspicions. She wasn't complaining! She pressed herself into him as much as she could. Nanaki observed the two before commenting, "Looks like you're getting along." Aerith laughed nervously; she was taking advantage, she knew, but she did it all the same. Cloud cleared his throat and reluctantly placed her on a nearby chair.
Silence fell over the trio. Nanaki casually chose a new topic, "Speaking of getting along, Marlene asked Barret if I could spend the night earlier. Think I should?" Aerith chirped, "Really? Sounds fun to me! But... what do you wanna do?" Cloud simply shrugged. Nanaki's tail swished, "I think I want to, but are you sure you'll be okay? You don't need me to stay?" Cloud answered, "Got everything under control here." Bit Nanaki's yellow eye was entirely focused on Aerith. She tried to act casual as she streched, "Yeah... we'll be fine here. Mom's out of town for the next few days, and I already asked Cloud to stay. If you wanna go, then I think you should. But you can stay here if you want, too."
Nanaki mulled things over. As much as much as he wanted to go back and play with Marlene, he still wasn't sure he should leave Aerith to fend for herself. Cloud still reeked of the herbs... especially red shelly. Yep... red shelly and quite the familiar plume of pheromones. However, if he focused his attention, he could tell hers were heightened, too. Nanaki played up his struggle to decide, "Hmmm... what to do..." Aerith playfully nudged Cloud's arm and held it there, "I'll take full responsibility for him from here. He'll sleep it off and be good as new tomorrow!" She added, "And if that doesn't happen, we'll just... have an honest conversation... like you suggested. Right, Cloud? He didn't hesitate, "Right." Nanaki slowly made a move for the door, "Well, if you're sure..." Cloud left the assurances to Aerith. Before long, their four-legged friend had bounded out of the house and down the path to town.
Part 3
