Chapter Text
“Aerith, can you play at the park for today? I need to finish some work and it’s very urgent,” Elmyra’s voice rang out from the kitchen as Aerith descended the stairs.
Aerith wanted to protest but bit her lip. “Okay, mom,” She replied, although slightly unenthusiastically. She had wanted to spend the day helping out in the garden with Elmyra.
She slowly walked to the park, hearing the joyful yells of other children from a distance. Feeling a sense of dread, she wondered if she could go back home instead. Shaking her head, she sighed. There would be nothing else to do.
Aerith hesitantly walked to the park, plastering a smile on her face. She mentally prepared herself as she approached a group of girls. “Do you guys wanna play together?” She asked while smiling as brightly as she could.
The girls at Aerith before talking to each other in hushed whispers. She heard murmurs of “weird” “loner” and “awkward” before shaking her head. “I-It’s okay, I’ll see if others want to play instead!” She forced a smile and ran away, feeling a lump in her throat. She hated how the girls sighed in relief as she ran.
For the next ten minutes, she asked every group she could only for them to look uncomfortably away, not wanting to say no. She sat under a tree, frowning. She didn’t understand why the other kids didn’t want to play with her.
“I don’t get it,” Aerith mumbled, hugging her knees. The more she thought about it, the more she saw her vision get blurry. Small tears rolled down her face and she hid her face in her knees. Her body trembled as she tried to keep quiet, hiccuping.
“I just don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
Jumping slightly at the unfamiliar voice, she raised her head to look for the source of the voice.
A boy, somewhat younger than her bent down, looking at her with slight concern. He quickly looked away once he saw Aerith’s green eyes looking into his. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you,” He mumbled, sitting beside her under the tree.
Aerith blinked slowly, wiping her tears with her arm. “It’s…It’s okay.” She sniffled quietly, “You shouldn’t hang out with me. The other kids will think you’re weird.”
The boy beside her shrugged. “Don’t care. I’m not staying for long anyways.” He fiddled slightly with the grass under his hands. He relaxed against the tree trunk, folding his hands behind his head.
Aerith tilted her head at the boy, her earlier troubles gone temporarily. “What do you mean, you’re not staying long?”
“I’m only here because my mom needs to update our documents. And some other stuff. She won’t tell me,” He shrugged again, “She said I’ll be here for a month and that’s it.”
“Do you…think we can be friends?” Aerith asked shyly, glancing at the boy. She rubbed her fingers on her skirt nervously, waiting for his answer.
The boy pondered before nodding slowly. “Sure,” He nodded simply, sitting straighter.
Aerith gasped and she beamed at the boy. “Thank you! I haven’t had a friend in…forever.” Grinning widely, she stuck out her hand. “I’m Aerith!”
“...Cloud.” He shook her hand.
“Do you wanna go play?” Aerith stood up, dusting off anything that stuck to her dress. She could feel excitement flowing through her veins.
Cloud rubbed his head as he stood up as well. “I don’t like playing with other people though…”
“We can play by ourselves! Let’s go on the swing. They’re free right now.” Aerith grabbed Cloud’s hand and ran to the swings, giggling as she heard his surprised gasp. “The swings are my favorite! My mom likes to push me on it and I go really high!” Aerith stretched her arms as tall as she could, grinning in excitement.
“I’ll push you then,” Cloud said quietly, Aerith’s enthusiastic energy infectious. He hid his smile as he watched Aerith eagerly sit in the swing.
He stood behind her and placed his hands on her back. “Ready?”
“Ready!” Aerith nodded, grinning.
He started pushing her gently at first and used more strength as she got higher.
“Look Cloud, I’m so high up!” Aerith yelled, laughing loudly as Cloud pushed her. He subconsciously smiled. “Hang tight! You’ll slip if you don’t hold onto the chains!” He called out to her in concern.
Aerith giggled, “I’ll be fine!” She followed Cloud’s advice and gripped the chains harder. After a while, she told Cloud to stop pushing her and she hopped off the swing when it slowed down.
“That. Was. So. Fun!” Aerith exclaimed, bouncing slightly, “You’re so strong, Cloud. I don’t think my mom even pushed me that high up!”
Cloud’s face heated up slightly from the praise. “I-It’s nothing, really…” He mumbled, unable to resist his smile, “I’m glad you had fun, though.”
Aerith smiled up at him, hair sticking slightly to her forehead from the sweating in the hot summer sun. “I definitely did!”
She gazed into Cloud’s sky-blue eyes, leaning in slightly as she stared.
Cloud gasped but made no move to back away. “A-Aerith…?” He stammered, face flushing slightly.
“Your eyes.”
“Huh…?”
Aerith leaned closer slightly. “They’re so pretty. Like the color of the sky.” She said softly before backing away. She bashfully rubbed the back of her head, looking away in embarrassment. “Sorry… I should have asked.”
“I-It’s fine,” Cloud mumbled, “Your…Your eyes are pretty too.”
“Cloud, sweetie! It’s time to go!” A sweet, motherly voice called out and Cloud perked up. He looked apologetically at Aerith. “Sorry, that’s my mom. I have to go.”
Aerith frowned softly, her heart dropping slightly. Her hand reached out to Cloud hesitantly, vulnerability seeping into her expression. “Will…you be back?” She said softly, “I had a lot of fun playing with you.”
Cloud looked surprised. “R-Really?” He whispered.
Aerith nodded.
“Cloud?!” His mom called again.
Cloud sighed. “One sec!” He yelled back before turning to Aerith again. “I’ll try to come by at the same time. I had fun with you too.”
Aerith beamed at Cloud before hugging him tightly, nuzzling her head into his shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his middle.
Cloud tensed up, his hands hovering in the air awkwardly. He wasn’t used to physical touch. His heart leaped in his chest in twists and turns. Slowly, he copied what Aerith did and hugged her back.
The two of them hesitantly pulled away after a moment, looking into each other’s eyes. “See you tomorrow…?” Aerith asked, her fingers lightly tugging on Cloud’s shirt.
“See you tomorrow.” He nodded, smiling. He waved to her shyly before running off toward where his mom was.
Aerith waved back, grinning until she couldn’t see him around the corner. She let out a soft sigh, smiling widely. She excitedly ran home, opening the door quickly to her house to find Elmyra.
“Mom, mom!” She skipped to the kitchen, hopping slightly in place from happiness.
Elmyra looked up from the soup she was making, turning her head slightly to look at Aerith. She raised an eyebrow, her lips quirking up to a smile. “What’s got you so excited?”
“I made a friend!” Aerith exclaimed, throwing her hands up in the air as she giggled. “His name’s Cloud! And he’s really nice. Strong too! He pushed me on the swings and made me go really high up!”
“Is that so?” Elmyra chuckled, wiping her hands dry. She sat at the dining table, gesturing for Aerith to sit beside her. “Tell me more.”
Aerith grinned and hopped onto the chair. She repeatedly kicked her feet as she recalled her day at the playground.
“But I’m…kinda sad he has to go soon. He said he was only here because his mom had to update their documents. I think he lives really far away. I don’t want him to go,” Aerith said quietly as she finished describing her day to Elmyra, her energy from earlier disappearing.
Elmyra pondered before reaching out and rubbing Aerith’s head gently. “You said he’s only here for a few months, right?” She patiently waited until Aerith nodded. “Then make those months count. Make a lot of good memories and don’t have any regrets.”
Aerith took a moment to digest her words before nodding. “I will! Thanks, Mom. I’ll go get ready for bed now.” She stood up and pushed her chair in, smiling at Elmyra before going up the stairs.
Aerith woke up early and grinned in excitement. She jumped out of bed and spent a few minutes rummaging through her closet for something to wear. She picked a pink dress with a flower pattern and posed in front of her mirror.
She checked the time and groaned, seeing how long she had to wait until Cloud was at the playground. “I gotta wait for an hour?! What can I even do…” She whined to herself.
She looked around her room and perked up, seeing her sketchbook. She grabbed a small backpack and stuffed her sketchbook inside along with her drawing equipment. Checking everything, she ran down the stairs.
“Mom, I’m heading to the playground!” She said as she put on her shoes.
Elmyra poked her head out of the kitchen, her lips quirking up. “I haven’t seen you wear that dress in a long time. What’s the special occasion?”
“I’m gonna play with Cloud!” Aerith stood up, smiling.
Elmyra nodded. “Well, why don’t you bring something to eat? I’m sure the both of you will be hungry after playing.” She walked over and put a few wrapped sandwiches in Aerith’s backpack.
“Did you bring water?” She asked, narrowing her eyes.
Aerith gulped and nodded. “Yeah! I put it inside.” She opened her backpack to show Elmyra the pink water bottle she filled up before putting it back inside.
“Good. Stay safe!”
Aerith hurried to the playground, sitting under the tree. She took out her sketchbook and a pencil from her backpack. “What should I draw…” She hummed to herself. She settled on sketching the empty playground.
With each stroke of her pencil, she tuned out all the sounds except for the pencil scratching against the paper. She hummed softly as she drew, not noticing the other kids starting to arrive at the playground. She didn’t even see the figure sitting beside her.
“Woah…”
Aerith jumped, yelping softly. Turning her head, she saw Cloud sitting beside her with an awed expression staring at her drawing. Seeing her surprise, he raised his eyebrow and put his hands beside his head in a gesture of peace. “Sorry,” he said quietly.
Aerith sighed, putting her sketchbook away. “It’s fine. You just surprised me.” Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she tilted her head. “How long have you been here?”
“Not that long. Just a few minutes.” Cloud shrugged.
Aerith gaped at him. “Just a few minutes?! Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Didn’t wanna disturb you. You looked focused.”
Aerith pouted. “I’ve been waiting.”
Cloud looked apologetically at Aerith. “Sorry,” He said quietly.
“Geez, you don’t have to apologize! I was bored and decided to come here early since there’s nothing to do at home.” Aerith giggled, “But…I’m glad you came.” She whispered, smiling. She reached over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, nuzzling her face in his shoulder.
Cloud sucked in a breath. He hesitantly returned the hug, resting his hand on Aerith’s back. “You…like hugs a lot, huh?”
“Sorry, I should have asked yesterday. Is this okay?” Aerith mumbled, head still pressed against his shoulder.
Cloud nodded, pulling her closer. “I don’t mind,” He mumbled back.
He waited until Aerith pulled away to let go of her, sitting silently.
“Oh!” Aerith perked up after a minute of silence, “I know what we can do today!” She clapped her hands, standing up. She stretched slightly, her back sore from sitting for so long.
Cloud kept his gaze on Aerith, blinking as he sat on the grass.
She looked at Cloud, smiling widely. “We can play hide and seek! It’d be fun, don’t you think?” Putting her hands behind her back, she stared at the rest of the playground, seeing the other kids run around with each other. The wind ruffled her hair and dress as she stood, ruffling them softly.
Cloud nodded slowly, standing up. “Y-Yeah. That sounds fun.”
Aerith giggled, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. “I have a spot that we can play in. Here is fine but…too many people.”
“Lead the way then.”
“With pleasure!” Aerith grinned and hummed softly as she walked, navigating through a path hidden behind bushes.
“And…here we are!”
It was another playground, but everything looked older. The paint on the equipment was dull and chipped, and the swings were rusty. A sign on the side with faded letters wrote “Evergreen Park”.
“This is…”
“This is the old playground. Before the one we were at got built.” Aerith smiled as she walked, putting a hand on a large, round structure that was a bear, its mouth wide open with its tongue functioning as a slide. “I used to play here. But my mom told me to go to the new one since it’s safer.”
“It’s smaller than the playground we were at, but it’s perfect for hide and seek! A place just for the two of us to play in.” Aerith clasped her hands behind her back, smiling at Cloud.
Cloud’s face reddened slightly. “Just the two of us, huh…” He mumbled under his breath, smiling. “I like the sound of that.”
Aerith giggled. “I’ll go hide first!”
Cloud nodded and put his hands over his eyes, counting out loud. “One…two…three…”
Aerith ran around, trying to find a place to hide. She crawled under the small tunnel under the slide, hiding in the shadows. Cloud will have a hard time finding her there, she thought, the shadows hid her small form perfectly.
“...forty nine…fifty! Ready or not, here I come.” Cloud called out, his footsteps clacking against the metal ground of the playground. Aerith held her breath when she saw Cloud’s shoes near the slide.
She let a giggle slip out of her mouth before scrambling to cover her mouth. Cloud’s feet left her vision. She heard the soft sound of footsteps walking away and sighed, her heart pounding.
Instead, his face peeked at the entrance of the path she hid at, his blue eyes looking brighter by the sunlight shining down on him.
Aerith prayed that he didn’t see her in the shadows. To her disappointment, Cloud made direct eye contact through the darkness.
His lips slowly formed a smile. “Found you,” He said quietly.
She felt her heart swell warmly as she slowly crawled out of the small tunnel, dusting her dress. “Aww, you caught me!” She grinned, trying to hide the relief in her voice.
“You gave your hiding location away,” Cloud huffed good-naturally, crossing his arms. “I didn’t think you’d hide here.”
“Where did you think I’d hide, then?” Aerith put her hands behind her back, looking up at Cloud innocently.
“Like…” Cloud looked around the park, “Behind a bush…?” He flushed in embarrassment as his voice cracked slightly.
Aerith laughed, unable to hide her giggles this time. “Your turn to hide now!” She cheered, putting her hands over her eyes.
She heard Cloud’s footsteps and started to count, trying not to let her unease show. The air around them was now quiet, the only sound was Aerith counting out loud. It’s scary, Aerith thought as she counted, being alone is terrifying. The darkness from having her eyes covered didn’t help.
“Ready or not, here I come!” Aerith yelled, blinking to adjust to the bright light. She looked around for any sign of Cloud, walking around the park.
She went to her previous hiding spot. Nothing.
She pouted. There weren’t a lot of good hiding spots in the park. The fear started to settle in her heart. She rummaged through the bushes surrounding the park, hoping Cloud would jump out and scare her.
“Cloud?” Aerith whimpered as she looked around the park again only to be met with silence. Clenching her fist, she bit on her lower lip. “C-Cloud…?” She called out again. She felt her lower lip quiver slightly as the fear grew.
The negative thoughts started to float to the surface of Aerith’s mind. Of course, Cloud bolted away when it was his turn to hide. He was just feeling sorry for you. You don’t deserve Cloud’s company. You should have never met him in the first place.
A tear rolled down her cheek as a sniffle escaped her. “C-Cloud…” She cried, hugging herself. It was so quiet, so lonely-
“I’m ready!”
Aerith snapped her head up at the sound. It was faint, but it was Cloud calling out.
“Cloud…!” She gasped softly, wiping her eyes with her arm as she looked around again. He sounded close, but far away at the same time.
She heard the soft rustle of leaves and looked up. Small strands of blonde hair peeked out behind the leaves of a tree.
“I’m ready!” Cloud called out, rustling the leaves again.
Aerith looked up at the tree, exhaling shakily. Cupping her hands around her mouth, she mustered up her strength. “Found you!” She yelled.
Cloud immediately climbed down the tree, running to her. “Aerith, you okay?” He asked quietly, noticing how red her eyes were and the way her body shook slightly when she tried to take a breath.
“I thought- I thought you-” She tripped over her words, choking back a sob. Without thinking, she threw her arms around Cloud and pulled him into a desperate hug.
He slowly wrapped his arms around Aerith, rubbing her back as she cried into his neck. He didn’t know what to say to make her feel better, so he settled on being there for her. He squeezed her tighter, gently pushing her head rest comfortably against his neck.
Aerith hiccuped and cried softly, breathing in Cloud’s scent. He smelled like fresh mountain air, grass, and pure comfort. She clutched his shirt in her hands tightly.
Her sobs slowly faded to shaky breathing. Pulling away, she wiped her eyes and looked up at Cloud. “T-Thanks, Cloud,” She murmured, giving him a small smile.
In response, Cloud nodded quietly. “You’re okay,” he murmured, only letting go when Aerith pulled away. He gently pulled her to a bench and sat down beside her.
Aerith held Cloud’s hand in her own. Her cheeks were still wet with tears and her nose was red. “Sorry you had to see that,” she mumbled—another sniffle.
“It’s…It’s fine,” Cloud shook his head. “Are you feeling better?”
Aerith nodded. “I…never really liked hide-and-seek,” Aerith spoke up after a while. Her fingers played with the hem of her dress as she swung her legs lightly.
Cloud made a noise of confusion, his face scrunched up. “Then why’d you suggest we play it?”
Aerith quietly laughed. It wasn’t like her usual carefree laughs. It felt more bitter, and sad. Just like the bitter melons Cloud had to eat at home sometimes. “Would you be mad if I said it was a test?” She asked softly while lightly swinging her legs. She looked down at the ground. She didn’t want to see Cloud’s expression.
She heard quiet movement. Hesitantly, she glanced up to see Cloud shaking his head. “You gotta explain why it was a test before I start getting mad, y’know?”
Sighing, Aerith continued. “You know how the other kids thought I was weird and didn’t want to play with me?” Hearing Cloud’s encouraging hum, she kept going. “We used to play hide-and-seek together. But then they wouldn’t find me. I thought I hid really well, but we played a few more times. It was the same.”
“Eventually, I said I’d be the seeker. Every time, I couldn’t find them. Again and again…it was the same thing.” Her voice grew quieter with each word, but she forced a smile on her face. “So…it was a test. To see if you were like them.”
Cloud gently squeezed her hand. “I’m not mad at all.” He mumbled. “I can see why you did that. I’d be upset too if someone did that to me.” He sighed softly, “You didn’t deserve that.”
Aerith exhaled, breath shaky. She could feel her heart pound in relief. “You know why they think I’m weird?”
“Why?”
“It’s because…” She swallowed. What if Cloud thinks she’s weird after this? She doesn’t want to lose him.
Cloud squeezed Aerith’s hand slightly tighter in reassurance. “I won’t judge.”
She gave him a nervous, but grateful smile. “I…talk to flowers a lot.” A second passed. Then another. Why wasn’t Cloud answering?
She meekly looked up at Cloud. His expression was blank. “C-Cloud…? Hello in there…” She waved her hand in front of his eyes, watching him eventually grow startled and jump in surprise.
“Sorry, I forgot to start talking. Got used to just listening.” He cleared his throat. “If that’s why they think you’re weird, then they’re stupid,” He said firmly.
Aerith blinked before bursting into shaky laughter. “Thanks, Cloud.” She wiped away the last of her tears. “You just know what to say.”
“I really don’t.”
“That’s what makes it work!” Aerith giggled before rummaging through her backpack to pull out a few sandwiches. “My mom made some for the both of us! They might be a bit cold…but they’re still pretty good!” She handed one to Cloud, watching him slowly take it into his hand.
She watched as he unwrapped the foil around the sandwich carefully before taking a bite. Watching him scarf down the food, she took a bite of her own sandwich as well.
Cloud smiled slightly as he continued to eat his food. The sandwich was cold, and a little soggy. It was the first time a friend shared food with him, and he thought it was the best sandwich he ever had.
Aerith smiled. Cloud passed her test with flying colors.
Aerith looked out of her window, pouting. It was sunny this morning, but then rain started pouring down just a few minutes ago. It was almost time she usually went to the playground to play with Cloud too!
”Would he be there…?” She wondered out loud, watching the small raindrops slowly run down the glass of her window. Kicking the blankets off her in frustration, she got dressed. She ran down the stairs and grabbed her favorite clear umbrella with small flowers around it.
“Mom, I’m heading out!” She yelled, putting on her yellow rain boots.
Elmyra looked down from the top of the stairs, furrowing her eyebrows. “Are you sure? It’s raining outside.”
“I’ll just go check if Cloud’s at the playground! If he isn’t there, I’ll come right back.” She put on a pink raincoat, twirling it around as if to show Elmyra she was going to be okay. “I promise.”
Seeing Aerith’s insistence, she sighed. “Fine. Don’t run in the rain. It’s slippery.”
“Gotcha!” Aerith grinned and dashed out the door, ignoring her mother’s protests. She watched as the rain rolled down her umbrella. Usually, she liked the rain, but it got in the way today.
She walked quickly to the playground, humming. “Rain, rain, go away…”
Looking around the playground, she was about to walk home when she didn’t see the blonde but stopped. A small figure was huddling under the stairs. Recognizing the shirt, she ran.
“Cloud!”
The figure looked up. His blonde hair stuck to his face, and his clothes were completely soaked, yet he still smiled. “H-Hey, Aerith.” His teeth chattered as he wrapped his arms around himself.
She pulled Cloud under the protection of her umbrella, ignoring how wet and cold his hands were. “Are you okay?” She asked softly.
He nodded. “Y-Yeah. Sorry, I didn’t bring an umbrella… I forgot.” He shivered and Aerith bit her lip in worry.
”Come on, let’s go to my house. It’s close.” She started walking, still holding his hand. Cloud didn’t even protest when she dragged him along.
Cloud nervously wrung the water out of his clothes once they stopped in front of her house. “I’m going to get your floor wet…” He mumbled, biting on his lip in an attempt to stop trembling.
“What matters is that you get warmed up.” Aerith opened the door and gently nudged Cloud into the house. Almost instantly, a blast of warm air enveloped the two. Cloud shuddered. It was so comforting, that he could fall asleep standing up.
Elmyra was sitting at the table, arms crossed. She sat up straighter, however, when she spotted Cloud. “Oh goodness, let me grab you a towel.” She walked quickly to the kitchen, carefully draping it over Cloud’s neck.
Cloud leaned into the soft fabric of the towel, starting to wipe his face and hands. “T-Thank you,” He whispered. He began to pat himself dry when Aerith took off her raincoat and put her umbrella and rain boots to the side.
As if seeing Aerith’s pleading gaze, Elmyra sighed. “I’ll get started on some stew. Before that,” She turned to look at Aerith, “I want you to get some dry clothes for your friend.”
“Okay!”
Aerith ran up the stairs, leaving Cloud, who was still dripping water over the house’s front door, with Elmyra. He continued to pat himself dry, glancing up at Elmyra nervously.
“Sorry,” He said quietly once he was decently dry, his clothes still damp, “I got your floor wet.”
Elmyra sighed, softening her expression. “You don’t have to worry about that. Cloud, I assume?” Cloud nodded, clutching the towel carefully. “Do you want to go take a shower? I imagine you must be feeling cold.”
Cloud shook his head quickly. “I-It’s okay.”
Elmyra crossed her arms, frowning in disapproval. Cloud stiffened. “I-I’ll take you up on that offer…?” He asked hesitantly, relaxing when Elmyra nodded. Aerith dashed down the stairs, holding a white shirt and blue shorts in her arms, “Mom, are these okay?” She asked, showing her the clothes.
“Mhm. While Cloud takes a shower, you can help me with the stew.” Elmyra smiled. “The bathroom is up the stairs, the first door on your left.”
Cloud nodded and took off his shoes, leaving them neatly against the wall before carefully walking up the stairs.
Aerith watched until she heard the bathroom door close and the water started to run. She helped Elmyra mop the floor while Elmyra began to chop the vegetables for the stew.
“You have a good friend,” She commented as she started to heat some cream and added cornstarch, “He’s polite.”
Aerith giggled, put the mop away, and washed her hands. “He’s really nice too!” Settling into a routine, she added boiling water to the cream mixture and put the vegetables into the pot. “I’m glad he’s my friend.”
Elmyra chuckled, mixing the stew in the pot, “I’m glad you found him.”
“More like he found me.” Aerith smiled. “Ah…it smells nice.” She sniffed the air around them, now filled with the aroma of creamy stew with hints of onion and garlic.
The faint sound of a stomach growling filled the air and the mother-daughter duo turned their heads to look at the culprit.
Cloud had a hand over his stomach while his other hand held his clothes neatly folded in his other hand. He had an expression of embarrassment. “Um… sorry. Where should I put my clothes…?”
Elmyra huffed good-naturally, “I’ll hang them up for you. Aerith, can you watch the stew and stir it?”
“Of course!”
Cloud hesitantly handed Elmyra the damp clothes. “I-I tried to wring out as much water as I could.” He said softly.
“I appreciate that, Cloud. Thank you,” Elmyra took the clothes and hung them up in a corner of the house. “You can wait at the table. The food will almost be done.”
Cloud sat nervously at the table. A couple of minutes later, Aerith held a small basket of bread while Elmyra held a pot of stew.
“Lunch is served!” Aerith giggled, sitting beside Cloud. “Mom’s stews are always really good.”
Elmyra huffed, quickly ruffling Aerith’s hair despite her protests, “Now you’re just flattering me.”
Aerith laughed again, using her elbow to nudge Cloud. “Let’s eat! Try dipping your bread into the stew. It changes it completely.”
Cloud tilted his head before tentatively taking a piece of bread. He dipped it into the stew and took a bite. Widening his eyes at the taste, he started to use a spoon to scoop up the stew.
Seeing how much Cloud enjoyed his food, Aerith couldn’t help but smile wider.
After eating, the two sat together on the couch, listening to the rain pour outside.
“What should we do…?” Aerith wondered out loud. She felt a heavy weight on her shoulder and turned, feeling blonde strands of hair against her cheek.
“Cloud?” She murmured.
No response.
“Nap time it is, then.” Aerith giggled and leaned her head against Cloud’s, closing her eyes.
The two spent every day together, playing at the playground or Aerith’s house when the weather wasn’t the best.
“…Do you really have to go?” Aerith asked softly as she lay on the grass, turning her head to look at Cloud. She slowly interlaced their fingers together and inched closer to him.
They gazed up at the night sky together. Given Midgar’s light pollution, there wasn’t much to look at.
Cloud sighed softly, moving closer until their shoulders were touching. “I don’t want to.” He turned to lay on his side which Aerith mimicked. “I don’t think I can come back soon, since the trip here was expensive.”
Aerith’s eyes watered. She’d been dreading this moment since she met Cloud a month ago. “I don’t…”
Cloud wrapped an arm around Aerith’s back and pulled her into his chest. “Me too.” He whispered, using his thumb to rub soothing circles into her back. “Me too.”
Aerith sniffled as she buried her face into the crook of Cloud’s neck. “Do you think we can meet again?”
Cloud held Aerith tighter. “I know we can. I promise once I grow up and earn enough money, I’ll come back to see you again.” He said with determination.
Tears started running down Aerith’s cheeks. “I don’t want you to go so soon.” She held Cloud’s hand tighter, “We still have so much we can do. We haven’t gone shopping around Sector 5…or planted flowers together. We still have to bake cookies!” She cried softly.
Feeling Aerith’s tears on his neck, Cloud bit his lip. The stinging behind his eyes started to blur his vision. He didn’t want to be the reason Aerith cried. “Y-You’re going to make me cry…” He mumbled. The lump in his throat was getting harder to ignore.
He tried to remember every detail from this moment. How Aerith’s hair smelled, how warm she felt against him… He didn’t want to forget a single part of this.
“Can I still see you off? When you leave Midgar,” Aerith whispered, her voice still shaky.
Cloud couldn’t stop the single tear that slipped out. “Of…of course you can. You’re my best friend.”
“Friends forever?” Aerith pulled away slightly, extending her pinky towards Cloud.
Cloud wrapped his pinky around Aerith’s, nodding. “Friends forever.”
Cloud looked back at Midgar, a small figure waving to him from the entrance. His mother had already entered the truck that waited for them. Unable to resist, he ran back to the entrance, throwing his arms around the small figure.
“C-Cloud?!” Aerith exclaimed, quickly hugging him back. She sniffled and hiccuped as Cloud held her tighter. “If you do this, I might not let you go, y’know?” She mumbled from his shoulder. Her hold on him tightened slightly.
“Aerith,” Cloud buried his face in her hair, “I promise I’ll come back to Midgar when I’m older. I don’t know when, but I’ll come back. Until then, wait for me.” He pulled away too quickly for his liking, but his mother was waiting.
He pulled a necklace from his pocket, putting it in Aerith’s hand. “I want you to have this.”
Aerith looked at the necklace in her hand and let it dangle from her wrist. It was a simple necklace with a small yellow flower and a pearl in the center. “Cloud, this…”
“It’s a ‘thank you’ for being my friend for the month I was here and…” Cloud bashfully looked away, scratching his head, “I guess it’s also a ‘see you again’. I couldn’t find the flowers you liked that meant reunion, but I hope this was close enough.”
Aerith wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. “I love it, Cloud.” She put the necklace around her neck. The pearl shone brightly under the sun. “I’ll see you again.”
Cloud nodded. His heart yearned to stay by Aerith’s side and never leave, but reality was cruel.
As if sensing his thoughts, Aerith smiled sadly. “Go. Your mom’s waiting.”
Cloud bit his lip and nodded slowly. “I’ll see you soon.” He mumbled.
Putting her hands behind her back, Aerith leaned forward and pressed her lips against his cheek gently. “It’s a promise.” She smiled, watching as Cloud rushed to the truck, looking back even as the truck started to roll forward.