entraya inbox

[anciently]

" this is aerith! sorry i missed you, but - leave a message? i'll get back to you soon ♥ "

this is NOT a spoiler-free zone!

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[nimbuster]

Cloud tilts his head. That sounds like one of those leading questions Aerith always asks, where she's looking for something but never reveals what it is. He gives it a moment's thought, then shrugs.

"Dunno. Not too bad. Been a little too quiet around my place, I guess." There's this creepy feeling of being watched, too, but he doesn't want to tell her it reminds him of Sephiroth. "Why?"

[anciently]

"Hmm." The answer earns a little quirk of her lips: an almost-smile. "In that case, should I come by for a visit? Bang some pots and pans together, maybe?"

If it's too quiet, that can be easily remembered...

"Just asking. I haven't seen 'this' you in a while, after all." At his core, though, he's the Cloud she'd just left. The one Sephiroth had his hooks in, who'd been compelled to chase the black materia, and...

There's a lapse, and then she steps forward, reaching out to take her hand in his.

"I'm glad to be back. Know we didn't say goodbye that long ago, but it's not the same on my own." She doesn't keep his hand hostage for long, though, offering a squeeze before releasing it again.

[nimbuster]

Cloud gives her a Look. "Visit all you want, but leave the pots and pans at home." He really does mean that, too - that she should visit all she wants. Having her around more often again...it would help a lot.

He nods - right, last she saw him, he hadn't yet come to Etraya. Weird thought.

She takes his hand, and he glances down at it with a slight smile. He wonders if...if she might want to make 'next time' sooner rather than later. He's not sure if she'll remember that, though. Was she 'his' Aerith, or another one from another world? Definitely not something he intends to ask right now.

"Yeah..." He looks back up to meet her eyes. "Not the same without you, either. Nice to be on the same page again, too." It was uncomfortable, hiding everything from her for so long. Important things, but also...smaller, more personal things.

He squeezes her hand back, but then she lets go, and he tries not to look disappointed.

[anciently]

"If I must..." There's a histrionic sigh as she shrugs. If she's hamming it up a bit, it's because she's masking the conflicting mess of feelings, after-...everything. This isn't the best, or healthiest, way of dealing with things, but...well, in her defense, she hasn't had very long to figure it all out yet.

Aerith can nearly hear the musings, the questions, circulating in Cloud's own brain. She looks up from their joined hands to his face, searching for a moment before she releases the hand again.

"Right. Yeah, it's better this way." 'The same page,' huh? That obviously isn't...really true, though. Not now, and...maybe not ever.

Her stomach twists.

"You don't have to leave or anything. But I'm also okay, y'know. If you have to be somewhere."