Cloud

[residentflorist]

code

Lilium
Derived from Latin lilia, which may have come from a corrupted
pronunciation of a word from an extinct Eastern Mediterranean language
Humility, devotion, restored innocence after death

"Lovers used to give these when they were reunited."

Comments

[residentmerc]

[ thank you the longer, slower kiss does help him take his time. maybe he is practicing saying the words in his head. who knows! this is not thought share week. no one knows. ]

[residentflorist]

[it's not thought share week which is fine, she's content to be here kissing him even though they really were on the way to get ice cream and everything's terrible after today's trial but maybe she just wants affection from the boy she loves. so yeah, she's not letting up.]

[residentmerc]

[ she can have affection, he's cupping her face to deepen the kiss because he is honestly still 1) a little reeling 2) still working up the Actually Say The Worlds Out Loud Cloud clause. pets her cheek. holds her close.

(tells imaginary zack sorry mine now) ]

[residentflorist]

[imaginary zack is just going to have to deal? because the very real aerith is extremely invested in the affection, tilting her head into cloud's hand and wrapping her arms around his shoulders to stay close. where the hell is she going to go right now? at this point cloud is going to have to be the one to stop kissing her because he started this.]

[residentmerc]

[ very real aerith is real and in his arms and he is kissing her and she told him she loves him and he does, at some point, stop kissing her to stare straight at her with a light furrow to his brow ]

I... Me too. [ oh my god, cloud. no he has to swallow but he manages it: ] I love you too.

[ what feels like a million years ago aerith told him not to fall in love with her and that it wouldn't be real and cloud had felt-- offended, then. and now look where they are!!! if it still makes him feel a little nervous well. that is actually most positive emotions so it's fine. ]

[residentflorist]

[yeah they fucked up by going against the idea of not falling in love, and here they are. but they're here together, and...maybe that makes it okay. maybe it's okay to be in love, and care so deeply about someone, and want to try to live for them and find a way to fix everything to stay together. she'd tried being selfless before, taking a backseat and trying to orchestrate things. make sure cloud and tifa were okay to support each other. keep enough of a distance without ever confessing her real feelings for him.

and now...well. here they are.]

...[there's a little laugh of relief, actually.] It's one of those things you know but never want to say too early or too late, I think.

[residentmerc]

[ hmm. he doesn't pronounce himself on too early or too late right away, stroking her cheek with his thumb. he doesn't know what a good time is on those things anyway. ]

It wasn't. Either of those.

[ or maybe it was a little because they have died how many times but whatever ]

[residentflorist]

[leans into his hand again.]

Maybe it doesn't have to be anything. It just...is.

[residentmerc]

... Yeah. It just is.

[ it is something they are... wow... in love..... ]

[residentflorist]

...I shouldn't have said what I did back then, I think. [about not falling in love with her.]

[residentmerc]

[ here's the funny part cloud has never been 100% sure if that was real or not so ]

Back then?

[residentflorist]

When I said not to fall in love with me.

[well. now he can know.]

[residentmerc]

... You remember that too.

[ well! that's good to know. that is one mystery solved. ]

[residentflorist]

[hm. thinking about how there are other things she needs to tell cloud, such as the matter of her fate. that's a monday problem though.]

Yeah. You weren't ever really sure what you were seeing, were you? [in...in that instance.]

[residentmerc]

[ it is very much a monday problem ]

Not exactly the first time. [ it's a mild admission considering. yknow. ]

[residentflorist]

Guess there wasn't ever really time to ask either between getting out of Shinra and then leaving Midgar all together. But...I'm glad you didn't listen to me. That's what I was getting at.

[residentmerc]

... You were calling for me. Whatever else you said.

[ you needed me so i went, and he was just annoyed at being told what he could or could not feel otherwise, so there. ]

[residentflorist]

[a little curious but knowing smile.]

I didn't know if you would, or could. [this has nothing to do with cloud in particular, it's about aerith's own issues of sometimes needing help and not getting it, or being ignored.] Should've known that wouldn't have stopped you.

[residentmerc]

... Even if you hadn't, there's no way I would've left you there.

[ he unfortunately has that hero complex thing he pretends to not have ]

[residentflorist]

...I didn't regret doing it to make sure Marlene was safe. [but?] But I wasn't ready for it either.

[for fun and convenience, he may have terrible memories.]

[residentmerc]

[ WOW THE RAGE DISGUST AND HATRED HE FEELS IS UNPARALLELED THANK YOU HOJO ]

... That sick bastard. [ holding her hands tighter looking like if hojo was in front of him he would murder him and god he wants it ]

[residentflorist]

[THANK YOU HOJO.]

...[she isn't entirely sure what to say because like. hard agree.] You know how Hojo is.

[i.e. he would have done god knows what if they'd actually gotten to keep aerith back then.]

[residentmerc]

... Yeah. I do.

[ cloud knows what and actually have fun with that memory too ]

[residentflorist]

[oh.

okay. she could have lived without this, but also, the vibe really is "they wanted to breed me?" she's looking incredibly incredulous, grip a little tighter on cloud's hands as she narrows her eyes.]

That...was his plan? [oh. oh no. no thanks.]

[residentmerc]

[ the vibe is cloud thinking about murdering hojo ]

...Yeah. We rushed in to go find you right away after hearing that. [ he does not mention that it might. still? be part of his plan? which is. hm. no. ]