lucetilogs | [Aeris. Zack. Closed]

Entry tags:

[Aeris. Zack. Closed]

Who: Zack (

wingenvy) and Aeris (

wingedborough)
What: Aeris goes to find Zack! ♥
When: Er, now.
Where: Whatever house Zack is in.
Summary: After a brief conversation, Aeris goes to find where Zack is, so they can catch up and flirt and stuff. :D? ♥
Rating: Uh, PG for now.

The directions that Zack had given her were still pretty vague, but Aeris was determined to find him. Zack -- she thought she would never see him again. How could he be alive? But then again... how was she alive? The concept still boggled Aeris' mind, but now was not the time. She needed to look for Zack. She wouldn't give up until she found him.

Aeris was still not all that familiar with the area, but she managed to find some houses opposite of the forest, but still pretty near the lake Sora had shown her. Looking around carefully, Aeris spotted the house closest to the lake and knocked on the door lightly. Clearing her throat, nervous beyond all measure, she spoke.

"...Zack? Are you in there?"

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Zack had been lurking near the door, trying his best not to fret about seeing Aeris again after five years of separation. Would she be different? Was she happy to see him again? She sounded happy, but he couldn't help worrying. He was so out of the loop, and he'd kept her waiting for so long.

Well, if she'd been patient for that long, he definitely could wait for her. It was hard to be patient, however, after this long. He'd tried to force the door open, but thus far the lock had held. It didn't help that he felt horribly weak, and the pain at his back wasn't fading as quickly as it should. It was as if all the Mako and Jenova cells were sleeping - that weakness and the loss of his quick healing ability reminded him of his days as a recruit, or even Third and Second Class SOLDIER. There was a huge difference in power. It worried him, a little, and he hoped it would fade like Aeris said.

When he heard her voice outside the door, he hurriedly pressed his ear against it, shaking the knob. "Aeris? Aeris, I'm here!"

She sounded the same as always...

Upon hearing Zack's ever friendly voice, Aeris couldn't help but smile. He sounded the same as he always did -- friendly and bubbly. "Okay, I'm coming in!" Aeris then twisted the door handle, let it jiggle a bit, and opened the door to see her beloved. She wasn't dreaming. This wasn't just another dream.

There, right in front of her, was the man she loved five years ago. He wasn't any different. Aeris could only smile, while tears of joy filled her face. She couldn't believe it was really him. It was really... Zack.

It opened from the outside. Zack very nearly stopped breathing at the sight of her standing outside the doorway, silhouetted by the sunlight. With those wings at her back, she looked even more like an angel than ever.

"A... Aeris," he whispered, frozen in place for a moment, then without warning leapt forward, ignoring the pain and weariness and any doubts he'd carried for five years, and wrapped his arms around her, in an embrace he wasn't sure he'd ever break.

He'd found home again.

Aeris was taken a bit aback from the sudden hug Zack had embraced her with, but she couldn't help but smile. It was something so typical that Zack would pull. He really hadn't changed. He was the same Zack Aeris remembered from five years ago. The same Zack she fell in love with.

As she wrapped her arms around him, she couldn't help but mutter a small sob. She was so happy... Aeris didn't know what to do but cry as she held onto Zack for dear life. She never wanted him to go away again.

Zack shuddered, clinging to Aeris with a desperation he honestly couldn't voice. Five years... five years of experimentation had been endured for this moment. He'd always managed to stay strong for Cloud's sake, with the hope that he'd see her again, hold her like this, if he just kept fighting. But five years was a long time to endure that level of separation, especially with Jenova's legacy whispering in his ear.

But it was over now. He had her again, and she - against all odds - wanted him back. Really, it shouldn't have surprised him... that was just her way.

So he held her close and cried with her, because there was no hiding anything from his Aeris.

Aeris still couldn't believe it. She kept thinking this was all just a dream, like countless other times. But as she held on to Zack, feeling how real he was; Aeris realized that she longer needed to dream. Zack was finally back. Even though they were both in some foreign land with creatures that wanted to experiment on them, Aeris was happy just having Zack around.

Hearing him cry only made Aeris smile more. Zack could never withhold his emotions, especially with her around. He couldn't hide anything from her.

"Aeris..." Zack said again, voice faint and tremulous, breathing in the scent of her hair. She smelled the same as always - like her flowers, the ones she'd sold so proudly. "I... can't believe this. Why are you here? How did all of this happen? And... you have wings, too..."

The experimentations? They'd... already done something to her? He resisted the urge to clench his fists, not wanting to risk startling her. Those bastards...

"I... I don't really know what happened Zack," Aeris started, her voice started to crack. He could hardly breathe from the surprise of everything that had happened within the last few minutes. "I-I don't quite understand how either of us are even alive, or what this place really is but... I'm happy that you're here with me." She smiled, burying her face into Zack's chest. She had almost forgotten what it was like to have somebody to lean on; to comfort.

Aeris could have never done this with Cloud... but then again, she never knew the "real" Cloud in the first place.

"I see you have wings too. Do you hurt at all? Are you... okay?"

"Alive?" Zack echoed, his voice a little confused. "Why wouldn't we be alive? Unless this is some kind of afterlife... I don't get this place at all."

He pressed his lips almost shyly to her hair, letting the worry drain away, replaced with his relief. She was safe now - she was with him. He'd do anything to protect her.

"Don't worry about me," he murmured, soothing rubbing a hand against her back, beneath the wings. He wanted to touch them, but he didn't dare, when they were hurting her. "This pain is nothing."

He'd had worse over the years, especially in Nibelheim. No amount of pain could keep him from holding her.

"Wait...Zack, weren't you... killed? You never... you never came back home. I heard that you had been shot while trying to escape. I... I don't understand. None of this makes any sense. I was... I was trying to save the Planet from Meteor, and I... I'm so lost!" Aeris shrieked, suddenly breaking from Zack's grasp. As much as she loved Zack, and was incredibly happy that he was somehow alive with her, Aeris feelings were still uncertain. She had liked Cloud. How would that effect her relationship with Zack? And why couldn't he remember being killed?

Zack jumped at Aeris's cry, eyes startled wide. Killed? He was killed? But that never happened! He'd been fine - tired, sure, but alive - and on his way to Midgar. Back to Aeris, with Cloud at his side. ... Or at least dragging on his shoulder. They were going to work on that.

And now Aeris was telling him that... they'd never made it? He'd never come home?

"I... I was right outside Midgar," he whispered, hands clenching and unclenching at his side, trying to stop his shaking. "I was almost there. How could I have been killed...? I was so close! Just... just one more day!"

One more day... if they'd have waited to kill him, would he really have died?

Aeris tilted her head a little, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Don't you remember? It was... a surprise attack. You weren't prepared. It caught you off guard and you-- you were shot and killed. You didn't keep your promise like you said you would but. I.. moved on. I'm sorry..." Aeris trailed off, turning her back, trying to keep her muffled cries silent so Zack couldn't hear them. She felt like she had betrayed him. Was he alive, this whole time? Did all those people lie to her? No... they couldn't have. Why would they all? Even his parents knew what had happened...

She started to shake. She couldn't stop it. Aeris was the most confused she had ever been. What was going on?

Zack felt even weaker than before. He wanted to go to her, to hold her and comfort her once more, but he didn't even have the words to comfort himself. Dead. So it was true - he'd really died. They'd won. After four years in the lab, a full year on the road, taking care of Cloud and promising him that he'd always be there to look after him-

Promising Aeris he'd come home to see her-

It was all over...?

"I... I'm the one who should be sorry," he whispered, and before he knew it he was on his knees, staring at the ground, too stunned to move. "Sorry for... making you wait for nothing..."

He should have known it was too good to be true.

Aeris could hear the sound of Zack falling to his knees. They were both shaken up. Neither knew what was going on. Confusion ran all around, not letting either truly grasp what had happened. Aeris' emotions kept running circles in her head, not letting her deal with the current situation. She kept shaking uncontrollably, unable to know what to do; what to say.

Was everything they had... was it really all 'for nothing'? What would happen if Cloud arrived? How would he feel? How would Zack feel? ...How would Aeris feel?

As the possible outcomes were thought of in her head, Aeris buried her face in the palms of her hands. For once she could think of nothing to say. He felt like she had betrayed her one true love.

Too much... this was all too much. Zack slowly looked up, seeing her standing there with her back away from him, shoulders shaking. What was he doing? Fine, he was dead, whatever. It sucked, but how could he be upset about it when he hadn't even known until a moment ago? He couldn't remember dying, he couldn't remember being separated from Cloud, any of that. All he remembered was how intensely he wanted to return to Midgar.

To her.

And now he had her back... so how could he be so selfish as to think only of himself?

Steeling himself, he stood once more, stepping tentatively closer, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders from behind, careful not to press too much against the wings. To hell with worrying about death - they were alive here, and he couldn't waste this chance. Not when she was upset and needed him.

... At least he hoped she needed him.

"I'm sorry," he repeated gently, closing his eyes. "I didn't mean to be stupid about this. I'm... so happy to see you again... it's been so long, and I..."

I missed you more than anything in the world.

It wasn't long after Aeris had stepped away from him, that she heard Zack get up off his feet. Before she knew what was happening, his arms were draped around her. But did she really deserve this? Of course she loved him, and wanted to hug him back so eagerly but... was it the right thing to do? Could she really just forget about Cloud? If he came back, things could be disastrous.

But in that moment, she didn't care.

Aeris decided she needed to do what she felt was right for her. She hadn't seen Zack in over five years, and if by some miracle they were alive again, she would celebrate in this moment. She would do something for her, and if Cloud did come... she'd deal with that then. Right now, all she wanted was Zack.

He was no longer part of her past. He was a part of her future. They could help each other through this hard time in an unknown world.

Aeris did nothing, and it worried him a little. What if her telling him he was dead was to reject him? No, she wasn't that cruel. But...

"I moved on."

Oh. Oh. Right. Five years... far too long to wait. Especially with no word. She'd told him... the 89th letter was the last. Maybe she'd already found someone new? It made sense... someone as sweet and beautiful as her didn't deserve to waste her life waiting for a ghost who would never come home.

Slowly, reluctantly, he started to pull away, swallowing back his protests. "Sorry... I... didn't mean to push myself on you. You didn't have to come for me if you didn't want to."

It was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

She turned around quickly, to find Zack at his lowest. He had let her go. He must have been so upset. Aeris knew if she didn't act quickly things would end up in disaster. This is for me, is what she kept telling herself. Everything else later on would be dealt with then.

The whole point of the matter, is that she could never forget Zack. Even in Cloud, everything still lingered, even if it was just a facade. She couldn't let him go. She should have just waited. Waited for this moment.

Wiping the tears from her face, yet again, she ran to Zack, even though he was only a short distance away, and embraced him as she had before. Aeris thought she would never let go. "Zack, I'm sorry. I... shouldn't have said anything. I missed you more than anything. So please... don't be sad. I just want us to be happy again."

Zack gasped faintly as she jumped at him, his instincts alone allowing him to catch her. She... wasn't going to tell him to leave? She wasn't giving up on him?

She wasn't... like everyone else.

Tremulously he lifted his arms to hold her back, a sudden, tearful smile crossing his lips. "Aeris... that's really what you want...?"

It was more than he could ever have hoped for.

"Of course it's what I want silly!" Aeris responded, her face and character now sporting a happy expression. It was amazing how fast she could feel so sad, to feeling so happy. She guessed that was what being a girl was about.

"We can start over again. We can... make it through this together Zack. And we'll by each others side... always."

She was so happy... so happy to be with him again. Her smile was contagious, and before he knew it he was grinning right back at her. "I like the sound of that! To hell with the last five years - we're gonna act like that never happened, right? Like Nibelheim never happened. I've... come home." He closed his eyes briefly, feeling as if a great weight had left his shoulders. "It was a tough mission, but... I'm back."

"That's right!" Aeris joined in the optimism parade Zack had always started. It was his optimism that rubbed off on her, making her such a strong individual. She couldn't help but get excited. "We'll start over, and make new promises! Nothing will stop us!"

Not even Cloud, Aeris thought to herself. Of course, she wasn't entirely sure she could handle that, but she was positive. She would overcome any obstacle standing between her and Zack. They'd made it through this time, they'll make it through again.

They always would.

Zack brightened even more - it was apparently possible - and hugged her again. It felt wonderful to be so free, so happy. It really was as if so many years of loss could fade away. "Nothing at all. I'll never break a promise like that again, Aeris - never. I can't let this kind of thing happen again. I... never want to be separated from you."

Aeris face lit up, "I never want to be separated from you either Zack. Never again! We'll always be together..." she trailed off, grasping a hold of Zack's hand with her own. "Promise!"

If something like this could happen -- seeing both herself and Zack somehow survive death -- then they could easily have a happy ending.

It was the easiest promise he'd ever made in his life. Zack laced his fingers through Aeris's, smiling brightly. The only thing that could have made this moment better was if they were back in Midgar, alive and safe, and Cloud was with them. His greatest wish was always to see those precious to him be happy. "I promise, Aeris. No matter what, we'll find a way."

Aeris just smiled, looking into Zack's beautiful blue eyes intently. She couldn't have asked for a better moment.

As she grabbed onto Zack's other hand and hugged him tightly, she could only shed a tear of joy.

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[Aeris. Zack. Closed]

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