An Aerith and Cloud Love Story

What do I say Now?

Cloud and Aerith were still staring at each other. Neither one knew what to say next. Aerith looked calmed and relaxed and a little confused as she looked at the strange man in the SOLDIER 1st Class uniform. Cloud, however, remained silent. He was thinking in his head trying to figure out what he was going to say to Aerith. Aerith didn't know what to say to strange man either. So finally, Cloud took a deep breath.

"Hello miss. Uh my name is Cloud Strife." Cloud said as he breathed a sigh of relief that he did say anything offensive.

Aerith smiled and giggled a little as she replied, "Hello, Cloud Strife. My name is Aerith Gainsborough."

Aerith began to look at Cloud a little and she noticed a resemblance between Cloud and her old boyfriend Zack. They both had spiked hair, they both had mako blue eyes, they both used the same type of swords and they were both in SOLDIER. Aerith always wondered whatever happened to Zack. So she decided to ask Cloud if he knew if Zack Fair was still around, but she didn't. It just occurred to her that Zack never responded to any of here letters that she sent her.

"You know you remind me of my first boyfriend. He had mako blue eyes like you and had spiked hair, but his hair color was black, and he also carried a huge sword just like yours. I sent him eighty-three letters, but I haven't received a single reply from him. I just hope Zack Fair replies to at least one of my letters." Aerith said as Cloud froze when Aerith said Zack's name.

"Did you just say Zack Fair?" Cloud asked curiously as he looked at her.

"Yes I did say that. Why? Did you know him Cloud? Do you know where my Zack is?" Aerith asked as she began put more flowers into her flower baskets.

Cloud stood silent. He still remembered the painful memory of Zack's demise. Cloud can remember it plain as day, when Zack hid him among some huge boulders as he went off and fought against a battalion of Shinra troops, but was gunned down and as Zack breathed his las. He entrusted him with the Buster Sword to him. Cloud wanted to tell her what happened to Zack, but he knew that if he did, she'd be devastated.

"All I know is that he's on a mission in his hometown of Gongaga." Cloud knew this was a lie, but he couldn't gather enough courage to tell Aerith that the man she once loved was dead and was buried outside Midgar where the Buster Sword that he used marks where he died.

"Oh, I see. Well do you know when he'll be back?" Aerith asked Cloud again.

"No I don't. Probably not for another year." Cloud replied. Cloud felt even more guilty for telling her another lie.

Aerith could see that there was something troubling Cloud. So to make him feel better, Aerith was going to ask him if he would to come inside her house to have some tea. Now, Aerith knew what she was doing was risky, but she was kind of developing a liking towards. Aerith got up, picked up the basket of flowers turned and smiled at Cloud.

Cloud had something else in mind, for he too was developing a liking for Aerith. So Cloud was going to do something daring. He was going to ask Aerith if she would want to go on a date with him. Cloud knew that what he was going to was ridiculous, because here Cloud is asking a girl he never met before to go on a date with a total stranger, but Cloud thought it was worth a shot. Aerith and Cloud both opened their mouths simultaneously.

"Cloud? Would you-" Aerith was interrupted by Cloud.

"Aerith? Would you like to go out on a date with me?" Cloud interrupted her, his cheeks turning bright red with embarrassment.

Aerith's cheeks began to blush a little, as she was shocked at what Cloud just asked of her. Because here she is asking Cloud if he wanted to come in to have some tea, and here Cloud is asking her out on on a date. She thought of Cloud's offer for a moment and she was going to say no at first but then she thought of Zack and she knew that if anything would've happened to him, he would've wanted Aerith to move on. So after about five minutes, Aerith gave Cloud her answer.

"Sure Cloud, I would love to go out on a date with you." Aerith replied as her cheeks grew even more redder.

"Great. So how does tomorrow sound? Like at around five maybe?" Cloud asked as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Five sounds great." Aerith replied as she giggled a little.

"Good. Well, I guess I'll see you then Aerith." Cloud said as he got ready to leave.

"Same here Cloud." Aerith replied as she opened the front door to go inside her house. "Well, good night Cloud." She said as she walked inside.

"Good night, Aerith." Cloud replied as he mad his way back towards the 7th Heaven, where he saw Tifa locking up the place for the night. Tifa pulled the key out of the doorknob and turned to see Cloud with a smile on his face. Tifa found this unusual, because Cloud rarely had a smile on his face. Tifa knew Cloud as one of the serious types.

"Well, what are you so happy about?" Tifa asked him curiously.

"I just asked Aerith out on a date. And she said yes." Cloud replied with excitement.

"You? Asked Aerith? Out on a date? And she said yes?" Tifa was at a loss for words.

"What's wrong with me dating Aerith?" Cloud asked her a little suspicious like.

"Well, you know. She was dating... well... you know... Zack." Tifa said to Cloud knowing that he knew what she was talking about Zack Fair.

"I know who you're talking about, but that doesn't matter." Cloud replied and would go on to say, "And besides I kind of like her."

"Well, okay. So when's the big date?" Tifa asked with curiosity.

"Tomorrow at five o'clock." Cloud as the two both arrived at Clouds place. Cloud walked up to the front door and as he opened the door. He heard Tifa yell, "Don't wear your SOLDIER uniform on the date tomorrow!"

"Good night, Tifa!" Cloud replied as he walked in and shut the door. Cloud then made his way up stairs and got into his pajamas and got into bed and turned off the lights. "I'm going out with Aerith Gainsborough tomorrow." Cloud said over and over again in his head as he fell asleep, thinking about Aerith, but the person he was thinking about the most of all... Zack.