Delightful // Cloud x Reader

CHAPTER THREE: Someday

So, I have already written 14 chapters of this story lmao-
—

BY THE TIME THEY WALKED ACROSS THE BRIDGE TO AERITH'S, CLOUD LET Y/N down so he they both could chase after Aerith. The duo watched as she was kneeled down in a bed of the yellow flowers that they kept seeing, finishing what she was saying to them.

Y/n raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything because she felt that this wasn't the time to be a smart ass. Cloud, on the other hand, asked what the flowers said, but it didn't seem like he was doing it to be mean.

After a sweet, touching moment of Cloud showing kindness and not being tsundere as fuck, Y/n's stomach grumbling caught Aerith and Cloud's attention.

"Uh," Y/n looked away, her cheeks feeling very warm. "Did you guys here that? Is it a ghost? I'm scared."

Aerith giggled. "Let's get inside. Food should be done by now."

It was, and Elmira was also done, too. Her daughter was late after hanging out with two strangers, so naturally she was going to be mad. But, fortunately for cloud and y/n, she didn't hold a grudge and asked Aerith to prepare the guest room for them.

"There isn't two beds in there, but I'm sure you'll manage," Elmira smiles as Aerith walked up the stairs. Once her mom heard the door to the guest room shut, she turned to face the merc and the traveler.

"Judging by your eyes, Im guessing you're a SOLDIER?" Elmira put her hands on her hips and then turned to Y/n, "and you. Your vibe is... Off. I don't like it."

Cloud turned away from the window and look at Elmira. Meanwhile Y/n crossed her arms and leaned on her left foot. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm an ex-SOLDIER," Cloud, for the 100th time, corrected.

Elmira sighed and walked over to the table, not even bothering to explain what that meant. "I hate to ask... But would you two leave tonight- without any fuss and no questions? You boys made a trade; normal life for power. You can't have both."

Cloud looked like he wanted to say something, but Aerith announce that she was back and so that was where it ended. Y/n put a hand on Cloud's arm to stop him. He looked down at her face. Her e/c eyes told him to stop, but she also looked sorry. Cloud just hummed and looked away.

Elmira smiled at her daughter. "Good, now- I hope you're hungry!"

—

The guest room situation was a little, well, awkward. There was one bed and the floor was a little cluttered, but it looked like Aerith tried to clean up and sat down a mat for someone to sleep on. Cloud, being the gentleman he was, offered the bed to Y/n.

"You sure you don't want it?" Y/n asked him. He shrugged.

"I'm used to sleeping on the floor."

So, that's how it went. After a few hours of well needed shuteye, though, Cloud shook Y/n awake, although not wanting to disturb the girl's sleep.

"Ah, time to go?" Y/n whispered. Cloud nodded and helped her up, handing her things to her.

"Don't want to overstay our welcome."

The opened the door and tried to silently make their way downstsirs, avoiding all the clutter. Aerith was in the next room and the didn't want to wake her.

By the time they made it downstairs, the found that Elmira was waiting at the table for them. "So, you two leaving?"

They both just nodded. Cloud then asked how they could get to sector 7. Y/n just went along with it. She had nowhere to go and Cloud knew that, so she just assumed the he assumed they were going together.

After getting the instructions, Elmira asked them not to talk to Aerith very again. Y/n knew that wasn't gonna happen, but she agreed anyway. Before they left, Y/n thanked Elmira for her hospitality, hoping to make her feel guilty about calling her dangerous, but also genuinely grateful.

So, the two set out to sector seven. As the walked through the town, Y/n noticed the chill in the air and wrapped her arms around herself. Taking a look up at the plates she said, "You think with all those lamps up there it'd be warmer."

Cloud just made a noise, like usual. Although, he kind wished he also had a jacket. For himself, obviously.

Yeah, keep telling yourself that.

Anyway, when they got to a pathway that'd lead them to Wall Market, Aerith appeared out from behind a broken wall. "And where do you think you two are going?"

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked, furrowing his brows. Aerith just giggled in response.

"Hmm. Waiting."

"Why?"

Aerith got into cloud's face, and smiled. "Because I'm not sick of you yet." Cloud just stared at Aerith while the girl looked into his eyes.

Y/n crossed her arms and made her voice go higher. "Oh, and you Y/n, so good to see you. We're such great friends I couldn't stay away yet."

Cloud slightly smiled at Y/n, and Aerith laughed and ran to her friend, giving her a hug. "Of course, Y/n. I would miss you too much."

So, the three walked along. Aerith said that she had a short cut, so they headed that way. As Y/n strolled along behind Aerith and Cloud, she couldn't help but think. It's been a little bit that she was here, would she be able to go back home?

In all honesty, if Y/n was presented the opportunity to go home, would she? Her home life was rather... sad. No family to speak of, not any real friends, and her job was boring. Not to mention, being a college student was rough. The stress of life was released instantly when she appeared in this world. Hell, she didn't even think about it till now. She wasn't sure if she wanted to leave... In this World she knew what she was doing having played the original game. It was like she was one step ahead.

Cloud snapped Y/n out of her thought by putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Aerith is already down there. We gotta move these hands to get the ladders down."

"Ah, yeah. Let's do it."

As Cloud operated the hand cranes, with Y/n adding in on where to go, he couldn't help but feel bad for Y/n. He knew that far away look on her face. It was familiar to him. He couldn't tel what she was thinking about, but maybe he'd ask her. Speaking of asking a question...

While he operated the two cranes to get Aerith across, he glanced at Y/n. "Where you're from... Do you have plates above you?"

Y/n looked at him for a moment before back down at Aerith climbing on the hand. "No. But our government sucks all the same."

After another moment of silence, he asked another. "What does it look like? The real sky, I mean."

Y/n looked up at him. He was concentrating on the cranes, or trying to look like it. She hummed and watched as Aerith let down a latter. "Maybe you'll see it someday."

—

After making it to a playground, Aerith talked to Cloud for a bit on a big round thing, while Y/n sat against it, leaving them to talk. She didn't even realize she closed her eyes until the gate opened and Cloud ran after a carriage that had a Chocobo leading it. Aerith and Y/n watched while Cloud and Tifa talked, them slowly fading in the distance.

Y/n caught up to Aerith after she ran to meet Cloud as he came back. "She's a big girl," Cloud said as Y/n took her place next to Aerith. "She can handle herself."

"I think the fuck not," Y/n crossed her arms. "Cloud, Don Corneo is a creepy, disgusting, whore. We need to get her."

Aerith nodded. "No matter how strong or smart you think you are... Corneo knows how to turn it against you."

Cloud sighed. He looked at Y/n for a moment. She looked determined. Serious. Aerith mimicked it. "Alright, fine."