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[ Aerith's happy that their first meeting didn't go too badly. She knows Vincent isn't exactly a social butterfly, but she also knew Zack wouldn't take it to heart. ]

He is. Did I ever tell you how we met him? [ At the time, it hadn't seemed so silly (actually, it was pretty scary) but looking back, it was a weird way to meet someone. ] He was sleeping in a coffin. I think Yuffie's still halfway convinced he's a vampire. [ She shakes her head, amused. ]

[ Social butterfly or not, Zack has enough pep and vigor to compensate for it. Vincent's more subdued demeanor didn't put him off in the least. ]

I don't think you did. [ He would remember that, surely. ] He told me a little about it.

[ About Hojo and Sephiroth's mother, too. That was...interesting.

He shakes his head. ]

It's funny. I remember seeing him in Shinra Manor. I just never woke him up.

[ Aerith knows a little about that story, but she hasn't had a chance to really sit down a poke at Vincent about it. It seems painful for him, so she's just waiting for a good time. Who knows when that will be. ]

Did you really? Imagine if you had. I wonder what would have happened then?

[ It's weird, to think about something like that. All these connections without even knowing they were connections. ]

I keep expecting someone else to show up. [ Maybe 'hoping' is a better word for it, but that's selfish, right? ] I wouldn't put it past Wonderland to bring someone like Rufus Shinra here. Or maybe a Turk, like Tseng or Reno.

[ Wouldn't that be fun? ]

[ As dramatic and broody as Vincent was, that might very well be never. Still, he can understand not wanting to talk about certain things. ]

I dunno.

[ He tries not to dwell on what-ifs too much when he knows it won't change anything. ]

There's a few faces I wouldn't mind seeing again.

[ It's too much to hope he could see Angeal again, or any of his friends in SOLDIER. Cloud...maybe Cloud, one day. Cissnei was always all right. He's not sure how he'd deal with anyone else from Shinra. ]

The Turks wouldn't be so bad.

Edited 2013-06-12 14:00 (UTC)

I'm not sure how they would react to arriving here. [ She's actually trying to picture it. Tseng would keep his cool, of course. Maybe Rude, too, but he doesn't talk to her much. Reno, though...

There would probably be explosions. ]

It's probably better if they don't all show up. I know it's really only temporary, and we forget our time here once we return...

[ There will always be that little selfish part of her, though. Wanting everyone with her always. Elmyra had been the only person who actually stayed in her life. At least until Zack - and even then, he hadn't been able to make it back to Midgar. One more person she lost. She's so tired of losing people.

Aerith realizes she's been quiet for a little too long, and turns her head back up to the sky, an errant thought entering her mind: ]

You know, I was wondering if you ever received my letters. [ She's assuming not, but she still wants him to know she tried to contact him. More than several times. Aerith hadn't forgotten about him, even without hearing from him for so long. ] I wrote you a few.

Try not to get bored, probably.

[ The Turks were always a very active part of the Shinra infrastructure so it'd be interesting to see how they adapted to a new world without it.

He looks at her for a moment, considering. ]

It's worth the time we have.

[ He's alive again, and though it's on borrowed time, he doesn't regret coming here. They can cherish what they have while it lasts and not worry about tomorrow.

Looking back up at the sky, he lets the quiet be what it is. A faint, wistful smile touches his lips at the question, though. ]

Just one. [ It was such terrible blow, too, learning he was out of commission for four years. ] The creature who helped us in the church once brought it to me. [ He glances at her. ] The eighty-ninth.

[ The mention of the creature has her nodding. It's been a long time since she's thought about the letters, but Aerith's glad to hear he managed to get a hold of one, even if it was the last one. ]

I remember writing that one. [ Maybe it was a little strange that she continued to write him after so many years of not hearing from him, but while all evidence pointed to his moving on she still insisted on writing. Tseng wasn't telling her where he was, and she knew Zack wouldn't just stop talking to her so abruptly. That worry that something happened to him, something seriously wrong, manifested itself into over eighty letters. ] By then, I was convinced you just weren't getting them. I had to try one last time.

[ It's a sad memory, and one she tried to lock away. Which wasn't fair to him, and there's always been a twinge of guilt about that. Since he's returned, she's wondered if there had been anything she could have done, maybe nagged Tseng for more information, something. ]

You know, after all that time apart, you owe me countless dates, right?

[ And her tone is light, her mouth curving up just the slightest. Her tone is teasing, but she's being a little serious. About that date, anyway. Her feelings for him haven't changed, though she has changed and she's not sure where they stand. ]

[ It's a sad memory for him, too. Thinking back on how he reacted at the time, he remembers what he felt with clarity. Shock that he was gone for so long, worry over what was happening with Aerith, and a powerful desire to return to Midgar. He was so close, too -- he made it just to the outskirts before the Shinra army found them.

He'd walked to his fate with a smile on his face, an acceptance born of a lack of options.

That didn't mean he didn't feel anguish over the fact that he never made it back. ]

I'm glad you did.

[ If he hadn't at least heard from her that one time...well. At least he knew he wasn't forgotten, despite Shinra's attempts to erase him off their books.

Her tone is light and teasing, but he doesn't smile. His face creases, conflicted, and he finally sits up. He still loves her -- even after all these years, that hasn't changed. Even the time difference isn't such a strange thing now that he's used to it.

He just doesn't want to disappear and leave her alone again. ]

Aerith...

[ His throat locks up a little. ]

Are you sure?

[ He can't promise her a tomorrow. He can't even promise her today. The time they have is worth it, but he doesn't want to give so much and then be taken from her again. ]

[ The change in tone surprises her, and she blinks at him for a moment before nodding. Aerith hadn't forgotten him, not by a long shot, but after that last letter and whatever she felt the day he died had convinced her to lock him away in her memories. It hurt too much to think about him.

But now, those memories have come flooding back, and while a little overwhelming, she doesn't mind them at all. Zack was her first love, the person who cracked her shell so she could blossom. Why would she turn away a chance to be with him again?

Aerith would prefer to have a few days of happiness than a lifetime of not knowing. Even if her memories will be wiped when she returns home, even if there's a chance he might be gone tomorrow, she is more than happy to appreciate the now. ]

I am. [ And her smile is soft, hand reaching out to brush her fingertips over his cheek. ] I missed you, Zack. We can't make any promises about the future, but we can just...be. [ Not the most descriptive thing she's ever said, but she knows he'll understand. ] I say taking it one day at a time is the best way to go. And what better way to take them than together?

[ He does understand.

Eyes burning, he blinks when she brushes her fingers against his cheek. He's not surprised by what she says -- not really. There's no telling what will happen here tomorrow, but even when they were together in Midgar, things were less than certain. He lost count of how many times he was spending time with her, only to be interrupted by a phone call.

Here, at least, there's no ShinRa to ruin what time they have.

Swallowing against the lump in his throat, Zack lifts a hand, gently entwining his fingers with hers. ]

...yeah.

[ A pause, then: ]

I...I wanted to come back.

[ More than anything. ]

Edited 2013-06-17 23:20 (UTC)

[ She squeezes his hand, giving him a sad smile. Being able to talk to him again has cleared up a lot of her confusion about his disappearance, and about what she felt the day he died. It doesn't make it any easier to hear about what had really happened to him.

Aerith's spent a lot of time thinking about it, and at this point she's firmly decided that any time spent with him is worth it. ]

I wish you had been able to. Maybe things could have been different. [ She's imagined what it would have been like, but she knows that won't get her anywhere except sadder. Aerith prefers to push the sadness aside - spending all this time being upset would just take away from spending time with him, and she has missed him something fierce. ] Before we're sent back, whenever that is, I would like to spend more time with you. I wasn't lying when I said I combined those twenty three wishes.

[ He doesn't know. There are so many things that could have happened, so many 'what if's that he's tried very hard just to let them go. He accepted his death when it happened, but now that he's here, apart from collective, reassuring flow of the Lifestream, he feels vulnerable and human all over again.

Not that it's a bad thing. This is a chance he never dreamed he would have -- to live and just be without the trappings of ShinRa weighing on his shoulders.

Blinking back unshed tears, he manages a small, watery smile. ]

So I don't forget, right?

[ A soft response. Returning the gentle squeeze, he lightly kisses her palm. ]

I'd like that.

Edited 2013-06-20 02:06 (UTC)

[ The tears build in her own eyes, her breath catching in her throat when he presses his lips against her palm.

In its own way, Wonderland can be a place for second chances. For them, at least. She leans forward, pressing her forehead into his shoulder and takes a deep breath. His warmth eases the knot in her stomach - because she's nervous, just the tiniest bit, and really she feels silly about it. Of all people, Zack has always made her feel at ease but the years between them have made her feel more than unsure.

She closes her eyes, wishing that, for just a moment, time would stop and they would stay like this forever. ]

Right. And now I'm here to remind you, so I'm not worried that you'll forget. [ Oh, he's stuck with her now. As long as they're here, anyway. The future may not be the most reliable for them, but that's fine. They can take on anything together, she's sure of it. ] Now we can make up for lost time. [ She'll lift her head to look up at him again, her expression slightly mischievous. ] And I have a lot of stories to tell you.

[ Some of them involve a cross dressing Cloud even. ]

[ This...really isn't the conversation he was expecting to have today.

He looks at her, eyes moist, and despite the sudden breeze, the warmth between them goes uninterrupted. He almost forgot what this felt like -- to be so close to someone else, to feel their heart beating in times with yours, and know that they'll be there for you no matter what.

He smiles again, this one a bit stronger than the last. ]

I'll bet.

[ Before he can persuade himself otherwise, Zack leans over and kisses her softly, too-blue eyes locked on hers. ]

I love you.

[ Though it's little more than a whisper, the strength behind those words could move the tallest mountain. She's the dearest thing in the world to him, and he doesn't mind letting her know it. ]

Edited 2013-06-22 14:03 (UTC)

[ The kiss is unexpected, but welcome. Her eyes flutter half closed, her breath catching as their lips touch. Letting someone in, whole and complete, has always been difficult for Aerith, but Zack has been the exception. His brightness draws her in, like a flower starved for sunlight, and in some ways he saved her when they met. She'd felt like she was withering away in the darkness of the slums, the horrors of the world weighing down on her as she left her home each day.

Now, though, she's grown, and she's changed. One thing that will never change are her feelings for him, no matter how long it's been or how much distance is between them. His words wash over her, and she smiles. It's hard to decide what she's feeling, it's so much at once and while it should be overwhelming, it just makes her happy, almost content. A feeling she hasn't had in a very long time. ]

I love you, too. [ Words that are hard for her to say, because the people she loves are always taken from her one way or anything. Loving anyone seems to just doom them, whether it's an early death or a sudden loss of a husband and adopted father Aerith never got to meet. She's tired of being careful, protecting herself, because then she misses out on so much, and she's tired of it. Wonderland may pull one or both of them out the very next day, and that's okay. It will hurt, but at least she'll always have this. Even when her memories are taken from her when she returns, even if she never sees Zack again, the fact that she can see him, hear him, one last time...it's enough. ]

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