[Action]

[gardeningaia]

[It's rather late in the evening to be out in the snow, but so Aerith is. Behind ch. 4, out in the forest, she's cleared the fresh-fallen snow from a small patch of earth and is now kneeling down in it, talking to Faeren.]

Wasn't it strange back then? Everyone changed so suddenly! ...Were you...a little nervous? Hm... But...people seem to be treating the forest and plants all right. Better than they do back home.

...Did I talk to you last time? No, you don't need to tell me. I'm sure I did. You don't have a voice, but still, it's less quiet when I'm talking to you.

[...and so on. In general, Aerith is just naturally chatty with spirits anyway. She'll be doing this spirit-talking for a while into the early night, roaming around the perimeter of the village to see if she can get in touch with Nala... The cold and still-falling snowflakes don't seem to deter her. This is more important.]

Comments

[wingenvy]

Don't forget, SOLDIERs are tough! A little snow isn't going to defeat me.

[It is pretty chilly though, so he's hoping Faeren doesn't take too long.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Hmm.

...It's okay if you can't hear her. I just wanted to share this with you.

[wingenvy]

[Zack blinks up at her, stunned into silence for a little while. Unexpected, but certainly nice to hear, especially from her. After that moment passes, he grins, arms shifting to cross behind his head, relaxing.]

I'll stay here with you until you're ready to go back inside then, how about that?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She shifts a little at the silence, focusing on the earth again. She wanted to share this with him, because there are so many things she isn't sharing with him, hasn't shared before. And he was away for so long, and she wants him close because he gave her so much--]

[At the question, she nods.]

That sounds good.

[...Though she realizes that at the moment, she's not really hearing Faeren because she got herself stuck thinking about Zack. Oops. Let's try this again.]

[wingenvy]

[He grins, subtly watching her as he relaxes in the snow. He really did miss this- just hanging out, no commitments to anything else, just the two of them.

And Shinra can't call him to work anymore. There's no downside to this.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She rubs her hands together and then brings them up to her lips, puffing warm air out over them. The air is cold and crisp, feeling clean. It's a lot different from Midgar's.]

[wingenvy]

[Zack waits in the silence for a while, but eventually his horrible attention span distracts him into talking again. At least he tried though, right? >_>]

...hey, Aerith? Are you okay with living with me?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[Poor puppy. She understands.

...Is a little uneasy about that question, though. Why is Zack asking...? She looks over at him, her lips pursed in concern.]

I like staying with you. I don't want to be by myself.

Is something wrong?

[wingenvy]

No, nothing wrong. I just don't want you to stay with me if you'd rather be with Cloud and Tifa or something. [She's been with them more recently than him, after all.]

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

We're all neighbors, Zack. I can see them anytime.

[wingenvy]

...Just wanted to make sure. [And maybe he's not as secure as he thinks.]

1/2

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

I know where I want to be. And it is--[flop onto the ground next to Zack]--right here--

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

--!!

[SITS BACK UP LIKE SHE JUST GOT SHOCKED]

Oh my goodness, how are you lying down on that like it's nothing? You're nuts!

[lol someone just got snow in the back of her head and neck from lying down in the wrong place. :|b Rubbing her neck and hair now.]

[wingenvy]

[Zack blinks at her sudden turnabout, then can't help it- he bursts out laughing. It's brief though, because once it trails off he sits up to brush some of the snow out of her hair.]

Maybe it's a SOLDIER thing. Or a hick thing! Cloud doesn't really get bothered by the cold, either.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

But he's from Nibelheim. You're from Gongaga. It's completely different!

[Though her pouting does get milder as he helps get snow out. But omg, so cold.]

[wingenvy]

I'm just repeating what I know. That's what he said back then, after all. [He shrugs.] Come on, let's go inside and get some hot chocolate.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Mm. We should... [She finishes fussing with her hair with a final patdown, standing up. She is getting pretty cold now, shivering lightly. But instead of rushing toward the building, she looks up at Zack.]

I don't want you to be alone, either.

[wingenvy]

[Zack glances up at her in surprise; he hadn't expected her to turn things on him. He stands up as well, scuffing a hand through his hair, snow dusting his shoulders.]

...It's okay. Everyone's here- I don't feel alone in this place. How could I?

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[Aerith knows how someone can feel lonely even when they're not actually alone--and she doesn't know a way to say it that doesn't sound woebegone and stupid. For a moment she just looks Zack in the face, trying to figure out what she should say.

What needs to be said? Is it better to just... not talk about it?]

We are here, so you-- [can't be lonely] --we won't leave you alone. She turns to the apartments, thinking of letting that be that.]

... But... you can feel lonely anyway. It's all right. ...Maybe that isn't the problem, but there's a distance. If there wasn't, you wouldn't think I might want to be somewhere else.

[wingenvy]

[...Huh. Zack hadn't meant to worry her, especially not like this. Maybe he'd felt kind of concerned, especially considering his long absence and the fact that she seems to know Cloud and Tifa so well. He hadn't been sure if it would be easier for her to stay with the ones she'd travelled with, rather than someone she hadn't seen for five years.

Because truth be told, even if he still recognizes her, and much of her is still the same as she'd been back then? He doesn't really know her, not like this. And while he wants to get to know her better, he can't really say for sure that it's better for her to stay with him.

...Maybe... he just wanted to hear how she felt about it. Now he feels a little embarrassed, though - he made her worry for nothing, didn't he?]

Well... it's not like I expected everything would be okay, after what's happened. I just wanted to give you the choice, you know? So... you didn't end up sticking with me because of some former obligation, or... [Ah, dammit.] This is probably coming out all wrong.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

Mm, a little. [But she says it as lightly as she can. They've never really talked about things like this, have they? She doesn't remember. She holds her hand out to his.] Let's have that hot chocolate.

[wingenvy]

[Zack pauses, glancing down at her hand briefly, then smiles and takes her hand, squeezing gently.] Sounds good to me.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[She squeezes back, though it takes a second after to realize...]

[Is that more a thing couples do than former-couples-turned-friends? Is she sending weird signals? Well, that's because part of her still wants to get back with him... Sigh. She can't tease Cloud about being a mixed-up boy anymore, can she? (But she probably still will when he's being one.)]

["But things are different." "I'm not seventeen anymore." She's realized she couldn't have the same relationship with Cloud...and she couldn't with Zack, either. And she doesn't want it to be exactly the same as it was then. She couldn't talk to him about some things... she still can't.]

[She's a bit quiet until they get into the apartment, thinking about this. But when they get their own privacy, she looks up at Zack with a smile.]

You should know it's not about past obligations. I never wanted you to be part of my past. That's still true. I like being able to see you and talk to you whenever. Even if you're a bit thick about it sometimes.

[...Okay she couldn't get through that much seriousness without a little teasing.]

[wingenvy]

[She's probably overthinking things- Zack is holding her hand because she offered it, and because they're technically "broken up" he's... not really expecting much to come of this, if anything. Honestly he's just glad she doesn't hate him for disappearing for so long. He listens closely, taking in what she's trying to say to him, and at the end - when she teases him - he cracks another smile. Really, they can't be serious at all, can they?]

In that case, I think you're stuck with me for a while.

[gardenerofgaia.livejournal.com]

[Five years gives pleeeenty of time to start overthinking things. 8|a]

What a terrible fate! [She's grinning as she says it.] For a terribly long while. [Building up on that "while"--she doesn't want him leaving Luceti anytime soon.]