[To Aeris]
He'd been on the island for a month and a half. Which was a month and a half longer than he'd have had back home.
Things had been weird. The body change had really thrown him. It had given him a lot of time to think about things. To think about how things were and how things would have been, should have been even. He'd also been reminded who his friends were. Not just the ones from home, but the new ones he'd made.
But when he'd finally gone back to his body, he had just settled back into his routine. It had been easy enough with so much going on. There were increased patrols and murderers on the loose. Or just one murdered as it had turned out. There had been interviews to conduct and weapons to start making.
He'd been so busy with everything, with his duty and protecting the island, his friends, that he had neglected them. More specifically Aeris.
In Mark's body, he'd been so determined to tell her how he felt. He wasn't the kind of guy who ran from confrontation, but telling Aeris he loved her was different. There were so many things he wasn't prepared for. There hadn't been any training for that sort of thing in SOLDIER.
And then Karolina had lost her friend. And it reminded him that he was on borrowed time. And so was Aeris.
He knew how he felt, but he'd made her larger than life. Time did that. It distorted things, memories. He had been looking forward to a big welcome home, but that hadn't happened. Things had gone differently. And she had been happy to see him when she'd arrived, but there was something between them.
Every time he thought about approaching her, he thought back to that day on the beach. He'd been so confused at the time. He couldn't be sure if the tension was due to something else or if time had already affected those memories too. Still he felt there had been something between them. Maybe it was just the time.
He couldn't take her from her pedestal. He'd put her there because he couldn't lose her. He'd lost Angeal. She was the only one who had remembered him. More than that, he couldn't lose her because she had his heart.
Still what if loomed ominously. The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became that Zack Fair SOLDIER 1st Class couldn't be honest and direct with a girl.
Maybe he'd tell her.
Or maybe he'd continue doing the same things he'd been doing: like patrolling and bringing meals back to the dojo. Right now it was sandwiches for lunch. He didn't expect to see anyone. Yuffie would be doing ... whatever it was that Yuffie did all day. Cloud would be as scarce as he always was, though Zack had seen him more than when they'd first arrived. And Aeris would be exploring or enjoying the garden.
Things had been weird. The body change had really thrown him. It had given him a lot of time to think about things. To think about how things were and how things would have been, should have been even. He'd also been reminded who his friends were. Not just the ones from home, but the new ones he'd made.
But when he'd finally gone back to his body, he had just settled back into his routine. It had been easy enough with so much going on. There were increased patrols and murderers on the loose. Or just one murdered as it had turned out. There had been interviews to conduct and weapons to start making.
He'd been so busy with everything, with his duty and protecting the island, his friends, that he had neglected them. More specifically Aeris.
In Mark's body, he'd been so determined to tell her how he felt. He wasn't the kind of guy who ran from confrontation, but telling Aeris he loved her was different. There were so many things he wasn't prepared for. There hadn't been any training for that sort of thing in SOLDIER.
And then Karolina had lost her friend. And it reminded him that he was on borrowed time. And so was Aeris.
He knew how he felt, but he'd made her larger than life. Time did that. It distorted things, memories. He had been looking forward to a big welcome home, but that hadn't happened. Things had gone differently. And she had been happy to see him when she'd arrived, but there was something between them.
Every time he thought about approaching her, he thought back to that day on the beach. He'd been so confused at the time. He couldn't be sure if the tension was due to something else or if time had already affected those memories too. Still he felt there had been something between them. Maybe it was just the time.
He couldn't take her from her pedestal. He'd put her there because he couldn't lose her. He'd lost Angeal. She was the only one who had remembered him. More than that, he couldn't lose her because she had his heart.
Still what if loomed ominously. The more he thought about it, the more absurd it became that Zack Fair SOLDIER 1st Class couldn't be honest and direct with a girl.
Maybe he'd tell her.
Or maybe he'd continue doing the same things he'd been doing: like patrolling and bringing meals back to the dojo. Right now it was sandwiches for lunch. He didn't expect to see anyone. Yuffie would be doing ... whatever it was that Yuffie did all day. Cloud would be as scarce as he always was, though Zack had seen him more than when they'd first arrived. And Aeris would be exploring or enjoying the garden.