[Closed] Angel of mercy, how did you find me?

[thishealingwind]

Characters: Aerith (thishealingwind) and Zack (1st_class_honor)
Location: Aerith's Garden, behind the Communal
Rating: G
Time: Backdated to October 12th, Evening (after Zack's Watch shift)
Description: Zack tries to help Aerith figure out how to transform. Likely, there will be cute involved.

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[1st_class_honor]

Ever since his run in with Sephiroth, Zack had been on Red Alert. It was no surprise, not really; Sephiroth had goaded him, had said all the right things to make him react in all the right ways. His words had been a warzone, and Zack had lost rather spectacularly. Now, now though, he was extra wary. Now he was concerned. Now he wanted the people he loved safe. Sound.

Ready.

Not that he wanted them to know that exactly. Especially Aerith. Shiva, he was just extra happy to be living in the same building as her now, let alone the same floor, just in case something did go down. But, hey, knowing that she wanted to start learning to go into her Weapon form made him exceptionally happy. And relieved.

Strolling into the garden, he caught himself before he could step on any flowers and put on a happy smile. The worry, the wariness, was effectively brow-beaten into submission and hidden away, at least for the moment. “Need any help?” he called, stooping to poke a green leaf. One hand went to pluck what he THOUGHT was a weed, but she’d probably notice that it wasn’t.

He wasn’t really good with the whole gardening thing. Yet.

[thishealingwind]

It was hard to spot any would-be garden intruders in the slowly dimming light, but doing the task was mostly a distraction for her mind anyway. Aerith still found herself slightly nervous about this 'date,' if she could even call it that. Not only was she going to attempt to transform, which had her a little confused by itself, but things with Zack were...complicated.

It wasn't that she was worried, per say, but there were still things that she didn't know, things they hadn't talked about. Aerith wondered if they would ever talk about them, if the timing would be right, or if things were better just left the way they were. Still, it was hard to hold back, even if she was good at it, hiding pieces of herself. But she didn't want to hide from him; she'd never had to before.

But the Cetra wasn't sure where she stood with him, didn't know if she was still as important as he had always been to her. And maybe, in the face of this war, they had more important things to worry about. More than anything, she didn't want to push him away with her silly ideas.

Aerith was so caught up in her thoughts that she didn't hear him approach. His familiar voice pulled her from them instead, unconsciously summoning up a smile even as she turned to greet him, though her eyebrows rose up when she noticed what he was about to do.

"Ah, Zack," she called, taking a few steps over to him before putting a hand on his shoulder to try and prevent him from pulling the young plant from its home. "Not that one."

[1st_class_honor]

Important? Completely. She was always important to him, would always be important to him, and this place, the things they had seen, they’d never change that. Hell, if anything, it all made it stronger, made him realize what sort of time they had, and made him see the value before it was gone. It made him thankful for that, even if he wouldn’t get to truly savor it back home.

But, hey, that’s part of the great thing about this place, right?

Blue eyes blinked and looked up at her, his fingers curled around the stem. Not that one? “Huh. It kinda looks like a weed.” Except to everyone with two eyes. Pulling his hand back, he climbed to his feet and grinned. Yeah, it was good to see her in person, comforting. Calming.

One hand reached out, wrapped around her, and pulled her in for a friendly hug. “How’ve you been?”

[thishealingwind]

She gets lost for a moment in those glowing blue eyes before Aerith chuckles, shaking her head back and forth. "Actually, it looks nothing like a weed," she said teasingly, even if it were true. "When it's lighter outside, I'll show you the difference, okay?" If he was really curious and wanted to learn, she'd be more than happy to teach him.

His arm slipped around her waist, and she took a step into him, her own arms wrapping around him easily. "I'm okay. Better now that you're here, of course." Again, her voice had that joking tone, but everything she told Zack was true. The Cetra tilted her head upward, rosy lips spreading into a gentle smile.

"How about you? Didn't miss me too much, did you?"

[1st_class_honor]

"Sounds like I'm going to need it," he said, laughing softly. "I'm game if you are. My time is yours, oh teacher!"

Hey, he was always willing to learn something new, especially when she was the one doing the educating. Besides, he did want to help out with the garden, did want to learn what should go where, what flowers were gold, what weren't, what soil to use...all of it. Everything. He wanted to know how to tend to the earth that tended so well to him over the years, wanted to share the passion she harbored. It was a balance.

Shiva, in his arms, she was good. Warm. Alive. And he'd be damned if he ever let anyone or anything change that, especially Sephiroth. His arms tightened, fingers clutching her clothes for all of a second, before smiling and taking a step back, out of the touch of her hands. It was too easy to get lost there, like a forest in the spring. Too much to see. All of it too pretty to comprehend.

"I missed you enough. More than enough." More than a lot of things, really, but he didn't say that. Instead, he smiled and cracked his knuckles. "You sure you want to do this? That you're ready?"

[thishealingwind]

"Mm, maybe just a little," she teased with a wink. "If anyone can give you a green thumb, it's me." Aerith was more confident in her gardening skills than she was with anything else, and that said a lot.

The way he held her so close did more for her spirits than anything else could have. He seemed to grip her tighter than she'd expected for just a moment, as if he were suddenly afraid she wasn't there, and it caused her own grip to tighten on him as well. Perhaps they were both feeling the same things, but just didn't want to speak about them.

No, there would be time for that later. Maybe.

Aerith released him as he pulled away, despite her growing desire to stay there within his arms. "I bet I missed you more," she said, grinning back brightly at him. "I'm sure. I don't think I'll be able to get more ready." She laughed with a gentle shrug of her shoulders. "Besides, compared to the other things I've done, this should be easy, right?"

[1st_class_honor]

If there was anyone he’d listen to (other than Angeal), it was her. Hey, he always thought if the gardening thing didn’t work out, she’d have made one helluva good kindergarten teacher, smiling and herding a bunch of small children to the proper path of education. She just had that way about her. Still, he just had to ask…

“So, are these going to be private lessons?” And he winked, laughing. Really laughing. Calm and happy and normal.

“I’ll tell you what I tell Spike: don’t make bets you can’t win.” Arms reached up and behind his head, crossing there. Relaxing. “I won’t go that much easier on you just ‘cause you’re the prettiest girl in this city, you know.”

But, down to business, he supposed. His arms dropped back down, crossing over his chest as he cocked his chin up. She was sincere, he saw it, and it was as good as time as any to start. “It’ll be a piece of cake,” he said, confidently, hoping it was contagious, hoping she would feel that same sureness he felt. “So, what do you know so far? Have you watched anyone transform before?”

[thishealingwind]

Aerith burst into giggles as well, her hand coming up to cover her mouth as her other arm wrapped around her stomach. "Well, of course, silly," she said, before pausing for effect. "After all, I think you're going to need all of my attention." She winked back then, still chuckling. Zack always did know how to make her laugh harder than she thought possible.

"Mm, I don't know, I might actually have you beat this time," she said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "At the very least, I think it'll be a draw."

He was still grinning at her, sporting the look of confidence that she'd grown to love about him. It had always inspired her to feel the same about herself, always infecting her with his good cheer and optimism. "Mhmm, just a few times, but it's hard to imagine how it happens just by looking at it. They make it seem kind of easy." When it was likely anything but. Still, Aerith wasn't going to let that stop her, now that she'd set her mind to it, and she knew Zack would be patient with her if she didn't pick it up immediately.

[1st_class_honor]

Well, if he didn’t “need” it, he’d make sure to get it either way. Come on: puppy dog eyes, poor pick up lines (“What were you saying? I kept getting distracted by the sunshine on your hair.”), and his poor containment skills guaranteed him some one-on-one time when it came to teaching. Bonus, man. Bonus. “Well, if you’re giving your attention away, I mean, I might as well scoop some up for myself, right?” And that dazzling smile that was previously mentioned? Oh, it’s making an appearance again. No one could ever resist… or at least, he hoped not.

“You so sure about that?” He leaned forward, cocking his head to the side, looking down at her with a challenge in his glance. “Many have stepped up, and all have lost. Do you have what it takes to best me?” How he kept a straight face through the dramatic statements, only he would ever know. Granted, it lasted all of thirty seconds before he burst into low snickers, but that’s not bad.

Well, at least she had seen it. That was a step in the right direction at least. “Remember when you were a kid, and you watched other people ride a bike and thought about how easy it looked? But then you tried it, and it took a few times falling off before you got the hang of it? The same thing applies here. They’ve been practicing and we’re just starting out. Baby steps, Aerith. We’re going to work with baby steps.” He smiled, reached out, and gently held her hands. “Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and just clear your mind.”

[thishealingwind]

Aerith knew perfectly well the kind of personal time it would take to teach Zack the in's and out's of gardening, but she certainly didn't require any extra effort on his part to get her to give it to him. She would give him as much attention as he wanted with just a word. "Now, now, I don't give away private lessons to anyone other than my favorite students. You just happen to top that list," she said playfully. As for the smile, it was one of the things she'd missed most of all. Aerith never could say no to that smile, not for long anyway.

"That's because you haven't taken me on," she boasted back, her grin turning into a competitive smirk. "And don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're handsome, got it?" Aerith burst into giggles the moment he did, her arms encircling her stomach as she tried to keep at least a little serious.

The Cetra's eyes warmed and her expression softened as he began to explain it to her in simple terms. When he reached out to her, she reached back, her slim fingers sliding gently along his palms as he took them into the safety of his grasp. She nodded once, her smile fading into a neutral state as her eyes slipped shut.

She peeked only once, amused at the fact that he was playing teacher, before she focused. It was easy to clear her mind, for the most part. It would have been easier if she had had the voice of the Planet to focus on, to drown out her thoughts, but she'd slowly grown used to the silence. Aerith focused on the feel of her hands in his instead, and the sound of his voice, as she let her thoughts drift away from her. She exhaled a slow, quiet breath from between slightly pursed lips, humming lightly as she relaxed.

[1st_class_honor]

Personal time was a high priority with Zack; if she had, he'd make sure that he would, too, wrapped up and given to her like a gift. All hers, with a receipt so that she could return it to him in the future if the case presented itself. This really would be the best of both worlds: getting dirty and learning something new, all while being with her. Top that list, huh? Feeding his ego was like feeding a bear: they always wanted more. "So, how do I know you don't say that to all your students, huh?" He winked and laughed, a little nod of his head; these two were born to tease. "I mean, I know I'm the best looking student you've had, but still..."

Oh, oh, oh. Someone with a courageous streak, huh? He rolled his eyes, still laughing, and errantly waved his hand. "Welllllllll, if this is a fight to the finish, then I guess I can't go easy on you just because you're prettiest girl to ever walk these streets. I can still be mean. Ruthless." Which was impossible to believe, given the way he was barely containing his smirk, or the light in his eyes. Too hyper. Too happy. Too much hers. "But, hey, if you feel like losing, who am I to deny you what your heart most desires?"

Her hands were warm.

This wasn't like the times they had spent in silence before, but it reminded him of the time when he sat mourning Angeal's death and her coming to hold him from behind. There was an intimacy in this, a closeness, a confidence and strength that went far lower than most would expect; he savored it for the moment, just watching her face, watching her closed eyes and her lips. He fought the urge to trace his thumb against her knuckles.

"What do you feel?"

[thishealingwind]

Aerith tilted her head to one side, then the other, as if she were appraising him. "Hm, I think you probably are the most handsome of my students," she said, crossing her arms and putting too fingers to her chin thoughtfully. Indeed, teasing cute boys was one of her favorite pastimes, and it was always more fun when they teased her right back. Zack was always the best at that, too. "You'll have to interrogate the others about any preferential treatment, though. My lips are sealed on that~"

Courageous and perhaps even a little competitive when it came down to a test of who liked who more. Aerith had a lot of heart to give, and therefore plenty of room to welcome it in return. "Ruthless, huh?" she asked in feigned surprise, unable to keep the corner of her mouth from turning up every so slightly. "Well, okay, but try not to hurt me too badly, hm?"

His hands were always more gentle and soft than she expected given his work, even after all this time. Comfortable and cozy.

Aerith took a slow breath of fresh garden air in through her nose, letting it escape softly from slightly parted lips, before humming lightly.

"Quiet," she said. In a place like this, outside with the wind rustling through her hair, she should have been able to hear the life around her. Now that she couldn't, it always felt quiet. "But alive." Aerith pauses, as if struggling to find words to describe something.