Disclaimer: I am in no way affiliated with Square-Enix and I do not claim ownership of Final Fantasy VII and its respective storyline, settings, and characters. This story is solely for public entertainment and is strictly non-profit.
Inspiration: Thank you for all the lovely, well-written Cloud and Aerith fan-fictions out there! I'm sorry if I can't remember which ones to point out, but I think you all know who you might be. Special thanks to Square-Enix, formerly Squaresoft, for making such a great game. And finally, thank you to Mikoto Fuzuki, Rio Kisumi, Sachi Sorano, and Nami Sakazami. These are the authors of the CloudxAerith doujinshi "Love Me, I Love you." Their artwork has inspired this fan-fiction.
Dedication: To all loyal CloudxAerith fans out there. Much love.
Other: Stop with the abundance of SephirothxAerith fics! He killed her...
Sorry for the long note, and now, on with the story.
Office Love
"Chapter One: Chance Encounter"
"It's Aerith" – Aerith
Cloud sat at his office table, sorting through important paperwork and trying to find the stack labeled "Midgar Plate: Critical Repair of Sector 7." Sighing, he dropped several stacks of red tape back on the desk, and ran his fingers through his hair.
However, his moment of respite was interrupted when a dark-haired woman entered the room. Her suit was the color of ebony, flawless in every aspect. She obviously took her time to make sure her clothes were without a wrinkle. The material seemed to cling to her skin tightly, revealing her rather prominent and attractive figure, especially her chest. Her eyes were a light mahogany, and they accentuated her beauty perfectly. She cleared her throat and took a few steps into the room.
Cloud looked up and met her gaze. "Tifa?"
"Hey Cloud, I was just stopping by the see how you were doing."
"Oh? Well... I'm all right," he said slowly. Tifa had been his friend since childhood, and he was glad that they were able to both get a job together at Shin-Ra. He once had a crush on her, but it had gone unreciprocated throughout their youth. He was still fond of her, although he wasn't exactly sure to what extent. Still, it would be nice if she could knock first...
Tifa nodded slowly in response. She knew Cloud wasn't very good with words. To strangers, he sounded cold and apathetic, but after awhile, you got used to it. Besides, it was probably just a side-effect of being a professional. Cloud had always impressed his employers with his cool, collected demeanor, and easily climbed the corporate ladder. They had been admitted into the company two years ago, and already he was making five times as much as her - and hers was a pretty hefty salary. Plus, his appearance was more than just "above-average". Maybe that's why I'm attracted to him... Tifa realized that she'd been nodding for the past few moments and tried to cover up with a small cough. "So..." she began, "I was wondering if you'd like to have some coffee with me later?"
"Sure."
"Great! I'll see you at break then," Tifa said, obviously overjoyed. However, she soon realized she'd spoken a bit too hastily and quickly suppressed her happiness. In less than a second, she was back in her calm, business stance. She said a terse goodbye and headed out the door, closing it gently.
Cloud resumed looking around his cluttered desk until he finally stumbled upon the elusive documents. "Aha..." he muttered. Quickly, he packed it into a yellow folder and looked at his watch. It read 11:30. He had relatively thirty minutes to deliver the folder to President Rufus and meet Tifa at the café. Not wanting to be late, he immediately left towards the elevator.
---
Aerith sighed. Couldn't they design a more comfortable uniform? Once again, she began tugging at her skirt, trying to get it lower. Not only did it refuse to budge, but it seemed to fasten tighter around her mid-thigh. She sighed again, exasperated. I'm lucky I was able to get this job, but still... Aerith shook her head at her thoughts. No, I shouldn't be complaining on the first day... I'm probably just not used to being in an office yet. Remembering that she had to files to deliver, she continued her journey down the hallway, picking up speed.
As Aerith turned the corner, completely absorbed in her thoughts, she abruptly smashed into a tall man.
A few moments later, papers were fluttering onto the ground and both of them struggled to get back on their feet. Aerith kneeled on the ground, sitting back on her legs, and rubbed her forehead vigorously. "Oh, I'm so sorry," she managed to say sincerely, head still bent down at a slight angle. The guy was already on his feet and began straightening his tie.
"Jeez, lady, can't you watch where you're..." Cloud's voice trailed off. He instantly regretted what he'd said. Before him was a vision of beauty. Her long, chestnut tresses were tied back into a tight braid by a slender black ribbon. Her bangs were parted in the center and left to fall freely, while two curls on each side of her face flowed down to her shoulders. Her grey vest and skirt revealed a slender figure with graceful curves. He was about to apologize when he noticed a hint of annoyance in her expressive, emerald eyes.
"How rude! I have a name, you know," she said, glaring slightly. "And, I said I was sorry." Cloud realized he was being put on the defensive less than two minutes into the conversation, and resented that she was already talking to him as if she were the superior.
"Oh really? How was I supposed to know when you didn't even tell me?" Cloud asked bitterly.
Aerith rolled her eyes, and said as calmly as she could, "It's Aerith."
"Well then, Aeris...," He was immediately cut off.
"It's Aerith," she said, placing an emphasis on the last syllable.
"Alright then, Miss Aerith, why –" Again, he was abruptly cut off.
"Don't you mean, Miss Gainsborough?" she asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
Cloud resisted the urge to yell at her. Her impetuous attitude was already beginning to wear away at his patience. However, he knew that useless to scream his lungs out at her. After a moment, he said calmly, "All right, all right. Miss Gainsborough, would you be so kind as to help me clean this mess that you made?"
Aerith opened her mouth to defend herself, but instead began to giggle. "Oh...are you done yet?" she murmured. Then, "I'm sorry, I guess I got a little carried away, I have a lot on my mind, and..." she ended with a smile. "Sorry." Sober, she began picking up the papers.
"Yeah, well, apology accepted," he said, gruffly.
Aerith handed him a folder. Now that she was able to look at him directly, she noticed how attractive he was and locked gazes with his deep, azure eyes. When she finally noticed that she was staring, and that he had noticed that she was staring, Aerith immediately turned her face away, feeling her cheeks burn slightly. Unknown to her, a faint hint of red was mirrored on Cloud's face as well.
After a moment of awkward silence, Cloud was the first to break. "Thanks. Sorry for snapping at you earlier. I better get going."
Aerith returned her glance to his face. "It's okay, like I said, I'm sorry too. I should've looked where I was going." Feeling embarrassed again, Aerith hastily brushed past him and continued down the hall, her braid swaying from side-to-side. By the time she was at the end, she realized she didn't even know his name yet.
Meanwhile, Cloud scratched the back of his neck nervously and made his way to the elevator. When he was finally inside, he decided to go visit Tifa first, since there was only ten minutes until noon. As the elevator lurched downward, Cloud felt a slight pang of regret that he hadn't been more amiable towards the young woman, and that he probably wouldn't see her again. I didn't even introduce myself.
Just as Cloud finished with his thoughts, the door of the elevator smoothly glided open.
Written: September 1st, 2004
Submitted: September 1st, 2004
Last Edited: September 16th, 2006
I hope you enjoyed reading. I should have the next chapter up in a week. Two at most. College really takes a lot out of you, so I won't be able to work on it as much as I would love to. I have a very faint blueprint about how I want the next chapter to turn out, but I'm honestly just going with the flow. Please be sure to review and share your comments, questions, and suggestions with me. I'd appreciate it very much.