Sorry, guys. Sorry again. I've been waiting for some inspiration for a long time. And it finally came! This chapter is kind of short -hides- but... enjoy anyway.
By the way, there are some news I want to tell you. I have an intention to rewrite the fifth chapter of "Forever You, Forever Us" so now I'm trying to to think of some changes since I'm not really satisfied with it. I apologize to Beeria, because it was her Birthday present, but I'm going to make it better so... excuse me )
Disclaimer: I don't own the universe of Final Fantasy VII and its heroes. They all belong to SE.
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Safety is above all (Part 2) or The specialists in writing the letters
Crazy drummers, insane guitarists and a pair of very, very loud flutists. That was the only way she could explain those unbearable noises in her head. The feelings were like after a flight to the space. Without the necessary trainings. In short: she was in pain.
Somebody poked her in the right arm and she groaned. As if it wasn't obvious she didn't want to be poked at all. Two waves of pain ran through her body and only after that she realized it was impossible for her to move.
"Hey, are you okay?" a familiar voice asked quietly. Or not quietly. She couldn't tell. Her senses refused to work properly but, unfortunately, she could still feel the pain.
She moaned slightly and made an attempt to sit up.
"Slow down," somebody grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to lay back. "I doubt you can even recognize me now…"
Okay, then she became totally confused and desperately wanted to fall asleep again, clinging to every possibility. She pressed her fingers to the both sides of her head and began to press them periodically. Slowly but surely the pain started to fade away.
"Feeling any better?" the person beside her asked and she opened her eyes in amusement.
"Cloud!" she shrieked and then immediately calmed down. "What are you… What's going on? How many hours…"
He interrupted her with a wave of his hand and stared into her green eyes.
"It's okay, got it?" and without receiving a proper answer continued. "I'm home and everything is fine. You must be very tired and shocked now, so please, do me a favor and take a rest."
"What are you talking about? And why am I… Oh!" the events of the evening suddenly burst into her head making the woman clutch her husband's hand. Then she began in a soft whisper: "Cloud, it's not safe here…"
Much to her amusement he chuckled.
"I bet you don't understand what's going on and why I am so careless, right?"
She frowned in response.
"Let's just say I came in time," he couldn't hide a proud smirk. "The Shinra workers are taking care of him now, so no need to worry. By the way, where is the cat? Did that bastard do something good for us and made the monster run away?"
That time it was her turn to smirk.
"I don't think so. Napster must be hiding somewhere. We should go and find him," she tried to stand up again but he didn't let her do that.
"Stop it already," he tucked up the blanket that was covering her legs and closed his eyes in annoyance. "That thing will always find its way back to food."
"Don't talk about him like that!" she pretended to be offended but a smile on her face told something absolutely opposite.
"Fine, fine. But only if you have a rest," he took a glass of water and opened his palm. "Here, drink this. The doctors told me to give this to you when you wake up."
She drank the medicine without any resistance and slowly laid her head back on the pillow.
"Tell me, how was your day?" she suddenly asked when he was already sitting with her back to her, his elbow resting on his knee, and staring into the window thoughtfully. He snapped out of his state and turned his face to her.
"What do you mean?"
"You're so clueless," she chuckled. "If you start talking I will fall asleep faster."
"I see," he nodded. "Well, it was very tiring today. We had some insignificant deliveries but, you know how it always happens, they take a lot of time actually and… Hey, you're not paying…"
Her slow breath made his face soften. The man caressed her cheek with his ungloved hand and removed a lock of her brown hair from her face. She really looked peacefully when she was seeping.
He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and stood up, outstretching himself. Sitting on the couch for four hours was much more tiring than riding a bike.
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"Come on, tell me. Don't make it sound like you didn't enjoy it at all."
"I'm telling you it's not even worth mentioning…"
"Oh, and you're a modest hero of the day, as far as I can see."
"Something you lack: modesty."
"Shut up. So, you just beat the crap out of that moron and left him on the floor for the Shinra men to take care of him?"
"You can say that."
"Now you made me feel upset…"
"…"
"I missed all the fun, you bully."
"To tell the truth, I don't find that funny. My wife's life was in danger!" Cloud hissed obviously sounding pissed off.
"As if I don't know," his friend defended himself. "Fine then. I like the way this system works: you beat some random shrimps and I beat you. So it's like I'm the winner in the end."
"Don't be so cocky," the man warned with a grin. "You're no match for me."
"Hey! I'll let you say that the day you make me run from your monstrous power. And now just stop pretending, my friend."
"I'm taking you at your word."
"Good. So how is she?"
Cloud realized that it was going to be a long conversation, so he allowed himself to sit down on the floor. His friend arched his eyebrow but then thought for a while and did the same.
"Obviously in pain but I don't think she isn't able to endure it."
"I see you're not afraid to leave her alone in the house…"
"…"
"Shouldn't you be protective now?"
"…"
"No doubts at all?.. Not even the slightest feeling of worry?"
"… I guess I need to go now," and with these words the blond stormed out of the house.
"Finally," Zack sighed. "I thought he would realize…"
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She was fifteen and she was very lonely. There was no one to blame for that. She had always been friends with two boys and that kind of prevented her from making new contacts with the girls.
She sighed.
Not that she was angry. It was just that her friends could've sent her a letter. At least one letter from both of them.
The day she came back from visiting her father, who had been working in Midgar, her wish came true. She received two small white envelopes. The girl didn't hesitate and opened the one that was lying on top.
"Dear Aerith,
I hope you're doing fine. Sorry for taking too long, we just couldn't find time to write you. I bet you're angry now. But before you rip this letter into pieces let me make an attempt to redeem myself.
You know I'm not the one who can write long speeches about Soldier life being hard and dangerous, but, HELL, it's true! But the hard work brings some results and I can say without false modesty that I'm doing pretty well. Yeah, you know me.
We've already been on many missions but I can't call them extra-hard or something. They were dangerous, yes, but not just extra-hard. But you can be sure we are working to the point of exhaustion during the trainings.
Write me back, please, if you feel so. I'll be waiting.
Zack"
Aerith took her eyes off the letter and smiled. It felt so good reading her friend's handwriting, knowing that he had at least bothered to spare her a few minutes.
With her heart pounding fast she took the next envelope.
"Hello, Aerith,
Sorry for not writing to you.
We are doing well and I like our trainings and missions very much. We've settled in Junon. You can't even believe how big this city is. But unfortunately we have no time for sightseeing.
I hope you will have a chance to come here some day.
How are you? What about your parents?
Cloud"
She stared at the letter for a long time. The girl even turned the paper over to check if there was something on the other side.
Nothing.
"That's it?" she wondered aloud. "...Cloud Strife, you're SO dead…"