More than Words
A Cloud-Aerith Story
Bright Mako-blue eyes stared at the patch of moonlight shining though the grimy window. He just sat there, hardly blinking or moving, hardly breathing, staring at the patch of moonlight.
"They never mention you, you know."
His voice was thick and raspy, clouded by alcohol and sadness. He moved slightly, coming closer to the light, but never touching it. He stayed back, looking at the light with a longing expression in his eyes. He raised a callous, battle-worn hand, making as if to touch it, but holding himself back as though afraid he would contaminate it. He gave a dry, cracking laugh, withdrawing his hand.
"I know you really wouldn't care about it. But it's like they're trying to erase you, because now you're just a faceless memory to them. They hardly even know your name. They don't acknowledge you as one of us."
He moved closer, yet again, to the light. Still not touching it, he le the small remnants catch him up in their ivory purity.
"We told them who you are, but they passed it around like a badly formed idea. They won't listen, though we never stop speaking."
He gave the merest shadow of a smile. He would never allow himself to smile again, because the last person that made him smile…
The last person that made him smile…died at the hands of a cold-blooded murderer with the same expression on her face.
Her smile…forever frozen in time.
No…he would never make the mistake of smiling at someone again.
"Tifa…and Yuffie…they petitioned to get that statue up for you. We all argued with them till they agreed to put a nameplate. It's a statue of an angel you know. Of course you know...you are an angel, always there, watching over us."
The man closed his eyes tightly, as though he had just endured a fatal wound. Tears threatened to break the surface of his eyes, but they were only half-formed. Just like all his other emotions after her…after she…
"Sometimes…sometimes I can feel you here. I can see you here…and you're just out of my grasp…."
The man opened his eyes again, clutching himself as he began to shake uncontrollably. Slowly, the shaking stopped, and the man began to speak again, his voice still choked with unshed tears.
"The world has been celebrating…and it's-it's like…"
The man took a deep shuddering breath.
"It's like they've been celebrating your death."
He shook his head, his demeanor changing from one of sad hopelessness to one of raw anger.
"They took a moment of silence in your honor…a moment to make up for one thousand moments of your life. They took a moment of silence, for your now everlasting silence. One lousy moment of Silence! One…moment to remember you…one moment for all the moments that touched our lives…
Forever…"
The man closed his eyes again, as though shying away from a terrible dream. Then, with a lunge-like movement, he threw himself forward into the moonlight, letting it catch his every feature. Slowly…slowly his eyes opened and he began to speak in a steady tone.
"Those moments…they are forever etched in my memory, forever a part of me. You are one of us…and I will never forget you. I will never forget your smile…I promise…"
Once again the ghost of a smile graced his lips, before being met with the oblivion of guilt and sorrow. A guilt he would forever hold, along with these precious memories…to make sure that he would never forget.
"These memories of you…I see them, even when I close my eyes. These feelings…for you…that I cannot hide…all those moments…"
The man heaved a heavy sigh, eyes half-closed, oblivious to the world around him, a world of darkness, pain…and hope.
"All those moments…mean more than words can say…"
He did not know how much time had passed, be it a year, a month, or an hour. All he knew…was that once again, another sun rose without her.
Or…so he thought.
The man felt a presence in the room as the first tendrils of sunlight filtered through the window, burying the ivory moon in its heavenly glow. The man's head snapped up, for he could never forget the presence that he now felt, it filled his dreams, and haunted his every nightmare.
The man looked up, glittering tears of wonder in his Mako enhanced eyes.
"…….Aerith…?"
A familiar laugh filled the room, and a delicate, angel-white hand was held out before the man, and with trembling fingers, he grasped it.
"You see Cloud? Everything's…alright…"
Two children waited with baited breath for their father to finish the story.
"What happened next daddy?" One of them, with brown hair and striking blue eyes piped up, scuttling closer to his father.
"Was it really the flower-lady?"
"Yes it was son…it really was."
The boy's brother, whose eyes were closer to green and whose hair was more of a blonde, widened his already widened eyes.
"What happened to them daddy?"
Their father laughed and ruffled their hair affectionately. But before he could answer, the door swung open and his wife stepped in, green eyes alight with mock anger.
Before she could berate her husband about why her children were up at such a late hour, the children were tugging on her dress. Pulling her over to their spot on the bed.
"Mommy! Mommy! Daddy was telling us a story!"
The wife turned her eyes on her husband, an eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Oh really? And what story would that be?"
Her husband smiled.
"A story about a lonely and cold soldier, and the angel that saved him."
His wife smiled, a giggle escaping her lips.
The children nodded happily at their father's explanation.
"He was just about to tell us the ending Mommy!"
"Wanna sit with us Mommy? It's a real good story."
Their mother smiled at her two sons.
"I'm sure it is. I would love to hear the ending."
Her husband winked at her.
Reader, there are many things in his story that will remain untold. Some will be buried forever and forgotten.
And others…well…
"They lived happily ever after."
Whew! This is my first attempt at an angst/drama thing. Hope you enjoy!
Please Reveiw!