3rd POV:
''I thought you didn't want to be a hero?,'' Aerith asked Nox teasingly.
''How did you...?,'' Nox asked her, leaning back into the bench.
They were in the church, Aerith tending to the flowers. More like checking on the flowers. Nox was watching her.
''How you looked at me? I can be pretty charming, when I want,'' Aerith lied and noted how Nox looked skeptical.
''Hey! What is with that expression? You saying I'm ugly?,'' Aerith wagged her finger in challenge in an attempt to change the subject.
''I'm starting to think you are vain,'' Nox muttered and crossed his arms.
''Only if I make my entire personality around that trait. And don't think I haven't noticed you not answering my questions,'' Aerith pointed out.
''I'm not a hero. I still stand by that. They seek out trouble with the intent to resolve it. Trouble just happened to find me and I was in a position to help,'' Nox shrugged.
Aerith hummed and nodded.
Good. Then he wasn't just lying, she determined. He was right, of course, heroes died young. She banished those thoughts and returned to tending to her flowers.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''Alright. Then it is decided. You will come to my home for dinner later,'' Aerith said one day bursting through the door to Nox' shop.
''Hello to you too,'' Nox greeted her perplexed,'' Besides, our agreement was that you will only feed me 14 meals, for seven days. Which you did, thank you for that, so why would I drop by for dinner?''
''Hmm. You know what? I didn't really think this through. Come by home instead, tomorrow,'' as quickly as she entered she left.
Nox starred at the door for a bit, before finally throwing his hands up and muttering:''Dafuq?''
Astrid and Naomi looked about to giggle at his confusion.
'' Laugh and I'm firing you,'' Nox immediately threatened making them shut up. When his back turned, the two woman exchanged a look and rolled their eyes.
---
''This is only going to end in disaster,'' Nox crossed his arms and leaned on the table of Aerith's kitchen. He came much earlier to her home at her request.
''Man, do you always try to drag the mood down? Need I remind you that you enjoyed my meals those 14 days?,'' Aerith put her hands on her hips.
''Miss Elmyra probably watched over your shoulder praying you wouldn't set water on fire, I'm sure,'' Nox replied.
Aerith huffed. Well... he wasn't wrong. But she wanted to have fun and spend time with him, while also teaching him how to cook.
''Stop complaining. I already bought the ingredients. Let's just cook,'' Aerith instructed him.
''Must we? You are broke and besides I don't like wasting things,'' Nox refused.
''Why do you always say that I'm broke? Have you seen my house? Do you really think I would sell the flowers for 1 Gil if I had money problems, even if it would have made achieving my dream harder?,'' Aerith challenged him. After all, people are more likely to buy a flower worth 1 Gil then one that is worth 10 Gil. 'Sides, this way the flower could make up the difference by making want to become more nature inclined and , this way, generating far more value down the line.
''I know. I just like calling you out on your lack of business acumen,'' Nox teased, or at least Aerith thought so.
''Either way, my point about wasting your effort to purchase all this as well as the ingredients themselves, still stands,'' Nox pointed out too.
Aerith huffed and raised her nose in the air.
''Well, I bought them with my allowance, because I felt confident enough and wanted to teach you how to cook. After all, home cooked meals taste the best. But fine, I can cook by myself and you can go do your own thing,'' Aerith tied an apron around her dress, after removing the red jacket and washed her hands.
Nox sighed as if in great pain.
''This is going to end in disaster, I still retain my position, for the record. But I can't leave you alone either, because it would be a shame if this house burned down-''
''Hey! I have my own Materia and will put the fire out myself,'' Aerith called out.
''So, yeah. 'Teach' me how to cook,'' Nox continued nonplussed and washed his own hands after tying his own apron around himself.
''Yippie. I knew you would see reason. Today, we will try to make something new, so I picked this recipe book that mom owns from the shelves,'' Aerith picked up a book from the table, sitting by the side of the ingredients.
''And what will we be cooking?,'' Nox asked her.
''Mmmmmm, one moment. I should have marked the page in hindsight,'' Aerith murmured while going through the book.
''Aha! Oat Bread and Chicken Soup,'' Aerith pointed at the pages.
Nox sighed. Well, if he followed the instructions things should be relatively fine.
...
''Come on, Nox. Knead the dough,'' Aerith demanded while she cheered from the sidelines.
''What do you think I am doing?,'' Nox muttered.
''Knead, knead, knead. Feel your fingers sink into the soft dough as it molds in the palm of your hand to your shape,'' Aerith cheered, pumping her fist up.
Nox widened his eyes a little.
''What the fuck are you doing you damn weirdo? This is food we are talking about, stop making it sexual,'' Nox demanded once he got his bearings back.
Nox blinked automatically and recoiled with his head, when some flour nearly got in his eyes, when Aerith dipped her finger in the flour and her finger tip touched his nose.
''Hey. No complaining. The bread won't make itself and If I don't encourage you, you will make the food taste bland with your lack of enthusiasm. Chop, chop, back to work, young man,'' she wagged her finger in his face.
Nox starred at her and then closed his eyes, prying for patience and strength.
'Remember the assignment. Remember the assignment', the voice in his head reminded.
He hadn't forgotten.
Nox jumped when a towel hit his butt with a crack, courtesy of Aerith. She smiled at him playfully, when he looked at her and cracked his neck before returning to his kneading, least he lose his marbles with her behavior.
...
''Aaaaand, there. The timer should remind us when to take the oat bread out. And now... you will cut the vegetables and I will cut the chicken,'' Aerith told him.
Nox hummed and grabbed a potato, twirled the knife in his hands and began cutting. A knife was a dagger. No? Surely cutting wouldn't be so different from stabbing...
Nox grumbled when, at the end, he was dissatisfied with just how big the pieces were. He cut them again to make them smaller.
Fine then, maybe it was a different skillset. He took more care with the next vegetable, a carrot and worked slower this time to make the cut pieces the necessary size the first time around.
Nox smiled a little when he succeeded in his attempt.
Aerith hissed and let the knife drop. She immediately stuck her finger in her mouth.
''Did you cut yourself?,'' Nox asked her with concern and held out his hand,'' I can cast a Cure on you.''
''Thank you, but I can do that myself. Can you grab the band-aid from the drawer there?,'' she pointed somewhere and focused on casting the magic on herself.
Sure, Cure could help a lot in treating wounds, but it was not perfect. Which is why physicians and doctors still existed. With such a small wound, there was no risk of it reopening or anything of the like. But she reasoned, in her head, that if dirt, flour, spices or something along these lines get on the tender flesh it could scar and she wanted to avoid that.
Aerith thanked him and took the band-aids quickly applying a band-aid around her finger.
''Tadaa. Back in tip top shape,'' she joked and began cutting again.
...
''Maybe I should take care of the meat,'' Nox offered when she cut herself for the fourth time.
''Why? You think I can not do that?,'' Aerith challenged him.
''I want chicken soup. Not...Aerith's fingers soup,'' Nox made a face of confusion. Saying that out loud sounded weirder then in his head, he realized. But he couldn't come up with a better insult.
''I can do it, thank you very much,'' Aerith huffed.
...
''And WHAT have you done in my kitchen?,'' Elmyra asked them when she finally came home.
''Ask your daughter. It was her idea,'' Nox immediately threw her under the bus.
Suffice to say, that while they have successfully made a chicken soup and oat bread... the kitchen looked like a pig stall. Mostly because Aerith threw flour on him... which is why he also looked like a ghost, what with all the flour sticking to him.
Cruel as it may sound, Aerith got all of her fingers cut several times by karma. The were riddled in band-aids. Nox did derive some schadenfreude from that, not that he let it on.
''We made chicken soup with oat bread. I wanted to teach him how to cook,'' Aerith proudly informed her.
''YOU and COOKING? Did she set the water on fire?,'' Elmyra asked him.
''I said that earlier as a joke. She actually managed to do that?,'' Nox raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
''She did. Nearly managed to burn the house down too. How is the house still standing, if you don't know how to cook either?,'' Elmyra asked him.
To be fair, Nox did know how to cook. He wasn't giving himself enough credit, because he only knew how to cook meat on a grill without seasoning and knew little else besides that. He wasn't COMPLETELY hopeless.
''I forced her to follow the instructions in the recipe book to a T,'' Nox explained.
''Oh, thank gods. At least one of you is reasonable. Let's taste this chicken soup then,'' Elmyra requested and they made the table, serving bread and bowls of soup to her and themselves.
''Hmm,'' Elmyra hummed after a few spoons and bites of the bread.
''Well, well? We did a pretty good job, didn't we?,'' Aerith boasted.
''... I can't believe I'm saying this, but it only needed some more spice to make it taste better. Though I suspect that is more a credit to the book and Nox forcing you to follow the instructions, instead of experimenting, as you like doing,'' Elmyra begrudgingly admitted.
''I'm not cleaning up the kitchen by the way,'' Elmyra told them after a few more spoons.
''Oh, come on! We cooked the food, can't you clean it up? This way we all did something, like a team,'' Aerith pumped her fist up.
''We will clean up the mess,'' Nox assured Elmyra, making her give him a thankful nod.
''Nox!,'' Aerith acted shocked.
''Then I'll leave you to it,'' Elmyra said having finished and went upstairs, giving the two privacy. Far bet it for her to interrupt Aerith's fun, even if she should be a little more responsible. Also... she had... ambitions and saw an opportunity to accomplish them.
...
''So? You feel confident to make your own home cooked meals now?,'' Aerith asked him while she was cleaning the table. Nox on the other hand, went low to the ground, shook of the flour and was gathering it and then wiping it off the floor afterwards.
''One successful dish, does not make one a cook or chef. Besides you've seen the mess we made. By now I already would have cockroaches crawling all over...
Look, I'm glad you had fun ...(*Nox looked at her fingers*) Mostly.
But let's be realistic. I won't be making my own home cooked meals any time soon. I simply lack the environment. But don't worry I will manage. Like I said the 7th Heaven is not far,'' Nox tried to be reasonable with her.
She pursed her lips and looked straight ahead in contemplation after she stopped wiping the table. The tip of her boot she tapped into the ground.
''Then why not come and eat with us?,'' Aerith finally suggested.
''I wouldn't want to impose. The 14 meals were just payment,'' Nox denied with a shake of his head.
''You're not imposing. Not at all. As a matter of fact, I insist.
Yup, that's decided. I will come and drag you from Sector 7 if I must,'' Aerith warned him and narrowed her eyes at him.
''Even if I do agree. I'm NOT coming over every night. That would be weird and NO, you won't force the matter on this, Aerith,'' Nox scoffed continuing to wipe the floor.
''...Well, fine. I suppose that is the best I'm getting,'' Aerith agreed with a victorious smile.
Nox sighed and nodded.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a small park not far away from Sector 6 in Sector 5.
Aerith dragged Nox after her and requested that he begin pushing her swing.
''Rather selfish. Maybe I want to be on the swing too,'' Nox joked, but began adhering to her request.
''Then we can switch after some time. I push you, you push me,'' Aerith compromised.
''OR we can both sit on the swings, as there are two of them, and swing our legs to generate our own force to swing ourselves. You know, like normal people do,'' Nox pointed out.
''Normal is overrated,'' Aerith replied, lying a bit. She wished for nothing more to be normal. Then she could chose to be normal or eccentric or gods know what else. But she wasn't and thus the choice was taken from her. Sooner or later, any normalcy she does enjoy, will be ripped away from her.
''Tell me a story. Another one like Pandora's Box. You said you traveled a lot, so you must know lots of stories. No?,'' Aerith asked after Nox said nothing to her comment and she continued to swing up and down, because of him.
''Another story. Huh? There are a lot. Any particular fancy that strikes you right now?,'' Nox asked her, trying to get her to narrow the scale down. He wouldn't know which one to pick otherwise.
''How about... something romantic. Yes! A love story,'' Aerith nodded to herself.
Nox thought about the stories he knew. He may not have been the most adept in understanding literature in Highschool, but afterwards he did read a lot of stories. Mostly for his training in understanding how to build characters while disguising himself. Among other things he was doing to bring a character to life.
He also encountered some plays while infiltrating high society events.
And as king he was forced to learn how to analyze stuff.
He also trained to have a good memory, as much as one could train oneself in that regard, at least. Or else he would lose track of which 'round' this was and what already happened and what had yet to happen and so on and so forth.
All that is to say, that he knew a lot of stories. Even with her narrowing it down, there were still many options.
''A love story, huh? Romeo and Juliet is a love story,'' Nox talked out loud to himself.
''Oh, oh. Tell me it, please,'' Aerith clapped her hands eagerly.
''Very well,'' Nox acquiesced and began to recount the story as best as he remembered. Not word for word, but the summary was accurate in the details in any case and that was good enough for him.
...
''...You're crying?,'' Nox commented finally after finishing the tale, no longer pushing Aerith on the swing and taking a seat on the other.
''Of course, I'm crying. I wanted a love story, not a tragedy,'' Aerith complained and sniffed a bit.
''It is both though,'' Nox pointed out.
''I don't see the appeal. Love Stories should have a happy ending,'' Aerith argued.
Nox looked up, observing the upper plate, trying to come up with an answer.
''...The best works are the kind that you can interpret in different ways. You can argue that to love is to sacrifice. Or that love can not prosper in a hostile environment.
You can argue that the story is no tragedy at all, but a comedy-''
''How?! What is supposed to be funny about the ending?,'' Aerith demanded.
''I'm just presenting you with options and trying to make a point. I don't think it is a comedy either or that it should be interpreted that way, but to each their own.
But consider this. They were teenagers, barely knowing themselves, thinking they know how the world works and then making hysterical decisions in the end trying to preserve their 'love', if it even was love and not just infatuation. Presented like this, it adds a mockery to all. Two stupid children that got themselves killed. How morbidly funny.
...Like I said. The best works are those open to many interpretations.
I mean, just look at LOVELESS. With the Final Act missing, the play is open to all sorts of interpretation. One of the biggest reasons it is so popular,'' Nox continued to make his point.
For a while, Aerith was silent just mopingly pushing herself back and forth with her feet, the swing, like a pendulum, swinging slightly back and forth.
''Were you ever in love or in a relationship?,'' she finally asked him.
''Yes,'' Nox sighed deeply and was silent for a bit.
''What happened?,'' Aerith asked him and tilted her head to look at him when he didn't seem he would continue to say more.
''I suppose,'' Nox hesitated and frowned, thinking back to his first flame during High School, analyzing what happened. He never really thought about it. But looking back on it...
His mother got sick and he had responsibilities... before his whore of a mother spat on his sacrifices and hang herself. Leaving High School. Drifting apart from his social circles, because all his free time was spent working to make money and buy her medication for her cancer. His friends not sharing his opinions on the elites. 'Too radical' they said.
Not radical enough, as things turned out when he got his hands on the Bergstein Files.
Their depravity really knew no end in depth.
All of that, a pointless tragedy, he now knew. He really was young and an idiot for it took him a while till he realized he could have just cheated the lottery system, by returning back a week with future knowledge. But by then it was too late.
Funny, how things sometimes work out.
There was no point in wondering about 'what ifs' only what was and to learn from passed by opportunities and mistakes made.
''I suppose,'' he began again,'' I suppose we grew up. We grew up and we grew apart, both of us turning into entirely different persons. We no longer clicked and the flame fizzled out.''
He nodded, mostly to himself. Yes, that is an apt way to put things, Nox judged. Small differences could be worked out. But this kind of gap? They became completely incompatible.
And then he feared letting people close, cause everyone keeps abandoning him.
Though... it did get hard sometimes...
''I also was... am in love,'' Aerith revealed and put her hands together to pray.
''I wasn't aware that you are in a relationship. Must be a lucky guy... or girl if you swing that way. I don't judge,'' Nox commented, just for the sake of saying something.
He frankly couldn't care any less, what people did so long as they did it privately and no one was harmed. Frankly people had some sort of inflated ego that they acted shocked and thought to dictate these matters...when they scarcely have any power to enforce something or be someone whose opinion should matter to anyone.
Sure, President/Dictators/Leaders could stamp that out with military power, but Nox had yet to meet someone that had the power to stamp out ideas. Even then, they could only enforce their will in the country they ruled over and all they would have to show for their efforts would be a lot of bloodshed... and the idea returning sometime later. And good luck doing that on foreign soil. The Germans tried that with the Jews and how did that work out, exactly, when the Germans began hunting the Jews down in other countries?
All that is to say, that people just engage in performative theatrics (to act shocked) and pointless diatribe (arguing that something is wrong, when there are countless examples proving otherwise or at least that the matter would be more complicated) just to make themselves feel important.
Energy, that would be frankly better spent elsewhere. Because, though it may escape some people, there are far more important matters to resolve in the world than people sticking their dick in each other with consent.
(Not that one could even chose their sexuality or that there would ever be more Homos than Heteros, which only adds another point to Nox' conclusion that people engage in performative theatrics and pointless diatribe.)
''That's the thing. I haven't seen him in three and a half years. He was a SOLDIER and he said he would go on a mission... But he never returned and Shinra never said anything about what happened to him,'' Aerith explained with a frown.
''My condolences. Sometimes, the hardest thing about a situation is the uncertainty. I can't imagine living without that closure,'' Nox kindly said.
''I'm glad you understand. Mom, never approved of him on account of him working for Shinra. She pesters me to move on and find someone else. But I don't know,... ,'' Aerith sighed conflicted. She felt comfortable enough to talk to him about this topic, seemingly having experience of his own on the matter. They've known each other for what? 2 months by now, 2 and a half. Time passed by quickly since they met each other.
It was both liberating and conflicting to talk about the topic with him, considering her feelings being all over the place. With Nox. With Zack. With herself. Shinra. Cetra. Her eventual fate.
''Do you think I should move on? Like my mother says? Or should I wait for him to come back? But I don't even know if he is alive,'' Aerith informed him.
''I can't answer that for you, Aerith. Only you can make that decision, because only you will carry the consequences. Others may tell you what to think, feel or do, but you will be the one suffering the consequences. Good or bad. Happiness or regret,'' Nox kindly explained, not wanting to advice her in any way, so that the decision rested solely on her shoulders.
''...I see,'' Aerith sighed. Not the answer she wanted to hear, but a refreshing one, compared to her mothers constant pestering.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''I want to meet Stella,'' Aerith demanded a few days later after their talk about relationships.
''Why?,'' Nox asked her perplexed.
''She is someone important to you. No? I see how much you care about her, so it would be nice to meet her. Just because,'' Aerith told him.
She also didn't know much about the journey to her fate. Maybe Nox will be her only chance to fulfill some of her wishes. And she did want to see the outside of Midgar at least once.
Tseng can allow her that much at least.
Though she only hoped her selfish choice would now cause trouble for Nox. Knowing the Turks, simply by associating with her, they are spying on him. But still, Tseng owed her that much, considering he won't say anything about Zack.
It's not like she won't come back anyway. Or that they will lose sight of her even while they go to this Chocobo Farm, wherever that is.
''You're willing to leave Midgar? Won't you miss the steel sky?,'' Nox asked her.
She understood what he was actually asking. If she was afraid. She mentioned her fear once to him.
''With you by my side, I don't think I will feel homesick at all. Besides we will be only gone for one day. No? Then we'll come back. Yes?,'' Aerith carefully set the conditions for her leave by saying it out loud.
Nox saw through her instantly, but he looked at her a little weirdly to convey confusion to keep up the charade.
''I guess? Bar anything going utterly wrong and of the rails, we should be returning home the same day,'' Nox answered.
That sounded ominous, but alas, with his abilities Murphy's Law doesn't really carry the same weight.
''Then It is decided,'' Aerith nodded happily.
''Will you need your Moms permission for that?,'' Nox asked her.
''I'm an adult and don't need her permission... But yes, she gave it to me. So, when should I arrive tomorrow?,'' Aerith asked him.
''4 in the morning. Since it is so early I will come pick you up with my motorcycle. I have no interest in anything happening to you in the dark,'' Nox informed her. Though to be fair, it wouldn't be completely dark. The sunlight bulbs wold dim enough to simulate moonlight so it never got completely dark under the plate, funnily enough.
''I may not look like it, but I can defend myself,'' she flexed her biceps.
''That why you needed a bodyguard the first time we met. Oh! Oh, I see, how devious of you. You were just being lazy,'' Nox replied flatly.
''Hm. Seems you are starting to see through my tricks. You're welcome for teaching you such deviousness without taking advantage of you. Most other's would not be so kind as I am,'' Aerith flicked her hair.
''Your magnanimity is boundless, truly I am blessed,'' Nox complimented with an utterly flat voice making Aerith giggle, happy that he played along for a bit in their banter. Normally he is just insulting her or something else (though she knew there was never any heat in his words), which has its own fun, but it is nice to slip into other roles sometimes.
''Go sleep in early, Aerith. You'll need the energy,'' Nox waved her off and stood up from the bench.
Once more they were in that park. And this time they parted ways, both walking in opposite directions.
---
''Aerith,'' a man came from behind a cover.
''Tseng,'' Aerith greeted and crossed her arms.
''You know we can't let you out of Midgar,'' Tseng began. That was kind of their unspoken agreement.
''Why? Are the Turks so incompetent that they will sight of me, once I leave Midgar?,'' Aerith mocked them a little.
''No. But the danger is too high for you to leave Midgar. If something happens to you, Nox will take the blame and Shinra will hunt him down,'' Tseng talked about it as if it was a foregone conclusion. Only, the reports Reno and Rude gave him did not paint a pretty picture. And of course the Turks also knew that Nox defeated that Black Dragon. All information Tseng did not share with President Shinra, until he will be directly ordered to and there is no loophole for him.
The two SOLDIERS sent were both 2nd Class and yet he read the report, how they could not follow his movement at all when he gave one of them a warning. Tseng knew that meant, SOMEHOW, Nox had the power of a 1st Class SOLDIER. It could only mean trouble. Already Hojo wanted his hands on Nox. Capturing him will require a lot of effort and Tseng could not rule out that this was the extent of his power.
Aerith crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, challenging him.
''Your friends strength is making you brazen. What will he think when he learns you're taking advantage of him like that?,'' Tseng asked her.
''I don't want to make trouble for him. And I definitely don't want to take advantage of him either. But Tseng, if you don't give me this I will NEVER cooperate. Once Shinra gives the order and I will be captured, they will never allow me such liberties again, even if I do give them what they want. Not with me being the last Cetra. Please? Let me make some nice memories and cross some things of my bucket list. You owe me that much, for getting my mother killed-''
''That was Hojo and Hojo only,'' Tseng reminded her. It was the truth.
''-The Turks must have fallen on sad days when a scientist can give them trouble and make them fail a task,'' Aerith bitingly cut. Though they both knew Hojo was not just any scientist. He was... insane.
''Either allow me that or tell me what happened to him. Did he get my letters? Or is he dead?,'' Aerith tried to bargain.
Tseng kept his expression carefully blank, revealing nothing.
''I see. I'm going out of Midgar tomorrow,'' Aerith walked past Tseng whos sighed.
''Try not to draw any sort of attention to yourself. A quick and quiet back and forth or otherwise we will have to present Nox as the one who kidnapped you and gave us the slip,'' Tseng warned her.
Though she didn't answer, he knew she heard him and would comply, if it helped avoid getting her friend in trouble.
...He was tempted to ask if she had any new letters, but ... he didn't feel like that was his place to ask. Especially since it had nothing to do with the mission.
---
Nox could feel how tightly Aerith gripped his waist when they left Midgar on the motorcycle. He was driving steadily so she wouldn't get shaken up too much.
''Can we make a brief stop?,'' Aerith questioned in his ear after driving for a while, just at the edges of the desert, where green then would pick up.
Nox did not ask or wonder why and just parked the motorbike on the side of the road. Aerith stepped off onto the barren desert. In the distance Midgar stood like a hostile monolith.
''Something wrong?,'' Nox asked her.
''No. It's just...,'' Aerith put her hand gently on her chest and looked skyward for a while.
''Try not too look into the sun. I don't know if it is the same with those sunlight bulbs, but the real sun can harm your eye and I don't know if Cure can fix such fine nerve damage,'' Nox warned her. Probably not, considering he saw quite a lot of people with glasses over the years.
''Got it,'' Aerith absentmindedly replied, while continuing to look into the sky. The sun was hitting her from the left, takings it's first shy peak over the horizon and so long as she didn't look up in that direction, she should be fine.
Nox nodded and gave her the time to do...whatever she wanted doing.
''Funny. I kind of miss the steel sky and being out of Midgar is not as frightening as I thought either,'' she turned around and pointedly looked at him.
''Home is where the heart is. With Miss Elmyra being there, of course you think of it as your home,'' Nox commented. Despite the complicated conflicted feelings she had on considering Midgar her home, what with her history there. Ifalna dying and it being her prison.
And a fear shared, is a fear halved or something. Of course, she would not be as afraid to confront her fear if someone supported her in that.
Aerith smiled and nodded.
''Then let's go, Nox,'' she finally told him after casting another look at the sky.
---
''She is a beauty,'' Aerith complimented, looking for a moment like she wanted to pet her, but then retracted her hand.
Nox grabbed it and put it on Stellas neck, before removing it and gesturing with his head at the hand, when she looked at him.
Aerith began stroking her feathers, wishing for nothing more then Nox not having worn his gloves when he touched her... or that it wouldn't have been so briefly. She halfheartedly banished the thought.
Stella preened under the praise and affection.
''Don't spoil her too much or she'll get vain. She already has an ego,'' Nox warned Aerith, only to immediately receive a pick on his shoulder from Stella with her beak.
''That's right girl. You tell him. You deserve all the compliments,'' Aerith pumped her fist up and got confident enough to use the other hand to stroked her long neck as well.
''That's the thanks I get, huh?,'' Nox shook his head and pretend to be hurt making Aerith giggle.
''You think I can ride her?,'' Aerith eagerly asked him.
''She is vain enough to want to be praised by anyone,'' Nox received another pick by Stella,''But riding her? She will shake you off, unless... Stella you mind if we both ride you together?''
She gave him a loud screech and turned her head in affront.
''Yeah. She is kind of possessive like that. We can talk with Choco Bill. I'm sure he won't mind letting us saddle one of the other Chocobos, especially if we pay him. He rents the Chocobos often enough,'' Nox thought out loud.
''Oh. I haven't brought any money,'' she sighed. Guess that is the end of her fun and trying out new things.
''Don't be absurd. I will pay,'' Nox told her.
''What? I can't ask that of you,'' Aerith told him making him snort.
''Spare me this theatrical nonsense. Let's go,'' Nox flatly ordered her and began guiding Stella back to the farm. Aerith following after him.
''I'll pay you back,'' Aerith promised him. She had the money, she just didn't have it with her.
''Consider it a gift. I would be pretty hurt if you would cheapen my gift. Right here,'' Nox put his hand on his chest over his heart.
Aerith turned her head a little, but then nodded.
...
''I haven't thought this through,'' Aerith realized when she starred at the saddled Chocobo.
''Why? Just get on him, like you did on the bike, both your legs to the side,'' Nox misunderstood.
''No. I mean, I've never ridden a Chocobo. I don't know how to get on it or how to control it's movement,'' Aerith clarified. She wasn't afraid to try something new per say, quite the opposite, but she was afraid she would hurt the Chocobo.
''Ah! Kid gloves it is then,'' Nox concluded and made her yelp when he scoped her up by the legs and raised her enough to put her butt on the saddle.
''Controlling the Chocobo is very easy. I'll show you and then you can try yourself. It's all in the reins. Here,'' Nox explained and grabbed the reins to hand them to her. He moved in front to the side of the Chocobo and put his hand on the Chocobos chest.
Aerith grabbed them, gripping them tightly.
''If you hit the side of his neck with the reins he will start moving. Gently will always do,'' Nox instructed.
She nodded and gave the reins a jerk to hit the sides of his neck, like Nox said. She jerked a little when the Chocobo began trotting with her nearly falling off, since sitting sideways on a motorbike vs a Chocobo was different. The balancing was different.
Nox walked slowly, matching the pace of the Chocobo, his hand always on the chest if it.
''Good. Now only pull one rein for left or right. Again, gently will do. These creatures are very responsive once you train or domesticate them, even without training they can follow command well, more or less,'' Nox explained.
There was some confusion on Nox' side since he didn't immediately guess where she wanted to go and nearly walked in the opposite direction. Aerith giggled, starting to relax.
''And to make him stop, just give him a small tug, by pulling the reins back,'' Nox stepped aside from the Chocobo while it continued to walk. Aerith panicked a little and quickly pulled the reins making hims stop.
She cast an annoyed expression to her side at Nox.
''Hey, don't make that face. I judged you to be good enough already to trust you with that much autonomy,'' Nox playfully shrugged.
''Race you?,'' she challenged.
''You are a toddler who just learned to crawl, challenging an adult to a sprint race-,'' Nox was interrupted.
''Guakguak,'' Aerith tucked her arms and flailed them like they were chicken wings,'' Guackguakguak.''
Nox scrunched his face incredulously.
''Woman, have some dignity and stop this,'' Nox demanded.
''GUAKGUAK!,'' Aerith raised her voice a little and flailed her arms some more.
''I'm above such childishness,'' Nox shook his head and rolled his eyes. He called Stella over and smoothly climbed on her saddle.
''Booooh,'' Aerith booed him, when it dawned on her, he really wasn't going to acquiesce to her demand.
''Come on, let's do a lap around the farm. Get you better used to controlling him,'' Nox huffed amused at her dejection.
Aerith grumbled. Was it really too much to ask for? If she fell of, she was sure she wouldn't get too hurt, considering the soft grass padding the ground.
...
''Well then. Shall we?,'' Nox asked her after the first lap. She controlled the Chocobo well enough, that he supposed her could fulfill her request.
For the mission.
''Huh?,'' Aerith asked him unsure.
''Hey. Wait!,'' Aerith smiled and bolted after him, when he took off with Stella. He was rude not to tell her when they would start or if they would run the same route, so the first lap she just trailed after him.
Afterwards?
She tried to take him over. But while her Chocobo was trained for races, it had a poor driver... and Stella more then made up for her somewhat slower speed with her massive Stamina and good master.
She didn't won a single lap that day, but she didn't mind. She had her fun.
---
''Hm? Why are we stopping?,'' Aerith asked her and removed her head from his shoulder blade.
''Come with me,'' Nox got off and parked his motorbike on the side of the road. They were still around a green landscape, but would soon hit upon the desert area around Midgar. It was night.
They walked just a few meters, not too far from the road at all. The landscape was generally flat, but there was a small incline, a tilt, so that when Nox laid down, he was laying a little diagonally and he put his sword by his side.
Aerith looked at him briefly, before shrugging and bending down to removed her boots. She wanted to do something that she hadn't had the time for, to do previously.
She giggled, when her feet touched the grass blades. Sure there was some grass in her garden. But not enough and she wouldn't dare try step in it, in fear of harming the flowers.
She wanted to do that for a long while.
''Be mindful. Grass sometimes hides small rocks. If you step too hard, you could cut the sole of your feet,'' Nox warned her without opening his eyes. He closed them since he laid down. But he had an idea of what she was doing, even without looking at her.
''Nothing a simple Cure won't fix,'' Aerith replied. Though she did take his warning to heart. She didn't want to risk having any scars on her body. Not even on the sole of her feet.
She began twirling around and dancing around. She quickly regretted that. The grass under her was squished and the juices, it turned out, was sticky.
In any case, she had her fun and got to experience grass on her feet like she wanted, so she quickly cleaned her feet of the juice and put on her socks and boots. Finally she laid down on her back besides Nox.
''...Is that what you wanted to stop for?,'' Aerith asked him.
Nox hummed.
''I never get tired of the sight,'' Nox told her.
''It's ...different from the night sky in Midgar,'' Aerith commented. She sometimes spent long enough on the top plate that she was greeted by night.
''More... a darker sky and brighter stars,'' she tried explaining lamely.
''Yup. Light pollution is a thing and can mess with our perception. The cost of progress,'' Nox commented with mockery at the end.
''It's beautiful,'' she said finally.
Nox hummed in agreement.
''Then why do you keep your eyes closed?,'' Aerith asked him confused and tilted her head to look at him.
''Shush. Close your eyes and listen,'' Nox ordered.
Aerith did so and tilted her head back up. With her lack of eyesight, her other senses seemed to ... enhance? She could feel the wind blowing gently, the grass softly touching her exposed skin on her arms and legs and bit on her neck, though her hair got in the the way there. Maybe some chirping from a cricket or the hoot of an owl of in the distance, but otherwise...
''It's quiet,'' she pointed out. In Midgar there was always noise.
''Tranquil,'' Nox corrected.
''Like in the church,'' Aerith finished making Nox hum.
Nox was the first to open his eyes and he waited till Aerith opened her own eyes, both now looking at the starry night sky.
''Did you have fun today? No regrets,'' Nox asked her.
''Lots. I only wish I could have seen the flower field you spoke of in Kalm. But otherwise no regrets. Thank you for letting me have this day,'' Aerith thanked him and tilted her head to look at him.
''Sure. I can take you there another day,'' Nox offered.
Aerith gave a small quick smile. She doubted she could push her luck that much. Today already was a miracle.
''Sure. But I don't want to trouble you. We should do it on a day like this, when we are both free,'' Aerith replied and he hummed.
''Say... I once heard that the stars have our fate written into them and that they hold them,'' Aerith said making him scoff.
''You don't believe in fate?,'' Aerith immediately asked him.
''No. Sorry,'' Nox shrugged.
''Why not?'' she wanted to know.
Nox sighed softly, thinking about what to say to get his point across.
Finally he raised his hand up, like he wanted to grasp the stars.
''We were meant to inherit the stars,'' he quoted and balled his hand into a fist,'' Is that, then, not a declaration of war on the heavenly principles? Is that not an expression of our desire to be masters of our own 'fate'? The fervent wish to be ambitious enough to walk among the stars, is nothing more and nothing less then an expression of our desire to be free. And, yes, for that we need to grasp the stars.
It is our duty, gods given, self given, doesn't matter, to look fate in the eye and spit in it. To defy it.
And I always was a rebel for authority.''
Within reason. He had no idea what ROB was actually doing or any of the other gods. But he had no desire to challenge them and risk destroying the foundation of the very thing that allows people to live in the first place. Even if he HAD the power to challenge them, there was a limit to his impertinence.
But his point still stood.
He let his hand fall besides him and snorted.
''Besides, it is always convenient how people say something was fated to be, with the benefit of hindsight. Easy to say what will happen, once the first domino sets forth a chain of events. I would argue, one is simply observant enough of the happening around him and can reasonable deduce what is going to happen,'' Nox waved his hand in the air leisurely.
''So... Fate does not exist, but ... certain events are still likely to happen?,'' she asked him unsurely.
''Yes, I suppose. Like death. The sun rising in the east. Night setting in when the sun sets. Monsters dying when they challenge me,'' Nox shrugged.
''Pretty arrogant of you, mister. What if one day, you will bite more then you can chew,'' Aerith challenged him playfully, lifting the mood up a little.
Nox smiled knowingly.
''I doubt that will happen. I always like being a disappointment. Feels like I'm following my own path then,'' Nox replied.
Spit in the eye of fate. Huh?
Of course she wanted to do that. She didn't want to die, except of old age! But hasn't she already resigned herself to her death? Wasn't she trying to live her remaining time and make the best memories she could, to have fun essentially and die with as little regret as possible?
If only she could make more sense of that vision.
''Oh! Falling stars. You should make a wish,'' Nox pointed out to her. There were several falling stars.
''Why?,'' Aerith asked him.
''It is said that making a wish upon a falling star will make the wish come true, because the wish will be falling from the sky on your lap,'' Nox closed his eyes and smiled. Aerith presumed he was making his wish.
She doubted that... and the idea was silly. But it sounded fun to do so she closed her eyes as well.
''I wish-''
''Shush. Make your wish silently and tell no one about it or else it won't come true, for someone else will steal your falling star,'' Nox immediately interrupted her.
Aerith giggled. How silly. She loved it.
'I wish...I wish to live... I wish to grow old enough along side my loved ones and to look fondly back, upon all the memories I have made and will make in my life,' she silently wished.
She put her hands together in a prayer. She really hoped and prayed, fervently, that the wish would come true.
High above in the starry night sky the final falling star shone brightly at the end of the meteor shower.
...
Aerith tightened her hold around Nox' waist and buried her face into his back, her heart hammering in her chest. And for once she didn't feel guilty.
''Nox?,'' Aerith moved to speak in his ear.
''Yes?,'' he called back.
''Thank you for today. Really. It means a lot to me,'' she thanked him again.
''Don't mention it and you're welcome,'' Nox replied.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Aerith sat in her room at her table. An empty paper in front of her. She played with her pencil in thought.
Should she?
...
It... Oh, she was never the kind to deny what she was feeling. She couldn't afford to.
She had a small crush on Nox.
Sure, he was rough around the edges and he frustrated her sometimes for being so stubborn on some matters. But today she saw that he could have his soft side too. He could be so incredible tender, as he demonstrated with Stella.
Soon enough, in just a little more than a month, she will have known him more then she has known Zack...
And she remembered their conversation a few weeks ago. About love...
They were pretty young, both of them, when they got together. They got together pretty quick, after they met. She changed a lot, would he even still like her anymore? Would she like him? She thought back on Zack's personality. She still found it endearing, but...
Aerith sighed and put her face in her hands.
The small crush on Nox developed despite her best efforts. She tried to suppress her feelings as much as possible, to stay loyal to Zack.
But was she even loyal if she harbored feelings for someone else, however small?
Aerith rubbed her hair furiously.
Her feelings wouldn't be half, no, a tenth as conflicted if Tseng would just tell her if Zack was still alive. If he would do at least that, she could wait more earnestly.
He wasn't answering her letters. He wasn't sending anything to indicate that he was alive. What WAS she supposed to think.
And the Planet didn't answer her questions or she didn't hear them. She never can quite tell. Probably her own fault.
Everyone else, Mom and Clay, Tamma and her husband, sent letters to each other.
What if Zack really was alive and on a dangerous mission and the only thing that kept him going was the thought of getting back to her? But for more then three and a half years?
Well, if that really was the case, then he would sneak a message past Tseng to her. No matter what.
Aerith rubbed her hair again, furiously. It was all getting tangled up and she knew it would be a pain to comb through it.
...
But it was just a crush. What if it remains just that and didn't develop further? Then she would be in an even worse position. For all she knew, Nox felt nothing for her. It was hard to tell what he was thinking sometimes. He could keep his expression so infuriatingly blank sometimes, that even she couldn't tell what he was thinking.
...And he hasn't done any romantic gestures or looked at her too long, when he thought she wasn't looking...
Aerith showed herself away from the table, the chair scrapping the floor and she jumped in her bed. She had a passing hope that that didn't wake her mother up, since it was night, but otherwise she was too preoccupied with her own feelings and thoughts.
...Well. Maybe if she thought about it differently she could make the choice easier.
For a second she forced herself not to think about Nox.
There was no Nox.
...
Ok. She managed to get herself in that headspace.
She will fight to live, of course. She resolved herself to that. But she still had to be realistic and consider that her death could still happen. She didn't know when. It could be in a week. In 5 years. In 10.
In the case, of her efforts not yielding any results and her death still happening, she would want to have lived a life. As much as she possibly could.
OR, she almost forgot because of how normal her day today was, if it was not her death then it was Shinra wanting to capture her. That could also happen any day. Maybe...she would be killed after escaping, like her biological mother?
In either case, she wants to have lived as much as possible.
And that meant having a relationship and romantic partner. She wanted that... dearly.
Zack was a good candidate, but, and now she knew, his work and dream made that an uncertainty. That he would always be there or that he would even be alive.
As his years of absence have already proven.
She did not consider the years waiting a waste, nor did she regret them... but it was starting to near that state. Nox wasn't the first pretty boy she met in a while. But he was the first she befriended and most importantly developed a crush on.
And she did want to live...
And slowly her thoughts moved back to the matter at hand, now that she examined the matter without Nox in the picture.
Would she like to have a relationship with him?
...
...
...
...
...Yes. Yes, she would. He checked her boxes.
And if nothing came of it? They would still be friends, she was sure.
And she could look for someone else.
Aerith hugged her pillow tightly.
She did feel guilty...
But she waited long enough...
She won't wait any more.
With a calming breath, she stood up and sat back at the table again and picked up her pencil.
This would be her ... 80th letter? Yes, the 80th letter. And the final one.
She would try to be as kind as possible in breaking the news to him, but she will make it clear that she moved on from him completely. Aerith made the choice not to say anything about another partner or potential partner as a kindness to him.
She began writing.
Funny. Now that she was putting the words on paper, she did begin to regret. Not what they had. But what could have been.
Zack built her a flower wagon and promised to take her outside of Midgar to show her the world.
It was Nox that got her out of Midgar and showed her part of the world. He even offered to show her Kalm. And he did that without making any promises too, which to Aerith made it more endearing. And whenever she did slightly stumble or was uncertain, rarer and rarer as that happened, he had his own way off giving encouraging words to someone.
She knew, that part of the reason she could force Tseng to adhere to her request was because Nox was strong and could protect her. If he wasn't Tseng wouldn't have done so, else he risked the last Cetra dying, not that she couldn't defend herself, she thought with a huff.
But... yes. Maybe Zack will one day come back, maybe not. But by then she will have moved on and their relationship would be nothing more then a chapter in their lives. Maybe the would be friends or maybe not.
But, as she said, she won't wait any more.
Finally, she considered what to end the note with and wrote 'With Warm Regards; Aerith' and put her pencil down.
Aerith nodded to herself.
Yes, then it's decided.
She would give Tseng the letter some time later.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
''Tadaaaaa!,'' Aerith thrust the flower pot in Nox' face, the moment he opened the door.
''Okay, no manners today I guess,'' Nox muttered.
''Well, aren't you going to let me in?,'' she asked him with a challenge.
''You're just gonna let yourself in anyway,'' he muttered and stepped aside.
''You know me well,'' Aerith looked around to see if he made any changed and saw that this was not the case.
''Just sit on the bed,'' Nox gestured while he sat on one end. She nodded and did so, the flower pot in her lap.
''I'm assuming this is about the matter of fulfilling your dream? Got too excited,'' Nox chuckled,'' Alright. Hit me and I can offer some insight.''
''Nope. It's not about that. This is for you. I mean, look at your room! So I decided,I simply had to breathe some life into it,'' Aerith explained to him.
''Ah. Of course. You SIMPLY had to do something about that. Simple,'' Nox nodded very seriously. For indeed it was a grave matter of concern, that he couldn't at all take care of himself.
''Oh, shut up. I decided that Lilacs would be a good present for you. You showed some passing skill in tending to flowers and Lilacs are easy to care for and low maintenance,'' Aerith nodded and then held out the flower pot again,'' So, tadaaa!''
She giggled, hiding her nervousness.
Nox crossed his arms and gave her a flat stare.
''Maybe I'm happy with my room as is,'' Nox pointed out.
She didn't say anything and just continued to hold out the flower pot and looked at him expectantly.
Nox scratched his neck and grabbed the damn flower pot making her smile.
''Do they attract insects?,'' Nox asked her, for that was his biggest concern.
''Not really. If you tend to it, everything should be fine,'' Arith smiled.
Nox looked at her for a bit, before sighing and shaking his head. He stood up and gently put the flower pot on the table.
''Those flowers in the church symbolize Reunion. What do these symbolize?,'' Nox asked her and sat back on the bed.
Damn it, she knew there was a chance of him asking that. And she knew him well enough that he wouldn't stop investigating or asking if she evaded the question.
But she still decided to be playful.
''Shh,'' she pushed her finger to her lips,'' Let a girl keep some secrets. One day I will tell you.''
''I will just have to look it up somewhere then. In a book or my PHS,'' Nox immediately shot that down.
''No! It's ...,'' she put her hands together on her lap,'' It's silly.''
''You got so far, though? You already shoved the pot down my throat, might as well tell me for what purpose. I'm not buying, the excuse that it is to breathe some life into my room.''
But it is. A present can fulfill several things at once.
''The flowers... symbolize friendship,'' she lied easily gauging his reaction.
Nox released an amused huff.
''We are. No? Friends? I just thought, it would be good to formally acknowledge it,'' Aerith told him.
''Weirdo. Does it even need mentioning?,'' Nox chuckled with a shake of his head.
He leaned back when Aerith was suddenly all up in his face, starring into his eyes deeply.
''I want an answer. A proper one. I think I deserve that,'' Aerith demanded to know.
''Yes. We are friends,'' Nox replied meeting her eyes.
She smiled and leaned.
''Good. I'm glad we cleared that up. So as your friend, I think you should breathe more life in your room,'' Aerith changed the subject.
''Get off my back, I sleep here, not you,'' Nox sighed as if in great pain and propped his chin on his hand, elbow on his leg.
''...Fine. Be that way. But as your friend, your mental well being is my concern. This matter is far from over,'' she wagged her finger at him.
''I'm terrified in my boots,'' he told her flatly.
Aerith huffed.
''Suit yourself. I'm going top plate to sell some flowers. Wanna come?,'' Aerith offered.
''Not this time. Monster parts are starting to run low,'' Nox explained. Aerith nodded understanding what that meat.
''Take care then. Ok?,'' Aerith demanded.
''Yeah. Yeah. Death won't get her hands on me anytime soon,'' Nox waved her off.
''Don't joke about that! See you later at dinner. Ok,'' Aerith frowned, but then shook off her disapproval and waved at him with a smile. Nox waved back and she let herself out.
Nox starred at the door, chewing his cheek for a bit, before turning his head to the flower pot, the Lilacs standing there innocently.
'Fuck,' he thought in his head.
His assignment just got infinitely more difficult.
(A.N.: 9749 words. Hope you enjoyed reading that. Cheers and stay safe out there.)