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[ When he's close enough it's easy for Aerith to move forward, to wrap her arms around him and press herself against his chest. ]

Zack... Are you happy?

[wh

what the heck kind of question is that

He holds her back immediately though, eyes widening.]

Happy? Yeah, of course.

[Things aren't 100% perfect, but when have they ever been? Perfect isn't needed to feel happy.]

[ Aerith shifts and leans close, pressing herself into his body, letting herself be wrapped up for a moment before she breathes out. ]

Good. That's okay, then.

[...o...okay.

Maybe she doesn't want to talk about it yet. Unsure of what else to do, he simply holds her as long as she needs it, resting his chin on her hair, keeping her close. She'd done this for him, too, so he gets it- sometimes you just need to be hugged.]

[ Zack is warm, she thinks, and solid and real, and for a moment that's what she needs. It's all she can do to hold on to him, and let the guilt bite at her, just for a little while... But eventually she leans back, bowing her head. ]

I talked to Cloud.

[why does that sound ominous?]

Okay... what about?

About how he feels, and how I feel, and what you feel.

[ Why is this so hard? She had been so happy and then reality had crashed down on her. ]

[.....oh.

ohhhhhhh.]

How he feels... wait, does he...?

[even as he asks it, he knows what a stupid question it is. of course he does. It's Aerith- how could he not? He's never met another person in the whole world that's so easy to love.]

[ She nods against his shoulder, her eyes closed. ]

It's okay. I told him I'm not going to choose anyone. I'm not going to make that choice, because I'm not going to make anyone sad.

Aerith...

[That's... so her. always trying to help people, always trying to make people happy. Proof that she's the same old Aerith.

But at the same time, it's so unsatisfying.]

If that's what you've decided, then why does it sound like they one who's sad is you?

I'm not sad.

[ It's so obviously a lie - the girl who came all this way because she wanted a hug isn't sad - but she breathes out. ]

It'll be okay. We'll all be happy once we're comfortable again.

[He smiles faintly, lifting his hand to brush through her hair.]

Liar. That's the worst lie I've ever heard.

[Reluctantly he tugs her back, his hands on her shoulders, and leans down to look at her face. He needs to see her properly for this- if she's going to lie to him just to protect his feelings, he wants to know it.]

Not choosing is still making a choice, y'know. And people can still get hurt this way. [case in point. she wouldn't have come to him like this if she was fine with it.]

[ It's hard - incredibly hard - to look him in the eyes, but she forces herself to do it. It's been so long... Maybe they deserve this. Maybe they're earned the right to speak from the heart, to admit how they really feel time and time again. It's so hard, but she has to steel herself - because she's the one causing problems. It's her feelings, loving two of them, that is making this so hard. ]

So what am I supposed to do?

[ She shakes her head, her hands closing in fists at her side. ]

It's better if it's just me.

Nope, wrong.

[It's automatic, instantaneous; he doesn't even think about it. He doesn't have a solution to this problem, and god does he ever wish he did. He just knows it isn't this.]

You know what you're supposed to do? Whatever you want. That's the great thing about being free, about being alive. I learned that on the way home. People like us- people who've lost it all- we don't have time to screw around with what-ifs or regrets anymore. We shouldn't be here, but we are. So what're you doing?

[He moves a hand to her chin, tilting it up, and gestures in a half-shrug. Well?]

What do you want, Aerith?

Zack!

[ It's an instant reaction to being told wrong, and she scowls, just a little, put out and frustrated. She'd told Cloud that she wasn't going to choose and she can handle that burden - she can handle being the one that puts a stop to everything and anything. She can handle it being her fault, because blame and heartache had rested upon her shoulders before.

She had been the bearer of bad news, accepting the whispers from the Planet as truth. She could do it again. ]

It's not that easy!

[ Aerith isn't quick to anger, but frustration is another matter entirely, and she frowns even as the touch to her skin calms her, just so. ]

I want to be with you both! That's not fair!

[both...

...both. Both. That's what she wants. And she's so emphatic and annoyed about it that he knows she's not lying this time, either. It's not an answer that she's likely to assume would make him happy.

So... okay, what would make him happy? He should probably sort that one out before he does anything else.]

Did you tell Cloud that?

[ It's an impossible answer and it's selfish and greedy and awful all at once - that's why she can't accept it as her own choice. All she can do is stare up at him, frowning and petulant, before she crosses her arms and looks away. ]

No. I told him what I told you - I wasn't going to choose anyone.

[ Picking one over the other would make someone miserable and she refuses to do that. They deserve to have happiness in their new lives. ]

And he actually bought that?

[cloud. cloud. buddy, pal.

just. no.]

If you're gonna make a choice, Aerith, you gotta make sure you think about all the options first. Otherwise you won't be happy if you pick the wrong one. And you have to tell everybody else what the choices are, too! So, y'know. We're on the same page.

Why wouldn't he?

[ Zack, what the fuc- ]

I made the choice! That's the only one that will work! [ Her face scrunches up and she shakes her head. ] I'm not going to pick, okay?

Yeah, I know, I get it. And like I said, it's a dumb choice, but it's not like there's no takebacks. You want me to call him? I'll call him.

[he'll take his goddamn phone out right goddamn now so help him]

Call him and say what? I made up my mind, Zack Fair!

[ She'll fight you and throw your phone away. ]

You made up your mind to do the thing you don't want to do, and I'm not gonna let you do that!

[phone is officially out now, he is looking for Cloud's contact.]

Stop that!

[ She's grabbing at his phone for real now, frustrated and stubborn. ]

Zack, please! Stop!

[He wasn't expecting her to grab for it, and he had it low enough for her to do it, so now of course he's trying to grab it back.]

Hey! Just let me...!

[ Her fingers are fumbling and Zack is so tall that Aerith has to tiptoe to get momentum. ]

No!

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