007
A handful of drabbles for my 100_chances claim.

Title: Indifferent
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Rating: PG
Word count: 234
Pairing: Cloud/Aerith+Sephiroth
Theme: #7; The look in your eyes.
Summary: He feels Cloud linger in her frightened, breathless whispers.
Disclaimer: Aerith, Cloud and all Final Fantasy characters belong to Squeenix.
Notes: Angst! Sephiroth-centric.



“What’s your name, boy?” He asks Cloud the first time they meet, face to face in the cramped Shinra locker rooms.

Sephiroth has always insisted on knowing people’s names, and refuses to deal with anyone unless he can address them properly; he likes his formalities, after all. Names let him get to know the people, names let him control the people.

Sephiroth pulls the strings, and watches his puppets dance; individual puppets with names but only one set purpose.

To serve him.

He likes Cloud’s name for no other reason than it makes him sound weak, just as he always has been. When he thinks of Cloud he thinks of emptiness, and nothing more.

But when he meets Aerith, he doesn’t ask what her name is.

Sephiroth looks at her and sees Cloud; sees Cloud in her green eyes as they swirl blue in his mind, hears Cloud in the quiet determination of her voice, and he feels Cloud linger in her frightened, breathless whispers.

Aerith has no name, no meaning whatsoever.

And yet it brings him a certain pleasure to watch Cloud break before him as he slides his blade through Aerith’s torso, the blood held back momentarily by the accuracy of his aim. The nameless girl falls down into the empty boy’s shaking arms, and they are as Sephiroth has always seen them.

Two misplaced souls entwined in a sea of blood.


Title: To Aerith, Whom I Remember
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Rating: PG
Word count: 188
Pairing: Cloud/Aerith
Theme: #40; The tears we shed.
Summary: All I can do is remember you now, Aerith.
Notes: Set during Aerith's funeral. Angst!



All I can do is remember you now, Aerith.

I tried to protect you; I put everything into being your bodyguard like I promised. But it wasn’t enough, I know that now. I followed you here, Aerith, to the ends of the earth it seems, so sure it would be alright. But it isn’t alright, is it?

All we have now are the tears we shed.

And the tears we shed, Aerith, will not bring you back.

I put you to rest in the holy lake, because I just couldn‘t bear the thought of the cold ground swallowing you up. The planet had no right to do this to you; no right to do this to me. Watching you sink was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do, and I’m so torn inside, Aerith; half of me wants to drown with you, and the other half wants nothing more than to kill that bastard.

But neither will make you happy, and neither will bring you back.

Everyone cried today, Aerith, but no one meant it more than me. And I’m not crying just because I love you; I’m crying because you‘re nothing more than a memory.


Title: To Aerith, Whom I've Forgotten
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Rating: PG
Word count: 304
Pairing: Cloud/Aerith?
Theme: #72; Memories.
Summary: I don’t remember you anymore, Aerith.
Notes: Twenty years post FFVII. Angst!




I don’t remember you anymore, Aerith.

I tried—I honestly did. It just seems that the harder I tried to remember, the more I forgot. I replayed everything over and over; all of your words, all of your smiles, all in my head. And then it happened, I slowly began to forget what was true and what was my creation.

There’s an indistinct memory in my mind, a half-finished sketch really, of that night we spent together at the Gold Saucer. What was it you said to me—“I want to meet you, Cloud?” I couldn’t comprehend the meaning of that then, and I certainly can’t now. So, Aerith, I’ll give it my own meaning.

I can pretend that you loved me, pretend that you could see through the mess of lies that I was back then. And I can pretend that you’d forgiven me for all the half-truths and little inconsistencies I told you; I’m sure you know I’d of never have done it if I had just known what was going on inside my head.

In all honesty, I wanted to meet you too Aerith. I just don’t know if I can any more.

I can run my little puppet show, and it keeps me happy for a while; happy until I warp it the other way. And then I’m convinced that no, you didn’t know me at all, and all you could ever do was compare me to him. Aerith, I did enough of that for both of us—can’t we ever let Zack rest in peace? I know we’re lost without him.

I’m old now and… and I know the Promised Land isn’t hidden away in the flower fields.

Aerith, I can’t remember you anymore.

I think, Aerith, all I’m trying to say is that you’re finally dead to me.


Title: Paper Memories
Fandom: Final Fantasy VII
Rating: PG
Word count: 302
Pairing: Cloud/Aerith
Theme: #73; Photograph
Summary: He doesn’t stop her, but protests as the photograph nearly falls out of his hand.
Notes: It's fluffy! Sorta.



“A photograph, sir? Only one hundred gil!” the Gold Saucer employee that roped them into this has the cheek to ask, plastering his face with a rehearsed smile.

Cloud still feels dazed—he’s only just recovered from his stage fright, and he’s pretty sure he’s still shaking a little. Aerith, on the other hand, is even happier than she was before their ‘dazzling’ performance, if such a thing is possible.

“For your lady, at least,” Gold Saucer Man adds with a wink.

Cloud sighs, feeling bullied into the whole thing. Before even looking to the flower girl he knows the answer is a yes, and so reluctantly pulls out his wallet. He only gets the slightest glimpse of the photo as it’s handed to Aerith - it’s one of those glossy ones, taken from somewhere on stage and printed off before you have so much as a chance to escape - but the image ties a knot in his chest.

“Another, please,” he says awkwardly as he forks the last of his change over.

“Thank you sir!”

Cloud is more than relieved when the man finally leaves.

“Cloud…” Aerith says with a warming smile. “I didn’t think you’d want one.”

The bodyguard suddenly feels more embarrassed then he rightly should, and struggles to justify himself. Aerith rocks on her tip-toes as she laughs lovingly at him, enjoying his endearing discomfort.

“O-of course I do. I mean… I mean I enjoyed tonight.”

And before he has a chance to say any more, Aerith’s managed to catch him off-guard and pull him into a tender hug. He doesn’t stop her, simply wraps his arms around her small waist, but protests as the photograph nearly falls out of his hand.

A photograph of a bodyguard and the flower girl who will never become his lover.