Aeris, as in tune to the earth as her half-cetra heritage made her, had no such empathy with either fate or others. As much as she calmed and soothed, excited and entertained, it was her personality, not her empathy that gave her such an unforgettable quality of spreading joy.
Just when she had fallen so far for Cloud, she couldn’t climb her way out back into being just friends, he fell for Tifa again. Neither Aeris, nor even Cloud knew how much he loved either or for what reasons. He didn’t know which one he was looking at just to get a glimpse of her legs, which one he wanted to be more than friends with, with one he liked more, or if he liked them both similarly enough to be compared.
These days he was busy with Tifa, healing, searching, and fighting. He said he just wanted Aeris to be safe, but she found, even with the occasional time for just them, he was with Tifa for more than just Aeris’s safety.
Aeris decided he could have her heart, but that didn’t mean her mind, body, and soul came with it. If Cloud came to her, then that was that. If not, she could spend her own time her own way.
It didn’t take long for her to realize Vincent liked her, and almost as short a time for her to fall for him.
Just because you’ve fallen for one, doesn’t mean you’ve no longer fallen for another, it’s just one step lower that you have to make sure you don’t hurt yourself on.
Granted he had avoidance as well as schizoid personality disorders, that he not only transformed into monstrous creatures, but also was always very disoriented after changing back, she felt safer with him.
She enjoyed his attempts to woo her with gifts, until he felt too horrible about bringing her nothing but tiny sprigs of flowers and the occasional leftovers from his lunch.
Eventually they fell into a much more unconventional relationship of forgetting propriety and rules and both people trying to steer it in a good direction while seeing where it would take them at the same time.
Meanwhile, as Vincent was coming out of his cocoon of confusion and waiting for the world to tell him how it worked and moved into Aeris’s bed, Cid felt increasingly lonely.
Vincent spent time with both of them and he and Cid were more than just friends were. But there was a huge intangible obstacle between cold sheets and Cid experiencing the same thing from Vincent as Aeris did at night.
Even if Nanaki were at the foot of the bed and watching, even if there were clothes between them and there were no chance of them coming off, let alone getting sweaty and passionate, Cid wanted Vincent in his bed every now and then.
Cid wondered what exactly had gone wrong. He remembered the cuts from Vincent’s hand. He remembered Vincent hated feeling useless and asked if he could help Cid with the plane, even though he had no knowledge of machines. Cid was glad to help, and they both got as filthy as the day Vincent had first laid eyes on Cid. Then they needed to get clean and Vincent refused to be in the same room—especially shower room—with Cid. Cid told him to go take the first shower and Vincent disappeared for the rest of the day after that. Ever since then, Cid had been taking the coldest showers in his life and more often.
Ever since then Cid had had the image of Vincent in the shower… no clothes… water rushing down every curve… oil and grease slowly dripping off… suds all over, and yet not covering enough… and then his imagination took the concept of Vincent like that and ran wild.
Later Cid felt betrayed in many ways at the night that was a turning point for everyone. Cait Sith had betrayed everyone and turned the keystone over to Tseng. Tifa and Cloud had gone on a date, full of fireworks, both literal and metaphorical. Vincent had asked Cid if they wanted to go back to their rooms and Cid thought he’d finally crack Vincent’s enigmatic shell. Two hours later, Cid was wandering halls and slides and rooms aimlessly until Nanaki found him. After getting the pilot to talk, the creature explained about Vincent.
Vincent was afraid of gay men being attracted to him. He had nothing against anyone being gay; it was just towards him that he was scared of. Cid didn’t care who had done it to Vincent, he just wished Vincent had told him himself.
Aeris had found out. Aeris had found out personally for Vincent and Cid got the news from a talking dog.
Cid wanted to go up to Vincent and promise whatever had happened he wouldn’t be like that. He wanted to go up and apologize for being stupid and not having figured it out himself.
He wanted to know where Vincent had disappeared to, but he already knew the answer to the question.
Again, Cid couldn’t help think of Vincent… no clothes… crying out in ecstasy, body writhing from pleasure… but this time he knew Vincent was with Aeris and the thought of them so happy, stealing Vincent away from him with every frantic breath and wordless noise.
How long had Aeris known? Did she not even know? Maybe Vincent was so scared he didn’t tell her.
What were he and Vincent now? He was absolutely positive they had been in love. Uncomfortable, but still in love.
One answer, too many questions.
* * * * *
Indeed, Cid knew what Vincent and Aeris were up to.
It was awkward, clumsy, and full of random talking about nothing in particular.
At the same speed as Cid’s eyes and mind caught up with Vincent’s slowly renewing body, so did Vincent. He never thought he would ever be interested in sex again, considering the last two and a half years that had drastically changed him. But his body, once healthy enough to be naughty, decided it wanted to do so.
He found himself too close not to explain himself to Aeris, and playing with her necklace. She only laughed at the touch of his fingertip, and it was not until he took his hand away that he realized it was his metal one.
Slowly and steadily, they began to lose their own clothes.
Whereas Cid based his dreams on the trust and mutual playfulness of taking each other’s clothes off, these two stepped back, giving the other room for their long arms as they removed their own clothes.
Buttons and buckles and buttons and more buttons. A zipper on the fly of Vincent’s pants. Zippers on each of Aeris’s shoes. Vincent had whispered, in too many words that she could keep them on if she wished, but she insisted in being as naked as possible. Despite her insistence, she forgot to remove the necklace Vincent had been playing with earlier.
One thing, purely an accident, a joke Vincent didn’t know was so funny and he never meant to say it in the first place. He said with every fastening, it was a wonder their underwear had no clips or buttons. He meant it. Even Aeris’s bra had hooks on it, yet her panties and his boxers, the clothes that covered the most secret and private parts of them could just be slipped off while everything else was fastened as if under lock and key.
There was only a moment to drink in the appearance of each other naked. That was all they cared for. It wasn’t appearance that made them want this. It was love. Love for each other and because something needed to be appeased. Both were being torn in two by love of each other and another and what broke first was quiet, secluded patience. Love for each other and love for another, a love that could work right her and right now and one that never would. Vincent was too afraid and Cloud was too far away. Every time he looked at Aeris, there was a distance he never saw but she immediately recognized.
Vincent stood there, body and face expressions blank. He realized he had never been naked in front of a woman without… without such attentions focused on someone else. Aeris lay sat on the bed