Aerith didn't know if she was sure at first, but the wonderfully familiar feeling of Zack in her arms again drives the point home. Squeezing her eyes closed, She lets her head lower enough to hide her face against his chest, aware that if she doesn’t look away from him for a moment and get her bearings, she really will start sobbing.
A few tears break the waterline when she feels her feet leave the floor as Zack scoops her up to get a tighter hold, and even though she’s sniffling, she can’t remember feeling more grateful for anything in her life.
It’s only after Zack puts her back on her feet that Aerith lifts her head and looks at him again. One arm stays wrapped around him like she can somehow keep him rooted to the spot if she hangs on tight enough, while the other loosens enough to allow her to bring a hand to his face and touch his cheek.
Her bright eyes are wide with concern, and her head’s so full of questions she needs another moment spent looking over his face, again and again, to try and pluck the most important ones from the noise. ]
Before anything else?
[ He didn’t think he’d make it back? So he’s on the run?
The prospect makes her stomach sink like a stone, the arm around him tensing reflexively. ]
Does that mean you're leaving again?
[ And, if he is, does he know she was coming with him? She’s picked up some healing materia over the years and learned something about how to draw on her strengths. While she’s never going to brandish a sword like Zack’s and charge into combat, she can make herself very useful.
And, besides, it’s not like if that is what ends up being the case he’s ever going to be able to tell her no. ]
no subject
This is really happening.
Aerith didn't know if she was sure at first, but the wonderfully familiar feeling of Zack in her arms again drives the point home. Squeezing her eyes closed, She lets her head lower enough to hide her face against his chest, aware that if she doesn’t look away from him for a moment and get her bearings, she really will start sobbing.
A few tears break the waterline when she feels her feet leave the floor as Zack scoops her up to get a tighter hold, and even though she’s sniffling, she can’t remember feeling more grateful for anything in her life.
It’s only after Zack puts her back on her feet that Aerith lifts her head and looks at him again. One arm stays wrapped around him like she can somehow keep him rooted to the spot if she hangs on tight enough, while the other loosens enough to allow her to bring a hand to his face and touch his cheek.
Her bright eyes are wide with concern, and her head’s so full of questions she needs another moment spent looking over his face, again and again, to try and pluck the most important ones from the noise. ]
Before anything else?
[ He didn’t think he’d make it back? So he’s on the run?
The prospect makes her stomach sink like a stone, the arm around him tensing reflexively. ]
Does that mean you're leaving again?
[ And, if he is, does he know she was coming with him? She’s picked up some healing materia over the years and learned something about how to draw on her strengths. While she’s never going to brandish a sword like Zack’s and charge into combat, she can make herself very useful.
And, besides, it’s not like if that is what ends up being the case he’s ever going to be able to tell her no. ]