#kunsel's voice echoes: there's a time and place for everything and it is HERE AND NOW

[rocketbirdie]

helloooo mr. fair~

[wingsdreamt]

steeleidolon​:

Maybe he ought to be more guarded. Kunsel’s hand lifts as if to prevent Zack from sweeping his helmet off, but there is no need. None at all, and that is good. He welcomes the weight draped against him - grounding, for all that what they are doing at the moment is absolutely insane. The what and the when. The how. All of it, all of it, and yet there is a certain exhilaration about it too.

Electric.

He can’t help but laugh, soft and shoulder-trembling, as he decides what to do with his hand. It comes to rest at the base of Zack’s neck, thumb flirting with the hairs at his nape above the collar of the turtleneck. It’s strange to be in the aubergine again. Strange to see Zack in it too. Things to take in stride.

A soft clear of throat accompanies a click of tongue and barbell to teeth.

“What I mean is, your voice, man,” he imparts, low velvet, utterly unabashed. “You had a little bit of an accent. Still do on some consonants.” Like Gon-GA-ga, he does not say - he doesn’t need to, not with the way his grin broadens to dimples, bright and warm. “Hot as hell. Lucky for me you weren’t often on comms duty, I’d have tripped over my own feet. You could’ve been reading the latrine construction manual aloud and I’d have just sat and listened.”

Too much? Perhaps. His grin remains, shameless, even if his helm visor mostly obfuscates a tint of warmth on sun-loving skin. Kunsel sees no reason to refrain from honesty in this regard, not now, not ever again.

Level 49, the SOLDIER floor.

The lift always had an interesting tonal shift whenever it came to a stop here, like bumpers installed on the outsides of the doors. Rubber on metal, not a squeal but a hum. Everything had to be designed around the legion of engineered warriors who, upon emerging from their infusions, sometimes did not truly understand their own strength. Despite the mass-produced fragility of consumables and equipment, the structural changes that came from Reeve’s department were always thoughtful.

“Huh? Uhh, sure. Fresh drawers are never remiss.”

What? 

The landing is busy. A pack of Thirds cluster around the training hall entrance, waiting their turn for access to one of the VR suites. This place is alive in a way Kunsel has not seen it in years. SOLDIER’s death was both sudden and protracted in that way. This is before. Before so many followed Genesis, before so many perished. Anxiety twists with a dull pang of something else, echo of a knell that hasn’t yet tolled.

The dreams here are still alive.

Another crowd gathered up near a break nook suddenly parts to admit a commanding figure through. Unmistakable even from behind, Buster’s gold-hilted breadth magnetized at an angle between armored shoulders. Angeal proceeds with common pleasantries, tucking a report tablet up underneath one arm. He has things to do, places to be, but he still makes time to speak with his subordinates.

Just a few moments. If they time it right, maybe they can avoid Angeal’s scrutiny. Their paths might cross on the way to the supply annex.

Zack's mouth moves open and closed several times. He doesn't have a response prepared for that, and as much as the revelation makes sense, he can feel his face growing warm beneath the helmet. Flattery does get you somewhere. Tilting his head far enough proves somewhat challenging without bumping the edge of his helmet against Kunsel's head, but he manages. Enough to brush his lips over the corner of Kunsel's jaw. "And here I thought I was pretty," he murmurs, a touch salacious, a touch playful. Affectionate.

Seconds before the doors hiss open, Zack steps back and composes himself into an easygoing semblance of dignity.

The hustle and bustle of boots squeaking on the floor strikes a chord of nostalgia he hasn't thought about in years. Back then, when SOLDIER was closer to what it was supposed to be. 

The training room is well-insulated with several thick layers of fiberglass foam and reinforced with laced steel behind riveted panels. Enough to create a convincing soundstage for the sims, but nothing that could stop a determined SOLDIER from breaking through the walls. Most are too preoccupied by their hard light adversaries to ever get that far. 

A few of the Third Classes, restless and stuck at the back of the line with no way to expend energy except wait, turn to look at newcomers to the floor, but their curious stares are short-lived. Out comes the next band of bruised losers from their humbling session against one of the virtual Firsts. He and Kunsel are as standard-issue as can be in their Second Class uniforms and, subsequently, largely uninteresting compared to the indiscriminate ass-kicking doled out by the VR training programs. 

All for the better, when Zack finally spots Angeal making his way through the crowd his reaction is nothing short of visceral. Tension ripples through him, corded and wound tightly into a spring unsprung, tipped into a slight lean forward– towards where every inch of him screams for him to go. Zack does not trust himself to move regardless of the seconds remaining before the doors slide shut. Moving might lead to an incredibly stupid, reckless sequence of events. 

Angeal, alive. 

Dreams and honor and all, catching light between his shoulders. If they had the opportunity to warn the commander of what was to come, would it even be enough? Would it save him? Would it save them?

Knowing would not prevent what Angeal would eventually become. Human minds were not made to endure the full breadth of experiences outside of their own. Angeal suffered the existence of those whom he had touched several times over. Zack didn't fully understand until much later, but even that did nothing to lessen the devastating loss. 

And Zack had been made responsible for it. 

The emotions are still there, renewed, as raw and heavy on his chest as they were as the warmth from the setting sun faded, and the last of Angeal's mortal warmth with it. 

Sorrow, anger, frustration.  

Zack chances a step forward, across the gap between the elevator and the landing. Too fast, too emotionally fraught. For Kunsel, even beneath a helmet, Zack must be an easy read. 

[rune-writes]

I'll Come Visit

Fandom: Final Fantasy VII

@zerith-week » Day 2: Promise

Word Count: 2344

Rating: G

Summary: All Zack ever gave Aerith were promises: promises of a date, to see the sky, and to come visit after he returns from Nibelheim.

Chapter 2 of Of Wishes and Promises: Zerith Week 2021

Read on AO3.

~*~*~*~*~

All Zack ever gave Aerith were promises. The first was the promise of a date, the first time he met her when he dropped out of the sky and onto her flowerbed. The second was to show her the sky, because it wasn’t as scary as she thought, and he wanted her to see it. Then he bought her a ribbon and said they should make fun, little promises for when they next met.

“For example, when we meet, you always have to dress in pink.”

Aerith giggled and said that was silly, and it was, but it’d be fun. So she nodded and said okay and wondered what kind of pink dress she had that she could wear.

Then just before he left for Nibelheim, they went to the Sector 6 playground to sell flowers. Operation: Midgar Full of Flowers, Wallet Full of Money seemed to have a good start. The blooms were a big hit. One woman wished she could see them grow all around the slums.

“Yeah, that’s me and Aerith’s dream,” Zack said. “Not just the slums, either. We want to fill the whole of Midgar with flowers!”

Only a dream then, one he hoped would come true once he returned to Midgar, when he could finally take her to the city above and sell flowers under the sky together.

***

Zack sighed at the heavens above as he lay on his back. Thin wisps of cotton-soft clouds drifted past; though, did anyone really know whether clouds were cotton-soft? An age-old imagery that originated from how it looked from the ground, made by people who had too much time on their hands with too little thoughts in their minds.

Zack had too much time on his hands now. With Sephiroth having locked himself in the mansion’s library and still no lead on their investigation, there had been nothing to do but check on the reactor every day. Everything stayed the same. The monsters still slept in their pods, no more reactor malfunctioning, no more signs of Genesis—or any other intruders for that matter.

Cloud would grab any chance he could get to accompany Zack. Probably to escape the town and its people. Probably to be near their ebony-haired guide. He couldn’t blame the guy, and he had no intention to interfere, but sometimes, Zack would look at his stubborn younger friend and wish Cloud would let loose and show them who he really was. Not a SOLDIER, but still a proud member of Shinra’s infantrymen. They’d understand.

When the time came to return to town, he let the two kids go on ahead, saying he wanted to explore more of the mountain. Tifa offered to come with him, but Zack refused. It was still light out. If he’d gotten lost, his SOLDIER pride would be at stake.

Zack had expected a chuckle at the very least, but his guide only stared at him and said, “Okay.” Then she looked at the grunt and nodded her head down the mountain path. “Shall we, then?”

Grunt Cloud jerked, and for a fraction of a second, his wild, panicked eyes met Zack’s through his helmet visor. Zack waited until Tifa had turned and walked away before he slapped Cloud on the back and whispered, “You got this.”

“I got this.” A self-reassuring nod; Cloud gripped his rifle tighter before following Tifa down the mountain. They walked with a little distance between them, but never too far apart. Zack watched, a little grin playing across his lips.

He’d set off in another direction then: a greener, more life-abundant direction; a contrast to the barren, jagged mountain he’d left behind. He’d found the clearing shortly after, with trees on one side and a sheer drop on the other. It overlooked the Nibel plains and the small town below with the clear blue sky stretching far into the horizon.

Fragments of a cloud broke away into little dots, collecting in places that, somehow, reminded him of the yellow blossoms he’d find growing under the shades of a dilapidated church. Thoughts of the blossoms led to thoughts of the flower girl, and Zack couldn’t help but draw another long breath.

It’d been a week since he arrived in Nibelheim, longer still since he last saw Aerith. The closest interaction he'd gotten was the phone call mere days after reaching the mountain village. His PHS had rung when he’d been about to go to the mansion, and it had taken him by surprise when her voice came out of the receiver. But he’d been too busy then, so he’d told her that he’d call later.

“No, no, you don’t have to.” There had been a slight drop to her tone.

He'd pressed his lips together. “Okay, then I’ll come visit.”

“I’ll be here.”

Zack hadn't missed the momentary pause or the wistful sigh, hadn't forgotten her downcast eyes when he told her he would leave Midgar for a job. There had been nothing else he could say but: “I’ll see you, I promise.” He could almost see her smile as he hung up, hoping it had been enough until he returned to her side.

The drifting clouds offered a brief respite from the sun's harsh glare. Summer had long since gone and autumn was well on its way, but Zack still felt hot. Hot and restless and sweaty and wishing he was back under the cover of the church, where a ray of pleasant sunlight slanted in through the broken rooftop right onto her flowerbed. He’d doze on her lap, and Aerith would weave a flower crown to put around his head, and when he opened his eyes, he would see the brightest smile he had ever seen.

Zack reached for his PHS in his pocket. He had half a mind to go to his mails before he realized Aerith didn’t have a PHS. She’d borrowed Tseng’s when she called him before. Zack didn't want to call Tseng. The last time he did, the Turk had chuckled and said that he was at work, that he had one of his men watching her and that she was safe. He would, however, send her Zack’s regards the next time he saw her. Zack's mouth twitched at the memory.

What if he called her house? Elmyra probably wouldn't mind. The last time he met her, she had acted like he was already part of the family. It made him smile and miss her homemade stew, miss the warmth of the kitchen and the vibrant colors in her garden, miss that motherly touch.

But as good as the idea sounded, it was still daylight and Aerith was probably not home. He stared at the open mail draft on his PHS screen, then typed in Kunsel's name.

‘What are you doing?’

The reply came shortly after: ‘If you resorted to mail me in the middle of a mission, I can only imagine how bored you must be feeling right now. So let me tell you some good news, friend. I visited that church your Aerith frequented and I gotta say, she is such a lively fella. You have no idea all the little details she’d asked me of you.’

Zack jumped, glaring into his PHS screen as those last few words hammered their way into his head. He dialed Kunsel’s number. Kunsel immediately picked up.

“What the hell did you think you were doing?”

On the other side of the line, Kunsel cackled—a shoulder-shaking, back-bending, stomach-hurting cackle. “Gods, I can’t believe you fell for that one.”

Zack blinked, too mortified to catch up with the joke.

“I’m on a mission, if you remember—or maybe you don’t. Different from the one when you left for Nibelheim. With our Firsts out on a mission on the other side of the Planet, it seems the top brass has decided to have the rest of us—meaning us, Second-Class—take the lead on the remaining jobs. So I’ve been away, again. Far away from your lovely girl. So you have nothing to worry about.”

Another blink. Right.

“How’s the job anyway?”

A short pause, and maybe it was the easy-going tone of his voice that made Zack's tongue loosen up and tell Kunsel about the current state of his investigation, the current state of Sephiroth, the current state of his restlessness. Then at the end of it, Kunsel chuckled.

“Even in the middle of a mission, you still got time to worry about your girl.” Zack heard a scoff, soft and amused. “She’s fine. Aren’t the Turks watching her?”

“They are…” But even knowing that, there was a disquiet in his heart that he couldn’t quite figure where it was coming from.

“Well, if it’s any help at all, I promised to check up on her, didn’t I? Once I get back from my assignment, I’ll see how she is. Does that ease you?”

It did, even if only a little.

“So just focus on your assignment right now and make sure you get your ass back in Midgar. Quick.” Then he added, “You know I have a whole folder of you sneezing out snot, right?”

“Kuns—!”

The line was cut. The last thing Zack heard was his friend's laughter. It still echoed even when Zack had put his PHS down and stared at the screen, when he laid back on the sunny grass and covered his eyes with an arm. Maybe it was a bad idea to have Kunsel check on Aerith. Who knew what the guy would show her? All the embarrassing details of Zack's life! But Kunsel was the only person Zack could trust in SOLDIER right now…

Zack let out another quiet exhale. He lifted his arm. The clouds drifting past looked uncannily like the girl with the brightest smile.

***

He called a little after dusk. Zack was alone in his room; Sephiroth was still not back; Cloud and the other grunt stood watch somewhere. A few moments passed with only the dial tone filling his ears. And then:

“Hello?”

The smile came unbidden. Like a dam about to burst, his lips wavered at the intensity of the emotions overcoming him—overwhelming him.

“Aerith?”

“Zack?” Her surprise was almost palpable. He could imagine her wide-eyed stare as she stood beneath the warm lights of her home. “This is a surprise. You're not busy?”

“Aw, don’t you miss me?”

She giggled, and it was the most beautiful sound in the entire world. “Silly.”

They talked about everything and anything: what she was doing, how her days had been. "Same old, same old," she said. Tending to her flowers, running errands around the slum, then just as she’d headed for the church, the Leaf House kids had crowded around her and asked where Zack was.

Zack chuckled. “And what’d you tell them?”

“That Zack is on a very important job right now, but he’ll be back very soon and give everyone presents.” Her laugh made him smile, and he imagined her sitting next to the pots and vases, swaying her feet and twirling her hair. He closed his eyes, committing it to memory.

“Hey, Aerith.”

“Yeah?”

When he made that promise to visit, Zack had thought they would finish their mission soon and he'd be back by Aerith's side before she knew it. But it had been a week since then, and he was still stuck in a small mountain town with nothing to do but look for missing persons who refused to be found and wait on a stubborn comrade who refused to leave.

“Think I’d have to take a rain check on that promise. I don’t think I can come back soon.”

“Oh.” She paused. “Okay.” Then, because maybe she’d noticed the hesitancy in his voice: “Is there something wrong?”

“No, no, nothing wrong.” He was quick to answer, quick to ease her worry, even as his mind went to the mansion sitting on the town's outskirts, where Sephiroth was still perusing the many thick volumes stored in the basement. The last time Zack had checked on him, he'd been unaware of Zack’s presence. It’d been like talking to a statue, if statues could walk and talk. Ceaseless mutterings; unending strides; then at times, Sephiroth would stop and look up, and Zack would sigh and thought, finally! Because the meal the townspeople had prepared still lay untouched on the table, and all of Zack’s attempts to tell him to rest had flown over his head. But like a man possessed, Sephiroth had only walked past without truly seeing him, then discarded the book in favor of another.

“Zack?”

Zack blinked, then said again, “Nothing’s wrong.” It was less convincing. “Anyway,” he went on, brightening his voice. “Did you really tell the kids I’d bring them presents?”

“Of course,” she said, her voice too chirpy, as though she’d noticed his unease and opted to play along with his act. “Well, you have to give them something , after all their efforts to learn your combat moves. They’re really taking this Protection Squad business seriously, you know.” She giggled, and he chuckled too.

The kids had been hounding him every time he took the trip beneath the plate. What was supposed to be a quality time with Aerith always ended up as sword-fighting lessons with a bunch of children. Not that he minded them. The more time Zack spent with them, the more endearing they all seemed to him.

“Then I’d better get them something really good.” He wondered if the store next door sold souvenirs. He could ask Cloud for advice. Or Tifa. “But don’t tell them yet. It’ll be a surprise.”

He could feel her smile as she said, “Sure thing.” In the distance, he heard Elmyra’s call. Aerith had to hang up. “Do you think we can talk again tomorrow?”

“Of course. I’ll call you. Or you can call me too, if you want.”

“Really? Then maybe I’ll do that.”

Zack’s lips parted into the slightest grin. “I’ll be here.” Another promise. Her goodbye was the last thing he heard before Aerith ended the call.

~ END ~

[emeraldwaves]

Title: Last First Kiss Rating: T Word Count:  1,386 Read on AO3 Summary:   Zack's been thinking about them all week.

Okay. Maybe he's been thinking about them for more than a week. Actually, he's probably been thinking about them since he met her.

Aerith's lips.

Full fic under the the cut!!  @youaremynewdream read this ahead of time and it’s based on the prompt  "things you said after you kissed me“ so have some fluff XD

Zack's been thinking about them all week. Okay. Maybe he's been thinking about them for more than a week. Actually, he's probably been thinking about them since he met her.

Aerith's lips.

Damn she's beautiful. A flower goddess trapped in the slums.

When he closes his eyes he can imagine her perfectly. Her striking green eyes glisten in the streaks of sunlight pouring in through the cracks on the roof of the church. Her white and blue dress shimmers in the same light as it fits snugly around her hips, but flows out around her thin legs. Her long brown hair caresses her lower back as she swings her head around to smile at him, the shine of the pink ribbon he bought her catching his eye.

Her smile... her lips.

The image is so clear in Zack's mind.

He wonders what they feel like, or what she tastes like. (Probably some sort of flower.) Has she ever been kissed before? She's so lovely... there's no way some other lucky guy hasn't snatched away her first kiss.

Admittedly, he feels a little gross, thinking about it so often; thinking about her so often, but he's completely smitten.

"What!?" Kunsel yells, after Zack has rambled on for what feels like forever. "You haven't kissed your girlfriend yet?"

"Shh!" he says, moving his hand in front of Kunsel's face. "Not so loud man!"

"I dunno," Kunsel says, folding his arms over his chest. "I'm really starting to question if this Aerith girl is real."

"What!?" It's Zack's turn to yell, and he immediately lowers his voice. "'Course she's real!" he scoffs.

"Okay, okay. But why haven't you kissed her?! I have a hard time believing the great Zack Fair is nervous."

"Heh," Zack smirks. "I'm not nervous!" He's quick to speak, not wanting Kunsel to think he is actually nervous. Zack Fair is not nervous to kiss a girl! That would be ridiculous! Okay... maybe he is a little nervous.

He bites his lip and runs his fingers through his hair. "Look... I just... I want it be special! I mean it took me forever to even know if we were actually dating, and now that I know... I dunno! She's really beautiful, y'know? And who knows if she's kissed anybody before! Maybe she doesn't want me to be her first kiss!" Zack rambles on, the words tumbling out of his mouth. He's been thinking about it for so long now, to actually say everything out loud feels liberating.

"Woah, woah, Calm down buddy!" Kunsel urges, holding his hands up. "If you guys are actually dating, I'm sure she wants you to kiss her. But I dunno... you have more experience with girls than I do," he says sheepishly.

"Yeah," Zack mutters. Something about Aerith makes him feel like he's never done anything, like he's an awkward teenager again, trying to figure out how to kiss.

"Go with your gut!" Kunsel says. "Or if you're really nervous, ask her if you can kiss her!"

"Yeah," Zack repeats, pushing himself up from the table. "Maybe I'll just ask."

In theory, asking seems like a good idea. It would be easy to walk up to her and say 'Hey Aerith, can I kiss ya'?' And yet, the closer he gets to the church, the more his heart pounds in his chest, his breath constricting.

"Zack Fair... she's just a girl! A really beautiful girl. You've talked to beautiful girls before, you can do it again!" he snorts, giving himself a pep talk as he stands outside of the church. He swoops his hands down, doing a few squats to pump himself up.

"Zack?"

Immediately, he freezes. Slowly standing up straight, he turns around at the sound of her voice.

She stands behind him, basket draped over her arm, a smile pulled across her face. "What are you doing out here? Did... you come to see me?"

"Of course I-I came to see you Aerith!" he blushes, praying to whatever god this church is dedicated to that she didn't hear him.

"You know, I don't own the church. Even if I'm not there you can still go inside," she giggles. Stepping forward, she leans up towards him, her emerald eyes meeting his own. She is so close, and he desperately tries to focus on her eyes, but his gaze keeps flicking down to her lips.

She pulls back, walking past him and up the stairs. Zack immediately begins to follow after her. "It would be a nice surprise to show up and have you waiting for me one day!"

"I'll keep that in mind," he chuckles, his boots echoing against the wood floor of the church.

As always, the flowers bloom at the back, covered by a pool of light. Aerith walks towards them, wasting no time as she places the basket down on the ground. "You seem nervous today. Did... something happen?" she asks, standing up to look at him.

He rubs the back of his neck as he moves next to her at the edge of the flower bed. "Nah, nothing happened."

"Okay," she says skeptically, raising her eyebrow for a minutes. She probably knows he's lying. Zack has never been the most discreet person.

Clicking his tongue, he sucks in a large breath of air, puffing up his chest, before he lets everything go in a large huff. "Okay. I guess... I wanted to ask... if you'd ever been kissed..."

She smiles wide, and holy hell asking the question was worth it just to see that look on her face.

"Oh? Wouldn't you like to know!" She winks and turns away from him. She's doing it on purpose... he can hear the playfulness in her tone.

"Kinda!" Zack laughs. "A guy's gotta know what he's up against!"

"Does it really matter?" Peering over her shoulder, she winks. "If you want to kiss me you can. And if it's my first, you can be my first."

"Okay, but..." He steps forward and wraps his arms around her, resting his head on her shoulder. "I want it to be... special," he says softly. "You're... special... to me." It comes out more awkward than he plans, but he means every word.

She turns around in his arms, and gently brushes her fingers through his dark hair. "Is this... not special enough for you? This is where we met. The flowers are here... and I'm here..."

"No, no, it's perfect, you're perfect," he insists.

His large hands come up to cup at her cheeks, and he pulls her closer to him. Resting his forehead against her own, he tries to remember to breathe as her hands slide up his chest and slowly drape over his shoulders.

"Can I?" he whispers.

"Please..." she pleads softly. It's a gentle need, one that stirs in Zack's stomach.

He brushes their noses together, taking in her beautiful floral scent before closing his eyes and pressing his lips against her own.

They're just as perfect as he imagined, softer even. He gently applies pressure, cradling her jaw in his hands. He pulls air in through his nose, savoring every moment, wishing the world would slow down for them forever.

Reluctantly, he pulls his lips off of her. "Wow," he breathes, his hot breath trickling over her, and he watches her eyes flutter open.

"As... good as you hoped?" she asks.

"Better," he says. He knows he can't tell her, not yet, but damn if he's not falling for her completely. More than anything he wants to be wrapped up in everything so inherently her. He wants to hold her, kiss her, love her... for as long as she lets him.

"Mmm, really? It was my first kiss after all," she admits, a coy smile pulling across her lips.

He won't say it, but he hopes to hell he will be the only one to ever kiss her.

He chuckles and rolls his forehead against hers. "You're amazing," he snorts. "Well, I hope it was a good one."

"Mhm!" she nods, rubbing her nose against his again. "You could... do it again, if you want," she says shyly, her cheeks flushed the most perfect shade of red.

"Good," he whispers, and pulls their lips together again.

He'll be kissing her again and again, until he no longer can.

[churchflower-blog]

How poetic.

@kunselxknows​ 

The doors opened so suddenly that it startled Aerith, the woman turning to see her SOLDIER rushing forward with a sort of urgency that was unlike the second. He grabbed Aerith by the arm within a second of being in the doors.

“Come on we have to go.” something was off about his voice and the moment he got close enough for she could practically feel the anxiety radiating off him. Aerith put a hand over his that almost too forcefully took her arm. She had texted him only a second ago to come down, but it wasn’t anything worth being alarmed about. She was so confused to why the sense of dread was washing over her.

“That...was fast.” Aerith finally managed, “That’s exactly what I wanted to talk about… what are you talking about?” she asked after a long second, realizing that Kunsel was here for a whole other reason. The blonde was coming back for her any second now and the thought of this adventure… if Cloud really was an ex-SOLDIER maybe he could convince Kunsel to come with them. She wanted Kunsel to come with her… but she wouldn’t make him.

“They’re coming to get you...and I can’t…” he breathed, still panicked. Aerith shushed him, reaching up to hold what face wasn’t guarded by the helmet. He seemed out of breath, like he ran the whole way from the ShinRa complex to the slum’s only church. Aerith’s confusion escalated.

“Coming to get me…? Kunsel what are you talking about?” she held his face still as the agitation seemed to get stronger, his hands came over hers as he tried his best to settle his rapidly beating heart. Not her, not her too.

“I’ll explain,  but please… just get your stuff we need to go.” he gestured to the few belongings that she had already gathered for her trip with Cloud and she felt the pause in him when he finally noticed. “Aerith…?”

“I was going to explain…” she offered as well, but moved away from him toward her things. “I’ll explain too, on the way… okay?” she picked up the staff, reaching out to take his hand as she moved toward the entrance of the church. The open doors left very little place to hide the suited figures walking up the steps slowly. Kunsel immediately put himself in front of Aerith, standing his ground in front of the senior Turk. Tseng didn’t seem threatened nor wavered by the second’s presence.

“Tseng…?” Aerith’s confusion cut through the stern silence that settled between the two men. Tseng didn’t address her, merely stared down the SOLDIER that blocked him from his goal.

“Step aside, soldier.” Tseng offered with a wave of his hand, dismissing the other. Kunsel didn’t move, arm determined to keep Aerith behind him and out of reach.

“No.” the soldier shot back, “He’s going to take you back to ShinRa, Aerith. The professor wants his prize now.” he snapped, feeling that Aerith had spoke so fondly of the Turks that now to have them betray her trust was worse than anything else. Aerith looked at Kunsel, stepping out slightly from his guard.

“Is that true…?” she whispered, looking to her guardian with disbelief, “I...I don’t want to go to ShinRa.”

“It’s not your choice.” Tseng responded sternly, emotion devoid of his voice. He looked back to Kunsel, “But I suggest you tell him to back down, no one needs to get hurt, Aeirth.” he played to her emotion, trying to keep this from being any more traumatic than it needed to be. He gestured to Kunsel, “Aerith.” he demanded silently.

“You’re not taking her.” he didn’t come armed like he should have. But he’d fight hell itself before he let them take Aerith. He didn’t know much about Hojo, but what he did know scared him a little. He wasn’t letting that guy anywhere near the flower girl. Aerith moved forward to speak,

“I’m not going.” She stood her ground, looking at Kunsel, “I’m not going anywhere with ShinRa… ever!” she stomped a foot, showing she was serious though Tseng looked less than impressed with her display.

“Suit yourself.”

In the span of a few seconds, everything came falling apart. Tseng drew faster than the SOLDIER could move, despite the combat training. Caught off guard because honestly, he didn’t think the Turk would do it in front of the young woman. Tseng knew better than to fire anything less than his entire clip into the SOLDIER’s chest. Taking deadly aim, well trained, to maximize damage. If there was one thing they were trained to do, it was put down dogs.

“Kunsel!” Aerith’s scream echoed throughout the church and she was by his side in a heartbeat, the same thing Kunsel had so little of. “Kunsel, oh no, no Kunsel!” frantically she tried to remember how to heal. How real this was compared to all the time she practiced. How frail hands pressed into blood and tried to pull some semblance of peace out of it. Her healing wasn’t strong enough to fix this, she knew that. She did, somewhere deep in her soul, know that this was pointless but she was still trying. “Don’t -- tell me about….about beaches and...and where you’re going to take me...next okay?” she could feel the pull of the planet, how it reached for the choking SOLDIER. How Tseng reached for her in the same way, pulling her from the other as he bled. Frantically flailing against the stronger Turk as he tried to pull blood soaked hands from the victim. Weak grasp tried to grab his hand, but lubricated fingers slipped from them as Tseng wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her backwards. All intent on leaving the SOLDIER to bleed out, how poetic. With the ease of Aerith’s healing gone the overwhelming cold started to creep in, watching Aerith get pulled from his sight the only thing left echoing throughout the slums were her screams.

                          “Kunsel! Kunsel!”