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“Wanna get out of here?” Those were the last words Cloud expected Aerith to whisper in his ear, in the middle of their wedding reception. He supposed it was his fault for not remembering to always expect the unexpected when it came to Aerith.
“You wanna ditch our own wedding?” Cloud would have gone anywhere with Aerith but he quite liked where they were now, swaying in each other’s embrace on the makeshift dance floor they’d fashioned out of Sector 5 church’s newborn square.
“Just for a teensy bit. I wanna spend some time with you. Just you.” As usual, Aerith knew exactly what to say to have him wrapped around her finger. Cloud didn’t mind it all that much anymore. After today, he had something of hers wrapped around his finger too.
“Guess I can’t refuse my wife’s first request of me.”
Aerith kissed him on the cheek. Perhaps for playing along with her shenanigans or maybe because that was the first time he’d ever called her his wife. His wife. With intertwined fingers, Aerith clandestinely pulled him back into the church where they’d vowed to be together evermore.
Just as the exterior of the church had been cleared of debris, the interior had been restored. Cloud had expected the renovations to fall entirely on him and his former companions but the denizens of the slums had taken on more than a fair share of the work. His new neighbors had claimed the repairs benefited all of Sector 5, therefore, they’d all ought to do their part. Cloud supposed they weren’t wrong but he suspected the real reason had to do with an abundant amount of affection for a certain, exuberant florist. None had dared disturb the patch of flowers where he and Aerith had shared their second reunion and their first kiss as husband and wife.
The flowers weren’t the only living creatures that greeted the newlyweds. There was a collection of children frolicking between the pews and the candlelights, all of whom quickly came clamoring over to Aerith. Most of the girls were cooing over her wedding gown, a few of the boys were glaring at Cloud. Shortly after the ceremony, Marlene had giggled as she disclosed to Cloud that some of the younger male guests had apparently been convinced they’d be the ones to marry Aerith when they grew up. An understandable dream, but a doomed one. For them. There was one boy who presented a wide smile at Cloud before giving his full attention back to Aerith, gazing up at her like a puppy. Denzel. An orphan Aerith had led to the Leaf House by the hand after she’d found him taking refuge in her church and he’d been trailing close behind her skirt ever since.
“Wanna play a game with us?” Denzel asked. “We made the rules super easy!”
“I’d love to,” Aerith said, “But it’ll have to be another day. Cloud and I are already playing our own game right now.”
“What kind of game?” Marlene inquired, the bouquet she’d caught earlier nestled in her arms. She likely wouldn’t have secured the bundle of blossoms if it hadn’t been for Barret hoisting her up on his shoulders. No one had complained about the assist though. Besides Yuffie.
“It’s a special game for newlyweds. But you can help us out by keeping it a secret. If someone asks, you never saw us. Can I count on you all?” The kids promised not to say a word and returned to amusing themselves. The newlyweds continued to the backroom, upstairs to the attic, and finally to the rafters.
“What’re you up to?” Cloud asked, dubiously.
“If you can’t guess, you’ll have to wait and see.” Still holding his hand, Aerith took a step forward onto one of the wooden beams.
Cloud hastily pulled her back toward him and solid ground. “Are you insane? I’d rather not become a widower on my wedding day.” Nor could he handle having to live another lifetime without her. No. Not this time.
“Such a worrywart. We moseyed through here on our very first adventure together and I was totally fine.”
“You’re in a wedding gown. And heels.”
Wordlessly, Aerith grasped his shoulder and leaned against him, reaching behind and underneath her. She was undoing her shoes. When they were off, she dangled them on her fingertips cheekily. “Satisfied?”
He wasn’t but he didn’t want to force her to turn back. Cloud wanted to take Aerith wherever she wished to go. He gripped her hand tightly as they slowly made their way down the same path they once had long ago. Though their former destination had been walled up during repairs… “Is that a trapdoor?”
Aerith beamed. “I told them not to tell you. I wanted it to be a surprise.”
“Consider me surprised.” Cloud climbed through first, then helped his bride up and, at her unyielding insistence, across the turquoise shingles.
“Need a spot with a view!” At the peak of the church’s roof, Aerith eased herself onto the tiles, the satin and lace layers of her gown bunching around her. There was something familiar about the spot, something that went further back than the day they'd strolled across rooftops. Something tinged with loud, precious laughter. Something special and rare.
“I pity your dress,” Cloud remarked as he plopped down next to her.
“Good thing I only need it this once.” Aerith snuggled up to him, head on his shoulder. “Kidding. Mom can get any stain out. I’m keeping this dress forever. You should’ve seen your face when I walked down the aisle.”
Her gauzy veil, embroidered with flowers, tickled his cheek as Cloud rested his head on top of hers. “Should’ve seen yourself,” Cloud replied. The view from up here didn’t have anything on Aerith but Cloud understood why she’d lured him up here. Although their wedding had only claimed the church and its surrounding square as its venue, it was hard to pinpoint where the celebration ended and the rest of the slums began. Colored lights were threaded between buildings as far as the eye could see and underneath them, people gathered and frolicked like today was nearly as special for them as it was for the newlyweds.
“If you keep talking like that, I’ll start thinking you must really like me.” There was a time Cloud would’ve rolled his eyes or scoffed and Aerith would’ve giggled at his attempts to hide his bashfulness. There probably would still be times like that but tonight wasn’t one of them.
“Cat’s out of the bag. I’m crazy about you.” Cloud had expected Aerith to tease him or make one of those cute noises she emitted when she was pleased but now she was oddly silent. “...What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Aerith said softly. “Nothing at all. Everything feels so close to perfect that I can’t believe it’s all real.”
Cloud reached for her hand, interlacing their fingers together. “It is real.” He raised their entwined hands to his mouth, pressing a kiss onto her knuckles, lips grazing the smooth, rose gold of her ring. “Realer than anything else.”
Down below, their wedding continued without its leading pair. Tifa was behind the bar, serving up shimmering pink cocktails and pouring out sapphire-hued shots. The couple had been reluctant to let Tifa work the reception but she had insisted that their wedding deserved the best bartender in Midgar. Cid and Rude were keeping her company, slinging back all her concoctions without any sign of switching to water anytime soon. A sharp contrast from Reno, who was surrounded by not nearly enough empty glasses to justify being slumped over in his stool. Next to the redhead sat Reeve. There was a drink in his hands but he seemed more interested in watching his furry alter ego and the newlyweds’ officiant shimmy over the cobblestones than keeping up with his less than sober companions. It was easy to forget that Cait Sith was technically a toy, given all the merriment and joy that surged from the plush animatronic.
The leader of the Turks had positioned himself at one of the scattered reception tables, next to Vincent. Neither Tseng nor Vincent had dived into the festivities, preferring to observe from the sidelines. Although Cloud was viewing everyone from a distance, the dark-haired men seemed a little further away than the rest. But they didn’t seem lonely either.
Barret had coaxed Elmyra out of her chair and onto the floor, swinging her through a series of lively steps and skillful twirls. The two were beaming, the glow from the streetlamps swathed in fairy lights and the freed stars above illuminating their faces, sharing a sort of joy that could only be understood by parents with happy children. Not too far away from them were Yuffie and Nanaki, potentially the most chaotic duo to ever disgrace a dance floor. With the ninja’s support, Nanaki was hoisted onto his hind legs as the pair pranced about. The youths occasionally lost their precarious balance and took a spill onto the stones but every fall was followed by howling laughter and a prompt launch back into their tumultuous tango.
“I get how you feel though,” Cloud continued. “I used to dream about this. Being the sort of person who could pull a crowd like this. The kind that people would celebrate. And it’s nice seeing that dream come true but…” He shifted to face Aerith, wanting to see her eyes when he confided in her. “It’s not a dream I need anymore. Not when I’ve got you.”
Those eyes Cloud loved were shiny as Aerith smiled and gave a little half-chuckle, half-sniffle. “You’re gonna make me cry and then I’ll have to tell people it rained on my wedding day.”
Cloud reached over to stroke her cheek, fingers ready to dry any tears that fell. “That’s okay. I don’t mind the rain.”
Aerith covered his hand with her own, coaxing his skin even nearer to hers. “I never thought I’d have all this. A happily ever after. A place I completely felt a part of, filled with people who accept every single part of me. A future…with you.” Aerith shut her eyes and when she opened them, they were set on the scintillating sky, no longer restrained and limited by the steel plate that had held it. “This sky… it really used to scare me. But things are different now.” Her eyes returned to Cloud’s, all green and brilliant and beautiful. “All that infiniteness, all that unknown, all this freedom… It doesn’t feel terrifying or overwhelming anymore. It feels like finally having a chance.”
“We got it, Aerith,” Cloud whispered, like it was a secret between them, a secret he didn’t want the stars nor the roof tiles to overhear. “We got our chance.”
His wife snuggled closer, pressing her forehead against his. “Yeah. We did.” A few moments of warm, satiated silence blanketed them, accented by sounds of the people they cherished reveling in the future they’d all been yearning for, in this life and all the ones before.
“If it ever starts to feel scary again,” Cloud began gently, “Or something else takes its place, I’ll always be right here. I’ll always protect you.”
Aerith grinned. “As my bodyguard or as my husband?”
Cloud’s heart thrummed. It’d take some time to get used to his new title. He didn’t mind that much either. Getting used to life with Aerith was half the fun. “Both. I’ll always be both.” He kissed her mouth then, and felt her smile against his. “I’m never letting you go, Aerith.”
Eventually, they’d make their way down and back to the celebration. They’d join their friends and family, dance and laugh and stay up till the sun ushered tomorrow out from the horizon.
But for just a little longer, the newlyweds sat together on that rooftop, surrounded by a world as brightly lit from the ever-changing earth as it was from the never-ending sky.