And it takes him back to those years in Shinra when he'd been...by himself, essentially. Unable to talk about anything because talking mean painting a target on his back. The Turks were watching him all the time, waiting for a sign that, yes, he too was compromised.
But whenever he was with her, that suffocating pressure would go away.
He feels the same thing right now, and he doesn't even quite notice when he smiles back a little in return. She's always had this effect on him, and he's...grateful. That they actually have this time now.
"Uhh, hi." He rubs the back of his neck and walks on in. "I'm...real sorry I was out so long."
Aerith shook her head, shutting the door after him. The Narrenschiff, her injury and recovery, trying to be strong and wait...
None of that mattered. He was here. He was here, and he was alive, breathing, and smiling.
The smile that always said I'm home.
"Silly. It's not like you decided. That was out of your hands."
She reached for him then. A simple touch- on the arm, or the back. Just something to feel him. Know he wasn't just some dream of hers, fading into no more then leaves, wind or worse- the little motes of the Lifestream, showing how truly gone he was.
"Besides, a Barge coma or not, so long as you're back, it doesn't matter. Welcome back Zack."
Her smile warmed just a little bit more. "Welcome home."
He's always had a problem with taking responsibility for things - even if they weren't his doing. Maybe it's because he got so used to other people shoving their mess onto him and having to make the best of it.
Either way - he tries to set all of that aside and just...be.
He looks at her for a moment, thinks about those light touches and all that they mean...and he doesn't hesitate. Her sweeps her up into a hug so they can both know what's true - that they're both here, and neither of them are dreaming.
He smiles into her hair, gives her a gentle squeeze, and... "Yeah," he says. "It's good to be back."
Zack always had a lot on his shoulders.And Aerith always wanted to support him, for everything. He deserved to be loved, cherished, and supported, because Zack was Zack.
She relaxed and closed her eyes as she felt his chest against hers. There he was—his heart beating, his breath warm as a home after being in the cold all day.
She smiled and squeezed him back. Now she could breathe again.
"Yeah. It really is."
She needed to tell him about...things, but all of that faded away, for this utterly sweet moment to savor. Just him, and her.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
And it takes him back to those years in Shinra when he'd been...by himself, essentially. Unable to talk about anything because talking mean painting a target on his back. The Turks were watching him all the time, waiting for a sign that, yes, he too was compromised.
But whenever he was with her, that suffocating pressure would go away.
He feels the same thing right now, and he doesn't even quite notice when he smiles back a little in return. She's always had this effect on him, and he's...grateful. That they actually have this time now.
"Uhh, hi." He rubs the back of his neck and walks on in. "I'm...real sorry I was out so long."
no subject
None of that mattered. He was here. He was here, and he was alive, breathing, and smiling.
The smile that always said I'm home.
"Silly. It's not like you decided. That was out of your hands."
She reached for him then. A simple touch- on the arm, or the back. Just something to feel him. Know he wasn't just some dream of hers, fading into no more then leaves, wind or worse- the little motes of the Lifestream, showing how truly gone he was.
"Besides, a Barge coma or not, so long as you're back, it doesn't matter. Welcome back Zack."
Her smile warmed just a little bit more. "Welcome home."
no subject
Either way - he tries to set all of that aside and just...be.
He looks at her for a moment, thinks about those light touches and all that they mean...and he doesn't hesitate. Her sweeps her up into a hug so they can both know what's true - that they're both here, and neither of them are dreaming.
He smiles into her hair, gives her a gentle squeeze, and... "Yeah," he says. "It's good to be back."
no subject
She relaxed and closed her eyes as she felt his chest against hers. There he was—his heart beating, his breath warm as a home after being in the cold all day.
She smiled and squeezed him back. Now she could breathe again.
"Yeah. It really is."
She needed to tell him about...things, but all of that faded away, for this utterly sweet moment to savor. Just him, and her.