Hmm... nope! [ Bad as his set up is, she thinks he'll be fine. Aerith grins up at him, looking not at all concerned. ]
Anything, huh? You know, I do still owe you a date. Could let you cash it in...
[ But she dips her hand into one of the pockets of her red jacket to pluck a pink ribbon out. It's speckled with blood, and has a tear in it, but that doesn't bother her. It's the same one from the night the rain started: There's been no time or mental capacity for figuring out when to wash it. It'll have to do. She moves closer, attempting to tie it around his bicep. ]
How about this? See, I could end up coming with you, after all.
A date? In this weather? Might need to take a rain check. [ Which... isn't a no. But he is perhaps used enough to Aerith's banter that he can play with it. ]
[ Although he stops as she takes out the ribbon. He's confused for a minute, but then she ties it around his bicep. There's a... sudden mix of weird emotions at play, there. Emotions he's definitely not used to. Subconsciously, he moves a hand over it, a distant - but not cold - look in his eyes as he tries to figure out what to say. ]
Guess I'll... have to make sure to keep you safe while you're out there with me, huh?
[ If he notices her biting her lip and looking away for a moment... well, it can be a secret for them to share. ]
You will. [ She's smiling, even as she pulls her hand away. Their fingers nearly touch as she does; careful consideration crosses her mind to let it happen. ] Bodyguard duties never end.
[ Much more sincerely, she hopes it'll be a bright spot whenever he sees it. It helps to keep the darkness at bay— and that's important. ] There, not just the SOLDIER armor keeping you safe now. Feel better?
[ There's something that pulls on his heart. Some sort of... flicker at the edge of his memory. Is it a memory? He shakes it off - it's only there for a moment. And Aerith's small little smile and bite of her lip forces a smile from him, as he looks away. ]
Loads. [ It's said with his usual disaffected deadpan voice, but Aerith can tell there's not a hint of bite to it - which might speak to how sincere he actually is. ] With this? I don't think they can touch me.
[ He really is easy to read. Cloud's tone might be disaffected, monotone as possible, but she knows fondness where she sees it. ] Is that fondness, Cloud?
[ For her? Scandalous... As much as she teases, she hopes it hides how sincerely she likes to hear that. ] Whenever you feel like they might get too close... that ribbon will be there. Just remember me, and everyone else who's counting on you. We've all got your back.
Nope. [ He said, lying brazenly and ineffectively. ] Must have imagined it. [ This is definitely not a successful lie, and they both know it. ]
[ They - the manifestations... really, there is a part of him scared - there is certainly some parts of him on display here that aren't going to be... easy to handle. But with her ribbon. Well. Maybe he can keep himself tethered to the here and now. And, besides... ]
I don't plan to leave you to deal with a mess like this on your own. So don't worry - I won't forget.
[ There's a moment of awkwardness as he pulls his hand away from the ribbon, it hangs in the air a moment, like he's almost unsure what he should do with it. ]
Great! We're on the same page, then. [ As if she'd ever let you do something crazy like let her live in a nightmare hell world. ]
I'll be here. Just call if anything goes belly up, okay? In the mean time, I'll make a round at the clinic to make sure everyone is doing okay. [ Pausing, however, she lingers a moment longer. ]
If anything goes wrong, you'll be the first to know. [ He of course can't guarantee he'll be able to communicate, once they're inside. But if he can get a hold of Aerith, he will. ]
[ He's lost in his thoughts for a moment, contemplating what's going to happen later this evening when she speaks up, his eyes coming back into focus and looking at her. ]
[ She could bring up a number of things. Any number of them— Zack crosses her mind, but so does Tifa, and her mother, and Sector 7, and... ]
Kick some ass.
[ They'll talk about it another time. When he gets back, or maybe never at all. She grins, looking no worse for wear than usual. It's hard to explain, but he makes her feel like herself— something she finds all the more important after all her encounters with the Specters. ]
[ And Aerith in turn makes him feel a little more grounded, a little less likely to get lost in his own thoughts - muddled as they are. Gives him something to shoot for, other than 'ex-SOLDIER, 1st Class'. ]
Never a doubt I would.
[ He gives a small smile. A confident nod. Anything she wants to say, she can say to him when he gets back. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Anything, huh? You know, I do still owe you a date. Could let you cash it in...
[ But she dips her hand into one of the pockets of her red jacket to pluck a pink ribbon out. It's speckled with blood, and has a tear in it, but that doesn't bother her. It's the same one from the night the rain started: There's been no time or mental capacity for figuring out when to wash it. It'll have to do. She moves closer, attempting to tie it around his bicep. ]
How about this? See, I could end up coming with you, after all.
no subject
[ Although he stops as she takes out the ribbon. He's confused for a minute, but then she ties it around his bicep. There's a... sudden mix of weird emotions at play, there. Emotions he's definitely not used to. Subconsciously, he moves a hand over it, a distant - but not cold - look in his eyes as he tries to figure out what to say. ]
Guess I'll... have to make sure to keep you safe while you're out there with me, huh?
[ As far as lines go, it's far from his worst. ]
no subject
You will. [ She's smiling, even as she pulls her hand away. Their fingers nearly touch as she does; careful consideration crosses her mind to let it happen. ] Bodyguard duties never end.
[ Much more sincerely, she hopes it'll be a bright spot whenever he sees it. It helps to keep the darkness at bay— and that's important. ] There, not just the SOLDIER armor keeping you safe now. Feel better?
no subject
Loads. [ It's said with his usual disaffected deadpan voice, but Aerith can tell there's not a hint of bite to it - which might speak to how sincere he actually is. ] With this? I don't think they can touch me.
no subject
[ For her? Scandalous... As much as she teases, she hopes it hides how sincerely she likes to hear that. ] Whenever you feel like they might get too close... that ribbon will be there. Just remember me, and everyone else who's counting on you. We've all got your back.
no subject
[ They - the manifestations... really, there is a part of him scared - there is certainly some parts of him on display here that aren't going to be... easy to handle. But with her ribbon. Well. Maybe he can keep himself tethered to the here and now. And, besides... ]
I don't plan to leave you to deal with a mess like this on your own. So don't worry - I won't forget.
[ There's a moment of awkwardness as he pulls his hand away from the ribbon, it hangs in the air a moment, like he's almost unsure what he should do with it. ]
no subject
I'll be here. Just call if anything goes belly up, okay? In the mean time, I'll make a round at the clinic to make sure everyone is doing okay. [ Pausing, however, she lingers a moment longer. ]
Cloud?
no subject
[ He's lost in his thoughts for a moment, contemplating what's going to happen later this evening when she speaks up, his eyes coming back into focus and looking at her. ]
Yeah, Aerith?
no subject
Kick some ass.
[ They'll talk about it another time. When he gets back, or maybe never at all. She grins, looking no worse for wear than usual. It's hard to explain, but he makes her feel like herself— something she finds all the more important after all her encounters with the Specters. ]
no subject
Never a doubt I would.
[ He gives a small smile. A confident nod. Anything she wants to say, she can say to him when he gets back. ]