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sanctum_cWell, this is still... mostly SFW (depending on your view), but otherwise a bit more setup for the relationship as its going to start playing out. The next chapter may be the one I crawl under something after posting, but for now some amended first chapter, and some additional moments of Wall Market...
Chapter 1: Elmyra's House
He couldn't forget the words she'd spoken as they'd stood on the landing. She'd stood with her hands clasped behind her back, a slightly mischievous smile on her face as she told him they would be going through Sector Six to get to Sector Seven the next morning. Cloud had nodded, turning to head to his room when she spoke again and took at step towards him. The sight of her was simply intoxicating, and he'd been trying so hard to maintain his mercenary stance while with her, attempting to avoid his gaze winding up on the neckline of her dress where it dipped to expose the swell of her breasts or on her legs as the pink dress wafted as she walked. It had looked so conservative when she was still but with movement it became hard to ignore that the buttons were undone up to mid-thigh. It was harder still to ignore the exposed skin when she moved. He'd tried to only look at her eyes, but even that felt dangerous, emerald-green irises arresting his attention with ease.
Suddenly she was in his personal space, her face so close to his. Almost unconsciously his gaze dropped to her chest seeing it dizzyingly close, the delicious sight of her chest irresistible and he felt his body begin responding to the visual stimuli. Aeris leaned into him, and for a heart-stopping minute Cloud thought she was going to kiss him. She didn't, instead moving her head to the side of his, the movement causing an odd mixture of relief and disappointment to course through him.
"A shame," she said just barely about a whisper, "That mom is in this evening. Otherwise we could have have some fun together. If you'd like... Cloud." Her warm breath tickled his ear, his blood pulsed and he hardened as his mind scrambled to parse the words and discern whether she was implying what his snap interpretation indicated.
He turned to look at her and her eyes slid to meet his, her smile quirking a little more. "Maybe if you slept in a bit in the morning, after mom goes to work... Well, then we could see about relaxing a bit before we walk across two sectors to get you back to your friends."
Cloud was uncomfortably aware of his arousal at her words, hoping dearly that she wouldn't notice through his uniform. What should he say? What could he say in this situation? Did she mean it or was she just teasing? How had he reacted last time an offer like this had been made? It seemed so long ago. His mouth went dry, and he looked away trying to gather his thoughts as she stepped back. Did her eyes dip just then? Had she glanced towards his belt just as he nervously looked at her? If she did notice his arousal she made no comment and instead turned to walk back downstairs before pausing.
"Sector Six is dangerous. You'd better get some rest tonight."
He nodded awkwardly as she smiled over her shoulder and bade him goodnight. He watched as she descended the stairs, then glanced nervously downwards to see if he had given himself away. Was it too obvious? He sighed before entering the room and pushing the door closed behind him. He sat heavily on the bed as his mind still churned with her offer. She couldn't have really been suggesting they have sex could she? He fidgeted awkwardly try to banish the fantasies that now began playing out in his head, unbuttoning that pink dress and touching the soft skin beneath...
No! He slammed a fist onto his leg. The pain helped momentarily and he concentrated on that. He had to stop thinking about this. Pleasuring himself was right out; he was in a spare room in a stranger's house. How mortifying it would be if someone heard him, or just burst into the room. Nerve-wracking visions of a horrified Elmyra filled his head as she wandered in to find him with his pants around his ankles, only to chase him angrily from the house with a broom. He was going to have to try and forget about it. He lay down on the bed, focusing intently on the ceiling. There was nothing to do, he felt horny, but he couldn't even risk heading out on his own for a good few hours. He thought fiercely back, trying to recall other moments, other memories he could relive to distract from the far too appealing imaginings of Aeris. But he couldn't focus on anything, everything seemed to slip away as he concentrated. There seemed to only be those horribly vivid memories of fire that he did not want to dwell on.
His gaze roved around the unfamiliar, cramped room. Nothing here besides the old sofa that took up most of the floor space. He'd just rest for a short while to give the flower girl and her mother a chance to sleep then make his way back to Avalanche alone. He had promised Elmyra he wouldn't let Aeris get mixed up with him. He realized how soft the bed beneath him was and suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. How long had it been since he had last slept in a bed like this? His eyelids drooped and he told himself he could risk a few minutes, maybe even a few hours to let Aeris go to bed. He sighed then as his mind latched onto the connotations of both 'Aeris' and 'bed', and what an appealing combination they made.
Cloud's eyes blinked open, the last vestiges of his dreams slowly faded away as he paused to figure out where he was. Echoes of the dream resounded through his head; how long had it been since he last thought of his mother? And that memory of her telling him he should look for an older girl like that. He's said he wasn't interested at the time, but that was before he met Aeris. She was older; only a year but she was still an older girl. Not that what she'd said yesterday exactly implied the kind of relationship his mother had been hinting at. And that thought just dragged up all those wonderfully teasing words Aeris had spoken. The words he'd tried so hard not to think about before he slept.
Cloud eased himself up off the bed, thankful the bed-springs weren't noisy. The floors were wooden, and in the interests of stealth, he decided to remove his boots. Straight from his door to the stairs, down those and then out into Sector Five. There was a squeaky floorboard directly in between his room and the room next door, and the third step from the bottom of the staircase was likewise to be avoided. Boots in one hand, and taking a deep breath, Cloud edged the door open as quietly as possible. The house was still and silent. Early morning light lit up the interior; unusual for the slums, though unsurprising given the incomplete plate above them.
By his estimation it was around 5am. Sufficient for the other inhabitants to typically still be deeply sleep, but cutting things a little close if the flower girl or her mother were early risers. He stepped quietly out into the hall, ears straining for movements within the other two rooms. One was Aeris's and he suspected it was the one beside his. He paused, looking at the door. He was torn. He needed to get back. He had to get back. And yet... There was that sensation in his chest again. No it wouldn't do to tarry here just for the sake of sex. And neither could he risk Aeris getting dragged into Avalanche's business. He'd gotten the flower girl back to her house, safe and sound just as she'd requested. And while he hadn't been paid quite in the way she'd offered at the church, he'd take the accommodation as payment enough.
He crept forward, stepping carefully over the troublesome floorboard, pausing at the top of the stairs to again check there were no sounds of movement within either of the other occupied rooms. Nothing. He stepped forward and descended the stairs. The stone floor of the ground floor was freezing, and Cloud gritted his teeth as he moved from the final wooden step, to the chill flagstones and then onto the rug in the centre of the room. He skirted around the table, and then crossed another stretch of cold stone to the door.
Easing it open, he voiced a silent apology to Aeris for leaving like this and a thank you for her part in his survival after falling from the reactor. The dirt path felt warm against his feet after the cold stone and listening carefully he pulled his boots on, and then pulled the door to. Dispelling his provocative thoughts of Aeris once more, he walked quickly away from the cottage and it's oasis of plant-life into the murkier depths of Sector Five.
She'd never quite gotten over Zack's disappearance, those initial weeks as she excitedly and impatiently awaited his return all too quickly turned into months and then years. There had been no word, no messages, not even an announcement. She couldn't believe he was dead; then at least she would have expected something in the press. Was it a betrayal then? Had he met someone on that last mission, found some new partner who appealed to him in a way she never could? Did he have kids now? Settled down in a completely mundane suburb on the upper plates, never sparring a thought to his one-time slum-lover?
Stop. Dwelling on that was not going to do her any good. She should hate him. Really hate him for abandoning her. But it was difficult to hate Zack Fair, and even now with a Zack-shaped hole in her life, she couldn't conjure up the emotion. All she had was loss and a simple desire to know what had happened to the man she'd loved. Cloud Strife might know. He was a SOLDIER, she could just ask him if he knew anything. Even in the absence of official word, surely there would be gossip amongst the ranks?
She'd met him first two nights ago in the chaos of the Reactor One explosion, he strangely calm as those around him panicked. That was the first time she looked into those eyes and despite the brief meeting, she found herself unable to shake the thought of him as she rode the train home. A smile had quirked her lips whenever she thought of him. He had been a real cutie, but she was realistic; her thoughts were nothing more then idle fantasy. She didn't know his name, how to get hold of him, and getting involved with another SOLDIER just felt like a bad idea. Wouldn't that just open herself up to a repeat of the situation with Zack?
She still thought he looked cute, even as he lay unconscious, slumped and awkward in amongst her flowers after his dramatic entrance on their second meeting. She'd stared up through the shattered timbers to see what was above them. The church sat below the gap between the upper plates, and it wasn't clear at this distance, but it looked like there were some fires up there, rapidly being extinguished by blue-suited troopers. What were the chances though? So soon after dismissing little fantasies about him when confronted with the troublesome fact that she neither knew his name or where to find him; he had fallen right into her lap.
She'd watched him carefully as he slumbered, worry fading to relief as she discovered he was still breathing. SOLDIERs were hardier then she suspected. It was an hour or two later when he finally showed signs of stirring, faint groans and almost inaudible whispers escaping his mouth. She'd leant over as he opened his eyes. She smiled at his confusion and carefully explained where he was and then bid him hello again. It took him scarcely a moment to place her, and that he remembered her gave her a pleased thrill. So, while she had thought about him, had he been thinking about her?
And then he flipped himself to his feet. The movement stalled her thought processes. That trick was familiar, it was one of Zack's favorites for getting up quickly. But she'd never seen anyone else do it. That was not in itself evidence of anything; Zack could have easily been taught it by someone else, and that same technique could just as easily be taught to Cloud. Maybe it was just a cool thing SOLDIERs could do to impress the girls. The thought amused her though. Show off. Just like him. She dismissed the similarity, but then found coincidences kept piling up. Here was an odd turn of phrase she'd heard Zack use, there was a familiar nervous tick and a fidget. He maddeningly reminded her of Zack and at the same time was a complete stranger. Maybe all these little details were common to SOLDIERs; she'd known only one after all and had no basis for comparison.
But those thoughts evaporated when she looked into his beautiful eyes again. She found her gaze wandering to the rest of him; his almost feminine face and lithe body, so different from Zack's stockier physique. She suddenly wanted to tease the shock of blonde hair between her fingers, and now those little fantasies were growing bolder. Thoughts of running her hands across his bare chest, his arms encircling her, their lips together, the two of them naked, and her straddling the SOLDIER... She bit her lip trying to stem the mental images and the effect they were now having on her body. She wanted him. She wanted to touch and be touched by this gorgeous man who'd literally fallen into her lap. She hadn't sex in so long.
The Turk's intrusion into the church gave her a ready opportunity to stay with Cloud, and not only that, it gave her the chance to plant the seed of something more between them. It had only made him pause a moment when she promised a date in exchange for his duties as a bodyguard. He nodded, but didn't mention it again, moving quickly and efficiently as he fended off the Turk's cronies and ran along the church's rafters with her and out onto the rooftops. They talked, she flirted and he teased. The suave SOLDIER certainly didn't treat her delicately; he let her make her own leaps and jumps across the scattered debris they scrambled over. It just felt so natural to talk to this man, this SOLDIER.
She almost asked him about Zack then. She commented on his eyes and how it related back to that most distinguishable feature of those in SOLDIER. The question died on her lips as she looked into his eyes again. Unlike Zack's purple irises, his were a beautiful pale blue, his pupils ringed with that same band of faintly glowing green that identified him as a SOLDIER. Her breath caught for a moment before she remembered to breath, and looked at the SOLDIER afresh. But when he tried to press on how she knew about mako eyes, she couldn't respond. She felt a little guilt then; all this comfortable talking, her stray thoughts in the church, her desire: she wasn't looking for a new boyfriend. He was too much like Zack, and that put a damper on any thoughts of opening herself up so fully to another, to suffer the same hurt again. But they were both adults, and if he was willing; well there was no problem in indulging in a purely physical relationship. She responded to Cloud saying it was nothing as she wondered when and how best to broach the idea. Maybe at home if Mom was still out? And if she was, then maybe she could indulge. She charged off ahead of him across the rooftops.
It wasn't hard to recapture their comfortable discussion though, Aeris finding herself so eager to guide Cloud around Sector Five, show him the places she frequented and spent her days outside of the church. And still that desire for him lingered; she found herself fidgeting a few times, trying to temporarily dismiss some decidedly daring thoughts from her mind. And as rapidly as she could she guided him to her house. With a deep breath, she blew into the house and found her mother cooking dinner.
She really had expected her mother to chase Cloud off immediately, but she was at least civil to her bodyguard, and so unexpectedly seemed to turn events in a direction helpful to her fantasies. Cloud wanted to get back to Sector Seven to meet up with Tifa. A girl, but not his girlfriend. Well, no problems with her interest there. Her mother did note the time however, and she had to agree that she didn't relish wandering through Sector Six when night fell. Well, with Cloud she'd have no real worries on the way there, but the way back was another matter. It might necessitate needing to find somewhere to crash two Sectors over. But instead of turfing Cloud out of the house her mom invited him to stay, and that was almost too tempting a situation to pass up.
She made up the spare bed, her heart hammering in her chest, but when Cloud came up the stairs he seemed a little distracted, a little uncertain of himself. Her mother was just downstairs, but she had to make her offer, had to know if she could have her fantasy. She'd whispered a slight disappointment that Elmyra was home tonight, made a tiny hint about what could happen if he didn't leave the house immediately come the morning. He started, his pupils dilating as she spoke, his gaze grazing her neckline. She flicked her eyes downward and saw his body respond. Now that was a gratifying response; he was tempted. With a smile she descended back downstairs, giving him at least a chance to sleep and prevent mom being too suspicious that she went to bed so quickly after him.
Her mom fortunately did not stay up much longer, and Aeris followed her up the stairs, a new urge getting harder to ignore. She closed her door firmly, ears straining for any sounds from the next room; there were none. He was still in there at least. Crossing to her dresser she rummaged through her underwear for the strip of condoms and the thin blister packs of her birth control she'd secreted there. Just as well she hadn't decided to accompany Cloud this evening - it might not have been so easy or subtle to sneak these out with her. A pleasurable shiver swept down her spine as she contemplated just what she needed them for. She glanced at the wall separating them. As long as her mom hadn't asked him to just run off, there was a chance he'd be around in the morning. She could wait until then. Couldn't she?
Desire washed over her and she rubbed her thighs together, deciding that no she couldn't wait. She was never going to sleep like this. She rapidly undressed, hanging her dress and jacket on the door and changed into her nightwear before crawling into the bed. He was right there on the other side of the wall. With thoughts of stripping away Cloud's clothes, running her hands across his body and pushing him down onto the spare bed, she slipped her hand between her legs. She needed this right now.
The sound of the front door closing caught Aeris's attention and she started. Had he just left? She strained her ears for further noises, before getting dressed hurriedly. She'd been awake for a while now, thinking of the man sleeping just next door. She was determined to not be left behind. She threw open her door and hurried down the stairs, not caring about the noise. She paused only to snatch her staff up from beside the door and whispering a promise to be back later as she ran into Sector Five, taking the more secret backways and shortcuts to get ahead of the SOLDIER.
Chapter 2: Wall Market
Cloud stared at himself in the mirror, wondering once again if this really was a good idea. He was standing in the cramped confines of a dress shop's changing room, deep within the Sector Six area known as Wall Market. A custom made purple dress hung beside him. Custom made for him to pass as a girl, enter Don Corneo's mansion in disguise and rescue Tifa from whatever she had gotten mixed up in. Scattered around his feet were the various accessories he and Aeris had spent the last hour scrounging from the slum district to augment his disguise. A blonde wig with pig-tails, a bottle of perfume and a tiara. The final component and most personally awkward object he was currently wearing; black bikini briefs. He was almost tempted to just forgo this last additional piece of disguise; obtaining them had been embarrassing enough and wearing them was not much better. He had absolutely no intention of letting anyone look under his skirt, so did he really need these too? He looked at his reflection once again.
His face was now beautiful. The girls of the Honeybee Inn had only momentarily smirked when he made his unusual request to them and they immediately set about softening his features. Aeris had first gasped and then smiled as he exited the building a short while later. This was the first opportunity he'd had to see the bee girl's handiwork, and he was grudgingly impressed with the skill his transformation had been wrought. The dressing room at the Honeybee Inn had been distraction after distraction; the girls had shown absolutely no embarrassment about the man in their midst, completely unconcerned that he saw everything as they changed. The revealing clothes and actual nudity of the Bee Girls had aroused him almost to breaking point, tempered slightly by the knowing looks and giggles he received as he looked away from the scantily-clad girls only to find yet another mirrored surface that gave him an eyeful of female flesh. As a result that frustratingly unscratchable itch in his loins was becoming maddening. He wasn't sure he had ever been quite this horny, and so badly positioned to do anything to relieve himself. Almost every touch from Aeris now excited him, and she delighted in taking his hand or his arm as she guided him around the seedy sector.
He shook his head. This was no time to be thinking about that. He had to get Tifa out of Don Corneo's clutches, and this stealth approach, while unusual, did minimize the risk of just bursting in through the front doors. But what was Aeris thinking putting herself in danger for a man she hardly knew and a girl she knew not at all? Even as he tried to convince her to head home, she'd chased after the chocobo cart ferrying Tifa into Wall Market. And how had she come up with the notion that Cloud should cross dress? He sighed. He couldn't think about Aeris right now, he had to figure out what they would do after they got into the mansion. An almost welcome, distracting thought suddenly occurred to him; the Buster Sword. He couldn't very well carry that into Corneo's domain slung over his shoulder or locked to the magnetic harness he normally wore. They'd need to hide it somewhere and come back for it later.
"Cloud, what's taking you so long-" Cloud looked up to see Aeris pushing open the curtain shielding him from the rest of the shop. He panicked and dropped his hands to try and prevent her from seeing anything as he turned away from her. Her eyes didn't leave his face but Cloud could feel the flush suffusing his cheeks as he stutteringly responded.
"A-aeris... I won't be long."
Aeris pushed her way into the small booth, pulling the curtain straight behind her. "I just thought you could use some more help," she said. "You're not used to dresses or lingerie after all." Cloud gingerly nodded, not moving his hands.
"So, I figured I'd help you get ready. And we did forget one thing for you. Here." She held up a bra and handfuls of a squishy material. "Despite your remarkable make-up job, I still think you'd give a better impression with some breasts of your own."
Cloud could only nod, wondering how they had lost sight of something like that but yet had bothered to acquire him some panties. He didn't feel able to move, and after a moment Aeris sighed. "Come on, we need to get you ready. We're running out of evening to do this in."
Cloud reluctantly nodded and then asked "What first?"
She smiled at him encouragingly. "Bra I think. Here." She crossed behind him and pressed into him. His breath caught at the soft feel of her clothed body against his almost nakedness. Her skin was wonderfully warm where it touched his own as she passed the garment around him, and hooked it together across his chest. She then proceeded to twist it around him, fingers skimming over his chest and sides which only served to excite him more, and he concentrated intently on not hardening. Bra in position, Aeris slipped the straps over Cloud's arms and seated them on his shoulders.
"That okay? Not too tight?"
"I think so," Cloud replied, breathing experimentally, "Yeah, that's okay."
"Good. Now for your breasts."
Still behind him, she reached around and pulled the cup away from his skin and pushed the bundle of material into place, fingers grazing against him as she pressed it into the cup. The pads of her fingers kept catching his nipples, sending tiny unfamiliar thrills through his chest. When the same happened with the second fake breast, he realized this couldn't be by accident. Could it? With a final kneading squeeze, Aeris peered over Cloud's shoulder to check her handiwork.
"Perfect."
She dropped her hands to his waist, but made no move to pull away from him. And Cloud could honestly say he didn't mind, enjoying the feel of her heat behind him, her breasts pressed into him and the warmth of her skin on his. Suddenly there was a soft sensation on his left shoulder blade, a brush of even softer skin as her right hand slipped down a little further, toying with the skin just above his groin.
Cloud sucked in a breath as teasing fingers maddeningly stroked his skin. He closed his eyes. He was harder then he'd ever been before, and craving release now. There was no way Aeris could miss his body's reaction to her now. Her hand moved then, sliding along the waistband of the briefs and around onto his back. The warmth of her body faded then as he heard Aeris take a step backwards.
"Okay." She sounded slightly out of breath. Cloud opened his eyes and her reflected gaze caught his. She looked flushed. "I think you can manage the dress on your own; just be careful not to smudge the make-up! Do you want me to help with the wig?" Her stilted talking smoothed rapidly even as Cloud still felt at a loss for words.
"N-no. I think I can get that."
She smiled then and pushed through the curtain, as Cloud slumped against the wall for a moment. His mind raced with how close she had come to touching him, teasing him and how he'd wanted her to drop her hand just a little lower. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. As enjoyable as it had been, he had a basic issue with hiding his masculinity like this, and being turned on was not going to help. He took another deep breath, and dropped into a short, contained kata to re-centre himself. He softened, the briefs less constrictive and the bulge less obtrusive. Better.
Carefully he stepped into the dress, pulling it up and onto his shoulders. He stared at himself a moment then. The tailor had known what he was doing when he cut the dress. Cloud's own slim physique was assisted by the carefully chosen seams and lines of the dress. Even without the wig he looked like his hypothetical sister. "Miss Cloud, huh?" he murmured staring at himself. He pulled the wig on, tucking stray tufts of hair under the elasticated band, added the tiara on top and spritzed the perfume around himself. He almost wanted to laugh; that was no longer Cloud Strife in the mirror, it was instead the stunningly attractive Miss Cloud.
Taking another deep breath he pushed the curtain open and walked out into the main shop, his eyes catching the delighted face of Aeris.
"Not bad. Not bad at all," said the tailor, eyes watching him carefully as he moved.
"You're right," his daughter chipped in, checking Cloud over. "Should we try and get into this market?" Her father nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah I think we will. That was an interesting challenge."
The girl beamed at Cloud. "Thanks for giving us the inspiration for something new. You can have the dress on the house!"
"Thank you," Aeris said as she watched him stride awkwardly. "Cloud, walk more nicely. Like this." She walked past him, moving normally as he watched the motions of her hips and legs.
"...nicely?" echoed Cloud, before at first awkwardly and then with increasing confidence he replicated her motions.
Aeris still looked a little red as she watched him. "You are a cute one Miss Cloud..." Her gaze flitted around the room. "I want a dress too. Do you have one that will look good on me?" The shopkeeper and his daughter suggested a few different dresses, before Aeris abruptly seized on a shimmery red dress hanging towards the back of the store. "This one I think." She paused a moment, before pulling a pair of matching shoes from the floor. "I'm going to try it on."
She carried the dress to the changing room before addressing the room. "No peeking!" Her gaze lingered on Cloud as she spoke and just before she pushed the curtain closed, she winked at him.
Aeris caught Cloud's eye just as she pushed the curtain closed, and then hung the dress up. Despite her words, she truly would not have minded the SOLDIER peeking, or helping her get ready in the same way she had assisted him. The thought of him standing behind her, his arms around her gave her a pleasurable little shiver. She paused a moment in case he would pick up her hint, but no; the curtain remained undisturbed. Admittedly this was probably not the best place to get hot and heavy anyway, not least as they were working to a decidedly vague time-limit. But she'd been unable to resist that slight touch just minutes ago. She smiled at the memory as she slipped her jacket from her shoulders, and pulled open the first few buttons on her dress. She pulled it over her head, before pulling both of her boots off with her heels. She folded her clothes carefully and packed them into the bag alongside Cloud's belongings.
She gazed at her dress for a moment, pleased with her choice but now noting that its thin straps would not conceal her bra. She unhooked the garment and dropped it into the bag, leaving her half naked in the changing room. Ah, for Cloud to come in right now. She spared another glance towards the curtain, but he failed to appear on cue. With a sigh she removed the dress from its hanger and stepped into it. The material was cool and soft against her skin, a unfamiliar, but deliciously tactile luxury contrasted with her comfortable yet worn sun dress. It clung in the just right places, accenting her chest with the assistance of the low cut neckline. The slitted skirt ended just below her knees and swished as she moved, the motion revealing a little more leg as she did so. Almost perfect. Looking at herself critically in the mirror Aeris decided her braid really didn't suit the dress. She carefully undid the ribbon, letting the tiny sphere of materia drop into her hand as she teased the coiled hair out. It would have looked better if she'd had a hairbrush, but she made do with her fingers as she combed her long hair as straight as possible.
The previously coiled hair cascaded in a slightly wild wave down her back. It looked okay she eventually decided as she tugged at a few more knots. She slipped the materia back into the ribbon as she retied it around her hair giving her a loose ponytail. Aeris turned to the side watching the way her hair moved and how it looked looked along-side the red dress. She gazed at her new clothing. Had she really chosen this purely to get inside the mansion, or was this another way of signaling to Cloud just what she wanted from him? She smiled at herself then; it could so easily be both. She'd already made the decision that he wouldn't slip away from her again, not after he had nearly managed it earlier that morning. That morning, before she'd slipped ahead of him waiting at the border of Sector Five, before that moment in the park, and before they'd seen Tifa in transit.
She stepped into the new red shoes. Heels were never her first choice of footwear around Midgar, especially when fleeing the Turks was once again something she needed to bear in mind, but here again, her boots simply did not fit with her new dress. She appraised herself in the mirror again. This would work. And with Cloud looking as gorgeous as he did... Gathering her bag up she pushed open the curtain and walked out into the shop. Cloud simply stared as she walked out, his eyes trying vainly to avoid her cleavage after first running from her head to her toes and back again.
"So. How do I look?" She asked with a quirking smile. Cloud flushed and shook his head. "You're no fun," she teased as the owner's daughter let out a quiet breath.
"That dress is really somethin'" she murmured as her father chimed in.
"It looks really good on you."
"I love it." Aeris turned and smiled at them both. "Thank you both so much. You're really helped us out." She turned to her companion. "Ready to go Miss Cloud?"
Cloud awkwardly nodded, a frown appearing on his face for a moment as he concentrated on his movements before they stepped out into the bustling heart of Wall Market. They both got a lot more attention now. Men's heads turned as if drawn by magnets as they passed them; eyes constantly flicking to her chest and legs before rising to her face accompanied by salacious looks and shouted vulgar compliments. Cloud certainly did not escape similar attention and despite his discomfort she was glad. She'd been completely right; Cloud not only passed easily for a woman, he was now actively beautiful.
Now they had made themselves far too attractive to the local populace, Aeris simply wanted to get back out of sight again and get this rescue over with. "To the mansion then?" she asked as she fidgeted, adjusting the bag over her shoulder.
"Just got one thing to take care of first," Cloud replied, trying hard to avoid catching anyone's eye. He shifted the sword he held in one hand, trying to keep his body between it and any passers by. "I don't think I'd be able to get away with carrying this in with us - I need to hide it somewhere."
She nodded and followed Cloud then as he threaded through the sector towards one of the outlying areas. Normally she would always avoid Wall Market if at all possible, but on the unfortunate occasions she did wind up here, she certainly avoided the dingier and less trafficked areas. Fortunately she was not alone this time, and for all Cloud's disguise, she had little doubt he could deal with anything they encountered. They eventually reached one of the large walls that split this sector off from the neighboring Sector Seven, the same walls that once delineated the borders of a village. The throb of music had faded slightly and the foot traffic reduced to a few hurrying shapes in the gloom around them. Not a place to dawdle.
Cloud surveyed a shadowy corner beside huge red graffiti that towered above them. "Here," he murmured before lifting the sword and ploughing it deep into the ground. The blade passed seemingly effortlessly into the hardened concrete, a good proportion of the blade now buried.
"Are you sure it'll be safe here?" Aeris asked looking at Miss Cloud.
"As long as another SOLDIER doesn't run across it, I doubt it. Besides, these things are mass produced by Shinra. Seeing one lying around shouldn't alert anyone."
She nodded thoughtfully and as he turned to head for the mansion she stopped him.
"Cloud... Can we... talk a moment?"
He turned, and she couldn't help but admire him as a girl all over again. His seemingly perfect physique, his blonde hair, the already feminine face enhanced by make-up to be that much more attractive. "What is it?" he asked as she studied him.
Aeris drew in a breath and stepped forward. "I need to tell you some things about me. I like you Cloud. I really like you. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. Even if you did try and run off." Cloud smiled embarrassed and ducked his head. The flower girl continued, "But in spite of that, before we get any more involved, you need to know that my last relationship didn't end quite right. I know I said we weren't serious. I know I should just forget about him and move on, but... I just... can't."
She paused a moment watching Cloud carefully as his face fell slightly before the disappointment evaporated and he started to speak. "Aeris, I-"
She shook her head. "It's okay. Cloud; I'm not looking for love or romance or commitment at the moment. But I'm not just looking for friendship either." She took another step closer. "I meant what I said last night." Another step. "I wanted you to stall this morning until my mother was gone." A final step and she was right beside him. "I don't want love, but I do want company. I want to feel good again, and I want you to help me."
Fingers now reached out to touch the waist of his dress and then her fingertips darted lightly up to his chest, in between his fake breasts. His heart was hammering in his chest, and looking up at his face she could just about see the hints of a blush beneath the make-up. His body was already saying 'yes', but she needed him to say it first. "Will you help me, Cloud? Will you..." She played coy, hoping it would still coax the response she wanted. "Sleep with me?" she continued.
He inhaled again then, a sharp breath, his face fighting a smile that threatened to overwhelm his features. "Yes," he said simply. Her body reacted, a flush of excitement ignited like fire across her face, sweeping down her neck and onto her chest. A wonderful thrill flooded her belly, and deep within her an itch craved attention. She was so very much aware of a need to be touched, and soon. She smiled back at him.
"Thank you, Cloud." She leaned into him then, lips touching his for a second, as she nudged them open with her own and darted her tongue into his mouth. Their first kiss. Irritatingly brief for them both as she quickly stepped back, laying a restraining hand on his chest as he tried to lean towards her. "Just for now. Just for now. It wouldn't do to mess up all that make-up before we've rescued Tifa." She reached for his hand, fingers lacing with his. "Once this is done... We'll arrange a time to meet?"
He nodded then, his eyes now burning with desire. An eager smile spread across her face as Aeris lead Cloud back into the main part of Wall Market and towards Don Corneo's mansion.
Chapter 1: Elmyra's House
He couldn't forget the words she'd spoken as they'd stood on the landing. She'd stood with her hands clasped behind her back, a slightly mischievous smile on her face as she told him they would be going through Sector Six to get to Sector Seven the next morning. Cloud had nodded, turning to head to his room when she spoke again and took at step towards him. The sight of her was simply intoxicating, and he'd been trying so hard to maintain his mercenary stance while with her, attempting to avoid his gaze winding up on the neckline of her dress where it dipped to expose the swell of her breasts or on her legs as the pink dress wafted as she walked. It had looked so conservative when she was still but with movement it became hard to ignore that the buttons were undone up to mid-thigh. It was harder still to ignore the exposed skin when she moved. He'd tried to only look at her eyes, but even that felt dangerous, emerald-green irises arresting his attention with ease.
Suddenly she was in his personal space, her face so close to his. Almost unconsciously his gaze dropped to her chest seeing it dizzyingly close, the delicious sight of her chest irresistible and he felt his body begin responding to the visual stimuli. Aeris leaned into him, and for a heart-stopping minute Cloud thought she was going to kiss him. She didn't, instead moving her head to the side of his, the movement causing an odd mixture of relief and disappointment to course through him.
"A shame," she said just barely about a whisper, "That mom is in this evening. Otherwise we could have have some fun together. If you'd like... Cloud." Her warm breath tickled his ear, his blood pulsed and he hardened as his mind scrambled to parse the words and discern whether she was implying what his snap interpretation indicated.
He turned to look at her and her eyes slid to meet his, her smile quirking a little more. "Maybe if you slept in a bit in the morning, after mom goes to work... Well, then we could see about relaxing a bit before we walk across two sectors to get you back to your friends."
Cloud was uncomfortably aware of his arousal at her words, hoping dearly that she wouldn't notice through his uniform. What should he say? What could he say in this situation? Did she mean it or was she just teasing? How had he reacted last time an offer like this had been made? It seemed so long ago. His mouth went dry, and he looked away trying to gather his thoughts as she stepped back. Did her eyes dip just then? Had she glanced towards his belt just as he nervously looked at her? If she did notice his arousal she made no comment and instead turned to walk back downstairs before pausing.
"Sector Six is dangerous. You'd better get some rest tonight."
He nodded awkwardly as she smiled over her shoulder and bade him goodnight. He watched as she descended the stairs, then glanced nervously downwards to see if he had given himself away. Was it too obvious? He sighed before entering the room and pushing the door closed behind him. He sat heavily on the bed as his mind still churned with her offer. She couldn't have really been suggesting they have sex could she? He fidgeted awkwardly try to banish the fantasies that now began playing out in his head, unbuttoning that pink dress and touching the soft skin beneath...
No! He slammed a fist onto his leg. The pain helped momentarily and he concentrated on that. He had to stop thinking about this. Pleasuring himself was right out; he was in a spare room in a stranger's house. How mortifying it would be if someone heard him, or just burst into the room. Nerve-wracking visions of a horrified Elmyra filled his head as she wandered in to find him with his pants around his ankles, only to chase him angrily from the house with a broom. He was going to have to try and forget about it. He lay down on the bed, focusing intently on the ceiling. There was nothing to do, he felt horny, but he couldn't even risk heading out on his own for a good few hours. He thought fiercely back, trying to recall other moments, other memories he could relive to distract from the far too appealing imaginings of Aeris. But he couldn't focus on anything, everything seemed to slip away as he concentrated. There seemed to only be those horribly vivid memories of fire that he did not want to dwell on.
His gaze roved around the unfamiliar, cramped room. Nothing here besides the old sofa that took up most of the floor space. He'd just rest for a short while to give the flower girl and her mother a chance to sleep then make his way back to Avalanche alone. He had promised Elmyra he wouldn't let Aeris get mixed up with him. He realized how soft the bed beneath him was and suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. How long had it been since he had last slept in a bed like this? His eyelids drooped and he told himself he could risk a few minutes, maybe even a few hours to let Aeris go to bed. He sighed then as his mind latched onto the connotations of both 'Aeris' and 'bed', and what an appealing combination they made.
Cloud's eyes blinked open, the last vestiges of his dreams slowly faded away as he paused to figure out where he was. Echoes of the dream resounded through his head; how long had it been since he last thought of his mother? And that memory of her telling him he should look for an older girl like that. He's said he wasn't interested at the time, but that was before he met Aeris. She was older; only a year but she was still an older girl. Not that what she'd said yesterday exactly implied the kind of relationship his mother had been hinting at. And that thought just dragged up all those wonderfully teasing words Aeris had spoken. The words he'd tried so hard not to think about before he slept.
Cloud eased himself up off the bed, thankful the bed-springs weren't noisy. The floors were wooden, and in the interests of stealth, he decided to remove his boots. Straight from his door to the stairs, down those and then out into Sector Five. There was a squeaky floorboard directly in between his room and the room next door, and the third step from the bottom of the staircase was likewise to be avoided. Boots in one hand, and taking a deep breath, Cloud edged the door open as quietly as possible. The house was still and silent. Early morning light lit up the interior; unusual for the slums, though unsurprising given the incomplete plate above them.
By his estimation it was around 5am. Sufficient for the other inhabitants to typically still be deeply sleep, but cutting things a little close if the flower girl or her mother were early risers. He stepped quietly out into the hall, ears straining for movements within the other two rooms. One was Aeris's and he suspected it was the one beside his. He paused, looking at the door. He was torn. He needed to get back. He had to get back. And yet... There was that sensation in his chest again. No it wouldn't do to tarry here just for the sake of sex. And neither could he risk Aeris getting dragged into Avalanche's business. He'd gotten the flower girl back to her house, safe and sound just as she'd requested. And while he hadn't been paid quite in the way she'd offered at the church, he'd take the accommodation as payment enough.
He crept forward, stepping carefully over the troublesome floorboard, pausing at the top of the stairs to again check there were no sounds of movement within either of the other occupied rooms. Nothing. He stepped forward and descended the stairs. The stone floor of the ground floor was freezing, and Cloud gritted his teeth as he moved from the final wooden step, to the chill flagstones and then onto the rug in the centre of the room. He skirted around the table, and then crossed another stretch of cold stone to the door.
Easing it open, he voiced a silent apology to Aeris for leaving like this and a thank you for her part in his survival after falling from the reactor. The dirt path felt warm against his feet after the cold stone and listening carefully he pulled his boots on, and then pulled the door to. Dispelling his provocative thoughts of Aeris once more, he walked quickly away from the cottage and it's oasis of plant-life into the murkier depths of Sector Five.
She'd never quite gotten over Zack's disappearance, those initial weeks as she excitedly and impatiently awaited his return all too quickly turned into months and then years. There had been no word, no messages, not even an announcement. She couldn't believe he was dead; then at least she would have expected something in the press. Was it a betrayal then? Had he met someone on that last mission, found some new partner who appealed to him in a way she never could? Did he have kids now? Settled down in a completely mundane suburb on the upper plates, never sparring a thought to his one-time slum-lover?
Stop. Dwelling on that was not going to do her any good. She should hate him. Really hate him for abandoning her. But it was difficult to hate Zack Fair, and even now with a Zack-shaped hole in her life, she couldn't conjure up the emotion. All she had was loss and a simple desire to know what had happened to the man she'd loved. Cloud Strife might know. He was a SOLDIER, she could just ask him if he knew anything. Even in the absence of official word, surely there would be gossip amongst the ranks?
She'd met him first two nights ago in the chaos of the Reactor One explosion, he strangely calm as those around him panicked. That was the first time she looked into those eyes and despite the brief meeting, she found herself unable to shake the thought of him as she rode the train home. A smile had quirked her lips whenever she thought of him. He had been a real cutie, but she was realistic; her thoughts were nothing more then idle fantasy. She didn't know his name, how to get hold of him, and getting involved with another SOLDIER just felt like a bad idea. Wouldn't that just open herself up to a repeat of the situation with Zack?
She still thought he looked cute, even as he lay unconscious, slumped and awkward in amongst her flowers after his dramatic entrance on their second meeting. She'd stared up through the shattered timbers to see what was above them. The church sat below the gap between the upper plates, and it wasn't clear at this distance, but it looked like there were some fires up there, rapidly being extinguished by blue-suited troopers. What were the chances though? So soon after dismissing little fantasies about him when confronted with the troublesome fact that she neither knew his name or where to find him; he had fallen right into her lap.
She'd watched him carefully as he slumbered, worry fading to relief as she discovered he was still breathing. SOLDIERs were hardier then she suspected. It was an hour or two later when he finally showed signs of stirring, faint groans and almost inaudible whispers escaping his mouth. She'd leant over as he opened his eyes. She smiled at his confusion and carefully explained where he was and then bid him hello again. It took him scarcely a moment to place her, and that he remembered her gave her a pleased thrill. So, while she had thought about him, had he been thinking about her?
And then he flipped himself to his feet. The movement stalled her thought processes. That trick was familiar, it was one of Zack's favorites for getting up quickly. But she'd never seen anyone else do it. That was not in itself evidence of anything; Zack could have easily been taught it by someone else, and that same technique could just as easily be taught to Cloud. Maybe it was just a cool thing SOLDIERs could do to impress the girls. The thought amused her though. Show off. Just like him. She dismissed the similarity, but then found coincidences kept piling up. Here was an odd turn of phrase she'd heard Zack use, there was a familiar nervous tick and a fidget. He maddeningly reminded her of Zack and at the same time was a complete stranger. Maybe all these little details were common to SOLDIERs; she'd known only one after all and had no basis for comparison.
But those thoughts evaporated when she looked into his beautiful eyes again. She found her gaze wandering to the rest of him; his almost feminine face and lithe body, so different from Zack's stockier physique. She suddenly wanted to tease the shock of blonde hair between her fingers, and now those little fantasies were growing bolder. Thoughts of running her hands across his bare chest, his arms encircling her, their lips together, the two of them naked, and her straddling the SOLDIER... She bit her lip trying to stem the mental images and the effect they were now having on her body. She wanted him. She wanted to touch and be touched by this gorgeous man who'd literally fallen into her lap. She hadn't sex in so long.
The Turk's intrusion into the church gave her a ready opportunity to stay with Cloud, and not only that, it gave her the chance to plant the seed of something more between them. It had only made him pause a moment when she promised a date in exchange for his duties as a bodyguard. He nodded, but didn't mention it again, moving quickly and efficiently as he fended off the Turk's cronies and ran along the church's rafters with her and out onto the rooftops. They talked, she flirted and he teased. The suave SOLDIER certainly didn't treat her delicately; he let her make her own leaps and jumps across the scattered debris they scrambled over. It just felt so natural to talk to this man, this SOLDIER.
She almost asked him about Zack then. She commented on his eyes and how it related back to that most distinguishable feature of those in SOLDIER. The question died on her lips as she looked into his eyes again. Unlike Zack's purple irises, his were a beautiful pale blue, his pupils ringed with that same band of faintly glowing green that identified him as a SOLDIER. Her breath caught for a moment before she remembered to breath, and looked at the SOLDIER afresh. But when he tried to press on how she knew about mako eyes, she couldn't respond. She felt a little guilt then; all this comfortable talking, her stray thoughts in the church, her desire: she wasn't looking for a new boyfriend. He was too much like Zack, and that put a damper on any thoughts of opening herself up so fully to another, to suffer the same hurt again. But they were both adults, and if he was willing; well there was no problem in indulging in a purely physical relationship. She responded to Cloud saying it was nothing as she wondered when and how best to broach the idea. Maybe at home if Mom was still out? And if she was, then maybe she could indulge. She charged off ahead of him across the rooftops.
It wasn't hard to recapture their comfortable discussion though, Aeris finding herself so eager to guide Cloud around Sector Five, show him the places she frequented and spent her days outside of the church. And still that desire for him lingered; she found herself fidgeting a few times, trying to temporarily dismiss some decidedly daring thoughts from her mind. And as rapidly as she could she guided him to her house. With a deep breath, she blew into the house and found her mother cooking dinner.
She really had expected her mother to chase Cloud off immediately, but she was at least civil to her bodyguard, and so unexpectedly seemed to turn events in a direction helpful to her fantasies. Cloud wanted to get back to Sector Seven to meet up with Tifa. A girl, but not his girlfriend. Well, no problems with her interest there. Her mother did note the time however, and she had to agree that she didn't relish wandering through Sector Six when night fell. Well, with Cloud she'd have no real worries on the way there, but the way back was another matter. It might necessitate needing to find somewhere to crash two Sectors over. But instead of turfing Cloud out of the house her mom invited him to stay, and that was almost too tempting a situation to pass up.
She made up the spare bed, her heart hammering in her chest, but when Cloud came up the stairs he seemed a little distracted, a little uncertain of himself. Her mother was just downstairs, but she had to make her offer, had to know if she could have her fantasy. She'd whispered a slight disappointment that Elmyra was home tonight, made a tiny hint about what could happen if he didn't leave the house immediately come the morning. He started, his pupils dilating as she spoke, his gaze grazing her neckline. She flicked her eyes downward and saw his body respond. Now that was a gratifying response; he was tempted. With a smile she descended back downstairs, giving him at least a chance to sleep and prevent mom being too suspicious that she went to bed so quickly after him.
Her mom fortunately did not stay up much longer, and Aeris followed her up the stairs, a new urge getting harder to ignore. She closed her door firmly, ears straining for any sounds from the next room; there were none. He was still in there at least. Crossing to her dresser she rummaged through her underwear for the strip of condoms and the thin blister packs of her birth control she'd secreted there. Just as well she hadn't decided to accompany Cloud this evening - it might not have been so easy or subtle to sneak these out with her. A pleasurable shiver swept down her spine as she contemplated just what she needed them for. She glanced at the wall separating them. As long as her mom hadn't asked him to just run off, there was a chance he'd be around in the morning. She could wait until then. Couldn't she?
Desire washed over her and she rubbed her thighs together, deciding that no she couldn't wait. She was never going to sleep like this. She rapidly undressed, hanging her dress and jacket on the door and changed into her nightwear before crawling into the bed. He was right there on the other side of the wall. With thoughts of stripping away Cloud's clothes, running her hands across his body and pushing him down onto the spare bed, she slipped her hand between her legs. She needed this right now.
The sound of the front door closing caught Aeris's attention and she started. Had he just left? She strained her ears for further noises, before getting dressed hurriedly. She'd been awake for a while now, thinking of the man sleeping just next door. She was determined to not be left behind. She threw open her door and hurried down the stairs, not caring about the noise. She paused only to snatch her staff up from beside the door and whispering a promise to be back later as she ran into Sector Five, taking the more secret backways and shortcuts to get ahead of the SOLDIER.
Chapter 2: Wall Market
Cloud stared at himself in the mirror, wondering once again if this really was a good idea. He was standing in the cramped confines of a dress shop's changing room, deep within the Sector Six area known as Wall Market. A custom made purple dress hung beside him. Custom made for him to pass as a girl, enter Don Corneo's mansion in disguise and rescue Tifa from whatever she had gotten mixed up in. Scattered around his feet were the various accessories he and Aeris had spent the last hour scrounging from the slum district to augment his disguise. A blonde wig with pig-tails, a bottle of perfume and a tiara. The final component and most personally awkward object he was currently wearing; black bikini briefs. He was almost tempted to just forgo this last additional piece of disguise; obtaining them had been embarrassing enough and wearing them was not much better. He had absolutely no intention of letting anyone look under his skirt, so did he really need these too? He looked at his reflection once again.
His face was now beautiful. The girls of the Honeybee Inn had only momentarily smirked when he made his unusual request to them and they immediately set about softening his features. Aeris had first gasped and then smiled as he exited the building a short while later. This was the first opportunity he'd had to see the bee girl's handiwork, and he was grudgingly impressed with the skill his transformation had been wrought. The dressing room at the Honeybee Inn had been distraction after distraction; the girls had shown absolutely no embarrassment about the man in their midst, completely unconcerned that he saw everything as they changed. The revealing clothes and actual nudity of the Bee Girls had aroused him almost to breaking point, tempered slightly by the knowing looks and giggles he received as he looked away from the scantily-clad girls only to find yet another mirrored surface that gave him an eyeful of female flesh. As a result that frustratingly unscratchable itch in his loins was becoming maddening. He wasn't sure he had ever been quite this horny, and so badly positioned to do anything to relieve himself. Almost every touch from Aeris now excited him, and she delighted in taking his hand or his arm as she guided him around the seedy sector.
He shook his head. This was no time to be thinking about that. He had to get Tifa out of Don Corneo's clutches, and this stealth approach, while unusual, did minimize the risk of just bursting in through the front doors. But what was Aeris thinking putting herself in danger for a man she hardly knew and a girl she knew not at all? Even as he tried to convince her to head home, she'd chased after the chocobo cart ferrying Tifa into Wall Market. And how had she come up with the notion that Cloud should cross dress? He sighed. He couldn't think about Aeris right now, he had to figure out what they would do after they got into the mansion. An almost welcome, distracting thought suddenly occurred to him; the Buster Sword. He couldn't very well carry that into Corneo's domain slung over his shoulder or locked to the magnetic harness he normally wore. They'd need to hide it somewhere and come back for it later.
"Cloud, what's taking you so long-" Cloud looked up to see Aeris pushing open the curtain shielding him from the rest of the shop. He panicked and dropped his hands to try and prevent her from seeing anything as he turned away from her. Her eyes didn't leave his face but Cloud could feel the flush suffusing his cheeks as he stutteringly responded.
"A-aeris... I won't be long."
Aeris pushed her way into the small booth, pulling the curtain straight behind her. "I just thought you could use some more help," she said. "You're not used to dresses or lingerie after all." Cloud gingerly nodded, not moving his hands.
"So, I figured I'd help you get ready. And we did forget one thing for you. Here." She held up a bra and handfuls of a squishy material. "Despite your remarkable make-up job, I still think you'd give a better impression with some breasts of your own."
Cloud could only nod, wondering how they had lost sight of something like that but yet had bothered to acquire him some panties. He didn't feel able to move, and after a moment Aeris sighed. "Come on, we need to get you ready. We're running out of evening to do this in."
Cloud reluctantly nodded and then asked "What first?"
She smiled at him encouragingly. "Bra I think. Here." She crossed behind him and pressed into him. His breath caught at the soft feel of her clothed body against his almost nakedness. Her skin was wonderfully warm where it touched his own as she passed the garment around him, and hooked it together across his chest. She then proceeded to twist it around him, fingers skimming over his chest and sides which only served to excite him more, and he concentrated intently on not hardening. Bra in position, Aeris slipped the straps over Cloud's arms and seated them on his shoulders.
"That okay? Not too tight?"
"I think so," Cloud replied, breathing experimentally, "Yeah, that's okay."
"Good. Now for your breasts."
Still behind him, she reached around and pulled the cup away from his skin and pushed the bundle of material into place, fingers grazing against him as she pressed it into the cup. The pads of her fingers kept catching his nipples, sending tiny unfamiliar thrills through his chest. When the same happened with the second fake breast, he realized this couldn't be by accident. Could it? With a final kneading squeeze, Aeris peered over Cloud's shoulder to check her handiwork.
"Perfect."
She dropped her hands to his waist, but made no move to pull away from him. And Cloud could honestly say he didn't mind, enjoying the feel of her heat behind him, her breasts pressed into him and the warmth of her skin on his. Suddenly there was a soft sensation on his left shoulder blade, a brush of even softer skin as her right hand slipped down a little further, toying with the skin just above his groin.
Cloud sucked in a breath as teasing fingers maddeningly stroked his skin. He closed his eyes. He was harder then he'd ever been before, and craving release now. There was no way Aeris could miss his body's reaction to her now. Her hand moved then, sliding along the waistband of the briefs and around onto his back. The warmth of her body faded then as he heard Aeris take a step backwards.
"Okay." She sounded slightly out of breath. Cloud opened his eyes and her reflected gaze caught his. She looked flushed. "I think you can manage the dress on your own; just be careful not to smudge the make-up! Do you want me to help with the wig?" Her stilted talking smoothed rapidly even as Cloud still felt at a loss for words.
"N-no. I think I can get that."
She smiled then and pushed through the curtain, as Cloud slumped against the wall for a moment. His mind raced with how close she had come to touching him, teasing him and how he'd wanted her to drop her hand just a little lower. He pushed the thoughts out of his mind. As enjoyable as it had been, he had a basic issue with hiding his masculinity like this, and being turned on was not going to help. He took another deep breath, and dropped into a short, contained kata to re-centre himself. He softened, the briefs less constrictive and the bulge less obtrusive. Better.
Carefully he stepped into the dress, pulling it up and onto his shoulders. He stared at himself a moment then. The tailor had known what he was doing when he cut the dress. Cloud's own slim physique was assisted by the carefully chosen seams and lines of the dress. Even without the wig he looked like his hypothetical sister. "Miss Cloud, huh?" he murmured staring at himself. He pulled the wig on, tucking stray tufts of hair under the elasticated band, added the tiara on top and spritzed the perfume around himself. He almost wanted to laugh; that was no longer Cloud Strife in the mirror, it was instead the stunningly attractive Miss Cloud.
Taking another deep breath he pushed the curtain open and walked out into the main shop, his eyes catching the delighted face of Aeris.
"Not bad. Not bad at all," said the tailor, eyes watching him carefully as he moved.
"You're right," his daughter chipped in, checking Cloud over. "Should we try and get into this market?" Her father nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah I think we will. That was an interesting challenge."
The girl beamed at Cloud. "Thanks for giving us the inspiration for something new. You can have the dress on the house!"
"Thank you," Aeris said as she watched him stride awkwardly. "Cloud, walk more nicely. Like this." She walked past him, moving normally as he watched the motions of her hips and legs.
"...nicely?" echoed Cloud, before at first awkwardly and then with increasing confidence he replicated her motions.
Aeris still looked a little red as she watched him. "You are a cute one Miss Cloud..." Her gaze flitted around the room. "I want a dress too. Do you have one that will look good on me?" The shopkeeper and his daughter suggested a few different dresses, before Aeris abruptly seized on a shimmery red dress hanging towards the back of the store. "This one I think." She paused a moment, before pulling a pair of matching shoes from the floor. "I'm going to try it on."
She carried the dress to the changing room before addressing the room. "No peeking!" Her gaze lingered on Cloud as she spoke and just before she pushed the curtain closed, she winked at him.
Aeris caught Cloud's eye just as she pushed the curtain closed, and then hung the dress up. Despite her words, she truly would not have minded the SOLDIER peeking, or helping her get ready in the same way she had assisted him. The thought of him standing behind her, his arms around her gave her a pleasurable little shiver. She paused a moment in case he would pick up her hint, but no; the curtain remained undisturbed. Admittedly this was probably not the best place to get hot and heavy anyway, not least as they were working to a decidedly vague time-limit. But she'd been unable to resist that slight touch just minutes ago. She smiled at the memory as she slipped her jacket from her shoulders, and pulled open the first few buttons on her dress. She pulled it over her head, before pulling both of her boots off with her heels. She folded her clothes carefully and packed them into the bag alongside Cloud's belongings.
She gazed at her dress for a moment, pleased with her choice but now noting that its thin straps would not conceal her bra. She unhooked the garment and dropped it into the bag, leaving her half naked in the changing room. Ah, for Cloud to come in right now. She spared another glance towards the curtain, but he failed to appear on cue. With a sigh she removed the dress from its hanger and stepped into it. The material was cool and soft against her skin, a unfamiliar, but deliciously tactile luxury contrasted with her comfortable yet worn sun dress. It clung in the just right places, accenting her chest with the assistance of the low cut neckline. The slitted skirt ended just below her knees and swished as she moved, the motion revealing a little more leg as she did so. Almost perfect. Looking at herself critically in the mirror Aeris decided her braid really didn't suit the dress. She carefully undid the ribbon, letting the tiny sphere of materia drop into her hand as she teased the coiled hair out. It would have looked better if she'd had a hairbrush, but she made do with her fingers as she combed her long hair as straight as possible.
The previously coiled hair cascaded in a slightly wild wave down her back. It looked okay she eventually decided as she tugged at a few more knots. She slipped the materia back into the ribbon as she retied it around her hair giving her a loose ponytail. Aeris turned to the side watching the way her hair moved and how it looked looked along-side the red dress. She gazed at her new clothing. Had she really chosen this purely to get inside the mansion, or was this another way of signaling to Cloud just what she wanted from him? She smiled at herself then; it could so easily be both. She'd already made the decision that he wouldn't slip away from her again, not after he had nearly managed it earlier that morning. That morning, before she'd slipped ahead of him waiting at the border of Sector Five, before that moment in the park, and before they'd seen Tifa in transit.
She stepped into the new red shoes. Heels were never her first choice of footwear around Midgar, especially when fleeing the Turks was once again something she needed to bear in mind, but here again, her boots simply did not fit with her new dress. She appraised herself in the mirror again. This would work. And with Cloud looking as gorgeous as he did... Gathering her bag up she pushed open the curtain and walked out into the shop. Cloud simply stared as she walked out, his eyes trying vainly to avoid her cleavage after first running from her head to her toes and back again.
"So. How do I look?" She asked with a quirking smile. Cloud flushed and shook his head. "You're no fun," she teased as the owner's daughter let out a quiet breath.
"That dress is really somethin'" she murmured as her father chimed in.
"It looks really good on you."
"I love it." Aeris turned and smiled at them both. "Thank you both so much. You're really helped us out." She turned to her companion. "Ready to go Miss Cloud?"
Cloud awkwardly nodded, a frown appearing on his face for a moment as he concentrated on his movements before they stepped out into the bustling heart of Wall Market. They both got a lot more attention now. Men's heads turned as if drawn by magnets as they passed them; eyes constantly flicking to her chest and legs before rising to her face accompanied by salacious looks and shouted vulgar compliments. Cloud certainly did not escape similar attention and despite his discomfort she was glad. She'd been completely right; Cloud not only passed easily for a woman, he was now actively beautiful.
Now they had made themselves far too attractive to the local populace, Aeris simply wanted to get back out of sight again and get this rescue over with. "To the mansion then?" she asked as she fidgeted, adjusting the bag over her shoulder.
"Just got one thing to take care of first," Cloud replied, trying hard to avoid catching anyone's eye. He shifted the sword he held in one hand, trying to keep his body between it and any passers by. "I don't think I'd be able to get away with carrying this in with us - I need to hide it somewhere."
She nodded and followed Cloud then as he threaded through the sector towards one of the outlying areas. Normally she would always avoid Wall Market if at all possible, but on the unfortunate occasions she did wind up here, she certainly avoided the dingier and less trafficked areas. Fortunately she was not alone this time, and for all Cloud's disguise, she had little doubt he could deal with anything they encountered. They eventually reached one of the large walls that split this sector off from the neighboring Sector Seven, the same walls that once delineated the borders of a village. The throb of music had faded slightly and the foot traffic reduced to a few hurrying shapes in the gloom around them. Not a place to dawdle.
Cloud surveyed a shadowy corner beside huge red graffiti that towered above them. "Here," he murmured before lifting the sword and ploughing it deep into the ground. The blade passed seemingly effortlessly into the hardened concrete, a good proportion of the blade now buried.
"Are you sure it'll be safe here?" Aeris asked looking at Miss Cloud.
"As long as another SOLDIER doesn't run across it, I doubt it. Besides, these things are mass produced by Shinra. Seeing one lying around shouldn't alert anyone."
She nodded thoughtfully and as he turned to head for the mansion she stopped him.
"Cloud... Can we... talk a moment?"
He turned, and she couldn't help but admire him as a girl all over again. His seemingly perfect physique, his blonde hair, the already feminine face enhanced by make-up to be that much more attractive. "What is it?" he asked as she studied him.
Aeris drew in a breath and stepped forward. "I need to tell you some things about me. I like you Cloud. I really like you. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. Even if you did try and run off." Cloud smiled embarrassed and ducked his head. The flower girl continued, "But in spite of that, before we get any more involved, you need to know that my last relationship didn't end quite right. I know I said we weren't serious. I know I should just forget about him and move on, but... I just... can't."
She paused a moment watching Cloud carefully as his face fell slightly before the disappointment evaporated and he started to speak. "Aeris, I-"
She shook her head. "It's okay. Cloud; I'm not looking for love or romance or commitment at the moment. But I'm not just looking for friendship either." She took another step closer. "I meant what I said last night." Another step. "I wanted you to stall this morning until my mother was gone." A final step and she was right beside him. "I don't want love, but I do want company. I want to feel good again, and I want you to help me."
Fingers now reached out to touch the waist of his dress and then her fingertips darted lightly up to his chest, in between his fake breasts. His heart was hammering in his chest, and looking up at his face she could just about see the hints of a blush beneath the make-up. His body was already saying 'yes', but she needed him to say it first. "Will you help me, Cloud? Will you..." She played coy, hoping it would still coax the response she wanted. "Sleep with me?" she continued.
He inhaled again then, a sharp breath, his face fighting a smile that threatened to overwhelm his features. "Yes," he said simply. Her body reacted, a flush of excitement ignited like fire across her face, sweeping down her neck and onto her chest. A wonderful thrill flooded her belly, and deep within her an itch craved attention. She was so very much aware of a need to be touched, and soon. She smiled back at him.
"Thank you, Cloud." She leaned into him then, lips touching his for a second, as she nudged them open with her own and darted her tongue into his mouth. Their first kiss. Irritatingly brief for them both as she quickly stepped back, laying a restraining hand on his chest as he tried to lean towards her. "Just for now. Just for now. It wouldn't do to mess up all that make-up before we've rescued Tifa." She reached for his hand, fingers lacing with his. "Once this is done... We'll arrange a time to meet?"
He nodded then, his eyes now burning with desire. An eager smile spread across her face as Aeris lead Cloud back into the main part of Wall Market and towards Don Corneo's mansion.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-17 12:01 (UTC)The moving around of paragraphs for the first chapter makes things seem a bit awkward sometimes? Actually in the first case (Cloud fixates on Aerith as he falls asleep, then wakes up, then thinks about his dream) I don't know if it's maybe just me, like... I just expect Cloud falling asleep to actually be said somehow before noting his waking, though it was implied he was going to. But it's not too bad.
In Aerith's section this is really glaring though, as you have her masturbating and then in the next paragraph implying she'd slept ("she'd been awake for a while now"), but the first sentence reads as though she's getting abruptly surprised *as* she's fantasizing because there's no buffer between "She needed this right now" and "The sound of the front door caught Aerith's attention and she started."
"Well, no problems with her interest there. Her mother did note the time however, and she had to agree that she didn't relish wandering through Sector Six when night fell. Well, with"
A bit repetitive with the "well,".
In chapter two "custom made" should be "custom-made" since "custom made" is a possible phrase with a different meaning (I kept catching "Custom made for him to pass as a girl" as I scrolled as if there was some sort of tradition for having Cloud crossdress. Though goodness knows that's actually true for the fandom...)
"bee girl's handiwork" should be "bee girls' " as you've got more than one of them working on Cloud. And on that note I am really, really amused by the description of the dressing room and Cloud becoming horny and flustered with the girls not letting on any discomfort they might feel.
"Despite your remarkable make-up job, I still think you'd give a better impression with some breasts of your own."
lmfao yes. Maybe a good idea. I like this line, then followed by Cloud wondering how they got the panties without thinking about that before. And I do like how even Aerith gets worked up and flustered in the dressing room (it HAS been a while for her and she's being pretty daring) but recovers more quickly.
"As enjoyable as it had been, he had a basic issue with hiding his masculinity like this, and being turned on was not going to help."
Another line I like. AND VERY TRUE. Though actually, the next line--with him dropping into a "short, contained kata"--had me instantly thinking the first time I read this, "Is he doing squats?" That is pretty much Zack's (and a bit Cloud's by inheritance) stress release of choice in the original game. So my personal vote is on him doing squats, unless that'd be TOO uncomfortable at first with his bulge (...I can kind of see Cloud forcing himself anyway but ymmv). At least it might be a bit helpful to explain what the kata entails that he's able to do it in a dressing room without getting any comment from Aerith or the others outside. ...
squatsOkay moving onI was so amused at Aerith repeatedly peeking back to see if Cloud will join her in the dressing room. No, Aerith, Cloud is being a gentleman. ...In a dress.
Given how conspicuous the Buster sword is, I wonder if it should be included in the populace's reactions to Aerith and Miss Cloud? Like, they're getting catcalls and all, but a few catcalls stop abruptly with the people surprised at the weapon, or someone might even outright ask Cloud what "she's" doing with an unwieldy sword, they've got one she'd find easier to handle right-- Cloud has a tic under his eye and Aerith is cheerfully hooking her arm under his and dragging him away before he might decide to show how he can handle his sword just fine
"Are you sure it'll be safe here?" Aeris asked looking at Miss Cloud.
"As long as another SOLDIER doesn't run across it, I doubt it."
Should be "As long as another SOLDIER doesn't run across it, I think so" or "I doubt another SOLDIER will run across it" (so implying that it doesn't matter if anyone else does due to the weight). But he's not doubting that the sword will be safe there.
...I am kind of torn about how Aerith addresses the elephant in the room. "Before we get any more involved" implies that they ARE going to get involved or were heading that way, and though the reader knows Cloud's plenty tempted by the offer he still hasn't AGREED to it, even in his own thoughts, and he hasn't reciprocated. It's certainly possible to be turned on while still having doubts about it, pretty much how you have later on "His body was already saying 'yes' but she needed him to say it first." Like, even though she asks, it feels both a bit too assuming and a bit too honest as well about why she doesn't want romance at this point.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-17 20:34 (UTC)Curse my use of filler words!
Many thanks for the spelling and punctuation catches as always! I think I need to sit down and re-learn some of the technical stuff all over again. Heh - glad the honeybee girls' effect on Cloud was amusing (though I note from re-reading the script that in game they are concerned he's burst into the changing room. Buuut, I like the way this works and how it contributes to Cloud's horniness so I'll stick with this way).
The whole fake breasts thing was a sudden realisation as Cloud was getting dressed up - and one of the odder omissions of the whole gathering materials side-quests (and on that note, Cloud was going to wind up with the generic lingerie rather then the bikini briefs until I checked the Ultimania and found the images for both and that rather then panties, its a barely there negligee thing and somewhat more daring then Cloud is likely to go in for. Even given his current state of dress).
Ah! The kata *is* him doing squats... I just didn't want to actually put the word 'squats' in there for some reason. But yeah, that is the first thing that sprang to my mind as I realised he needs to get himself distracted and fast. So, yeah I'll make that clearer (discomfort might also help Cloud get himself under control again as well...)
Well, Cloud is either being a gentleman, or just really not comfortable with having sex in cramped changing room with the propriator and his daughter just outside. But yeah, also a gentleman. In a dress.
...ah. yeah I did gloss over Miss Cloud with the Buster Sword; I like the idea of the sleazy cat-calls relating to that, and the surprise "she's" lifting it (I suppose some could dismiss it as a fake...). And heh - yeah Aeris needs to get him out of there before he can demonstrate his weapon skills...
Ack! Yeah, completely the wrong wording on that line about the sword! That was really dumb.
...ah. I confess at this point that Aeris's line "Before we get any more involved" is an overlooked hold-over from the first draft where Aeris went a *little* bit further one touch a bit further then she got now) and so things had effectively gotten a lot more personal between them. So that line should have changed along with that. I'll downplay the why she doesn't want romance reason as well...
no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 10:43 (UTC)The girls ARE concerned about him bursting into the room, but it's debatable how much Cloud catches since most of that's "(dialogue)" lines iirc (indicating they're likely whispered/pretty sure ones like "pooch" are just thought ) and Cloud doesn't react to them. It's possible that they're concerned but trying to turn things around on Cloud by embarrassing him and proving for themselves that he isn't any more than a hapless weirdo who doesn't know how to handle women. (...the potential accuracy in this is... well, it's not the kindest way to look at Cloud. XD;)
...Actually looking at the lines of one exchange too I'm kind of wondering if Cloud is really just that plain blind about social cues or appropriate behavior because the woman's actually all nervous about saying hello and he's like "oh yeah let me introduce myself all suave and cool" and it's like "Cloud gtfo of their changing room already". I SINCERELY THINK HE DOESN'T GET IT. Like, this is Cloudovision before we even get to Kalm and he thinks he's doing okay while Aerith is like "Cloud, wtf". So I mean. I think it'd be kind of fun to spin it so that this is sincerely how Cloud perceives the situation, he doesn't realize the girls are nervous and he thinks them going about their business is a lot more confident and teasing than they really feel, with maybe some kind of subtle indication for the reader to pick up that no, he was wrong.
...And then I kind of worry about myself finding it fun because a guy not perceiving that a girl's uncomfortable/thinking she's teasing when she's just trying to get her own stuff done is how some genuinely bad interactions for women occur so um. Treat this whole suggestion with a BIG grain of salt and feel free to ignore it and play the dressing room as the Honey Bee Inn girls being genuinely confident around Cloud without the what Cloud perceives/what's actually going on weirdness. Pretty much random idea since the canon dressing room DOES bring up that bit of discomfort for women buuuuut not necessarily fun for sex fic...
...Oh lol 'barely there negligee' sounds even more hilarious for Miss Cloud outfit (and makes me remember the weird Cloud in rp who wore pink lingerie for Zack out of the blue, it wasn't requested, and got mad when Zack laughed), but I can see why you might avoid that for the sex fic. I mean, unless Cloud realizes when he wears the dress that he really does like the feel of silky fabric... ... ... my brain's wandering massively because there actually has been fic of Cloud discovering he has a kink for silky/girly clothing (from a kinkfic fest, I have no idea how to find it again, but it concludes on the note of him wearing lingerie under his typical clothing as he rides Fenrir and feeling self-conscious but oddly aroused) and. Heh. BUT YES unless he discovers a sudden kink for silk and lace and slinky things probably should stick with the boxers. And yeah logically he could probably use a little bit of padding in his dress up there.
...Ah! Well, it's good that squats are at least what you meant to suggest XD Yeah, I'd really suggest switching "kata" to "squats" (or... if there is another way to smoothly describe squats, that...?) as kata being a Japanese word is going to make people think you're alluding to something that is more Japanese (like a martial arts form or something). Squats are... they're squats. They're everywhere!
Well, Cloud is either being a gentleman, or just really not comfortable with having sex in cramped changing room with the propriator and his daughter just outside.
Admittedly I didn't think that Cloud would think that going into the dressing room would lead to sex-- I picture if Cloud did it his mindset would be fighting fire with fire and trying to get Aerith a little more worked up so she realizes how serious it'll get if she keeps teasing him! (... so now that I've actually thought this out, it pretty much reads as "Cloud accidentally winds up having sex in the dressing room because he wound up Aerith too much as warning HER not to wind him up"... oh Cloud. But no they have to find Tifa so he's just not going to go in there at all.)
I'm kind of amused to consider what people might think a girl is carting a sword around in Wall Market for, even if they think it's a prop. Especially if they think it's a prop. ("What kind of roleplay is that?" "Oh, boy, that president who keeps visiting the inn is pulling out all the stops tonight, huh.")
Ahhh, the line being a holdover makes sense.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 21:55 (UTC)Cloud (not much of a change):
He sighed then as his mind latched onto the connotations of both 'Aeris' and 'bed', and the appealing combination they made. With a last thought of emerald green eyes, he fell asleep.
Aeris:
She needed this right now; her mind conjured up images of Cloud lying beside her running his hands and tongue across her body before sliding between her legs and slipping inside her. Her orgasm came quick and intense, her gasp of pleasure stifled by her hand before she lay still, sated for now. She lazily anticipated the pleasurable possibilities of the next morning as she grew increasingly drowsy and finally fell asleep.
The sound of the front door closing woke Aeris abruptly. Had that been Cloud leaving? She strained her ears for further noises, faintly catching the crunch of boots on the path outside. Flinging her bed clothes aside she got dressed hurriedly. She was not going to be left behind. She threw open her door and hurried down the stairs, not caring about the noise. She paused only to snatch her staff up from beside the door as she ran out into Sector Five, taking the more secret backways and shortcuts to get ahead of the SOLDIER.
Hmmm... I think I will keep the Bee girls as they are in the end - I think it feels right that they might be jaded about anyone seeing them naked/half-naked especially given the heavily implied nature of where they work - and yeah having Cloud make them uncomfortable obliviously might strike a bit of an unwanted tone. That said, OGC its very easy to see that Cloud is totally blind to the social cues and that is why he is able to walk right in without a second thought.
I did kind of consider letting Cloud wear the negligee like that (and there is a right-seemingness to the idea that after this episode Cloud really does discover he likes a kink for silky/girly clothing - and the idea he's wearing it under his normal clothing. ...by this point I have to wonder if there is a Rocky Horror crossover somewhere...). That said the negligee feels a little incongrous to his costume - this is a weird thought process, but... if Cloud wears the negligee then presumably he keeps his normal underwear on; thereby mashing together two clearly unmatching underwear styles. Its not as if he is expecting anyone to see under his dress, so wearing the negligee with no real possibility of it being seen feels wasteful (unless Cloud decides to go commando, but, I really can't see him comfortable doing that in this situation), so he's prepared to go as far as the bikini briefs, but doesn't want them seen either, but at least that won't look incongrous.
I clearly put way too much thought into that.
Haha! Squats now mentioned by name to make it clear.
...the idea of Cloud and Aeris winding up having sex in the changing room because they both wind each other up a bit too far is really amusing - but for another fic somewhere I think (and reminds me of a sketch I saw of a guy in an office asking his co-worker out. She tells him they don't know anything about each other, and he tells her that's the point of the date. Then she subsequently lets slip little details as he gets flustered and keeps asking her to save it for the date so they have something to talk about. Eventually it culminates in her just saying "I'll ride you so hard tonight.")
Ah! Actually given the roleplay in the Honeybee Inn, its tempting to have people make that connection and that President Shinra is somewhat notorious for heading over there with lackeys ferrying Larp gear, so obviously the girl in purple is part of his group.
...and here's the amended end of Aeris's section of chapter 2, which is hopefully a little less forward/little less honest about Zack:
Aeris drew in a breath and stepped forward. "I like you Cloud. I really like you. I've enjoyed the time we've spent together. Even if you did try and run off." Cloud smiled, embarrassed and ducked his head.
"Aeris, I-"
She took another step closer and interrupted him. "I meant what I said last night." Her tone was warm as she took another step. "I wanted you to stall this morning until my mother was gone." A final step and she was right beside him. "I'm not looking for love or commitment, but I do want company, not just friendship. I want to feel good again, and I want you to help me... if you're interested."
Fingers now reached out to touch the waist of his dress and then her fingertips darted lightly up to his chest, in between his fake breasts. He hadn't responded, but his heart was hammering in his chest, and looking up at his face she could just about see the hints of a blush beneath the make-up. His body was already saying 'yes', but she needed him to say it first. "Will you help me, Cloud? Will you..." She played coy, hoping it would still coax the response she wanted. "Sleep with me?" she continued.
He inhaled again then, a sharp breath, his face fighting a smile that threatened to overwhelm his features. "Yes," he said simply. Her body reacted, a flush of excitement ignited like fire across her face, sweeping down her neck and onto her chest. A wonderful thrill flooded her belly, and deep within her an itch craved attention. She was so very much aware of a need to be touched, and soon. She smiled back at him.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 23:17 (UTC)I'm not sure why I said boxers when I meant the bikini briefs. ...Honestly both underwear seem problematic when thought about seriously because Cloud shouldn't intend for them to be seen PERIOD; the very basic issue with the negligee (...isn't it underwear? Looking at that pic I don't see why he'd wear anything under) and bikini briefs are that if someone's seeing the bottom half, they're going to realize a-ha~ ...that's a penis in there, wtf. Really the only reason I can imagine underwear is even relevant in the dressing sidequest is the idea that the bra of the lingerie can be glimpsed a bit, or maybe that it's just better shaped than whatever stand-in bra they would have had to use otherwise, since Corneo would be able to see that...
...ff7 leads to so many weird tangents of discussion XD
Hahah that sketch sounds great. Another thing for another fic though on the dressing room, yeah.
I want to strike off the "not just friendship" as not really necessary, but that's a quibble and otherwise I'm totally on-board with the change to Aerith's question to Cloud.
no subject
Date: 2013-06-21 23:39 (UTC)Huh - that lingerie image is quite different to the one in the Ultimania scan I have (at least I assumed it was the lingerie; its in the section with the Wall Market items and beside the bikini briefs). Can't find an image on Google - basically its a very revealing negligee which is open at the front. It might have been updated or altered from another book source.
Haha! So true, FFVII does lead to weird tangents like that... I do wonder if the creators ever put half as much thought into what and why Cloud was collecting those items...
Glad the other changes worked as well - I might remove the "not just friendship" line as well.