Two Souls Over Cosmo

An hour, maybe two, had passed. The darkness was still prevailing over the canyon, but the faintest hint of sunlight had started to creep over the horizon. By their estimates, it was slowly reaching 3 a.m. Time for them, however, did not seem to matter as much. Aeris had stretched herself out on the bed and was drifting in and out of consciousness. Red, meanwhile, had joined her, laying with his two front paws on her stomach and his head atop them. While he was sure he had dozed off at times, he had spent the better part of this time staring at Aeris. The conversation had played in his head over and over, and those words would not leave his mind.

Do you possess these feelings for me? Because I think I possess them for you.

You do? Red, I --

I still don’t know exactly what these feelings are or what they mean, but I know that I feel them very strongly. I also know that, whatever they are, I don’t want them to go away.

Red, stay with me. I know you’re leaving come morning, but tonight, I want you to stay with me. OK?

“Yeah.”

Aeris mumbled something before her eyes fluttered open. “Mmm, Red?”

Her voice startled him ever so slightly. “I’m sorry, Aeris. I didn’t wake you, did I?”

“No, Red, it’s all right,” she said, lifting herself up on her elbows. “I think being awake is best for me right now. I can sleep whenever, but I don’t know when I’m going to be able to do this again.”

Gently, he lifted himself off of her stomach and set his weight down on the bed itself. “Have you had any time to think about these feelings?”

“I think so. Have you?”

Red nodded in response. “I’ve had plenty of time to think in between watching you sleep. These feelings, is this what you call love?”

“I…think so, yes.” She pulled herself up to a sitting position and swung her legs over the bed. “Like I said earlier, we share a deep connection with each other. We’re fighting for a reason, and we’re both here in this room for another reason. I cared for Zack, but we were never very serious. I really cared for him, but I don’t think I ever experienced this level of feeling for him.” She gazed back at him and flashed a warm, caring smile. “Red, I think this is love.”

“I…think so, too.”

Silence prevailed once again in the room as the two let the ramifications of their words sink in. The single window in the room let a cool, gentle breeze through. It floated across the stone floor and crept up the side of the bed, brushing across their faces. Although the night was still in command, the daylight would not be denied forever.

“Red, do you have to stay?”

He sighed and set his chin down on his paws. “I don’t think I could carry on if I left and knew that my grandfather and my people were not in the best care. I originally came to protect the legacy destroyed by my father, but now that I know what he really left behind…I’m not so sure.” Closing his eyes, he began to reflect on the events of the night and the implications of choosing a path to take. “My grandfather can’t live forever -- no one can. When he’s gone, who is going to take care of this place? I’m my father’s son. I am Nanaki, son of Seto, and this Canyon has to be mine to protect.”

“…and what about me?”

“I care very deeply for you, Aeris, but I can’t ask you to stay here with me. You’re traveling with Cloud and the others for a reason, and that reason is Sephiroth. I have every reason to hate him too, but…the others need you. They need you more than I do. Besides, what would they think if we…I mean, you know what I mean. I think that I have to stay.” He sighed again and added quite softly, “Regardless of how I feel, I have to.”

“Red.”

When he opened his eyes, he found his head being lifted up by her hands. Her tired eyes glinted in the moonlight, and beneath them he could see an expression mixed with many emotions. Seeing her face so close, he could feel those feeling welling up inside of him again and he knew that it was not an illusion. These emotions were real.

Her hands are so soft…

“Red, it might be my naïveté speaking here, but I don’t care what everyone else thinks; what matters is what we think.” She lazily stroked his cheek with her fingers, revealing more in that gesture than she thought she wanted to. “Red, if you have to stay, I know that you think it’s what’s best. However -- and forgive me for saying so, but -- I know I’m going to sound so selfish saying this, but I don’t want to think that this night is going to be it. After all we’ve said, all we’ve shared, and all we’ve felt…are you telling me that this is it?”

“Aeris, it’s not,” he assured her. “It’s never going to be the end, never.” Staring into her eyes only made his tongue thicker, and even he could feel his voice crack against the strain. He averted his eyes to the side. “I just know that I’m needed here. But as long as I am, as long as I exist, I also know that you’re needed with me. Aeris, I need you.” Finding the strength to reassert his gaze, he turned to face her again. “Aeris, I lo--”

When their eyes met, Aeris brought herself in faster than she could process the thought. Her lips pressed against his jaws, and she was surprised to find them warm and inviting. She could feel the strength of his teeth, but he was soft and gentle. While he was surprised at first, he soon gave in and pursed his lips the best he could. Letting his instincts take over, he parted his lips ever so slightly and snaked his tongue past his teeth and hers. Accepting it with earnest, she let her tongue explore his. She was shocked at his long and rough his tongue was, but the way he handled it showed he had a great deal of control over it. The entire kiss may have lasted for no more than ten seconds, but to them time was standing still.

They snapped away from each other as quickly as they had snapped toward each other. A dazed look mingled with confusion splayed across their faces as they sat, staring across the bed at each other. At the same time, they quickly looked away.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted.

“Don’t be,” he shakily assured her. “I don’t…I mean, I didn’t mind.”

She let out a quivering laugh. “You know, neither did I.” She brushed the loose hair out of her eyes and turned back to him. His red eyes still burned with that fire that she now found quaintly attractive. “Red, if you had to stay here, I’m glad that this night happened. I knew there was a reason that I’d gone outside, and I’m glad that I did.”

“For what it’s worth, Aeris, I’m glad that you did as well.”

Settling on a small but meaningful smile, she pulled his muzzle back towards her face and kissed him again. This one was better put together, as they both knew what to do with their lips and tongues. This was also deeper than before. Their tongues eagerly explored each other, tracing the texture and touching in an intimate way that brought them closer together. Her hands went to his jowls, feeling their strength with her fingers. She could feel his sharp, piercing teeth with her tongue, and she had seen what they could do. They had ripped enemies apart before and torn material stronger than what most people could even hope to damage. Yet these razor sharp instruments were perfectly in check, and all his true gentleness shone through. That twinge in her mind stuck out, but for the moment, all she wanted was him next to her.

He felt her hands leave his jaw line, and he waited as she brought them to stroke his back and sides. While he normally hated being treated like a dog, he knew that this was hardly her intention. Although she may have felt naïve, he knew that she was smart and mature enough to look past his beastly appearance. She knew what he had inside, he was sure of it. All he needed was the knowledge that she felt the same about him that he felt about her, regardless of what their species said was tolerable. He knew how he felt.

Aeris…

Red…no, Nanaki…

In my wildest dreams, I never thought…

I’m lucky to know you, and because of you, I’m happy…