Fortune Foretold

To answer the last comment, YES, this actually WILL be updated. ^_^

Long boring story as to why it's taken so long that I'm not going to waste your time with. Instead, I present to you Chapter Five of Fortune Foretold.

DISCLAIMER: Y'all know the drill. ;-)

---------------------------

With his heart skipping a beat, Cloud Strife looked up. The Ecstasy was in sight, easily identifiable by the elaborate, ornate sign. As he looked at the well-dressed men and women entering the establishment, it was suddenly clear why a suit had been left on the plane.

The Ecstasy had a strict dress code, it seemed.

Fidgeting nervously with his cuffs, Cloud approached the maitre’d. The man standing in front of the restaurant looked somewhat hurried, but on top of things. Surely, he would know where the mysterious woman that sought his aid would be.

“Hello,” he said, greeting the man about as warmly as he could, eyes meeting his. “I’m here to meet someone.”

Recognition glinted in the eyes of the Ecstasy employee, as he gestured towards a nearby waiter.

“Ah, Mister Strife,” he responded, the practiced grin of a service employee on his face.
“Yes, your companion is here. Richard will escort you to your table.”

Cloud turned to face the well-dressed waiter, who urged him on with a simple “Follow me, please.” With no real choice otherwise, the former ShinRa soldier tightened his grip on his blade, and followed.

The giant weapon drew stares from patrons, but Cloud could have cared less. If anything out of the ordinary happened, he’d need it. After a few moments, Richard stopped by a table in the corner of the establishment, set off from the others.

“Right here,” Richard said. “Your companion stepped out to the ladies’ room for a moment, but she shall return shortly. Can I get you something to drink?”

“Water, please,” Cloud said, frowning slightly as he sat down in one of the two chairs. The waiter hurried off, allowing Strife to analyze the situation. Everything seemed to be in order. Two menus lay on the table, one opened, the other not. Next to the opened menu was a glass of water, slightly stained with lipstick.

With no other options, Cloud picked up his menu, standing it up on the table as he read through it. Wutaian and Junonian delights tempted his mind as the prices confirmed that this certainly was a high-class establishment.

Just as he pondered a filet of Behemoth, he heard someone walking towards him.

Click-click went what he presumed to be high-heels, the sounds growing louder by the second. He made no move to put the menu down. If negotiations were to follow, he had to act disinterested. It was impossible to negotiate from a position of power, after all, if his contact caught him drooling over the prospects of 1.4 million Gil.

Or, worse yet, drooling over her.

He shook his head, laughing to himself. It had been quite some time since he had allowed himself the luxury of going goggly-eyed over a female. With negotiations on tap for tonight, he figured that was going to continue.

Closer and closer the footsteps came, until they stopped. He heard a sharp intake of breath. Well, that was intriguing. Was his contact suddenly nervous?

Probably another star-struck citizen, getting knock-kneed over the prospect of meeting the man who’d saved them all.

It was thus a pleasant surprise that she spoke, in a calm, even tone.

“Hello, Cloud.”

“Good evening, mi--”

Odd, he thought to himself, cutting his greeting off in stride. That voice sounded awfully familiar. And he didn’t know all that many females. He ran them through his mind in turn. Yuffie? No, Yuffie’s voice was far chirpier. Tifa? No, thank God not. Thanks to how messy things had become, even the sound of her voice on the home movies they had shot together were enough to make his skin crawl.

That left one possibility.

No.

It couldn’t be.

Cloud had intended his menu to act as a shield. It was certainly earning its pay, as anyone able to see his face right now would see a mask of bewilderment. His mind began working overtime, trying to reconcile that voice with known fact.

Suddenly, his bizarre day was starting to make sense. The two extra goblets on Reeve’s desk. The fact that the jet had been primed and ready to go seemingly long before Cloud had even set foot in ShinRa HQ.

But if this all added up…it meant something impossible. His knuckles went white from the strain of holding the menu up. He couldn’t bring himself to lower it, due to a combination of fear and anticipation.

The familiar voice spoke again, filled with amusement and happiness.

“Put the menu down, silly,” she said. “I’d like to be able to actually, you know, look at you.”

Hands trembled as Cloud gave into the command, bit by bit.

The first thing he saw was long, brown hair, with a pink ribbon tying some of it up. He saw an angelic face that he hadn’t seen in what seemed like an eternity.

Furthermore, he saw a long, elegant pink gown, made of a shimmering material. It was slightly low-cut, reminding him somewhat of the attire she used to wear. He couldn’t see below her waist, or so, but from the sounds of her approach he knew that she was wearing high heeled shoes.

He saw a woman who was supposed to be dead.

Cloud blinked once, then again. Reached down to pinch his forearm and cried out in pain. This wasn’t a dream. This was real, somehow.

“Surprised,” Aeris asked, taking a seat in her chair and reaching across the table, to entwine her hands in his.

All Cloud could do was nod his head in shock.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

About an hour and a half later, the pair left the restaurant. As they walked back out into the Saucer, chatting cordially, Cloud spotted Cait Sith in the corner, reading the fortunes of another couple.

That reminded him. This entire thing had been set up. He really would have to go thank Cid later for all of this. Whatever reservations he had, he knew that Aeris was alive, and at his side.

Her hand reached for his, fingers locking together. The soft pressure felt far better than he could have imagined, resulting in the tightening of the suit pants that he wore.

“Already?!” he demanded of himself, almost unable to believe how aroused he was at simply holding hands with her. Cloud tried to hide his discomfort, but soon met Aeris’ amused gaze, a smile forming on her face as she saw the growing redness in his face.

A quick glance downwards, and her smile deepened.

Slender arms wrapped themselves around Cloud’s neck, as Aeris leaned up, lips dangerously close to his ear. Calmly, she whispered breathily into his ear.

“You know, I have a room here…”

His jaw dropped, prompting giggles from her. Somehow, Cloud Strife hadn’t yet managed to understand the ramifications of today’s events.

Obviously, Aeris didn’t have some mission of world-shattering importance. That had all been a pretense. So, why was he here then?

She’d sort of just answered that, in a fashion that made his toes curl with anticipation. The pleased smile on her face told him that clearly, Aeris was far more than an innocent flower girl. He’d known that, of course; and sometimes thought he was the ONLY one who knew that, but the facts being laid bare before him were more exciting than he could have imagined.

“Then let’s go to it,” he managed. It took all of his self control to not begin dragging her off towards the Ghost Hotel.

“Patience,” she replied, rewarding him with a bright smile. “There’s so much to do here! Don’t you want to…explore?”

She smiled, leaning forward to await his answer. Of course, this had the effect of allowing Cloud a far less encumbered view of her than he had ever experienced.

“I want to explore you,” he said, voice low. “And if you keep doing things like that, I don’t think I’m going to be able to resist.”

“That’s the idea,” came her response. “As much as I’d love to take you back to my room right now and let the fun begin, I have another idea. Something that will allow both of us to sate our desires after a lovely meal.”

When she put it like that, Cloud was all ears.

“Cloud,” she asked, grinning, “do you remember where the gondola is?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Were there a land speed record to cross the Gold Saucer to Round Square, it was likely that Cloud and Aeris broke it. Digging into his pocket, Cloud pulled out the Gil to cover their ride, and received the tickets. Aeris clung to his free arm, as the two looked like any of dozens of couples in the Saucer.

Like many of those couples, especially the younger ones, they were headed for one of the more private places in the loud, glittering amusement park.

An attendant held the door open for both of them, and both stepped inside. Rather than sitting on separate sides of the gondola, as they had a few years back, they sat next to one another. The door closed, and one of the most popular attractions in the Saucer was on its way.

“Remember this,” Aeris asked, smiling at the suit-clad Cloud. As attractive as he was in his usual attire, there was just something about a well-dressed man…

“I do,” Cloud replied, “and I remember how nervous I was too.”

“To think, a guy as handsome as you had never been on a date before,” she teased, reaching a hand up into his wild hair.

“I was flattered, though I might not have shown it at the time. A girl as pretty as you…”

His voice trailed off as her hand slipped down his head, wrapping around his neck.

“You know,” she drawled, leaning closer by the second. “I didn’t take you here to talk. We have a lifetime for that.”

“Oh?” he asked, feigning innocence. “Then what should we do while we’re here?”

She laughed, briefly, before looking him dead in the eyes. The desire hidden in them made her shiver with anticipation. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, seemingly. Perfect.

“Kiss me,” she said, voice full of longing, almost pleading with him. “Please?”

He wanted to ask her how he was supposed to resist, but more speaking didn’t seem to be the best idea right now. Not with a beautiful woman that was now pressing herself against him, demanding to be kissed.

So he kissed her. Really, it was sort of a no-brainer.

It wasn’t a deep kiss by any means. The moment their lips touched, however, would be burned into their minds. She was impossibly soft to Cloud’s mind, the second or two of contact beyond anything he could remember.

And then, it was over. Cloud pulled back, gauging Aeris’ reaction.

He was slightly upset to see that it was slightly underwhelmed.

“You KNOW that’s not what I meant,” she said, accusingly. “I wanted a real kiss. I guess I’ll just have to show you what I mean…”

With that, she was in his lap, pushing him back against the padded seat. Her eyes danced mischievously, before lowering her mouth forcefully to his. Cloud squeaked softly as she claimed him, holding him close as her tongue delved deeply into his mouth.

Part of his brain told him that he should have been surprised. But Cloud, seemingly, was the only one who recognized that Aeris wasn’t a wilting, fragile flower. It was a realization that he had been forced to come to, really.

Sure, he had saved her several times, but she was a competent and capable fighter in her own right, especially when equipped with the proper materia. She was also determined. After all, she had been the one to ask him on a date the last time they were here, not the other way around.

Finally, the need for air seemingly took over, and Aeris pulled back. They clung to one another as they gasped, eyes locked together, each seemingly trying to find the courage to speak.

“That,” the flower girl finally managed, “is a kiss…”

Her hands brushed the back of his neck as she waited for a response. Cloud, unfortunately, was still having difficulty putting together a coherent sentence. He was, somewhat thankfully, taken off the hook by the loud explosions of fireworks

“Oh, look!”

Aeris excitedly turned her head to see the fireworks out the window, inadvertently bouncing in Cloud’s lap as she did so. The gasp that came from deep within him was soft enough that he didn’t expect her to hear it, but as was generally happening on this particular day, he was surprised again.

Her attention was now on anything BUT the fireworks. A playful grin danced about her lips as she looked him dead in the eyes, before bouncing again gently.

This time, Cloud knew, it was intentional. His reaction, of course, was the same, if not a bit fiercer because of the intent gaze in her eyes. A delicious nervousness began to settle in the pit of his stomach, as the slayer of Sephiroth pondered his predicament.

It was amusing, almost. He had stared down perhaps the most evil man to ever disgrace the planet, and even then he hadn’t been quite this nervous.

“Do you like that,” she asked, mischievously, before placing her lips gently to his neck, licking and suckling upon the skin there like a favorite candy. Aeris’ hips eagerly pressed against his, beginning a gentle rocking motion that nonetheless had Cloud closing his eyes, desperately trying to hold onto what little control he could possibly retain in her presence.

Unconsciously, the speed of her rocking increased, forcing Cloud to finally snap out of his pleasure haze and place a hand on her shoulder.

“Pl-please…Aerith,” he managed, in between gasps, “I can’t…not here…”

To his relief (and consternation), she got his meaning.

“Awww, what’s wrong,” she teased, good-naturedly, sliding off of him easily to sit at his side. “Can’t handle an innocent little flower girl?”

There was nothing innocent about what had just happened. He knew it, and she knew it. She was bold enough to have stunned him, but his shock was equally due to the simple fact that she was here. Part of him wanted to know how this was possible. The rest of him couldn’t care less, as long as they got somewhere private very, very quickly.

Somehow, the former part won out.

“How…how are you here,” he asked, eyes wide with wonder at just the sight of her. It had been years since he had last laid eyes upon her. Sure, he had seen pictures and the like, but that couldn’t even remotely compare to see her living and breathing before him.

“I don’t know,” came the earnest answer. “Does it matter?”

“Not in the slightest.”

He smiled then, one of the first genuinely happy smiles that he could remember in ages. Cloud let an arm gently slide behind her, pulling her closer. She came with a happy squeak, letting her head rest on his shoulder, and nestle into his neck.

“Enough questions about me,” she whispered, loud enough for him to hear. “I have some for you.”

There was something in her tone of voice that made him swallow, hard. Considering the way things were going, it was unlikely that she was going to be asking him about current events in Midgar.

“Ever thought about me?”

The question snapped him from his thoughts. It was a no brainer. “Of course I’ve thought about--”

“You KNOW what I mean, Cloud,” she insisted, looking him in the eyes once again. It was a gesture that he couldn’t win against. “Ever thought about me romantically? You know, since…”

“Yes.”

At that, she grinned. “Ever…take matters into your own hands?”

His mouth dropped open in utter shock. Cloud stammered for a few, desperate moments, finally managing to spit out her name in astonishment.

“Aeris!”

She gave a small chuckle, teasing him with her eyes. “Oh come on, Cloud! You can admit it to me. Besides,” she added, letting her smile deepen, “I already know.”

THAT particular statement triggered the panic button. Cloud blushed a bright shade of crimson, turning his head away in embarrassment until she grabbed him by the chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes.

“Barrett told me,” she said nonchalantly. “And Cid. And Reeve. And everyone else you’ve shared an Inn room with. In fact, Vincent told me that when you saw him on a mission a few weeks ago, he walked in on you in the middle of the act, with a picture of me in your hands.”

“Oh, no…no…no….”

The look on his face was purely horror-stricken. She was never supposed to know about THAT! Guilt poured through him, at least, until he felt her grip on his chin tighten.

“Do you know what hearing that does to a girl,” she practically purred, leaning in for a brief, nipping kiss.

His eyes rolled back in his head momentarily. “When,” he asked, pleadingly, “does this gondola ride end?”

She shrugged her shoulders. “Pretty soon, I’d imagine. Why? You have somewhere else you’d rather be?”

His head nodded in the affirmative.

“A room,” Cloud managed. “A nice, private one. With you.”

A quick glance out the window confirmed in Aeris’ memory that the ride was indeed nearly over. Her grin turned wicked as she took his hand, interlacing its fingers with her own.

“I think,” she said, snuggling closer, “my love, that such a thing can be arranged.”

-------------------------------

One more chapter to go, folks. Last one's the big one.

I apologize to everyone who's been waiting for this, but I've got the last chapter about halfway finished. With any luck, Fortune Foretold will be fully told before September expires.

Comments appreciated as always.

-Sean