herobydefault | [Voice]

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...who all was in Sigmund's group?

[Locked to Denzel//70% Unhackable]

Do me a favor Denzel, no midnight snowmen for a while, all right?

[Locked to Tifa, Vincent and Cid//75% Unhackable]

Have either of you found any materia in the shops at all?

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[There would be tons and tons more awkwardness. Luckily Aerith tends to barrel through awkward and Cloud hasn't come up as a subject...too much. ...But that would probably make it much more awkward.]

Is the hardship understanding that his father loves two different people, or other people talking to him about it? If it's about what other people say, it's none of their business and they don't need to know. [She hardly went out announcing her heritage, she can keep things quiet.]

[It's so tempting. So, so tempting, to just continue what he has with Aerith and Zack and...keep it quieter than before. He could have them, but he wouldn't have to explain himself to Denzel or Tifa. It would be wonderful.

But.] ...I wouldn't feel right keeping this a secret.

I didn't mean...[Not everyone. If it did happen, Tifa would have to find out, wouldn't she? Eventually--they wouldn't tell her abruptly, of course, it'd be a shock, but--

So that was what Cloud was afraid of.

Her shoulders slump and she opens her mouth before biting her lip hard.]

You didn't mean what?

"Everyone". Not forever. [She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, glancing away for a second before she looks back at him again and shrugs. Her face is still tense around the mouth.] Let's leave things alone for now, okay? I don't think it'll help to keep talking about it.

...you meant Tifa and Denzel.

[Well this goes against the "not talking about it anymore" but Aerith starts to nod, and then--pauses. Confused.] ...They would need to be told at some point. [She's just making sure they have who's going in the "do not tell" group straight. Tifa and Denzel do not go in there, it would be disastrous.] It's a little awkward, otherwise. [Also s'up there's some stuff still on her bed, cleaning that up now.]

[Cloud doesn't move, but watches her.] I'm not ashamed of you. Either of you.

[He gets to see her falter when he says that. ...She wants to believe him; not sure if she does.] We haven't done anything to be ashamed of.

Maybe not. [Cloud looks away, back down at his hands.] But people...they have ideas put into their heads, from the day they're born. It's easy to say that we're right and everyone else is wrong, but...whether or not it's true doesn't matter. Even if we kept it secret just from them, they would find out eventually and be hurt by it.

I care about you and Zack. But I care about Denzel and Tifa, too. I know you and Zack can manage without me...but I don't know that Denzel can. If he's upset by what I'm doing, he'll pull away from me. I can't risk that happening. [And he looks at her again.] I'm not ashamed of you or Zack. ...but I'm not ashamed to call myself his guardian, either. It's unfair to the both of you, but you can handle it. He can't.

[Thinking about when she was a child...she can see how she might've pulled away from Elmyra if her adoptive mother was doing something she didn't understand. She can't think of anything to say to argue it, but as saddening as that is, she's also reassured by the reasoning. She finally looks back at him and reaches for one of his hands, grasping it lightly.] Okay. I get it.

[Thank Holy.

Cloud lets out a breath he hadn't known he was holding, closing his eyes and lifting her hand to touch it to his forehead. After a moment he murmurs, not moving.] I'm glad Zack has you with him.

[Cloud lifting her hand prompts Aerith to step closer and lean forward, her lips pursing for a brief second. She brushes his bangs when she hears him speak.] I'm glad he has me with him, too. And I'm glad I have him. None of us will be alone...it'll be different, but not so bad! [...She wants to get some fussing in, just in case.]

And something might change. [He tilts his head into her hand when she touches his hair.] For the better, I mean.

You believe that, right?

...maybe not believe, not always. But hope for it, at the very least.

Had to ask. You sounded so down before, it was depressing. But hoping is good too.

I always sound down.

That's what the "so" was for.

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