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Aerith's head spun as she trekked through the sand, ambling toward the villa. She roughly tugged her hand through her bangs as she stepped onto the boardwalk.

Hojo hadn't really told them anything, he'd only taunted them. He was totally out of his mind, judging by his treatment of her back in Midgar, so she hadn't known what she expected.

She was just so desperate for answers.

She wanted to know if Sephiroth was really her family. She'd always been told she was the last Ancient. But if there were more out there... Why was he opposing her and her friends? Was he? Cloud was so certain that Sephiroth was up to no good, and she couldn't help but trust him, if nothing else than for the wild look on his face when he'd asserted so. But... But...

It didn't make any sense. Shinra didn't make any sense, Sephiroth didn't make any sense...

Even Cloud didn't make any sense. Two boys with mako eyes, dressed in matching SOLDIER uniforms, wouldn't spontaneously fall through the same hole in her ceiling for no reason. The planet was trying to tell her something... But what?

She fell onto the rented bed with a huff, and curled into the covers on her side, eyes squeezed tightly shut. This was tiring. Her and her friends were at the beach! They should be having fun! When was the last time they'd had any fun..?

Being holed up on that boat in disguise had been exhausting, and now that they were here in Costa del Sol, they still weren't free to do anything but chase Sephiroth and interrogate perverted mad scientists on vacation.

The beach was beautiful, sparkling and glittering in the sunlight. Aerith wanted to swim. She wanted to play in the sand. She wanted to put sunscreen on Tifa. She didn't want to torture herself with questions anymore, swirling around in her head.

She hadn't even really been to the beach before, since they'd left Junon so quickly. Aerith had never left Midgar before this. She huffed, and shifted onto her back.

If JENOVA and Sephiroth were Ancients, didn't that mean she should feel closer to them? She couldn't understand them - she couldn't reach them at all. If anything, both of their presences terrified her, imposing and strange... but if they weren't Ancients, what else could they even be? Did Shinra make them?

Like clockwork, her mind wrapped around to another thought, one that'd been bugging her for weeks. Did Shinra make Cloud? Somehow, those scientists managed to turn a dead SOLDIER into a harpy who sat in her rafters for four years, so making Cloud didn't seem too far out of the question. But he'd known Tifa before, so...

Perhaps they'd just changed his memories, or something. To make him stronger, maybe. His behavior was just too uncanny, right? He'd told her how his higher ups used to treat him, and it sounded so off, so unlike Cloud, sounded so... Just like...

But that didn't make any sense. It didn't...

Footsteps creaked into the bedroom, heavy boots against the hardwood. She cracked her bleary eyes open, and pushed herself up onto her hands.

"Hey," Cloud greeted, cheeks and the freckled bridge of his nose mottled pink with sunburn. He seemed much more at ease, now that he was back in his SOLDIER uniform, stepping languidly towards where she lay on her bed. "You okay? Sorry about Hojo back there."

Aerith made a soft noise, then moved to scrub her face with her hands, as if to wake herself up.

"It's alright. I don't know why I'm so tired!" She lied cheerfully, as she leaned back on her hands and met Cloud's gaze once more, where it glowed a soft blue. She knew that Cloud worried about her when it came to Hojo. No wonder he came to check on her. He'd seen firsthand what Hojo had done, back in Midgar...

His light eyebrows drew together with concern, and wordlessly, Aerith figured she'd been caught. She drew her arms inward, and laid her hands in her lap, staring down at them as she futzed with the hem of her dress.

"There's just so many things I don't understand..." She explained, before she lifted her head, cocking it to the side with an apologetic smile. "I feel a little uneasy. That's all."

He glanced to the side, and nodded curtly, hovering. Aerith's eyes fluttered shut again, and she felt the bed dip with Cloud's weight. She listened to his steady breathing for a long moment, before opening her eyes, only to find him staring into space.

Whatever the case, Cloud knew Sephiroth better than she did. He knew Shinra better than she did, too. All she ever managed to do was set traps for her babysitters and make pretty-please eyes at Tseng and Zack, whenever they were around, and all she could do now was make barely-educated guesses, and listen to whatever the planet told her, no matter how hard she tried to ignore its haunting refrain.

"Cloud..?" She asked, gently. Maybe she shouldn't say anything, and maybe this was crossing the unspoken line, but... He was really all she had, wasn't he?

Barret was endlessly passionate, but didn't know much of substance. Red XIII had been feeling weak, lately. Tifa and Yuffie hated Shinra with such ferocity that asking them was probably pointless. She'd decided when she met him that she'd rely on Cloud as a bodyguard and that was it, but they'd been traveling together so long, now, and Aerith...

Aerith was tired.

"Yeah?" He raised his head slowly, and he looked beautiful, like he always did. Features delicate and light, clothing dark and imposing. It all brought out his eyes, blue against cerulean, whirling endlessly against the black of his pupils.

"What do you think of me?" She asked, finding tears in the back of her throat. She pushed them back with a swallow, and bent her head down again.

Cloud wouldn't know, of course. He didn't know anything about the Ancients, or Sephiroth, or where she came from.

But Aerith was tired.

He shifted his weight, then sighed, strong but lithe shoulders heaving with the movement.

"I don't understand anything," Cloud said simply, a little dejectedly. As she'd expected.

Unexpectedly, though, he tugged off his gloves one by one. One of his hands found itself resting on her leg, over top of the thin blanket.

She stared down at where he touched her, hesitant and soothing. She could choose to read it as friendly, if she wanted to. That's the line they'd been dancing around, even when she could tell what he really meant. Dancing around the line was supposed to be easy. It was supposed to be fun.

"You're right," Aerith agreed, adjusting her legs to sit closer to him, just to test if he'd move his hand. He didn't. "Even I don't understand myself."

She lifted her head to stare blankly at the art on the wall opposing them. She thought for a long moment, questioning whether it was safe to voice her thoughts.

Cloud seemed to understand where the line was. She felt like she could trust him, with a little bit, at least.

"I wonder what part of me is supposed to be like an Ancient," she mused.

Was it the visions, or the whispers? Was it the constant pulse of mako she felt, buzzing under her skin - reaching out to her from deep inside every living thing, from deep within the planet itself? Was it something about her voice, or her body? She wondered if her hair would turn gray like Sephiroth's, or if she'd grow into something new, like JENOVA.

"What is an Ancient supposed to be like? It's strange, isn't it?" She turned to Cloud, regarding him. "I don't understand it."

She found herself right back where she started, thinking around and around, wondering who she was, who Sephiroth was, who Cloud was. What it all meant, separately and in relation to each other. Where the connection lay between them. Aerith tipped her head back, grumbling with the stretch.

"I'm going around in circles," she told Cloud, who'd kept quiet as she talked, as he began stroking his thumb into the flesh of her calf. "I wonder if there's any answer to this? Everything's so complicated."

The touch overwhelmed her, as did the rhythm of his chest rising and falling, as did the thoughts and questions clouding her head. As did his eyes, so intense, so discerning, despite how oblivious Cloud could be.

The line was fast approaching.

She moved abruptly, dropping herself backwards against her pillow, and rested her hands on her ribcage. She let her lashes fall shut, and when she didn't feel the bed shift with Cloud's egress, she cracked an eye open.

"I'm going to sleep," she hinted.

"Okay," Cloud replied, a ghost of a playful smile playing on his lips. He made no move to leave.

"You plan on sitting here to watch?" She asked, biting at the flesh of her cheek. "You don't have to push yourself. Even my bodyguard doesn't need to do that much."

Cloud raised his eyebrows, huffing out a teasing, quiet laugh. "Is looking at you while you're in bed too far, now? It sure wasn't before we docked here."

Aerith's cheeks heated. He wasn't wrong. They played a game, sometimes, at the inns they stayed at before they picked up Yuffie. Red XIII would find a comfortable place on the floor. She'd share her bed with Tifa, he'd share his with Barret, and sometimes, they'd find their eyes meeting in the middle of the night.

She'd smile, he'd smile back, the glow in his eyes twinkling with amusement. And they'd stare, exchanging quiet laughter and silent flirtation, until Aerith couldn't handle the staring anymore, at which point she'd bid him goodnight with a mirthful look and a cuddle up to Tifa.

She knew he wouldn't be able to pinpoint who he was more jealous of between the two girls. Maybe he'd prefer to just crawl in the middle. But, whichever he wanted, he couldn't really do anything except roll his eyes and go to sleep. And that was that.

In the present, there was no way for her to fight him without threatening the subtlety of the way they danced around each other. So she forced herself to settle, relaxed against the mattress and resolved to pretend he wasn't there. She was far too aware of him to nod off, though, the mako coursing through his body thrumming into her own.

He stayed with her a while, him sitting, her laying. Maybe he could tell she was restless. Maybe he was trying to cross the line. Maybe that could be fun, playing like they were lovers.

She wouldn't know, when the only experience she had to speak of was her chaste, distanced courtship with Zack, the way she liked to invade Tifa's space, and the random ladies and gentlemen she'd flirted with on the street when peddling her flowers in Midgar. So, she supposed she'd leave it up to Cloud.

Aerith felt herself hand him more and more of her trust with each passing day. It scared her, when she caught herself in it. It felt like she was playing with fire.

Was it safe to follow his leadership when it came to this, too? She liked him. He was fun to play with. No one could fault her for having fun. So maybe...

"Hey," Cloud whispered, touching her leg gently once again to rouse her. "Aerith."

She stirred, looking up at him hesitantly. "Hm?"

"What's that look?" He asked her, squeezing her leg as he smiled, with a mischief so understated, most would find it indiscernible. "You weren't sleeping."

"Maybe not," she agreed. "What does Cloud need from me?"

The mischief faded from his smile, until he was gazing at her just to gaze at her. She wondered what she did to have someone so beautiful look at her this way.

"I want to show you something," Cloud explained, before ordering, "Come on."

He stood, and she followed, extracting herself from the blankets and falling into step behind him. "What is it?"

He only hummed, low and brisk, ignoring her question as he leapt down the stairs like they were nothing. He took her down lower and lower, until Aerith found herself in something like a basement or a game room, lit in an eerie green glow. As if the ocean were the only source of light in the room.

Upon closer investigation, the ocean was the only source of light in the room, as the overhead lamp was clicked off. A reinforced glass window held back the water, and when Aerith carefully stepped toward it to peer into the waves, she could see the plants flowing back and forth with the current. The sun filtered through the glass, casting haloes all across the walls, waxing and waning with the movement of the water.

She felt Cloud approach from behind, and settle next to her, his bare shoulder pressed to hers beneath her jacket.

"Did you find out about this when you booked the room?" She asked, ignoring the heat of his skin and the mako roaring beneath it. A fish glided through the water, light reflecting off its scales.

Cloud grunted in affirmation, and walked backwards. Aerith spun to follow, just to watch him lean against the pool table occupying the center of the room. His shoulder flexed with the movement. She stepped toward him.

"You're very handsome in this light," she told him honestly, with nothing but playful intentions.

He stared at her blankly, tapping his fingers against the wooden ledge of the table. "Thanks."

"This doesn't count for our one date," she told him, smiling. "I need your services a while longer. You won't be rid of me just yet."

Cloud huffed, rolling his eyes. "I'm not trying to get rid of you," he stated, and to her surprise, he placed a hand on her waist, pulling her closer. She inhaled sharply, and felt her eyes go wide as he looked down at her, frustration and amusement warring in his gaze. "Can I just..."

He kissed her softly. He held her a breadth apart from his chest.

Aerith stuttered a kiss back, frozen and fractured, as she fought against paralysis.

She pulled away, shocked.

"Cloud..." She whispered brokenly, tucking her hair behind her ear. He'd done it. He'd crossed the line. Now what?

"You don't want to-?" Cloud started. She couldn't stand the surprise on his face, how it looked like it would edge into hurt if she left it long enough. She reached up, and gently brushed loose strands of blond hair out of his eyes with her fingers.

"Tifa could walk in any moment, you know," she tried, pulling desperately at an excuse. It was a good one, too - firstly, she wanted Tifa to like her, and this certainly wouldn't help Aerith's case any; secondly, she knew that Cloud loved Tifa just as much as Tifa loved Cloud. She could feel it. He was just too caught up in himself to notice.

Cloud rolled his eyes again, and the light from the water bled into the glow of the mako behind his eyes. Aerith couldn't help but stare.

"She won't. Neither will anyone else. And even if they did, I wouldn't care."

"Hm..." Aerith considered carefully. Cloud's hand still rested on her waist. "You might. And even if you don't, I do. What about my reputation as a lady? Getting caught up in an entanglement with my bodyguard wouldn't look so good for me."

Gently, he tugged her closer, so parts of her pressed against him. "I assure you, your reputation as a lady will stay intact," he told her sarcastically, and she could feel his breath against her face as he spoke. "That's what a bodyguard is for, isn't it? Body, guard?"

"What is that?" Aerith laughed defeatedly, shoulders shaking as she moved to rest her forehead against his collarbone. "That was horrible."

Cloud made a soft noise of agreement. She listened to his body as she lay against the rough knit of his sweater; his breath, his pulse.

"Your heart is beating fast," she observed, voice barely audible, as a last ditch attempt to embarrass him into giving up before she lost any semblance of self control.

He made another noncommittal sound, pulling her closer still. "I wonder why."

No luck, then. She supposed there was no real harm in doing what she... What both she and Cloud wanted. For now, anyway.

Aerith spent another few seconds gathering herself, tucked away, before she inhaled deeply, and leaned back to face him.

"Okay," she told him.

"You sure?" He asked, his free hand coming to rest on her cheek, knuckles barely brushing her skin there.

"Mhm," she said, with a timid nod, before he kissed her.

His lips were chapped, but soft, and they moved against hers in a slow rhythm. The waves crashed against the side of the building above them, and she timed her movements to them, like she and Cloud were just two more drops of saltwater in the ocean. Inconsequential and small.

She felt her hand lift to rest against his cheek, thumb caressing the skin below his eye, brushing against the pores, freckles, and blemishes she knew were there without having to look. Both of his hands found her waist, holding her gently through the fabric of her dress, and Aerith sighed into him, finding herself easily lost to the ebb and flow of their movements.

There was a pleasantness to kissing Cloud, she found, where if she was kissing him, she wasn't preoccupied with thinking. It busied her, and she felt less tired. The room was beautiful in the ocean light, cascading around them in shimmering lines. Cloud was beautiful in it, too, and the strong muscle of his bicep felt sure in her hand when she laid her palm against it.

This was fun. She wouldn't mind doing this more often, so long as it didn't make things more complicated for them than they already were. Was there really so great a difference between both sides willfully dancing around a line, and both sides crossing it? She hoped not. She couldn't see one now.

There wasn't any shame in a little distraction, she convinced herself, as she pulled gently at Cloud's bottom lip. She'd put up with enough tragedy. Even if Cloud was tied up with everything - with Shinra, with Zack, with the Ancients, with Sephiroth - that didn't mean she couldn't put her faith in him a little, at least with this.

Old lines make way for new ones, though, and when Cloud's body pressed against hers with an unconscious insistence that wasn't there five minutes previous, and hers wanted nothing more than to follow suit, Aerith parted from him. It was only natural, but...

She smoothed down the brown leather suspenders and belt that had been jostled by their touch with her palms. "That'll do for now."

Cloud cleared his throat with a cough into his elbow, before staring down at her with pupils blown wide, mako undulating just behind them, cheeks stained red now with more than just the sunburn. "Yeah. Good call."

"Thank you," she said honestly, as she stepped away from him. "I'm not quite as confused as I was before."

"S'what I'm here for," Cloud shrugged, like it was nothing, really. But Aerith took it for the open invitation he meant.

She moved toward the staircase, and rested her hand against the cool gold railing, before turning back around. Cloud was still facing the window, adjusting his armor further, but he looked when she called for him.

"I'm going to sleep now," she told him. "For real, this time. Don't bother me."

Cloud cracked the smallest hint of a smile, through the red in his cheeks, the glow of his eyes and the muss of his blond hair. The ocean bathed him in soft light, ethereal and strange.

"Loud and clear," he promised. "I'm not your bodyguard for nothing."

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