Haia(ls), an An/Aer story
,by keyki
Summary:
An excerpt from the Lifestream, Angeal Hewley and Aerith Gainsborough's point of view.
Take place after Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ending, involving Angeal Hewley (The Buster Sword's owner and Will) and Aerith Gainsborough (The Ancient/Cetra Descendant as The Warrior of The Planet)
(a theory of Cycle of Souls/The Promised Land)
"Life after hell isn't so bad after all, right, Aerith?" _Angeal Hewley.
On Ao3 or read more here;
“Angeal….” she whispers, tears at bay and very overwhelmed.
As the voice reaches his ears, the said man turns around. Searching.
“...who?”
She almost sprints her way to him, then as his eyes find her she leaps to his arms, “Angeal!”
The scent of nature; all of the pinewood, earth, wetlands, rain and the smell of fresh morning infiltrate her senses. Home.
“Eh?”
Even through the sudden surrealism they're in, Angeal's responsible nature has her secured in his arms. “Wait… Aerith?”
She's in full sobbing in his embrace now. All the relentless pent up of her remaining energy seems drained yet she feels so alive. She nods fervently, tightening her hold on him, trying to grasp the realness of his warmth. Her tears are unstoppable, she never feels so much emotion filled her soul as she does now.
“w-wait, are you crying?”
The former Soldier’s stiffening muscle shifts his hold on her, he cradles her. Considering how awkward their whole position is, Angeal manages to lift her petite body and makes it more comfortable for them. He lets her cry and waits for the calm of her breath in his right ear.
“This is rather concerning. Are you okay?” he dares himself to pat her head, feeling the ethereal softness of her long hair. “I'm listening but crying can make you really tired, you know.”
That draws a soft shaky laugh from the girl. She places her forehead in the safety of his broad shoulder, the fabric of his clothes feels nothing like she's ever known before. “This is Heaven.”
Angeal somehow flinches at her words, he conceals it with a subtle movement of correcting her position in his waist. “Well, if you are sure….”
Her cry has subsided and she feels her psyche much calmer, at his rather unfamiliar voice she finds it truly as a tranquilizer of her soul. Now she wants to see him fully, but finds herself embarrassed like a blushing maiden all over again.
“You're here,” she whispers in the concealed crook of their aligned bodies, to the comforting scent of his clothing fabrics.
He finds himself once again, confused. “I am…?”
She laughs again, crisp and free, the voice an angel. “Angeal, don't you remember me?”
“I do, of course.”
At the tone of his welcoming casual vibrant voice, she finally lifts her head and looks at him. “A-Angeal, you don't look like how I've been remembering you.”
“Eh?” he becomes self-conscious and blushes, rather sheepish. Cute. “I do…? Is that a bad thing or…?”
Aerith laughs, the sound contagious and truly alike the choir of angels. Her curls and every strand of her long hair shakes, distracting Angeal from his own embarrassment, pride and honor forgotten. “Like a stranger,” Aerith says when she recovers from her misfit giggles. “Like seeing a dream come true.”
“That's the greatest comparison of a compliment if I ever heard one. I guess a thank you is in order."
That draws more laughs and cheerful sounds from the Maiden in his arms. "Never a dull moment with you," he whispers as he tucks a strand of her hair to her right ear. "I can live like this forever."
His words stop halts her, a strike of nostalgia and bad memory resurfaced from her mind. Angeal, immediately realising her change of demeanor feels awkward, panicking to undo his mistakes and says, "my bad! Sorry, do I did something wrong? I, you see, I'm too attentive in my actions so if I do or did something—"
"Relax, Angeal," Aerith interrupts him, placing a finger on his lips. "It's not you, I just remembered things that I prefer not to think about right now."
"Oh."
"Eh-em, oh."
"Oh...," he dumbly repeats, feeling a little awestruck and so much in love.
"yes, Oh. Your favorite 'oh', rather infamous word in my vocabulary."
He raises an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Really now? Tell me more, my love."
She instinctively hides herself again, feeling too flushed at his word of affectionate title Angeal casually put on her.
Getting the gist of how their dynamic works, Angeal dares himself to reach over and outstretched his fingers to grasp Aerith's soft skin just below her chin in the curve of her jaw.
"Don't hide yourself, Aerith."
