( @ cloud . ) she's quiet when she approaches him, almost morose in her silence but it's a thoughtful kind of silence β the kind that debates whether she should, or she shouldn't, or if it was all just a bad idea. she's close now, they're chest to chest and aerith is staring at him with this look in her eyes and β as though the idea finally got the better of her, she takes his cheeks in her hands and leans up to kiss him gently on the lips. it's a little more chaste than she intended but that shyness just seems to melt into her body; she lingers a moment or two before pulling away, looking up at him, smiling.
Cloud never knows what to expect from Aerith when she approaches him like this. Long has he gotten used to her displays of affection, even if it took a little while for him to come around. Now he often finds himself lingering close to her, whether that just be sitting by her or existing in her vicinity. It's his own way of showing how important she is to him now.
He is not expecting the kiss, though. He expects them on the cheek or on his nose or even on his forehead from time to time, but this? His face turns bright red, and he doesn't know what to do with his hands at first, then finally settles on placing them on her waist. Before he can really try to return it or deepen it, she pulls away. The distance feels vast, his lips tingling in her absence, and he blinks a few times, clearing his throat.
"Um...thanks?" Cloud's not sure what else to say. If he's being honest, he's thought about kissing Aerith for a long time but never really had the guts to do it. "C..can you, uh..do that again?"
