#denzeru

〈     ⠇⠁⠝⠛⠥⠁⠛⠑  ⠙⠁⠽  ⠎⠞⠁⠗⠞⠑⠗◞        ❛   @⠙⠑⠝⠵⠑⠗⠥   .     〉

⠉⠇⠕⠥⠙   ⠓⠁⠙   ⠙⠑⠉⠊⠙⠑⠙   ⠞⠕   ⠇⠑⠞   ⠙⠑⠝⠵⠑⠇   ⠚⠕⠊⠝   ⠓⠊⠍   ⠋⠕⠗   ⠓⠊⠎   ⠙⠑⠇⠊⠧⠑⠗⠽   ⠞⠕⠙⠁⠽ ⠂     ⠁   ⠓⠁⠇⠋   ⠙⠁⠽   ⠞⠗⠊⠏   ⠺⠊⠞⠓   ⠃⠗⠑⠁⠅⠎   ⠊⠝   ⠃⠑⠞⠺⠑⠑⠝   ———   ⠓⠑⠙   ⠇⠑⠞   ⠙⠑⠝⠵⠑⠇   ⠎⠊⠞   ⠊⠝   ⠞⠓⠑   ⠋⠗⠕⠝⠞   ⠎⠕   ⠓⠑   ⠉⠕⠥⠇⠙   ⠎⠑⠑ ⠂     ⠁⠎   ⠺⠑⠇⠇   ⠁⠎   ⠏⠥⠞⠞⠊⠝⠛   ⠓⠊⠍   ⠕⠝   ⠏⠁⠉⠅⠁⠛⠑   ―   ⠛⠥⠁⠗⠙⠊⠝⠛   ⠙⠥⠞⠽ ⠲          ⠞⠓⠑⠽⠙   ⠙⠑⠇⠊⠧⠑⠗⠑⠙   ⠊⠞   ⠁⠇⠗⠑⠁⠙⠽   ⠁⠝⠙   ⠺⠑⠗⠑   ⠕⠝   ⠞⠓⠑⠊⠗   ⠺⠁⠽   ⠃⠁⠉⠅   ⠓⠕⠍⠑ ⠲          ❛    ⠉⠕⠍⠑   ⠕⠝ ⠂     ⠇⠑⠞⠎   ⠞⠁⠅⠑   ⠁   ⠃⠗⠑⠁⠅ ⠲    ❜           ⠓⠑   ⠙⠑⠉⠊⠙⠑⠙   ⠁⠎   ⠓⠑   ⠑⠁⠎⠑⠙   ⠋⠑⠝⠗⠊⠗   ⠞⠕   ⠁   ⠎⠞⠕⠏ ⠲           ❛    ⠽⠕⠥   ⠓⠥⠝⠛⠗⠽ ⠦    ❜

                   ❝ W H O M S T’ D V E ❞  /  @denzeru​ from high quality meme starters !

he’d had to plan his gift carefully, finding time to collect several flowers from the church & bring them home without suspicion. he went a step further, finding a ribbon that wasn’t one of hers, which sounded like an easy feat but with a budget of zero gil it had been tough to find one intact & a color she liked (he’d found a green one, the green of healing materia, & even though it didn’t match the flowers he hoped she’d like it anyway). it took several tries to tie the ribbon on, & he had to be careful not to mess up the small bouquet he had put together, but when it was done, he knew it was ready to present. denzel found himself clinging tightly to one of aerith’s hands as he held the bouquet up to her, seeking comfort from her nervousness from the very person he feared a sudden rejection from. ❛ happy mother’s day! ❜ he cheered, cheeks red, expression hopeful. ❛ i wanted to say thank you. for looking after me. & i thought, maybe, we could spend some time together today? ❜  /  @denzeru​ !

the significance of the day wasn’t lost on aerith . it was something that she’d celebrated every year after being taken in by elmyra , one where she remained happy against all odds . sure , she missed her true mother , but she was resting with the planet now ---

(          would you like to see your mother ? albeit , through the lens of one of my microscopes .         )

--- ifalna was at peace within the life stream . elmyra had raised her as her own , so it was only natural for aerith to celebrate such a holiday for her . she was just as much of a mother as ifalna was --- always looking out for her . never wanting her to get hurt . 

aerith always wondered what it would be like , to be a mother , to have a child of her own . given her circumstances , however , she didn’t think it was a likelihood . if it was , well ... it certainly wouldn’t be in the way that she’d like it to be .

but that was then , back in midgar , where scientists like hojo were all too willing to breathe down her neck .

(          did you really think we'd leave such a precious specimen to rot in the gutter ?          )

this was now , in edge . it wasn’t perfect --- there was still plenty to do , to rebuild , but it was a new beginning . a fresh start , for the family that they’d formed , which was only proven even further when denzel came into their lives .

& , even now , he surprised her . she’d felt him latch onto her hand ( a welcome occurance , one she would never pull away from , not even out of reflex ) & naturally , her gaze had fallen downward , lips parting to greet him ---

oh .

she blinked a few times , staring down at the bouquet of flowers that she was oh so familiar with as if this was the first time she’d seen a flower in her life , parted lips quickly curving into a soft smile .

❝  denzel ...  ❞

she lowered herself into a crouch next to him so that they could be eye - to - eye , gentle fingers plucking the flowers from his hand so that she could bring them to her face & take in the familiar scent . the ribbon wrapped around it didn’t go unnoticed , either , as thumb traced over it for a moment . green , the color of the life stream , of healing materia , one of her favorites ... how fitting . 

❝  it’s beautiful !  ❞

she placed the flowers on her lap , letting them balance there as she pulled the boy in for a warm , reassuring hug . she knew what it was like to fear rejection , to try & open up to someone you were once unfamiliar with , if not through her experience with elmyra then with the children at the leaf house . 

❝  thank you --- you have no idea how much this means to me ,  ❞  & it’s the truth ! her heart had swelled once she realized what he was doing , filled with nothing but love for him .  ❝  & of course we can ! did you have anything in mind ?  ❞

aerith always wondered what it would be like to be a mother , but her imagination could never compare to the love that she felt for denzel , how proud she was for how far he’d come . 

she wouldn’t trade it for the world .

〈     unprompted◞        ❛   @denzeru​​   .     〉 just your friendly reminder that you're sweet, kind, talented and just all around fantastic and i look forward to reading things you write and talking with you all the time!

⟨     prompt◞        ❛   @denzeru​​​​​   .     ⟩ ♗ !!

@denzeru​ said: “ where  have  you  been ? ”

        cloud is accustomed to stepping into the bar and being met with the sight of denzel waiting at the window or door  ---  the sound of fenrir’s engine is distinct enough in this part of edge that such a rumble hardly belonged to anything else.  but never this late.

        “  denzel ?  ”  more of a murmur.  his voice has never been particularly loud,  not without any added effort for the benefit of those closest to him.  keys and phone are discarded briefly at the bar.  usually,  tifa  ...  ---  she’s probably upset with him.

        “  where have you been ?  ”  at the question,  the tone of denzel’s voice,  guilt washes over him.  out of the house.  late.  again.  and sometimes cloud doesn’t even come back.  for days or doesn’t stick around long enough for anyone to notice.  more than likely,  he’d be out of their home prior to when tifa tended to wake up  ---  just before sunrise.  cloud’s eyes wander to the clock,  narrowing at the time: 3:30.

*      ◞      D͟e͟n͟z͟e͟l͟.   there’s nervousness in his gaze, & also a hint of embarrassment—— as if he suddenly realized that his insistence on working on her gift by himself had limited him. he’d spent time decorating the little picture frame with things he thought tifa would like ( flowers, materia, little stick figures of their little family ) but now he wonders if it’s too...little. if she might look at it & be disappointed. briefly, he considers tucking it away & never pulling it out, but he doesn’t want her to think that he forgot. & so, he gathered all of the courage he could muster. ❛ happy birthday! ❜ & he holds out the gift—— a tiny ribbon tied on top—— & his homemade card. ❛ i made you these. ❜ it’s quiet, almost whispered as he awaits her reaction.    |   @denzeru​

𝙼𝙴𝙴𝙺     𝙸𝙽𝚃𝙾𝙽𝙰𝚃𝙸𝙾𝙽     𝙸𝙽𝚅𝙴𝙸𝙶𝙻𝙸𝙽𝙶      𝙷𝙴𝚁     𝚂𝙸𝙻𝙷𝙾𝚄𝙴𝚃𝚃𝙴       to     veer     its     angle     en      route     to     parallel     their     horizon,      forsooth     the     pugilist     twigged     his      languorous     umbra     of     a     sheepish     stance.      patella    wrings    its    hinge - joint    slanting    to    hunker    downhill      &      counterpoise     onto     her    bottom - pads,    it    aligned     their     measures     to    indulge    into    his    𝙱𝙴𝙽𝙴𝚅𝙾𝙻𝙴𝙽𝙲𝙴       ❛      How   thoughtful   of    you.     ❜         𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚    𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒃𝒓𝒆    in    the     midst     of     its     affection    embodiment  :   cladded    palms    gently    patting    his    scalp,   futhermore     there’s     also     her     archetypical    smile       [     rosebuds   puffing   outward,    protruding   its   cheekbones     &      enveloping   her   lids   to   crinkle    𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆   𝒕𝒐   𝒂   𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒎𝒕𝒉    ]       to    cherish    his    deed.

pledge     of     commitment     per     remorse,      heretofore    Tifa    deemed    its       𝚂𝙴𝙲𝚃𝙾𝚁 𝟽       pane's    collapse       𝙰𝚅𝙰𝙻𝙰𝙽𝙲𝙷𝙴'𝚂       stigma,     despite    of     the     𝚃𝚄𝚁𝙺𝚂    scheming     to    its    most    contribution    to     such     circumstance,    the     barmaid     ought     to     bear     the     catastrophe's    outcome    triggering     memoirs     of     a     cauterized     townlet.        somewhen,    this     compunction    disembodied    out    of    fostering    Denzel    to     her     household    forasmuch    his    connivance    had    the    aspects    of     what     they      may     actually     sympathize.       deft    phalanxes    sink    into    the    crate’s    arris,     smoothly     plucking     from     him,     subsequently     her    sights    plunge    to    gander    at    the    ribbon        [     𝙰𝙴𝚁𝙸𝚃𝙷    . . .    ]        digits    sliding    through    its    fabric,     traits    subsiding     &      flattening    its    facial    tendons         ❛      𝙸   𝚆𝙾𝙽𝙳𝙴𝚁   𝚆𝙷𝙰𝚃   𝙸𝚂   𝙸𝙽𝚂𝙸𝙳𝙴       (      curved   extremities   shift   the   vessel   to   her   earlobes,   a   slight   jiggle   to   discern   its   subsistence    )        I   do   hear   clinking   sounds       ❜     

@denzeru​ said “  ❛ i’m sorry. ❜ it was the first thing that he thought to say, & a part of him wished he had taken him up on the offer to carry cait sith, so he’d have something to hide behind. ❛ she protected me, & i just-. ❜ his lip trembled, his heart aching for the mother figure they’d shared. ❛ i really wish i could have protected her, too. ❜ “

  This had not been the first time they’d met, but it had been the first time Reeve had taken a moment to explain himself clearly — to thank the boy that had taken his place and cared for a mother he should have been there for. He’d arrived at 7th Heaven to visit old friends, but upon seeing Denzel decided there were more pressing matters at hand. 

  And so they walked, and Reeve explained himself, the boy beside him listening patiently, but even with those educated topside manners he could feel the boy slowly curling into himself, wanting to hide — needing to hide... and he understood. Even as a man he had felt that way when he learned of his mother’s death, years of experience and maturity stripped away until he was a little boy again longing for his parents in a world that was barely hanging on by a thread.

  Hazel eyes caught the tremor in his companion’s jaw and it caused him to draw up short, catching Denzel gently by the arm and stopping him as well with a gentle tug for the boy to look at him. 

  “—Hey,” he spoke softly, crouching down onto the balls of his feet to catch the other’s gaze with a small squeeze of that arm. “You did,” he stated matter-of-factly, shaking his head, “far more than you can imagine.”  He let go of Denzel’s arm, both wrists draping over his knees as he remained crouched, thinking for a moment.