Ima have feels for a moment, okay? Under a read more so I don't completely clog people's dashes...
See, I've got two couples from the Prequel that formed at basically the same time and there are a lot of similarities regarding their relationships. However, that said, their relationships are fundamentally different and it's partially because that's how they see it.
Ima try and keep this spoiler-free. So, lemme think for a second about just how far into the Prequel I've posted... right, Christmas.
Well, okay. If you haven't guessed, the two couples are Squinoa and Zerith. CidxShera is a completely different realm and Cloud and Tifa haven't seen each other in years at this point.
So let's talk: Zack met Aerith about the same time Rinoa met Leon. However, while Zack and Aerith were basically an instant couple, Leon and Rinoa took a year or two--as in, Leon really wasn't sure how to relationship. Zack and Rinoa both spend a lot of time away from Traverse Town and they drop in from time-to-time. Leon and Aerith know exactly how the other one is feeling then regarding this.
But, going deeper... they see their relationships very differently. Leon and Rinoa have basically declared over and over again that they want to spend their lives with each other as soon as the rest of the universe will allow it. Has it been declared explicitly in the Prequel? Not really yet, because Rinoa's still training. But for anyone who's read AtP and BB, you know that Rinoa's sticking around with Squall. By the time BB is over and we're moving into B3, they've settled into a relationship where they are just going to stay in Aerith's House for now, but I'm beginning to think that Leon's probably thinking about maybe making the two of them a place once he's got other houses done. Because he's being horribly selfless about this one and wants the town to build up before he makes him and Rinoa a place.
On the completely other hand, Zack and Aerith, while they both know IN THEIR HEADS that they want to spend the rest of their lives together, but they haven't really talked about it to each other. They're still operating under the idea that Zack always has to go away and do mercenary stuff and Aerith's just gonna keep waiting for him. In their heads, they want to just either A, settle down together, B, travel all the Worlds together, or C, some combination of the two. However, neither of them have actually said it. Aerith's too afraid of restricting Zack and Zack's too afraid of imposing on Aerith.
So, now with the shenanigans of the Christmas chapter here, (read first, otherwise spoilers) Leon's probably going to take Zack aside and talk to him. Because Leon's Aerith's big brother basically and he gets to do things like that. The conversation between the two of them will go something like this:
Leon: look, if you love Aerith, you need to go and say something about it. Zack: I have told her that... Leon: No, I mean, if you're going to spend the rest of your life with her, then you need to tell her that, because she doesn't believe it. Zack: What? I mean... I'm sure... Leon: Are you going to settle down with her or not? Zack: Eventually! I mean, what about you and Rinoa. Leon: Rinoa and I are different... we know what we're doing. Zack: Well...! So do me and Aerith! Leon: *raises eyebrow*
I am not kidding , it would go something like that.
Has Zack proposed yet? Or done the KH/FF equivalent? No. That ring he gives her in the Christmas Chapter is just a ring. But he's certainly gonna start thinking about this sort of thing in B3. *nods* Because Zack and Aerith need to have that discussion. Leon and Rinoa? Getting married hardly changes their current relationship, they're gonna be together no matter what. Will they eventually get married? Yup. I already know when he's gonna propose. But yeah.
Okay, I think I'm done.