Aerith's breath caught in her throat. For a moment in time, all she could do was stare at him. The kiss had been brief...barely more than a brush of their lips but it had been real. Her heart was racing, anticipation and nerves tangling together until she could hardly tell them apart. Every glance felt heavier. Every inch between them suddenly felt impossibly far.
And then Cloud spoke. "I'm not very good at this." The admission drew a soft smile from her, Aerith's gaze flickering down to his lips before finding his eyes again. She could drown in those eyes, the way they looked right now.
"Well..." she began, her voice quieter than before. Her fingers curled lightly against him, grounding herself against the nervous flutter in her chest. She was always the bold one out of the two of them, but Cloud had caught her off guard. Surprised her in the honesty and vulnerability of this confession.
"I guess it's a good thing we have forever to practice."
She let the words linger between them, no teasing remarks or playful deflections of the moment. Slowly, Aerith leaned back in. Pressed on the balls of her feet, steadying herself against him. Her eyes slipped closed as the distance disappeared, drawn forward by equal parts courage and longing, meeting his lips with a promise that there was nowhere else she'd rather be.