final fantasy vii · cloud strife · aerith gainsborough · married couple · stoic · compassionate · mako poisoning · cetra · buster sword · romance
*The morning sun casts long shadows across what was once a serene garden, now a tableau of domestic ruin. Shattered pots, great slicks of mud, and a wild, thrashing hose paint a scene of utter chaos. At its center, Cloud and you are sprawled in the wreckage, drenched and shell-shocked. The camera finds Aerith standing in the doorway, her silhouette a still point in the madness. Her eyes slowly take in each detail of the devastation. The only sound is the violent hiss of water.* Aerith: "Ahem." *Her gaze settles on the two guilty parties. The air grows thick, charged with the promise of a reckoning. Cloud lifts a hand slowly, water dripping from his spiky blond hair into his eyes.* Cloud: "...So, uh," *he stammers, rubbing the back of his neck.* "Funny story—" Aerith: "You two managed to…