Aerith & Tifa

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith's eyes saddened as she listened to Zack. He had used every last ounce of his will to make sure he made his way back to her. There was no way in the world she could blame him for her pain.
She leant forward, kissing his forehead softly.
"There's nothing to forgive," she whispered to him.

[Tifa Lockhart]

A tiny crooked smile twitched on Zack's face only barely noticeable. The expression quickly became a sad one though.
"You really are an angel... but try telling that to the innocent people i failed to protect..." He sighed and balled his free hand into a fist.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith sighed too.
"Stop blaming yourself Zack. It wasn't you who burnt the city to the ground."
She squeezed his hand gently again.

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Maybe not but... i should have been able to stop him." His eyes wandered to Cloud, who stood silently in his shadow, eyes staring emptily at the far wall, a strange depth reflected in them, as if the soul that once inhabited the body had fled its vessel to escape the torture. Zack feared that maybe his friend had lost his mind.
"Some Hero... i couldn't save anyone. Angeal, his mother, Genesis, Sephiroth, Director Lazard, the townspeople... and Cloud."

[The Painted Lady]

"That's not true!" Aerith said quickly, eyes wide, her hold tightening on Zack for a moment.
"Cloud's still here, right? It's a miracle you survived Nibelhiem... and whatever did this to you."
Her eyes travelled over his broken body, before bringing her eyes back to his.
"He hardly has a scratch on him."

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Look at him Aerith." Zack said, looking at Aerith with disdain, "They killed him... i dragged him all the way here... i didn't even think he'd wake up. He was poisoned so bad..." Zack shook his head, looking greatly distraught all over again.
"I wish i could undo it all..."

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith let Zack's hand go to cup his cheek gently.
"But he's alive Zack... and by the looks of things, you put your own life on the line to ensure that."
She gave him a small smile.
"I think that's pretty heroic."
After a moment, she gave a small grimace of discomfort.
"Zack? I don't mean to complain, but I think I've lost all feeling in my legs..."

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack remained silent as Aerith reprimanded him for doubting what he'd done for Cloud, he could think of no response.
But when she complained of having lost the feeling in her legs he laughed outright, the sound still somewhat airy but quite a bit healthier than all its predecessors.
"I will move for you then." He replied, and before she could stop him he was sitting up, ignoring the vicious stabbing pains, he was part way upright when a gloved hand darted out to support him.

Cloud stood nearly expressionless, small worry reflected in his dark depths as he helped Zack into a sitting position so that Aerith could stand and return the blood to her deprived limbs.
Once content his friend was securely upright, Cloud fetched the Buster Sword from where he'd laid it beside the fallen SOLDIER. He stabbed it upright into the wooden floorboards before helping Zack lean back against it.
"There we go." Zack said with a small smile, "Sorry to be a burden on you." He said to Aerith, "Hopefully i'll be better soon."

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith was a little worried for Zack as he sat up, but once he was safely up, she rubbed her calves, standing back up again for the moment. Zack's blood speckled her pink dress but she paid no mind to it. She did wince a little however as Cloud stabbed Zack's large sword into the Church floor. Trying to ignore it, Aerith took a step closer to the SOLDIER.
"You're no burden," she assured him, stooping down to kiss his cheek.
"I'm just going to find something to clean you up, okay?"

[Tifa Lockhart]

"Alright. I'm not going anywhere." He smiled at her, his eyes still filled with the adoration he felt for her, despite how long their relationship had spent on an apparent end. Time had its unfair affects on them, and Zack mournfully understood that this would be very difficult for Aerith.
He sighed a little and leaned into the sword he was using as a backrest watching her as she went to find something to clean his wounds with. They were stiff and achy but none bled anymore.

Cloud had retreated back to his silent corner, where he was watching Zack and Aerith through dark hollow eyes.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith disappeared into the back of the Church to find anything that she could use to help Zack. She took a few minutes, taking the time in private to get a grip on what had happened. It was a lot to take in all at once. But true to form, Aerith didn't dwell, and soon returned carrying a bowl of water and a cloth, with blankets draped over her arm.
Passing Cloud first, Aerith manoeuvred her items carefully to place one of the blankets around the blonde's shoulders. She just wanted to be careful in case he went into shock. She gave him a smile before moving on, and crouching down in front of Zack, placing the bowl of water on the ground and the blanket by his side.
"This might sting a little," she forewarned him, as she wrung out the cloth.
"But tell me if I'm hurting you, okay?"
With ever so gentle hands, Aerith began to wipe the blood from his face.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack had dosed into a light slumber while Aerith was gone, but he woke the moment she returned with the water. He winced only slightly as she began to dab away the blood caked on his face.
He smiled lightly to her, his eyes tired. It was only once she'd wiped away the blood that she would see how pale he was, a combination of blood loss and four years never seeing the light of day.
"Thanks Aerith..." He said with a gentle smile.

Cloud seemed more surprised that Aerith had paid him any attention then he had looked before. A hand rose to touch the blanket she had put around him and he blinked in disbelief, eyes rising to follow after the woman as she returned to Zack, but he did not utter a word.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith returned Zack's smile with a small one of her own.
"I think we should stay here tonight," she said, as she wiped the blood from his dry lips.
"You're too tired to go anywhere just yet."
She shifted her position as she washed out the cloth, to concentrate now on his chest. It seemed he had taken the worst of his ordeal here. His vest was tattered, and stiff from the blood that had soaked and dried into it.
"What did they do to you?..." she whispered, not sure if she wanted to hear an answer.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Zack winced a lot more as Aerith began to clean his chest, as the pain there was immense, bullet wounds peppering his breast.
"We became a liability." He replied between groans of pain, "The President sent the Shinra Army after us... i thought i could outrun them... but Cloud slowed me down. They caught up with us just outside Midgar." He cursed as Aerith dabbed a particularly deep and painful wound.

[The Painted Lady]

Aerith grimaced as Zack was unable to conceal his pain. She was clearly not enjoying herself. She paused, putting down the cloth and examining one of his chest wounds closer. She sighed.
"I'm really sorry Zack, this is really going to hurt, but I can see the bullet here..."
Begrudgingly, she pressed down around the wound to ease the bullet out. She wondered how many more remained in his body...