Chapter 4

Some day, Zack promised himself as he ran from the station towards the church, he was going to find out which god was responsible for the days when absolutely nothing went right, hunt down his materia and summon him, and give him a good ass-kicking to teach him a lesson. Nobody should be forced to suffer days like this, certainly not during precious leave time!

Only repeated reminders to himself that he had his date with Aerith to look forward to had gotten him through the cluster-fuck his day had been. Spilling too-hot coffee on himself and suffering burns bad enough to need a Cure spell hadn't been the best start to the morning. Getting dragged into a random street brawl and then having to spend hours filling out incident reports as a result had not been how he'd planned to spend the better part of his day. And now, to top it all off, he was going to be late meeting Aerith.

He jogged up the stairs to the church, panting a little but nowhere near out of breath and very grateful to the SOLDIER enhancements that had let him run all this way. If he'd had to go as slow as a normal person, he'd have been really late.

"Aerith!" he called as he pushed the doors open and entered. "I'm really sorry I'm late, you would not believe the day I've... huh?" He broke off and stared as he realized the church was empty except for the flowers. "Aerith?"

Thinking she might be in the back room, he walked to the door and poked his head in, but it was empty as well. Puzzled, he went back to the flowers and looked around for some sign of her. He wasn't that late, only about ten minutes. She wouldn't have given up on him and left already, surely.

Of course, she might be having a day like his and be late as well. Zack was just about ready to conclude that must be the case when he spotted her basket lying half under a pew, tipped on its side with a few wilting blossoms spilling out of it.

Freezing, Zack stared at it for a moment, his heart in his throat. He couldn't imagine any reason for her to have left it like that, unless she'd had to leave in a hurry. The memory of her reaction to him the first day when he'd been following her returned to him, and he swore and bolted for the door.

If he'd been running fast to get here from the station, he was practically flying now. Even the monsters seemed to know enough to stay out of his way, and the one or two that stumbled into his path he fried before they even had a chance to attack him. He made it to sector five in record time, then skidded to a halt just inside the sector wall as he realized he had no idea where to go from here.

Assuming she'd run for home at all, but if she wasn't there then he didn't know where to start looking for her. And he'd feel really dumb if he scoured the lower levels for her and she turned out to have been safe at home all along. So 'home' was where he needed to start. The only problem was, he still had no clue where she lived.

Most of the people in the sector did, though. Zack looked around and sized up the few people who were out and about, and picked a tired-looking matronly woman. "Hey! Excuse me. Do you know Aerith, the flower girl? Can you tell me where she lives, please? It's really important."

She sniffed and gave him a disapproving look. "If she wanted you to know, young man, she'd have told you herself. You can ask her next time you see her selling flowers."

"No, wait!" Zack grabbed the woman's arm before she could turn away, careful not to exert too much pressure. "Listen to me, I'm a friend of hers. She was supposed to meet me at the church fifteen minutes ago, but all I found was her flower basket. I just want to know if she made it home safely before I go pelting off to look everywhere else. Please!"

"Oh!" The woman looked startled, then concerned. "You must be that nice young SOLDIER boy who's been helping her with the flowers. She's hardly been talking about anything else for days! Do you really think she's in trouble?"

The knowledge that Aerith had been talking about him made his cheeks heat, but he shook his head. "I don't know, but I'd rather look like a paranoid idiot than drop it and find out later that she needed help. Can you tell me how to get to her house?"

Nodding, the woman rattled off directions, and Zack memorized them grimly. They were complicated, since there was no such thing as a direct route between anything down here, but he'd had to remember far more complex field instructions in the past. Once he was sure he had it all, he waved his thanks and took off running again.

There weren't any monsters in the streets of sector five, but the people slowed him down even more. After all, he couldn't just zap them with a spell to get them out of his way, though he was tempted a time or two. Finally he came to the last corner before he would reach Aerith's house, and slowed to a stop. He didn't want to just go charging out without knowing what was going on; that could get them both in a lot of trouble. Instead he peered around the corner, and scowled.

Three men in dark suits stood outside, and Zack didn't have to be close enough to see details to know they were Turks. Normal businessmen didn't carry themselves like lethal weapons, and who else would wear a suit down here? Two of them were hanging back, clearly deferring to the third as the leader. He was standing on the doorstep, talking to someone through the narrow opening in the door.

Deciding that just walking up probably wouldn't get him shot, Zack shoved his hands in his pockets and sauntered up the walk. Under other circumstances he would have been marvelling at the grass growing along the path, and the sight of the big garden on the other side of the house. As it was, all his attention was focused on the Turks.

"...not going to be able to avoid him forever," the dark-haired one at the doorway was saying. Now that he was closer, Zack could see that it was Aerith standing at the door, but she had the safety chain on so that it couldn't be forced open more than a few inches. The Turk could easily have shot her through the narrow opening, of course, but from the little Zack knew he didn't think they were likely to try to hurt Aerith. Much.

"Is there a problem here?" he asked as he approached, his voice low and full of warning. Aerith glanced at him over the Turk's shoulder, and he thought he saw her relax marginally.

"Not until you showed up," one of the two hanging back commented lazily, twirling his emag rod for emphasis. "Beat it, yo. And stay out of other people's business if you know what's good for you."

Zack was taken aback for a moment. He was unusual in the fact that he had people he was friendly with among the Turks; there was a long-standing not-so-friendly rivalry between the Turks and the SOLDIERs, and both groups tended to view the other with a certain amount of contempt. Even so, most Turks would hesitate before actively picking a fight with a SOLDIER.

Then he realized that dressed in civvies and with his sunglasses still on, the Turks hadn't realized he was anything more than an ordinary passer-by. He turned his gaze on Aerith, ignoring the Turks. "Aerith? Everything okay?"

"It's fine, Zack," she assured him, in a voice that was just a little too steady to be casual. "Just a visit from an old neighbour. Right, Tseng?" She looked back at the Turk on the doorstep, who quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Indeed. I hadn't thought you were the type to get others involved in your problems, Aerith. We may be at a stalemate for now, but I'd hate to see someone innocent dragged in to be used against you." Zack wasn't sure if that had been a threat or a warning, but either way it got his hackles up.

"The day a 2nd Class can't handle a couple of Turks is a sad day for Shinra," he snorted, shoving his sunglasses up and giving the man an unfriendly look. Tseng's mouth tightened at the sight of the unmistakeable mako glow in Zack's eyes, and the loudmouthed one bit off a curse.

"My mistake," Tseng said smoothly. "We should be going. Take care of yourself, Aerith."

"You too," she said politely, looking even more relieved that a fight hadn't broken out. Zack stood just to one side with his arms folded over his chest, and made the Turks detour slightly off the path to avoid hitting him.

Once they were out of sight around the corner, Aerith sighed and closed the door long enough to take the chain off. "I'm sorry you had to see that," she said as she walked out onto the stoop. "I don't mind so much when they send Tseng, I really have known him since childhood. But it still makes me nervous. Sooner or later whatever power play is happening between the Turks and Hojo will be over, and it will stop being an 'invitation'." She shivered, and he moved to take her in his arms without thinking about it.

"Well, I know I can't promise much help once I'm back in Wutai," Zack said into her hair, "but anytime I'm in the city, you can always come to me for help. Sephiroth doesn't think much of Hojo, every SOLDIER knows that, and I don't think it's likely to change any time soon. So at least you can trust that I'm never going to be ordered to bring you in."

"Thanks," she said warmly, leaning against his shoulder, much to his delight. "I've managed on my own this long, but I'll keep it in mind. Are you really a 2nd Class?"

"Only on paper," he admitted with a rueful laugh. "I got a field promotion, that's the whole reason I'm here in Midgar, to get the second enhancements."

Thinking fast, Zack narrowed his eyes. She was still tense in his arms, and somehow he knew that she wasn't the sort of person to be revitalized by being in a crowd like he was. The restaurant he'd been planning to take her to was high class and very popular with Midgar's upper crust at the moment, so it was going to be full of snobby people. It was a shame that she'd already gotten all dressed up, and she looked amazing in her sleek red dress, but he didn't want the day to be spoiled further.

"Change in plans," he declared. "As much as I'd love sitting around getting to admire you in that dress, I think something a little more relaxing is in order. Unless you've really got your heart set on a fancy dinner?" She shook her head and looked relieved. "Good. Go get changed into your warm clothes, then. I'll find somewhere to change and meet you back here."

"You can just come inside," she invited, opening the door again. "I talked my mother into going to stay with a friend in sector eight that she doesn't see very often. Now I'm doubly glad I did, she gets so worried when things like this happen."

"I can see why," Zack said, relieved that she wasn't going to get in trouble. He'd just been hoping that her mother hadn't been watching, and therefore hadn't seen Zack hug Aerith like that, since Aerith had already said she thought her mother would be upset to find out that she was dating a SOLDIER.

Stepping inside, Zack looked around with undisguised curiosity. It was a snug little house, all one big open room on the ground floor as was common in the lower levels of Midgar. There were fresh flowers in vases, and cheerful curtains and tablecloths that made the room look much brighter and bigger than it was. "Reminds me of home," he proclaimed, smiling. "My mom and yours would get along, I think."

"You can change in the bathroom," she said, indicating a little door off to one side. "I'll just run upstairs, I won't be a moment." Leaving him to it, she trotted up the stairs and vanished onto the second floor.

A little disappointed that he didn't get to see her bedroom, but figuring he probably shouldn't push his luck, Zack shut the bathroom door and changed quickly. He'd brought a pack with his extra clothes, planning to leave it at the church when they went to the restaurant. Thankfully he hadn't thought to dump it before he'd realized something was wrong and went chasing after Aerith. He shoved the dressy shirt and slacks into the bag once he was done, not caring if they got wrinkled since he wasn't likely to need them again soon. He'd be back to living in his uniform once he got out of the labs.

To his surprise he found her already waiting for him when he emerged, freshly scrubbed and dressed in a warm sweater and jeans. She laughed at the look on his face. "Not all girls take half an hour to get ready, you know," she scolded him. "Though if we'd been doing this the other way around and I needed to get fancy, it would have been a different story."

With her hair in a ponytail and all the makeup washed off, Zack thought she looked even better than she had all dressed up. "You look great," he said appreciatively. "Next question, is there something we can grab quickly here for dinner, or do we stop somewhere on our way?"

"Our way to where?" Aerith asked. "Oh, you're so stubborn!" she added when he only grinned at her. "I can throw together some sandwiches and the like. I'd rather have that than what most people call food out there, but weren't you supposed to be treating me?"

"I'll make it up to you," he promised her. "We need a package, not a basket. And be sure there's nothing that will spill or leak!"

Now openly curious, Aerith followed his instructions and shortly had the makings for a decent picnic dinner wrapped up in a cloth. He scooped it up with a grin, caught her hand in his, and tugged her towards the door. "Okay, let's go before curiosity eats you alive."

"I'm not that bad," she protested mildly, following him out. "I just want to know where we're going!"

"You'll see when we get there," Zack told her, and ducked a swat with a laugh. "Come on, first stop is the train station. We need to go above the plate."

Despite his playful mood, Zack kept a very sharp eye out for signs of the Turks, both in sector 5 and on the train. There was one; not one of the ones who'd been at Aerith's house, and he kept to the far end of the train, so Zack let him be. It might have been a coincidence, or it might be someone watching them, but as long as they weren't overt he wasn't inclined to pick a fight and spoil the night.

If Aerith noticed or worried about the presence of the lone Turk, she gave no sign of it. She curled her hand around Zack's and leaned against his side, standing much closer than the half-empty train required. Not that he was complaining.

The Turk didn't follow them off the train, and Zack didn't spot any more, so he let himself relax a bit. They were in a wealthy part of the city now, the area where the restaurant he'd chosen was. "I thought we weren't going to dinner?" Aerith asked when she saw where they were. There wasn't much in this area but houses and upper class shops and restaurants.

"We're not, but this is where I left my bike, since I thought we'd be coming from here," Zack explained. "It seemed wiser than leaving it unattended down beneath the plate. I'm not stupid enough to think it would still be there when I came back. You're not scared of bikes, right?" She gave him an indignant look, and he chuckled. "I didn't think so, but it's always good to check. Here we go."

They'd reached the lot where he'd left his bike, and he found it quickly among the posh little cars. "One of the first things I ever bought with my military pay, and I never did get much chance to enjoy it before I was shipped out," he declared as he dropped his pack on the saddle. He reached into the saddlebag to produce a helmet and his Shinra-issue peacoat, offering them to her. "Here, take this. It's going to be really cold in the wind, that sweater isn't going to do much for you."

"Will you be okay in just that leather jacket?" she asked as she took the coat and pulled it on. It was too big for her, of course, but not as bad as it could have been, since it was the one he'd been issued right at the start. He hadn't needed it in the tropical environment of Wutai. "And shouldn't you have a helmet too?"

"I'll be fine," he assured her with a grin. He stowed his pack and their dinner in the saddlebags and swung a leg over the seat. "Hop on, and hold on tight!"

She slid into place behind him, pressed close against him with her arms around his waist. He could just catch hints of the fragrance of flowers, and almost imagined he could feel her heat even through all their layers of clothes. Mentally he made a note to do this again in the summer some time, when he could really enjoy feeling her against him.

Once she was settled he kicked the engine over and pulled out of the parking lot. He merged with the traffic, taking the first ramp that led up to the main highway. It was busy at this time of day, filled with the last of the rush hour traffic and the start of the nightlife traffic. The bike wove in and out of the cars easily, his SOLDIER reflexes allowing him to take split-second opportunities that probably would have resulted in an accident for anyone else. He couldn't hear her over the wind, but somehow he knew her shaking against his back was from laughter and not fear.

When she realized he was heading for the city gates, her arms tightened and she shouted what was probably a question. He just shook his head and shot her a quick grin over his shoulder, concentrating on getting them out of the city as quickly as possible.

Once outside, the traffic dropped off abruptly. Few people had any reason to travel outside of Midgar, and even fewer wanted to. The land was ugly and dead for miles around, all the life drained from it just as it had been from the city itself. Nothing grew around Midgar except the occasional weed.

She hunched against him and her arms tightened again, and he thought she was hiding her face against his shoulder. If he hadn't needed to watch the road, he probably wouldn't have been looking either. Inside the city it was easy to fool yourself about the true scope of the problem, but when there was nothing between you and the horizon but lifeless dirt, it really hit home.

Worse still, he was going to have to ride right through it. The only roads leading from Midgar were the ones to Kalm and Junon, and neither of those went in the direction he wanted. He took the bike up and over the curb, out onto the plains, and headed northwest as fast as he dared to go. The moon was only about half full, but that was enough for him to see where he was going. At least they were moving too fast for the monsters to catch them.

It took about twenty minutes to leave the desolated area behind. Slowly vegetation began to creep in; first scattered patches of snow-covered grass, then bushes and even trees. Once he could look around and not spot any dead areas, Zack nudged Aerith with an elbow and felt her lift her head again. She sighed and relaxed, though she returned her head to his shoulder.

Finally he saw the moon glinting off something large and dark in the distance, and he grinned. Adjusting his course slightly as he took in the landmarks, he headed for a bluff he knew that overlooked the ocean. He'd found this place while out hunting monsters as part of his boot camp training, and marked the spot in his mind because it had such a fantastic view. Since then he hadn't had an opportunity to return, but what better time could he pick than tonight?

When he brought the bike to a sideways stop and cut the engine, the sudden silence was almost deafening. "Close your eyes," he ordered her. The visor of that helmet was tinted, and in the dim moonlight she probably couldn't see much of anything. When he turned and tugged the helmet off, he found her eyes closed obediently.

Taking her by the hand, he urged her off the bike. Once she was standing he led her to one side. "Don't open them yet," he warned her, going back to retrieve the package of food and the thick blanket stuffed into the other saddlebag. There wasn't much snow here, as the winds from the ocean swept it all further inland, but the ground would be cold and hard and uncomfortable to sit on.

The normal noises of the plains at night were returning, and now they could hear the rush of the waves on the rocky beach below. He spread the blanket out at the edge of the bluff, led her onto it and pushed gently on her shoulder to get her to sit down. Once she was settled he dropped down beside her. "Okay, now you can open them," he told her, leaning forward to be able to watch her face.

Aerith gasped and lifted a hand to her mouth, her eyes shining in awe. It really was a stunning view, with the ocean stretched out to the horizon and stars shining all the way to infinity in the night sky. This far from the city they were free of the air and light pollution that reduced the stars in Midgar to a few feeble points, and the phrase 'as many as the stars in the sky' actually had meaning again. There was hardly an inch of sky that didn't have at least a dim star shining in it, and the bright ones far outnumbered the dim. The shimmering arc of the galaxy crossed the sky in one corner, breathtaking when you realized that the river of light was all stars.

"Oh," she said, and her voice trembled. "Oh, Zack. It's beautiful." She huddled closer to him, and he put one arm around her in response.

"Never been outside the city before?" he asked curiously.

"Not since I was a little girl," she told him. "I don't really remember. Certainly I wouldn't have forgotten anything as lovely as this!"

Looking at her, with her eyes shining and lips parted, her breath misting and her cheeks pink from the cold air, Zack had to agree. He'd never seen anything as beautiful as this.

Clearing his throat, he looked around and snagged their dinner. "Come on, let's eat before it gets frozen instead of just cold," he said, and she turned to him with a smile.

Unpacking the sandwiches took moments, and they sat together in contented silence, eating their dinner under the awning of the stars. The weather had obliged him by staying beautifully clear, although that meant it was correspondingly colder. Bundled up in his peacoat Aerith didn't seem to be shivering, and Zack was resistant enough to cold that his warm leather jacket was enough for him. He was glad; it would have been a damn shame to have to cut the night short because of the cold. Especially considering what was yet to come.

"Thank you so much, Zack. This is exactly what I needed - to be out in the open in a place where the earth isn't crying out as it dies," Aerith sighed happily as they put the garbage back into the package. "To see green things growing that I didn't put there! Oh, it's wonderful. Thank you."

"Hey, you don't need to thank me," Zack told her, smiling back. "I'm just paying you back for everything you've given me, letting me work in your garden. I haven't felt this good in ages."

"I'm so glad you followed me that day," she replied. "And that I didn't scare you off by ambushing you like that!"

He laughed. "Aerith, honey, ambushing me was what made me so determined to see you again! I've never met anyone like you. Smart and determined and resourceful, and so crazy brave you don't even hesitate to ambush a SOLDIER. You're amazing."

"Flattery like that will get you nowhere," she warned him in a mock-scolding tone. Looking around at the incredible view again, her voice softened as she added, "This might, though."

"Hey, it's not flattery, it's the truth!" Zack protested, his heart beating a little faster in anticipation. Looked like he might have played his cards right after all. Boldly he shifted closer, tugging at her until she was sitting cradled between his legs with his arms draped around her. Far from protesting, she leaned back against his chest with a contented sigh, her head tucked under his chin. It would have been a lot better without all the clothes in the way, but Zack was just happy she was letting him hold her like this.

A streak of light caught his attention from the corner of his eye, and he grinned. Time for the after dinner finale. "Look," he urged, and pointed. The falling star he'd seen was already gone, of course, but before Aerith could ask what was so interesting about that particular piece of sky, there was another. And another, and two more in quick succession, until it became obvious that it was the beginning of a meteor shower.

"Oh!" Aerith's eyes went wide, and she leaned even closer to him so she could tip herself back and see it more easily, tilting her head back on his shoulder. He willingly played the part of her chair, loving the feel of her hair as it brushed his neck and the sweet scent of her hanging in the cold air.

"I'm kinda glad you made me wait this long to take you out," Zack murmured in her ear with a soft chuckle. "It was fortuitous timing. It's supposed to last about twenty minutes, so we'll get a good show."

"It's beautiful," she exclaimed, not taking her eyes off the sky. The flashes were coming faster now, silver streaks against the night sky that momentarily eclipsed the stars behind. "So many! Make a wish, though you certainly don't need to be quick about it. I suppose it would be cheating to make a wish for each one?"

Looking up at the rapidly increasing number of streaks, he laughed. "Yeah, I think that would be cheating," he agreed, returning his gaze to her awe-struck face. "Did you make one?"

"Yes, on the first one I saw," she replied, smiling. "Did you?"

Tightening his arms a bit, Zack shook his head. "Nah. I'd have to be as greedy as old man Shinra to wish for anything right now."

That made her look at him, with the mischievous sparkle back in her eyes. "Oh? You can't think of anything at all that would make you happier right now?"

"Well, maybe just one thing," Zack admitted, his voice gone husky. Now, finally, his instincts told him the time was right to make his move. He leaned in, tilting his head down to bring his mouth to hers, kissing her properly at last. She tasted of mint and snow and somehow of life, though he couldn't have described exactly what the taste was.

Brushing his tongue over her lips, he coaxed her to open her mouth. When she did and he tasted her more deeply, her tongue flicked against his in brief little touches, more shy than coy. The knowledge that he might be the first person to ever kiss her like this made him moan, and suddenly he was grateful for all the layers between them that kept her from realizing how hard he was getting.

They hadn't brought any alcohol along with their dinner, but somehow Zack felt drunk anyway, intoxicated by the taste of her. He couldn't get enough, pulling away only briefly to allow them both to gasp for air, closing the gap again as soon as he could. The beauty of the falling stars was lost in the haze of pleasure he was feeling.

The guys in the locker room might tease him for spending days wooing a girl when he could have had a different one with half an hour's effort, but Ifrit's blood, it was worth it. She was worth it.

It shouldn't have surprised him that she would be a fast learner, copying his movements at first awkwardly and then with more confidence. She tasted him back, their tongues sliding against each other and occasionally duelling briefly before going back to stroking.

He wanted more, wanted to slip his hands inside the coat and under her sweater to cup her breasts, wanted to push her back into the snow and strip her down and to hell with the cold, wanted to be on her and in her and flying all the way to the stars with her. At the same time, he wanted this moment to go on forever, to always feel this sweet sense of astonished wonder at how good she felt.

"Zack," she moaned when he pulled back again, and turned her face to hide against his neck. They were both breathing too fast, the winter air chilling their lungs but somehow not cooling Zack's inner heat in the least. His heart was pounding hard enough that he was surprised she didn't comment on it.

"You're... you're missing the show," he reminded her, his voice hoarse with desire. She turned her head back again, looking up at the stars, and the feel of her breath against his jaw made him shiver.

"You picked a lousy time to start something, making me have to choose between you and something I won't have a chance to see again for a long time," she accused him breathlessly, laughing softly. "And I can't believe I'm actually tempted to pick you!"

Hearing that made the fire spread all through his body, and he shuddered as his cock hardened to the point where it was pressing painfully against the fly of his jeans. "Watch the stars," he told her despite the way his body was screaming at him to say just the opposite. "They'll be gone soon, but I'll still be here."

She resettled herself more comfortably against him, and they both turned their attention back to the sky. The shower was in full swing now, lighting up a section of the night sky. Zack wasn't startled when Aerith wrapped her hand around his, but he was surprised when she tugged it under her coat to rest on her flat stomach. Over the sweater, but he couldn't expect everything to go his way.

When she let go he slipped his hand upwards, brushing his gloved fingers against the underside of her breasts and then, when she didn't protest, cupping one in his hand. It was small enough for him to be able to cover it all, but full enough for him to be able to feel the weight of it. She moaned as his palm slid over her nipple, and he was amazed at how sensitive she was.

"You're distracting me," she protested, but she arched her back to push herself more firmly into his hand.

"You started it," he reminded her. He tugged the glove off his other hand with his teeth, then slipped it quickly under her jacket as well before it had a chance to get too cold. Even so she squealed softly and shivered when he worked his fingers under her sweater and felt the smooth skin of her stomach beneath.

"Zack!" she gasped, and this time he wasn't sure if it was encouragement or a warning. She'd gone all tense and he didn't think that was a good sign, but her voice sounded needy.

"Shh, it's okay," he whispered in her ear, and made no move to work that hand higher. Instead he just left it there, rubbing slow circles over the tense muscles of her abdomen, once in a while just barely brushing beneath her waistband. His other hand kneaded her breast through the sweater, and she slowly relaxed against him again. He was so hard it was all he could do not to tug her further back and rock up against her, desperate for the friction, but somehow he managed to keep his hips still.

Under other circumstances, with a different girl, Zack might have accused her of being a tease or leading him on, but he knew that wasn't her intention. He was willing to go at her pace - even if it killed him. He fought the urge to squirm, now wishing he hadn't brought the blanket so he could have hoped the cold earth beneath him might help him stay in control.

"You're trembling," she noted, her own voice a little shaky. He couldn't help but laugh, though the sound was a bit strangled.

"What can I say? You're just that hot," he replied, and bit at the shell of her ear gently. She moaned and jerked against him, and he groaned in turn. She did it again, deliberately, rocking back into him in a way that quickly broke his control and left him rubbing against her in shallow little thrusts. He buried his face in her shoulder and made a sound that was embarrassingly close to a whimper. "That's not fair," he gasped, his words muffled by the heavy fabric of the coat. "Aerith..."

"What's not fair?" she retorted, shivering against him in a way that had nothing to do with the temperature. "I bet you could get off just from this, but I'd have to get cold to be satisfied!"

Even though he already knew she was a vixen, hearing her say something like that made streaks of fire shoot straight through Zack to his groin. He groaned again, struggling to control his breathing. He was starting to seriously reconsider his initial conclusion that she'd never done this before. Though that didn't explain why she'd been so awkward at kissing. Nice girls weren't supposed to give it up this easy, were they? Not that he hadn't been hoping, but he'd expected to have to work harder for it. Especially if it was her first time.

"I dunno, I could probably find a way to manage," he said with the cocky self-assurance unique to teenage boys everywhere. "Want me to try?"

"Oh, don't tempt me," Aerith replied, shivering in his arms. "Not only do I not want to miss the falling stars, but there's a perfectly nice warm house we could use back in Midgar."

"You..." Zack let out a shuddering breath, and nuzzled into her neck below the curve of her ear, making her gasp. "You'd let me?" He could wait that long, really he could. He was a SOLDIER, damn it, he was supposed to have more discipline than this. But the fact that she had hesitated when he'd put his hand under her sweater nagged at him. "Aerith, don't do this just for me, okay? I'm a big boy, I can handle a little frustration, honest." Firmly he told his protesting hormones to go take a hike.

She was quiet for so long he was afraid he'd done something wrong, or that she'd changed her mind and was trying to find a nice way to let him down. Finally she sighed softly, and rested her hand over the one he had on her stomach. "I want this," she told him firmly. "I want you. I'm just a little nervous, but if you'll be patient with me it will be okay." Shifting in his arms so she was half turned towards him, she kissed him gently.

He kept it light, though it took an effort, knowing that if they got caught up in each other again he might well forget about the lure of a warm comfortable bed that was all the way back in Midgar. "I'll be as patient as you want," he promised when he pulled back. "Just remember you can stop any time, all right? No matter what." Fervently he prayed she wouldn't take him up on it, because he wasn't really sure his self-control was that good.

"Now, watch the stars," he reminded her. "It's almost over, you don't want to miss the end."

In silence they sat together and watched the end of the meteor shower. Zack dropped his hand so that both were clasped around her waist, tracing idle patterns on her skin with his thumbs. She had her hands over his on top of the sweater, not restraining him but just for the contact. She'd moved her hips just a few inches away from his again, which let him cool down enough to get his ragged breathing back under control and make his heart stop pounding so hard.

After all this teasing, though, he was dreadfully afraid he was going to embarrass himself when they did finally get back to her place. He resolved to leave his jacket open on the ride back, and hope the cold wind would help calm him further.

Even after the last of the falling stars had faded, they sat and just watched the sky. This was Aerith's treat, and Zack had no intentions of leaving until she was ready to go. From the sounds of it she didn't exactly get many chances to leave the city, and he didn't want to rush her through it.

When she did stir against him he might almost have been disappointed, if not for the promise of what was waiting for him when they returned to Midgar. Scrambling to his feet, he offered her a hand up and shivered as the cold air hit his ungloved hand. After the warmth of her body, the harsh air was like a stinging slap.

Quickly he tugged his glove back on, and they both cleaned up the blanket and remains of dinner. It was the work of moments to get it all tucked back into the saddlebags. Zack stole one last heated kiss before Aerith put her helmet on, and then they were ready to go.

The trip back into the city was almost painful. As they left the beautiful green land behind and entered the wastelands around Midgar, Aerith's grip tightened until it probably would have bruised a non-SOLDIER, and she once again buried her face in his shoulder to hide from the sight of it. He felt bad; probably taking her out where the land was living made it even harder for her to face the dead earth around the city. He hoped she wouldn't end up regretting the trip.

She didn't lift her head even after they got back inside the city walls. Making a split-second decision, Zack turned off the highway on the ramp that led down beneath the plate, heading for sector 5. There was no reason for them to have to walk all the way back down.

Only when he coasted the bike to a halt and cut the engine at the end of the path that led to her house did Aerith finally pull away from him. "I thought you were afraid of someone stealing the bike?" she asked in surprise as she realized where they were.

"I figure, the respect you seem to get from the people down here, they probably won't touch anything at your place," Zack told her with a grin. "I spent a little time under the plate before I made it into the army, I know how it works. If they're all this protective of you, they won't put up with anyone messing with you or your stuff."

She smiled. "Yes, everyone is very kind," she agreed. "Why didn't you just drive right up to the house?"

"Didn't want to tear up the path," Zack explained, pushing the bike along as he walked onto the path. "Figured your mom might question that. The dirt's hard enough that the wheels shouldn't leave too much of an impression this way, though."

Giggling, she wrapped her arms around one of his and walked beside him. "You're clever," she complimented him. "Or is it just that you're much too accustomed to getting into trouble, and have learned how to avoid it?"

"A little of both," he admitted freely, and she giggled again. "What can I say, I was an adventurous kid. Well, I call it adventurous. My mom called it 'troublesome'. There's a reason I'm so good with flowers, and it's got nothing to do with volunteering. I... hey, we didn't leave the lights on, did we?" he interrupted himself, blinking at the house in surprise as they turned the corner in the path.

It was difficult to tell in the ever-present light under the plate, but all of the lights on the ground floor were indeed on. For a moment Zack thought maybe the Turks had returned, but Aerith gasped in dismay and clapped a hand to her mouth.

"Oh no," she moaned. "My mother came back! She was supposed to be gone all night!"

Zack suppressed a groan as he realized that there was no way he and Aerith were going to be able to follow through on their plans for the rest of the night. Even if she changed her mind and decided to introduce him to her mother, he doubted the woman would be willing to turn a blind eye on them if they went up to Aerith's room and shut the door.

"I'm so sorry," Aerith apologized, looking up at him with worry in her eyes. "Zack, I didn't mean to lead you on, truly I didn't. I... suppose we could go to the church?"

"What? Hell, no," Zack shook his head, despite how tempted he was to take her up on the offer. That would just be selfish of him, and probably get her in a lot more trouble. "Someone must have told her about the Turks coming after you, and she came back," he pointed out. "And anyway, even if she doesn't know about the Turks, she's going to want to know where you've been."

Looking dismayed, Aerith nodded. "Oh, you're probably right, someone must have tracked her down and warned her. She must be worried sick. I'm so...!"

Zack hushed her before she could apologize again with a quick kiss. "Not your fault," he told her firmly. "Anyway, I've still got three days of leave. If you don't end up grounded for a month," he gave her a wry grin, "then I'll see you tomorrow at the garden?"

"Even if I'm grounded, she won't keep me from going to the garden," Aerith agreed with a sigh of relief. With another of her impish smiles, she tugged him back around the corner where there was no chance that they'd be seen from the house, and kissed him more thoroughly.

"I'll see you tomorrow," she promised when they pulled back again, both breathing a little fast. "Bright and early."

"Once again, your wish is my command," Zack told her, laughing softly as she handed back his coat and helmet. He watched as she hurried off around the corner, and waited until he heard the distant sound of the door opening and closing.

Then he leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes tight, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to distract himself from the protests his body was making. It was already after midnight, he could certainly restrain himself for another five or six hours until he saw her again. Though he had no illusions about exactly how long it would take him to have his hand around his dick and get off once he got back to HQ.

Five or six hours, he reminded himself as he rolled the bike back to the road and swung his leg over the saddle. Hells, it would probably even do him some good to have a chance to release some of the tension before he got serious with Aerith. Less likely to embarrass himself that way. Just five or six hours, that was all.

He headed straight for his room once he was back on Shinra property, not even detouring to the locker room to get a shower. The showers were way too public, and there would still be a few people up and around even at this hour. He dropped his pack on the bed and was reaching for his pants as soon as he'd kicked the door shut behind him, desperate for some relief, before he spotted the official Shinra envelope that had been slipped under his door.

Hesitating, Zack debated with himself. He couldn't imagine that it could possibly be anything urgent, but given the day he'd been having if he ignored it then he was guaranteeing it would be. Cursing, he finally reached for it and tore it open with a vicious jerk.

It took him a moment to actually process what he was reading, and then he cried out in dismay. "Aw, no! No fucking way, that's not fair!" he railed at whichever god was responsible for his miserable day. It was the perfect cap to the day - a notice that a slot had opened in the lab schedule, and he was to present himself for his enhancements first thing in the morning.

He wouldn't even have time to run down into the city and apologize to Aerith. He'd have to write her a note and beg one of the others to bring it to her, and hope she wouldn't be too mad at him for standing her up and telling someone the location of her sanctuary.

Cursing creatively, he crushed the paper in his fist and threw himself down on the bed. Chances were good he wouldn't even have an opportunity to see her again before he was shipped back to Wutai; his leave had ended the moment he received this notice.

Punching his pillow hard enough to burst the seam and send chocobo down fluttering into the air, Zack swore to himself that he would find some way of at least saying goodbye to her before he left. She deserved that much, if nothing else.

|Chapter 1| |Chapter 2| |Chapter 3| |Chapter 4| |Chapter 5|

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