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[ He gently sighs then. ]

Guess it's my turn to be embarrassed. You better listen while I'm still feeling brave.

[ Sit in bed with him? Because as she was soon about to find out, these feelings? These thoughts? They started before he ever awoke in that field of cherry blossoms. ]

[ She is ashamed of herself for keeping this from her beau. She can tell him anything, after all! But Cloud doesn't even say anything about it. He doesn't shame her for not sharing. It doesn't seem like he's offended at all, either. Yet again, these worries in her heart that weighs her down were all created by her and not by anyone else. ]

You did?

[ She only turns to face him, but can't find it in herself to look him in the eye just yet. It was an involuntarily reaction from the surprise that his words brought her. If he'd been thinking about it too all this time, then...

The other times they've briefly talked about their future. . . it wasn't because of anyone else. Those were Cloud's on words and ideas, a promise made by his own conviction that he'd see her again in Teyvat. They weren't anyone else's.

Up, up... her eyes look at his briefly, until her gaze falls back down. Her hold of her dress tightens as she braces herself. And she looks back at him again, as if to ask permission if she can continue doing so. ]

[ Just when her gaze starts falling back down, he takes a quiet breath through his nose...only to gently settle his hand beneath her chin once she's looked back at him again. He's still feeling brave. It won't leave until he's had a chance to say what he wants to say. Until he's had a chance to say what she needs to hear. ]

Keep your eyes on me.

[ Because before they can have a chance to go sit down on the bed, he closes what little distance is left between them. A kiss. A soft, slow, meaningful kiss. It's all he wants. He wants her attention. Her eyes on him when he casts caution to the wind and lays it all out for her. ]

[ Yet again, Cloud catches her before she falls in too deep in this pool of doubt she's made for herself. Cloud kisses her, spreading warmth all over her body and making her feel alive. There's a second delay when she kisses him back, and she hopes Cloud would not fault her for it.

And for holding it back for some time now, a tear is shed, and drips down the corner of her face when she pulls away. ]

[ As Cloud pulls away, he notes the stray tear that rolls down her cheek, calmly smiling as he sweeps his finger up to catch it. No looking away now. Eyes on him as he takes your hand... A gentle tug, and he guides her to join him. ]

Here. C'mon.

[ Down to the bed they go! Getting comfortable, he crosses his legs and tucks them in before letting his hands settle in his lap. Another deep breath in through his nose, and out his mouth... ]

When I first made that wish in Nara...the one where I'd stay. That wasn't just for moving to Kyoto.

Even if I didn't know how I was going to do it, I just...knew where I wanted to be at the end of everything. And...

[ He hesitates, not because he didn't know what was true or not, but it's just like he said. She'd better watch him now. She'd better listen to him now. He's embarrassed. But he's also feeling brave. He's speaking from the heart. And he plans on making this chance count. He can't take away every worry or strife she may encounter or place upon herself, but he can still keep his promise. His promise to stand by her- least she see herself through. ]

I didn't just daydream of getting to Kyoto. I, uh...also- [ Blush. ] -kept thinking of "what if"s. Like what if we...had a family someday.

[ And just as he says this? His eyes briefly break contact with Ayaka's, even if his smile hasn't left before returning his gaze back on her. He doesn't laugh, but he almost wishes he did because of how awkward he feels. Awkward but...right. That felt right. ]

See? Toldja. Embarrassed.

[ What Cloud confesses is something she never thought she would hear from him at this time. Not that Ayaka ever brought up having their own family, because she doesn't want to scare Cloud or anything! She imagines this would have been a topic that would come up in maybe another year or two! Her heart is beating really fast, and the red of her cheeks matches Cloud's perfectly.

He wanted to be with her until the end right from the start. Ayaka never really thought about it before... on her end, she just wanted to be with Cloud, period. More feeling lucky to be with him, that she wants to give back to him each day they spend together. The idea of spending their futures together was something she only truly started entertaining when Cloud mentioned it, because she just couldn't accept those thoughts before since everything was too good to be true already. Now, as she sits on Cloud's bed and reflects on what he's just confessed... the path ahead becomes much clearer. Still far away, but definitely much more attainable.

She smiles softly before tucking her knees to her chest and resting her cheek there. She looks at him even when he's looking away. ]

I'm going to marry you someday. [ Not "want". She doesn't just want to be his wife now. More than ever, she's determined to be his wife in the future. She wants this more than ever now. ] Hehe... saying it like that...

I don't sound too cheeky, do I? But if it means making your dream come true... then I must do my best not to be too embarrassed about it.

Cloud Strife's wife...

[ She lets out a soft laugh after that, unfolding her legs and sliding them underneath the blanket. Ayaka can no longer look Cloud in the eye now. Instead, she's looking up at the ceiling as she leans back on the pillow, hands on her lap. With a wistful sigh, she says: ]

Ayaka Strife. [ //// ] Though, I suppose with the Inazuman way of writing names, it would be Strife Ayaka.

[ There's a lot of things that Cloud never would have thought he'd say, now or ever. Things that Cloud never would have thought he'd feel...now or ever. But something he's learned, especially since arriving in the land of Nippon? Was that life comes at you fast. It also takes you in unexpected, and sometimes sudden, directions. Wasn't he the one who thought that the script for their guest roles in that movie involved characters falling in love too fast? Yet another world removed from their own, here and now under another family household...and he's learning that if there's such a thing as "too fast"? Cloud and Ayaka haven't fallen into that.

His life's been changed. This path he's on now is forever different from what he'd embark upon back home. If he can accomplish it, he'll finish what he started on Gaia. But the end destination... As he sighs through his nose and lets the reality of what he'd just said to Ayaka settle in, he knows in his heart that he doesn't want to be anywhere else. In his heart...the very same one that belongs completely to the girl by his side. The one who tucks her knees to her chest and breaks the silence between them to say,

"I'm going to marry you someday." ]

Huh? [ He looks surprised to hear that. ... Maybe not "surprised", but, there's a sense of wonder in his eyes that tells the whole story. Like it's something he's been waiting to hear for a very long time now. They're far off from that day. But his inner thoughts are still his thoughts. Thoughts so close to his heart that they're kept safeguarded by the Shirasagi Himegimi. And he gives her his undivided attention, heart racing as she talks herself through her own embarrassing confession.

It feels like he's telling her how much he loves her all over again. Or that the roles were reversed and he's hearing it from her first, for the very first time. A feeling that never goes away. A feeling of waking up to see her and remembering just how lucky he really was. And how hard he would continue to fight to preserve these halcyon days. ]

Kamisato Ayaka's husband...huh...

[ Cloud remains seated upright, hands in his lap even as she lays back on the pillow. He'll join her soon enough, but for now? He's just content in watching over her. His bangs, having grown slightly longer since coming here, sway with the tilt of his head as his eyes keep a gentle glow from the mako. Neither one may have cherry blossoms or starlight hovering over them anymore, but the light in his eyes would continue to shine for her. ]

Oh yeah? [ //// ] Other way around would be Kamisato Cloud.

[ Though the thought has him curious now, a thoughtful and deep hum filling the air between them before he gently speaks, ]

The Kamisato Clan...

[ The content smile on Ayaka's face shows that she really doesn't mind what their names would be like, in the end. It is traditionally the woman who takes the last name of the man in marriage, but she also understands that Cloud would be marrying into the family, and not the other way around. What matters more to her is that she'd be spending her future with him, and no one else.

She rolls to her side to face him, some of her longer hair following her movements and framing her face from how she's laying down. ]

Knowing my brother, I think... he would like that more.

[ But... she thinks that's okay, so long as Cloud is amenable to it. And one thing she's learned from all this hiding, is that she doesn't have to be afraid of putting pressure on Cloud and keeping things to herself. She can tell him anything, and so long as her intentions are made perfectly clear, then he would understand. No more worrying about how he might react, when it hasn't even happened yet.

Unless Cloud says something, there is silence on Ayaka's end. She's just looking at him in admiration, basking in this feeling of how lucky she truly is. How tomorrow, when she wakes up on her birthday, Cloud is the first person she sees. That's already a gift in of itself. ]

You truly do have such lovely eyes... Zack once told me that I should look into your eyes more, after I had complimented his.

[ Cloud finally settles down with her, grunting a little as slips underneath the covers, on his back with his hands behind his head. He tilts his head so that he can continue to watch her, prepared to roll over to meet her just as she was already on her side in turn. The way her long hair frames her face...she really was stunning. Even moreso when this content smile of hers was for him alone. ]

Just feels right to me, too.

[ After all, he's starting to feel a sense of duty and obligation to the Kamisato Clan as well. But it's something he wouldn't dare shirk or shy away from. Matter of fact... ]

You know...back home, some people have a middle name. Even if most people just use their first and last. [ A beat. Mm. ] Kamisato Ayaka. Middle name, Strife?

[ That is, if they keep the Clan's name alive and well but she takes a piece of her beau with her when the time comes. ]

[ As he says all this, that smile of his hasn't left his face. ]

Oh. Ah... [ There he goes again, cheeks dusted pink. ] You think so?

[ And there goes Zack again, being his wingman. ~~Guess he got his wings after all.~~ ]

Y'know, my eyes used to be more blue...

I'm afraid I can't quite imagine what you mean... [ A "middle" name. That's the first she's heard of it! Her name has just been Kamisato Ayaka all this time. But she's definitely open to suggestions, especially when Cloud is the one making them. ] Then, would "Strife" be in the middle? Kamisato Strife Ayaka?

[ That gets her to laugh a little. Not at the idea, but because she's reminded of something! How bright her eyes seem to look, her excitement showing. ]

Like Kamisato-Strife Art Tachi Jutsu!

[ Clearly it is the same??????

When they start talking about his eyes, she inches a little closer to him. ]

Mm... I think I know what you mean. Little Cloud's eyes are very blue. [ The one in the photo with Claudia, she means. That's Little Cloud!! Though... that was because he wasn't exposed to mako then yet, right? It's a touchy subject. . . and she doesn't want Cloud thinking about bad memories now, so she does not say anything more about it. ] But... that is not what I mean.

[ The more she tries to think about how she wants to say what she's thinking, the redder her cheeks get. And she rolls closer to him until she can hide her face under his chin, or by his chest. Just away from his gaze at this time, because of how embarrassing this all is. ]

They're so expressive... and I think when you first looked at me, when we met... That is when I started to fall in love with you.

I just did not know yet.

[ He takes his time, patiently waiting for her to figure it out. Luckily it doesn't take very long! And that's enough to get him rolling onto his side for her, face resting against his hand with a little, ] Bingo.

[ "Like Kamisato-Strife Art Tachi Jutsu!" ]

Hope you know that's what my technique's getting introduced as.

[ As she inches closer, he finds himself instinctively laying down a little lower next to her, unable to keep the smile off his face when she speaks about his younger self. Little Cloud, huh. The fact that his eyes have changed due to mako exposure hasn't really bothered him. In truth? Regardless of the experiments done on him, if he'd successfully made it into SOLDIER on his own, that would have been a foregone conclusion anyway. Then she tries to elaborate further, nuzzling in closer until she hides her face under his chin. Her hair feels so soft and smooth against his skin, his arm draping over her until he's shimmied in close enough to embrace her. ]

Ayaka...

I like mine, but... S'pretty hard to keep mine off yours. Pure and bright... When you're happy about something, it's like they shine.

[ It's like she said to him before. "Keep your eyes on me." Right? ]

Something or someone, hehe. My eyes must always look so bright when I am with you, then.

[ Don't mind her, Cloud! Now that he's embracing her? She's going to take the chance and embrace him back, one arm wrapping around him while the other stays tucked close to her. ]

I love you, Cloud. Thank you for listening to me and catching me once again. And... now I know what you think, too.

[ u///u It's like he read her mind again, and they're on the same page. They always are. ]

All it takes is a thought... [ A single thought of her. ] And I'm already smiling.

[ "I love you, Cloud." ]

I love you, too.

[ He'll always be there. He's always going to catch her. Just as she brought him back to his own two feet so many times before. ]

Always will... [ And suddenly, with Ayaka nuzzled in against him and all, he feels relief wash over him. So much so that he can't help but quietly yawn, blinking heavier than before. ] I was thinkin' of waiting till midnight to say Happy Birthday...

[ Oh well. If he has to get up to pee or something in the middle of the night, he can whisper it to her then. adflkjs ]

Hm? What time is it?

[ Hopefully it's just a couple of minutes before midnight! Ayaka shifts a little so she can look at him as they talk. ]

I do not mind waiting.

[ It's just so he could greet her, but there's something exciting about that? She's never waited until midnight for her birthday before! It is yet another new experience for her if they did do that. ]

Then...

[ Cloud temporarily leans away from her after she's already shifted, flopping his hand around for his phone behind him. And when he finds it? There's a few minutes left. He doesn't feel like watching his phone the whole time. He'd rather keep his eyes on the birthday girl, so. Holding down the power button, the voice command icon pops up in the bottom of his screen. ]

Set an alarm for midnight.

[ "Alright. Your alarm is set for 12 a.m." ]

[ Cloud can't help but smile to himself before he puts the phone over his head where they lay for now. So he can grab it when it goes off. ]

There. [ A beat. ] Don't feel like watching the time.

[ He wants to watch her. Or more importantly... It's a few minutes to cuddle and let the two of them stay in their own little world for a while longer. A few more minutes. He's going to make them count, leaning in to land a kiss on Ayaka's lips. Only this time, he doesn't pull away just yet. ]

[ Will they be spending the rest of the time before midnight kissing? Ayaka certainly has no complaints about that. She wants to be close, always. Moments when they're apart, whether it's to do errands during the day, or if Cloud is away on a quest and Ayaka's at the tea house, they're bits of separation that makes Ayaka more fond of her beau all the more. Getting to see him again, even if he was just doing something else in the other room, is always so exciting. To Ayaka, there is nothing she could ever ask of him but his company. Anything else is a bonus, and one that she treasures so deeply.

And so, she kisses him back. Soft, sweet, warm. Almost as if she's not giving him any reason to pull away. He can, of course, if he truly wanted to or needed to. Ayaka would not fault him for that. On her end though, she said she never wishes to lose a moment in showing that she loves him. Of course every second he decides to spend with her is going to be worth it for him. ]

The mochi you'll get tomorrow is a special one, [ she whispers to him in between kisses. ]

Mm...

[ Like velvet on the tongue, his words soon reach her once he lets her words stew in his head a little longer before he returns to kissing her. It's like embers being stoked, never turning into a raging fire of desire. But warm... So very warm. ]

Like Snow on the Hearth?

[ Cloud's smile grows before he kisses her again. ]

Well, that's one.

[ She made two for all! Everyone gets two Snow on the Hearths! But Cloud is the only one who gets a different set. ]

Do you remember the black sesame one?

[ They can take their time talking in between kisses. Ayaka sure is, getting one phrase in before going back to showing Cloud some love. Her voice is slow, almost lazy, but never a drag to listen to. Who knew you could have trouble deciding whether you wanted to talk to someone or make out with them? ]

[ When she mentions the black sesame, he slows down, resting his forehead against hers. No kisses yet. ...maybe in a second or two. fdasjkl ]

Yeah. You really went all out for that one. [ A beat. Two beats. ] Something like that?

[ She lets out a little laugh, remembering that this was all supposed to be a surprise for him. Oops! There she goes again... ]

Hehe, I meant to keep it a secret. But that's okay.

[ It would have been fun to see his reaction when he opened the box, but this is okay, too. ]

Eh. [ If Cloud could shrug in this position, he would. adsfjkl ] I'll still feel like getting it for the first time.

It came from you.

[ Instead of going in for another kiss this time, he closes his eyes, smiling as he gently butts his head with hers. Taking a deep breath in through his nose, and humming softly as he exhales. ]

[ Suddenly, Cloud's alarm goes off, ringing over his head where he put his phone down the first time. Without even opening his eyes, he lifts his hand up and over, feeling around for it a couple pats before finally snagging it. Tapping the screen, he succeeds in turning off the alarm before sighing in relief to put it back down.

When he opens his eyes again, with that same life and brightness she'd come to cherish so dearly... It's about time. He can finally say, from the bottom of his heart, ]

Happy Birthday, Ayaka.

[ Ayaka cups her beau's cheek and pushes herself up a bit to give him a quick kiss. He's her first greeter, right at the stroke of midnight! ]

Thank you, my love.

[ He said so earlier, about how her eyes shone whenever she was happy. They're twinkling now as she looks at him, just so content in this moment. It is yet another new experience that Cloud has given her! There's nothing that could ever top this. ]

I'm excited for our dinner date.

Mm...

[ A quick little kiss right back. He's not exactly tired, but they both have a bigger day ahead of them tomorrow too. Give him enough time and he'll get comfortable enough to want to conk out and get some rest before he helps her get prepared in the morning. ]

Can't wait to pick you up later.

[ On the most badass ride ever. He still can't believe Ayaka went through with buying him something like that... Honestly? He's gonna take damn good care of that scooter. It doesn't matter what it is. Cloud's going to make it work. ]

[ They really should go to bed soon. Ayaka needs all the energy tomorrow, especially since she'll be out and about the whole day! The last thing she wants is to be so tired that she wouldn't be able to keep up with Cloud when they see each other.

And so, she brings herself even closer, until she can hug her beau again and tuck herself in like that. Of course, she'll give Cloud whatever space he needs to get comfortable, but she wants to fall asleep cuddling one another. ]

Let's get some rest now.

[ She feels so light. Whatever worries she may have had when the evening was coming to a close, all those she shared with their moms... they're gone now. Not because they vanished into them air, but they weigh so much less after telling Cloud. It may not have been something she planned on doing, but the outcome was still good. Yet again, there's nothing to fear because Cloud is always supporting her.

Upon waking up, Ayaka won't eat anything for breakfast. Just a cup of tea! She'll be saving her appetite for wherever Ayato brings her, so most of her morning will be spent preparing breakfast for Cloud and packing the mochi in boxes. Someone's coming over to pick them up and deliver them to her friends, so she'll just be relaxing and waiting for Ayato once she's freshened up and gotten ready after that.

How truly lucky Ayaka is, to be celebrating her birthday with her brother and her beau. The best part is that she can celebrate it as herself, Kamisato Ayaka, and not as a public figure of Inazuma. ]

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