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Seven whole days without a worry or care.
Aerith doesn't need to clean the house or do the laundry, Tifa is hanging a "Sorry, We're Closed" sign on the bar and sleeping in, and they'll be doing nothing but snowboarding and sitting by the fire for seven days straight.
It's going to be a real treat.
But it's only fair, Aerith reasons as she packs her suitcase. She had been torn away from the Lifestream so that she could keep watch over the planet, sent back to mortal life to carry on the work of the Cetra. Falling in love with Tifa since then has been wonderful, and she is happy, stupendously so. But there are nights when the pain still bears down hard on her, when she's struck hard by the inherent loneliness of joining her ancestors—of joining all humanity—and then being torn back apart. She needs this extra time with her wife.
Besides, this isn't just any vacation. They'll be spending time with Cloud and Zack, two of the other people dearest to her. It's their first real time together since Cloud and Zack got married, their first outing as two couples, and Aerith couldn't be happier about it.
Well, except that sharing a one-bedroom cabin with another couple meant she wouldn't get to have sex with her wife for a whole week.
* * *
Aerith and Tifa won't be getting in until late on their first day of vacation. Even after their flight lands, it's still a long drive up to the Icicle Inn. Fortunately, Zack and Cloud had already arrived the previous night and checked into their cabin, so they don't have to worry about losing their reservation.
Tifa drives them through the twisting mountain passes while Aerith, never one for driving, thanks her good fortune that she such has a tough, capable spouse. And when Tifa inevitably frets about the well-being of the bar (will their finances take too much of a hit? what if there's a fire?), it's Aerith's turn to run a calm hand through her wife's hair and remind her that they're on vacation and this week is about having fun.
They finally reach the Icicle Inn and pull up to their cabin, a wooden, two-story oasis of warmth and coziness amidst the cold and intimidating sheets of ice. The two women tumble out of the car in a small storm of bags and suitcases. They're both sentimental enough to bring their favorite things with them everywhere, but at least they understand that about each other.
Aerith is tired and sore from sitting in the car for so long, but that's overwhelmed by her excitement about seeing Zack and Cloud. "We're here!" she calls as pushes open the front door with her hip, a suitcase swinging in each arm. But as soon as she seems them in the flesh, the luggage gets tossed aside and she runs to embrace each of them in turn. First, it's Zack's strong, confident grip literally sweeping her off the ground, spiriting her away from the day-to-day grind. And then she stumbles, already dizzily happy, over to Cloud. He clutches her against his chest, intimate and vulnerable.
Tifa hugs Cloud as well and then shakes Zack's hand—she hardly knows him personally at all, really, mostly knew of him through Aerith and Cloud.
"It's so good to see you."
Aerith's glad to see them doing well, too. Cloud's well-being had been the biggest complication in her new life. Watching over the Planet with Tifa at her side would have been her happy ending were it not for the fact that they'd be leaving Cloud alone in their dust. She and Tifa were two of the most people important in his life, and he in theirs, and it wouldn't have sat right with Aerith to leave him on his own. She was not one to enjoy herself when it was coming at the expense of other people.
And so Aerith had spent many exhausting nights on her knees in her church, talking and praying to the Planet for an answer. When it became clear that Aerith simply could not accept things as they stood, the Planet replied—by one day giving them back Zack so that Cloud could have someone who loved him as much as Tifa did Aerith. After all, Aerith's duties were too important to jeopardize, so the Planet would do whatever necessary to ensure she could realize them.
Tifa's voice snaps back Aerith to the present. "We should drop off our things," she says.
The accommodations inside their cabin are relatively modest: a sofa here, a recliner there, a simple stove and refrigerator making up the kitchen. (Zack and Cloud had already bought groceries, judging by the bags on the counter.) Tour guides and kitschy Icicle Inn memorabilia stand in places where there should be books and family photos. It's a dead giveaway that this cabin is not a permanent residence, but that's just as well; Aerith appreciates the reminder that this week should be different and special, a step above her ordinary life.
Aerith and Tifa head upstairs to the bedroom. It's immediately obvious which side of the room is intended to be theirs. One bed is still immaculately made up, an inviting pile of pillows and quilts. The other has already been thoroughly ransacked: quilts haphazardly pulled back, sheets wrinkled and stretched, pillows turned every which way.
And Aerith can't help but think about what transpired in that bed last night. It's one thing to know that Zack and Cloud are married or for her to occasionally imagine what their private moments are like. It's quite another to have the physical evidence right in front of her.
She pauses for a moment, picturing her beloved friends making out. Cloud and Zack would have their hands clasped in each other's hands, kissing to celebrate their reunion after all they've been thorough. They would have been scarcely able to contain their feelings, and she imagines them rolling on the bed—naked, of course—full of pent-up joy and lust and love. It's not such a strange thing to think about, she believes. After all, she loves Cloud and Zack; why wouldn't she take pleasure in their passion for each other?
And, then, of course, the sex. Cloud would have been on all fours with his ass in the air, at last in the position to ask for comfort and protection. And Zack, as loyal as always, would finally be in the position to give his lawfully wedded husband what he wanted. He would have been rock-hard and sliding deep into Cloud, both of them horny and grunting and desperate to come. And Zack would eventually slipped a hand around to stroke Cloud's own cock, making sure to traverse every inch of it with his hand, wanting nothing more than Cloud's pleasure.
It would have looked like Zack was in command, but Aerith knows it actually would have been Cloud driving the action. He would have been begging for it, bucking needily against Zack's cock, pushing his ass back to meet each of Zack's thrusts. Cloud would have come first, spilling his seed into Zack's hand, and Zack not long after, releasing an enormous load into Cloud's ass, their cum on the bedsheets and on each other the physical marker of their love.
Tifa notices that her wife has been staring into space with an odd look. "What is it?"
"You know Cloud and Zack totally had sex on that bed last night."
Tifa really hasn't thought about Cloud that way in a while, not with her seeing Aerith, but her gentle nod indicates she at least concedes that this, in fact, probably true.
"Come on, it's hot!" Aerith pleads. She was expecting more of a reaction.
But Tifa, at least, isn't offended. She just shakes her head and laughs affectionately. "You're such a pervert."
She'd never claim to be anything else.
* * *
The second day begins with a leisurely start. Aerith huddles under the covers as long as possible, basking in the warmth of the quilts and her wife's embrace. (And her boobs. Definitely also the boobs.) Every few minutes that pass, she manages to snuggle another few millimeters closer, intent on squeezing out the last bits of distance between them.
But eventually, she gets hungry enough that they have to stop cuddling and eat breakfast. It's already past noon, but none of them are in any particular hurry to get anywhere. Snowboarding is fun and all, but this vacation is really about being able to spend time together free of any worries or obligations.
An hour later, they finally hit the slopes. Cloud zooms off down the course right away, with Tifa not far behind him. Aerith isn't nearly as proficient on a snowboard, but that's fine by her. She's here more for the majestic views down the mountain and over the horizon, the fresh blanket of snow making everything look like a newly created world, and the purple tint in the skies as the sun begins to set.
When they head inside for dinner, there's a glow in Aerith's heart to match the one Zack starts in the fireplace. It comes from Zack's arm slung confidently around Cloud's neck as he grabs a beer, Cloud's gentle smile, Tifa's industriousness in the kitchen. As she sits down at the table, Aerith is gazing upon her wife with a kind of mild wonderment, perhaps still a little amazed that one woman can bring so much joy into her life.
So much joy, in fact, that it's impossible to keep her hands off Tifa. When Aerith loves someone, she wants to express it physically; to her, sex has never been a substitute for romance but a celebration of it. It's hard enough to wait until they've all gone to bed, and she certainly can't wait any longer than that.
As soon as the lights go off, she cuddles up beside her wife and runs a gentle hand through her hair. "Sex? You've been driving me wild all day."
"Cloud and Zack are right there!" Tifa sounds astonished Aerith would even suggest such a thing.
"I can be quiet!"
"No, you can't. You're never quiet." (It's true.)
"I can be quiet if your thighs are around my face."
Tifa lets out a slightly exasperated sigh, but she couldn't be too opposed to the idea because she quickly kicks off her pajama shorts. Aerith grins. She knows her desire for sex often outstrips Tifa's—outstrips most people's, probably—so she's grateful for being humored. And Tifa's come a long way in embracing her own desires. Unlike when Aerith first started dating her, she's now able to suggest sex without blushing furiously, willing to sometimes jump in bed for a quick, romp without always needing a romantic evening to set the mood first.
Indeed, they only need to exchange one glance to know what they need to do tonight: They slide into a 69 position so they can each get the other off at the same time. Quickly and quietly.
Aerith parts Tifa's legs from above, breathing in the scent of her wife's desire. She always like to see Tifa so aroused, to know that thoughts of cocktails and profit margins have been temporarily banished from her mind in place of pure physical pleasure. She is, of course, in love with Tifa's personality—kind, diligent, business-savvy—but there's also a whole lot she likes about Tifa's body. If they had the whole night to themselves, she'd be feeling up Tifa's cute little butt, digging her hands into her strong thighs, and burying her face in Tifa's perfect tits. But Cloud and Zack are asleep on the other side of the room, and there's no time to do anything but go right to Tifa's clit, working her to the border of ecstasy as quickly as possible.
Tifa, meanwhile, traces and licks Aerith's folds somewhat more tentatively. She had been an awkward, fumbling mess when Aerith first dragged her into bed, but her technique has steadily improved since then. She no longer merely copies Aerith's instructions, but does something distinctly Tifa. Whereas Aerith is daring and jumps right into things, Tifa is kind enough to always snuggle her lover into exactly the most comfortable position, nurturing enough to start off with long, slow caresses before she builds the tension. Aerith recognize Tifa's gentleness in the featherlight touch of her kisses, and she feels Tifa's iron will in her ability to keep lapping at Aerith no matter how much Aerith's hips are bucking and her body quivering.
And the danger only makes it more exciting. Their desire to finish as quickly as possible requires that they fuck each other relentlessly, that rather than ever pausing they instead dare themselves to greater lust, firmer touches, faster flicks of the tongue. And even as the waves of pleasure build, the need for perfect silence forces them to be voiceless and still. Trying to keep it all inside only makes Aerith's need for climax all the more desperate. She presses her knees hard against the mattress to keep her body still; her mouth hangs open in a silent howl of pleasure; her breath hangs in her lungs. And when she hits her peak and her hips start to shake, she at least has the presence of mind to bury her face in Tifa's pussy lest she scream out loud enough and wake up the whole Icicle Inn.
It's one of her better orgasms.
She's flushed and sweaty and relieved and deliriously happy. As she lies next to Tifa, she wonders if Cloud or Zack heard or realized anything. A certain pervy part of her hopes that actually had, and they now know just how much she loves Tifa.
* * *
By the third day, they've already started to settle into a comfortable routine. Tifa can't go more than a few days without training, even on her vacation, and so rises early for her morning workout. Aerith watches her depart down the stairs, always impressed by her wife's drive and determination, whether in fitness or business. Tifa's never been one to brag or call attention to how hard she works, probably doesn't even realize it, but her humility only makes Aerith all the more enamored.
Aerith lingers under the warm covers for a few more moments, soaking up the last of Tifa's body heat, before she concedes that she has to get a move on. She scoots out of bed and stumbles to her feet. She slips out of her nightgown as she plods into the bathroom, mumbles a sleepy "Good morning" to Zack at the sink, and hops into the shower.
The hot water enveloping her body is just what she needed to wake her up and cocoon her against the cold climate. Before she washes herself, she takes a moment to just feel the water cascade down her body. Growing up, Aerith had never been able to afford anything fancy, so she'd learned to instead draw pleasure out of the simple things: her flowers growing day by day, soft earth beneath her feet, a lover's touch. Her body was one thing that poverty could never take from her.
As she showers, she draws one hand across her stomach. There's still a jagged stab-wound scar running across her chest, even in her second life. (Perhaps the Planet just wanted her to always remember that she was living on borrowed time.) It's OK. Tifa assures her she's beautiful with or without it.
She masturbates briefly, as she does most days, and then finishes washing herself. It's not until she's walking to the closet to pick out an outfit for the day that the thought finally pops into her head: I probably shouldn't have been walking around naked with the guys. She cringes. It's not like she was deliberately trying to tease them (at least not this time); she's just so comfortable and at-home among them that she didn't stop to put up the usual barriers she would in broader society. And Aerith's never been shy about her body; it's the greatest gift the Planet has given her, has given everyone, not anything to be ashamed of. Still, she doesn't want to make her loved ones uncomfortable, so she hurriedly throws on the rest of her clothing and scoots out of the room rather shamefacedly.
But apparently her morals aren't so unusual—or they're catching—because when she and Tifa are climbing into bed at the end of the day, the room still fully lit, Cloud strolls out of the shower and crosses the room without so much as a towel. And the two of them are really, truly not trying to ogle him, but he's the only thing moving and it's hard for them not to watch him. (And Aerith, pervert that she is, can't fail to notice he's already got a hard-on for his husband.)
Cloud climbs into bed with Zack, calling, "Good shredding today. G'night," and flips out the lights.
Aerith immediately nudges Tifa in bed and whispers, "You looked."
Tifa blushes and rolls over, turning away from Aerith. "Sorry."
"Don't apologize. So did I. He's got a cute butt." Just because she happened to marry a woman doesn't mean Aerith has suddenly lost her attraction to men. (And she definitely has an attraction to men.) She's deeply committed to Tifa, and meant every word of her vows to love and honor her wife—but fantasies are their own thing, and when she's privately imagining scenarios she doesn't expect to play out in real life, she sometimes imagines herself riding a nice dick. Sometimes even Cloud or Zack's dick.
Aerith turns over and puts her arm around Tifa again, spooning her from behind. She raises her head and hovers her lips centimeters from her wife's ear so that she can whisper a teasing reminder in the most hushed of tones. "Besides, it's not like we haven't both slept with him before."
It's not really a topic they discuss much; it's rather awkward and they both already know the facts, so what is there to say? But now Aerith has to admit that there's something else trying to express itself through her comment—not just a tease or an off-color joke, but a memory of intimacy, of a connection to her heart that she hasn't quite forgotten...
* * *
The fourth day is a little less comfortable, if only because the weird sexual tension among them is starting to become too strong to ignore. It shouldn't be like this. Aerith and Tifa are happily married, and so are Zack and Cloud, so there shouldn't be anything left unresolved.
But loose ends are never so easily tied off. After years of pursuing Cloud, Tifa had eventually conceded defeat in trying to draw him out of his shell. Zack's relentless optimism, she would eventually concede, made him a better match for Cloud. But, that didn't mean she'd stopped caring about him. And Aerith had been separated from Zack and from Cloud not by choice but by circumstance, never allowing her to see how things might have developed. It's the kind of messy, complicated uncertainty that puts butterflies in Aerith's stomach, butterflies that get all the more wild when she has to watch her two ex-boyfriends making out with each other on the other side of the ski lift.
Maybe that's why Cloud and Zack wander off halfway through the afternoon, leaving Aerith and Tifa to hit the slopes alone. After a few days' practice, Tifa decides to rise to the challenge of collecting the balloons that the resort staff places along the trail. She turns sharply around each bend in the course, board cutting deep in the snow, and launches herself into the air to catch the high-floating ones. Aerith's a little skittish about trying any wild tricks, but she trusts in Tifa's lead and follows, if for no other reason than to watch Tifa master the course. Aerith has always admired Tifa's athleticism. Her relentless pursuit of excellence is exhilarating; each punch, kick, or jump finely honed through hours of practice to remove all weakness or imprecision from her movements. It's physical, immediate, real.
But somehow now it feels a little lonely with just the two of them. Of course, Zack and Cloud have always been thoroughly intertwined with their lives, even when separated by half the globe. But now that they were all together everyday, now that they shared not just big turning points in their lives but the daily business of fixing lunch and fighting over the shower, Zack and Cloud's presence felt like the norm. Like they were now a single unit of four that was incomplete without them.
And so Tifa and Aerith decide to head back to the cabin early as well. Tifa pushes the door open, not even considering that they might be interrupting anything, and is rather flummoxed by what she discovers:
Cloud is sprawled out on one of the recliners, his pants open, and Zack is kneeling on the carpet before him to suck his cock.
Aerith hates the thought that, after all this time, they might not be able to be completely at ease with each other. So, she resolves to play it cool no matter Cloud and Zack are doing. "Don't mind us," she whispers, creeping past them to the kitchen to put the kettle on for hot chocolate.
She can tell from what she hears—the slick sounds of Zack's lips moving up and down Cloud's shaft, Cloud's brief moans—that they're willing to keep going at it. And she can't help but look. She cranes her head over her shoulder, promising herself to turn away immediately if there are any objections. But there aren't, and she can just watch. Zack is practically worshipping his husband's cock; he alternates between teasing the head and taking Cloud deep into his mouth, making Cloud whimper with each shift. As Zack withdraws his mouth again, he slows it all down, letting his tongue sloooowly trace the sensitive underside of Cloud's shaft, a few drops of Cloud's precum spilling onto this tongue.
It's hot, really hot, even hotter than just imagining them playing, and Aerith knows she's going to have a lot of thoughts and images to get herself off to later. But Zack trails one finger along Cloud's cock, and Cloud grunts, and later no longer seems sufficient to Aerith. The throb of her arousal is growing more insistent, crowding out all other thoughts, and it feels wrong to just watch without giving something of herself. She sits down, unbuttons her pants, and slides one hand down to start masturbating right there in the living room. Even Aerith is a little uncertain about doing it here and now, but touching herself to them makes her feel connected, as if she's now a participant in their love. A few moments later and she's into it, pulling her pants and underwear down to her knees so she can really go at it. And while Tifa doesn't join her in pleasuring herself, Aerith sees her watching just as intently.
Cloud comes. He releases a groan that quickly turns into a whimper; the sensations are almost too much for his body to handle, and his back arches and his head tilts back. His twitching cock releases load after load in Zack's mouth, and Zack, good husband that he is, swallows it all.
It's amazing to watch anyone so overcome with pleasure, almost unbearably hot, and Aerith releases an involuntary moan of her own. Her fingers curl deep inside herself, seeking the release to her burning need, digging, searching, wanting...
But now the boys are both watching her and Aerith realizes she's doing this for an audience, her unconcealed desire, her pussy, her favorite way of touching herself now on display for all three to see. For a minute, it's unnerving, but then she embraces it. Of course she wants her pleasure and joy shared with those closest to her; of course she wants to be a source of excitement and arousal to them. Now deliberately putting on a show, she lets her legs kick in the air as she works towards a climax, lets herself moan freely, wantonly indulging and celebrating her lust. Her other hand moves to work her clit and she soon climaxes, three other sets of eyes watching her scream and gasp and writhe against the couch.
No one really knows what to say or do after that happened, so they just put on their clothes and go back outside to snowboard again. There's not a word spoken of it the rest of the day, not even during dinner.
But when they're all headed to bed, Aerith gives Cloud and Zack each a quick kiss on the cheek. "Good night," she whispers.
* * *
The fifth day is when they have to have to finally have the talk. "We should talk about yesterday," Cloud says over breakfast. In his own way, he's still their leader when they need one.
"I'm not upset about anything that happened," Zack says from the kitchen as he pours his orange juice.
"Is anyone?" Cloud asks—sincerely, not rhetorically.
There's silence.
"I'm ... glad we could share that, actually," Aerith says. It hasn't broken any kind of trust in each other, but rather affirmed it.
Tifa hurriedly swallows her spoonful of cereal. "Me too," she adds, and Aerith's heart leaps in joy. It was always Tifa she worried the most about, the one she feared might be the weak link in this arrangement.
"To be honest, I don't think I ever really fell out of love with either of you," Aerith says to the boys when Zack sits down. "Maybe we weren't meant to be together, or maybe it was just the wrong time, but I know all of the reasons I loved you are still there."
Zack nods. "Circumstances got in the way." The war, Shinra, the slums, Sephiroth...
Aerith scoots as close to Zack as she can while still holding Tifa's hand, her fingertips just barely interlocking with her wife's. It's symbolic, she thinks: She's approaching something new without letting go of what she already treasures.
The tension is almost unbearable, and Aerith is about to decide that she needs to initiate the next step when Zack lifts the burden from her. "But ... maybe we can try again?" he says.
"Yes," she says, still holding Tifa's hand. "Yes, absolutely."
"And, Cloud," Tifa adds, "I've missed you, you know that?"
Aerith's heart pounds the entire day, and it's not just because she's moved up to the "Expert" snowboarding course. Here she is, married for two years, the co-owner of a successful business, but when she's out on the slopes with Zack, she's like a teenager on her first date. Each smile Zack throws her way seems full of significance; the steely winter sky seems more intense than ever before, and the fireplace burns warmer and more comforting.
They eat dinner in almost total silence because they're all too nervous to speak.
That night, Aerith lets Zack take her to bed as Cloud and Tifa do the same on the opposite side of the room. She spends what seems like hours in the dark whispering to him, catching up, reliving their shared histories. Zack was in her life long before Tifa or Cloud, and there are so many memories that only the two of them could discuss. (She imagines Tifa and Cloud are having much the same conversation.) She's glad to have someone who remembers her when she was a naive teenager and can appreciate how she's grown since then. As they talk, they gradually move closer and their comments begin to be interleaved with kisses.
Zack lays her down and climbs on top of her for a long, slow kiss. Their lips locks and their tongues search inside each others' mouth, taking pleasure in eliminating every last bit of distance between them. Aerith is used to initiating things with Tifa; it feels good to instead be taken for once, to lie back and let Zack take charge of her pleasure. He holds her snug and steady with one arm as the other strokes her palm, then travels up her arms, across her thighs and calves. She whimpers and stirs; his strong hands on her soft curves make her feel protected, overpowered. Zack's touches grow more intimate, cupping her breast and then stroking the inside of her thigh. And even though he's taking the lead, she can't help but reach out and run her hand down the length of his erection, her fingers coming together over its head.
Finally, he enters her. It's been a long time, but it still feels as right as it did then to have him inside her, filling her, joining her. She wraps her arms around him and pulls him close so that he can push deep into her, enough to make her grunt and stir with each thrust. Kissing her as he goes, he builds up a rhythm. But it's not a completely constant one, so that sometime when she's expecting him to thrust in deep again, he delays just enough to tantalize her. And sometimes when she hasn't quite braced herself yet, he goes in double-time, overwhelming her, making her scream.
When they've both come, they lay panting and exhausted in the dark and listen to Cloud and Tifa making love on the other side of the room. There's no question that both of them are into it. Cloud groans with pleasure, Tifa's voice quivers as she softly whispers her love, and the bed creaks as Cloud thrusts into Tifa, slowing it down and then speeding it back up.
Aerith has always appreciated how noisy Cloud is in bed; he's so cool and collected most of the time that she loves being reminded he's a flesh-and-blood human with desires like the rest of them. But the best part of this unfolding performance is listening to her wife getting fucked—being kissed and teased all over, Aerith hopes, and then deep-dicked. She's not jealous. The way Aerith sees it, Tifa's squeals and sighs and whimpers for more of Cloud's love only affirm her wife's sexuality and celebrate the wonderful gift the Planet has given them. But more importantly, she's enamored with the idea that Tifa and Cloud can love each other without any threat to her own relationships, that two people who make her happy can make each other just as happy.
"Zack?" she whispers in the darkness.
One strong arm pulls her close against his body in response. "I love you," he says.
"I love you too."
* * *
The sixth day is when the real challenge comes. They've been growing closer together as a group of four, and all of them can't help but silently wonder how far they'll go. But there's one obvious issue. Aerith has already dated and loved Zack and Cloud, and Tifa the same with Cloud, but there's never been any real connection between Tifa and Zack; she'd barely even met him during his first time on this Planet.
During breakfast, Aerith happily nestles herself in Zack's lap without a word, as if this is the way it always is, as if Zack's love is there to encourage her at the start of every day. And when Cloud and Tifa come downstairs from the bedroom holding hands, Aerith makes sure to give her wife a reassuring smile. Everything's fine, her face says; I'm glad Cloud's arm is around you at the breakfast table.
She only corners Tifa later, when they happen to have arrived at the bottom of the slope together and it's an opportune time. "You seem happy."
Tifa nods. "Yes," she says, as if it's an admission she feels a little guilty about.
"Good. Me too." Aerith flashes Tifa an extra-big smile to let her know that it's all right to feel the way she does. She takes both of Tifa's hands in her own. "I kinda want to get with Cloud, too, but I have this feeling you and Zack wouldn't be able to keep your hands off each other."
"I wouldn't do that," Tifa protests.
"Would you want to?"
Tifa blushes and doesn't say anything. Aerith has learned that whenever that happens, it's actually a yes, but that Tifa is once again struggling to accept her desires, let alone articulate them. It's not really her fault. Aerith's heart breaks for all the people—not just Tifa—who had let themselves be conditioned to fear what made them happiest, who had come to think there was something wrong with love. Of course it was a good thing to feel affection, love, passion for other people. How could loving other people be a character flaw?
Fortunately, Aerith has become quite good at drawing out Tifa's inner desires. She gives her wife a poke in the side to let her know not to take things too seriously. "I think you'd be good for each other, for the record. You've got to at least admit he's cute, right?"
Tifa had to look around to make sure that Cloud and Zack weren't overhearing this. "Well, sure, but... I hardly know him yet."
"Teef," Aerith said. "You don't have to know him perfectly to be interested in him. And I know that sex with someone you love and adore is wonderful, but it's fine just to want something physically sometimes. Don't be so scared of yourself. No one here is come down on you for anything you want." Heck, sex was sometimes a good way to learn about someone. She felt she'd learned a lot about Tifa that way; bodies could express what words couldn't...
When Tifa just responds with a hesitant "Well...", Aerith knew it was practically a done deal.
After lunch, Aerith goes off snowboarding with Cloud, intentionally leaving Tifa alone with Zack. Besides, she appreciates the chance to catch up with her other ex-boyfriend (or was that just "boyfriend" now?). Cloud is neither as protective nor as enthusiastic as Zack, and neither is he as kind or hard-working as Tifa, but Aerith appreciates his constancy, his easy calm even if everything is burning around him. Being with Cloud tempers her rough edges—the group's rough edges. When she's too giggly, or Zack too eager, or Tifa too sentimental, it's Cloud who reels them back in. (And she, in turn, gets to enjoy teasing him for his obliviousness.)
They ride the lift back up to the top of the slope together, and Aerith thinks of riding the gondola at the Gold Saucer with him years ago. He was an enigma to her then—an enigma to himself, really. She's glad that he doesn't have quite as many walls to break through now, even if he still retains some of the quiet, mysterious charm that reeled her in to begin with. Maybe it's the gardener in her that's attracted to people who are still growing, people still shaping themselves and not yet fixed into one form.
When she and Cloud get back to the cabin, she finds Tifa and Zack's coats already hanging on the rack and the door to the bedroom closed tight. Grinning, she turns to Cloud and raises a finger to her lips for silence. She doesn't know exactly what's going on in that bedroom, but she knows she doesn't want to disturb it.
That leaves her and Cloud to enjoy the pot of tea that she's brewed. It's a quiet, perfect moment, an oasis of fully realized contentment ... at least until she resolves to see how much she can tease Cloud before he makes a move on her. She unbuttons the top button of her blouse, making sure he's looking when she does it. No reaction. She nudges him under the table with her foot. Cloud's leg jerks away, as if he think she's merely getting in the way rather than playing footsie. He doesn't go for her even when she unbuttons more of her blouse to reveal the fancy lingerie she put on that morning especially for him. (Of course, it's Cloud; maybe he'd rather be wearing the lingerie.)
Finally, she uncrosses her legs and spreads them in an obvious invitation that even Cloud can't fail to notice. He ducks under the table, and even though she's turned on enough that she'd be happy if he went straight for her pussy, he starts slowly kissing up the inside of her thigh.
Aerith whimpers a little, squirming. It's fun to be teased—up to a point, and then it just became painful to have Cloud's lips circling her skin inches from her dripping cunt, promising release but never delivering it. "Cloud ... you've got to..." Her strained voice struggled to form a sentence.
When he finally makes a move, he doesn't waste any time, just pulls her panties to the side and goes in. He eats her out like his life depends on it, up her slit and around her clit and back down. Her legs kick in the air as he sucks on her clit; her hips buck against him. And she's embarrassed, but she buries her hands in his hair and pulls his head tight against her, urging him on, fucking his face.
Briefly the thought pops into her head of whether he's ever done this to Tifa. And the mental image of Tifa on her back with Cloud between her legs, her body arched in ecstasy as he worships her cunt with his tongue, sends Aerith over the edge immediately. She comes, whimpering, screaming, toes curled, chest heaving. Cloud skillfully eases up, reducing his aggressive pursuit of her pleasure to a gentle reassurance, giving her slow pulses of pleasure and guiding her slowly down from the peak of her climax.
She slouches down in her chair, happily drained of any need to do anything and able to just be. Cloud lays his head down in her lap.
She's still in the pleasant haze of her orgasm and the words tumble right out of her mouth. "Cloud? I don't know if I've ever said this before, but I've loved you for a long time."
"I love you too."
After a moment, he adds an observation: "You brought fancy lingerie on a ski trip." He was pretty sharp in spite of—or because of—being so quiet.
"I ... suppose I was hoping that something like this might happen," she concedes.
Eventually, Tifa and Zack come down from the bedroom together. Their pajamas are hastily thronw on and only half-buttoned and their hair a mess. Tifa has that unmistakable just-been-fucked glow; Aerith thinks her wife's dopey smile reflect both an impassioned night itself and a subtle sexual liberation. Zack slips an arm around Tifa's waist. They look as natural together as Aerith had hoped: heart of gold and puppy-dog protector.
Cloud doesn't bat an eye. "You're cute," he says, and then slyly adds, "Now sit your asses down and drink your goddamn tea!"
* * *
The seventh day, there's not even any question what they're going to be doing. "Do you even want to go snowboarding at all, or are we just going to fuck all day?" Zack asks.
There are four votes for the second option.
Tifa cooks them a quick breakfast—somehow "forgetting" to put on any of her clothes except her apron—and then they get to it. They push the two beds together so they can tumble together in one huge pile of kisses and roaming hands and love and comfort. For a while they're just making out, Aerith kissing Tifa, Tifa kissing Cloud, Zack kissing Tifa, Cloud nuzzling against Zack's shoulder, Zack grabbing Aerith's ass.
Amidst the mass of legs and hips and shoulders, Aerith's hand finds the familiar warmth of Tifa's cunt, and she slips one finger inside. But this time it's a little different. Zack is hugging Tifa tight, bracing her tight against Aerith's thrusts, allowing Aerith to get a second and then a third finger inside her wife. Cloud kisses Tifa's lips, trails down her neck to eventually kiss and suck at her breasts, and then it's back to brushing Tifa's lips again as she comes, bucking hard against Aerith's hand.
When they've finished pleasuring Tifa, it's Cloud's turn. Zack gets him on all fours and fucks him, Cloud needily rising his ass up to meet each of Zack's thrusts, just like Aerith had imagined. (She knows them too well.) For a while, Aerith is content just to let her dirty mind drink in the scene. But then Tifa drapes herself over Zack from behind, nuzzling and kissing him, and Aerith feels obligated to do something too. She positions herself beside Cloud and jerks off his cock until Cloud comes in her hand and Zack empties himself in his husband's ass.
After that, it's pretty much just an orgy. Aerith finds herself being eaten out by Zack while she does the same to Tifa. Tifa and Aerith both straddle Cloud so that they can make out with each other while Tifa rides his dick. Aerith and Zack double-team Cloud, Zack feeling up his husband's ass while Aerith sucks him off. There are kisses and fingers and heartbeats and blowjobs and, most importantly, love and trust.
Aerith knows she'll have to go back to her ordinary life soon, but she's already dreaming and planning about how they can do this another time. Maybe even—and she knows this is still a crazy idea—they can be together like this every day. There's nothing she wants to feel more than their presence, nothing she wants to do more than build something like a life together, nothing she wants to have more than Tifa and Cloud and Zack, not just for seven days but for many more...