There’s no denying that it hurts to hear she believed Piaget about him. Even addled, he can assume how nasty those lies were. And some part of him feels resigned to it, that someone like Aerith was never going to care for someone like him. That no one ever sees past the surface, doesn’t want to.

Except he’s still too fresh off the terror of losing her.

“Piaget manipulates, and he does it well.” He can hear the tightness in his voice though.

Then she’s in front of him, filling his vision with her beautiful face, and it’s not the apology that has his heart stuttering.

He’s still dizzy, still slow, but he gingerly reaches out his clean hand to touch her hair. “I should have been clearer about how I felt, so you didn’t have to guess. I was so worried about overstepping, I didn’t think…”

Well didn’t think she’d be kidnapped.