…“So, how are you enjoying your first-ever swimming lesson?” Zack asked cheekily, showcasing his white teeth and playfully moving his hand from the grip he had upon her waist to gently grabbing a handful of her ass. His teasing smirk and mischievous action meant to ease her worries about him for the last thing he ever wanted to do was cause her more grief.
It worked.
Aerith giggled sweetly, her cheeks a soft rosy hue as she leaned forward to gently press their foreheads together. “Hmm… Well, I’m not learning much but I think I can deal with that…for a price,” she whispered, teeth biting at her plump bottom lip as her ethereal green eyes grew heavily-lidded as she stared into his violet blue.
“…Oh really? What would that be?” Zack asked, brushing his lips over hers teasingly; his voice deeper and huskier as he wondered how he ever got this fortunate to find someone like her…
“How about we go back to the hotel room…” Aerith whispered, pressing her silken lips to the corner of his mouth as her thumb slid along the cross shaped scar on his cheek.
“…Really?…”
“Mm-hmmm…and once we get back in there, we take off these wet bathing suits…”
“…Y-Yeah?” Zack swallowed thickly, “…And…?”
“…And then…” Aerith pulled her tempting lips away from his before flashing him an wicked smirk, “We order a hugetub of ice cream and eat ourselves stupid!” she exclaimed, playfully pulling on the ponytail she made of his hair and giggling cutely when he yelped.
Zack was tempted to dunk the cock-tease into the cold water like the shower he was probably gonna have to take after all this but her beautiful bell-like laughter and adorably flushed face just had him sharing her contagious joy right alongside her.
In retaliation for her teasing, Zack spun them around in the water, the splashes of prickling icy droplets against her warm skin making her squeal and it made the raven-haired SOLDIER laugh harder. Their infectious joyful sounds lifting up into the perfect blue sky and embedding this moment in their hearts forever.
“Alright, alright, you minx,” Zack chuckled, growing still in the water once more as the echoes of laughter calmed in his chest. “It’s too damn cold for you to swim so what the hell? Let’s go get some ice cream.” Aerith’s giggling continued for a moment and he took the time to appreciate his girlfriend’s beaming smile.
“Really?” she asked cheekily, bopping the tip of his nose with her dainty finger.
Zack was tempted to nip at her finger but instead replied, “Sure. It’s a date,” he promised with a winning grin.
Aerith gazed at him, eyes echoing an age much older than her twenty two years, when her exquisite smile suddenly fell. Emerald irises growing misty as she stared so effortlessly into his soul but before Zack could even voice a single concern, Aerith was cupping his face so tenderly as if he would shatter before abruptly kissing him for all he was worth.
This all started as just the pict and just got away from me. XD I wanted to draw something fun for summer (as much as I hate this season because heat drives me insane T_T). So, I thought what better way than to have Zack and Aerith at the beach? Anyway, the full fict is in the link above if you’re interested. ;-p Have a nice weekend, y’all.
Inspired by the beautiful story “Legacy”byMintPaperdid for Zerith Week 2021 over on A03.
I’ve always had a soft spot for those few ficts that exist where Zack not only returns back alive to Aerith but finds out he left her with a souvenir (;-3) before he left for Niebelheim.
One of the most tragic things about Zerith is the fact Zack was never able to be a dad since I think he’d be such a natural given his easy-going nature. And of course, him and Aerith would make the most wonderful parents. <3 That’s why I fell in love with this story and had to draw them as a family along with meeting his new son. <3 Among reeling from his survival, the pain and agony of losing 4-5 years of his life under the knife of a madman disappear with the welcoming arms of his child and girlfriend welcoming him home. <3
Thanks to MintPaper for writing such a sweet story! I can’t wait to read it again! :-3
I’m still alive!!! Wow, it’s been WAY too long since I posted anything but life has a way of sneaking up on you leaving you little time for much else.
Anyway, this is actually fanart for the beautiful story,“Strife and Prejudice”byJaneite_of_the_slumsover on AO3. It’s so beautifully written, the characters are so fleshed out and perfect and I love the take on classic literature as well.
The story has such an intriguing premise and I just fell in love with it so I had to draw something! And what could be better than Zack and Aerith dancing? These two are going to be the death of me I swear! T_T Their story and their romance itself so far in this story is so bittersweet and it’s downright heartbreaking at times but it’s still SO good! So I encourage anyone who loves Cloti or Zerith or just an interesting take on FFVII, to go and give it a read, you will not be disappointed! :-3
Thanks Janeite for writing such a treasure! I look forward to where it goes next!
…It hit her now just how little he changed physically (he still looked exactly as she remembered other than the new scars and clothes), but yet so drastically in others.
Gone was the boisterous teenager with the innocent, youthful exuberance, cocky smirk that seemed to be permanently etched onto his lips and in his confident swagger. There was a maturity to him that was even more drastic than after his mentor’s death; it was so much more bone-deep and personal. Whatever happened to Zack these past five years was beyond anything she could have even wanted to know or comprehend to make her playfully-coined, Zack the Puppy, into this haunted man before her now.
Lines and scars on his face that hadn’t been there before, heavy shadows under his still piercingly bright blue eyes that held more agony than a person should ever have to experience. A tiredness yet the hints of one ready to jolt at the sightless inclination of danger in his posture that spoke volumes for the man who had always had excess energy and was always moving but still retained such a laid-back attitude. So much had changed……
Yet, even considering all of it, this was still herZack…
Tears filled her eyes than slipped steadily down her cheeks as she took him in. Her Zack. Retaining that incredible gentleness when touching her, confident yet so sweet smile, soft tone of voice, sinfully handsome face surrounded by midnight black hair and of course, those magnificent eyes. Ones she could drown in and stay blithely adrift for the rest of her life.
Aerith’s gaze finally fell and froze on his smiling mouth - gorgeous plush pink-rose tinted lips beckoning her like a moth to a flame and she wouldn’t deny her wants anymore or ever again. Aerith had never been very forward in their relationship (Zack was usually the far more affectionate one) but she was going to change that now… Hands gently grasping his face, she leaned forward and pushed herself up on her knees to close the distance between their mouths.
With heart hammering wildly in her chest, Aerith kissed Zack in the very spot they first met.
And…wow, it was nothing like all their previous kisses or even their most intimate moments they shared all those years ago.
Don’t mind me, I’m still just fucking REELING over the FF7 Remake ending (AND FUCKING ZACK FAIR BEING FUCKING ALIVE) and will continually be spazzing over it til part 2 comes out in around 10 years. If Zack is even playable in part 2 I can die happy.
…The panic was instant. It took absolutely everything inside of her not to collapse into a fetal position upon the filthy ground and pray for mercy before the sky sucked her into it’s endless abyss.
Hands shaking and shoulders trembling, she was full on ready to start crying in utter terror but before even a whimper could leave her lips, she felt pressure on her waist. There was the sudden sensation of weightlessness as her feet left the stable ground and she was abruptly spinning and flying upwards towards that very same sky - and oh Gaia, this was it! But all of a sudden, she stopped; her stomach lurched but the abrupt burst of laughter over the pounding in her eardrums had Aerith instinctively turning toward the sound.
That’s when she found herself looking down into Zack’s handsome smiling face.
Oh. That was new.
The familiar kink in her neck from always having to look up at at his towering frame was now resting quite comfortably below her. And while she typically would never allow this kind of brazen intimacy out in the open, she realized she never wanted him to put her down. Despite the fact she didn’t feel the safety of the ground beneath the soles of her shoes, the security of his arms admist the terrifying endless sky stabilized her frantic heart in ways she would never quite understand.
Thickly muscled arms a comforting weight around her waist as he held her ever so gently with a fraction of the strength that lugged around a sword as big as himself. Hands that were trembling only moments before were still atop his broad shoulders and mindlessly caressing the woven fabric of his black SOLDIER-issued sleeveless turtleneck. Its woven texture, his handsome face, those incredible eyes, dashing smile and that familiar cross shaped scar on his cheek - Zack had become her safety net in this uncertain world - and within seconds, she calmed.
ZACK IS ALIVE IN THE FF7 REMAKE! I still fucking can’t get over it! T______T
Y’all, when I saw the new remake, I was like, “cool” but not crazy hype. I dunno, I adore the FF7 universe but with it’s prequel Crisis Core and Zack Fair (best FF character ever – fight me) being, ya know, dead, I wasn’t really into it but omg…that ending… (if u haven’t seen it - WATCH IT NOW…)
I don’t care if he’s only alive in a parallel universe or whatever the hell is going on, it doesn’t matter. It’s seeing him alive and surviving that fight that was the alternate ending to Crisis Core I desperately needed since 2007, y’all. When mah boi said, “Wait…was that all of them?” I fucking SOBBED – Zack deserved so much better and now with this new installment, I really hope he gets it but we’re gonna have to wait and see where they take the next game.
And these two… Zack and Aerith have always been one of the most tragic OTP’s of mine – her waiting for 5 years for him to return to her (still wearing the ribbon he bought her in her hair and a pink dress every day like he requested) only for him to be murdered on his way back to see her. And of course, her dying months later…fuckin’ hell. And while I’d been content after Advent Children seeing both Zack and Aerith together in the Lifestream, it’s not the same. But now that there is even a fraction of a fraction of a percent that they can meet up again in the next installment of the remake, I will hold onto that with everything I have! Now let’s just hope it doesn’t take them 10 years to make it. XD
While it’s highly probable Aerith and Zack will reunite after death (aka in the Lifestream), as the alternative might stray too far from the original story, in my ideal vision they would reunite while they’re still alive and have their own “highwind scene”
Lol yes I mean having an Very Intimate time together just like Cloti famously did.
They were seriously in love and attracted to each other, pretty much dating for over a year? but then sadly they were torn apart for 5 years. Zack once free, tried everything he could to get back to Aerith, and Aerith wrote 89 letters throughout that time, clearly he was always on her mind and Remake shows she’s still hasn’t moved on.
So considering the way Remake has/will play things out with them, it would be a beautiful thing to finally express all those feelings of yearning and missing each other built up over time apart.
A string choker from another world. It was worn by a young lady thought to be the last remaining ancestor of a race known as the Ancients. It has the power to repel dark magic and amplify holy magic. Upon parting ways with someone very special, this choker’s owner started to wear it as proof of her determination to move forward. -Brave Exvius Description
Aerith’s string choker is tied to Zack. In the remake, Aerith’s choker received some changes. There is now a flower on it.
There is official merch of this new necklace.
The flower put on Aerith’s choker is a “forget-me-not”
It is confirmed that Aerith began to wear this choker after parting ways with Zack, and in the remake they decorate her necklace with a “forget-me-not” and here is what the flower symbolizes.
Forget-Me-Not plants symbolize true love.
they are given or used to decorate gifts with the hope the recipient will not forget the giver. It also symbolizes faithful love and memories.
True and undying love
Remembrance during partings or after death
A connection that lasts through time
Fidelity and loyalty in a relationship, despite separation or other challenges
A forget-me-not represents true and undying love, remembrance after death, reminders of memories, and a connection that lasts throughout time.
Aerith began wearing her necklace after parting ways with Zack, and the remake they alter her simply choker (confirmed to be tied to Zack) with a forget-me-not.
Aerith is wearing a flower that represents true and undying love after parting ways with Zack. Aerith is confirmed not over Zack.
There was no need for them to tie her string choker to Zack, and then put a forget-me-not on it. But they did.
