A run-in with some of the locals

Cloud stuck to Aerith real nice and close, praying to whichever creator would listen to him that things would work out in his favor. Aerith had taken his arm and wrapped her own around it to hold them both of them close, making Cloud feel a little better, but all the while still reminding him of just how exposed he was.

Aerith, on the other hand, could not be more internally ecstatic. She she was, walking through her usual route to and from the place that gave her the grestest sense of peace, arm-in-arm with a handsome young man, willing to be her guardian... in his underwear! Aerith was forming a plan on how to make him lose those, but obviously kept it to herself.

She wasn't doing it because she thought he was cute (well, at least not exclusively because of that). She just thought that naked people were funny.

As they walked through the dilapidated slums of Sector 5, Cloud noticed movement up ahead and stopped dead in his tracks. "Uh, Aerith?" Cloud squeaked out, getting the girl's attention. "Can we go another way? I don't want these people to... see me like this..."

Aerith turned to him, smiling sweetly. "Oh, Cloud," she responded, lightly pinching his cheek. "We have to go this way. This is the only path that takes us directly home. There's less people on this path, and fewer monsters, as well." She looked more intently at him and raised her one eye at him. "Unless you'd rather go the long way...?"

Cloud's eyes went wide as he shook his head. "No, never mind, that's okay," Cloud stammered very quickly. "I'll just... grin and bear it, I guess..."

And with that, the duo walked in the direction of the small crowd of people, much to the SOLDIER's chagrin. Much to his horror, Aerith even stopped and began chatting with some of them, leaving Cloud at the mercy of the remaining denizens of the Sector, pointing and laughing at the nearly nude man, while others were looking at him with admiration.

"Wow, buddy, did you forget something today?" one lady around his age joked.

"Damn, he must work out..." another woman who looked a little younger, remarked.

"Kids these days, no shame whatsoever..." retorted an older gentleman.

Eventually, Aerith had finished talking. "Okay, Cloudie-boy, let's get going~!" she harmonized as the two of them continued on their bare-bodied trek. While Cloud was relieved to be away from the flock of strangers, he was also terrified to think that maybe his last piece of clothing was not long for this world...