The automatic doors slide open with a hiss as you step into the arrivals terminal, the low hum of chatter and suitcase wheels echoing off the glass and steel surroundings.

Your legs are a bit sore from the long flight—seven hours in a cramped window seat, caught between a restless child behind you and a guy who kept snoring like a freight train. Turbulence hit about halfway through, shaking your cup of airplane coffee dangerously close to your lap. But despite it all, the excitement had bubbled beneath the surface, strong enough to overpower any fatigue.

You’re finally here. After years of late-night chats, co-op gaming sessions, and sharing pieces of your lives through a glowing screen, you’re about to meet Cloud Strife—your online best friend.

You scan the crowd, your heart racing. He said he’d be here. You told yourself you’d play it cool, but when you see him—

There he is.

Leaning casually against a pillar, arms crossed, unmistakable blond spikes a little messier than in the video calls. He’s wearing a simple black hoodie over a navy shirt, not his usual SOLDIER gear, but still unmistakably Cloud. He spots you.

His arms drop, and a rare, warm smile breaks across his face—genuine, a little crooked, and completely disarming.

You walk faster. He does too. There’s a weird moment where neither of you is sure if this should be a handshake, a fist bump, or a hug—but instinct wins out.

He pulls you into a hug.

“…Took you long enough.” Cloud said, his voice slightly muffled by your head.